Star Trek (TV Series) The Gamesters of Triskelion (1968) User Reviews

Your Out a Your Vulcan Mind Spock!

[verbusen · 7/10 · 10 March 2007]

Memorable in a cheesy way for Star Trek TOS, this is a weaker season two episode. This episode has many memorable scenes which still make it must see Trek. Several things from this episode are used in bits in others shows like the voice clip of McCoy saying... "Your outta your Vulcan mind, Spock!", an obvious joke and a very good one in the play with the word substitution using Vulcan. This episode also had a clip that was very amusing with Kirk and his "love interest" the green haired alien "female" in a kiss with the aliens cameltoe very visible, this was used in a Star Trek bloopers video I saw with the Mission Impossible theme playing in the background as the tape was spooled back and forth, very funny! As far as that blooper scene goes, I don't see it in the episode cut because they cropped the picture where as the blooper reel used uncut footage, but you can see cameltoe when Kirk lays her down after knocking her out, this blooper reel also had a scene with a man (african-american no doubt!) shoveling coal into the Enterprises engines to make it go! Chekov's "mate" is also a dubious female, a precursor to todays transsexual (although a real female actor, maybe her voice was dubbed with that of a male's) and Chekov definitely understood this as he was hit on by this alien, also very funny stuff. So yes, it's very cheesy and not one that would rank as best Trek, but very memorable to watch for these reasons. Interesting to note, there is a woman at the helm of the Enterprise substituting for the now gone Chekov, a science officer (yellow shirt though, I think) who assists Spock in finding the lost crew. I don't recall another woman being at the helm, I thought that was very unique. She comes across very professionally and I would have liked seeing her launch some photon torpedoes in later episodes, too bad it was not to be, but it further establishes that the Enterprise had many crewmen. 7 of 10, I'm jaded that I have watched this series so many times, but the first time I saw it as a pre teen it definitely was entertaining, and since it still is deserves a decently high rating.

Also, NO REDSHIRT CREWMEN WERE HARMED OR KILLED IN THE MAKING OF THIS EPISODE!

LLAP

Gladiatorial School for the Enterprise Crew

[Bogmeister · 7/10 · 6 November 2006]

It's time to set aside the philosophy and kick some behind with your weapon of choice; this is gladiatorial combat, boys and girls, 23rd century-style. Kirk and two key officers, Chekov & Uhura, are shanghaied from the good ship Enterprise while about to beam down and whisked a dozen light years away to a planet ruled by so-called Providers, disembodied prime brains whose only means of diversion is kidnapping various aliens for their amusement as space-age gladiators. This could have been a serious indictment of slavery, represented by those intense collars-of-obedience, but, despite Kirk's seething display of resentment as he finally rips his off near the end, this episode is best known for its cheese factor rather than any deep commentary on such a provocative issue. If anything, it reminded me of a typical, action-oriented episode of the "Lost in Space" TV show - cheesy and somewhat laughable. It's best remembered now for the outfitted gladiatrix Shahna, played by actress Pettyjohn, who went on to adult-film roles.

There are a lot of different aliens on display in this one, with the usual limitations of the make-up FX back then; to get a truly distinctive alien in the sixties, they would cast a giant actor (Morton), for example, but Ruskin as Galt manages to be truly alien in a creepy, eerie fashion, sometimes seeming to glide along rather than just walk around. Overall, it's average escapist fare, with sometimes silly dialog, Shatner over-emoting ("You're Killiinnng Herrrr...!") and not much thought put into such issues as what these all-powerful brains do with their version of money, quatloos (I assume, hearing their betting frenzies, it's their version of monopoly money), boiling down to a final combat where Kirk breaks all the rules and wins anyway. It's also typical of the episode that Kirk spends a lot of time seducing Shahna, his, uh, drill thrall, in almost touching scenes, but ends up clocking her. Despite the cheesy entertainment, for my quatloo, the best scene is on the Enterprise with Spock, McCoy and Scotty. There, Spock shows he's ready to be a full time commander when McCoy & Scotty try to team up against him.

