First Time Watching ALL of Star Trek - Episode 45: The Gamesters of Triskelion (TOS S2E16)

[@CarlosMoreno-jt3vm]

Interesting story about the closing scene - those tears in Angelique Pettyjohn's eyes were real. She was actually crying because she thought, as did the rest of the cast and crew, that Star Trek was over. Word got out on the fourth day of filming that NBC had cancelled the show after the completion of filming for this episode, the sixteenth to be filmed that season. So when Shahna's "Goodbye, Jim Kirk" dialogue was filmed, Pettyjohn was crying because she was a fan of the show and was saddened that it was going away. Everyone was sad, but they soldiered on and completed filming. It was during day six of production that the news broke - NBC had changed their minds and issued an order for eight more shows to complete the season of twenty-four episodes. This instance is unrelated to the massive letter writing campaign that saved Star Trek from being canceled after the completion of season two and would pressure the network to eventually give in and order a third season. But as you will see when you get to season three, this is where Star Trek began to suffer, due to more budget cuts, being placed in a crappy time slot, Gene Roddenberry's abandonment of the show (without the Roddenberry touch, the scripts became weak and uninspired, often ridiculous), losing key production personnel (most notably Robert Justman and Herb Solow), and other factors that contributed to making season three the final season. That's not to say that every episode was a clunker - there were a handful of truly remarkable shows in there, but overall, season three is where Star Trek saw a major decline in quality.

[@RLucas3000]

The loss of Gene L Coon was the worst blow for season 3

[@donovanbradford8231]

Hadn't realized that this episode was the one where the initial cancellation came from and the actress playing the lead was really crying nice bit of info.

[@Interstellar-in5wb]

I was curious where you read this? I'd love to read the whole article about Angelique Pettyjohn getting news about the cancellation and bringing that emotion into her goodbye moment.

[@orgonkothewildlyuntamed6301]

kind of odd considering this was her only appearance? i'd expect that Uhura, Nurse Chapel, etc

[@LeutnantJoker]

I lost it when you started laughing at Scotty going "do you think I'd call you if they just beamed down!?" :D

[@antoniogonzales1976]

Kirk's choice to bring Uhura and Chekov down to see this facility, maybe Uhura would look over their comm set up and Chekov being a science officer in training (Spock is his instructor in this), might be getting some first hand experience with some new tech or something of that sort, but behind the scenes, they were giving Uhura and Chekov more to do because the characters were gaining some popularity, in those days evidenced by "fan mail".

[@markpaprocki8315]

As a 10 year old boy, my eyes never left Shahna when she appeared on screen.

[@Vulcanerd]

Alex killed me with, “She was killed in a freestyle match. A rap battle.” 🤣

[@RetroRobotRadio]

The reason for the colors in the arena and on the collars is obvious. Star Trek was designed for NBC to showcase it's all-color broadcasting. They were the first all-color TV channel. That's why everyone has colorful clothing on the Enterprise, and that's why color comes up so often in the show.

[@libertubey2199]

You are absolutely correct. Star Trek had the benefit of premiering in the fall of 1966. While most shows that were in black and white generally went color, beginning as early as 1962, particularly on NBC, when Batman premiered in January 1966, it put many other shows in color to shame with how they presented color. So, for the 1966-67 season, many shows airing in color reworked their sets, lighting and clothing to make their shows more colorful. The shows that benefited the most from "the Batman color effect" were shows that were converting from black and white to color (i.e. The Wild Wild West, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Lost In Space, etc.) and new shows (i.e. Star Trek, The Time Tunnel, The Monkees, etc.).

[@thomaschristopher8593]

unfortunately, we had a black and white TV.

[@flaggerify]

But why stay in the colored areas was their question.

[@RetroRobotRadio]

@@flaggerify the colored areas exist to push color TVs on the viewers. Viewers in B/W are meant to be missing out so they upgrade.

[@MisterMasterShafter1]

@@libertubey2199 - It started before all that. In 1959, Bonanza premiered. The full color of the Ponderosa. RCA wanted to showcase their big new color TVs, and in cohesion with NBC, Bonanza was highlighted.

[@ryokinor6223]

The 'Quatloo'. The galaxy's first bit-coin.

[@johnm.2633]

"I wager 15,000 quatloos! No, wait, 400,000! No wait, 22 quatloos. And now they're gone. Well damn."

