WARNING: This thread WILL contain unhidden spoilers for this entry. Because this re-watch is in a slightly-subjective chronological order and not in production order, please refrain from talking about the content of other episodes or movies in this thread. If you do, please put that content inside spoiler tags. Some people here may be watching Star Trek for the first time.

#81: Star Trek: The Animated Series, season 1, episode 14 "The Slaver Weapon"

Written by Larry Niven, directed by Hal Sutherland.

Stardates 5538.6 through 5539.2 (early 2269)
(Using the novelization Stardate)

"We can't give them that!" - Lieutenant Sulu

Commander Spock, and Lieutenants Uhura and Sulu are returning to the Enterprise via shuttlecraft with what is known as a Slaver Stasis Box. These mysterious boxes contain the only remaining artifacts of an advanced race that ruled the galaxy billions of years ago. Each time a box is discovered, it leapfrogs technological development for that species. The box then begins to glow, which indicates (against all odds) that a second Stasis Box is nearby. Spock orders Sulu to redirect the shuttle to a nebula to locate it. Once they land, they are ambushed by a group of Kzinti pirates who take their Stasis Box and hold them hostage. The Chuft Captain of the Kxinti announce that the second box was empty and used as a decoy to lure them to the ice ball they were hiding on as they use it to open the genuine Stasis Box and retrieve an unknown handheld device. Now Spock has to devise a way to get him and his officers to safety while also preventing the malevolent Kzinti from learning how to use the hyper-advanced device and using that technology to their advantage.

Originally released: 15 December 1973

"The Slaver Weapon" on Memory Alpha (mirror)

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What did you think?

I don't know if this was one of the better TAS episodes, but I do have a weakness for stories about ancient, mysterious technology. And I also like puzzles. Still, IMO the most interesting & relevant point here is about dealing with life-changing tech, one which can suddenly alter reality for a group, or even a species. Do they reject it or embrace it?

A rather sad example are various isolated peoples and tribes around the world, some of whom have violently rejected contact with civilized man and his technology & luxuries, some of whom have more or less joined him seamlessly, and others who've been outright ruined, like the Pacific Island Nauruans.

Bonus pts for James Doohan conducting a 4-way conversation amongst himself, as the Kzintis. 😁

Btw, I seem to recall Futurama doing a partial riff on the 'time-preserving box' idea.