TOS - The Squire of Gothos

[MerelyAFan]

https://sfdebris.com/videos/startrek/s018.php

I think Trelane works as a counterpoint to Kirk in a different way than Q was to Picard. The latter advanced being served as the intelligent judge (masked as the mischievous trickster) to test the intellectual Picard, with situations engineered to see if humanity could step forward as evolved beings and step outside the boundaries of what they know.

The Squire of Gothos is almost the inverse, a powerful being in many ways as a reminder of humanity's worst excesses in the past and as a childish contrast to the adult maturity of the Captain he's facing off against. Trelane certainly plays a being a military figure but without the understanding of consequences and a shallow inference of the Earth concepts he admires so much. Kirk as a real officer certainly has a regard for things of humanity's past, can indulge in vices, and is capable of being violent if there are no options left, but he has an appreciation and genuine cognizance of the more peaceful world of the Federation/Starfleet he lives in. He' has awareness of his flaws and can recognize his excesses at critical times.

If anything Trelane at times feels like the caricatured pop culture parody of Kirk at times; an impulsive, over the top, adolescent that does whatever he wants.

[Fianna]

I'd note that, if you accept this episode's statement that it's taking place at least 900 years after the Napoleonic Wars, then describing the dueling pistols as "ancient" is decently accurate.

[Mickey_Rat15]

Star Fleet needs to be reinstroduced to the concept of a cup holder. The bridge crew is reduced to placing their coffee cups on surfaces inclined towards their laps. The scalding potential is high. Fortunately, the Enterprise experienced no shaking or manuevers that taxed the inertial compensators this episode. I suppose the procurement bureau did not spring for the higher trim package when ordering the Constitution class.

The differences between Q, Charlie X and Trelayne is that Q is an adult, and his agenda is teach humans a lesson (at least in TNG) instead of outright destroying the Enterprise. Charlie is going through puberty with all the emotional turmoil and poor decisions that can go with that. Treylayne is a little kid, who may take things too far if allowed, but is mostly playing and has a short attention span easily distracted by a new game.

[clearspira]

Star Fleet needs to be reinstroduced to the concept of a cup holder. The bridge crew is reduced to placing their coffee cups on surfaces inclined towards their laps. The scalding potential is high. Fortunately, the Enterprise experienced no shaking or manuevers that taxed the inertial compensators this episode.

Cup holders, seat belts, pockets, the backpack, the survival knife, the helmet, the wristwatch, night vision goggles, camouflage, body armour, the jeep. There is plenty that Starfleet for some reason neglects to carry on board its starships and is all the worse for it.

Their absence has always been unfathomable from a real world POV too as most of these things could be picked up from the local thrift store for a couple of bucks and were widely in use by the 1960s let alone the 1990s. I have always maintained that by far the best thing about ''Enterprise'' was the fact that its people wore plain boiler suits equipped with pockets, hats, jackets, and kept plenty of survival gear in the shuttlepod. And MACO went one step better with camo, backpacks, equipment belts and batons.

Interestingly enough Starfleet Landing Parties did come with coats equipped with pockets in '''Wrath of Khan'' and wore grey, practical clothes in ''The Final Frontier''. The rest of the time it was ''into hostile situations with nothing but a bright jersey''.

[Rocketboy1313]

You know... I have to wonder if... When Gene Roddenberry was reworking the original "Encounter at Far Point" into a two part story by adding all the Q material he didn't originally use Trelane in the script.

That he liked the character and wanted to rehash him... but he changed the name to keep from having to pay royalties to this episode's writer, Paul Schneider.

Like how Tom Paris bears no resemblance to any character who might have appeared in "Star Trek: The Next Generation".

[AlucardNoir]

Now here's one of those areas where I have to 'respectfully disagree with Chuck'. While you can have a story where nobody gets hurt but you still have a sense of danger, if your characters are never in any real danger, sooner or later the viewers, readers, players will realize that and the tension will all go away. TOS might have misused the new extra dying trope a bit too often, but even if they hadn't abused the heck out of it, you still would have needed a death here and there to make the point that things are indeed dangerous.

[Mickey_Rat15]

Star Fleet needs to be reinstroduced to the concept of a cup holder. The bridge crew is reduced to placing their coffee cups on surfaces inclined towards their laps. The scalding potential is high. Fortunately, the Enterprise experienced no shaking or manuevers that taxed the inertial compensators this episode.

Cup holders, seat belts, pockets, the backpack, the survival knife, the helmet, the wristwatch, night vision goggles, camouflage, body armour, the jeep. There is plenty that Starfleet for some reason neglects to carry on board its starships and is all the worse for it.

Their absence has always been unfathomable from a real world POV too as most of these things could be picked up from the local thrift store for a couple of bucks and were widely in use by the 1960s let alone the 1990s. I have always maintained that by far the best thing about ''Enterprise'' was the fact that its people wore plain boiler suits equipped with pockets, hats, jackets, and kept plenty of survival gear in the shuttlepod. And MACO went one step better with camo, backpacks, equipment belts and batons.

Interestingly enough Starfleet Landing Parties did come with coats equipped with pockets in '''Wrath of Khan'' and wore grey, practical clothes in ''The Final Frontier''. The rest of the time it was ''into hostile situations with nothing but a bright jersey''.

It just struck me after Chuck mentioned the coffee, that their workstations do not even have a level surface for drinks.

[Yukaphile]

Hell, in some EU works, Q is related to Trelane, and in some fanfiction, he IS Trelane. I've been tempted to do similar myself.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

Q would have his ass handed to him by Trelane.

[Yukaphile]

I do love Chuck's digging on DISCO, though. I loled. I mean, for me, it's what they did to the Klingons, making them like the worst of the excessive fanboys' views of them. For him, it's clearly magical shrooms, but... hey Chuck, if you're seeing this? I think they were inspired by the Caretaker's race from Voyager. Though, given your feelings toward that show, I dunno what your reaction would be.

Also, got any proof for that?