[@duanevp]

NFT

[@iKvetch558]

That look on your faces when Kirk punched her...LOL....PRICELESS!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@zoppie]

He went from James Kirk to James West in one punch.

[@ciphernine7824]

Shahna was played by Angelique Pettyjohn, who would go on to become a Las Vegas burlesque queen in the 1970s. She got her big break in 1967 with her appearance in "Clambake," starring Elvis Presley. Sadly, she passed away from cancer in 1992.

[@theworldofron2712]

The blue alien is an Andorian. They will have MUCH larger parts in future Star Trek series. They are also a Founding member of the Federation.

[@Randall1001]

"Out of all the episodes, I have to say... that was one of 'em." LOL. Yup. I totally agree.

[@MoonjumperReviews]

“Out of all the episodes,…that was one of them.” 🤣 And the answer is: Andorian. 🙂

[@edgarcia4794]

It was a simpler time watching as a kid first run. It was always cool when we'd see our heroes fighting space aliens with interesting weapons'. And Shahna the drill thrall was both sweet , attractive and willing to fight So very cool.

[@Panzer4F2]

Next episode is a guilty pleasure. It's ridiculous, and corny, and I love it. Vic Tayback was famous (infamous ?) at my house before he ever opened that diner.

[@Adam_Le-Roi_Davis.]

A good little episode, I've always liked the character interaction on the ship with, Scotty, Spock and McCoy, the comedic elements with Chekhov and his reaction to his Drill Thrall, the bit when Kirk punches his Thrall surprised me when I first watched it too.

[@Fool3SufferingFools]

The voice of Chekov’s drill thrall Tamoon was electronically lowered to make her sound androgynous. Probably the same technique used to raise the pitch of the Talosian Magistrate’s voice in “The Menagerie” (to disguise the fact that it was Malachi Throne, who was playing Commodore Mendez in the same episodes).

[@fredklein3829]

No, Malachi Throne voiced the Keeper in The Cage filmed in 1964. When he was also cast in The Menagerie filmed in 1966 somebody noticed it was the same actor and that there would be confusion for the viewers so they cast Vic Perrin to re-dub the Keeper's voice. The Keeper was played by Meg Wylie.

[@Fool3SufferingFools]

@@fredklein3829 That's a common misconception, but none of the lines were re-recorded by Vic Perrin. When The Cage was first released on VHS in 1988, the Keeper's lines in the extra footage were still the original (unaltered) voice of Malachi Throne. Those lines were electronically processed for the DVD release in 2001 and now they EXACTLY match the voice heard in The Menagerie. Vic Perrin died in 1989. Also, I have a complete copy of the surviving black-and-white reference print of The Cage and every line of the Keeper EXACTLY matches the cadence and inflection heard in The Menagerie. It would be impossible for another actor to match everything so precisely.

[@portland-182]

Usually the conceit is that the story we are watching is an episode from the Captains Log. We get a closing line from Shahna which cannot be from the log, and so is quite unusual. Any Spock/McCoy bickering is gold. Angelique Pettyjohn plays Shahna brilliantly. The classic fight music from Amok Time is back, and is iconic.

[@anthonybernacchi2732]

Of course, almost the entirety of "Metamorphosis" can't be from the Captain's Log, since Kirk agreed to keep secret the fact that Zefram Cochrane was still living. There's a book called the "Star Trek Chronology", written mostly from an in-universe perspective, in which the "Metamorphosis" entry is minimal for this reason.

[@buffstraw2969]

"Angelique Pettyjohn plays Shahna brilliantly." I agree 100%. Her monologue at the end is touching and beautiful.

[@RLucas3000]

The music, normally A+, did not work at all for me here. I love the Amok Time theme, but don’t just steal it, at least do an exotic variation on it. And the romantic music was brutal, a joke. They could have maybe done something very subtle, but subtle that music was not.

[@Swiftbow]

I always just think of the Captain's Log as being in Kirk's head... not an actual, written thing. (Not that he doesn't write one later... it's just that what we hear in the episode is Kirk thinking to himself about what he'll write down later.)

[@vincegamer]

Alex's face was perfect. It looked like you were holding back a spit take

[@fredklein3829]

Scotty drinks an awful lot. Spock is aware of this but never comments directly, thus his question about ''vanishing'' being the usual function of the transporter was hilarious and extremely subtle.