Nourishment and Tournaments

[BrandtSponseller · 8/10 · 30 July 2006]

Among many other aspects of the show, I'm a big fan of the original Star Trek's cheese factor. I'm also a fan of the fighting shows, partially because they tend to be high on the cheese factor. The Gamesters of Triskelion is chock full of both of those elements, but my score is a couple points lower than it would otherwise be due mostly to the fact that the plot of this episode isn't particularly fresh.

To an extent, writers Margaret Armen and Gene Roddenberry, along with director Gene Nelson were cruising along on autopilot. It's certainly an enjoyable autopilot, but it's not enough to garner a 10/10. Very Similar ideas can be found in earlier episodes including Bread and Circuses, Arena, Amok Time, I, Mudd, and The Cage/The Menagerie. Another slight problem is that some of the mechanics of extending the episode are fairly transparent, such as Kirk not fighting so well in the early segments.

Kirk, Chekov and Uhura are abducted and diverted a few light years away while being beamed down to another planet. They become imprisoned in a "culture" that uses violent games for sport. Through this and developments further into the episode, Roddenberry and crew are able to explore issues such as slavery, totalitarianism, and ideas of evolutionary, cultural and intellectual superiority.

But The Gamesters of Triskelion is a lot of fun for other reasons, including the fight choreography and the often-ridiculous aliens, including a Grand Poobah who looks something like Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey. This episode also has one of Kirk's more questionable love interests.

Kiss... punch.

[fedor8 · 21 April 2008]

TGOT is a legendary episode, if for many wrong reasons. (But is cheesiness that "wrong"?) The plot is more-or-less idiotic and linear, being a mere excuse to have Kirk-Fu fight-scenes, which no doubt pleased the younger viewers and the NBC top echelon - both of which are/were at about the same level of mental development. While the aliens are silly, they aren't a match for the camp factor of the Mugatu ("A Private Little War"), or the pizza-monster in "Devil In The Dark" (that episode always made me hungry), nor is the dialogue anywhere near as unintentionally amusing as it is in "The Galileo Seven" or "That Which Survives". The sets look nice, though. Perhaps I'm a little miffed that Kirk's love-interest looks like Barry Manilow. Angelique Pettyjohn later did porn. Funny, that, because usually it goes the other way round: first porn and then legit acting stuff (which around 0.0001% of all porn stars succeed at).

So what else happens? Not much... Uhura almost gets raped. (But really, she should be glad they didn't send Kloog to mate with her.) Chekhov has to deal with a woman with a man's voice, and Kirk gets to argue with three pieces of jelly (yellow, green and red) that impersonate advanced brains. The irony is that the conversation between Kirk and the brains reveals that the latter are probably just as underdeveloped as the gray matter of NBC executives, hence the whole premise of the intellectually superior adversaries falls into water. The three "super brains" get duped and patronized to by Kirk in a manner that is more reminiscent of Kirk talking to his own daughters. (Well... reminiscent to Shatner, of course. I assume he talked that way to them when they were as young as these jello brains.) There is also something of a first(?) in TV, when Kirk first kisses and then PUNCHES the porn Manilow. (Perhaps Captain Kirk learned this trick from she-android Andrea ("What Are Little Girl Made Of?"), from the way she kissed and then slapped Kirk...)

Something tells me that this scene was very popular on a sub-conscious level since so many of us wouldn't have minded seeing that being done with the real Manilow.

Plus, if you're a fan of Spock vs. McCoy (one-sided) bickering, there's plenty of that here. Nearly every scene on the bridge is McCoy bitching about something, and when he tires of it, taking a brief breather, Scotty jumps in to help him. That is what is known as "creating conflict for the sake of it (the drama)", because it makes no sense that two intelligent people such as Scotty and McCoy would be so adamantly against every logical decision Spock makes.

Still, even an average ST episode is quite fun.

If you want to read "The Chapel Factor" and other "lost ST episodes", contact me by e-mail.

