The inspiration for the much more prominent TNG character "Q", this episode accomplishes a lot in a short time. And it makes it's point clearly. Spock: "I object to you. I object to power without intellect" I wish I could get away with talking like that at the office! And somewhere the Joseph Stalin's and Sadam Husain's of the world are spinning in their graves! Got it, thanks ST.
As a kid I loved this one because I've always had a martial slant in my bones. In fact, re-watching it in the new Hi-Def for the first time last night I found myself feeling the same way I did growing up.
We're all kids deep down that need to learn to control our yearning to war and unfortunately also our yearning to play. And play is the part that I think ST was less concerned with.
I kept asking myself last night re-watching - "huh, why doesn't Kirk just play along with Trelane a little? Spend a day down there sword fighting and talking, and perhaps learning something about his new "friend"? I got the feeling he'd just let them go after he was done with them.
Surely Picard would play right? Not so fast; Picard never wanted to play with Q; and again I'm not altogether sure why. And Riker has no excuse after TURNING DOWN becoming a Q?! That's about 1,000 times worse than turning down $100 million bucksbut I digress.
TOS is a rare series that has consistently good endings. And this is no exception; it makes us think about dictators, generals, and awkwardly.ourselves.
-Smoreless
The Enterprise finds itself at the mercy of a seemingly omnipotent being who fancies himself a 18th century Englishman.
 Leonard Nimoy |
Mr. Spock |
 William Shatner |
Captain James Tiberius Kirk |
 William Campbell |
Trelane |
Guest Star |
Richard Carlyle |
Lt. Carl Jaeger |
Guest Star |
Michael Barrier (II) |
Lt. Vincent DeSalle |
Guest Star |
Nichelle Nichols |
Lt. Nyota Uhura |
Recurring Role |
 George Takei |
Lt. Hikaru Sulu |
Recurring Role |
 James Doohan |
Lt. Cmdr. Montgomery "Scotty" Scott |
Recurring Role |
Watch Online
Featured Episode Clip
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You're An Old Man!
(01:20)
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Something Out of Alice In Wonderland
(02:13)
Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions
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TRIVIA (9)
ADD TRIVIA-
Stars can be seen through the darker parts of the planet Gothos--look especially for this when the planet is chasing the ship. (This is eliminated in the remastered 2007 version.)
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Kirk and Spock both remark that Trelane's power source must have something to do with his mirror, because he never gets too far from it. This, in fact, is not true: just several scenes ago, Trelane had teleported all the way up to the Enterprise's bridge!
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Kirk reaches for Trelane's arm before he begins to raise it to fetch more crew members down from the Enterprise.
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Uhura is scanning all bandwidths for Kirk and DeSalle after their abduction, despite the fact they weren't wearing communicators at all on the bridge.
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When the landing party find Kirk and Sulu, they're immobilized like statues. But look closely and they can be seen moving before Trelane frees them.
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When DeSalle beams down to the planet and tries to call back up, he gets no answer and we see a closeup shot of him snapping the communicator shut. Then the camera cuts to a long shot and he snaps it shut again.
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It's not clear how Spock determines that the mirror can't be the machine sustaining the breathable atmosphere. Spock says it isn't large enough, but how the heck can he tell, given their lack of knowledge of Trelane's technology?
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DeSalle isn't too smart, he tries to sneak up on Trelane even though he's in plain view in the mirror Trelane is admiring himself in.
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Trelane says he studied Earth images that travelled to him at light speed, and earlier they establish Gothos is 900 years from Earth. But Trelane references Napoleon and Hamilton, who weren't around until 1800 or so. That would put this episode in 2700, but the original Trek episodes are set in the 2200s.
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QUOTES (19)
ADD QUOTES-
McCoy: The word (desert) conjures up pictures of dunes, oases, mirages. Sunlight, palm trees.
Spock: We're 900 light-years from that kind of desert. The precise meaning of the word 'desert' is a waterless, barren wasteland. I fail to understand your romantic nostalgia for such a place.
McCoy: It doesn't surprise me, Mr. Spock. I can't imagine a mirage ever disturbing those mathematically perfect brain waves of yours.
Spock: Thank you, Dr. McCoy. -
Jaeger: I'm a scientist, not a military man.
Trelane: Oh come now we're all military men under the skin! (admiring himself in the mirror) And how we do love our uniforms. -
Kirk: Remember, Trelane, you promised to let my ship go!
Trelane: Yes but this is such sport! I should fetch all the others down to play! -
Kirk: We're living beings, not playthings for your amusement!
