Star Trek: The Original Series
"The Squire of Gothos"
Air date: 1/12/1967
Written by Paul Schneider
Directed by Don McDougall
Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan
The Enterprise is snagged by an unknown force near a barren planet, and Sulu and the captain are kidnapped. Upon beaming down to search for them, the landing party finds itself the unwilling guests of the quirky Trelane (William Campbell), a strange lifeform with unusual powers and particular tastes for being amused.
"The Squire of Gothos" is a lot like its central character Trelane: It can be fun to watch but it's ultimately undisciplined and meandering. The story provides Kirk with one obstacle after another, as he and Trelane become adversaries in a series of potentially deadly games, but few of these gimmicks enhance the storyline. More is not better. Also, this episode isn't sure if it's out-and-out comedy or something more relevant.
The ending sequence is overly obvious and overlong, with a theme (a powerful being turns out to have the mind of a child) that is little more than a rehash of the far superior "Charlie X," which had a far more sympathetic antagonist. Sure, some of the gimmicks are interesting, and Campbell does a good job with a selfish character, but it's not enough.
Previous episode: The Galileo Seven
Next episode: Arena
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44 comments on this post
Mon, Mar 11, 2013, 11:02pm (UTC -5)
Thu, Aug 29, 2013, 2:19am (UTC -5)
Sat, Apr 12, 2014, 9:39pm (UTC -5)
Thu, Oct 16, 2014, 7:29am (UTC -5)
Sun, Nov 30, 2014, 10:40pm (UTC -5)
As an aside, I'm also glad that the Wiki for "Trelane's Parents" confirmed that the voice of the father was NOT James Doohan. I'd heard that it was, but it didn't sound anything at all like his voice.
Tue, Jul 5, 2016, 6:53am (UTC -5)
Anyway, this time through, having watched the rest of Star Trek canon with me, my wife was apt to point out the similarities with Trelane and Q. Like Q, (in his 2nd appearance), Trelane is dressed as a French Military commander facinated by Napoleonic Era France. Also, later he plays the part of a Judge. I thought these were pretty good observations.
Finally, I would add, that in Voyager we see that the Q do have children. Could Trelane be a young Q (or even, *the* Q, as played by John De Lancie)?
Q de Lancie does, after all pull the same stunts, and is likewise reprimanded by "the Q continuum" - maybe the continuum thought his parents were doing a poor job of raising him, and took him away, or he's an adult and Q societies problem now instead of his parents.
Wed, Feb 1, 2017, 5:59pm (UTC -5)
Trelane is an interesting character and does turn out to be a child of the advanced life form that he is -- but he still throws a tantrum in front of his parents and Kirk at the end.
I don't think the episode goes far enough with making the point about wise use of tremendous powers or whatever the point is. Not an episode to generate enough intrigue, tension, entertainment for me to watch again. For me, 1.5/4 stars.
Fri, Apr 7, 2017, 7:32pm (UTC -5)
There was a Peter David book as I recall called "Q Squared" that had Trelane as an infant member of the Q Continuum.
After having re-watched this episode, I too enjoyed it more than I expected. William Campbell really imbues the Trelane character with a combination of childish exuberance, petulance and creepy menace that yields a really compelling performance. I actually prefer him to Delancy as Q, at least in the early appearances in STNG season 1. The story in this case is nothing special, but I do enjoy watching this character in action, even if there is little else compelling about the episode.
Mon, Jun 12, 2017, 8:54pm (UTC -5)
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode on second viewing - William Campbell was great! I feel that Jammer sometimes takes TOS eps too seriously - some eps are just supposed to be pure fun and not meant to be overanalyzed. Then again, I guess everyone has that one series they view through rose-colored glasses. For me it's TOS (I was born in the 90s and was hooked on TOS via my dad, who grew up watching TOS in 70s reruns), and for Jammer it's TNG/DS9. I don't mean this as a criticism - it's inherently subjective, and everyone brings their own perspectives and biases to the party - that's part of the fun!
