Star Trek (TV Series) The Conscience of the King (1966) User Reviews

Is He Kodos the Executioner or just an Actor?

[Bogmeister · 7/10 · 1 July 2006]

This is another example of a Trek episode where Capt. Kirk temporarily abandons his usual mission (exploring) and goes off on a personal vendetta (see the recent "Dagger of the Mind" and the much later "Obsession") - but it's very personal in this one. On the surface, it may seem trivial because larger questions concerning the galaxy are placed aside, but we become very involved in Kirk's private quest here. The episode is basically a mystery: is a traveling Shakespearean actor just what he seems to be or is he really the ex-governor of a failed colony, where, 20 years earlier, 4000 people had been put to death on his orders? We are left guessing for most of the episode. Will this turn out to be a false quest, a morality tale on the pitfalls of revenge? Or will this suspect truly be revealed as a mass murderer, causing Kirk to phaser him into oblivion? This episode also has an interesting set design for a futuristic house on another planet and a nice rendition of a song 'Beyond Antares' by Uhura (Nichols).

I would think guest star Moss had a field day with his role in this one; his specialty in real life were Shakespearean plays. He acts out Macbeth here, the story of which carries eerie parallels to the character he plays in this episode, and Hamlet, which parallels scenes in the actual episode. His voice is magnetic and his confrontation scene with Kirk as they parry verbally remains one of the better ones during this Trek season. Anderson, as his daughter, also holds her own in a strangely beautiful role. The episode is filled with nice touches - catch the very brief one as Yeoman Rand (Whitney) passes Anderson's character in the turbolift. It's also telling that Spock, for all his usual annoyance with McCoy, runs to him when he notices the captain being edgy again. There's a key scene with Kirk, Spock and McCoy which sums up this trinity's relationship. Finally, we have Riley (Hyde) back again in his second and last appearance (after "The Naked Time"). It's an ironic form of justice that Riley ends up demoted to the lower decks in the engine room, where he caused all that trouble in his previous appearance. A rather haunting conclusion caps this foray into space intrigue.

"All the ghosts are dead, I've buried them".

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 12 October 2010]

Well if nothing else, this episode of Star Trek advanced the reputation of Captain Kirk as an intergalactic Romeo. Did you catch Lenore Karidian's (Barbara Anderson) remark to the Captain while assessing The Enterprise - "All this power surging and throbbing, yet under control". Whoa! - where were the censors on that one? - especially when she followed it up with "Are you like that, Captain"? Can I get a look at the outtakes from this episode? They must have been hilarious! It's almost enough to take your mind off the story.

Yet here you had a classic treatment of the 'justice versus vengeance' theme, with Kirk treading that fine line between getting revenge on a mass murderer and seeing to it that the guilty is satisfactorily dealt with and punished in accordance with law. The nifty twist of course is that the subsequent murders of the witnesses to Kodos the Executioner's (Arnold Moss) crimes were carried out by his daughter. The story nicely strung you along expecting her to be an unknowing participant with the Shakespearean troupe.

What would have made the story more absorbing I think, would have been to explore further Karidian's actions in the past. There was a tease of that with the hasty explanation of a dwindling food supply and Karidian backed into a corner to eradicate half of his colony. The seed of a greater psychological drama was planted here, though hardly one that could have been dealt with in an hour long format. Karidian's horror when learning of his daughter's actions sent a message that here was a complex man who spent the rest of his life agonizing over his past actions.

Shakespeare in Space

[Samuel-Shovel · 6/10 · 28 March 2018]

This episode is... interesting. A friend of Kirk's recognizes a former despot responsible for killing off half an Earth colony and who is now presumed dead. The friend wants this man, now under the guise of a Shakespearen actor, brought to justice but dies soon after under mysterious circumstances. Kirk is only one of 2 living witnesses who can identify Kodos the Executioner. But is this actor really him?

There are a few things that either I don't understand about the plot or I think are far too convenient. 1) Why is Kirk necessary as an eyewitness? They have pictures of both men on record. Facial recognition technology should be able to handle this without finicky human memories. If mankind has the technology to match voice patterns, even when you try to disguise it, to verify a voice, facial matching should be accessible. 2) Dr. McCoy's choice to log his entry with Riley next door within earshot was extremely idiotic. This conveniently allows Riley to seek vengeance, a plotline that never really goes anywhere.