Good episode of Star Trek

[mhubbard-54657 · 7/10 · 18 February 2017]

The Captain, Uhura and Checkov are snatched mysteriously away from the transporter.They arrive on a planet occupied by some very bored aliens. Soon the aliens place a neck collar on our heroes to control them with physical pain, threatening them with permanent enslavement. The aliens then toy with our people in a cruel manner, apparently for perverse pleasure. Thankfully Captain Kirk figures a way out of it, with his bravado, along with his diplomacy and famous fighting skill. He kisses a pretty alien girl, Shauna, a few times as well along the way. Kirk overcomes the evil aliens, and forces them agree to release all their people from slavery, and teach them survival skills so they can be independent. There is a tearful pang at the end, when Kirk and the alien female Shauna must say good-bye. Decent Star Trek episode, with Spock, Scotty and the Doctor left on board, not knowing what is going on, arguing and trying to figure out what to do.Fortunately, Mr Spock's logic prevails and turns out to be the correct course of action.

Rather sad what became of Ms Littlejohn, who played Shauna, and then she died at a young age from a very treatable cancer.

"You're out of your Vulcan mind, Spock"!

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 8 December 2010]

What a great title - 'The Gamesters of Triskelion' - I just love the way that rolls off the tongue. As we've seen in episodes past, (The Squire of Gothos, Who Mourns for Adonais?), members of the Enterprise crew are hijacked in order to provide amusement for their captors, this time as gladiators a few galaxies removed from their original orbit. It always amazes me how the show manages to push the envelope on the old needle in a haystack routine. This time Spock has to figure out that Kirk, Uhura and Chekov have been transported some number of light years away, and wouldn't you know it, he guesses right. Fascinating.

And speaking of Spock, his association with humans has begun to show some contamination in this story - he expresses hope that the Captain and crew can be found. Not the sort of characteristic I would expect from a Vulcan conditioned to pure logic. Though he did acquit himself well against the ramblings of Scotty and McCoy.

This just might be the episode that cinched Captain Kirk's reputation as the Romeo of outer space, as he actually put the move on the Thrall Shahna (Angelique Pettyjohn), she with the green pouffe hair. It was hard to decide whether she was good looking or not, but the Captain didn't seem to mind. Too bad she didn't crack a smile every now and then, it might have made a difference.

I guess it was only a matter of time before one of the characters got to utter the line in my summary above. The prize goes to McCoy, who offers just the right nuance; I wonder if there's an outtakes reel that shows the set up for that one. I'd give a good couple of quatloos to see that.

Capt. Kirk Makes Out with a Tall Green-Haired Troll Doll

[mike48128 · 7/10 · 14 September 2014]

O.K. It's a silly episode, but at least this one has an element of fun to it. In the 23rd Century, three bored alien "blobs" that resemble pastel silly-putty brains wager fake money on the outcome of hand-to-hand combat; to the death, of course. As they are transported down, Uhurla, Spock and Kirk are hijacked instead to the far away planet of Triskelion and enslaved with shock-producing "dog" collars. They are controlled by a spooky-looking armless "keeper" of sorts who walks and glides along. His eyes light up when he tortures the captives. It almost sounds like "The Menagerie" but really isn't. Reuse of sets is evident, as the alien set looks like The Enterprise hallways sprayed pink! Kirk's trainer for the games is a comely green haired lady. Very pretty, but her terrific "shape" is probably built into the front of her two-pieced spangled bikini costume! Kirk, as always, goes where no man has gone before. Did he or didn't he? We'll know in 9 months! So Kirk wages that he can take 'em all on at once, and is outnumbered 3 to 1. Of course he wins. He kills only the 2 manly men (ugly caveman guy and blond "Lars") and spares the "Amazonian" woman. (Did John Wayne ever lose?) Kirk bets the aliens that he can lick them all, and in turn, the brain boys must free the slaves and train them to rule themselves. I am not sure why I like this episode. It must be that hot green-haired lady in her very "brief" outfit! Two of the brains' "voices" sound suspiciously like Scotty, and Chekov (?)

never forgot this episode.

[mm-39 · 10/10 · 8 November 2017]

300 quadludes on the new comer! Great line lol. Kirk and the gang must fight in a gladiatorial games on Triskelion. Kirk hustles a female gladiator, uses reverse psychology with the Triskelions to gamble for the Enterprises freedom, and must fight a 3 on one fight and wins. O the legend of Captain Kirk! The rules of the game, and that Star Trek danger music makes Triskelion one of the top five of Star Trek episodes. Campy, slick, and a bit sleazy just the way I like it. 10 out of 10 stars.