Trelane: Silence! This trial is over! You are guilty. On all counts you are guilty. And according to your own laws, this court has no choice in fixing punishment. You will hang by the neck Captain, until you are dead, dead, dead! -
Spock: My father is from the planet Vulcan.
Trelane: And are its natives predatory?
Spock: Not generally. But there have been exceptions...
Trelane: You will see to his punishment, won't you?
Kirk: On the contrary, I commend his actions.
Trelane: But I don't like him! -
Trelane's Father: Stop that nonsense at once! Or you'll not be permitted to make any more planets!!
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Kirk: Our missions are peaceful -- not for conquest. When we do battle, it is only because we have no choice.
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Trelane: Oh, how absolutely typical of your species! You don't understand something so you become fearful.
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Trelane: Well, I don't know if I like your tone. It's most challenging. That's what you're doing, challenging me?
Spock: I object to you. I object to intellect without discipline. I object to power without constructive purpose.
Trelane: Oh, Mr. Spock, you do have one saving grace after all - you're ill mannered. The human half of you, no doubt. -
Trelane: Dear Captain, so many questions. Make the most of an uncertain future. Enjoy yourself today. Tomorrow...(ominously) may never come at all.
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Kirk: (introducing) Lieutenant Uhura of Communications.
Trelane: Ah... a Nubian prize. Taken on one of your raids of conquest, no doubt, Captain. No doubt. She has the melting eyes of the queen of Sheba, the same lovely coloring. -
Trelane: Don't fret, Captain. I'm only a bit upset with you, but this Mr. Spock you mentioned, the one responsible for that unseemly, impudent act of taking you from me, which is he?
Spock: I'm Spock.
Trelane: Oh, surely not an officer. Isn't quite human, is he? -
Trelane: Do you know that you're one of the few predator species that preys even on itself?
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(reading from the screen)
Spock: "Hip-hip... hoorah"? And I believe it's pronounced..."tallyho".
DeSalle: Some kind of a joke, sir?
Spock: I'll entertain any theories, Mr. DeSalle. Any at all. -
Trelane: How do you plead?
Kirk: I haven't come to plead in your court, Trelane.
Trelane: Anything you might say has already been taken down in evidence against you. -
McCoy: Does your logic find this fascinating, Mr. Spock?
Spock: No. "Fascinating" is a word I use for the unexpected. In this case, I should think "interesting" would suffice. -
Kirk: You've got a lot to learn about winning, Trelane.
Trelane: I'll fix you for this!
Kirk: In fact you've got a lot to learn about everything, don't you? -
Trelane: (sobbing) I would have won. Honest! (fading away) I would have. I would have. I would have...
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Kirk: (Trelane) was probably doing things comparable to the mischievous pranks you played when you were a boy.
Spock: 'Mischievous pranks', Captain?
Kirk: Yes -- dipping little girls' curls in inkwells, stealing apples from the neighbors' trees, tying cans on -- forgive me...Mr. Spock. I should have known better.
Spock: I shall be delighted, Captain.
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NOTES (5)
ADD NOTES-
When William Campbell got the part of "Trelane" and was to begin shooting the courtroom scene, he was given a French period wig to wear rather than an English barrister's wig as described in the script. After debating a bit with Shatner, Gene Coon was called and Campbell told him that it would not only prompt a change in his acting style for the scene, but wouldn't be "right." Coon reportedly agreed saying "Campbell's right. Get the right wig. Shoot something else. We'll pick it up later."
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The original script for this episode called for Kirk's saber to pass clean through Trelane's body. However NBC deemed this "unacceptable" and demanded that "another device (be found) to accomplish this". NBC also demanded that dialog be added to ensure that Trelane "would suffer the consequences of his actions".
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William Campbell who plays Trelane would return in the second season to play Captain Koloth in the episode "The Trouble With Tribbles". Campbell's next appearance in the Star Trek universe would not be until his return as Koloth in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Blood Oath" in 1994.
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Though probably not official, it's revealed in the Star Trek: TNG novel, Q-Squared that Trelane is a member of the Q.
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Among Trelane's collection, you can see the Salt Monster from The Man Trap.
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ALLUSIONS (2)
ADD ALLUSIONS-
Trelane: Is this the face that launched a thousand ships and burnt the topless towers of Ilium? Fair Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.
References The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe. -
Trelane: A matched set. Just like the pair that slew your heroic Alexander Hamilton.
Alexander Hamilton was an influential early American statesman. A quarrel with Aaron Burr led to a pistol duel between the men that caused Hamilton's death. In the duel, Hamilton fired into the air, perhaps unwilling to kill Burr, just as Trelane fires into the air here.
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