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The Gamesters of Triskelion (TOS episode)
Encyclopedia
"The Gamesters of Triskelion" is a second season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series
, first broadcast January 5, 1968 and repeated May 3, 1968. It is episode #45, production #46, written by Margaret Armen, and directed by Gene Nelson
.
Overview: Captain Kirk
and his companions are sent to fight as gladiator
s for the gambling
entertainment of three disembodied beings.
3211.7, the Enterprise
is on a routine inspection of an unmanned station at Gamma II. Captain Kirk
, Lt. Uhura
and Mr. Chekov
step into the ship's transporter
to beam down, but they vanish before the transporter can be activated. The three appear on their backs in a fenced-in arena on an unknown planet. When they come to their feet, they find they are surrounded by four humanoids of various species who attack them. The officers attempt to fight back, but their phasers
are useless.
The humanoid combatants attack the Enterprise crewmembers and pin them to the ground. Then a black-cloaked man appears, ends the battle and congratulates Kirk's party on their performance. The being identifies himself as Galt, Master Thrall
of Triskelion
, and that he works for the "Providers", unseen masters who wager among themselves on the arena games. Galt informs the party that they will spend the rest of their lives as gladiators, having been chosen to fight for the Providers' entertainment. The crewmembers are fitted with metal collars (which deliver severe pain if they disobey instructions) and are then led to their holding cells.
Meanwhile the Enterprise scans for the abducted crewmembers. Sensors show no sign of them and the crew begins a search of all habitable planets in the system.
Back on Triskelion, Kirk and his team make plans for escape, but find Galt's power unbreakable. Any attempt to disobey results in a painful punishment brought on by their collars, which cannot be removed. The three are then introduced to their drill thralls who will service them and prepare them for gladiatorial combat. Chekov is paired with Tamoon, an androgynous
being with tiger
-like features and a deep voice, who is immediately attracted to him. Uhura's assignment is Lars, a handsome and somewhat arrogant bronze-skinned man, and Kirk meets his own thrall, Shahna (Angelique Pettyjohn), a beautiful and shy woman with green hair who is exotically dressed in a silver outfit. Shahna is tough with Kirk at first but seems to have growing compassion for the Captain.
Shahna explains that the drill thralls will train them and once they are ready for competition they will be "vended" to one of the Providers. Galt informs Kirk's group that they now belong to Provider One, and failure or disobedience will not be tolerated.
During training, Kirk finds time alone with Shahna. He questions her about the Providers, but she is unwilling to answer. Kirk tries to soften Shahna up by telling her about the other planets he has visited and about the concepts of freedom. It seems to work, but when she responds she is shocked with pain from her collar. Galt appears and orders them back to their cells, while Kirk explains that he should have been punished, not her.
Back on the Enterprise Mr. Spock
, Dr. McCoy
, and Mr. Scott
try to find their Captain and missing crew. Over protests, Spock decides to follow a strange ion trail he suggests might have been produced by the transport beam that abducted the party. They follow the trail to the nearby M-24 Alpha system and resume their scans.
Back in Kirk's cell, Shahna expresses that she feels warmly about Kirk's earlier attempt at saving her, taking the blame for her punishment. Kirk takes advantage of her passionate embrace, catches her off guard, and knocks her unconscious. He then bolts from the cell and frees Chekov and Uhura. The three make a run for it but are stopped when Galt appears and activates their pain collars, "only a reminder," as one of the disembodied voices of the Providers tell them. "You Earth people are most stimulating."
The Enterprise enters orbit around Triskelion, and Spock locates the missing team on the surface. Spock and McCoy attempt to beam down, but the ship is taken over by a power beam activated by the Providers. Realizing his ship and crew are at stake, and that the Providers are "all-hearing and all-seeing", Kirk announces that he will make a wager that the Providers can not refuse. He is suddenly transported below ground to a chamber "1000 meters below the earth" filled with odd machinery. He finds a domed table in the center of the room; inside are three disembodied brains that glow from within.
The brains speak, identifying themselves as the Providers, ancient beings of pure intellect that pass their time gambling between one another, wagering sums of "quatloos" over the outcomes of the contests. They demand to hear Kirk's own wager. He tells the brains that he and his team can defeat the drill thralls. If Kirk's crew are victorious, the brains must free the Enterprise and let the team, including all thralls, go. The Providers must in turn end their death games and use their knowledge to teach the thralls how to start a free society. If Kirk loses, he promises a lifetime of entertainment in further competitions with the entire ship's crew.
The Providers express their desire to see Kirk dead, since he has been so troublesome, and they delightedly accept the bet—but only if Kirk takes on the thralls, alone. With no choice, Kirk agrees, and the brains send him back to the arena. The combat begins, with the Enterprise crew watching the battle on the bridge viewscreen. Kirk manages to kill two of the thralls and injure a third, but the Providers replace the injured warrior with Shahna. Kirk is tired but manages to overpower Shahna, who then surrenders. The Providers accept the outcome and allow Kirk and the others to go free.
