2.16 — “The Gamesters of Triskelion”
Plot: Kirk, Chekhov, and Uhura are snatched from the Enterprise and transported to Triskelion to serve as thralls for the Providers. Three “drill thralls” are assigned to train them–for gladiatorial combat! Back on the ship, Spock, McCoy, and Scotty try to figure out where their missing crewmates have gone.
Thoughts: This episode is most memorable for its design–the combat ring set with the funny triple lightning bolt, and the amazing disco fetish costumes worn by the alien thralls. One thrall is dressed like Dracula, one like the giants from “The Galileo Seven,” and Shahna looks just like Lady Gaga!
I thought the story, which can be described as Captain-Kirk-as-John-Carter-of-Mars, left a lot to be desired, however. Let’s start at the beginning. Not very nice of Kirk and Chekhov to let Uhura fight 2 against 1! I like that at the end of the teaser, Lady Gaga is going to kill Captain Kirk.
The indoor set is a fairly literal interpretation of all of Kirk’s speeches about how humans can’t be made to live in cages, heard most recently in “Metamorphosis.”
I’m not fond of the way the producers play the masculine voice of the orange female drill thrall for yuks, especially since this is another “humans are awesome!”-themed episode. “It’s the custom of our people to help one another when we’re in trouble.” Unless you look like a chick and sound like a dude.
The attack on Uhura, seen only in shadow while Kirk watches helplessly, was both tough to watch and highly effective.
Brains come in three fruit flavors! Talk about a poor man’s Talosians. Does Kirk have the right to potentially wager away his whole crew’s right to resist perpetual alien enslavement? Even if necessary to prevent their immediate annihilation? He could be bluffing, but if so, why should he depend on the Gamesters to keep their word? I guess he was in a poor bargaining position.
I have to address Kirk’s chutzpah–the way he shamelessly manipulates Shahna into falling for him and takes advantage of her romantic feelings for his personal benefit and the benefit of the crew. We’ve seen behavior like this before, in “The Conscience of the King,” “Catspaw,” “MIrror, Mirror,” and probably others. I guess this shows Kirk’s ingenuity and resolve, but it’s awfully callous. I might have almost forgiven him, even after he gave that terrible break-up speech to Shahna (“You want to come with me, baby? Naaah, there’s so much you must learn here first”), if he hadn’t capped it by coming in for one last kiss before dematerializing. One more little thrill before goodbye forever. Can’t read my p-p-p-poker face, baby. That’s really douchey.
I don’t mind wild episodes, but this one is wild in all the wrong ways for my taste. Also? I don’t like Chekhov. Please come back soon, George, from filming The Green Berets.
2 out of 5 wagers that Kirk is incorrigibly untrainable.
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