Star Trek The Original Series: Season 3

The Squire of Gothos-Another bizarre and campy episode, this one features a spoiled child who has designed himself a baroque castle. Like the former episode, this one presents us with a phantasmagoria of seemingly random, if stereotypical, scenarios. The tone is more ominous here, however, thanks in large part to some well-conceived shots (such as the shadow of the noose during Kirk's trial). The castle's blend of gilded glitz with incomplete realization increase the sense of unreality.

Unlike later shows (most notably 3rd season ones), the unreality here is not dreamlike however. There is a sharpness about this episode; the dialogue is literal and more crisp than in most 3rd season shows, which often felt more detached non-commital and ambivalent, while being softer-edged and more atmospheric.

Campbell, who later returned for The Trouble With Tribbles also gives a strong performance. After a while the gags start to lose their novelty though, and the episode seems to struggle to fill time. Another possible critique (although it doesn't really bother me) is that the episode ultimately doesn't have a lot to say. Still most of us, at some point in our lives, have had the experience of having to jump through hoops at another's whim; there isn't always a lot of meaning behind that either. (3 stars)

"Squire of Gothos" Kirk confronts Trelane, an alien who thinks that the crew of the Enterprise are his toys to play with.

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: "The more complex the mind, the greater the need for the simplicity of play" -Captain Kirk

Historical Milestone: The first temporary death of a primary Star Trek cast member (Dr. McCoy)

Notable Gaffe / Special Defect: During one of the planet-bound scenes, a couple crewmates notice a WWII fighter plane up in the sky. The first few shots of the plane shows it to be a US Marines Corsair, the same plane the Black Sheep Squadron flew during the Pacific campaign. But when the plane dives to strafe the two officers, it magically changes into a Japanese Zero!

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: 1 temporarily dead (not McCoy)

REVIEW/COMMENTARY: If you're lookin' for a good hunk 'o' the kinda cheesiness that only a classic Trek eppie can provide, this is one of the better ones to check out. I especially enjoy the goofiness of Sulu being chased by a samurai whose swordsmanship and martial arts skills aren't even worthy of a clear belt! Kirk manages to beat a few of Star Trek's hackneyed gimmicks further into the ground when he "meets up" with an old flame, and gets his uniform top ripped up during his fight with an old nemesis from his academy days!

Also amusing is seeing McCoy killed by gettin' run through with a lance, then is brought back to life near the end to explain how the planet manufactures anything one can quite literally imagine! Which due to the show's limited budget would be as close as the viewer would ever get to seeing the process first-hand...

THE SQUIRE OF GOTHOS© PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: The dangers of intellect without discipline and power without constructive purpose

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: None

REVIEW/COMMENTARY: Probably more than any other classic Trek episode, The Squire of Gothos© has been a major stumbling block towards rapprochement between the old-school Trekkies and their NextGen counterparts. Is the all-powerful Q of NextGen fame really a blatant ripoff of Trelane as the classic Trekkies claim, or merely an affectionate tribute to the squire as the NextGen crowd states? Not to be outdone, Shatner pulls out all the stops with his infamous staccato, halting dialogue (affectionately known as his "Kirkian method acting") during his back-and-forth verbal spars with the seemingly all-powerful pest. There's more overacting between these two than you'll ever see in any overachieving Shakespearean tragedy!