Arena
- Episode aired Jan 19, 1967
- TV-PG
- 50m
For bringing hostility into their solar system, a superior alien race brings Captain Kirk into mortal combat against the reptilian captain of an alien ship he was pursuing.For bringing hostility into their solar system, a superior alien race brings Captain Kirk into mortal combat against the reptilian captain of an alien ship he was pursuing.For bringing hostility into their solar system, a superior alien race brings Captain Kirk into mortal combat against the reptilian captain of an alien ship he was pursuing.
- Metron
- (as Carole Shelyne)
- Gorn
- (uncredited)
- Gorn
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
- Gorn
- (uncredited)
- Gorn
- (uncredited)
- Lt. Brent
- (uncredited)
- Lieutenant Leslie
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAlthough it was not intentional, Desilu's research department realized that Gene L. Coon's screenplay strongly resembled a novella of the same name by Fredric Brown. To deal with the difficulty, Brown was telephoned about the matter and he agreed to a writer's fee and an official credit for the story.
- GoofsGunpowder is a low explosive: it has to be contained to explode. Otherwise it simply burns. Even if Kirk had real gunpowder, it wouldn't have exploded.
- Quotes
Metron: You surprise me, Captain.
Captain James T. Kirk: How?
Metron: By sparing your helpless enemy, who surely would have destroyed you, you demonstrated the advanced trait of mercy. Something we hardly expected. We feel that there may be hope for your kind. Therefore, you will not be destroyed. It would not be... civilized.
Captain James T. Kirk: What happened to the Gorn?
Metron: I sent him back to his ship. If you like, I shall destroy him for you.
Captain James T. Kirk: No. That won't be necessary. We can talk. Maybe... reach an agreement.
Metron: Very good, Captain. There *is* hope for you. Perhaps, in several thousand years, your people and mine shall meet to reach an agreement. You're still half savage. But there is hope. We will contact you when we're ready.
- Crazy creditsThe closing credits are set against a combination background of stills from that episode, previous and future episodes - as per usual Star Trek: TOS practice.
- Alternate versionsSpecial Enhanced version Digitally Remastered with new exterior shots and remade opening theme song. Highlights include a wider angle on the Cestus outpost showing more destruction (and removing an oddly-placed chunk of metal in the foreground) and the never-before-seen Gorn ship.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)
- SoundtracksTheme From Star Trek
Written by and credited to Alexander Courage
This is a classic episode with strong themes, great character moments and some enjoyable camp value.
The story is about the violent nature of humans but contains a typically Star Trek slice of hope for a better future. The narrative is simple, starting with a fairly intense situation that twists it into something different and more compelling. I love how ingenuity and intelligence drives the combat scenes as opposed to physical prowess or firepower. For me the final resolution is what makes it special, delivering an important arc for Captain Kirk and making a beautiful statement about the positive side of humanity.
Although Kirk mostly takes centre stage, It is one of my favourite Spock episodes with some superb bridge moments where he respectfully and plausibly challenges Kirk. These exchanges are loaded with tension by making Spock's sharp observations fairly subtle and understated. Later on there are some great moments when Spock is in command but submits to the logic of being powerless to do anything, whilst McCoy finds himself overcome with emotion.
I enjoyed the camp moments for the unintended humour. The creature effects, (or lack of) being the most obvious with the iconic scenes of Captain Kirk battling stuntmen in an outrageous rubber suit. Also, one moment where Uhura screams in reaction to something is another great example.
Generally I think the visuals are good. I particularly enjoyed the use of the location to make a suitably alien environment. One iconic zoom out from Kirk scrambling up Vasquez Rocks is superb. The direction of the actors body language in the bridge scenes is also good considering they were just scenes of people watching something unfold on a big screen. It is done in a way that translates how the characters feel about the situation.
All performances are great, my favourite being Leonard Nimoy who is fantastic in all scenes. I'm not sure if it's intentional or not but it feels like this story is being seen from Spock's perspective and he lives and breathes the character. William Shatner is also strong as he is the main focus of everything. Deforest Kelley doesn't have as much screen time, but when McCoy contributes he is as great as ever.
- snoozejonc
- Apr 6, 2021
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Filming locations
- Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park - 10700 W. Escondido Canyon Rd., Agua Dulce, California, USA(Fight with the Gorn N34.486018 W118.313123)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro