The Squire of Gothos

This is one of those stories that’s largely ruined if you already know how it ends. So in addition to the general spoiler alert covering the whole section, I should start by adding a special alert: a lot of the fun here is in trying to figure out what’s going on. Knowing in advance changes the experience. You’ve been warned.

In the middle of a section of space that’s supposed to be empty, our heroes encounter a planet. Once in standard orbit, members of the crew start vanishing. Sulu and Kirk suddenly vanish from the bridge. McCoy leads a team beaming down to the only spot on the desolate world that looks inhabitable.

The sole structure in the tiny life-friendly compound is inhabited by a strange character who introduces himself as Trelane, the Squire of Gothos. He’s prepared a chateau full of Napoleonic trappings to make his “guests” comfortable. Apparently he’s been observing the Earth from afar but failed to take into account the time delay required for light to get from Earth to Gothos. Thus the costumes and décor are right on point, but the food doesn’t taste like anything (no flavors through a telescope).

As it turns out, Trelane isn’t the cordial host he pretends to be. He’s arrogant and cruel, bent on keeping the crew hostage for his own amusement. And when Kirk tricks him into a duel in order to destroy the mirror that seems to be the source of his power, the stunt only pisses him off.

Kirk offers himself as a most-dangerous-game target if Trelane agrees to let the rest of the ship go. Of course the omnipotent jerk corners our hero and reneges on his promise. But at the last minute we learn Trelane’s guilty secret. He’s a powerful alien force, true enough. But he’s also a child. His parents – glowing, amorphous blobs – show up just in time to stop their obnoxious kid from playing too roughly with his new “pets.”

As I said, it’s clever enough the first time you see it.

Episode rating:

Stardate: 2124.5

Episode type: Powerful alien

Written by: Paul Schneider

Original air date: January 12, 1967

The Galileo Seven / Arena

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