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The Squire of Gothos (episode)

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Real World article
(written from a Production point of view)
"The Squire of Gothos"
TOS, Episode 1x18
Production number: 6149-18
First aired: 12 January 1967
Remastered version aired: 21 July 2007
← 19th of 80 produced in TOS →
← 17th of 80 released in TOS →
← 39th of 80 released in TOS Remastered →
← 17th of 727 released in all →
Written By
Paul Schneider

Directed By
Don McDougall
2124.5 (2267)
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The Enterprise is captured by Trelane, the childish ruler of Gothos.

Contents

[edit] Summary

En route to the Beta VI colony, the Enterprise must pass through a void, or "star desert" – a region of space where solar systems are not common, roughly 900 light years from Earth. While there, they discover a rogue planet comprised primarily of iron silica. Sulu prepares to steer around it when he suddenly vanishes. Seconds later, Kirk also disappears.

The planet is extremely inhospitable. Despite this, it appears to host some form of life – someone transmits a clear, if somewhat archaic, greeting. Beaming down, a landing party discovers a zone of Earth-like conditions, and within it, a large fortified manor (or small castle). Inside is a collection of bizarre artifacts and decorations – and the frozen forms of Kirk and Sulu. Almost as soon as the missing officers are discovered, the door slams, and a harpsichord begins to play; seated there is a foppish figure in a blue coat and ruffled shirt. He introduces himself as General Trelane (retired), the Squire of Gothos.

Trelane is friendly enough at first, but does not hesitate to make it clear that he is in control of the situation. When pressed, he resorts to crude bullying to make this point unmistakable. An escape attempt lasts a few brief moments before Trelane returns the landing party, and a few more crew, to his drawing room.

Several mistakes convince Kirk that Trelane is not omnipotent, and further lead him to conclude that some agency is assisting Trelane – a machine of some type. Fairly sure where it is, Kirk challenges Trelane to a duel, and shoots the large mirror behind him. Kirk's guess is right; intricate machinery behind the mirror is destroyed, and much of Trelane's creation collapses, enabling the landing party to escape and flee Gothos.

The respite is brief. The Enterprise flees in the direction of Beta VI, but Trelane reveals that his power is more extensive than yet displayed – he moves his planet Gothos several times to intercept the ship. Finally, Kirk realizes he must confront Trelane. And he does – a bewigged Trelane has established himself as a judge, and this time, his instrumentality is unbreakable. Trelane plans to murder Kirk for the crime of opposing him. But it is all too easy for the powerful alien. Seizing on this, Kirk suggests Trelane needs a challenge, and offers to provide one, suggesting a hunt.

Trelane hunts Kirk for a time, but soon enough captures him. As Kirk is about to be killed, he calls Trelane's bluff, breaks his sword and starts to scold him, like he would a child. Salvation comes in the form of Trelane's parents. It seems that Trelane is essentially a naughty child who has overstepped his bounds. His parents, telling Trelane that it is "time to come in now", free the Enterprise and take Trelane away to be disciplined.

[edit] Log entries

  • "Ship's log, stardate 2124.5. First Officer Spock reporting for Captain James Kirk. We are orbiting the lone, unrecorded planet in the star desert. For four hours, we have made every possible instrument sweep, but Captain Kirk and Helmsman Sulu remain unaccounted for. I have placed the ship on red alert."
  • "Captain's log, stardate 2125.7. Science Officer Spock reporting for Captain Kirk. We've completed the fourteenth orbit of this planet without establishing contact with our missing officers or the parties sent to find them. Subspace communications remain blocked. However, by diverting impulse power to our sensors, we have made them operable and we have detected one small area on the surface which seems relatively stable."
  • "Captain's log, stardate 2126.1, delayed report. The whole bridge crew are the unwilling guests of the creature who calls himself Trelane. We are weaponless, powerless, and our only hope of escape with the Enterprise lies in playing his games. I've decided to make my move with the 'field-of-honor' game, and everything depends on my one chance with the ancient dueling pistol."
  • "Captain's log, stardate 2126.3. First Officer Spock reporting. Still no word from Captain Kirk on the surface below us. Waiting time is almost up. I will soon be forced to attempt departure, as per instructions."