The plot of this episode feels more like an Agatha Christie novel in space opera form more than your standard TOS episode. The shot of the unidentified hand spraying poison into the milk feels almost comical.

Arnold Moss is good in his role (besides an abysmal line reading of "I am tired!") and Barbara Anderson is serviceable as his daughter. The reveal at the end of Lenore's plans to wipe out witnesses to protect her father adds a little life to the episode but it feels like too little too late. This doesn't ever feel like a sci-fi episode, just a whodunnit plot set on the Enterprise.

Note: I am sad to see this is Rand's last appearance on the show. Her character leaves with a bit of a shrug. I wish that problems on set had not caused her departure.

Is This a Phaser I See Before Me...

[Xstal · 7/10 · 15 February 2022]

The lady doth protest too much, at almost nothing she doth clutch, the evil that men do, breeds discontent all through, so said some bard whose words did touch.

The king of euthanasia or is he the lead in a troupe of fellows has his identity questioned.

Kirk as Hamlet

[chrstphrtully · 9/10 · 1 December 2016]

The use of Shakespearean motifs in the original series is hardly unique, but The Conscience of the King is perhaps the best use of the metaphor, with Shatner making Kirk an impressive quasi-Hamlet.

The episode begins with Kirk and old friend Thomas Leighton watching a performance of Macbeth, and the friend telling Kirk that lead actor Anton Karidian is, in fact, Kodos the Executioner, who massacred several thousand colonists decades earlier. Because Kirk and Leighton are two of only nine witnesses who could positively identify Kodos, Leighton asks for Kirk's help in proving the case. Kirk is dubious, but when Leighton is murdered, Kirk takes it upon himself to make the determination of whether Karidian is guilty of these crimes.

To my mind, Hamlet is often misinterpreted as a play about, as Olivier stated in his Oscar-winning adaptation, a man who could not make up his mind -- in fact, it is a play about an intelligent, well-educated and sophisticated man who must have definitive proof of guilt before reaching judgment and imposing justice (and, by the time he does have it, he is unable to impose true justice until the climax of the play). "The Conscience of the King" follows this same pattern, with Kirk taking on the Hamlet role, Karidian as Claudius, his daughter as Ophelia, and (ironically) Spock bouncing between Polonius and Horatio (though McCoy also fills the latter role part of the time).

The result is fairly impressive. Barry Trivers' script nicely parallels the Enterprise's crew with the court at Elsinore, and creates some nicely suspenseful moments, and Gerd Oswald's direction shows that he knows exactly how far to go with the theatricality of the story, without making it visually static (one nice touch is the shot of Karidian, just before Kirk meets with him, standing behind a screen that looks eerily like a confessional, mirroring Claudius' confession in Act III, Sc. IV).

As for the performances, Shatner provides a nuanced and shaded performance, balancing his primal need for justice/revenge with the doubts presented by what is, at best, sketchy evidence -- it's a dynamic the series repeated several times, but rarely so well (thanks in large part to the best dramatic template of this type of conflict ever written). As Karidian, Arnold Moss is excellent, being given the chance to show off his Shakespearean chops, while at the same time being given a complicated moral conundrum to underline his backstory -- a conflict that he uses to optimal effect. Nimoy and Kelley are also strong in their respective roles in this drama, and Bruce Hyde is given some nice moments in repeating his role as Kevin Reilly (from "The Naked Time"), as another witness to Kodos' horrors.

If there is one weakness, it is Barbara Anderson's performance as Karidian's daughter and co-star, though to be fair, whether it is her or the script is hard to know. She is presented two-dimensionally, which makes the finale far less effective that it could have been. As a result, an episode that could have ranked with the top five of the series instead ranks as one of the top ten.

Well worth the time.

