Line #9 Recap/StarTrekS2E18TheImmunitySyndrome


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/immunity_syndrome.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:What the hell is ''that''?]]
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4	'''Original air date:''' January 19, 1968
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6	Kirk and the ''Enterprise'' are due to go on shore leave soon, but are interrupted when they get a hail from Starfleet asking them to [[SendInTheSearchTeam investigate the disappearance of solar system Gamma 7A]]. They also get a garbled message from the Vulcan science vessel the ''Intrepid'' consisting only of the ship's name and co-ordinates. After they lose contact with the ''Intrepid'', Spock feels [[Film/ANewHope a great disturbance in the Force, as if 400 Vulcans suddenly cried out in terror, then were suddenly silenced.]]
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8	It is soon revealed that the ''Intrepid'' and the missing solar system were all devoured by a giant space amoeba. This amoeba is likened to an infection upon the universe and the ''Enterprise'' are the anti-bodies to take it out. Just one question: Who's going to fly a shuttle straight into the maw of an energy devouring mass?
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10	The FanNickname for this episode, as immortalized in ''Webcomic/{{Melonpool}}''[[note]]Where it is the only episode that protagonist and ''Star Trek'' fanatic Mayberry Melonpool has never managed to see, though not for lack of trying[[/note]], is "JustForFun/TheOneWith the Giant Space Amoeba".
11	----
12	!!The Immunity Tropes:
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14	* AllThereInTheScript: Although the name was cut from the final draft, the captain of the USS Intrepid was named Satak.
15	* AntiMatter: [[Film/JackieBrown When you absolutely, positively have to kill every motherfucking space wedgie in the universe, accept no substitutes.]]
16	* BottledHeroicResolve: Bones gives stim shots to any one who's had their energy sapped. He warns Kirk that he's going to pop if he takes any more.
17	* BottleEpisode: Almost all of the action is on board the ''Enterprise'' with a few scenes of Spock in a shuttlecraft.
18	* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Kirk, Bones and Spock are all willing to die to save everyone else’s lives.
19	* CosmicHorrorStory: This is likely the closest the Star Trek series comes to a cosmic horror story. The amoeba is mindless (unlike the cosmic Pitcher Plant that the Captain Ahab expy insisted was intelligent in [[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS5E14Bliss "Bliss"]]) and insanely powerful. It would have destroyed the entire galaxy by doing nothing but following a blind instinct to feed and reproduce, like one of the cells in your body.
20	* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: Kirk's annoyance at Spock's refusal to speculate about what they're up against produces the seemingly redundant statement "'Insufficient data' is not sufficient".
21	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: By TNG era any Vulcan ships that were encountered always had Vulcan names.
22	* EurekaMoment: Kirk and [=McCoy=]'s conversation about the ''Enterprise'' being one of the galaxy's antibodies inspires Kirk to try antimatter against the amoeba.
23	* FromBadToWorse: The idea that the giant energy-sucking space amoeba can ''reproduce'', meaning that the galaxy could end up overrun with giant space amoebae.
24	* GoshDangItToHeck: Scotty apologizes to the captain after letting loose a "What the devil...?" Granted, he was still yelling at his captain.
25	* HellIsThatNoise: Bad enough the amoeba has to steal your energy, it has to subject you to skull-numbing noise while it's doing it!
26	* LostInTransmission: Spock's final transmission from the shuttlecraft cuts out just as he's about to explain how the thing can be killed, leaving Kirk to have to come up with the solution on his own.
27	* MartyrWithoutACause: Spock accuses Bones of having a martyr complex, perhaps being a bit hypocritical while he's at it as he is also volunteering for a SuicideMission.
28	* MegaMicrobes: The space amoeba.
29	* AMillionIsAStatistic: Spock cannot fathom why humans are more upset over one death than several deaths.
30	* MinimalistCast: This is one of the few episodes with no guest cast whatsoever. {{Recurrer}} Lt. Kyle[[note]]mispronounced as "Cowell" by Shatner right through the episode[[/note]], usually the transporter chief, fills in for the absent Sulu[[note]]Creator/GeorgeTakei was still away filming ''Film/TheGreenBerets''[[/note]] at the Helm.
31	* MoreExpendableThanYou: There ''is'' scientific knowledge to be gained, but Spock and [=McCoy=] are still fighting each other for the chance to die.
32	* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: Spock sensing the deaths of everyone on the ''Intrepid''.
33	* NegativeSpaceWedgie: The space amoeba.
34	* NoOSHACompliance: Why aren't there any seat belts on the ''Enterprise''? No less than three incidents in this episode alone proves that they are very much needed.
35	* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Spock finally gives one to Bones, calling him out on AMillionIsAStatistic.
36	* RousingSpeech: The amoeba has been sapping personal energy as well as the ship's energy. Kirk has to give the tired and disoriented crew a pep talk.
37	* SadisticChoice: Kirk has to decide which of his two best friends have to go into a situation that could very well kill them.
38	* SendInTheSearchTeam: The ''Enterprise'' is sent to find out what happened to solar system Gamma 7A, and to the previous ship sent to investigate.
39	* SnarkingThanks: Spock takes a shuttlecraft inside the giant space amoeba, but falls out of contact. When the Enterprise is leaving the amoeba after planting a bomb, it passes by the shuttlecraft and Captain Kirk decides to use a TractorBeam to save Spock. When Spock protests, Dr. [=McCoy=] says "Shut up, Spock! We're rescuing you!". Spock replies "Why thank you, '''Captain''' [=McCoy=]".
40	* SnarkToSnarkCombat: Bones and Spock always have a little of this, but it's ''particularly'' acidic in this episode.
41	* SuicideMission: Whoever flies a shuttle into the amoeba to find its weak points might not come back alive.
42	* TimeBomb: The Enterprise fires a probe into the ameoba's nucleus. It's fitted with an AntiMatter bomb equipped with a delayed detonation feature, giving the ship time to get away before it goes off (they hope).
43	* VampiricDraining: The giant space amoeba eats by draining LifeEnergy from all living beings within the cloud of darkness it generates.

Context Recap / StarTrekS2E18TheImmunitySyndrome