Kirk lingers behind for a final kiss from Shahna and explains to her that there will be no more games, and the Providers will help them start a free civilization.
. Actor George Takei
was away filming The Green Berets
with John Wayne
, and due to scheduling constraints Wayne was unable to temporarily release Takei for the three days it would have required to film his scenes for this episode. Takei has stated repeatedly in interviews and at conventions that this was the only regret he had about his participation in the film, as after reading the script for the episode he knew this would have been his moment in the spotlight. The scenes for Sulu were switched to Chekov
.
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
, first broadcast January 5, 1968 and repeated May 3, 1968. It is episode #45, production #46, written by Margaret Armen, and directed by Gene Nelson
Gene Nelson
Gene Nelson was an American dancer, actor, screenwriter, and director.-Biography:Born Leander Eugene Berg in Astoria, Oregon, he moved to Seattle when he was one year old. He was inspired to become a dancer by watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films when he was a child...
.
Overview: Captain Kirk
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
and his companions are sent to fight as gladiator
Gladiator
A gladiator was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their legal and social standing and their lives by appearing in the...
s for the gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
entertainment of three disembodied beings.
Plot
On stardateStardate
A stardate is a date in the fictional system of time measurement developed for Star Trek, commonly heard at the beginning of a voiceover log entry such as "Captain's log, stardate 41153.7...
3211.7, the Enterprise
Starship Enterprise
The Enterprise or USS Enterprise is the name of several fictional starships, some of which are the focal point for various television series and films in the Star Trek franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. It is considered a name of legacy in the fleet...
is on a routine inspection of an unmanned station at Gamma II. Captain Kirk
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
, Lt. Uhura
Uhura
Nyota Uhura is a character in Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series, the first six Star Trek films, and the 2009 film Star Trek...
and Mr. Chekov
Pavel Chekov
Pavel Andreievich Chekov is a Russian Starfleet officer in the Star Trek fictional universe. Walter Koenig portrayed Chekov in the original Star Trek series and first seven Star Trek films; Anton Yelchin portrayed the character in the 2009 film Star Trek.-Origin:Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry...
step into the ship's transporter
Transporter (Star Trek)
A transporter is a fictional teleportation machine used in the Star Trek universe. Transporters convert a person or object into an energy pattern , then "beam" it to a target, where it is reconverted into matter...
to beam down, but they vanish before the transporter can be activated. The three appear on their backs in a fenced-in arena on an unknown planet. When they come to their feet, they find they are surrounded by four humanoids of various species who attack them. The officers attempt to fight back, but their phasers
Weapons of Star Trek
The Star Trek fictional universe contains a very large number of weapons. As with most science fiction franchises, the series focuses primarily on energy weapons...
are useless.
The humanoid combatants attack the Enterprise crewmembers and pin them to the ground. Then a black-cloaked man appears, ends the battle and congratulates Kirk's party on their performance. The being identifies himself as Galt, Master Thrall
Thrall
Thrall was the term for a serf or unfree servant in Scandinavian culture during the Viking Age.Thralls were the lowest in the social order and usually provided unskilled labor during the Viking era.-Etymology:...
of Triskelion
Triskelion
A triskelion or triskele is a motif consisting of three interlocked spirals, or three bent human legs, or any similar symbol with three protrusions and a threefold rotational symmetry. Both words are from Greek or , "three-legged", from prefix "τρι-" , "three times" + "σκέλος" , "leg"...
, and that he works for the "Providers", unseen masters who wager among themselves on the arena games. Galt informs the party that they will spend the rest of their lives as gladiators, having been chosen to fight for the Providers' entertainment. The crewmembers are fitted with metal collars (which deliver severe pain if they disobey instructions) and are then led to their holding cells.
Meanwhile the Enterprise scans for the abducted crewmembers. Sensors show no sign of them and the crew begins a search of all habitable planets in the system.
Back on Triskelion, Kirk and his team make plans for escape, but find Galt's power unbreakable. Any attempt to disobey results in a painful punishment brought on by their collars, which cannot be removed. The three are then introduced to their drill thralls who will service them and prepare them for gladiatorial combat. Chekov is paired with Tamoon, an androgynous
Androgyny
Androgyny is a term derived from the Greek words ανήρ, stem ανδρ- and γυνή , referring to the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics...
being with tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
-like features and a deep voice, who is immediately attracted to him. Uhura's assignment is Lars, a handsome and somewhat arrogant bronze-skinned man, and Kirk meets his own thrall, Shahna (Angelique Pettyjohn), a beautiful and shy woman with green hair who is exotically dressed in a silver outfit. Shahna is tough with Kirk at first but seems to have growing compassion for the Captain.
Shahna explains that the drill thralls will train them and once they are ready for competition they will be "vended" to one of the Providers. Galt informs Kirk's group that they now belong to Provider One, and failure or disobedience will not be tolerated.
During training, Kirk finds time alone with Shahna. He questions her about the Providers, but she is unwilling to answer. Kirk tries to soften Shahna up by telling her about the other planets he has visited and about the concepts of freedom. It seems to work, but when she responds she is shocked with pain from her collar. Galt appears and orders them back to their cells, while Kirk explains that he should have been punished, not her.