Fri, Sep 1, 2017, 5:15pm (UTC -5)
#1 - The Napoleonic military uniform. Seen in 'Hide and Q'.
#2 - The trial. Seen in "Encounter at Farpoint".
#3 - The playful aspect of the character.
#4 - The ability to transform energy to matter and vice-versa via thought.
I think the TNG writers took Trelane and adjusted it. Q would be a peer in his realm, not a child. Also his concerns would be broader than mere game playing.
Fri, Sep 1, 2017, 5:17pm (UTC -5)
Sat, Sep 2, 2017, 5:19pm (UTC -5)
I've never heard/read anywhere if Q was inspired by Trelane but your point about the direct inspiration makes a lot of sense to me. That's the great thing about TOS -- it left plenty of ideas on the table for future series to flesh out.
I'd actually say the difference between Trelane and Charlie is more subtle. They're both immature. Trelane would have killed Kirk and then presumably tortured/killed other members of the Enterprise when they refused to cooperate. Charlie was just even more immature and short-tempered, so he'd make people disappear or murder them at the snap of his fingers.
But yes, it's true that Trelane is interested in humanity (like Q) whereas Charlie just wants to be accepted etc. so that is the main difference in the episodes. The Trelane episode plays out as a bad Q episode (reminds me of TNG's "Qpid") whereas there is more substance to "Charlie X".
Sat, Sep 23, 2017, 3:20pm (UTC -5)
Besides, did anyone else think that one of Trelane's statues (that he phasers away) look A LOT like the creature from The Man Trap?
Thu, Sep 28, 2017, 6:59pm (UTC -5)
Spock has some zingers in his considered distaste for Trelane, including his response to the question of whether Vulcans are predatory: "Not normally, but there have been exceptions." And the little nods to continuity, like McCoy's double-take on seeing the stuffed and mounted Salt Vampire ("Man Trap") on Trelane's trophy wall, are fun. Also nice to see Uhura make it into the landing party, albeit unintentionally when Trelane snatches her and the yeoman -- Nichelle Nichols has wonderful physical expressions, especially the look she gives Trelane when she pulls her hand away after his "Nubian princess" insult. Trelane's stereotyping of the crew according to their ancestry (African, German, French, Asian, etc.) is presented as distasteful to Kirk and his officers, underscoring the racial harmony of TOS that remains one of its strong suits.
Overall, I loved this one and the Q episodes of TNG/DS9/VOY as a kid because I grooved on the pure ID of Trelane and Q, but now that I'm older I share the crew's irritation (Kirk and crew lay the template for all the later crews who find Q annoying) at these childish supreme beings. It's an interesting shift in perspective for me; part of me still enjoys "Squire of Gothos," but not as much as I used to like it. And yet it's still pretty good as an archetypal and quintessentially Trekkian story.
Sat, Feb 24, 2018, 2:47am (UTC -5)
Wed, Aug 22, 2018, 1:45pm (UTC -5)
Through a brilliant artifice, this episode removes both the reasons above, thus blending our perception of evil and child. Let us not underestimate the brilliance of Campbell's portrayal of Trelane. He manages to portray him in such a manner throughout that we will think of him as an evil psychopath, or (in a second viewing) an innocent child at play. The shock to us is that without the crutches of (a) and (b) above, we cannot tell the difference. This episode, bordering on the philosophical, asks whether "innocence" and "evil" (which we naturally would classify as far apart, if not polar opposites) are in fact one and the same thing.
= = = =
Observation 1
One may ask, isn't Spock similar? Isn't Spock all intelligence, no compassion? We may ask, if Vulcan's are purely logical, not emotional, why do they not turn out to be evil? Spock answer's the question in a very matter of fact and brief manner in this episode. His answers are "discipline" and "purpose". Discipline, to rein in the natural needs of the mind, and purpose to create new goals in its place. This is a wonderful exposition of the Vulcan society. A "purely logical" being is still free to maximize whatever he chooses to, such as his own enjoyment over others'. In what Vulcans deem as logic, seems to be embedded a meta-logical approach to choosing goals.
