Star Trek (TV Series) The Squire of Gothos (1967) User Reviews

Intellect Without Discipline, Power Without Constructive Purpose

[Bogmeister · 8/10 · 7 July 2006]

An apt description by Spock of an all-powerful fop into whose clutches fall the crew of the Enterprise. This was one sector of space our starship should have avoided: first Sulu & Kirk simply disappear off the bridge; a landing party follows them to the surface of an unknown planet and encounter Trelane, a seemingly aristocratic man dressed in attire from an Earth of many centuries past. But he demonstrates abilities of someone or something far beyond human and doesn't register on McCoy's medical tricorder. The officers manage to escape back to the ship but, like some bad cosmic penny, Trelane keeps popping up. He brings them all back, including some female companionship, to continue his games. The dilemma now takes on elements of 'The Most Dangerous Game' out in space and there's an exasperating, even infuriating aspect to the crew's utter helplessness before such unbridled power.

What really makes this a great episode is the memorable performance by guest star Campbell as the overpowering but not all-knowing alien. His character is obviously an early version of Q, who was introduced 20 years later in the pilot for the TNG series. Trelane's confrontation scene with Spock stands out among all the strange drama which unfolds. As usual, Kirk quickly begins to look for possible weaknesses in his new nemesis, despite being quite outmatched. The answers to exactly what or who Trelane is are right in front of us the whole time so, when we do learn the truth, it makes complete sense in view of Campbell's pitch-perfect acting. He indulges himself constantly, preening before some unknown audience, remarking on things with a flair which is infectious but not quite right - we can't quite pin it down at first, but there's something missing here. Every few minutes, his tone becomes sinister and the crew now appears to be in serious danger. In a way, you can't take your eyes off him, always waiting to see what he does next. Actor John de Lancie captured that similar tone as Q on the Next Generation series.

Campbell steals the show

[Fluke_Skywalker · 7/10 · 7 August 2016]

Plot; The crew of the Enterprise find themselves at the mercy of a tempestuous, seemingly all-powerful being.

Probably one of the more iconic episodes from TOS, and it's all thanks to a tour de force performance by guest star William Campbell as Trelane (The titular Squire of Gothos). Campbell takes a juicy, well written role and absolutely sinks all 32 of his teeth into it. Though the ending does provide an amusing twist, it's also a total deus ex machina that keeps the episode from completely sticking its landing.

• Campbell also appeared in another famous Trek episode, as the Klingon Kioloth in "The Trouble with Tribbles".

• The character Trelane is notably similar to that of Q from The Next Generation. So much so that writer Peter David canonized him as a member of the Continuum, with Q as Trelane's Godfather in his novel Q-Squared.

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

[MaxBorg89 · 8/10 · 11 June 2009]

The Squire of Gothos is one of the "sillier" episodes of Star Trek, and therefore one of the most entertaining ones. The entertainment factor is, generally speaking, fueled by the stand-off between William Shatner and the episode's hilarious guest star, William Campbell.

During an unspecified routine mission, Sulu suddenly vanishes into thin air, and Kirk follows soon after-wards. Spock immediately begins looking for his missing colleagues (and, though he'd hate to admit it, friends), while the two stranded crewmen must deal with the mysterious, all-powerful, flamboyant Trelane (Campbell), the self-proclaimed Squire of Gothos, a being capable of creating or destroying anything he wants through the sheer power of his mind.

At first sight, the plot may seem recycled from previous episodes (honestly, are there any sci-fi shows that didn't feature at least one God-like character), but that feeling vanishes pretty quickly thanks to the script's winning use of exaggerated humor, all conveyed through Campbell's deliberately camp performance: his Trelane is essentially the Trek version of a spoiled child in the body of an adult, while his ignorance-fueled curiosity for the human race (his knowledge is quite limited) probably served as inspiration for Gene Roddenberry when he came up with the character of Q for the Next Generation pilot, some two decades after this episode aired.

In short, the key to appreciating The Squire of Gothos is this: "silly" doesn't necessarily equal "bad".

Similar to, but much better than, "Charlie X"

[intp · 7/10 · 2 June 2014]

This episode had many similarities to the earlier episode, "Charlie X"; it involved an immature brat with immense (but not infinite) power. But the story was handled in a much better fashion here.

Here, the "brat" (Trelane) is indeed very powerful, but his power is mediated through external devices. That, alone, was a large improvement over "Charlie X", where the source of the punk kid's powers were almost totally unexplained.

Here, Trelane's motivations, while juvenile, are readily understandable; he wants to 'play' and have 'fun' with his 'pets', failing to appreciate that they are intelligent beings with thoughts and feelings of their own. Trelane is closer to an 'innocent' who actually doesn't seem to understand or fully appreciate, yet, that his actions are wrong. Charlie, on the other hand, seems well aware that murder is murder-- yet he casually commits it, all the same, when someone isn't "nice" to him, which is far more sinister. Trelane is certainly very annoying, but just doesn't seem as malevolent as Charlie.

Here, Kirk and Spock did a good job in exploring all alternatives. First, Kirk tried reasoning with Trelane. Then he staged an almost successful escape, with Spock's help. Then, he stalled for time for his ship. While it is true that, in the end, he was only saved by Trelane's parents, he at least did what he could, under the circumstances.

And, of course, the ending was more satisfying. This episode didn't have a "happy" ending, exactly, but it was certainly less of a downer than the ending in "Charlie X".

I've seen this episode many times as a kid, and it holds up surprisingly well, all these years later.

One of the best twilight zone episodes

[smiledaydream · 8/10 · 26 November 2021]

One of the best twilight zone episodes. Imagine if you will, a petulant man in a museum size doll house. He plays his guests in a game where only he knows the rules. This episode is mental fun representative of those shows where everything takes place in the mind. It reminds us that very little scenery is necessary to carry a good story. It's easy to appreciate the 2006 visual updates when Spock performs his signaling maneuver.

Child's Play...

[Xstal · 6/10 · 15 February 2022]

The planet Gothos has an irritating presence, a being that's progressing juvenescence, infantile and immature, devoid of all allure, at this rate he'll struggle to make it to adolescence.

The starship crew encounter a child who likes to throw its dummy out of the pram.

Q 2.0

[eyefonefoures · 10/10 · 29 April 2019]

He's as childish as Q is. Equally irresponsible. Enjoyable nevertheless

Pretty good, though far from great

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 6 December 2006]

I did enjoy watching Squire Trelane jerk around the crew in this episode, though after a while the whole thing just seemed a little too long. Sure, the histrionics were kind of funny for a while, and the ending was a pretty good way to wrap the whole thing together. I think the problem was that I enjoyed seeing Trelane when he was full of bravado and fun, the fun seemed to vanish when Trelane became vindictive and nasty. Talk about a mood killer--going from the obnoxious but affable host to the guy sentencing Kirk to death! But, despite this, the episode was enjoyable and worth my time. For die-hard Trekkies, this is a must-see, for others it's just a pretty run of the mill one.

God of war, or naughty little child?

[Blueghost · 3 June 2009]

What is it that compels two factions to engage in conflict with one another? What propels them to a state of warfare? An exercise whose only product is the destruction of life? How can sane and mature men engage in such a practice? The "Squire of Gothos" examines a possible explanation for this proposition. Kirk and crew must escape and evade a wandering planet controlled by a being who has all the respect for life that a sadistic child might when it levels a magnifying glass and sunbeam at an unsuspecting ant. Said child gets a sick thrill out of this. But can we blame the child? Does it know enough not to do what it is doing? It is, after all, an undeveloped mind--not having reached full maturity. But is this really an excuse? Excuse or no the author of this episode offers it as a possible explanation to the fascination of warfare by a certain kind of adult. The child reads or hears tales of gallantry on the battlefield, and wants to act "grown up" by mimicking said deeds and his heroes. But, because he is a child, he knows not the peril of the bloody pastime he hopes to partake in.

All boys (and some girls too I guess) went through the period of playing "cops and robbers" or "war" prior to adolescence. For some people that little boy never leaves. Sometimes that's a good thing. Sometimes it's bad. "The Squire of Gothos" is slightly farce by sending up a caricature of the proverbial brave yeoman on a 18th or 19th century battlefield. Trelane is a parody of the idolatry that surrounded and generated the myths of battlefield heroics, and shows the audience the absurdity of lionizing the image he portrays.

What's worse is that Kirk and the Enterprise are powerless to stop him. The episode becomes fairly symbolic and drives home a very poignant message near the end. It is ultimately a parental responsibility and obligation to their fellow man to raise and reign in their child and his behavior.

Were it only that simple when it comes to armies clashing on the battlefield.

Science fiction at its thematic best.

Enjoy.

p.s. the "Q" comparison is apt, but is really a minor cog in a much larger clockwork of symbolism.

Trelane The Playful Lunatic

[Rainey-Dawn · 8/10 · 4 January 2017]

Season 1, episode 17. The Enterprise is on a mission to Colony Beta VI to bring them supplies. Along the way the run across the rouge planet Gothos. Lt. Sulu and Capt. Kirk disappear off the ship. Spock takes command and sends a crew down to investigate when they receive strange messages from the planet. The investigative team find Kirk and Sulu almost statue-like. Trelane appears and claims to be studying them and wants them to stay as his guests - highly insisting they are rude for wanting to leave him to go back to their ship. Trelane seems to have special powers that will not allow the crew to leave and a mirror that he does not like to get far from. He's also very playful and mischievous -- a very naughty boy. When they find a way to beam aboard the ship, Trelane appears on the bridge to find out who this Mr. Spock is that helped them to escape back to the ship. Next Trelane brings Kirk, Spock, McCoy and a couple of others down to as his "guests" once again. It's up to the captain and crew to find another way to escape this playful lunatic.

This is one of those fun episodes that is likable but not the best episode of S.T. TOS. I rather like the quirky episodes quite a lot.

8.5/10

"Let's be full of merry talk and sallies of wit"!

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 19 October 2010]

This was quite the creative episode in the way it attempted to balance the almost humorous musings of Trelane (William Campbell) with the deadly serious nature of his goal to force the crew of the Enterprise to play in his personal cosmic sandbox. I had to think Captain Kirk was pushing the envelope with Trelane just a bit much considering the power he had already exhibited in bringing the Captain and Sulu down to begin with. Speaking of which, did you notice when the landing party first encountered Kirk and Sulu as 'specimens' in Trelane's exhibit, Kirk's eyes blinked when he should have been motionless.

I guess I can't help it, but it's almost always Spock who gets my attention in these stories. Here we learn that his use of the word 'fascinating' is generally used for the unexpected. But it's almost always his sheer logic that crystallizes the situation for the viewer. Observing Trelane - "I object to intellect without discipline. I object to power without constructive purpose". I guess if Spock wasn't one of the original characters, he'd have to be invented to keep the show going.

You know, I had to stop and think of who the actor was portraying Trelane. When he first appeared, I thought it was Liberace for a moment. That would have been so out of place for Liberace but I couldn't shake the idea. I read in the trivia section of this episode that the choice of Campbell to portray Trelane was meant to overcome what appeared to be the swishy nature of the character. I still think some of that came through, although it was tempered by the resolution of the story. Trelane was just a 'kid' who hadn't yet matured. Fortunately for the Enterprise crew, Mom and Dad came along just in time to prevent Trelane from adding them to his toy box.

The God Complex...

[poe426 · 10/10 · 11 June 2012]

A recurrent theme throughout the original series was the close encounter of an e-t "god." Just prior to THE SQUIRE OF GOTHOS, the crew of the Enterprise had encountered CHARLIE X- and, in both pilots (THE CAGE and WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE), there had been "gods" (in THE CAGE, telepathic e-tees; in WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE, a Man made God). Perhaps the most interesting aspect of each of these gods (or, at least, the BEST of them) were the actors who played them. One of my favorites has always been the flamboyant, foppish portrayal by William Campbell. At once petulant and sinister, Campbell's Trelane is a god to be reckoned with, a childish Being with the Power to kill with but a single nasty thought or an eyebrow-arching frown (or a flick of the wrist). The antique-cluttered set is the perfect setting for Campbell's performance: we see the artifacts from a dozen cultures (including an apparently stuffed specimen of the "salt vampire" from the episode THE MAN TRAP, which Trelane casually disintegrates when trying out a "new toy"- a phaser). Another one of the episodes that helped make STAR TREK a memorable series and the backbone of a billion dollar franchise.

