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Arena (TOS episode)
Encyclopedia
"Arena" is an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series
. It is a first season episode, #18, production #19, first broadcast January 19, 1967 and repeated on July 6, 1967. It was written by Gene L. Coon
, based on a short story of the same name
by Fredric Brown
, and directed by Joseph Pevney
. The episode introduces the Gorn
. While pursuing an unknown enemy for an apparently unprovoked attack, Captain Kirk
is forced by powerful entities to battle the opposing captain unarmed.
3045.6, the starship
USS Enterprise
, commanded by Captain James T. Kirk, arrives at the Cestus III Outpost, where Kirk is invited to a dinner engagement with Commodore Travers, a man renowned for his hospitality and friendship. Upon beaming down to the planet
, the landing party, consisting of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock
, McCoy and three crewmembers (Kelowitz, Lang, and O'Herlihy), find the outpost nearly obliterated. A lone survivor is located, and he tells them the outpost came under heavy attack, bombarded by an unknown enemy. Suddenly, the landing team itself comes under fire, and Lang and O'Herlihy are killed.
Simultaneously, in orbit, the Enterprise comes under attack by an alien warship of unknown origin. The Enterprise raises its shields which prevents the landing party from returning. Kirk manages to locate the outpost's arsenal and retrieves a photon grenade launcher, which he uses to drive off the alien attackers.
The aliens also break off their orbital attack, giving the Enterprise a moment to drop shields and beam Kirk and the survivors back to the ship. They soon give chase to the alien warship at Warp
factor 5, leading them into an unexplored sector of space, gradually (and dangerously) increasing speed. Before Kirk is able to destroy the aliens, both the Enterprise and the alien craft are scanned and suddenly both ships are incapacitated.
The Enterprise is then contacted by forces who identify themselves as the Metrons, omnipotent beings who zealously guard themselves against intrusion. The Metrons force Kirk to a "trial by combat
", a one-on-one duel with the captain of the alien vessel (identified as the reptilian Gorn
). The purpose of the fight is to solve their dispute, and the loser of the match will be destroyed while the winner goes free.
Before he can even reply, Kirk and the Gorn captain are simultaneously teleported to an unknown desert planet
somewhere nearby. The terrain of the planet is harsh and rugged, and the two are completely stranded without communication with their ships. However, the Metrons tell them that the planet's surface has sufficient raw materials to build a weapon. The only things Kirk and the Gorn are equipped with are recording devices, meant to provide a play-by-play commentary on the fight. Kirk begins to chronicle his situation with the device. Unbeknownst to him, the device is sending the translated audio of Kirk's words to his Gorn adversary who learns not only where Kirk is, but what he's planning.
The Gorn tracks Kirk down, but the alien's hissing noises alerts Kirk that his opponent is coming closer and he prepares an ambush. Kirk manages to push over a large boulder which rolls down an embankment and strikes the Gorn. To Kirk's surprise, however, the alien is unharmed. Kirk observes that the Gorn may be physically strong; however, it moves rather slowly. Kirk makes a run for it, but ends up caught in a rope trap set by the Gorn. He is able to make an escape, but he injures his leg in the process.
Back on the Enterprise, Spock and the rest of the bridge crew get a camera view of the action via the bridge monitor. Unable to help their captain, all they can do is watch and hope the captain survives.
The Gorn finally communicates with Kirk by using the translation device and offers to put Kirk out of his misery. Kirk accuses the Gorn of being butchers but the alien defends their attack on Cestus III, stating the outpost had been built in what the Gorn considered to be their territory. They viewed the Federation's
presence in this part of space as an intrusion and a possible prelude to full-scale invasion. This exchange prompts the watching Enterprise bridge crew to wonder if the Federation may be in the wrong. McCoy states that the Gorn may have been only trying to protect themselves.
Kirk soon discovers that there are plenty of natural resources lying about to craft a weapon. He finds elements needed to make some gunpowder
. Then he finds a bamboo
-like plant and cuts a portion of the wood to form a makeshift gun barrel. He also finds diamond
-like shards of crystal to use for the projectile.
Kirk lies in wait for the Gorn and when he appears, he aims and discharges his weapon, which quickly takes his opponent down. Coming to the realization that the Gorn may have been acting in self-defense by destroying the Cestus III outpost, Kirk decides against finishing off his adversary.
With the duel over, the Gorn disappears and a white-robed Metron appears to "congratulate" Kirk not only for his victory, but also for displaying the advanced trait of mercy to his enemy. When Kirk turns down the offer to have the Gorn ship destroyed, the Metron is impressed enough to note, "You are still half savage, but there is hope".
Requesting that Kirk's people seek the Metrons out in a few thousand years, the entity returns the bewildered captain, with his injuries healed, to the Enterprise, which has been returned to a position near Cestus III.
According to an account by Herbert Solow in the book Inside Star Trek, The Real Story, the relation to Brown's story may have been an unconscious inspiration. After Coon had written what he thought was an original script, Desilu's
research department noted the similarity. It was therefore agreed that Desilu's Business Affairs office would call Brown and offer a fair price for the story, before it was shot and broadcast. Brown agreed without knowing that the story had already been written.
The episode was filmed in part on location at the Vasquez Rocks
, which was subsequently used as a shooting location in other Star Trek episodes and films.
The Gorn captain's vocalizations were provided by actor Ted Cassidy
, who also appeared in person in the Star Trek episode "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" and provided the menacing voice of Balok in another episode, "The Corbomite Maneuver". The Gorn was portrayed by Bobby Clark
.
William Shatner recalls standing too close to a stage prop explosion during the filming of the episode, causing tinnitus
which he has suffered with to this day.
animation of the USS Enterprise that is standard among the revisions, specific changes to this episode also include:
gave the episode an 'A-' rating, noting the episode's influence and noting the use of a theme of Star Trek, the "uncertainty of exploration".
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
. It is a first season episode, #18, production #19, first broadcast January 19, 1967 and repeated on July 6, 1967. It was written by Gene L. Coon
Gene L. Coon
Gene L. Coon was an American screenwriter and television producer. He is best remembered for his work on the original Star Trek series.-Life and career:...
, based on a short story of the same name
Arena (short story)
"Arena" is a science fiction short story by Fredric Brown that was first published in the June 1944 issue of Astounding magazine. It was voted one of the best of its genre by the Science Fiction Writers of America and included in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume One, 1929-1964.The Star Trek...
by Fredric Brown
Fredric Brown
Fredric Brown was an American science fiction and mystery writer. He was born in Cincinnati.He had two sons: James Ross Brown and Linn Lewis Brown ....
, and directed by Joseph Pevney
Joseph Pevney
Joseph Pevney was an American film and television director.-Biography:Pevney was born on September 15, 1911 in New York City, New York.He made his debut in vaudeville as a boy soprano in 1924...
. The episode introduces the Gorn
Gorn
In Star Trek, the Gorn are humanoid reptiles from the Gorn Hegemony.-Fictional history:The Gorn had contact with the Orion Syndicate as early as 2154...
. While pursuing an unknown enemy for an apparently unprovoked attack, Captain Kirk
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
is forced by powerful entities to battle the opposing captain unarmed.
Plot
On stardateStardate
A stardate is a date in the fictional system of time measurement developed for Star Trek, commonly heard at the beginning of a voiceover log entry such as "Captain's log, stardate 41153.7...
3045.6, the starship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
USS Enterprise
Starship Enterprise
The Enterprise or USS Enterprise is the name of several fictional starships, some of which are the focal point for various television series and films in the Star Trek franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. It is considered a name of legacy in the fleet...
, commanded by Captain James T. Kirk, arrives at the Cestus III Outpost, where Kirk is invited to a dinner engagement with Commodore Travers, a man renowned for his hospitality and friendship. Upon beaming down to the planet
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
, the landing party, consisting of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock
Spock
Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek series, Spock also appears in the animated Star Trek series, two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, seven of the Star Trek feature films, and numerous Star Trek...
, McCoy and three crewmembers (Kelowitz, Lang, and O'Herlihy), find the outpost nearly obliterated. A lone survivor is located, and he tells them the outpost came under heavy attack, bombarded by an unknown enemy. Suddenly, the landing team itself comes under fire, and Lang and O'Herlihy are killed.
Simultaneously, in orbit, the Enterprise comes under attack by an alien warship of unknown origin. The Enterprise raises its shields which prevents the landing party from returning. Kirk manages to locate the outpost's arsenal and retrieves a photon grenade launcher, which he uses to drive off the alien attackers.
The aliens also break off their orbital attack, giving the Enterprise a moment to drop shields and beam Kirk and the survivors back to the ship. They soon give chase to the alien warship at Warp
Warp drive (Star Trek)
Warp drive is a faster-than-light propulsion system in the setting of many science fiction works, most notably Star Trek. A spacecraft equipped with a warp drive may travel at velocities greater than that of light by many orders of magnitude, while circumventing the relativistic problem of time...
factor 5, leading them into an unexplored sector of space, gradually (and dangerously) increasing speed. Before Kirk is able to destroy the aliens, both the Enterprise and the alien craft are scanned and suddenly both ships are incapacitated.
The Enterprise is then contacted by forces who identify themselves as the Metrons, omnipotent beings who zealously guard themselves against intrusion. The Metrons force Kirk to a "trial by combat
Trial by combat
Trial by combat was a method of Germanic law to settle accusations in the absence of witnesses or a confession, in which two parties in dispute fought in single combat; the winner of the fight was proclaimed to be right. In essence, it is a judicially sanctioned duel...
", a one-on-one duel with the captain of the alien vessel (identified as the reptilian Gorn
Gorn
In Star Trek, the Gorn are humanoid reptiles from the Gorn Hegemony.-Fictional history:The Gorn had contact with the Orion Syndicate as early as 2154...
). The purpose of the fight is to solve their dispute, and the loser of the match will be destroyed while the winner goes free.
Before he can even reply, Kirk and the Gorn captain are simultaneously teleported to an unknown desert planet
Desert planet
A desert planet is a single-biome planet on which the climate is mostly desert, with little or no natural precipitation. Desert planets are known to exist; Mars is often considered a prime example. Indeed, many terrestrial planets would be considered desert planets by this definition...
somewhere nearby. The terrain of the planet is harsh and rugged, and the two are completely stranded without communication with their ships. However, the Metrons tell them that the planet's surface has sufficient raw materials to build a weapon. The only things Kirk and the Gorn are equipped with are recording devices, meant to provide a play-by-play commentary on the fight. Kirk begins to chronicle his situation with the device. Unbeknownst to him, the device is sending the translated audio of Kirk's words to his Gorn adversary who learns not only where Kirk is, but what he's planning.
The Gorn tracks Kirk down, but the alien's hissing noises alerts Kirk that his opponent is coming closer and he prepares an ambush. Kirk manages to push over a large boulder which rolls down an embankment and strikes the Gorn. To Kirk's surprise, however, the alien is unharmed. Kirk observes that the Gorn may be physically strong; however, it moves rather slowly. Kirk makes a run for it, but ends up caught in a rope trap set by the Gorn. He is able to make an escape, but he injures his leg in the process.
Back on the Enterprise, Spock and the rest of the bridge crew get a camera view of the action via the bridge monitor. Unable to help their captain, all they can do is watch and hope the captain survives.
The Gorn finally communicates with Kirk by using the translation device and offers to put Kirk out of his misery. Kirk accuses the Gorn of being butchers but the alien defends their attack on Cestus III, stating the outpost had been built in what the Gorn considered to be their territory. They viewed the Federation's
United Federation of Planets
The United Federation of Planets, also known as "The Federation" is a fictional interplanetary federal republic depicted in the Star Trek television series and motion pictures...
presence in this part of space as an intrusion and a possible prelude to full-scale invasion. This exchange prompts the watching Enterprise bridge crew to wonder if the Federation may be in the wrong. McCoy states that the Gorn may have been only trying to protect themselves.
