Today's episode is.....an episode. That's really all I have, so let's just take a look
Plot:Kirk, Uhura, and Chekov are kidnapped by aliens and forced to fight other aliens so that a mentally superior race can gamble on the winner.
Guest Stars:Joseph Ruskin as Galt, Angelique Pettyjohn as Shahna
Nitpick:Someone want to tell me the morale here? Slavery is bad? People should be treated like people? Intelligent being shouldn't be asshats??? Why did they have to overuse that music from "Amok Time"? It's in every episode this season over and over and over!!!
Summary:
Teaser-Kirk, Uhura, and Chekov are about to beam down when they suddenly vanish right off the pads. The three appear in an arena of some kind, where they are attacked. On the ship Scotty reports to Spock the three just vanished. The phasers do not work and the three try to defend themselves, to no avail.
Act 1-The three are cornered when a being named Galt appears. He explains he is master throng of the planet Triskellion. Soon the three are chained up, and Galt says they will be prepared for the training. The Providers have been expecting them, and Galt explains that they are all the slaves to them. He says the three are to be trained for the games. They are thralls now, and will be brought to the training enclosure. On the ship, Scotty says it wasn't the transporter that made them disappear. Spock says hey will keep searching, and hope for a rational explanation. The three have there own personal cells, and a personal training thrall. They try to escape but Galt demonstrates that if they do not cooperate, he can cause them severe pain as punishment through there collars. Spock has determined the three are not in the solar system. McCoy argues with him, for some reason. The training thralls' bring the three food, and when Uhura's enter she starts to scream.
Act 2-Kirk yells to her but she says she is fine. Kirk's thrall enters and gives him his nourishment. On the ship, Spock finds an ionization rail which he decides to follow and see where it leads. McCoy is outraged that Spock is leaving orbit, but Spock says that he is doing the right thing (which he is). Kirk's thrall, Shahna, explains the color of the thrall is a sign of their providers. Shahna doesn't seem to understand what the concept of slavery is. But she says it is not permitted to discuss things. Of course Kirk's next step is to flirt shamelessly with her. The lights then turn red, indicating the exercise interval, and Shahna gives Kirk a training harness. On the ship, Scotty and McCoy still have doubts Spock is doing the right thing. The exercise is underway, and Galt brings out a thrall to use a live target. But the three refuse to do it. Kirk ends up becoming the live target, and is bound and place in the triad.
Act 3-Kirk is being whipped and is quickly bleeding. During a rest period Shahna gives him an energy drink and tells his opponents left eye is weak. When the fighting resumes Kirk is able to finally defeat the opponent. Suddenly a voice from above says HOLD, it's a provider. The three providers then begin to bid on the newcomers. The three become property and the collars turn red. Galt tells them they have the mark of a fine hard and now any disobedience is punishable by death. On the ship Scotty is still convinced Spock is wrong. He says that he is doing the logical course. Kirk and Shahna are training away from the thrall's compound when Kirk asks for a rest. Kirk tries asking why the providers enjoy watching people suffer, but Shahna doesn't seem to know. Kirk asks if they are computers and if she has seen them. Kirk speculates that at one time providers had bodies like they do. Kirk comments on Earth and Shahna has no concept of other planets or stars. Kirk talks about hoe thrall's have no freedom, or even understands love. When she says that the providers select mates, Kirk explains they select there own mates. When Kirk goes back to asking about the providers she says it's been said they are not like them. Before she can say more her collar glows and she writhes in pain.
Act 4-Kirk begs them to stop, it was his fault she was talking. The voices say that they must learn obedience, and spare Shahna. She is surprised he would risk putting their anger on him to save her. Kirk says that they help others, and then kisses her. They do some more kissing when Galt appears and says because Kirk has amused the providers there will be no punishment. On the ship, Scotty and McCoy are still whining about what Spock is doing. Spock says that he doing the correct is (again, he is) but they still argue. Spock reminds the two that he is in command, unless they want to mutiny. Of course they say that's silly, and McCoy has him promise when this is done Spock will go back where they started and search more there. Shahna serves Kirk his food, and she explains that he has made her feel strange sensations. While they kiss again, he knocks her out and frees Uhura and Chekov. They find there way back to the triad when Galt stops them. The providers comment on how unusual the three are, while the ship is entering orbit. Spock says that beaming down a large party is a big risk, and finds a power source on the planet. He is going to beam down but suddenly the providers cut all power on the ship. They says they will not leave the ship, and on the planet Kirk and everyone can hear them all. The providers are impressed the ship found them. Kirk explains how they use people for their games. When Kirk pushes them to show themselves, they agree to his request. Kirk appears before three glowing, disembodied brains under a dome. They are miles beneath the surface, and explain how they evolved past their humanoid forms. Kirk says that enslaving beings doesn't make them superior. The games are the only thing that gives them purpose, but Kirk says that it's an unproductive purpose. They had hoped the three would give new blood to the thalls, but they will have to be destroyed. Kirk says that they can't match the force of the entire Federation. Kirk calls them murderers and offers a true wager. He wagers his crew can defeat three equal thralls against them. If they win the Enterprise goes free, and the thralls, lose than the whole crew become willing thralls. The providers agree on the condition that Kirk fight the three alone. Kirk is forced to agree and the crew on the ship are allowed to watch. The fight begins, and when a competitor is wounded but not killed Shahna steps in. Shahna accuses him of lying to her before and he refuses to kill her. When she surrenders, Kirk is winner and the thralls are all set free. Kirk apologizes and Shahna asks if she can go with him, but he says she has much to learn on Triskellion.
Final Thoughts:I have nothing against a Trek episode where the only accomplishment is killing an hour, but man this one is dull. They try to make us feel like the stuff on Triskelion is serious, but we've seen it all before. And even the scenes on the ship don't really make things better, they go back a few to many times and McCoy and Scotty arguing with Spock for no reason is annoying. Sometimes I think McCoy just likes to aggravate Spock just because he likes to aggravate Spock. We'll see this again in The Tholian Web, which oddly has very little Kirk. I guess it was Kirk who made McCoy be civil with Spock because when Kirk is not around he bitches at him every chance he gets. I suppose if I knew I could be a jerk to someone as much I wanted because they would never get upset, i'd be tempted. In fact this kind of gets called out in "All Our Yesrerdays". The planet stuff is boring and while Angelique Pettyjohn is pretty damn hot, I just don't care about her character as much as the episode wants us to. And why include Chekov and Uhura and basically do nothing with them? The hardly get a line in the second half. It could have been Kirk alone and the episode would have been the exact same. Oh wait we did have that commercial cliffhanger where we thought Uhura was being raped, that was classy!
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