Brilliant idea, but still not one of the best of TOS season 1

[mstomaso · 7/10 · 13 March 2007]

General Trelayne is a super-being who wants to play a little game with the crew of the Enterprise. A lot of extremely unlikely and nonsensical stuff seems to be happening, and Trelayne seems obsessed with the human practices of warfare and murder. He seems to need to experience what he imagines to be a thrill and has created a human environment (though a few hundred years out of date) in which to play out his fantasies. The environment is subtly inauthentic, and the crew immediately begins to spot the inconsistencies. Pretty soon it becomes clear that Trelayne is not just an immature god, but a very fallible one. Regardless of how you feel about this one, stick around for the Twilight Zone-like ending. It is well worth it.

As many have pointed out, Trelayne's character inspired the more developed and amusing on-going character Q - and you can see in John DeLancie's construction of that personality more than just shades of Campbell's Trelayne. It is fun to compare how the four captains we have seen coping with Q all deal with him so radically differently.

Insufferable Precursor to Q

[Hitchcoc · 4/10 · 26 April 2014]

I've seen this episode so many times and never cared for it. The idea of a space brat is used every so often in this series, and here we go again. Trelane comes out of nowhere, just seems to exist, and messes around with the Enterprise and her crew, wasting their time and making life miserable. Spock finds him to be an incredible pest and for Trelane, the one thing he doesn't want is a lack of respect. Kirk has to play the guy's games in order to figure out what is going on. One of his female crew get into the act, enjoying her role as Cinderella. There are castles and silly sword fights and all kinds of stuff that would have been better on Lost in Space. The there is the deus ex machina thing at the end. I won't say what it is, but it diminishes all the work that the characters have had to do to put up with this creep.

Guests of General Trelaine

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 10 January 2015]

William Campbell's performance in the title role of The Squire Of Gothos really makes this Star Trek story. Later on Campbell would play a Klingon captain in another classic Star Trek story The Trouble With Tribbles.

Some strange readings on a planet that should have no life on it make William Shatner want to lead an away team there. They land on a spot that shows earth like readings in the atmosphere and become the guests of Trelaine who styles himself The Squire Of Gothos.

He's living in a 18th century castle much like a home that William Pitt both senior and junior would feel at home in. But stuck out there in space he's lonely. He wants the Enterprise crew for company. Only Shatner and his crew have work to do.

Leonard Nimoy intrigues Campbell. He's studied earth, but he's only gotten as far as the 18th century. A Vulcan like Spock is something he can't account for. The very serious minded Spock has no time to deal with what Captain Kirk and the rest realize is an immature mind. But a very powerful one who can change matter to energy and back simply at will.

In the end of course the Enterprise crew escapes Campbell's clutches, but how they do it is something that puts the entire human and Vulcan races in its place in the universal scheme of things.

Kirk fights a duel and is sentenced to death

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 8 June 2015]

As the Enterprise crosses a 'space desert' the crew are surprised to come across an uncharted planet… but not half as surprised as when Kirk and Sulu suddenly vanish from the bridge. Scans suggest the planet has a hostile environment but there is one spot that likes more hospitable so an away party is sent down; here they are surprised to find a castle occupied by a man in nineteenth century attire who identifies himself as Trelane; The Squire Of Gothos. They also find Sulu and Kirk, frozen like statues till Trelane unfreezes them. It emerges that he is fascinated by Earth having studied it from afar but due to the distances involved he believes Earth and its people to be like those at the time of Napoleon. In some ways Trelane seems superior but at times he is merely petulant; getting upset any time anybody challenges his authority. Kirk manages to get the better of him and they escape but as the Enterprise flees they find the planet in front of them again; they will have to face Trelane again and ultimately learn his true nature.

This is an enjoyable episode thanks to William Campbell's performance as Trelane; he nicely captures the characters immaturity without overdoing it… at least until his final scene and that was down to the writers. The way his interpretation of Earth is wrong is rather fun… he has observed Earth but his recreation is flawed; food has no flavour and the fire gives off no heat. His encounters with the Enterprise's crew provide some nice moments such as a duel with Kirk and later a more deadly fight. The conclusion manages to be classic Star Trek but also a bit disappointing as Trelane isn't quite what he appeared to be. Still this is an episode that fans of the series will remember.