Star Trek: The Original Series - Conscience of the King

[Scarecrow-88 · 7/10 · 28 September 2016]

A company of Shakespearean actors, who travel from planet to planet to offer their performances to those interested, have a lead performer who Kirk's friend believed is an executioner responsible for the massacre on a planet they were witness to. Karidian (Arnold Moss) is performing Macbeth when Kirk's former acquaintance (William Sargent) claims he's Kodos, the Executioner. Kirk investigates, becoming more passionate about it when Sargent is found dead...a half face mask on Sargent was an example of the terror left behind Kodos. Kodos was supposedly dead, burnt alive on the very planet he sent many to die, using eugenics to decide who he believes should live or die, as a food shortage/fungus provoked him to action. Kirk and later Spock who decides to monitor the captain's actions out of concern realize that those nine folks who know what Kodos looks like are being killed one by one, eerily happening in locations of the troupe's performances. With only two left, Kirk and his Enterprise officer, Riley (Bruce Hyde, last seen in his memorable supporting part in The Naked Time), are soon to be targets... particularly since Kirk invites the troupe on-board his ship! Riley's entire family was killed by Kodos, and he nearly died from poisoned milk, recovering with vengeance on the mind. Barbara Anderson is Lenore, Karidian's daughter, of whom Kirk becomes romantic. Anderson is initially this photographically soft lit lovely, but the conclusion offers a chilling madness as her father's fate seems threatened. Lots of use of Shakespeare gives this a unique feel, a bit atypical of this Trek series. Kirk butts heads with Spock over his investigation, but the captain relents that he's unsure if getting an answer about Karidian will result in seeking revenge or seeing that an annihilator is brought to justice for his crimes. Ultimately Kirk does the right thing, preventing an anguished Riley from ruining his career. Moss is more of a factor towards the end as Kirk assertively questions him, taking his vocal tenor for analysis. Moss effectively shows underlying guilt and shame while attempting to hide his past under a persona that is beginning to erode. Cool chance to see the observation deck in this one while Kirk takes Lenore on a walk through the Enterprise... Shatner truly conveys Kirk's blossoming fondness for her, choosing later when asked by Bones if he really cared about her not to comment. Disappointment in another failed romance is right there on Kirk, quite obvious.

Excellent Star trek entry

[RNMorton · 9/10 · 8 February 2017]

So interestingly enough as I go along through life the episodes of Star Trek I enjoy the most are not the ones I treasured during my watching, rewatching, and re-rewatching of the first series. This one now seems quite fine. Moss plays a traveling Shakespearean actor who might or might not be Kodos the Executioner, a planetary governor who eliminated half a colony to stave off mass starvation 20 years before, and now thought dead. Kirk becomes enmeshed in the mystery and despite concerns by Spock as to his priorities seems determined to learn the truth. There are a few problems - like how was a young Kirk on Tarsus IV and how come only nine living people can identify Kodos, but if you can put those sorts of things aside this is fun stuff. In retrospect they could have done better with a few more of these personal dramas than with some of the later half-baked plots. Kirk, Spock and McCoy agonize and quibble back and forth to a satisfying conclusion, good stuff.

My Point of View

[susanctoo · 7/10 · 5 January 2016]

I am going to review a different angle on this episode. Costumes and hairstyles. This is just a fabulous episode for those of us into fashion. The mini mini skirts and glittering hosiery. The tall tall hair styles achieved with many hair pieces. Fur and jewels on men and woman. And those mod mod prints that hint at Pucci as the designer. The sixties had a space age feel to fashion so it has a great futuristic feel to it while being very much still the sixties.

Another part of the plot that I liked especially well was having Spock at the forefront of the plot. He is baffled by the captains behavior and starts to unravel the mystery. I think Spock was at his best in this. Of course I am a huge mystery fan so this episode appealed in that aspect.

And it should be mentioned that Uhuru sings a strange spacey song while playing her autoharp like instrument.

The glorious color of this episode was a special treat too as I saw these episodes in black and white originally. That violet sky was a great touch.

All this power. Surging and throbbing, yet under control. Are you like that captain?

[snoozejonc · 8/10 · 10 March 2021]

Kirk encounters a Shakespearian actor who may or my not be mass murderer.

I enjoyed this episode for the character moments, themes and performances.