[@vincentsaia6545]

This may have been the only ST episode my grandmother ever saw. She couldn't believe Shana didn't know she was beautiful

[@walkingtal4157]

9:50 "I've made many selections..." lol! too much. you guys kill me.

[@dngillikin]

This was my first full episode as a kid back in '72. My mother tried unsuccessfully to introduce me to STAR TREK a couple of years earlier, but then four year old me noped the hell out of there at the opening beam down. This, however, was the perfect introduction for my six year old self.

[@GF_Baltar]

Shahna immediately teleported my 12-year old self into puberty when I first saw this episode in syndication. Hey girl, I've got a quatloo for you - right *here*

[@dylanferguson8918]

The actress's name is Angelique pettyjohn and she went on in later years to do porn lol

[@antoniogonzales1976]

I was 13 Lol right there with ya😆

[@TheCosmicGenius]

Five hundred quatloos on the newcomers from Ohio! This is another one of those episodes, like The Trouble with Tribbles before it, which would have originally given Sulu a juicy part. But, because George Takei was away filming, 'The Green Berets', his part was rewritten for Chekov. And, those blue guys with the antennae are Andorians. They'll play a big part in the series, Star Trek: Enterprise, among others.

[@applcinamn]

Yeah, it's not usually on anyone's favorites list but it can be an entertaining watch or rewatch. Joseph Ruskin, the actor playing the (bald) head thrall Galt, was a real Trek go-to guy. He also appeared in DS9, Voyager and Enterprise, as well as one of the TNG movies and a couple of video games. The guy playing the Andorian (the alien race met in Journey to Babel) was actually the stunt coordinator. Chekov's part in the story was supposed to be Sulu, but George Takei was busy filming a movie.

[@AceOfSevens]

And this is how Sulu ended up being the only character on the show to not have a romance storyline (except the mirror universe one who kept creeping on Uhura).

[@vincegamer]

Plus the uniquely beautiful Angelique Pettyjohn

[@thewiseoldherper7047]

Probably ‘The Green Berets’ with John Wayne.

[@thomasn3882]

I think he voiced the Kanamit in the To Serve Man episode of the Twilight Zone.

[@anthonybernacchi2732]

@@thomasn3882 Yes, that's correct. He also played a genie in the "Twilight Zone" episode "The Man in the Bottle".

[@TheSlysterII]

"Killed in a rap Battle!" This is one of the many reasons I love watching your videos! Keep up the great work guys!

[@derrenlodge6502]

Andorian...is the name you are looking for those blue guys.

[@russellharrell2747]

Dunno if anyone mentioned it but a triskelion is a figure like the shape of the area in the episode, three bent ‘legs’ joined together.

[@daniel385]

These are really good reaction vids. Thanks.

[@Asher8328]

I believe this was yet another episode (there are a few) that was originally written to have Sulu but then re-written for Chekov because George Takei was away filming that John Wayne war film.

[@duanevp]

I just re-watched The Green Berets last night. It did NOT hold up well - but Takei's was actually one of the better parts.

[@wcemichael]

The craving for baked potatoes is strong with one

[@reebokprincess1]

As a fan of this series when I first saw the lady thought she was Lady Gaga she has a lot of resemblance to Lady Gaga

[@snr9365]

When I watched Squid Game last year, I kept thinking about this episode. Especially the reveal of the betting element

[@Andy-ju8bb]

It was largely the whole 44-50 minutes for TV thing that moved a lot of shows to streaming services, so they could increase the runtime if they wanted. The newer Trek shows (like Discovery and Strange New Worlds) have some episodes that run for an hour. I'm not saying every Trek episode needed an extra 20 minutes, but in this episode it would have been good to flesh out the ship searching for Kirk, or give Gault a bit of a backstory.

[@sparky6086]

Angelique Petty John played Kirk's temporary love interest (Is there any other kind?), the green haired girl. She did some movie scenes sans clothes in that awkward period of the 1960's Sexual Revolution, when the border between porn and mainstream was more ambiguous. She was a Las Vegas burlesque dancer in the 1970's. Although this episode was average, her character was memorable, so she was a popular guest at late 1970's & 1980's Star Trek Conventions. Sadly, she died young (48) from cervical cancer.