= = = =
Observation 2
Many TOS episodes have trivial resolutions. Parents take the child away. It was all a dream. The computer explodes due to a logical paradox. Aliens were just testing you. The mad scientist falls prey to his own doomsday device. Good adventure stories are where the resolution comes about through a charming and novel combination of the protagonists' heroics, and yes, some luck. Many TOS resolutions seem to come about through pure luck, no heroics. Not very satisfying.
A good way to watch TOS is not to consider the episodes as adventure stories at all. The adventure is incidental, the philosophy is core. With a mind not hooked on seeing an adventure every week, these episodes can be enjoyed more. When TOS does do adventures / escapades, they do them very well. The brilliance of these episodes causes the other episodes to pale in comparison, but only because we insist upon extracting only a particular kind of enjoyment out of it.
Fri, Sep 28, 2018, 9:09pm (UTC -5)
Aside from that, this was a fun romp. I too thought Trelane must be a Baby Q, and William Campbell played him to perfection!
Fri, Sep 28, 2018, 10:32pm (UTC -5)
"Less than a minute in and he defines a desert as a "waterless, barren wasteland." That is not at all the definition of a desert, which depends solely on the amount of precipitation--it can be teeming with life, such as in the Australian outback, or somewhat sparse, as in Antarctica. But sheesh! You'd think Spock wouldn't yammer unless he were sure of his facts! "
To be fair, the word desert literally connotes that a places is "deserted". I mean, it's right in the title. The fact that our "deserts" do have life in them sort of means that they're only 'sort of deserts' if you catch my drift. Although there appears to be no place on Earth that is truly deserted, presumably on other worlds and by the 23rd century they will have discovered places that are 'true deserts' and are utterly devoid of life. By that standard the Earthen deserts might well be redefined into "arid zones" or something, and actually that would make sense.
Fri, Sep 28, 2018, 10:39pm (UTC -5)
Fri, Mar 22, 2019, 8:30am (UTC -5)
TOS version of a bad Holodeck ep.
Below average.
Fri, Mar 22, 2019, 9:26pm (UTC -5)
This HAD to be the inspiration for Q, no doubt about it.
I do give it a great deal of credit for being watchable twice - the first time with Trelane as malevolent, and the second time with him as a child playing with "pets". Also a very early take on the argument of having pets to begin with.
Thu, May 23, 2019, 12:18pm (UTC -5)
3 Stars.
Sun, Aug 4, 2019, 10:42pm (UTC -5)
my review--simply smashing!!
Sun, Aug 25, 2019, 3:48am (UTC -5)
Mon, Aug 26, 2019, 12:17pm (UTC -5)
Thu, May 21, 2020, 8:11am (UTC -5)
While I agree with others with the comparison between the Squire and Q, I think people oversimplify Q's role on TNG. Unlike the squire, Q has a specific agenda of teaching his opponents a lesson. Q isn't just a playful superbeing that's curious about humans. It's the latter reading of the character that leads to his butchering in Voyager, unfortunately.
2 stars.
Thu, May 21, 2020, 10:48am (UTC -5)
Especially interesting about Trelane is that he requires technological devices to amplify or even create his powers. Does that mean that he's not really godlike but is just part of a race with godlike tech? Or does it mean that being godlike and having advanced tech are essentially the same thing, and that bio/tech/evolution all amount to the same thing if you trace it forward millions or billions of years?
That being said, while it's fun for Trelane to have a mechanical weakness here, it works because he's portrayed as a child and we're not supposed to really have any respect for him. In VOY the same premise turns out to be poison for the mythos of the Q, where "Q guns" being used by humans ends up being one of the most preposterous writing choices in Trek history, probably up there with Threshhold and Profit and Lace in terms of the ball being dropped in the writer's room. We're left to ponder whether Trelane's parent's also need tech to power them, or whether the tech wasn't so much what he was reliant on, and more they were just his toys to play with before he knew how to use his real powers.