The plot is not a particularly compelling mystery, as it's made pretty clear from early on whether or not Anton Karidian is Kodos the Executioner and the identity of the killer is all but obvious. For me though the focus on the characters during the situation is, to coin a phrase, fascinating.

It might feel frustrating to some watching Kirk take so much time processing the evidence, but it is the story of a commander who deep down knows the truth but has a difficult time dealing with it. This for me is a great take on Kirk's backstory and character development. I liked seeing him being extremely careful not to let a lust for vengeance cloud any judgement and also being single-minded pursuit of a personal mission.

I loved the scenes with Spock and Bones who, as always, represent the simple logic and emotional conscience that Kirk looks to balance. Along side the important contributions they make to the plot, they contribute with some excellent dialogue, particular in their scenes together.

The dialogue generally is good and as the plot and character of Karidian takes a lot from Hamlet, there are numerous quotes from Shakespeare plays in certain scenes. Lenore's dialogue with Kirk is for me one of the high points, particularly in their early more flirtatious scenes when they engage in a seduction for the benefit both of their personal agendas.

All the themes of the episode, although entwined with the Shakespeare homage, are interesting. Sci-fi concepts are pretty much non-existent but the focus on brutal topics like genocide is relevant, particularly during the sixties when the WWII was so fresh in people's memory.

All performances are strong with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, Bruce Hyde all making great contributions. Grace Lee Whitney has a non-speaking part but her look of distain towards one character as she exits a lift is a small but cinematic moment. The guest stars Arnold Moss and Barbara Anderson both do excellent work.

Wouldn't you think that by the 23rd or 24th century they could have done SOMETHING to help the guy with the big black patch?!

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 5 December 2006]

The summary sentence is exactly what my wife said to me the first time we watched this episode together. As a kid I never questioned it, but she was right--the guy was supposedly disfigured by Kodos and instead of finding a decent plastic surgeon, they just stick a giant black patch on half his face! Apart from this silliness, this actually is a decent and watchable episode. And, as usual, Kirk spends much of the episode chasing a lovely young lady and trying to woo her--I guess SOMEBODY's gotta do it.

The episode involves the hunt for Kodos--a pragmatic but amoral governor who apparently ordered the execution of half his settlement in order to assure that the rest could survive famine! And, the worst of it is after the executions, help unexpectedly arrived! Well, the film begins with Mr. Blackpatch meeting with Kirk to tell him he thinks he's identified the real Kodos--who has been at large and wanted for years by the authorities. Well, soon Patchy is murdered and it seems someone--perhaps Kodos--is trying to kill anyone who can identify him.

The episode isn't a particularly strong one though it is quite enjoyable and watchable.

A troupe of strolling players

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 13 December 2014]

The Enterprise is sent for under false pretenses by scientist William Sargent. A theatrical troupe is performing MacBeth and it's nice to see he's still appreciated in the future. Sargent is sure that the lead actor Arnold Moss is the notorious Governor Kodos who committed a genocidal massacre on an earth colony. And Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Riley on the Enterprise are some of the few survivors left who could remember the mass murderer.

But William Shatner's also mixing business with a little pleasure as he romances Moss's daughter Barbara Anderson who seemingly has no idea of who or what her father could be.

Shatner's also getting understandably obsessed, so much so that an unheard of alliance between the bickering Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley concerning Shatner's normal undeviating devotion to duty.

Of course there's something amiss when Sargent is killed and Bruce Hyde playing Lieutenant Kevin Riley is nearly poisoned.

Some nice guest star turns from both Arnold Moss and Barbara Anderson before she became a policewoman on Ironside. Anderson especially goes into an incredible mad act.

This one is one of the best from season one.

A decent if unexceptional plot.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 21 August 2021]

Kirk learns from an old friend that a traveling Shakespearean actor named Karidian (Arnold Moss, "The 27th Day") may actually be a former tyrant named Kodos who mercilessly butchered half of his population 20 years ago. Tellingly, there's no information available on Karidian prior to the last 20 years. And yet, Kirk wants to make SURE the two men are one and the same before he makes any judgments or punishments. Even though Kirk is motivated by personal reasons, he knows he has to exercise some caution.

