The Gamesters of Triskelion

DVD, Star Trek S2 (The Gamesters of Triskelion)

Hard sci-fi is how I'd describe this; a motley collection of weirdness, things beginning with 'tri' (which is annoying), and aliens you can't identify with. The fine line is always there, between things which are beyond our understanding to become truly alien, and the kind of aliens which Trek most often uses, which have resemblances to humanity. But this is too 'Dr. Who' or 'Star Wars' with women in silver foil and ugly giants, and a really quite disturbing yellow woman. She really was unpleasant!

They go through all this bad treatment, to get to the story, and the majority of the episode seems like a filler. Scenes on the Enterprise as they try to track down their missing friends seem a bit repetitive, and while the main set on the planet is well made, we're back to cells and corridors.

I wanted to like the episode, and the ending almost made up for the shortcomings, with a frantic 3 vs. 1 fight and a surprise as Kirk actually kills people! But the best is the final scene - not a jokey exchange, or clever riposte, but a woman Kirk has left behind, gazing up at the stars and wondering. What big eyes she had!

Galt was another disturbing figure, who seemed to glide, armless and silent, mottled face expressionless, like something from a horror film. The Providers themselves were reminiscent of the old 'Dr. Who' classic 'The Keys of Marinus', which also boasted brains in glass cases, only they were more disgusting rather than these brightly coloured banal betters, or I should say gamesters. Still, the extended cast are being well integrated, and only Sulu, missing again, is noticeable by absence. The guy sitting at his station must be a telepath because when Spock moves over to him from behind he leaps out of his seat so the commander can sit there, and leaps back into frame when he vacates the position!

Chekov's reaction to the unwanted attentions of Tamoon, the aforementioned yellow girl, are about the only funny moments, although Spock does admit to being contaminated by humans when he has hope. Kirk kisses the girl and gets his shirt ripped, but although it's a cliche, it doesn't happen as often as people think. Also some continuity with a captured Andorian one of the combatants. And I wonder if the big fighter with the large teeth is a Rigelian, like the one Pike fought in the Talosians' vision?

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