Arena II: Sort Of! Poor Chekoof!

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 30 April 2014]

Three multicolored brains bring Kirk, Chekhov, and Uhura down to their planet. They have kidnapped various "thralls" to fight battles, sort of gladiator style so they can bet on the outcomes. The obviously haven't heard of horse racing or video poker. Anyway, it doesn't take Kirk long to use his many charms to gain the trust of a beautiful "Drill Thrall." Everyone wears these dog collars that allow a Ming the Merciless sort of hologram guy with glowing eyes to drive them to submission. The Enterprise is stymied in trying to locate the place where everyone is and this leads to McCoy going off on Spock, over and over. Spock finally asks McCoy and Scotty if they have mutiny on their minds. They realize they have stepped on the tiger's tail and back off. Kirk, as usual, thousands of years in the evolutionary process, manages to shame these incorporeal brains to risk it all. He puts his ship and crew on the line, confident of his ability to fight. Shahna, the beautiful woman Kirk put the moves on, is played by a former fashion model who had a limited acting career. She is quite stunning to look at. Some of this got to be kind of old hat and we have to say we've been there before.

One of My favorites

[sjinsj · 9/10 · 7 January 2015]

Okay so this one is not the most intellectual show of the series. And some of the content was cheesy, sure...like the weapons and the Thrall fights. But some factors were very high on the cool chart: 1. Start with the name: Triskelion! What an unusual, creative name for a planet! Almost sounds like skeleton! Way cool! 2. The three talking brains. I saw the show when it first aired. I thought talking brains were cool then, and that was on a black and white TV. In color, they're even cooler! What other show has talking brains? 3. The hot green-haired babe with the tinfoil bikini! That alone is enough to rank this one among the most memorable shows of the series! Talk to anyone who's seen it, even years ago, and they might not remember the name, or what it was about, but EVERYONE remembers the babe in the tinfoil bikini! On my black and white TV she was a blond. And all the time it was green. Off the charts on this one! I was a preteenager at that time, but still joined thousands or millions of other boys/men at the time silently shouting "Go for it Kirk!!!" Yes, this may not have been one of the best episodes in any one category, but it is one of the most memorable and it therefore ranks in my top ten.

A mixed bag--some of it really, really cool and some of it kind of dumb

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 8 December 2006]

When the episode begins, Kirk, Uhura and Chekov are being beamed by the Enterprise's transporter. However, instead of "sparkling", they disappear and are transported by a fantastic force well across the galaxy. The Enterprise looks for them but don't realize that the seemingly impossible has occurred and only later does Spock play a hunch and begin searching well beyond the transporter's range--to other star systems.

In the meantime, the three find themselves on a bizarre little world where slaves fight--often to the death--for the delight of the unseen "providers". It seems the providers brought them here to be an addition to their gladiators and to improve the "breeding stock". For Chekov and Uhura, the idea of becoming breeders is nauseating--especially since the mates picked out for them are gross or violent. However, Kirk being a super-stud of galactic proportions, goes about in earnest wooing his strange-looking would-be wife (big surprise, huh?). To get the compliance of the three, the foreman of the compound (who looks so very, very cool with his bald head and cool clothes) uses his cool glowing eyes to cause pain when they don't comply. I am a school teacher and really would love to have this ability! Later, the Enterprise find the three but because the providers are so strong, there isn't much they can do. In fact, the providers plan on bringing the entire crew down to the planet to fight in the arena. However, this awful fate is averted when Kirk accidentally makes a wager that the gambling-loving providers can't resist. Naturally, Kirk wins (after all, he is the Kirk-meister) and all the slaves are freed.

While only an average episode, one reason this stands out is due to the SIMPSONS TV show. In the episode where Homer and Barney try out to be on the space shuttle, one scene is a wonderful re-creation of a scene from THE GAMESTERS OF TRISKELION!!! However, the idiots who syndicated the show chopped out this wonderful scene!!! See it on DVD if you get a chance.

Always bet on Kirk.

[BA_Harrison · 8/10 · 9 June 2022]

Whilst beaming down to the surface of Gamma II, Kirk, Uhura and Chekov are whisked away to the planet of Triskelion by superior beings known as The Providers, who pit different races against each other in gladiatorial combat. Each member of the abducted Enterprise crew is assigned an instructor, Kirk getting lucky by being paired with sexy green-haired Shahna (Angelique Pettyjohn). When not fighting for his life in the Triskelion arena, Kirk gets smoochy with the space babe, but must face her in battle when he makes a wager with The Providers.

The Gamesters of Triskelion has a relatively low IMDb rating for a Star Trek episode, but I found it to be very entertaining. Sure, it doesn't have a whole lot of depth or meaning to it beyond 'all beings have the right to be masters of their own destiny', but it does have Kirk fighting a giant man with fangs, buxom B-movie babe (and future porn star) Pettyjohn in a sexy silver lamé outfit, and a conversation between Kirk and three pulsating, coloured brains in a glass dome, and sometimes that's all I need to be happy.

Nosferatu's Squid Games...

[Xstal · 7/10 · 16 February 2022]

The template for My Little Pony, has a boss who's a bit of a phoney, a merciless Ming, or a vampiric thing, a character that appears somewhat dodgy.

Kidnapped from the Enterprise Kirk, Uhura and Chekov find themselves in an alien Squid Game long before (or after) the event was created.

Just sheer boredom

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 2 May 2015]

I'd have done more with the Providers in this episode had I a hand in creating it. They seemed to warrant a bit more imagination than three brains with colors of the rainbow. More like the Organians who actually try to do something constructive in an earlier episode.

As it is these three are pretty powerful wired up as they are to all kinds of computer gadgetry. Out of sheer boredom they kidnap various alien humanoid species from across the galaxy and train them as Thrals which is their word for gladiators. They aren't sexist, they like their women warriors too.

So for new warriors when William Shatner, Nichelle Nichols, and Walter Koenig go on an away mission in the transporter they're snatched mid transport and dropped light years away on a barren planet where the Providers provide for the feeding and training and other creature comforts of their Thrals and then wager their bogus currency on who lives and dies.

I guess the Thrals are above humanoids, but below Organians in the evolutionary stage. In any event Kirk appeals to their sporting instinct to get out of this predicament.

Kirk is provided one shapely trainer in Angelique Pettyjohn. But for those of us with different tastes I certainly envied who Uhura gets in Steve Sandor. My screams would have been for joy.

Gladiators

[Blueghost · 26 April 2011]

This is a fairly straight forward episode. We have here some people who like to use other people for sport. Note the masters and those they enslave. Note their "bodies" and how our much beloved Captain Kirk describes them.

We have intellect obsessed with competition. So much to the point of using other living creatures to gratify their blood lust for sport. Remind you of anyone or any society current or historical?

Beyond that, there's not much more to talk about. We have enslavement, gladiatorial games, a sexy alien babe, a dark ominous master "chief thrall", and some action.

It's an entertaining episode. Try not to over analyze this one because you'll just give yourself a headache. In the end Kirk pulls another rabbit out of his hat by using the gamesters of Triskelion's own psychology against them. And for all of their higher "intellect" (which proved not to be so high after all), they still succumb to basic instincts in the end.

I guess you might say that the one regret is that Kirk never came back to visit Shauna again, but hey, it's Trek.

A good hours entertainment. Give it a spin on the DVD player.

Kirk the gladiator

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 10 July 2015]

As Kirk, Chekov and Uhura stand of the transporter pad waiting to be beamed down to the surface of an uninhabited planet they suddenly vanish then just as suddenly reappear on what appears to be an arena. They have no idea where they are but the planet's three suns means they are many light years from where they intended to be. They soon learn that they are to be trained as Thralls on the planet Triskelion. Thralls are gladiators trained to fight for whichever of the unseen 'Providers' buys them. Collars are placed around their necks and any infringement of the rules leads to severe pain. Each of them is given a trainer Thrall; in Kirk's case Shahna; a green-haired beauty in a silver bikini! After impressing the Providers the trio are purchased and trained further. Meanwhile back on the Enterprise they are searching for the missing trio; there is no sign of them in the local area so Spock orders the ship to follow an anomalous reading. When the Enterprise arrives at Triskelion it loses power and the providers threaten to destroy it; Kirk has a proposition though… the providers like to wager and he suggests one that could see the end to these brutal games. The only problem is he will have to face three Thralls in a fight to the death!