Kirk soon discovers that there are plenty of natural resources lying about to craft a weapon. He finds elements needed to make some gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
. Then he finds a bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
-like plant and cuts a portion of the wood to form a makeshift gun barrel. He also finds diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
-like shards of crystal to use for the projectile.
Kirk lies in wait for the Gorn and when he appears, he aims and discharges his weapon, which quickly takes his opponent down. Coming to the realization that the Gorn may have been acting in self-defense by destroying the Cestus III outpost, Kirk decides against finishing off his adversary.
With the duel over, the Gorn disappears and a white-robed Metron appears to "congratulate" Kirk not only for his victory, but also for displaying the advanced trait of mercy to his enemy. When Kirk turns down the offer to have the Gorn ship destroyed, the Metron is impressed enough to note, "You are still half savage, but there is hope".
Requesting that Kirk's people seek the Metrons out in a few thousand years, the entity returns the bewildered captain, with his injuries healed, to the Enterprise, which has been returned to a position near Cestus III.
Production
Desilu Productions
Desilu Productions was a Los Angeles, California-based company jointly owned by actors Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, who were married to each other from 1940 to 1960....
research department noted the similarity. It was therefore agreed that Desilu's Business Affairs office would call Brown and offer a fair price for the story, before it was shot and broadcast. Brown agreed without knowing that the story had already been written.
The episode was filmed in part on location at the Vasquez Rocks
Vasquez Rocks
Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park is a 905-acre northern Los Angeles County, California, USA park acquired by the Los Angeles County government in the 1970s...
, which was subsequently used as a shooting location in other Star Trek episodes and films.
The Gorn captain's vocalizations were provided by actor Ted Cassidy
Ted Cassidy
Theodore Crawford Cassidy , known as Ted Cassidy, was an American actor who performed in television and films. At 6 ft 9 in in height, he tended to play unusual characters in offbeat or science-fiction series such as Star Trek and I Dream of Jeannie...
, who also appeared in person in the Star Trek episode "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" and provided the menacing voice of Balok in another episode, "The Corbomite Maneuver". The Gorn was portrayed by Bobby Clark
Bobby Clark (actor)
Bobby Clark is an American film, TV and stage actor.Probably his longest lasting role was Casey Junior in Casey Jones ....
.
William Shatner recalls standing too close to a stage prop explosion during the filming of the episode, causing tinnitus
Tinnitus
Tinnitus |ringing]]") is the perception of sound within the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound.Tinnitus is not a disease, but a symptom that can result from a wide range of underlying causes: abnormally loud sounds in the ear canal for even the briefest period , ear...
which he has suffered with to this day.
40th anniversary remastering
This episode was remastered in 2006, and aired October 21, 2006 as part of the remastered Original Series. It was preceded a week earlier by "I, Mudd", and followed a week later by "Catspaw". Aside from remastered video and audio, and the all-CGIComputer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
animation of the USS Enterprise that is standard among the revisions, specific changes to this episode also include:
- Cestus III has been given a CGI makeover, appearing more realistic. The surface shot of the ruined base has been given an open mountain backdrop instead of an enclosed rock cliff.
- The explosion created by the grenade fired by Kirk on Cestus III was cleaned up.
- The Gorn ship can now be seen, though it is very small on the view screen.
- The Gorn's eyes have been animated to blink.
- The Metron's toga now has a shimmering effect.
Reception
Zack Handlen of The A.V. ClubThe A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
gave the episode an 'A-' rating, noting the episode's influence and noting the use of a theme of Star Trek, the "uncertainty of exploration".
Cultural references
- Bill and Ted watch the episode sequence involving Vasquez Rocks in the movie Bill & Ted's Bogus JourneyBill & Ted's Bogus JourneyBill & Ted's Bogus Journey is a 1991 American science fiction comedy film, and the directing debut of Peter Hewitt. It is the second film in the Bill & Ted franchise, and a sequel to Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure . Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter and George Carlin reprise their respective roles...
