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- I\u2019m fascinated in retrospect by how episodes open<\/strong>, about what is going on before the Enterprise and its crew encounter whatever challenge will form the basis of this week\u2019s story. Sometimes these are just as interesting as the main story, for what they reveal about how daily life aboard the Enterprise works, or what the writers and producers imply about the ship\u2019s mission.<\/li>\n
- In this case, the opening establishes that the Enterprise is crossing some kind of \u2018star void\u2019 on its way to Beta VI, which it will reach in 8 days, and that they\u2019re 900 light years from Earth. Routine on the bridge: we see a (female) yeoman passing out coffee; we have yet another navigator, this time DeSalle (for some reason they didn\u2019t settle on a regular navigator character \u2013 Chekov \u2013 until the second season).<\/li>\n
- The \u2018star void\u2019<\/strong> notion is a curious one, of no particular importance (and such an idea is never mentioned in any other episode), except presumably to underscore how odd it is for the Enterprise to come across a lone planet ahead in their path, as they do. As they approach the planet, Sulu, trying to change course, abruptly vanishes from the bridge, and then so does Kirk. Spock shouts out \u201cfull reverse power!\u201d a bit oddly since they haven\u2019t actually reached the planet yet. End of Teaser.<\/li>\n
- Spock orders the ship to orbit the mysterious rogue planet, as messages begin to appear on their screens, e.g. \u201cGreetings and Felicitations.\u201d Spock sends a landing party down to the planet, to the one small area that seems livable \u2013 McCoy, DeSalle, and a geologist named Jaeger \u2013 and the planet we see, in this episode, is a staged planet set (unusually, featuring numerous trees instead of sand and fake boulders). Nearby is the front of a small castle.<\/li>\n
- They enter the castle and discover Kirk and Sulu, frozen in position, and then Squire Trelane, playing a harpsichord, a foppish chatterbox who releases the frozen men and welcomes them all as examples of the savage Earth culture<\/strong> he\u2019s been studying. As he admires humans for their missions of conquest, noting them as a \u201cpredator species that preys even on itself<\/strong>,\u201d Kirk and the others realize Trelane knows only what Earth was like 900 years ago, given the distance this planet is from Earth. The subtext here is in line with Trek\u2019s progressive vision of the future<\/strong>: that the violent past of the human species has been overcome.<\/li>\n
- William Campbell is great in the role; Cushman\u2019s book mentions that Roddy McDowell was originally considered, and he would have been good too.<\/li>\n
- Spock<\/strong>, disapproving of Trelane\u2019s antics, has a good line<\/strong>: \u201cI object to you. I object to intellect without discipline. I object to power without constructive purpose.\u201d To which Trelane replies, delightedly, \u201cWhy, Mr. Spock, you do have one saving grace after all\u2014you’re ill mannered!”<\/li>\n
- Kirk keeps insisting they be allowed to depart, and Trelane keeps forcing them to stay, until the situation devolves into a personal duel between Trelane and Kirk, with antique pistols. Kirk takes the opportunity to destroy a mirror he thinks is the source of Trelane\u2019s power.<\/li>\n
- The Enterprise departs, only to have the planet Gothos appear in their path again and again, as if by magic (or superfantastic alien powers). There\u2019s some typically wrong<\/strong> intuitive physics<\/strong> going on here, as the Enterprise veers first one way, then another, to evade the planet, and everyone on the bridge *sways* first one way, then the other, as this happens. As if the velocities and accelerations involved have only that very minor effect on the bridge crew\u2019s ability to keep standing.<\/li>\n
- A brief trial scene between Kirk and Trelane leads to a chase through the woods outside, until Kirk realizes he can call Trelane\u2019s bluff, and simply breaks Trelane\u2019s sword. Trelane reacts in childish hurt, and Kirk scolds him like a child. \u201cYou have a lot to learn about winning, Trelane. In fact, you\u2019ve got a lot to learn about everything, haven\u2019t you?\u201d<\/li>\n
