The Conscience Of The King (episode rating and discussion)

[Darth_Pazuzu]

The Conscience Of The King is definitely one of my favorite episodes of the First Season. It may not be particularly sci-fi, but it's an extremely moving and involving drama. Arnold Moss turns in a brilliant performance as the haunted Shakespearian actor Anton Karidian (formerly the mass murderer Governor Kodos), and the scenes he shares with William Shatner when Kirk forcibly confronts him about his past are simply electrifying.

Okay, I think that the ending may be just a little tooooo much on the melodramatic side, but overall it's a solid episode regardless.

(NOTE: In the novel Avenger, written by William Shatner and Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, we would learn quite a few more details about Kirk's experiences during the massacre on Tarsus IV!)

So how would you rate The Conscience Of The King?:

 

[Darth_Pazuzu]

One more thing I'd like to add: The Conscience Of The King is something of a precursor to the First Season Deep Space Nine episode Duet in many ways - the obvious difference being that Karidian is Kodos and Marritza is not Darhe'el.

I actually like Duet better than this episode. While I would rate that one a 10, the aforementioned over-the-top melodrama of the ending of The Conscience Of The King knocks it down to a 9 for me. Still, that's hardly anything to sneeze at!

 

[Forbin]

Re: The Conscience Of The King (episode rating and discussio

CotC is one of my very favorites, specifically because I enjoy the art of overblown melodrama. A friend of mine took acting lessons from Arnold Moss, and says the man ALWAYS acted that way, it wasn't just because he was playing a ham actor in the episode!

Plus, Barbara Anderson - simply wow!

 

[MaxBingman]

Re: The Conscience Of The King (episode rating and discussio

Eh... a 5. Duet just goes to show what this episode could have been. Needed less of the daughter and more of Karidian.

 

[Good Will Riker]

Re: The Conscience Of The King (episode rating and discussio

MaxBingman said:
Eh... a 5. Duet just goes to show what this episode could have been. Needed less of the daughter and more of Karidian.

I disagree...

I actually liked the scene where she was stroking Kirk's ego by saying to him that he is "The Caesar of the stars."

On an interesting note, the man seated next to Kirk at the beginning of the episode, at least from the side view, looks exactly like William Shatner from his "T.J. Hooker" days!

 

[EnsignHarper]

Re: The Conscience Of The King (episode rating and discussio

Actually CotK is PERFECT for its material - Shakespeare is nothing if not melodramatic -lots and lots of gore at the end most of the Shakespeare dramas....another episode which shows Shatner is MORE than a porcine thespian! (has anyone realized how ironic it is to call Shatner, who is Jewish, a HAM actor??) And there is more double-entendre in the 'seduction' scene in the Observation Lounge, than in the rest of ST put together!

very very undderrated episode...

 

[Saxman1]

Re: The Conscience Of The King (episode rating and discussio

10 - all that Shakespeare, I can't give it anything else!

 

[Mallory]

Re: The Conscience Of The King (episode rating and discussio

This was never one my favorite episodes. But it is pretty good. So it gets a 7 from me.

 

[Miri9]

Re: The Conscience Of The King (episode rating and discussio

I never liked this episode as a kid...in fact I probably hated it! But its an episode that kind of grows on you, and it has grown to be one of my favorite. Andrew Moss is just great in his role - its just a good story, as someone said not really "sci-fi" per se, but good riveting story telling.

 

[Harvey]

Re: The Conscience Of The King (episode rating and discussio

10. My favorite episode of the original series. A lot of people harp on the melodramatic moments in this episode, but I think they're perfect. I like the Shakespeare, too, and I think the music is some of the best in the series. But that's just my opinion.

 

[pookha]

Re: The Conscience Of The King (episode rating and discussio

i really like a lot about this episode from the use of shakespeare , the kirk backstory, bones and spock but one has to look over that it is odd that there were no archival footage or photos for kodos anywhere to make the eye witness so important.

 

[Neopeius]

Re: The Conscience Of The King (episode rating and discussio

Worst episode of the 1st season and 2nd seasons, thanks for asking.

 

[Jack Bauer]

Re: The Conscience Of The King (episode rating and discussio

7/10

 

[Niemz]

Re: The Conscience Of The King (episode rating and discussio

I thought it was a really good episode!

 

[TigerOfDarkness]

Re: The Conscience Of The King (episode rating and discussio

Neopeius said:
Worst episode of the 1st season and 2nd seasons, thanks for asking.

Worse than The Alternative Factor???

One of my favourites - I'm going with 9.

 

[Proximity_Phaser]

Re: The Conscience Of The King (episode rating and discussio

Got to like it for the great phaser porn shots.

 

[Outpost4]

Re: The Conscience Of The King (episode rating and discussio

I've been trying to come up with something nice to say about this episode. Here it is: I liked it more as a kid than I do as an adult. Today I give it a 3.

There's so much ham in this episode we could have a luau.

 

[Brutal Strudel]

Re: The Conscience Of The King (episode rating and discussio

I love ham! 7.

Ham and cheese.

 

[Neopeius]

Re: The Conscience Of The King (episode rating and discussio

TigerOfDarkness said:

Neopeius said:
Worst episode of the 1st season and 2nd seasons, thanks for asking.

Worse than The Alternative Factor???

Oh yes! AF was stupid and butchered, but it's not exactly the episode's fault and Charlene Masters is a cutey.

 

[Noname Given]

Re: The Conscience Of The King (episode rating and discussio

5

It had some good performances but overall, even though there are some themes and scenes I really do like; overall, I've never really warmed to this episode. It's fairly average for me.