Arena

A convention used frequently is that of setting two opponents against each other, giving them no choice but to fight. The frequent accusations by the more advanced aliens that earth creatures are too violent is often counteracted by their own blood lust. In this episode, Kirk is pitted against the Gorn, a species of lizard man. Perhaps they could have done just a bit of work to animate his jaw, rather than making it look like a Halloween mask. This episode forces Kirk to draw on his knowledge of chemistry and warfare to face the Gorn. As the crew watches the fight continues. They parry and thrust their way. The strength of the episode has to do with lessons learned. McCoy gets in his usual shot at Spock for inaction. He seems to blame him whenever his logic doesn't solve the problem.

Although it may seem like a silly story on the surface (in essence, Kirk fights against a man-sized reptile), Arena is actually one of the best Star Trek episodes, being an insightful critique on the unnecessary casualties of war.

The episode begins with the destruction of a Federation outpost, which prompts Kirk to go after the alien attacker and destroy him at all costs. During the pursuit, the Enterprise is seized by more powerful beings who send Kirk to a desert planet so that he can face his adversary: the reptilian Gorn. Whoever wins the duel will be set free; the loser will be destroyed, along with his ship and crew. Given the Gorn is much stronger than Kirk, the latter has to come up with an inventive strategy to survive.

Of the many examinations of the futility of war that Star Trek has offered, Arena is undoubtedly one of the more interesting ones, all because of its central idea: the preconception that all conflicts must end with the total annihilation of one of the two conflicting sides. The episode's presentation of the villain also plays on man's natural fear of all things unknown or different, making for 45 minutes of intelligence and tension that still resonate four decades on (despite the fact that the Gorn is obviously a stuntman in a suit).

This episode really feel like 1966, while the others one didnt. But still I was entertain for a full hour It was a pretty great episode despique the old special effect.

The Enterprise finds itself drawn into conflict with another species.

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.

This is the one with Kirk battling a captain of an enemy ship; this other captain happens to resemble a man-like lizard. He or it hisses at Kirk and even speaks, promising a quick, merciful death - it certainly feels cold-blooded. It's based on a fairly famous short story by sf author Fredric Brown, though Gene Coon conceived the piece thinking it was original. That's because it's such a primal, simple plot which almost any writer could come up with: the essence of warfare is distilled down to the most basics of just two individuals, who go at it mano-a-mano (see also the TV Movie from 1970, "The Challenge"). Though this episode is one of Trek's best action stories, it's also a commentary on the needlessly huge casualties which occur during a war: why sacrifice thousands of individuals when an issue could be solved by the death of just one? This story kind of points out that maybe our nations, instead of engaging in traditional war, should just send our best soldiers or leaders; let them fight it out, thereby saving many other lives. It sounds pragmatic, or maybe too clinical; either way, when it becomes as personal as it does here, the results may not be as expected.

The episode begins at a shattered Federation outpost. The Enterprise was called over to the planet by a bogus call. There's some impressive set design here for a TV show; the outpost, though wrecked, still looks neat, with vaguely Roman-like architecture (catch those two globules at the entrance, representing symbols of the Federation). This episode also touches on a concept not addressed much in all the Trek shows: the possible intrusion by the expanding Federation into another civilization's space. Suppose we find a planet with no intelligent life; we begin colonization; then, several months later, we find out another society has laid claim to this region of space a year earlier. What happens now? The answer suggested here by Spock is - bring on the diplomats. In the 3rd act, everything shifts to an asteroid, where Kirk meets his deadly-looking opponent - the sudden shot introducing the Gorn still sends shivers down my spine, even if it is a man in a suit. The Gorn was revamped much later on the "Enterprise" show with computer FX, but I still prefer this slow-moving version. Kirk can outrun the Gorn, but the lizard-man is much stronger; it's an interesting contest. Kirk's solution in finding a method of killing the stronger enemy is a bit too pat, but nonetheless exciting.