The Squire of Gothos is the 18th episode of Star Trek: The Original Series. It was written by Paul Schneider and first aired on the date 1967 January 12. In the episode the USS Enterprise is captured by Trelane, a mysterious and powerful yet childish being identifying himself as the Squire of Gothos.
Plot[]
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En route to the Beta VI colony, the USS 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. Captain Kirk says they have no time to investigate and asks Uhura to notify Star Fleet Command of the discovery, but she replies there's subspace interference. Sulu prepares to steer around it when he suddenly vanishes. Seconds later, the captain also disappears. Being informed of this by navigator DeSalle, Spock orders all reverse power.
Act 1[]
Spock and the crew of the Enterprise conduct a sensor sweep of where Kirk and Sulu could be. The bridge crew conclude, since they can find absolutely no trace of them on the Enterprise, that their two missing officers have to be on the planet even though it is extremely inhospitable. Despite this, it appears to host some form of life and someone transmits a clear, if somewhat archaic, greeting. "Hip-hip hoorah. And, I believe, it is pronounced 'Tally-ho'," Spock reads. Spock orders a beam down, and a landing party consisting of DeSalle, Jaeger, and Dr. McCoy discover 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. "They're like waxworks figures", McCoy notes. Almost as soon as the missing officers are discovered, the door slams shut, and a harpsichord begins to play; seated there is a foppish figure in a blue coat and ruffled shirt. He later introduces himself as General Trelane (retired), the Squire of Gothos.
Trelane then releases Kirk and Sulu from their frozen state. Though friendly enough at first, Trelane does not hesitate to make it clear that he is in firm control of the situation. When Kirk demands to Trelane that they are to leave immediately and go back to the Enterprise, Trelane transports him to the outside of his castle, which is filled with toxic gas, as a demonstration of his "authority". When Trelane returns Kirk to his home a few seconds later, the captain is choking and coughing. Trelane makes it quite clear that the landing party is not leaving. "Now, you will behave yourselves hereafter, won't you? Or I shall be very, very angry", Trelane threatens.
Act 2[]
On the Enterprise, Spock has Scotty beam up everything that is considered a life form within the life-supporting zone on the planet. In Trelane's castle, McCoy informs Kirk that he is receiving a transporter signal through his communicator. The landing party is about to be beamed up to the ship. Trelane, furious that his "guests" are departing, shouts to Kirk, "Wait, I won't have this! I haven't dismissed you yet! Stop! I won't have this!" Back aboard the Enterprise, an escape attempt is then underway. However, this only lasts a few brief moments before Trelane appears on the bridge. He immediately develops a dislike for Spock, since Kirk announced Trelane's "party" was over thanks to Spock prior to being beamed up. "I have a perfectly enchanting sojourn on Gothos planned for all of you", he states. Suddenly, Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, DeSalle, Jaeger, Sulu, and Yeoman Ross find themselves in Trelane's drawing room, with a large dining table set up. DeSalle tries to attack Trelane but is frozen. After Kirk demands Trelane release him, he does. "We haven't even got our phasers", Sulu quietly reminds the navigator.
Several mistakes and incongruities, including a fire without heat and food and brandy without taste, convince Kirk that Trelane is not omnipotent and knows only the forms of Human society, not the substance, and further lead him to conclude that some agency is assisting Trelane – a machine of some type. Kirk ponders on what kind of a machine could do all of these things and Spock speculates that the machine would need the ability to turn energy into matter using Trelane's thought waves. Thus Kirk decides the machine must be destroyed in order for them to leave. While Trelane flirts with Yeoman Ross, Kirk has had enough and is fairly sure that Trelane's mirror is his source of power, the captain challenges him to a duel. "And captain… I never miss", Trelane tells Kirk while aiming his pistol at the captain's head.
Act 3[]
During the duel, Trelane delopes (throws away his shot) and invites Kirk to shoot at him. "And now, captain, my fate is in your hands." Kirk takes aim at Trelane and instead shoots the large mirror behind Trelane. 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. Trelane is enraged. "Go back! Go back to your ship, all of you! And prepare, you're all dead men. You especially, captain." Trelane goes toward his mirror and disappears. Kirk flips open his communicator and contacts the Enterprise to beam all of them up.
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 as the planet Gothos appears directly in the path of the ship. Kirk immediately orders Sulu to turn the Enterprise hard to port to avoid a collision. Kirk wonders if the Enterprise has been going in circles, but Sulu's instruments show that they're on course for Beta VI. Gothos appears in front of the ship again and Sulu executes a hard turn to starboard this time to avoid the collision again. Spock compares their situation as a "cat and mouse game" with Kirk lamenting that they're the mouse. Gothos appears in front of them again but this time Trelane becomes wise to their tactics and continuously moves the planet in front of the Enterprise no matter which way she turns. Finally, Kirk realizes he must confront Trelane and orders the Enterprise to accelerate into orbit so he can beam down, but before he can, Trelane snatches the captain down to the surface and into his kangaroo court where a bewigged Trelane has established himself as a judge, and this time, his instrumentality is unbreakable. Trelane plans to execute Kirk for the crime of opposing him. "You will hang by the neck captain, until you are dead, dead, dead!"
Final Act[]
But it is all too easy for the powerful alien. "That's your problem, Trelane. Everything is easy. It's given you a bad habit. You're not aware of it, but you have it," Kirk tells him. "Eh?", Trelane asks. Seizing on this, Kirk suggests Trelane needs a challenge, and offers to provide one, suggesting a hunt. Trelane is delighted at the prospect and readily agrees.
Trelane hunts Kirk for a time, and 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 mother and Trelane's father, who appear as disembodied, hovering glowing green lights. It seems that Trelane is essentially a naughty child who has overstepped his bounds, especially how he treats his "pets". His parents, telling Trelane that it is "time to come in now", apologize to Kirk, free the Enterprise and take Trelane away to be disciplined. Trelane's parents vanish and Kirk regains contact with the Enterprise.
Later, Spock asks Kirk what he should describe Trelane as. Kirk tells him to classify him as a "small boy – and a very naughty one at that." He tells Spock that Trelane probably engaged in the same "mischievous pranks" the Vulcan did as a young boy. Spock is confused by this classification, so Kirk continues. "Dipping little girls curls in inkwells. Stealing apples from the neighbor's trees. Tying cans on…", at which point Spock expresses complete incredulity. "Forgive me, Mr. Spock. I should have known better", Kirk remarks. Spock says he shall be delighted, then raises an eyebrow before returning to his station. The Enterprise then enters orbit of Beta VI.
Production[]
Paul Schneider conceived the episode as an anti-war story inspired by watching children play games of pretend war. During filming of this episode William Campbell, in the role of Trelane, fell down while filming the duel in the forest and dislocated his shoulder though an instinctive reaction of flinging his arm up popped it back into place. [2] Due to this injury the episode took an additional day to shoot for a total of seven days filming. [3]
Cast and Casting[]
The character of Trelane was originally considered as a role for Robby McDowall by D'agosta but upon hearing William Cambell read a mere paragraph he changed his mind and told Cambell to go to the wardrobe department immediately for the part.
- William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk
Crew[]
- Writer: Paul Schneider
Source Citations[]
- Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1 Episode 18 "The Squire of Gothos"
- The World of Star Trek by David Gerrold [1979]; Section Two titled "PART TWO: The Star Trek Family – The People Who Made The Enterprise Fly" - Interview with William Campbell
- These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One by Marc Cushman and SusanOsborn [2013]; First Edition Page 392