Tallyho!

[BA_Harrison · 6/10 · 18 May 2022]

The Squire of Gothos is another very silly episode of Star Trek. William Campbell plays Trelayne, an alien being with the power to control matter who is obsessed with Earth's history of militarism, abducting several members of The Enterprise crew so that he can study their ways and question them about warfare. Kirk, one of the abductees, isn't best pleased about being whisked away from his ship and demands that he and his crew are released; the captain's anger provokes Trelayne, who becomes increasingly hostile, eventually forcing Kirk to take part in a 'The Most Dangerous Game' style manhunt.

For some, Trelayne's stroppy foppish behaviour will be too daft to take, but Campbell plays it all delightfully tongue-in-cheek, and the final twist - that Trelayne is actually a child - makes sense of all that has gone before: the squire is like a kid teasing a defenceless animal, not yet mature enough to understand the folly of his ways. In this way, The Squire of Gothos is very much like Charlie X (S1, E2), but without all of the irritating teenage angst. Kirk even admits to have tied tin cans to the tail of an animal himself when he was young, which means that he bears no grudge. If anything, it is Trelayne's omnipotent parents, who turn up at the end to drag their child away, who are to blame for giving their offspring too much freedom and not enough discipline.

6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for Venita Wolf as Yeoman Teresa Ross. Are there no ugly female yeomans on The Enterprise? (not that I'm complaining).

Super fun, but the ending leaves something to be desired for me

[rcyoung-02426 · 8/10 · 4 May 2023]

This is a super fun episode of Star Trek, and well worth watching, despite the weird episode title.

Basically, the Enterprise is stopped by a being who calls himself General Trelayne, who ends up transporting various crew members to his domain, where they are meant to serve as his "playthings", in an environment that he believes will suit them (great idea, but about 900 years too late).

Later, it becomes clear that despite appearing human, Trelayne is a bit more than he seems, and has no intentions of releasing them. The Enterprise crew has to work out a solution to figure out a way to escape.

Trelayne is a pretty interesting character. If you are a fan of the Next Generation, you will find more than a few similarities between him and Q. Infact John de Lancie has even cited Telayne as an inspiration for Q.

Unfortunately, despite how great the episode is, I was a little let down by the ending, when we find out exactly who Trelayne is. However I know people who absolutely love it too, so your mileage may vary.

The Q of Gothos

[snoozejonc · 7/10 · 30 March 2021]

The Enterprise encounters the planet Gothos and its resident.

This is an interesting episode that I found entertaining up to a point, but overall I think it wastes a great concept with too silly a tone.

The plot is a pretty unimaginative 'god-like being' narrative that pits members of the crew against someone much more powerful. These stories never work for me as I know our protagonists will triumph, it renders the antagonist as more of an irritating distraction than a genuine threat. This is mainly how I felt about Q, however Q was an improvement on the concept and was used for more than antagonism.

On a more positive note, ever since 'The Day The Earth Stood Still' I have loved the idea of the violent and barbaric nature of humanity being seen through the eyes of extra terrestrial beings. This one cleverly subverts the idea by presenting a child-like, non-corporeal being who seeks to emulate man's warlike behaviour. This works as fairly effective allegory for the example humanity sets its own children. My favourite parts are without a doubt Trelane's exchanges with Spock and his little observations on man.

The production values are generally very good with a good set, props and costumes. Trelane's hair and one instance of poor sound effects are the only downsides, but they do generate humour.

Performances are solid with William Campbell very much the star of this one. Only Leonard Nimoy for me can hold the screen with him, as William Shatner doesn't really get the opportunity to do much other than act impatient, irritable and generally go through the motions of standing up to a baddie of the week.

It is a 6.5/10 for me.

Much better than "Arena" IMO

[dgoldsmith_89 · 9/10 · 21 November 2018]

William Campbell gives a stellar performance as an alien child pretending to be a human adult, and both Shatner and Nimoy give among their better performances as well. Plus, I just like the premise--that we're "pets," clearly to Trelane as ants, say, are to us.

