God-like blatherskite, Trelane (William Campbell, who is a hoot), has created his own world, Gothos, with the power to transform matter into energy and vice versa, willing Kirk and Sulu (and later others from the Enterprise to suit his fancy and whims) to his made up castle with artifacts filling it from Earth's past (among other species collected as furs and statues and flags to model around the walls, shelves, and floors of his self-made abode). He is basically a child looking to amuse himself at the Enterprise's expense. But Kirk and company (even Spock who doesn't find him fascinating as much as "interesting") tire of his nonsense quickly, but finding a way to escape him will be quite difficult. William Campbell is essentially a precursor to John de Lancie's Q. He has great power and is quite mischievous and dangerous to boot. But like Q, although there are threats that could endanger Kirk and company, despite the powers available to Trelane he's so childish at times and silly there is never any doubt that he'll eventually be a foil due to not taking the humans seriously. Despite the advantage afforded to Trelane, Kirk is cunning and clever
and fortunate that Trelane has "parents" who have to scold their child for his immature games. Honestly, I thoroughly enjoyed Campbell, and seeing how his behavior annoys and irritates the Enterprise crew makes for some entertaining moments. It is an "exhale" type of comic episode often found in series when the leads have often dealt with intense, terrifying, or complex situations which leave us quite drained. For instance, this episode came after "Galileo Seven" when Spock had to endure the perils of command, dealing with debating crew members with him during a heavy ordeal, questioning his leadership. Although Kirk once again has to outwit a "superior" being (sometimes despite having powers that cause humans to be disrupted and disturbed of activities and duty, aliens and beings with advanced abilities might still be put in their place or convinced that "inferior creatures" have their merit, deserved of respect and perhaps not altogether worthless), he has help when it appears he has little place left to turn. Campbell has quite a showy part as the chatty nuisance who wants to "play with his pets", creating whatever he wishes (like a spare courtroom set with Kirk on trial or a jungle for which he'll hunt Kirk for "sport") and forcing the humans to do certain things (he can take them from the ship and place them at a dinner table, "urge" Uhura to play the piano or freeze Kirk and Sulu into wax sculptures) with just the wave of his hand or think it so. The fun of the show is seeing how Kirk will shake his confidence and embarrass him. Spock even being rather bothered by him is especially funny; the scene at the end when Spock asks Kirk what Trelane's being should be considered in the Enterprise library, it is most amusing. Phyllis Douglas, as a yeoman also taken to Trelane's castle, is stunning in a period dress, leaving Kirk rather gobsmacked when she asks permission to change back into uniform. Kirk and Trelane actually dueling it out is surprisingly athletic and even physical at times (the sword is often avoided by Kirk through the use of a thick stick or through exertion by stopping his hand). Light-hearted romp was actually penned with an anti-war message! The similarities between Trelane's species and Q are striking. The fact that Trelane gets all giggly about humans as a war species, looking back at centuries prior, speaking about Napoleon and referring to Hitler through imitation, when first introduced, really sets up how artificial and surface he is...no substance at all as Spock muses.
Review of The Squire of Gothos