[@Niceman65706]

She did one or two full on porn ficks but I remember her fondly as the secretary in 'The Wizard of Speed & Time"

[@themoviedealers]

She starred in Mad Doctor of Blood Island and Fred Olen Ray used her in a couple movies in the 80s.

[@gordondavis6168]

When Kirk is in the chamber of the Triskelion brains, the matte painting from Janus 6, The Devil in the Dark episode, can be seen in the background.

[@pauld6967]

Unless it is one of the things I lost due to flood damage, I still have an autographed poster of Angelique Pettyjohn in her Shanna costume. Now I have some motivation to make time to go looking through the boxes I have in storage. Thanks guys.

[@antoniogonzales1976]

I always felt this episode would have benefitted by being done in two parts, so you could develop the B story more and give us a better taste of these tournaments, and flesh out the relationships between the star fleet people and their drill thralls, stuff like that. And more character development on Galt. BTW, Galt is portrayed by Joseph Ruskin, who returns to play various other characters in the star trek spin-offs and movies.

[@Bjy001]

Looking forward to next week. A Piece of the Action. Which rumor has it, is one of two Star Trek episodes that Quentin Tarantino may base his final movie upon.

[@capnpooter]

We need a survey-"whats in Alex's beard today"..could be breakfast, could be squirrels..This episode is my favorite baked potatoes meme..😂

[@bobm2027]

The B plot served to further the character development and interactions of Spock, McCoy and Scotty and was enjoyable on that level.

[@bad-people6510]

The "one of those guys" is called an Andorian. They were one of the four funding member species of The Federation.

[@racookster]

5:24 - "Kirk's gonna fall in love with her and free her." Ha! Gotcha, Alex! Kirk's gonna use the hell out of her and leave her there. "Just keep watchin' those lights in the sky, babe. I'm outa here!" When I first saw this episode as a kid, it seemed like the darkest, most hopeless situation Kirk and company had ever faced. Now I think it was the campiest, but there WILL be campier!

[@mikejankowski6321]

Well, he DID care for her and did free her, although he used her along the way and was forced to fight her. That pretty much covers all the bases.

[@tvdroid22]

Chekov (Walter Koenig) became a notable character on Babylon 5. A nice departure for him from his Chekov character.

[@Stephanie-StarTrekFan-is-Muji]

I thought Alex might spit out his drink when he saw Shahna get sucker-punched by Kirk. I saw Alex take a drink just before & I knew what was about to happen so I watched to see how that sip of his beverage went down accompanied by that shocking scene. Lol But Alex did a good job keeping it together. If it was my first time watching that while attempting to enjoy a refreshment, I would likely start choking from gasping when I should be drinking.

[@KevinBradshaw1972]

Lol at 3.40. "your old titles mean nothing here" and then he calls him captain!!

[@mxbishop]

This is a really weird episode, but strangely, among my favorites. Unfortunately, the low-budget is in evidence here. But the colors really pop. And Shatner's Captain Kirk gets to do what he does so well. Also, the woman who plays Shahna (Angelique Pettyjohn) gave the audience a little something extra in this episode, which the NBC network censors did not catch.

[@Serai3]

"Oh one called Jim, what is this thing you call a kiss?"

[@zoppie]

It's too early in the morning for that star trek crap...

[@Serai3]

@@zoppie Then what the hell are you doing here?

[@cdfreester]

HA😄! Kirk getting his libido in gear gets to be such a trope. I love it and hate it all at the same time.

[@zoppie]

@@Serai3 Sorry, I couldn't resist. That is a line from Red Dwarf.😅

[@peterschairer488]

The Blue skinned aliens with antenna are Andorians. They are featured more in "Star Trek: Enterprise".

[@SG-js2qn]

While written back in the days of boxing, Olympics, and football, this episode anticipates modern gamer culture, in that beings having nothing physical to do become absorbed in the battles of NPCs.

[@BlackDouglas1000]

It is always interesting to see your take on these. You are coming from a perspective of having seen a lot of the tropes that ST established where as, for me, they were brand new. You also opened my eyes to some character continuity that I never caught. I saw these in syndication so even when I watched them on DVD in release order I had already had an established view of them and missed some subtilties.