Star Trek: The Original Series - The Squire of Gothos

[Scarecrow-88 · 7/10 · 9 September 2016]

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.

Not my favorite, but..

[V6901 · 6 December 2006]

"The Squire of Gothos" is not my favorite, but this episode is actually explained in the Next Generation episode of "Encounter at Farpoint". Rent the episode, Q has a conversation with Picard when they 1st met. Fascinating. Trelayne believe it or not, is a member of the Q continuum. Isn't that a scream!! Apparently, Trelayne was an early attempt of the Q continuum. The Next Generation explains a couple of episodes from the 60's series, and Deep Space 9 dedicates an episode from "The Trouble with Tribbles". The facts about the Klingons from the old series has an explanation as well. There is also a link between Guinan, Q and The Borg from the novel Vendetta. There are a few theories and links between the Borg and Q in both TV series.

Captain Kirk Becomes a Child's Toy

[Samuel-Shovel · 7/10 · 9 April 2018]

In "The Squire of Gothos", the Enterprise encounters an unknown planet while on a mission to deliver supplies to an outpost. Sulu & Kirk mysteriously disappear from the bridge. A search party must head to the planet's surface where they encounter a strange man of 18th century sensibilities holding their crewmen as hostages.

This one reminded me a lot of "Charlie X". The two episodes both center around a "child" with god-like powers not yet mature enough to handle their own capabilities. In both instances, the antagonist's downfall is some type of parental figure that comes to retrieve the boy, ending their playtime. While Charlie was an actual teenager with teenage hormones and an obsession with girls, Trelane seems more like a prepubescent obsessed with war, violence, and the history of humanity. His appearance as a middle-aged man causes the viewer to elevate Trelane's stature in their own minds, not realizing his infancy until his temper tantrum at the conclusion of the episode.

So what is this episode really about? Are we just the playthings of the gods? Are we on a plane so far below other beings that even their children can discard the human race on a whim? A scary thought!

While similar to "Charlie X", I think this episode is slightly better than its predecessor. (I gave them both a 7 so it's extremely close). Campbells' over-the-top performance really gives this episode its lifeblood and elevates it from mediocrity just a bit.

And you thought Shatner could be a ham???

[SusanJL · 5/10 · 23 February 2019]

When we see the squire Trelane for the first time playing his harpsichord, I thought it was Liberace!!! William Campbell chewed the scenery through this silly episode worse than Shatner ever did!! The only sillier episode is the one where they are on a planet whose members are copying Chicago mobsters. Please, I can only suspend so much disbelief!! Also, they should have made the squire a man in his twenties, the squire is much too old to act so childish!! Entertaining, but campy as all get-out and utterly ridiculous!!!

Tallyho!

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 7 December 2021]

The Enterprise crew gets waylaid in a very bothersome way by a character named Trelane (William Campbell), living alone on a mostly inhabitable planet. Trelane can create a "reality" based on a long-ago version of Earth; clearly something other than a flesh-and-blood living being, he regards the crewpersons as playthings for his amusement. Kirk tires of the constant games and determines to have it out with this character, who doesn't want to let his victims get away.

Guest star Campbell is absolutely priceless, and is the main reason to watch this episode. However lacking in real substance it may be, its very playful approach makes it fun. (Although as the childish Trelane turns into a vindictive jerk, some of the fun drains away.) Still, it's good entertainment watching an angry Kirk putting his foot down and refusing to tolerate such treatment for an extended period of time.

Tension is derived from the fact that Kirk has given Spock orders to get the Enterprise far away as soon as possible, even if it means that Kirk has to be abandoned. It's enjoyable, as always, to watch Spock assess the situation; here, he explains that he uses his signature phrase, "Fascinating", for occurrences that are unexpected. This one, he considers "interesting".

Most amusing was the revelation at the end regarding what Trelanes' deal is. The uncredited voice of actress Barbara Babcock is heard here, as she and a male voice admonish Trelane for his actions. Back on the ship, Kirk has some fun of his own in a conversation with Spock. It's a pleasant way to wrap things up.

Written by Paul Schneider, who'd previously scripted 'Balance of Terror', and directed by Don McDougall.

Seven out of 10.