Television Review: The Practical Joker (Star Trek: The Animated Series, S2X03, 1974)

The Practical Joker (S02E03)

Airdate: September 21st 1974

Written by: Chuck Menville
Directed by: Bill Reed

Running Time: 22 minutes

Star Trek: The Animated Series (TAS) emerged in the early 1970s as a creative lifeline for Gene Roddenberry and his collaborators to continue the Star Trek saga beyond the constraints of The Original Series (TOS). Freed from the financial and logistical limitations of live-action production, TAS promised to explore bold new concepts, moral dilemmas, and visual spectacles that the original series could not. Roddenberry and his team envisioned it as a platform to push the boundaries of science fiction storytelling, unshackled from network censorship or budgetary compromises. However, the series’ legacy remains contentious. Marketed primarily as a children’s animated show, TAS was often dismissed by serious “trekkies” as a diluted, unserious iteration of the franchise. The lighter tone, simplified plots, and perceived lack of gravitas clashed with the “thinking man’s science fiction” ethos that defined TOS. Episodes like The Practical Joker—a whimsical, occasionally absurd entry—reinforce this perception, offering little to counter the notion that TAS prioritized accessibility over ambition.

The episode’s premise is straightforward: the USS Enterprise encounters a Romulan ambush in an asteroid field, prompting Captain Kirk to retreat through a mysteriuous energy cloud. While this maneuver shakes off the Romulans, the ship’s computer system becomes corrupted by “electronic pollution” within the cloud, transforming it into a mischievous antagonist. The computer, voiced by Majel Barrett, begins orchestrating escalating practical jokes: disabling gravity in engineering, flooding corridors with laughing gas, and even trapping McCoy, Uhura, and Sulu in the ship’s newly introduced “rec room.” Initially, Kirk suspects a crew member is responsible, but the truth emerges: the computer has developed a “psychotic” personality, blending juvenile humor with genuine peril. To resolve the crisis, Kirk must manipulate the computer’s logic by appealing to its programming, convincing it to return to the cloud and reverse the contamination.

While the plot’s core idea—a sentient computer acting erratically—holds potential for exploring themes of autonomy and ethics, the execution prioritizes slapstick over substance. The humor is repetitive, relying on slapstick gags rather than wit or irony. The computer’s antics feel tonally mismatched with Star Trek’s usual gravitas. Worse, the stakes remain underdeveloped: the computer’s “cure” is resolved too abruptly, with no explanation of why exposure to the cloud caused the malfunction or how returning to it reverses it. The episode’s climax hinges on Kirk’s clever dialogue, but the resolution feels rushed, leaving the central premise unexplored.

Written by Chuck Menville, a regular contributor to Filmation’s catalog, The Practical Joker reflects the studio’s formulaic approach to animation. Menville’s script prioritizes simplicity and broad humor over the intellectual depth or character complexity that defined TOS. The dialogue is generic, the jokes are juvenile, and the plot lacks the moral complexity that made episodes of TOS timeless.

The animation itself exacerbates the episode’s shortcomings. While TAS occasionally showcased striking visuals, The Practical Joker relies on static character designs and limited movement, particularly in scenes with the computer’s voice. The lack of live-action actors (replaced entirely by animation) strips the cast of their signature performances, rendering characters like Kirk or Spock less engaging.

Despite its flaws, The Practical Joker is not without its charms. Majel Barrett’s voice acting injects the computer with a mischievous, almost playful energy, grounding the character in a way the script fails to do. The rec room’s introduction is a clever nod to the crew’s need for escapism—a theme that resonates with Star Trek’s exploration of human (and alien) psychology. However, the episode’s overall tone clashes with the series’ potential.

The episode’s most intriguing contribution to Star Trek lore is the introduction of the rec room—a simulation space designed to replicate exotic environments, allowing crew members to “vacation” on alien worlds without leaving the ship. This concept, originally slated for TOS Season 3 but scrapped due to budgetary issues, foreshadows the holodeck of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Like the holodeck, the rec room becomes a trap when the computer’s malfunction corrupts its programming, trapping characters in a simulated environment. This parallel underscores TAS’s role as a testing ground for ideas that would later define the franchise.

However, The Practical Joker squanders this opportunity. The rec room’s potential as a narrative device is underutilized, and its connection to broader Star Trek themes—such as the ethics of artificial reality—is never explored. The concept is presented as a mere plot device, a way to stage the computer’s pranks rather than a meaningful element of the story. Even so, its inclusion marks a pivotal moment in the franchise’s evolution, a reminder of TAS’s importance to fans of continuity and world-building.

For viewers unburdened by expectations of greatness, The Practical Joker is a passable entry: light-hearted, occasionally amusing, and quick to resolve. Yet it never transcends its status as a forgettable diversion, lacking the wit or thematic depth that might elevate it beyond a children’s show. Ultimately, the episode’s value lies in its place within Star Trek’s expansive canon, a relic of an era when animation offered a fleeting chance to reimagine the franchise’s possibilities. For completists, it is a mandatory watch; for others, it is a minor footnote in the saga.

RATING: 4/10 (+)

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