This episode doesn't have the deepest of plots; it could easily be summarised as 'Kirk, Chekov and Uhura are kidnapped and forced to train as gladiators while Spock and the Enterprise look for them'. That doesn't mean it isn't fun though. The fight scenes are entertaining and it was amusing to see Kirk flirting with his trainer. When we finally learn the true nature of the Providers it is laughable to say the least but somehow it suited this rather camp episode. There is more humour provided by Chekov's reaction to the formidable woman who clearly wants to do more than train him. The regulars do a decent job but the guest stars are a bit wooden. Overall an episode that is a lot more fun than one might expect.

Star Trek: The Original Series - The Gamesters of Triskelion

[Scarecrow-88 · 6/10 · 11 September 2016]

Kirk, Uhura, and Chekov are whisked away before transporting to a base on a planet to another planet in a different star system by three blob-beings called the providers, with high intellect, encased in a dome far within the earth, protected by rock. Above ground, they use their power to conduct gladiatorial games, with "punishment" collars around the necks of Kirk, Uhura, and Chekov, forcing them to train for a combat to entertain the providers. Those already formidable combat warriors with collars around their necks are assigned to train them, with Kirk trying to devise an escape plan…but how? Kirk's trainer, an obvious lovely (with green hair and silver, scantily clad costume), begins to submit to his romantic advances as he tells her of what freedom is all about where he comes from, instilling in her ideas she's never thought of. Meanwhile a slight ion trail encourages Spock's logic to follow it, believing that this is the means behind where Kirk, Uhura, and Chekov were taken. Bones and Scotty believe Spock should have sent away teams to the previous planet before following what they believe was a hunch. Those disagreements, and Kirk trying to get his officers off the planet Triskelion, make up the plot for this episode.

Kirk having to outsmart three supposedly higher intelligent superior lifeforms is nothing new, and seeing him talk to three pulsating blogs in a dome is a bit cheesy. Kirk and Angelique Pettyjohn becoming smitten with each other is another expected development. Mickey Morton, as the "Master Thrall", looks like Ming, the Merciless, from Flash Gordon, doing the bidding of the providers with a cold-blooded presentation. As the collars dole out intense pain that brings our heroes to their knees, he looks on without a care in the world. Memorable scenes include a scary possible rape where Uhura fends off a "selected mate" as Kirk can do nothing, helpless in another cell, and Pettyjohn punished with the collar for telling Kirk about the providers. The mechanical bidding as Kirk, Uhura, and Chekov must listen in restraints, enslaved and expected to fight or die, is quite unsettling. Kirk pitted against three thralls (games combatants) with the Enterprise and his crew's lives at stake once again allows the captain to get all the glory. Seeing Spock and Bones go at it never gets old to me. This reminded me of the Lost in Space episode, "The Deadly Games of Gamma Six".

Still good to see Chekov and Uhura getting to be a big part of the action, joining Kirk, instead of Spock and Bones this go-around.

The Girl with Green Hair

[richardchatten · 7/10 · 1 August 2020]

One of the most fondly recalled episodes of the original 'Star Trek', if not necessarily for the right reasons. However, that it was written by a woman is reflected in the remarkable number of females in the thick of the action, with Uhura taking a greater part in the story than usual and Chekhov's place on the bridge taken by Victoria George as Ensign Jana Haines.

Bestriding it all is the amazonian Angelique Pettyjohn as big-haired gladiatrice Shahna - feet apart, hands on hips, her swept-back verdant mane flowing down over her hunched shoulders. (Photographs of the late Ms Pettyjohn in her gladiatorial costume at conventions ten years later being indistinguishable from those from the original 1967 episode.)