[edit] Memorable quotes

"' Greetings and felicitations.' Send this, lieutenant. USS Enterprise to signaler on planet surface. Identify self. (reading transmission) 'Hip-hip... hoorah?' And I believe it's pronounced, 'Tally-ho!' "
"Some kind of a joke, sir?"
"I'll entertain any theories, Mr. DeSalle. Any at all."

- Spock and DeSalle


"I must say, they make a perfectly exquisite display pair... but I suppose you want them back, now."

- Trelane, on Kirk and Sulu


"Ah, yes – I've been looking in on the doings on your lively little Earth!"
"Then you've been looking in on the doings nine hundred years past."
"Oh, really... have I made an error in time? How fallible of me! Oh, I did so want to make you feel at home – I'm quite proud of the detail."

- Kirk and Trelane


"Welcome good physicianer. And honorable sir." (Trelane bows)
(aside) "Is he kidding?"

- Trelane and Sulu, as Trelane welcomes McCoy


"I object to you. I object to intellect without discipline; I object to power without constructive purpose."
"Oh, Mr. Spock, you do have one saving grace after all – you're ill-mannered! The Human half of you, no doubt?"

- Spock and Trelane


"Straw would taste better than his meat, and water a hundred times better than his brandy – nothing has any taste to it at all."
"It may be unappetizing, doctor, but it is logical."
"Ah, there's that magic word again... tell me, Mr. Spock, does your logic find this fascinating?"
"No, "fascinating" is a word I use for the unexpected; in this case, I think "interesting" should suffice."
"You don't find this unexpected Mr. Spock?"
"That his food has no taste? His wine no flavor? No. It means that Trelane knows all of the Earth forms, but none of their substance."

- McCoy, Spock and Kirk


"Stop that nonsense at once! Or you'll not be permitted to make any more planets!"

- Trelane's father


"We're living beings, not playthings for your amusement!"

- Kirk, to "Judge" Trelane


"We – meaning I and others have, to state the matter briefly – perfected a system by which matter can be converted to energy and back to matter again."
"Like the transporter system aboard the Enterprise."
"Oh, crude example of an infinitely more sophisticated process! You see, we not only transport matter from place to place, but we can alter its shape – at will!"

- Trelane, describing some of his abilities to Kirk


"That's a sample of the atmosphere outside my kindly influence. Now, you will behave yourself hereafter, won't you? Or I shall be very, very angry."

- Trelane


"Oh, I can't let you go now. I was getting a bit bored until you came. You must stay."

- Trelane


"Anything you might say has already been taken down in evidence against you."

- Trelane


"Where could he possibly come from? Who is this maniac?"

- Sulu


"I'm quaking, but I don't know whether it's with laughter or terror."

- McCoy


"You will hang by the neck Captain, until you are dead, dead, dead!"

- Trelane, to Kirk


"Transporter signal? What does he mean? You must tell me!"
"It means, Trelane, that the party's over, thanks to Mr. Spock."
"Wait! I won't have this! I haven't dismissed you yet! Stop! I won't have this!"

- Trelane and Kirk


"Are you challenging me to a duel!?"

- Trelane

[edit] Background Information

[edit] Story and script

  • The exact century in which Star Trek was set had not been determined during the filming of this episode. Kirk refers to people and events of the 18th and 19th century as being 900 years in the past, which could have placed the series in the 27th century or later.
  • De Forrest Research, Inc., the company who reviewed scripts for clearances and other related matters, noted in their commentary on the line "Then you've been looking in on doings nine hundred years past": "Other scripts have placed Star Trek c. 200 years in the future, e.g. "Shore Leave". That places this reference in the 13th century."
  • The final hunt between Trelane and Kirk has similarities to Richard Connell's classic tale, "The Most Dangerous Game".
  • Trelane's threat that Kirk will "hang by the neck until dead, dead, dead" is a quote attributed to 19th century Judge Isaac C. Parker, though historians say Parker never actually uttered this while imposing death sentences. [1] [2]
  • Uhura refers to a "Spacefleet Command", even though the names Starfleet and Starfleet Command originated several episodes earlier in "Court Martial", and again in the two-part episode "The Menagerie, Part I" and "The Menagerie, Part II".