Thu, May 21, 2020, 10:18pm (UTC -5)
That's a good point that Trelane's power seems to be technology-based akin to Ardra or the like. The nature of his existence gets a little murky towards the end because we see these pulsating energy orbs in the sky representing Trelane's parents. It could be that Trelane's people have evolved past their corporeal forms and that's why they at once find human beings recognizable yet interesting. And -- what we're shown might just be advanced technology.
It is to the episode's credit that it leaves the door open on the subject, and like you said we get a certain "Wizard of Oz" feeling to Trelane's abilities. The whole thing is just smoke and mirrors and you need someone like Kirk who can navigate calmly and peacefully through it.
Q was also called a "flim-flam man", but not because his powers were fake, but what he was offering as a "gift" to humans was hollow. I get the feeling that after Q was humiliated by Picard/Riker he upped his game quite a bit so he could show that he is the real deal - not just in terms of power but in wisdom.
As for the magical Q guns - yeah - it was just a slapdash way to make Voyager come to the rescue in a vaguely Civil War manner, and I try not to think about that episode too hard.
Sat, Sep 5, 2020, 9:22pm (UTC -5)
I recently re-watched this episode, hoping it would be better than I remember. Unfortunately, it wasn't. It starts off with an intriguing premise, and has a nice twist at the end, but the material in-between is, as Jammer says, repetitious. Also, as Jammer points out, this episode meanders between being a comedy and a drama, never really establishing itself as either one. As a result, it only partially succeeds at either. This episode is better on initial viewing than on subsequent viewings, due to the repetitive nature and because a lot is taken away once you know the surprise ending.
There is one huge plot hole. It is stated they are 900 light-years from Earth, and therefore Trelane is viewing events 900 years in the past. However, he knows about Napoleon and Alexander Hamilton, persons who lived in the last 1700s / early 1800s. So the time is off by about 400 years. However, I'm not sure at this point in the Star Trek canon if it had been established when the Enterprise voyages were taking place.
Sun, Oct 18, 2020, 5:49pm (UTC -5)
Thu, Nov 19, 2020, 10:55pm (UTC -5)
SPOCK: Inconceivable this body has gone un-noted on all our records.
KIRK: And yet, here it is. No time to investigate. Science stations, gather data for computer banks. Uhura, notify the Discovery on subspace radio.
But seeing as our intrepid crew on Star Trek: Discovery have embarked on a one-way trip to the 32nd century, I have to imagine that in the 10 years between ST:D's "Such Sweet Sorrow" and TOS' "Squire of Gothos", Star Fleet has commissioned a new science vessel named Discovery. It's the new vessel that Kirk has Uhura contacting.
I wonder if the new next-generation Discovery in Kirk's time will also have a spore drive??? Or holographic communications systems? Seems odd to send a message by "subspace radio" to a ship that might very well be able to receive a full-length holographic projection of Kirk onto it's bridge to let them know they the Enterprise has discovered a brand new planet!
Oh that's right, Pike had holographic communications ripped out of the Enterprise during the time it spent in dry-dock getting repaired. Thank god for that little piece of continuity. I feel much better now ;)
All kidding aside, given the promising direction ST:D has finally moved in, I find myself actually looking forward to the new Pike/Spock/Number One show under development.
I wonder if Strange New Worlds will treat us to red-SKIRTs of the week? Or was that just a special perk the brass pulled out for James T. Kirk?
Recall, that in The Corbormite Maneuver, Kirk says,
KIRK: When I find the headquarters genius that assigned me a female yeoman...
MCCOY: What's the matter, Jim, don't you trust yourself?