But in reality once freed from servitude by Captain Kirk all the future would have held for her was discarding her bakofoil bikini and her matching gloves & boots for the drab existence that would now follow. A more fitting conclusion to the episode would have been her dying a warrior's death at the end of the knife wielded by Kirk in the arena; the Captain discreetly brushing a tear from his eye in her memory as he returns to the Enterprise and she heads for Valhalla.

Please help me once again

[snoozejonc · 7/10 · 2 September 2021]

Kirk, U'Hura and Chekov are abducted, enslaved, and made to fight gladiatorial battles with other captives.

The Gamesters of Triskelion is a wonderfully entertaining episode with a number of ridiculous but memorable moments.

The main themes of the story are the oppression, slavery, and bloodlust enjoyed by ruling classes and is a great concept. Unfortunately it contains some rehashed elements of other episodes like 'Arena', 'The Cage' and 'The Squire of Gothos'. It also has a multitude of ridiculously camp sequences that to me are thoroughly enjoyable, but may annoy those who like a polished production.

To be fair there are too many funny moments to talk about them all. For me the ones that stand out generally involve William Shatner's overacting, the fight scenes, love scenes, a 'menacing' voiceover, and that epic moment when Kirk kisses Shahna then chins her.

Some scenes are genuinely well made. There are some nice heroic moments of selflessness, where Kirk puts the safety of others first and places himself in harms way to ensure he alone endures any suffering. Also there is a sequence involving U'Hura done with shadow and sound effects that is very cinematic.

Everything unfolds in a rather predictable way. Kirk could talk his way out of death row at times and this episode is a perfect example.

I enjoyed the visuals. The costumes, props, and general art design are loaded with plastic, colourful, sixties fun. Although the fight choreography could be a lot better, it is still enjoyable to me.

The acting is quite hit and miss. Shatner strays over the top in several scenes. Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Leonard Nimoy, James Doohan and DeForest Kelley are all solid. Joseph Ruskin and Angelique Pettyjohn feel more like they are there for their physical presence.

Those girls were so sexy !!

[nicofreezer · 7/10 · 29 May 2021]

No woman Can resist to James Kirk , he Can have them all. And there is so much hot girls in Star trek, with a lot of nudity for the 60' , quite surprising but of course good for us.

Quite a weak point for Season 2 anyway, but still entertaining 7/10.

Star Mehk

[Fluke_Skywalker · 6/10 · 29 September 2018]

Plot; Kirk, Chekov and Uhura seemingly vanish just before beaming down for a routine mission, ending up on a far flung world where they're forced to play gladiatorial games for the amusement of unseen masters.

If someone were looking for a "standard" episode of classic Trek, this might be it. It checks off--that's checks off, not Chekov, though he's here too--the requisite boxes for such episodes, neither rising above nor falling below. There's little attempt to explore any themes. Kirk and the members of his away team (or is that a Next Generation term?) find themselves enslaved and there's the requisite back and forth about freedom, but it's more dramatic WD-40 than anything substantive.

To be more specific; If you want an episode where Kirk romances the local scantily clad female, loses his shirt and fights as this plays, "The Gamesters of Triskelion" is for you.

Kirk Makes a Big Bet

[Samuel-Shovel · 5/10 · 13 June 2018]

In "The Gamesters of Triskelion", whilst beaming down to an unmanned base for a routine inspection, Kirk, Chekov, and Uhura are intercepted by an unknown source, bringing them to a new planet where they are forced into slavery and gladiator games for the amusement of "the providers". The planet is full of captive races from across the galaxy broken down into 3 groups of thralls for the 3 providers. Obedience is forced by shock collars attached to each thrall. The three crew members must think up some way to escape. Meanwhile back on the Enterprise, Spock has taken over command and must locate the trio. Despite the wishes of Bones and Scott, Spock takes the Enterprise on a course following a strange beam of light from many light-years away.

Eventually, the providers reveal themselves as three autonomous brains sitting in a glass case making bets on the gladiator games of their whimsy. Kirk uses their gambling addiction against them, betting on everyone's freedom against the captivity of the entire Enterprise crew. He takes on 3 thralls at once, beating them soundly and freeing all the slaves. The Enterprise heads off into space as the thralls contemplate their newfound freedom.