- Which sets up the story\u2019s resolution, with a blatant deus ex machina<\/em><\/strong> that is also one of the best Trek reveals: <\/strong>two glowing lights appear above them, shining a light down upon Trelane, and speak as his parents, \u201cIt\u2019s time to come in now, come along.\u201d Trelane complains, \u201cI haven\u2019t finished studying my predators yet!\u201d and the parents reply, \u201cThis is not \u2018studying\u2019 them. If you cannot take proper care of your pets, you cannot have them at all.\u201d Trelane whines, \u201cI was winning! I coulda won!\u201d The parents apologize to Kirk, and let him return to his ship, as Trelane fades away.<\/li>\n
- This is great<\/strong> because it undermines the simple premise that Trelane is some powerful, malicious alien \u2013 he is that, but he\u2019s also a child, and that explains what\u2019s gone on so much more completely. It also echoes a recurring Trek theme, one also just mentioned regarding \u201cShore Leave\u201d– that the universe is filled other powerful races whose presence only incidentally overlaps<\/strong> human exploration of space. It\u2019s this repeated demoting of humanity as being the boss of outer space that gives the Enterprise\u2019s missions their own special but limited significance, a certain humbleness to the human endeavor, and gives the show such open-ended potential. (A potential that, I think, was lost in later Trek series that devolved into politics between the Federation and the Klingons, e.g.)<\/li>\n
- Music notes<\/strong>: \u201cVina\u2019s theme\u201d underscores Trelane\u2019s parents; the cat and mouse between Enterprise and Gothos is set to the Fesarius theme. A lengthy post about TOS first season music will soon be posted.<\/li>\n
- And then the episode ends with the by-now obligatory humorous note<\/strong>. Kirk wonders if Spock didn\u2019t also play pranks as a boy\u2014\u201cDipping little girls curls in inkwells. Stealing apples from the neighbor’s trees. Tying cans on…”, before Spock gives him a droll look. Anachronistic<\/strong>, too.<\/li>\n
- Final thought, watching the end credits of this episode: I wonder if anyone has explored the idea that the stills of scenes from other episodes, shown under the end credits<\/strong>, often revealed episodes that had not been aired yet. Teasers of a sort, for not just next week\u2019s episodes, but for other episodes yet to come! In this case, the end credits show a scene from \u201cThe Return of the Archons\u201d, four episodes on from \u201cThe Squire of Gothos\u201d in production order, though presumably done by the time final post-production of \u201cGothos\u201d got it ready to air.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Lawrence\u2019s adaptation, in ST11:<\/p>\n
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- The adaptation omits the opening lines discussing the \u2018star desert\u2019 and the urgency of getting to Beta 6; the latter is summarized.<\/li>\n
- Also omitted: Spock\u2019s shouting \u201cEmergency! Full reverse power!,\u201d and the Act One log entry. Instead he initiates the full search of the ship mentioned by Scott at the beginning of Act One.<\/li>\n
- (Again, we might wonder why the navigator, De Salle, is suitable to lead a search party, but that\u2019s a routine Trek issue. At the same time, at least Spock allows that both he and Scott are needed on the ship.)<\/li>\n
- The opening scene of Act Two on the bridge is included, by oddly has Spock refer to the planet as Gothos\u2014something he has no way of knowing.<\/li>\n
- In the following scene on the planet, the adaptation has Kirk call Spock to update him\u2014even though earlier it was established that their communicators weren\u2019t working.<\/li>\n
- A couple scenes later, back on the bridge, Uhura also mentions the name Gothos.<\/li>\n
- When the Enterprise crewmembers are taken back to the planet, McCoy has some lines about how Trelaine would have been considered a little god of war, 3000 years ago on Earth.<\/li>\n
- (We might wonder, at the beginning of Act Three, how Kirk has the time to make this log entry, while apparently about to duel with Trelaine. Or is he retroactively retelling the story?)<\/li>\n
- The adaptation condenses, or is missing, much of the dialogue between Trelaine and his parents; in the broadcast version Trelaine had about a dozen lines; in the adaptation, only half a dozen.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Enterprise encounters a remote planet where a foppish \u2018squire\u2019 insists on entertaining (and studying) them and challenging them to the death when they refuse. I\u2019m fascinated in retrospect by how episodes open, about what is going on before the … Continue reading