In any case, this episode's red-skirt of the week, Teresa Ross, does not give Kirk any back rubs on the bridge. Her ministrations are limited to dancing with Trelane whilst wearing a pretty dress. Those who twirl and gait, also serve.
Tue, Mar 16, 2021, 3:13am (UTC -5)
Did anyone else notice the big error near the beginning? Kirk says Trelane’s viewer shows him Earth “900 years in the past “, yet the set is probably early 19th Century, therefore only 400 or so years.
Tue, Mar 16, 2021, 9:52am (UTC -5)
Tue, Aug 31, 2021, 7:35pm (UTC -5)
Tue, Apr 5, 2022, 10:35am (UTC -5)
Harpsichord music seems to have seen a resurgence in the 1960's ...its use in Squire really sets a nice mood.
Fri, Apr 22, 2022, 3:49pm (UTC -5)
William Campbell tries his hardest to make unctuous Trelane compelling and interesting, but unfortunately he just comes off as annoying. I zoned out at the halfway point, with nothing engaging to pay attention to, other than Uhura and that yeoman who was also pretty hot. As for the verbal sparring between Kirk and Trelane--what should have been a battle of wits ends up being nothing but a battle of whining and accusations. “Sallies of wit” these are not, but I appreciate that Kirk was pretty much as bored and annoyed at Trelane's games as I was. The way Kirk delivers the line, "Are you ready?" before the pistols-at-dawn duel was perfect.
The revelation of Trelane being essentially a bratty child falls flat, because that’s exactly what he’s been acting like throughout the entire show--a child playing with his “toys,” and now because there’s only a minute of airtime left, Mommy and Daddy show up to shoo him inside to eat his dinner.
Best Line:
Spock -- “I object to power without constructive purpose.”
(If only he had been in the writers’ room)
My Grade: F
Sat, Jan 14, 2023, 1:18pm (UTC -5)
Overall, there are quite a few fairytale elements here: the story taking place in a castle; the forest around it being a dangerous, forbidden place; Trelane using magic with the mirror (!) as a catalyst; the ball gown Ross is wearing and Kirk’s comment on the “glass slippers”. I wonder if this is meant to underline the childish, playful character of Trelane; it fits quite well. He’s a most unusual antagonist; not a complex character, but rather elusive and difficult to describe: lively, capricious, temperamental, his character is as half-formed as the food without taste and the fire without heat which he created.
Another thing I find quite remarkable about this episode is how it casually deconstructs stereotyping. Spock says: “Trelane knows all of the Earth forms, but none of the substance”, meaning that the appearance of someone or something is only one aspect, a fraction of what they are really like – and by pointing out that the fire isn’t really a fire without the heat, the episode is meant to show that judging by appearance alone can be deceiving and incomplete. Then Trelane starts judging the crew by their appearance and names, applying national stereotypes. The reactions go from amusement (Sulu, de Salle) to indignation (Uhura) and embarrassment (Jaeger on Trelane’s Prussian parade: „I’m a scientist, not a military man.“), but they all make clear that in their time and society, such attributions are anachronistic and insignificant. Another example is Trelane’s annoying fascination for the military: “I want to know all about your campaigns, your battles, your missions of conquest.” As much as Kirk insists that they are on a peaceful mission and only fight to defend themselves, Trelane keeps dwelling on the subject until it gets on the viewer’s nerves as much as on Kirk’s… I think it’s quite clever to convey criticism in this way, making something look silly by displaying it.
Tue, Jan 17, 2023, 3:16am (UTC -5)
Wed, Jun 14, 2023, 11:50am (UTC -5)
Overall I think Trelane has some worthwhile ideas going on, the twist at the end was pretty clever. I mean, once you know the big reveal it has diminishing returns, but upon first viewing, the idea that this villain who had been tormenting our TOS crew in such distasteful ways, driving us to really dislike him, must be reevaluated as an ignorant and playful child is a pretty nice switcheroo. Plus William Campbell’s performance is engaging and enthusiastic, imparting a fun sense of goofiness into the proceedings. But at the same time, it all comes across a bit too silly for its own good, it vacillates between comedy and horror and becomes a little tonally confused. I’d say 2.5 stars is about right.
