Star Trek: The Animated Series S1E14 – The Slaver Weapon

Star Trek without William Shatner? It may be the norm now, yet back in the seventies it would have seemed unthinkable but that didn’t stop The Animated Series from delivering a Kirk-less adventure. Not only Kirk-less, but McCoy-less and Scotty-less too (although Doohan does play all of the antogonists). The Slaver Weapon swaps out the familiar ensemble of the Enterprise crew for a focused tale of survival, espionage, and ancient technology. Based on Larry Niven’s short story The Soft Weapon, this episode gives us Spock, Sulu, and Uhura as the trinity at the heart of the action.

The story begins as Spock, Sulu, and Uhura are transporting an ancient Slaver stasis box containing unknown relics of a long-extinct empire in a shuttlecraft. The box, which can only be opened in proximity to another Slaver artifact, suddenly activates, alerting the Kzinti—a militant, feline-like race with ambitions of restoring their standing in the galactic balance of power. The trio is captured by the Kzinti, who hope the contents of the stasis box will give them the technological edge to avenge their previous defeats.

It’s near unique in the annals of all Star Trek series as much for what’s absent as what’s featured. There’s no Enterprise, for a start, and the absence of two of the three main characters is notable too. The action starts in media res, perhaps the result of adapting a short story into a twenty-two minute format, likely because much of the setup had to be trimmed to fit the 22-minute runtime. By paring down the story and cast to the core, The Slaver Weapon becomes a tightly focused narrative about intelligence, teamwork, and survival. Spock’s logic is central to the crew’s attempts to outwit their captors, but Sulu and Uhura also get moments to shine. Sulu’s quick thinking and Uhura’s calm resolve play crucial roles, making this one of the rare episodes where the supporting cast takes centre stage.

Visually, the Kzinti are an intimidating presence, with their pink fur, sharp claws, and warrior ethos. This episode marks the Kzinti’s first and only appearance in Star Trek television until they were referenced again in Star Trek: Picard. Originally created by Larry Niven for his Known Space universe, their inclusion in The Animated Series represents a rare crossover of established literary sci-fi into Star Trek canon. The episode leans into the sci-fi pulpiness of Niven’s source material, with the Slaver weapon itself changing forms to reveal its potentially devastating versatility. A Swiss Army weapon, there’s fun to be had as the Kzinti clumsily try each setting in turn in the hope of stumbling on to the gamechanger they feel they need to regain their rightful status. There’s an implied rebuke of the concept of manifest destiny in the Kzinti’s incompetence and its perhaps no surprise that they’re also mysoginistic supremacists who take absurd pride in their preference for eating meat. I’m pretty sure if we ever saw their spacecraft in flight, it would somehow be rolling coal.

Ultimately, The Slaver Weapon is a bold and memorable episode that successfully merges Star Trek with Larry Niven’s distinct brand of speculative fiction. Its self-contained nature and unique focus make it stand out in The Animated Series as a clever, taut sci-fi thriller that proves Star Trek doesn’t always need its full ensemble to deliver a compelling adventure and in true Trek fashion, while Spock, Sulu, and Uhura’s resourcefulness keeps them alive, it’s the wisdom and foresight of the ancient Slaver race that ultimately saves the day.

star trek the animated series s1e14 the slaver weapon review
trek score 8


Hi there! If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up to get new posts sent straight to your inbox?

Sign up to receive a weekly digest of The Craggus' latest posts.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

star trek the animated series s2e06 the counter-clock incident
star trek the animated series s2e05 how sharper than a serpent's tooth
star trek the animated series s2e04 albatross
star trek the animated series s2e3 the practical joker
star trek the animated series s2e02 bem
star trek the animated series s2e01 the pirates of orion
star trek the animated series s1e16 the jihad
star trek the animated series s1e15 the eye of the beholder review
star trek the animated series the ambergris element review
star trek the animated series s1e12 the time trap
star trek the animated series the terratin incident review
star trek the animated series s1e10 mudd's passion review
star trek the animated series once upon a planet review
star trek the animated series - the magicks of megas-tu
star trek the animated series - the infinite vulcan review
star trek the animated series - the survivor
star trek the animated series more tribbles more troubles review
star trek the animated series the lorelei signal review
star trek the animated series one of our planets is missing review
star trek the animated series yesteryear review
Star Trek The Animated Series Beyond The Farthest Star Review
logo

Related posts

Kindergarten Cop (1990) Review

Kindergarten Cop (1990) Review

Kindergarten Cop sees Schwarzenegger graduate from action hero to movie star. Austrian muscle mountain stands in a sea of ankle-high Americans, eyes twitching like he’s weighing up how many he could take down before snack time. One’s got a ferret. Another’s screaming because someone...

Sharkman (2005) Review

Sharkman (2005) Review

With great power comes great risibility We’re back in the realms of mad science with 2005’s “Sharkman” (the internet’s most often confused movie. It’s sometimes called “Hammerhead” and not to be confused with the apparently unavailable (believe me I tried) 2001 film “Sharkman” from...

Eye In The Sky (2016) Review

Eye In The Sky (2016) Review

You can't stay remote from the moral dilemma presented by Eye In The Sky. Having explored the politics and morality of warfare in 2013’s “Ender’s Game”, director Gavin Hood returns to the subject with a tense and much more topical take. This time, however, we’re not granted the vicarious...

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) Review

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) Review

There and back again. Well, at least part of the way there. Returning to Middle Earth should feel like slipping into a well-worn cloak, but The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey arrives with a different energy. This is not the brooding, weighty journey of The Lord of the Rings; this is a...

Yoga Hosers (2016) Review

Yoga Hosers (2016) Review

It was the least of times, it was the wurst of times. The general consensus appears to be that “Yoga Hosers” is the point at which Kevin Smith irrevocably jumped his own proverbial shark but, for me, it’s the point at which he fully actualised as an artist, having no fucks left to give...

Double Date (2017) Review

Double Date (2017) Review

Love is a battlefield in British comedy slasher Double Date British comedy horror is a bit of a dicey prospect at the best of times. For every “Shaun Of The Dead” there are a dozen “Lesbian Vampire Slayers”, so when “Double Date” popped up on the old Sky Q box, I was wary but...

Creed II (2018) Review

Creed II (2018) Review

Creed II boxes clever but it feels likee the franchise won't make a 10 count... Creed II picks up three years after Adonis' noble loss to Ricky Conlan in Creed. Creed jr (Michael B. Jordan) has worked his way back to the top, assembling a string of victories that culminates in defeating...

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) Review

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) Review

John Goodman twerking isn't the most terrifying thing in 10 Cloverfield Lane Given the tricksy reputation of producer JJ Abrams and the cryptic description of the film as a ‘blood relative’ of 2008’s breakout monster movie, “10 Cloverfield Lane”’s greatest asset also actively works...