Overall, this is not a great story, but it's a reasonably involving one, even if none of us watching really doubt the outcome. What does make a difference are some excellent and nuanced performances, especially from guest star Moss, who's no one-dimensional villain. The enticing Barbara Anderson ('Ironside') is very easy to watch as Karidians' daughter, who acts in plays with him. Naturally, she brings out the romantic side in Kirk; it's amusing to once again see what a smoothie Kirk could be with the ladies.

Adding tension is the fact that ever-pragmatic Spock does take exception to Kirks' actions, such as beaming the entire theatrical troupe aboard the starship. (Under the guise that they would be good entertainment for a bored Enterprise crew.) Also, another of the people capable of identifying Kodos is Enterprise officer Kevin Riley (Bruce Hyde), and Riley himself clearly entertains thoughts of vengeance. After the troupe is on board, attempts are made on the lives of both Riley and Kirk; in one effective scene, Kirk has to find an overloaded phaser before it can cause several decks of the starship to explode.

This solid episode was written by Barry Trivers ('The Millionaire', 'Naked City') and directed by Gerd Oswald ("Crime of Passion", 'The Outer Limits'), and features some eye-catching set design. Injecting some Shakespeare into a science-fiction setting turns out to be a pretty interesting touch, showing that classics will never go out of style, even centuries later.

An unbilled John Astin makes a voice-only contribution.

Seven out of 10.

Quite a strange episode

[intp · 4/10 · 28 May 2014]

I had mixed feelings about this episode. It featured some strong and memorable performances, particularly from the two main guest stars, Arnold Moss and Barbara Anderson, and a somewhat interesting and unexpected twist near the end.

But it's not really a "Star Trek" episode. It's really more of a mundane mystery that has nothing to do with science fiction. The episode leaves a very odd, kind of hollow feeling afterward. This has got to be one of the least entertaining episodes of the series; it's actually quite a downer, and there doesn't seem to be any useful "lesson" to extract, either. Sort of an exercise in artistic pointlessness-- good performances in the services of a sort of 'dead' affair.

MAJOR SPOILERS FOLLOW:

Basically, Kirk pursues a personal vendetta against a man who may or may not be a notorious historical figure who committed mass murder, though under unusual circumstances. It becomes all too obvious early on that the man at issue is indeed the same as the historical figure, yet Kirk stubbornly refuses to accept the facts (Spock is quite right here, and even McCoy grudgingly supports Spock). The plot is complicated by the fact that Kirk is infatuated with the man's 19 year old daughter.

But in the end, nearly everyone "loses". This was one of the most negative episodes of the series. The historical figure dies-- but at the hands of the one person who loves him. Arguably he deserved to die, but not like that. Because of his stubborn refusal to accept the facts, Kirk puts both himself and another crew member (Lt. Riley) needlessly at risk and almost costs Riley his life.

But the most unsettling part was the convincing nature of Barbara Anderson's psychopathic character. Basically, she needlessly brings destruction on herself, her father, and on the only surviving eyewitnesses of the massacre. Good, but very unsettling acting job; she's a bit too convincing as a nutcase.

The whole thing seems a little pointless by the end. The historical figure could have faded into obscurity, yet he chose a career (actor) that necessarily exposed him to a broad array of audiences. Somehow, he utterly fails to keep his dark past a secret from his daughter, yet she too is inadvertently corrupted (a bad seed? If so, strange idea for a Stark Trek episode). Kirk gets his "vengeance", but it feels thoroughly hollow, as the man is essentially harmless and remorseful now, and the daughter is destroyed as well in the process.

By the end, I thought to myself, why is this a Star Trek episode? I know that Gene Roddenberry liked to explore non-scifi issues, but this one just seemed like an exercise in unpleasantness. There doesn't seem to be any lesson here. I suppose Kirk achieves one slightly positive end-- he stops the insane daughter from killing again-- but it just doesn't feel like much of a victory by the end.

Hamlet and Nazi war crimes

[Blueghost · 2 June 2009]

I really wasn't sure what to call this review, so I figured I'd just call it what I thought the whole thing was about.