It doesn't matter how many times Spock is right in a situation. McCoy's always going to be a jerk about it and denounce logic and so on and so forth. If Kirk and the gang didn't make it to the planet then obviously they're somewhere else. Bones doesn't seem to get this. He's a doctor, what does he know about commanding the Enterprise? (Can you tell he gets on my nerves sometimes?)

Anyways, this episode fairly average by Star Trek standards. The fact that these "providers" are so evolved that they've shed their bodies is cool. You'd think that these ultra-intelligent beings would be full of compassion and wisdom instead of wasting their days making sports bets and killing other beings. How unfortunate.

I wonder how long the thralls have been there? Shahna was born there so at least 30 years, but it could be centuries; a scary thought! Half of me wonders if the brains re-enslaved the thralls as soon as the Enterprise left. Hopefully Star Fleet cruises by from time to time to check out the planet's progress.

A forgettable episode. But we got to see a cameo from my favorite alien species the Andorians so there's something!

Kidnapping, Enslavement & Gladiators

[Rainey-Dawn · 10 January 2017]

Season 2, episode 16. The Enterprise is on a routine mission to Gamma II to inspect facilities. Kirk, Chekhov and Uhura step on the transporter to beam down and Scotty was ready to energize when the three suddenly vanished off the transporter. Naturally Scotty notified Mr. Spock what happened and assured him that they did not beam down but they disappeared. Kirk, Chekhov and Uhura find themselves on a strange planet where they are attacked, captured, collared and finally learn they are on the planet of Triskelion where they are to perform as gladiators for entertainment purposes of the aliens. Mr. Spock and crew trying to figure out what happened and to find them... they are staying at Gamma II searching for signs of them but have no idea they are light years away. Soon they catch a lead and head towards it but are the enslaved three there? How can the kidnapped three be found and get back to the Enterprise? We all know that the 3 will end back up on the Enterprise but it is suspenseful as to how it happens.

7/10

"Heaven's got very little to do with this."

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 20 January 2024]

Kirk, Uhura, and Chekov attempt to beam down to one planet on a routine mission, only to be abducted by a rogue energy beam and taken to a different planet. There, the faceless alien overlords intend for them to be basically slaves / gladiators for the overlords' entertainment. (These entities get their greatest satisfaction from wagering on the outcomes.)

After the comedy content of 'The Trouble with Tribbles', 'Star Trek' featured a more action-oriented episode here, albeit with some serious themes. Kirk does get the chance to educate the naive Shahna (the very sexy Angelique Pettyjohn of "Clambake") on love and freedom, while trying to lecture these overlords about the basic rights of species, and trying to make them see the folly of their self-presumed "superiority".

Meanwhile, Spock is very busy searching for his companions, intending to play a hunch, although he of course would never refer to this plan as such; he is merely trying to focus on whatever logical solution he can find. This provides lots of room for those legendary arguments between him and McCoy, which are fun and funny just as they always are, as we watch reactions full of emotion and devoid of emotion.

The action scenes are fun, and they result in Shatner getting to parade around in a ripped top. It's always a hoot to see Kirk in this sort of mode. It was also priceless to see the character of Tamoon (Jane Ross, "Rocket Attack U. S. A.") mangle Chekov's name as they get to know one another. The ending was ultimately rather touching as Shahna tearfully bids farewell to Kirk.

Also guest starring Joseph Ruskin ("Prizzi's Honor"), whose character is designed to look like Ming the Merciless, and the beefy Steve Sandor ("Stryker").

Seven out of 10.

Some Fun, Some Silliness, Some Beauty

[paulwetor · 6/10 · 18 March 2023]

This is another one of those episodes where they meet beings with godlike powers. The games are interesting but seem more like an excuse for Kirk to take his shirt off.

Despite the bimbo-like appearance of the woman in silver, I grew to like her. In fact, the final scene of the episode was rather touching. It was also a nice change from the usual jokey ending on the bridge.

The wagering voices are imprinted on my brain from the first time I saw this episode. An additional treat is giving Spock a chance to show his command presence, unlike his poor showing in the "Galileo 7" episode.

As much as I like the Spock character, this episode shows what the Enterprise would be like without Kirk in command. He's definitely the central figure of the show.