S1.E13

The Ambergris Element

Episode aired Dec 1, 1973
TV-PG
23m

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Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner in Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973)

Action Adventure Animation Family Sci-Fi

While the Enterprise investigates a water-world, Captain Kirk and Commander Spock go missing. They've been abducted by the world's inhabitants and altered into water-breathers as well.While the Enterprise investigates a water-world, Captain Kirk and Commander Spock go missing. They've been abducted by the world's inhabitants and altered into water-breathers as well.While the Enterprise investigates a water-world, Captain Kirk and Commander Spock go missing. They've been abducted by the world's inhabitants and altered into water-breathers as well.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

765

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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William Shatner

Capt. Kirk
(voice)

Leonard Nimoy

Mr. Spock
(voice)

DeForest Kelley

Dr. McCoy
(voice)

George Takei

Sulu
(voice)
(credit only)

Nichelle Nichols

Uhura
(voice)
(credit only)

Majel Barrett

Rila
(voice)
…

James Doohan

Scott
(voice)
…

Lou Scheimer

Lemus
(voice)
(uncredited)
…

Director
- Hal Sutherland
Writers
All cast & crew
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Storyline

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Trivia
A couple of the swimming animations of Kirk and Spock were trace overs of the swimming animation of Aquaman (1967) from the late 1960s Filmation show. This is why Spock frequently seems to be drawn as smaller than Kirk.

Goofs
After Kirk's mutated hands are shown to heal, they are again mutated in a later scene.

Quotes
Doctor McCoy: Medical Log: Stardate 5506.2. Captain Kirk and First Officer Spock were rescued forty-eight hours ago. They have no recollection of what happened to them after they were attacked, but medical examinations show an unidentified substance in the blood stream has affected their entire metabolism and changed them into water-breathers. Their internal structure is completely transformed, and even their eyes are covered with a transparent film, like the second eyelid of a fish. So far all efforts to return them to normal have failed.

Connections
Edited from Aquaman (1967)

User reviews6

Review

Featured review

6/10

Transformation from air-breathing to aquatic is questionable

Kirk and Spock are in a submersible shuttle craft investigating a planet that is almost all water. It is subject to severe "earthquakes" that have in the past caused massive amounts of landmass to be lowered into the sea. While skimming the surface and gathering data, the shuttle craft is attacked by a giant sur-snake. They are able to repel the first attack, but when it attacks again, it destroys the shuttle craft. Kirk and Spock are thrown from the craft and when they recover, they are now aquatic, unable to survive on land. To have any hope of being human again, they must go back under water and seek out the intelligent humanoids that live there. After a debate among the leaders of the aquatic creatures, they agree to let Kirk and Spock go to their submerged hall of records to search for information regarding how to transform back. The aquatic creatures are weary of air breathers, for there was apparently hostile feelings between the two groups in the past. The problem with this episode is the ease with which the transformation takes place. There are no side effects or consequential traumas to what would have to be a massive alteration of body structure. The acquisition of the antidote is also a bit overplayed.