Arena

[Too Much Fun]

I just watched "Arena" for the first time. It was much better than I expected it to be. I was dreading it, because I'd already seen the scene of Kirk fighting the Gorn. Now that I've seen it in the context of the whole episode, I don't mind it as much. The fight is still ridiculous and horribly choreographed, but it didn't make me cringe the whole time like I thought it would. It was kind of fun. And despite the primitiveness of the Gorn's costume, I really dig his design (now that I've got a good look at it). His gurgling was a bit much, but I liked his EVIL villainous voice when he used the universal translator, despite how cliche it was.

He was surprisingly intimidating as well, at least at the moment when Kirk first wound up face to face with him and when he somehow (even though his face doesn't move) looked rather dangerous and conniving as he listened to Kirk's monologuing. He becomes less intimidating from there when we see how slow he actually is.

The real villains in the episode are really hackneyed (yet ANOTHER 'superior' race that 'tests' other races by making them fight), but this case was notable for how angry Kirk was over the outpost being destroyed. I was very entertained by how furious he was and insistent on destroying the alien ship, so much so that he refused to give Spock's suggestion of "respect for sentient life" a second thought. There's a surprising amount of effective drama for an episode that climaxes with a slow-motion battle against a man lizard.

The moral of the episode was pretty shaky (the Gorn could be considered justified in massacring the Federation people just because they settled the planet first?) and it just made me wonder why they couldn't just TALK to resolve the dispute (especially because it's later established that Gorn and humans can communicate with the universal translator), but of course if the Gorn had just explained that they own the planet and want the humans to piss off, there'd be no episode - no exploding weapons combat, no Kirk fury, and no Gorn/Kirk battle to the death.

I kept thinking about how if this were TNG, they would have reasoned with each other instead of fighting, but I guess that just couldn't happen here given the time period when the episode was made. Indeed that idea seems to be proven by "Darmok", which I can now think of as sort of a more peaceful, mature, optimistic modern/90s update of this story. It doesn't have all the issues with ownership/settlement of territory, but it's also about two Captains from different species being forced to be alone to work out their issues.

 

[Grant]

How are the Metrons 'the real villains' ??

Who'd they kill?
It was the humans & gorns that were about to set off a war in space. And if they were truly against war they could chose not to kill the other person in the combat---which Kirk did.

The Metrons could merely have been bluffing about destroying the other ship---testing them as Balok did.

And as advanced beyond us as the metrons were---even if they did destroy the ships---it might be akin to us putting down a rabid animal in their minds.

 

[Maurice]

I think the point of the episode was that aliens don't do what you expect. The Gorns weren't interested in talking...maybe it's not in their makeup. The found intruders in their space, blew them to bits, then tried to lure in the local navy and take them out, too. Peace through superior firepower.

One thing that's always surprised me if that the Gorns or looks-alikes never reappeared in TOS. Given the show's limited budget, and that it appears they had TWO Gorn suits (as appears in behind the scenes photos), you'd think Roddenberry et al would have invented a way to re-use these assets.

 

[Too Much Fun]

I did not foresee anyone questioning my calling the Metrons the "real" villains, but I suppose that's a valid point. I think the reason they strike me as a more direct villain than the Gorn is because they mercilessly put Kirk in a life or death situation without even giving him a chance to reason with them, and proceed to judge humanity without giving it a chance to defend itself, like so many other antagonists on the show (and later TNG) did as well (i.e. Triskelions, Q).

I thought of the Gorn more as pawns. If the Metrons truly were as 'advanced' and 'civilized' as they claimed to be, shouldn't they have intervened during the fighting on Cestus III rather than idly letting it happen, and then provoking it to continue by instructing Gorn and Kirk to kill or be killed?

As was stated repeatedly in the episode, the Gorn thought they were defending themselves from an invasion. This logic doesn't make their actions justifiable, but at least they were fighting because they didn't know any better. In contrast, the Metrons had the knowledge necessary to prevent violence between the Gorn and the humans and yet they chose to encourage it. That's why I interpreted them as more villainous.

 

[Shatmandu]

I think of the Metrons as me, in my flower beds, looking at two different groups of ants.

If I see one kind of ant helping an ant of the other kind, maybe I won't run the hose on both their asses.

Joe, godly

 

[Chrisisall]

If I see one kind of ant helping an ant of the other kind, maybe I won't run the hose on both their asses.

 

[Hambone]

How are the Metrons 'the real villains' ??

In an early draft, the Metron (Metrone?) said that they actually planned to destroy the victorious captain's ship and crew, who would, after all, pose the greater threat. That would have made them a lot more villain-y. Or vanilla-y.

 

[Too Much Fun]

How are the Metrons 'the real villains' ??

In an early draft, the Metron (Metrone?) said that they actually planned to destroy the victorious captain's ship and crew, who would, after all, pose the greater threat. That would have made them a lot more villain-y. Or vanilla-y.

I thought that even in the actual broadcasted show the Metron said they were planning to do that, but changed their minds?

 

[Red Ranger]

As I recall, in the original story Arena is based on, the Metron-type aliens in that story not only destroy the alien ship but the entire race of aggressors. -- RR

 

[Maurice]

As I recall, in the original story Arena is based on, the Metron-type aliens in that story not only destroy the alien ship but the entire race of aggressors. -- RR

I think that's correct. The details of the story differ a lot, as I recall...not surprising since Arena isn't actually an intentional adaptation of the Brown story. Coon wrote the script, and then it was pointed out that it was very similar to Brown's story...so the rights to the short story were purchased to make it all nice and legal.

