Writer: Margaret Armen
Director: Gene Nelson
Producer: John Meredyth Lucas
The original Star Trek walked a fine line between two competing types of science fiction. There was the high brow intellectual type, using speculation about the future of science and technology to postulate ethical questions about human nature that served as allegories for contemporary issues. And then there was the low brow pulp adventure type, about sexy alien women on faraway worlds threatened by bug eyed monsters who wished to pit themselves against the barrel chested hero in hand to hand combat. Isaac Asimov and Edgar Rice Burroughs.
"Gamesters" is absolutely in the second category, as well as featuring such broad strokes versions of typical Trek tropes that if it a tenth of its length it'd be an effective parody. And indeed, this episode is referenced often in parodies of the show, perhaps because of its immensely campy and absurd nature.
The basic situation is that Kirk, Chekov, and Uhura are captured by a hyper-advanced alien race to participate in gladitorial games that the three "Providers" bet on. Each is paired with a different trainer (no credit for guessing Kirk gets the babe -- although Uhura's tries to rape her in a bizarre and disturbing scene), and then are taught the rules for combat. Meanwhile, Spock and the rest of the crew search for their missing comrades.
There is a large amount in this episode which occurs almost as if Margaret Armen was handed a list of Trekkian cliches and followed it. The highly advanced aliens who have evolved beyond physical bodies. The elaborate melee combat sequences. The exotic alien women, scantily clad. Kirk gets out of his situation by seducing the alien woman, teaching her that strange human emotion called love. He then talks the highly advanced minds into doing what he wants, but not before wagering everything on a melee combat. Oh, and Spock and McCoy bicker and snipe at each other.
The shipboard subplot, with Spock following an unlikely hunch across the galaxy to find the captain, is perhaps the episode's most grating feature. It just pads out time, with each iteration being identical -- namely McCoy objecting to Spock's decision and Spock doing it anyway. What's especially aggravating is that it seems to be a case of McCoy disagreeing with Spock just for the sake of it! After all, wouldn't following a hunch be an example of the kind of human behaviour McCoy is always trying to goad Spock into? Why would he object now? Oh right, because these are the cardboard cutout versions of these characters.
"Gamesters" goes through the motions, utterly predictable in every respect to anyone who's seen another episode of the show. That said, it does have it's sense of fun. The bizarre aliens, the silly voices, the iconic music, the goofy dialogue, and of course another case of Kirk out-gambling his opponent. It's enjoyable, even if it's not very good.
Rating: 2 out of 4
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