; they are then kidnapped by their evil robot duplicates and taken to Vasquez Rocks itself (roughly 60 miles from their home town) and hurled to their deaths. - The Star Trek fans in Free EnterpriseFree Enterprise (film)Free Enterprise is a 1999 romantic comedy film starring Eric McCormack and Rafer Weigel, and featuring William Shatner, directed by Robert Meyer Burnett and written by Mark A...
do re-enactments at Vasquez Rocks. - In the movie Tropic ThunderTropic ThunderTropic Thunder is a 2008 American action satire comedy film written, produced, and directed by Ben Stiller, and starring Stiller, Robert Downey, Jr., and Jack Black. The main plot revolves around a group of prima donna actors who are making a Vietnam War film...
, Tugg Speedman, portrayed by Ben StillerBen StillerBenjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
, can be seen watching the fight between Captain Kirk and the Gorn on his iPodIPodiPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
. Stiller previously mentioned the Gorn at the Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond tribute special. - British comedian Justin Lee CollinsJustin Lee CollinsJustin Lee Collins, commonly known as JLC, is an award-winning English comedian and television presenter.A Bristolian, he's well known for his strong West Country accent, shaggy appearance and colourful shirts....
' documentary Bring Back...Bring Back...Bring Back... is a British television series comprising one-off shows where Justin Lee Collins tries to locate people from music, TV or film backgrounds to reunite them for a one-off performance or get-together...
Star Trek centers around his efforts to re-assemble as many of the original cast as possible in an effort to recreate the feel of the show. In the closing moments of the documentary, Collins and original Gorn actor Bobby Clark recreate the classic battle in a parody fashion, with Clark in a humorously fake Gorn costume. - In the "Mini Myth Mayhem" episode of the popular sciencePopular sciencePopular science, sometimes called literature of science, is interpretation of science intended for a general audience. While science journalism focuses on recent scientific developments, popular science is broad-ranging, often written by scientists as well as journalists, and is presented in many...
television series MythbustersMythBustersMythBusters is a science entertainment TV program created and produced by Beyond Television Productions for the Discovery Channel. The series is screened by numerous international broadcasters, including Discovery Channel Australia, Discovery Channel Latin America, Discovery Channel Canada, Quest...
, experiments were performed to test whether or not Kirk's makeshift cannon would function as seen in "Arena". A real-life replica of Kirk's cannon failed in several respects. First, the crudely manufactured, unrefined gunpowder equivalent (made by grinding the individual ingredients together with rocks, as in "Arena") was not an effective explosive, burning and producing smoke but lacking the explosive force upon ignition to propel ammunition any significant distance. Second, when the replica cannon was loaded with a genuine gunpowder charge, the force of the explosion destroyed the barrel and the dummyCrash test dummyCrash test dummies are full-scale anthropomorphic test devices that simulate the dimensions, weight proportions and articulation of the human body, and are usually instrumented to record data about the dynamic behavior of the ATD in simulated vehicle impacts...
standing in for Kirk was severely damaged; when a second replica, reinforced with plywoodPlywoodPlywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
, was fired, the resulting damage to the dummy was even more severe. In all cases, the Gorn stand-in (a cardboard cut-out resembling the character) either emerged unscathed or sustained far less damage than the Kirk stand-in.http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/mythbusters-mini-myth-mayhem/ - Within the first minute of the movie ConeheadsConeheads (film)Coneheads is a 1993 film based on the Saturday Night Live sketches about the Coneheads. The film was directed by Steve Barron and produced by Lorne Michaels...
, the radar operator is briefly distracted by Captain Kirk battling the Gorn captain, and is delayed in notifying Central Command of an incoming UFO. - The Onion used a clip from the fight in the newscast: "Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film as Fun, Watchable."
- In the movie PaulPaulPaul may refer to:*Paul , a given name or surname -Christianity:*Paul the Apostle Paul may refer to:*Paul (name), a given name or surname (includes a list of people with that name)-Christianity:*Paul the Apostle Paul may refer to:*Paul (name), a given name or surname (includes a list of people with...
, they reenact the battle against the gorn, before running away because of people watching them.