Star Trek (TV Series)

Spectre of the Gun (1968)

Leonard Nimoy: Mister Spock

Photos 

Quotes 

• Capt. Kirk : In the late nineteenth century in Arizona, two factions fought for control of the town Tombstone. The Earps - Morgan, Virgil and Wyatt - who were the town marshals, along with Doc Holliday.

  Spock : And the Clanton gang. On October 26th, they... had it out.

  Chekov : Who won?

  Capt. Kirk : The Clantons lost, Mr. Chekov.

  Chekov : And we... are... the Clantons?

• Melkotian Buoy : [voice]  Aliens. You have encroached on the space of the Melkot. You will turn back immediately. This is the only warning you will receive.

  Spock : Vulcan, Captain.

  Capt. Kirk : English.

  Chekov : It was Russian, sir. Every word.

  Uhura : No, Captain, it was Swahili.

  Capt. Kirk : Interesting. Telepathy.

  Spock : Unquestionably. Most impressive.

• [Scott has volunteered to test the self-made tranquilizer] 

  Scott : [pours himself a drink]  It's to kill the pain.

  [empties the glass in one gulp] 

  Spock : But this is painless.

  Scott : Well, you shoulda warned me sooner, Mr. Spock. Fire away.

• [Morgan Earp has shot a man] 

  Spock : Is this a dead man, Doctor?

  McCoy : Very dead, Mr. Spock.

  Capt. Kirk : That's one thing we can be sure of here. Death is real.

• [Kirk comes precariously close to a shoot-out with Morgan Earp] 

  Spock : Captain, since we have seen that death is the one reality in this situation, I seriously suggest you reseat yourself immediately, without moving a muscle of either hand. If I remember correctly, that would involve you in what was called 'the fast draw'. It initiated unfortunate events.

• Spock : It did not function. But it must function.

  McCoy : Nothing could go wrong, Captain. It should work.

  Spock : A scientific fact. But if the tranquillizer does not function, which is clearly impossible, then a radical alteration of our thought patterns must be in order.

• [last lines] 

  Spock : This afternoon, you wanted... to kill. Didn't you?

  McCoy : But he didn't kill, Mr. Spock.

  Spock : But he wanted to, Doctor.

  Capt. Kirk : Is that the way it seemed to you, Mr. Spock?

  Spock : Yes, Captain.

  Capt. Kirk : Mr. Spock - you're absolutely right. That's exactly the way it was.

  Spock : Mankind - ready to kill.

  Capt. Kirk : That's the way it was in 1881.

  Spock : I wonder how Humanity managed to survive.

  Capt. Kirk : We overcame our instinct for violence.

• Spock : [mind-melding with McCoy]  The bullets are unreal. Without body. They are illusions only. Shadows without substance. They will not pass through your body, for they do not exist.

  McCoy : [in a trance]  They do not exist.

  Spock : [mind-melding with Kirk]  Unreal. Appearances only. They are shadows. Illusions. Nothing but ghosts of reality. They are lies. Falsehoods. Specters without body. They are to be ignored.

• [Chekov has been shot dead] 

  Spock : Gentlemen, there is one thing which requires the immediate attention of all of us. Specifically, our future.

  Capt. Kirk : But not this minute, Spock. It takes us... a little longer.

  Spock : I understand the feeling, Captain.

  McCoy : You talk about another man's feelings. What do you feel, Spock?

  Spock : My feelings are not subject for discussion, Doctor.

  McCoy : Because there are no feelings to discuss!

• Spock : True telepaths can be most formidable, Captain.

• [Kirk and his landing party find themselves in a strange environment] 

  Spock : Obviously, this represents the Melkotian's concept of an American frontier town, circa... 1880.

  McCoy : It's just bits and pieces. It's incomplete.

  Spock : Perhaps the Melkotians have insufficient data about this era.

  Capt. Kirk : Or perhaps this is all they require to complete the pattern of our death.

• Mr. Spock : The object is beginning to emit M-rays of a highly unstable nature, Captain.

  Capt. Kirk : Lieutenant, sound red alert. Mr. Chekov, deflector shields on full.

  Uhura : [background]  All decks, red alert.

  Chekov : Deflectors on full, sir.

  Capt. Kirk : Gun crews, lock on target.

  Mr. Spock : Energy output increasing beyond measurable levels, Captain.

• Spock : Doctor, in your opinion, what killed Mr. Chekov?

  McCoy : A piece of lead in his body.

  Spock : Wrong. His mind killed him.

  McCoy : Well, come on, Spock. If you've got the answer, tell us.

  Spock : Physical reality is consistent with universal laws. Where the laws do not operate, there is no reality. All of this is unreal.

  McCoy : What do you mean, unreal? I examined Chekov. He's dead.

  Spock : But you made your examination under conditions which we cannot trust. We judge reality by the response of our senses. Once we are convinced of the reality of a given situation, we abide by its rules. We judge the bullets to be solid, the guns to be real. Therefore they can kill.

• Capt. Kirk : Where's Chekov?

  Spock : Mr. Chekov is involved, Captain.

• Spock : I prefer being a welcome guest, Captain, but there seems to be little choice.

• Spock : [finishing in the construction of a gas grenade]  These crude supplies we were forced to use worked quite well.

  McCoy : I doubt that this combination of things was ever used for any purpose quite like this.

  Spock : Perhaps they would've been if they'd had your ingenuity, Doctor.

• Spock : The violence of your own heritage is to be the pattern for our execution.

• Spock : History... cannot be changed.