Bread and Circuses

Season 2, Episode 25, Aired
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Episode Summary

The Enterprise encounters a planet whose culture is patterned on ancient Rome... and holds gladiatorial games that Kirk, Spock, and McCoy must fight in.
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Fan Episode Reviews (7)

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  • The Enterprise discovers a society that resembles earth of the twentieth century with an ancient Rome slant.

    7.5
    "Good"
    By Celedorian, Nov 27, 2010 Report Abuse
    This is another one of those parallel earth stories with a sci fi twist. In this case, the planet is just like earth, except the Roman Empire has continued into the equivalent of the twentieth century. Gene Roddenberry and Gene Cone, the two heavyweights of the original Star Trek series, cowrote it, and with their understanding of Trek, the result is a solid, entertaining second season episode. It focuses on Kirk, Spock, and Bones, and has some lovely moments between them as Kirk attempts to deal with this backwards planet that keeps placing obstacles in his path. William Smithers guest stars as Captain Marik and gives a nice performance.moreless

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  • The Enterprise encounters a duplicate of Earth where the Roman Empire still exists. Kirk, Spock and McCoy beam down to investigate, and wind up being forced to compete in the barbaric gladiatorial games. Despite a familiar plot, a very good episode...moreless

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By Jay-Spacedust, Dec 07, 2008 Report Abuse
    This episode suffers straight away from being yet another 'parallel Earth' story. We had already had "A Piece of the Action", "Patterns of Force", and the weak "The Omega Glory" (as well as "Miri" in the first season), and here we get another such tale.
    But it's a shame that this episode comes so close to three of those other examples, as in its own right it is a very good story.

    Indeed the parallel earth concept had been done a number of times before by this point, but here it is at least given some depth and background. The crew puzzle over it and discuss it and debate over it, whereas on some other occasions (think "Miri" in particular) they barely blink an eyelid, and it is never really explained.

    The episode also features another "Starship Captain gone bad". Again, there are similarities, coming so close after "The Omega Glory", but here it is handled with more care, and more believable.

    The "forced to fight in gladiatorial bouts" idea had already been used in "The Gamesters of Triskelion" (produced after this episode, but broadcast before), but this episode does it so much better.

    The episode also features one of the best scenes between McCoy and Spock, and serves as a great showcase of their strange relationship.

    Similarities aside, this is by far one of the better episodes of the later second season. By this point, the series had started to lose its shine, but episodes such as this still make it a great watch.
    I think it could have been a 100% series classic, but the pacing needed tightening up a bit. The final act sags slightly, and the whole Drusilla 'Kirk's personal slave girl' element was not needed. As has already been commented on in other reviews of the episode, would Kirk really lay back and sleep the day away while Spock and McCoy are held prisoner and awaiting execution?!

    All-in-all, one of the best episodes from the end of the second season.moreless

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  • Kirk takes his pending execution in stride after he learns he'll get to bed a female first

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By millerem99, Dec 26, 2007 Report Abuse
    The summary above is probably the funniest thing about this episode: Kirk peacefully sleeps the afternoon away under armed guard and certain death for himself and his shipmates, following a good meal and a tryst with a designated female which were to allow him "to die like a man." In the meantime, everyone else under his command attempts to do something to escape the dire situation.

    Other than that oddity (which I suppose really doesn't contradict Kirk's billy-goat nature) this episode qualifies as one of the best, and is by far one of my favorites.

    The plot is fast-paced, the action is exciting, and the interaction between Spock and McCoy exemplifies what we've come to love about their clashing natures. My favorite part about this episode is at the very end, when everyone is back onboard the ship, and they're discussing the fact that the native slaves on the planet were worshipping the sun, and the persecution they were willing to endure because of this sun worship, not to mention how primitive sun worship is for that culture. After listening to their conversation, Uhura tells them that they've got it all wrong. The slaves were not talking about the sun in the sky, but rather the Son of God.moreless

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  • Underrated but much appreciated

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By Gislef, Jun 18, 2007 Report Abuse
    Probably my favorite of the original Trek episodes. It's a parallel world episode to once again cover up a small budget. All we see are Vasquez Rocks and some interior sets, and they even get around not having to include an audience at the televised games by having fake sound effects for the audience.

    So they're clever in getting around the budgeting problems, although the episode does rather feel repetitive if for no other reason then that the landing party gets captured at least three times.

    This episode is differentiated from the other parallel world episodes in that this one is more of a "what if"? "Piece of the Action" and "Patterns of Force" are just "Let's visit these 20th century societies." B&C explores what you'd get with Rome _advanced_ to the 20th century. That helps the audience skim over the fact that the parallels here make no sense, that all of the deity names are absolutely identical from those on Earth. Huh?