Back on the Enterprise Mr. Spock
Spock
Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek series, Spock also appears in the animated Star Trek series, two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, seven of the Star Trek feature films, and numerous Star Trek...
, Dr. McCoy
Leonard McCoy
Leonard "Bones" McCoy is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by DeForest Kelley in the original Star Trek series, McCoy also appears in the animated Star Trek series, seven Star Trek movies, the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and in numerous books,...
, and Mr. Scott
Montgomery Scott
Montgomery "Scotty" Scott is a Scottish engineer in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by James Doohan in the original Star Trek series, Scotty also appears in the animated Star Trek series, seven Star Trek movies, the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Relics", and in numerous...
try to find their Captain and missing crew. Over protests, Spock decides to follow a strange ion trail he suggests might have been produced by the transport beam that abducted the party. They follow the trail to the nearby M-24 Alpha system and resume their scans.
Back in Kirk's cell, Shahna expresses that she feels warmly about Kirk's earlier attempt at saving her, taking the blame for her punishment. Kirk takes advantage of her passionate embrace, catches her off guard, and knocks her unconscious. He then bolts from the cell and frees Chekov and Uhura. The three make a run for it but are stopped when Galt appears and activates their pain collars, "only a reminder," as one of the disembodied voices of the Providers tell them. "You Earth people are most stimulating."
The Enterprise enters orbit around Triskelion, and Spock locates the missing team on the surface. Spock and McCoy attempt to beam down, but the ship is taken over by a power beam activated by the Providers. Realizing his ship and crew are at stake, and that the Providers are "all-hearing and all-seeing", Kirk announces that he will make a wager that the Providers can not refuse. He is suddenly transported below ground to a chamber "1000 meters below the earth" filled with odd machinery. He finds a domed table in the center of the room; inside are three disembodied brains that glow from within.
The brains speak, identifying themselves as the Providers, ancient beings of pure intellect that pass their time gambling between one another, wagering sums of "quatloos" over the outcomes of the contests. They demand to hear Kirk's own wager. He tells the brains that he and his team can defeat the drill thralls. If Kirk's crew are victorious, the brains must free the Enterprise and let the team, including all thralls, go. The Providers must in turn end their death games and use their knowledge to teach the thralls how to start a free society. If Kirk loses, he promises a lifetime of entertainment in further competitions with the entire ship's crew.
The Providers express their desire to see Kirk dead, since he has been so troublesome, and they delightedly accept the bet—but only if Kirk takes on the thralls, alone. With no choice, Kirk agrees, and the brains send him back to the arena. The combat begins, with the Enterprise crew watching the battle on the bridge viewscreen. Kirk manages to kill two of the thralls and injure a third, but the Providers replace the injured warrior with Shahna. Kirk is tired but manages to overpower Shahna, who then surrenders. The Providers accept the outcome and allow Kirk and the others to go free.
Kirk lingers behind for a final kiss from Shahna and explains to her that there will be no more games, and the Providers will help them start a free civilization.
Production notes
This episode is notable for its absence of SuluHikaru Sulu
Hikaru Sulu is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by George Takei in the original Star Trek series, Sulu also appears in the animated Star Trek series, the first six Star Trek movies, one episode of Star Trek: Voyager, and in numerous books, comics, and video games...
. Actor George Takei
George Takei
George Hosato Takei Altman is an American actor, author, social activist and former civil politician. He is best known for his role in the television series Star Trek and its film spinoffs, in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the...
was away filming The Green Berets
The Green Berets (film)
The Green Berets is a 1968 war film featuring John Wayne, George Takei, David Janssen, Jim Hutton and Aldo Ray, nominally based on the eponymous 1965 book by Robin Moore, though the screenplay has little relation to the book....
with John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
, and due to scheduling constraints Wayne was unable to temporarily release Takei for the three days it would have required to film his scenes for this episode. Takei has stated repeatedly in interviews and at conventions that this was the only regret he had about his participation in the film, as after reading the script for the episode he knew this would have been his moment in the spotlight. The scenes for Sulu were switched to Chekov
Pavel Chekov
Pavel Andreievich Chekov is a Russian Starfleet officer in the Star Trek fictional universe. Walter Koenig portrayed Chekov in the original Star Trek series and first seven Star Trek films; Anton Yelchin portrayed the character in the 2009 film Star Trek.-Origin:Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry...
.
40th Anniversary remastering
This episode was remastered in 2006 and aired October 20, 2007 as part of the remastered Original Series. It was preceded a week earlier by the remastered version of "Dagger of the Mind" and followed two weeks later by the remastered version of "Metamorphosis". Aside from remastered video and audio, and the all-CGI animation of the USS Enterprise that is standard among the revisions, specific changes to this episode also include:- The planets Gamma II and Triskelion have been given new appearances. Gamma II appears covered with craters and has been given rings, and Triskelion has been given a dark gray appearance with large lakes on the surface, with its three suns visible.