A few passing observations/ideas:
- Are Trelane’s parents the same weirdos who gave Charlie X his powers? Do these meatheads have wild kids running all over the galaxy causing mayhem? If not then you have two god-like species in relative close proximity to one another, seems kinda weird.
- Was the machinery behind the mirror a red herring, or was it actually tied to Trelane’s powers? I wasn’t clear on that.
- Nice bit of continuity with the salt monster cameo.
Anyhoooo, not a bad episode, just a bit of zany fun.
Thu, Jun 15, 2023, 1:51am (UTC -5)
Sat, Jun 17, 2023, 2:59pm (UTC -5)
It normally bugs me when the protagonist of a story lucks out in the end. It would certainly have been better if the enterprise crew had played *some* role in their eventual salvation, rather than just being the beneficiaries of Trelane’s bed time. But I will say that in this episode’s case, that was kind of the point. The idea that our beloved TOS crew were essentially in way over their heads with this whole exploring the galaxy thing, and they were basically just insects to be toyed with in the shadow of powerful beings well beyond their comprehension does serve a purpose. The episode is a series of perspective shifts with Trelane morphing from loathsome antagonist to clueless child and our heroes transitioning from the vanguard of evolution to the back of the pack. All told through the enthusiasm of a community theater stage production:)
Sat, Jun 17, 2023, 6:08pm (UTC -5)
Yes, it reminds me a lot of the TNG episode "Q Who," when Picard claims that Starfleet is ready for whatever the galaxy may hold and Q tosses the Enterprise into their first encounter with the Borg, only rescuing our heroes when Picard admits they are out of their league.
Helplessness in the face of an overwhelmingly more powerful foe is an all too common reality, but it's not a very entertaining fantasy.
Sun, Sep 10, 2023, 10:35am (UTC -5)
#1, the twist makes sense and makes re-watching very enjoyable. The episode walks the line between giving clues and not spoiling anything. When I first watched it, I did not expect the twist, but I didn't feel cheated. I was upset at myself for not figuring it out earlier.
A big #2, the acting was great. George Takei nailed the "this is offensive and unbelievably stupid" reaction without winking at the camera. He gave a powerful reaction that was needed, but it was not look into the camera and give hashtag labels as to why this faux pas is not in fashion. But, oh man, the actor for Trelane. I am glad they cast a man of about 30. It is young enough to make the immaturity not farcical, but old enough to hide the character's relative youth, and the acting pulls it off. It works. He behaves perfectly in character, and you appreciate on rewatching. What always got me about the Willy Wonka movie from the 1970s, that made me not enjoy it, was that the child actors were all awful. "Spoiled brat" is not just be "loud and annoying." Even the main kid was godawful. In that way, the "cheat" of casting the older actor worked out better than having a young Stranger Things actor.
This episode hung entirely on the performances and I believed Trelane.
Sun, Sep 10, 2023, 10:48am (UTC -5)
Trish wrote:
> Helplessness in the face of an overwhelmingly more powerful foe is an all too common reality, but it's not a very entertaining fantasy.
Most times, I wpuld agree whole-heartedly, but some stories can go against this. If I am watching this as an onlooker, not as someone imagining himself or herself in that role, it works. If it were not a space show in the 2300s, but a show set in Halifax circa now, I would feel frustrated. I liken it to the unlikabke characters in Seinfeld or It's Always Sunny. I usually hate anti-heroes, but because I am never exoected to empathize with or root for the characters (in early Sunny), I can enjoy the misadventures of deplorable people.
For whatever reason, I never felt "if I were Kirk in this situation, I would ..." To TNG's detriment, episodes focused on supporting cast usually fell flat because I *could* put myself in their shoes and get frustrated at their mistakes.
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