[@kennethlee494]

One of Shana's (Angelique Pettyjohn) biggest claims to fame other than this episode of Star Trek was posing in and out of her Thral costume for posters. She went through some rough times, struggling with drugs and alcohol, doing softcore porn before finally overcoming the hold that her addictions had on her. She spent a lot of time attending Trek conventions in the 1980's. Sadly she passed away at the age of 49 due to cervical cancer.

[@bengilbert7655]

Back when Shatner was a backup dancer for Lady Gaga. 😊

[@anthonyleecollins9319]

"Out of all of the episodes, that was definitely one of them." That's pretty much my feeling about it. Not Top Ten, but definitely not bad. Enjoyable.

[@Fast_Eddy_Magic]

People who like this sort of thing, will find it the sort of thing they like.

[@ebashford5334]

Thanks!

[@jefetters7182]

Guys, I made a comment about your audio levels of the trek episode being lower than your commentary audio. It’s much improved in this one and it was a lot easier to watch! Thanks!

[@MrDeadstu]

Shahna was one of the most beautiful women my 5-year-old eyes had ever seen up to that point, a very memorable costume. The next episode is kind of iconic, you will see why I can't wait for your reaction to "A Piece of the Action"

[@thomasn3882]

The casual brutality is what struck me about this episode. Those shock collars are diabolical torture devices. If the Gamesters are that comfortable with torturing people for sport and betting on the outcomes, then the notion that an impassioned speech from James T Kirk is going to make them see the error of their ways is ridiculous.

[@dongilleo9743]

After Kirk and the Enterprise fly away, what kind of society are the Gamesters going to develop for the Thralls? I doubt it's going to be a peaceful agrarian civilization, with liberal schools teaching art, music, and literature. The Gamesters have immensely powerful and advanced technology. The Thralls are a population trained and disciplined for combat. Given the Gamesters desire for "excitement" and violent entertainment, I could see them building starships, and sending them filled with crews of Thralls on campaigns of conquest. What of the Thralls? Will they come to see the Gamesters as gods, and develop a religion to worship them? As they are educated and learn, will they begin to resent their past enslavement by the Gamesters, and rise up to overthrow and destroy them? Given the immense power of the Gamesters, if faced with rebellion from the Thralls, wouldn't they just re-enslave them?

[@thomasn3882]

@@dongilleo9743 I bet that Gault fellow had a bad day when the shock collars came off of everyone. After years of receiving punishments from him, I bet all of the other thralls wanted to string him up.

[@lukefallon8276]

Shanna always reminds me of Jiffy Pop popcorn.

[@williamjackson6705]

The actress playing Kirk's love interest, Angelique Pettyjohn, later went into the adult film industry. Both hard and softcore.. She died of cancer of the uterus.

[@leftcoaster67]

Such a sad end to a lovely woman.

[@jonathanmurphy3141]

If you watch Futurama, the currency of Quatloons used in exchanges, is lifted from this episode (obvious)

[@dcsignal5241]

Probably the only thing that makes this episode a keeper.

[@TheNeonRabbit]

"Your old titles mean nothing here, CAPTAIN"

[@brooos]

Really enjoy your commentary. No spoilers but the next episode, S2E17 is one of the best of the series. Not just IMO. Looking forward to your comments and insights.

[@christianpecoraro6182]

Good to see you, again.

[@stephenriggs8177]

No props for the foil suit?

[@bettyleeist]

Here’s the;yeah,another “love interest’for Captain 👩‍✈️ Kirk!Too,Captain Kirk alway’s got his point across in every episode!

[@joeconcepts5552]

I just love the movie/TV show conceit that one quick punch will knock someone out cold without question. Like, imagine the scene if Kirk had to punch the woman a few times to knock her out...

[@Lethgar_Smith]

You can hit a person in the jaw and if it connects with that nerve where the jawbone hinges, it will stun a person into unconsciousness. The same with the karate chop to the neck. It will work but takes a lost of skill to ensure you master it and ensure it works each time you attempt it. There was video on KZbin some years back of a Special Forces guy knocking his buddy unconscious with a simple chop to the neck.

[@shallowgal462]

Shana sure had big, beautiful eyes.

[@williamblakehall5566]

My favorite part of this is the one brain taunting Kirk by echoing his own words: "Not for true gamesters, Captain." This season began to have them save money by using old sets and costumes from more standard Earth-based dramas, with endless "parallel evolution" rationales, but of all those shows, the very next one may be the most (deliberately) funny. Thanks, TA. Steady as she goes, warp factor two.