 

[Captain Roberts]

As I recall, in the original story Arena is based on, the Metron-type aliens in that story not only destroy the alien ship but the entire race of aggressors. -- RR

I think that's correct. The details of the story differ a lot, as I recall...not surprising since Arena isn't actually an intentional adaptation of the Brown story. Coon wrote the script, and then it was pointed out that it was very similar to Brown's story...so the rights to the short story were purchased to make it all nice and legal.

Dodged that legal bullet.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

This is one of the coolest of the early Trek episodes, and at the time it ran the Metrons didn't come across as "yet another superior race" - we hadn't seen that many on Trek, yet.

Aside from the coolness of the duel with the Gorn, at the time folks I know first saw the episode in the 1960s not too many folks were out ahead of Kirk on the "we-have-to-kick-their-ass" curve - that is, his anger and his determination as a matter of policy to pursue and destroy the attackers seemed pretty reasonable. The resolution of the story was actually a bit of an "Aha! Think about that!" kind of moment.

Much that's come to seem hackneyed in Trek with time and repetition was both surprising and more ambitious than a lot of us kids raised on "Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea" were accustomed to. That was a big reason we fell so deeply in love with it. It's also why, when the series eventually did stumble into simplistic and heavy-handed territory with late stuff like "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" a lot of us were disenchanted...for a while.

In 1969 you couldn't just go back and watch one of your favorite episodes to remind you why you cared about the show - they were years gone by. Seeing the whole series from the beginning in syndication reignited the spark.

 

[Brutal Strudel]

Kirk's determination to hunt down and destroy the Gorn ship is identical--if more overtly passionate--to his desire to hunt down and kill the Romulan ship in "Balance of Terror." I always preferred the first half of this episode to the second--the fighting on Cestus III, the well-acted scene of the lone survivor in sick bay, the pursuit. As much as I like the Gorn costume design, I was not so impressed by the fight on the asteroid.

Oh, and to answer a question you raise, Too Much Fun (awesome user name, btw), the Metrons did nothing to stop the carnage on Cestus III because it was far enough away not to concern them. Like the Organians, they only act when the battle is brought to their doorstep.

 

[Chrisisall]

This is one of the coolest of the early Trek episodes, and at the time it ran the Metrons didn't come across as "yet another superior race" - we hadn't seen that many on Trek, yet.
a lot of us kids raised on "Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea"
was a big reason we fell so deeply in love with it.

We reach, old dude!
(and I'm as old, I take it.)

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

The only moment that really gave me pause was how easily Kirk "forgave" the Gorn - when he came to see the creature as an equal, his personal anger about the carnage on Cestus III seemed to simply vanish.

McCoy has almost as unlikely a reaction - "Then we could be in the wrong" - in response to a simple allegation by the Gorn about violated borders - but since it ain't his responsibility to enforce order and because he's, well, McCoy it doesn't jar as much as Kirk's forgiveness does.

 

[Chrisisall]

The only moment that really gave me pause was how easily Kirk "forgave" the Gorn.

In tghe face of what took place I feel your analysis is somewhat lacking, Dennis.

 

[Grant]

The only moment that really gave me pause was how easily Kirk "forgave" the Gorn - when he came to see the creature as an equal, his personal anger about the carnage on Cestus III seemed to simply vanish.

McCoy has almost as unlikely a reaction - "Then we could be in the wrong" - in response to a simple allegation by the Gorn about violated borders - but since it ain't his responsibility to enforce order and because he's, well, McCoy it doesn't jar as much as Kirk's forgiveness does.

I always felt that snap judgements like the one McCoy makes that you mention is just a 'shorthand' version. They couldn't have a 3 minutes aside where the crew contemplates who might be in the wrong.
McCoy just blurts it out to give the viewer a surprising twist-----they're alien, it was 'their territory' and in their alien mentality you simply kill tresspassers.

Not standard thinking in 1960s TV

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

That's true too. Kelley invests the line with so much empathy that one forgets it may have been primarily expository by intention.

 

[Grant]

^^

Yeah, it works because we know McCoy is so empathetic towards other beings.

He does the same thing in 'Balence...'

Arguing against war or attack even though it's totally unprovoked agression the Roms committed.

His was clearly made Kirk's conscience----the advisor that always promotes caution and peace and mercy. Of course Kirk usually has to follow the logic of enforcing law and order---but the advice is still needed.

 

[Warped9]

I think the point of the episode was that aliens don't do what you expect. The Gorns weren't interested in talking...maybe it's not in their makeup. The found intruders in their space, blew them to bits, then tried to lure in the local navy and take them out, too. Peace through superior firepower.

One thing that's always surprised me if that the Gorns or looks-alikes never reappeared in TOS. Given the show's limited budget, and that it appears they had TWO Gorn suits (as appears in behind the scenes photos), you'd think Roddenberry et al would have invented a way to re-use these assets.

That's true. I'd have liked to see the Gorns visited again in another episode. Wouldn't it have been kinda cool to have at least seen a Gorn in the background of "Journey To Babel" or in the K7 bar in "The Trouble With Tribbles"?

I think we did see a Gorn on the Elysian Council in TAS' "Time Trap," didn't we?