What we have here is a classic criminal investigation using a theatrical technique to recreate the theme of whatever crime it was that was committed. The idea is to get the suspect/perpetrator to emotionally connect with their alleged criminal act. The concept is an old one. The astute viewer, particularly one familiar with Shakespeare (Edward de Vere's works) will note Hamlet's "the play's the thing..." concept, and how said notion is cleverly injected into this episode.

Most of the episode is a murder mystery a-la a PBS episode with Diana Rigg. But, unlike WGBH's production, we're not given hints nor clues as to who is doing what. It's part of the ingenuity of this episode as the audience is shown apparent evidence for inferred correlation. As such the audience isn't really challenged to figure out who is doing what, but presented a twist without realizing it.

The theme is lifted from the criminal investigations that continue to this very day as of this writing, concerning the heinous acts of mass murder by the Nazi regime prior to the ending of the second world war. What is stronger? Peronsal ties or societal obligation? And what are the personal ramifications on a personal basis when two sets of right and wrong collide? Can anyone, so divided, exist and retain their sanity? This episode explores those themes, and offers a possible outcome. It is an interesting exploration, and an interesting writing exercise.

A respectable episode. Enjoy.

An Actor And A Murderer

[Rainey-Dawn · 7/10 · 22 December 2016]

Season 1, episode 13. The Enterprise is summoned to Planet Q. There Kirk and Dr. Leighton watch the Shakespearian play Hamlet. Anton Karidian is an actor, leader of the acting troupe... he is suspected of being Kodos "the Executioner", a murderer. Lt. Riley believes that Karidian is the one that murdered his parents, he knows the face and voice. Kirk wants solid proof of Karidian's guilt.

A pretty interesting episode, especially if you like Shakespeare, the theatre and murder. Very well acted by Arnold Moss who plays Anton Karidian and Barbara Anderson who plays his daughter Lenore.

7.5/10

Acting takes center stage over special effects

[garrard · 8/10 · 21 October 2006]

Some of the best episodes in Trek history were not those that featured space battles or alien races, but were the ones that were character-driven, laced with social commentary. "The Conscience of the King" is a good example of the latter. Arnold Moss guests as the respected lead actor in a Shakespearean troupe, visiting the Enterprise and providing much-needed performances for the crew. Suspicians arise that he may just be a war criminal. When on-board murders occur, Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) must find the perpetrator, but also answer the mystery about the actor. Barbara Anderson, who would later win an Emmy for her supporting role on TV's "Ironside", plays Moss's daughter, devoted and determined to not let anything or anyone destroy the image of her beloved father.

Considering that Shakespeare provides the backdrop for the episode, Shatner, known for his occasional over-the-top acting, is rather restrained this time, which adds to the beauty of this dialog-laden installment. Moss and Anderson are fantastic in their respective roles as actors playing actors.

Almost thirty years later, "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", the offspring of the original, would offer a similar story of the is-he-or-isn't-he-a-war-criminal theme in the excellent "Duet" installment.

Tragedy.

[thevacinstaller-03350 · 7/10 · 16 December 2022]

Star Trek is influenced by Shakespeare and what we have here is what must have been a little love letter by the writers to the themes present in his work.

I am a sucker for the over the top acting performances that TOS has. Lenore and Anton Karidan provide delicious performances throughout this episode. I enjoyed the twist of Lenore being the assassin of the living witnesses and becoming completely unhinged towards the end of the episodes ---- he father's daughter indeed!

What was up with Kirk sending Lt. Riley down to engineering!? Was he using his crew member as bait to lure out the assassin? It CAN'T be that, right?

In my viewing I thought that Kirk was leading on Lenore so that he could close to Anton. The ending of the episodes suggests his feelings were genuine?

I got a good chuckle out of Spock not being able to let illogical actions continue to happen. He just has to figure out what is going on as if it is an insult to his very being.

A killer or an actor?

