If you're an OG "Star Trek" fan or a member of the Syndication Generation, you know the name Alan Dean Foster. In addition to writing the story for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," he also wrote the 10-volume "Star Trek Log" book series back in the 70s, which adapted (and expanded upon) every episode of "The Animated Series." We're excited and honored to have Foster join us as a special guest for our deep dive of "One of Our Planets is Missing."

While exploring the outer fringes of the galaxy, the Enterprise encounters a giant cloud that has the ability to consume everything in its path. Next on that path is the planet Mantilles, the most remote world in Federation space and inhabited by 82 million people. Compounding the issue is Mr. Spock's discovery that the cloud is an intelligent life form, and destroying it would be a crime against science. With time running out (and in more ways than one), the Enterprise crew must figure out a way to communicate with the cloud and stop its path of destruction, or Captain Kirk will be forced to destroy it. Written by veteran "Star Trek" director Marc Daniels, "One of Our Planets is Missing" is a quintessential "Star Trek" adventure that lives up to the high standards established by "The Original Series." In addition to being a race against time to stop a massive destructive force from posing a threat to the galaxy (like "The Doomsday Machine"), the episode also explores the burden of command on Captain Kirk (like "Balance of Terror") and the importance of communication with a misunderstood antagonist (like "The Devil in the Dark"). And it does all of this in just 24 minutes (and that's with the opening and closing credits). If there's any episode of "The Animated Series" that says what "Star Trek" is all about, it's this one.

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