1.17 — “The Squire of Gothos”
Unlike many of the other episodes, this is an episode I remember well, although it’s been years since I saw it. I found it much better than I feared it might be. Apparently, I have been pronouncing “Gothos” wrong for 25 years. I fear my memory has been kept alive by bitterness against TNG, as in statements like “…furthermore, Q is just a rip-off of ‘The Squire of Gothos.’”
I like this episode, but I can see why someone might have a problem with it. On the one hand, you’ve got a seemingly all-powerful space douche* toying with the crew of the Enterprise for inscrutable reasons of his own amusement, before being almost lectured into submission by Kirk and then brought to heel by his “parents” in a resolution that is almost identical to the ending of “Charlie X.” On the other hand:
1. Spock is fantastic in this episode. The scenes of him assuming command, exercising logic, and debating McCoy immediately obliterated the bad taste left in my mouth from last week’s “The Galileo Seven”–while not completely undermining the conclusion that Spock’s emotional makeup creates limitations for him as a commanding officer, and that the ship is much better off with Kirk at the helm.
2. William Campbell as Trelane is fantastic, too. He just sells the part extremely well, with some help from the writers, with the result that you are never confused about his motivations and there is a credible undercurrent of danger because you really don’t know what this guy might or might not do.
3. Somehow these elements combine to make the point that warmaking is childish and reinforce Kirk as someone who will risk everything to stand up for his values. If speaking his truth even to an apparently omnipotent power means he has to die, then that’s what needs to happen. The force of his conviction (and strength of the writing) is what makes the spectacle of him lecturing a demigod into near submission almost plausible.
Combine this with some great lines and a lot of production value from good set dressing and you have a winning episode. I also liked the exchange between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy about deserts, because just for a moment, you see the cowboy that DeForest Kelley played in all those Westerns shining out of Bones. I’ll leave it to others to unpack some of the cultural references. Diversity is obviously important to the show. I find it interesting that in 1967 the cultural diversity of white people–French vs. German vs. and Irish, etc.–received just as much or more attention on the show than racial diversity. Is that because of the relative proximity of World War II? Or just because it was a safer subject?
The roots of Q in Trelane are especially evident in the trial scene, which recalls a strikingly similar scene in the TNG premiere “Encounter at Farpoint.” In fairness, Q in that episode represents a different take on the character, one that condemns the humans for their warlike history (however impishly) rather than celebrates it. They’re both dandies, though. Did you notice the salt vampire from “The Man Trap” hanging on the wall in Trelane’s castle? I’m surprised McCoy didn’t have a stronger reaction against that.
*I stole the term “space douche” from Torie Atkinson at http://www.theviewscreen.com/, where they have their own Star Trek rewatch.
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