Arena (episode)

Series:	TOS
Season:	1
Original Airdate:	1967-01-19
Production Number:	19
Year:	2267
Stardate:	3045.6
Story by:	Fredric Brown
Teleplay by:	Gene L. Coon
Directed by:	Joseph Pevney

Kirk battles an alien captain who destroyed a Federation outpost.

Summary

Captain Kirk and a landing party -- Spock, Leonard H. McCoy, O'Herlihy, Kelowitz and Lang -- beam down to the Earth observation outpost on Cestus III at the invitation of its commander, Commodore Travers. Arriving, they discover the invitation a ruse and the colony destroyed.

As Spock discovers other life forms, the landing party comes under attack. O'Herlihy dies almost immediately, disintegrated, and then the shelling begins. At the same time, the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) comes under attack in orbit. With her screens up, the Enterprise cannot beam up the landing party. Kirk finally breaks the siege by returning fire with a grenade launcher that fortuitously survived the initial bombardment. The aliens, perhaps afraid of stiffer resistance, decamp to their own ship. Kirk and the surviving members of the landing party are able to return to the Enterprise.

Kirk concludes that the ruse luring him to Cestus III was a trap -- an attempt to destroy the Enterprise, the only protection in that part of the Federation. Such a move, a prelude to invasion, suggests the correct course: overtake and destroy the enemy, before he can return to his home base and report. Kirk orders hot pursuit. Spock argues against destroying the enemy vessel, on the basis of respect for sentient life. Kirk disagrees; his opinion is that a crime has been committed, and the perpetrators must be punished.

Closing at warp 8, the Enterprise records a scanning beam from an uncharted solar system at 2466PM. The alien is not approaching this system; it appears that a third party is "curious" about the Enterprise. The alien abruptly begins to slow, going quickly to sublight speed. Kirk closes for the kill, and then ... the Enterprise begins to slow, and is quickly stopped -- just like the alien.

The architects of this reveal themselves: they are the Metrons -- an advanced race who regard intrusion into their space for the purpose of conflict as unacceptable. They remove Kirk from the Enterprise, and the Gorn captain from his vessel, and deposit both of them on a suitably prepared world. There, they will settle their differences, using strength and ingenuity.

The Gorn is reptilian, large, and very strong -- but quite slow. Kirk is able to evade him initially, but knows he can't evade him indefinitely. He'll have to find a way to defeat an opponent who is far stronger and tougher. The key may lie in a comment the Metron made -- that the prepared environment contains elements suitable for attack. Attack and evade continue for some time, with Kirk narrowly evading death at the Gorn's claws.

The Gorn finally communicates: it proposes that Kirk wait, and promises in exchange to be merciful and quick. Kirk compares this offer to the mercy shown at Cestus III; this enrages the Gorn, who tells Kirk his people regard Cestus III as part of their space. Their attack may actually have been a defense, at least as they see it.

The conflict continues, with each individual attacking the other. Finally, Kirk remembers an old, old formula: gunpowder. Using sulfur, charcoal, potassium nitrate, diamonds, and a bamboo-like plant, Kirk constructs a crude cannon. Moments from a fatal attack, Kirk touches off his crude device, incapacitating the Gorn.

The Metron appears; Kirk has won the contest. But he has surprised the Metrons, whose analysis did not prepare them for Kirk's demonstration of mercy towards his helpless opponent. The Metron returns both participants to their ships. Although humanity is still half-savage, perhaps in several thousand years, it will be civilized enough to be of interest to the Metrons. Kirk is returned to the Enterprise, and the Enterprise is transported five hundred parsecs (about 1630 light years) away from its previous location.

Quotes

Metron: "Perhaps ... in several thousand years ... your people, and mine, shall meet to reach an agreement. You are still half savage ... but there is hope."

Background Information

• This screenplay was adapted from an original story, also titled "Arena", that was first published in 1944, in the pages of Astounding magazine.

• In his final speech, the Metron informs Kirk that, because he demonstrated mercy, he will not be destroyed. This suggests that the Metrons planned to destroy both combatants, or the winner. Initially, they said they planned to destroy the loser, "in the interests of peace". This scripting error is a carryover from the original story. In it, the power that pitted human against alien intended to destroy the winner, as that would be the representative of the species that was at the same time the most savage, and the most dangerous. Presumably, the Metrons were given a nobler character, and this line wasn't changed.

• The scenes on the planet surface were filmed at Vasquez Rocks, California. The same location used for Friday's Child)

Main Cast

• William Shatner as Kirk
• Leonard Nimoy as Spock
• DeForest Kelley as McCoy
• James Doohan as Scott
• George Takei as Sulu
• Nichelle Nichols as Uhura

Guest Stars

• Jerry Ayres as O'Herlihy
• Grant Woods as Kelowitz
• Tom Troupe as Harold
• James Farley as Lang
• Sean Kenney as DePaul
• Bobby Clark and Gary Coombs as the Gorn
• Vic Perrin as the Metron voice
• Ted Cassidy as the Gorn voice
• Carole Shelyne as the Metron
• Dick Dial as Kirk's stunt double

References

Archanis; asteroid; Canopus; Cestus III; chef; Gorn; Grenade launcher; Metron; shields; Sirius; tactical officer; transporter; Travers; warp drive

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Episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series

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