[TOS] Arena

[TOS] Season 1, Episode 18 (Netflix: S1 E19): Arena

Rating: 3
One of the more iconic episodes of the original series offers up some great action as well as some action that requires a little more forgiveness from the audience in order to enjoy. Add in one of the more inventive plot structures of the series and some higher than average stakes and this episode earns a 3.
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Notes:

The way they describe Cestus III makes it sound real nice. I hope it wasn’t destroyed or anything.

Cestus III was destroyed!

They’re under attack! We might not have known they were in danger unless a red shirt dies. Thank you for your service red shirt, now we know the threat is real.

Enterprise is under attack too!

The action is actually legitimately exciting. It’s out doors and everything.

This guy wasn’t in the mood for a silly putty fight

The chase begins after the alien vessel. Kirk wants them destroyed!

File under: Revenge!

There is a drastic plot turn 20 minutes in

The crew (especially Uhura) is stunned when Kirk disappears. Weren’t they listening to the Metrons a minute ago when they said this was going to happen?

A fight to the death!

File under: To the Death!

Somehow this fight between Kirk and a man in a rubber lizard suit turns out to be kind of silly.

Kirk starts talking into this device like it’s meant to keep a log. Why would he think that’s what it was for?

The Gorn captain can hear everything! Kirk looks like such a dope

“We could be in the wrong”? The Gorn could have merely been trying to protect themselves? Yeah, not really.

This is how you make a bomb kids!

Kirk spares his life. aww

Of course there’s a god-like entity thrown into the mix. There seems to be some kind of quota the writers are trying to reach.

File under: god-like entity

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