[edit] Sets and props

  • An M-113 creature is among the trophies on display in Trelane's castle. When Dr. McCoy (the creature's last defender in "The Man Trap") sees it, he does a double-take. It is possible that Trelane had observed Planet M-113 with his telescope at some point.
  • Barely visible before Trelane vaporizes it with the phaser is a strange bird-like creature with striped legs that is also in a display niche. It somewhat resembles the bird creature from the Talos zoo in "The Cage", but its exact identity is unknown.
  • Production designer Matt Jefferies says Trelane's castle was one of the projects of which he is most proud out of all his work in Star Trek.
    (citation needed • edit)
  • The laser beacon, appearing previously in "Charlie X" and "The Galileo Seven", was reused as a sort of soldering tool by Kirk in "The Doomsday Machine". It is identified in The Making of Star Trek as an "Offensive/Defensive Ray Gun," a description later used by Franz Joseph in the Star Fleet Technical Manual.
  • Trelane's knowledge of Earth events isn't as complete as he claims; for example-the pistols he forces Kirk to use are not like those in the Alexander Hamilton duel.
  • During the prologue the bridge crew is drinking beverages from paper cups. After the opening credits, set four hours later, they are all gone. However for once close-up of Uhura at the beginning of act two her cup is back on her console. In the following wide-shot it has disappeared again. The close-up was clearly an unused shot from the opening sequence.

[edit] Cast and characters

  • Leslie (Eddie Paskey) is in the captain's chair when the crew first escapes Trelane. Leslie appears in the big chair one more time, in "The Alternative Factor".
  • According to an interview with William Campbell in The World of Star Trek, in his fight with William Shatner in the forest, he fell down and dislocated his shoulder. Fortunately, as he flung his arm up in his instinctive reaction to the excruciating pain, the shoulder popped back into its socket.
  • Spock and Kirk clearly call the meteorologist Mr. "Yay-gur", but both McCoy and DeSalle say "Jay-gur". Based on the German spelling "Jäger" (which means "Hunter"), the correct pronunciation would be "Yay-gur".

[edit] Costumes

  • According to The World of Star Trek, production was held up in the desire to be as accurate as possible – William Campbell's first wig was a French hairpiece. He demanded that an English barrister's wig be found to fit his character.
  • A 27 October 1966 memo from Bob Justman to Gene Coon stated in part: "If we transport McCoy, Jaeger and DeSalle down to the surface of Gothos in the orange space suits that we used in "The Naked Time", then the audience will take a full half hour to stop laughing from what our people look like."

[edit] Effects

  • A brief split screen allows bars to appear and block Kirk's escape at the end of the show without having to rely on editing.
  • When first encountered, Trelane is "playing" the Sonata in C Major, K.159 by Domenico Scarlatti. [3] [4] The tune Trelane has Uhura play on the harpsichord is Roses from the South by Johann Strauss II, complete with decorative interpolations. When Campbell is playing the instrument it is obvious he is just randomly moving his fingers over the keyboard, but this works since we learn later that Trelane is making the instrument play with his powers, not actual musical ability.

[edit] Production timeline

[edit] Video and DVD releases

[edit] Links and references

[edit] Starring

[edit] Guest Star

[edit] Featuring

And

[edit] Uncredited cast

[edit] References

apple; Beta VI; Bonaparte, Napoléon; brandy; cat; cat-and-mouse game; Cinderella; court; Crusades; desert; dueling pistol; ego; energy; female; field-of-honor game; fire; French; French language; gender; General; geophysics; German; German language; Gothos; Grecian; Hamilton, Alexander; hanging; Hannibal; harpsichord; Heaven; Helen; "I'm a doctor, not a..."; Ilium; inkwell; insurrection; iron-silica; laser beacon; life support system; light warp; matter; meat; meteorology; mile; mirror machine; mouse; Nubian; oxygen; palm tree; Persia; powerful and godlike beings; prank; Quadrant 904; Queen of Sheba; Sheba; soldier; Spacefleet Command; squire; star desert; stardust; straw; subspace radio; Surak; sword; tornadic storms; Towers of Ilium; transporter system; treason; Trelane's alligator; trial; Vulcan, planet; waxworks; war galley; water; wine; wood; wood nymph

[edit] External link


Previous episode produced:
"Shore Leave" 		Star Trek: The Original Series
Season 1 		Next episode produced:
"Arena"
Previous episode aired:
"The Galileo Seven" 		Next episode aired:
"Arena"
Previous remastered episode aired:
"Charlie X" 		TOS Remastered Next remastered episode aired:
"This Side of Paradise"
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