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| "Balance of Terror" | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek: The Original Series episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 14 |
| Directed by | Vincent McEveety |
| Written by | Paul Schneider |
| Featured music | Fred Steiner |
| Cinematography by | Jerry Finnerman |
| Production code | 009 |
| Original air date | December 15, 1966 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Balance of Terror" is the fourteenth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by Paul Schneider and directed by Vincent McEveety, it first aired on December 15, 1966.
The series, which was later subtitled The Original Series, follows the adventures of the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) and its crew led by Captain James T. Kirk (portrayed by William Shatner) through the galaxy. The episode follows a strategy-filled battle between the Enterprise and a Romulan ship that has methodically destroyed Federation outposts bordering the Neutral Zone.
"Balance of Terror" notably introduces both the Romulan species and the cloaking device. Mark Lenard, who plays the unnamed Romulan commander, later portrayed Spock's father Sarek in the majority of his later Star Trek appearances, as well as a Klingon captain in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The episode's events are revisited within an alternate future in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 2022 episode "A Quality of Mercy".