[@SuStel]

That's the thing about Kirk: everyone says he's a horndog who sleeps with every alien woman he meets, but really more often than not he uses sex and romance as a tactic as in this episode.

[@mikejankowski6321]

"Oh, you are trying to seduce me."

[@talynstarburst2l2l2l]

Kirk is a very tactical and brilliant character when you think about it

[@giantclam1822]

Like James Bond

[@SuStel]

@@giantclam1822 Not really. Bond always sleeps with the girl at the end of the adventure just because he wants to. Kirk never gets the girl in the end.

[@giantclam1822]

@@SuStel From the point of using anything at your disposal, including seduction.

[@danjsilve]

It's not one I come back to that often. Still, it was enjoyable to see you guys' reactions. Up next is another fun episode " A Piece of the Action"

[@chrispittman8854]

"DUDE!!! Three GUMMIES are running EVERYTHING!?! Cannabis gummies for sure dude..."

[@Sopmylo]

You must acquire the taste for Star Trek cheese, or your continued journey will be an unhappy one.

[@talynstarburst2l2l2l]

I thought Alex was going to choke on his beer when Kirk punched her 😂

[@MonsterHobbiesModelCarGarage]

This episode was about 7" away from a prawn-o. LOL!

[@sarahfullerton6894]

The next episode is a Star Trek comedy classic!

[@Mike-ky9jz]

If Kirk isn't bangin'....then it just isn't Kirk.🤘😎😂

[@PaliSvapna]

The provider will find me a mate line and Kirks line are in South Park never noticed before

[@MJE-riffs]

I know this entirely the wrong take-away from this episode, but Kirk's hair looks great!

[@jsharp3165]

That rug had a charm of its own.

[@MJE-riffs]

@@jsharp3165 I would willingly pay a hundred Quatloos for it.

[@applcinamn]

The rest of him doesn't look too bad either. 😁

[@holden3]

This episode was on the same day as the reaction on ch9.4 H&I

[@papalaz4444244]

The fights are generally good in Star Trek even though they are not filmed the way you would film a fight in a movie. These are mostly filmed in long takes, from middle distance. The actors have to learn the moves. In a movie shoot you would film each punch and kick, from at least two angles, and edit it into a great battle. Closeups for punches etc TV shows don't have that luxury so the fights will always look stagey. But Star Trek has one other trick. The Star Trek fight music is legendary :)

[@rpmfla]

It has been a beard while since you uploaded a Star Trek episode.

[@anthonybernacchi2732]

Working title: “The Gamesters of Pentathlon.” Wags have suggested that TOS could afford a three-pronged symbol more easily than a five-pointed one. This was another episode I had on audiotape as a kid, which is why I remember my mother’s comment when the characters arrive on Triskelion: “Uhura never beams down, and the one time she does they’re in deep trouble.” (Of course, she could have said the same thing about “Mirror, Mirror.”) However, despite having the tape, the only thing I remembered about the episode other than its basic premise was Shahna’s line, “This is your training harness. Put it on.” “The Gamesters of Triskelion” immediately preceded “Obsession” in production order. Assuming the episodes take place in production order in-universe, McCoy saying Spock has never asked him for anything before is not a continuity error, despite Spock asking for his advice in the latter episode. Unfortunately, it is in this episode (to my ears, at least) that repetition begins to cheapen the stock music cues from earlier episodes, especially the “Amok Time” fight music. Mickey Morton (Kloog, the drill thrall who resembles a Neanderthal) would later play Malla, a Wookiee, in "The Star Wars Holiday Special". Victoria George (Ensign Haines, the officer who fills in on the bridge with so many of the regulars absent) is still living and is now 83 years old; she is this episode’s only surviving credited cast member other than William Shatner and Walter Koenig. Some fans mistakenly believe that "The Star Wars Holiday Special" featured two alumni of this episode: according to the Memory Alpha wiki, there have been false rumors that Jane Ross (Tamoon, Chekov’s drill thrall) was Bea Arthur using a pseudonym!

[@zqxzqxzqx1]

The guy playing Galt plays other Star Trek characters in later shows/movies.