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 12 September 2015]

Captain Kirk is not pleased when he diverts the Enterprise only to learn that the reason given was untrue. Dr. Leighton and claimed to have discovered a new artificial food source but in reality he wanted to tell Kirk that he believes an actor, Anton Karidian, currently visiting the planet is actually a man who committed mass-murder many years before. Kodos 'the Executioner' had been the governor of a Federation colony and he had ordered the deaths of half the population when the food supplies starting running out; he was also presumed dead even though his burnt body was never formally identified. Kirk initially doesn't believe Leighton's theory but looks into in anyway and discovers that there is no record of Karidian prior to Kosos' death. When Leighton is killed he starts to believe that Karidian might really be Kodos so arranges for the actor, his daughter and the rest of their troupe to be transported to their next destination on the Enterprise. Spock starts to think the captain is making some irrational decisions and finds out about his enquiries; he discovers that of the witnesses to Kodos crime seven have been murdered while Kodos was in the area and two more are on the Enterprise; Lt Riley and Capt. Kirk! While Kirks suspicions of Karidian grow attempts are made on both his life and that of Riley.

This is a rather different episode as it takes the form of a mystery; initially we have no idea whether or not Karidian is really Kodos and when we learn that he is we see that he isn't quite the monster he appeared to be… his actions were inexcusable but they were taken to save the entire colony from starvation and he clearly feels guilt for what he did… unlike the person trying to kill the witnesses who emerges as insane. The fact that Kirk was attracted to his daughter was somewhat cliché but by now if he hadn't he'd have been acting out of character. The Shakespearian elements of the plot nicely mirrored the plays that Karidian and his troupe performed. The ending has a nice twist and a suitable degree of tragedy. The cast do a solid job; especially guest stars Arnold Moss who plays the tortured Karidian/Kodos and Barbara Anderson who plays his daughter; she is utterly convincing as her insanity is revealed. Overall this episode turned out much better than I expected.

Some good moment but to theatrical

[nicofreezer · 7/10 · 19 April 2021]

An entertaining episode for sure but with a poor final 10 minutes 7.4/10.

Not an episode I liked as a kid, but now probably one of the better ones

[sheenarocks · 8/10 · 20 February 2007]

You know, as a child of 8 or so, this was definitely an episode I never liked and especially after it was later shown on KCOP in Los Angeles with all the great bits cut out (Uhuru's wonderful song, for example), commercials every 5 minutes, etc., it just was not done justice.

Now, seeing it all these years later, it is definitely one of the better episodes. It's great as a college-educated adult (as opposed to a snot-nosed kid) to see the structure of the story and the parallels to MacBeth and Hamlet. An especially interesting scene, I think, is the one where Kirk is trying to prevent the only other witness to the mass murder from murdering the executioner, arguing philosophically, Shakespearan, with the young man, behind the curtain where the real play is being carried out. A wonderful small bit there.

There are other great bits in this episode too including details about music, food, clothes, housing and other very imaginative bits of the 23rd century. Seems like they really took their time with this episode, setting up the scenery as well as the plot.

And, of course, this show had some of the most incredibly psychedelic colors in the whole series. Oh, 1966! In the scene where Kirk first meets Lenore, she is wearing a cobalt blue dress, Kirk has a bright yellow tunic, there are forest greens and pinks and all sorts of wild colors splashed all over the walls. The whole episode is like this! Wonderful.

The intricate structure of this episode owes so much to Gerd Oswald, the director. A great TV director of that era, who directed among other things some of the best episodes of the old Outer Limits show (14 episodes in total, among them the Harlan Ellison-authored "Soldier").

The one sour note I thought was Barbara Anderson's performance. Seemed like that scenery at the end must have had quite a few holes in it! She was very pretty though and wore some great clothes!

TV Land is showing Star Trek every morning. They have done a wonderful job with this. Seems like most everything in the original NBC viewing is in there (ok, maybe 1 extra commercial break somewhere in the hour) and the prints are great.

I definitely recommend this episode for viewing because you may too have thought this was one of the lamer ones but if you watch it now as an adult, it's pretty darn good.

Madness

[amusinghandle · 7/10 · 30 October 2023]

It wouldn't be a good TOS episode if we did not get a few 'big' performances throughout. The crowning jewel performance belongs to a completely unhinged Lenore who is afflicted by the same madness as Kodos.

Star Trek has many influences and of course it is influenced by Shakespeare. I have always maintained that Shatners performance is the just the right amount of Shakespeare, Ham and Stage.