    What really sets this episode aside as unique is that... Kirk doesn't win. The Enterprise doesn't dramatically rescue the last survivors of the Beagle (heck, Merik would still be alive if Kirk hadn't shown up). Kirk doesn't lead a slave rebellion. Yes, there's vague intimations that history will repeat itself and the Roman Empire will fall (although Christianity wasn't the only factor in Rome's downfall).

    The fun part is watching Kirk being outsmarted and outclassed at every turn. Logan Ramsey portrays an excellently slimy villain... except he's not really a villain. He's drawn in a few too dimensions to be a flat bad guy (unlike Melakon in "Patterns of Force"). he gives Kirk his "last meal," he offers them a quick death once it becomes clear Kirk isn't going to yield. He doesn't like Merik, but who can blame him? The Proconsul is fighting to preserve his world... and if he can have a little fun along the way, what the heck. Watch him twirl the dagger as the landing party beams away at the end.

    So you've got this 20th century Roman who is able to hold off Kirk and his crew and he basically "wins." That gives him a better track record then the Romulans and Klingons combined: see what I mean about him being an excellent bad guy.

    As portrayed by the underrated William Smithers, another of those "Hey it's that guy!" faces of the 60s, Merik is a tortured guy who realizes too late exactly what he's sold his soul for.

    Shatner gives a decent performance, and of course, McCoy and Spock get some decent scenes, and this episode really shows how they both bicker so much... and can still consider each other friends. The rest of the cast such as it is--Septimus, Flavius, the Master of the Games--are good with what relatively little they're given to do.

    The main plot hole is how the heck do they plan to get 427 crewmen to beam down? Prime Directive or not, one imagines poor Scotty with a skeleton crew sitting in orbit, wondering what to do about the 300 or so crewmen they sent down in the last few days...

    I think some people underrate this episode because not much happens. It's just another "parallel Earth world" episode. Kirk gets captured, and freed, and captured, and captured, but never really does much. If you look at the differences, though, it's clear this episode actually stands some of those "standards" on their head. This world isn't the same as other parallel worlds, and the fact that Kirk doesn't "win" is intentional. Plus it's an interesting world that we don't see enough of (due to the low budget--we see more of the setting in "Patterns" and "A Piece." Check out the Next Gen novel where the Romans become members of the Federation.moreless

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  • Roman Holiday!

    8.0
    "Great"
    By GeorgeJobson, Jun 14, 2007 Report Abuse
    After encountering planet run by gangs and Nazi the Starship Enterprise came upon another plant which was pattern after another period in time...Rome! Captain Kirk, spook and McCoy went down to the planet where they entercounter Romans. the only difference is they got machine guns. and another difference, they had arena battles inside an TV studio with the crowd used as a sound track. In the end, when the three fleed the romans, they are unable to stop their reign of terror,But someone points out that a religion similar to christianity is doing it's job to stop tynnay. a smart episode.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • The last of the "barbarians", William Harrison, was killed by Claudius in the arena. However, later Merik says that those of his men who adapted are still alive. Edit
    • Apparently Proconsul Claudius Marcus is tougher then he looks. According to the opening newscast, he's the one who killed the last "barbarian," no more then six year previously and probably more recently. Edit
    • A few episodes earlier, in "Patterns of Force," Spock claimed the odds of another planet developing a culture like Nazi Germany were "virtually impossible." But here he has no problem accepting a culture identical to Earth's ancient Roman culture, right down to the same names of the deities. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • This episode marks the first and only time that the original series makes direct mention of current established religious beliefs when Uhura states that after monitoring the planet's transmissions, she realized that the inhabitants were not referring to "the sun up in the sky" but to "the son of God". Kirk then remarks "Caesar and Christ, they had them both and the word is spreading only now." Edit
    • Desilu No: 5149-43. Edit
    • Story writer John Kneubuhl is uncredited. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • McCoy: (to Kirk) I read in your report that Flavius was killed. I'm sorry. I really liked that sun worshipper. Spock: I do wish we could examine that belief of theirs more closely. Uhura: I'm afraid you have it all wrong. All of you. I've been monitoring their old style radio broadcasts. The Empire's spokesman trying to ridicule their religion. But he couldn't. (after a brief silence) Don't you understand? It's not the sun up in the sky. It's the Son of God! Kirk: Caesar and Christ. They have them both. Spock: It will replace their imperial Rome, but it will happen in their twentieth century. Kirk: And the word is spreading... only now. Wouldn't it be something to watch it happen all over again? Edit
    • Policeman: Come, Flavius. You've been matched for the morning games. Flavius: I will not fight. I'm a brother of the sun. Policeman: Put a sword in your hand and you'll fight. I know you, Flavius. You're as peaceful as a bull. Edit
    • Scotty: The landing party is in trouble, and I'm under orders not to interfere. However, no order can stop me from frightening them. May do no good, but it might suggest to someone what a starship can really do. Aye! Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Master of the Games: You bring this network's ratings down and we'll do a special on you!
      One suspects there was probably from NBC cracking a whip over Roddenberry & Co. and saying something similar. Edit

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