[@brandonflorida1092]

Not the greatest episode, but more great ones are coming. All though I did not meet her personally, Angelique Pettyjohn, who played Shanha in this episode, was said the be a favorite at Trek conventions, where she would appear in this costume. Word on the street is that she was very jolly and all kinds of fun. Sadly, she died in her 40s.

[@BossNerd]

I forgot how funny Scotty and Spock interactions can be - it only comes out occasionaly - unlike the McCoy/Spock banter. If TOS had continued it would have been great to explore that relationship. Another good Spock/Scotty episode is in the 3rd season in "That Which Survives" - but I think the scene at the beginning of this episode is the best of that interaction. So funny! I always judge a TOS episode by if it gets copied years later - not that TOS doesn't copy other shows. I think Thor Ragnarok is a descendant of this episode.

[@mikejankowski6321]

I always considered this a pretty good episode. Kirk finds himself battling technologically advanced aliens and again finds a way to win. He does it by using their nature to set up a battle with a big wager on it and the stakes are the highest they can be. That's the brain side of it. The battle is won by him in physical combat against tall odds, the braun side. As part of his victory, slaves are freed. While folks have speculated here that the resulting society would be dysfunctional, I saw an optimism from Kirk saying that creating a better society is challenging and envisioned the Providers as competing to build better than the others (forgive me, I am a child of the 60's). Plus, there's Shahna. So much to appreciate. I get a kick out of the meme of Kirk pointing to the star where he and Lady GaGa will raise their children. Funny how things work out.

[@clasicradiolover]

In one of your reactions in this season I heard you say you were reacting to 1978 Battlestar Galactica. You fooled me, after in binge watched up to Trouble with Tribbles, I looked for that. Woops not a thing.

[@targetaudience]

We’ve been pretty clear whenever we bring it up that we are watching it on our Patreon. Don’t have the time to edit everything for KZbin. We have full time jobs.

[@clasicradiolover]

@@targetaudience Well it wasn't clear. I thought maybe I miss heard, but you didn't have to be snarky about it.

[@clasicradiolover]

@@targetaudience and we all have jobs

[@targetaudience]

No snark intended. We believe it was pretty clear, but apologies that it wasn’t clear to you.

[@kschneyer]

The Providers are what todays gamers will eventually evolve into...

[@crairdin]

Now you're ready to watch the "Home School Kids" episode (3x12) of South Park.

[@reichensperger1847]

(19:20) "I wish that the B-plot had more to do... Every time they cut back to them, it made no development." Amen to that. Unfortunately, you're in for many more of these static B-plots. Halfway through the second season, and they've already shot their best scripts; now we're digging lower into the pile.

[@racookster]

When I first saw this episode, the fact that the Enterprise crew ended up being unable to do anything but watch made the situation seem even more hopeless. I had the same gut reaction to this that I had to the opening scenes of the original Planet of the Apes: basically, "Man, they are so fucked!" However, it helped to be eight years old at the time.

[@cwdkidman2266]

Three cheers for casting Angelique Pettijohn and almost dressing her!!

[@MatthewCaunsfield]

Another episode stuffed with Trek tropes! But quite enjoyable nonetheless

[@mellertid]

I looked up the definition of "subtle', there were no references to the music of this episode 🤔

[@sageantone7291]

11:39 is why we're here.

[@bad-people6510]

Ah yes, the obligatory episode of the TV series I don't particularly care for, yet always happened to be the one I caught on TV, thus is the one I've seen five times as much as any other episode.

[@17nationarmy37]

Of all ther God-like beings forcing krik to do their thing and Kirk outsmarts them and shows the power of hummanity. This one is my favorite that TOS does. Not necessarily one of the better episodes of the show, but of that category that I know you two are a fan of 😂i think this one is the best that they do.

[@derrenlodge6502]

The silver bra and pants lady...😄😄That's what I've always called her!😀

[@duanevp]

If "escape is impossible" because of the collars - why does ANYBODY there actually need to be locked up? Asking for a friend.

[@zoppie]

Maybe cuz the collars eat power and the cages don't?

[@johnmackendrick5173]

Director Gene Nelson's expertise was in dance choreography. The producers felt this would be useful in handling the fight scenes, which typically take a long time. At this point in the show, Paramount was in charge and they allowed NO time overruns. If Kirk stepped on the blue instead of the yellow -- to bad. There would be no time to correct it.