Kodo's provides a good performance as a man who is haunted and burden by his past. All the more tragic that he has come to understand his crimes and madness only to see his daughter go down the same path.

A well executed and paced episode that is heightened by the over the top Shakespearean performances and tragic ending.

Barbara Anderson's Show

[richard.fuller1 · 10/10 · 2 July 2008]

Much the same as I would do with Doris Day, after growing up watching her TV show, then seeing her in The Man Who KNew Too Much, I thought 'this is the same woman?' This is how I would regard Barbara Anderson. First I would see her in a Halloween episode of The Love Boat, totally fixated on her looks (the way she behaves, you would believe she thought since she was beautiful on the outside, she MUST be beautiful on the inside as well, and when she is scarred . . . . !) and later I would see a childhood movie, Don't Be Afraid of The Dark, 1971, with Kim Darby.

I don't know what she did on Ironside to win an Emmy, but when I would watch this episode of Star Trek, I never for the life of me knew it was Barbara Anderson, the same woman from that awful episode of Love Boat and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark.

When the revelation takes place, Anderson runs with it, with all the conviction possible. In everything I have ever seen this woman in, she stopped at beauty, but here, she was different.

How incredibly odd as well, that of everything I've mentioned, Love Boat, Afraid of the Dark, Ironside, she would do this ST episode first! I've since seen her in an episode of Mannix, I think; she acted pretty heavily in that one.

None compare to the guts of Star Trek.

Anyone who thinks Star Trek, TOS, is only known for its barbie doll women is viewing the show as superficially as one would view Barbara Anderson while only focusing on her looks.

There's more there.

Very badly flawed

[bgaiv · 4/10 · 23 April 2022]

Someone planted a bomb in Kirk's quarters to kill him and it would have severely damaged the ship and killed dozens of others.

So Kirk marches to Karidian's quarters to make vague accusations and casually give him the voiceprint test.

After an attempted bombing, shouldn't the ship go on lockdown to determine who did this? Kirk's personal quest could wait, this guy isn't going anywhere. But there's no lockdown and they even still have the play!

That is just myopic writing, focusing on the drama of Kirk's quest and ignoring the reality of them being on a starship.

It's also hard to imagine this 19 year old girl sneaking around, obtaining poison, finding Riley in the bowls of engineering and poisoning his drink, stealing a phaser and planting it in Kirk's quarters, etc. Honestly to me it felt like they didn't find the true murderer.

Murder, Mayhem, and a Play to Catch the Conscience of the King

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 26 April 2014]

Captain Kirk is such a loose cannon sometimes. He is unable to repress his "maleness" in virtually any setting. A Shakespearean troupe traveling the galaxy (an intriguing concept) lands on the Enterprise. In exchange for transport, they agree to perform for the crew. As time goes on, it is revealed that the principle actor and the father of a beautiful daughter may be a murderer of mass proportions. The task then is to somehow prove this. On board is a young man whose family was killed by this person. The fun thing is that there is a kind of Agatha Christie like parry and thrust going on, including an attempted poisoning. Kirk, as he always does, pursues the beautiful daughter. Apparently, William Shatner was the perfect choice for the Kirk portrayed in this series. Anyway, things aren't always as they seem to be and we are treated to some interesting twists and turns.

Shakespearean on many levels

[Jimmy-128 · 8/10 · 2 August 2009]

This always has been one of my favorite episodes. The obvious Shakespearean references aside, this episode provides an interesting view of Kirk-as-Hamlet. Like Hamlet, Kirk is faced with a murderer, but is unable to take decisive action to apprehend him until it is too late. Fortunately, unlike Hamlet, Kirk's vacillation costs Caridian his life, rather than Kirk's own.

The episode has a number of nice touches--Janice Rand's glance at Lenore Karidian as the latter leaves the bridge (in Rand's last appearance on the show)--comes to mind very quickly, but it also has a sour note or two. When Spock questions Kirk's decision to allow the acting company to travel with the Enterprise, McCoy too readily attributes it to Kirk's attraction to Lenore; the doctor should be a bit more professional than that. In addition, Riley seems to give up too easily when confronted by Kirk.