Thank you, Liam! 🖖 Joseph Pevney directed this one.

I first saw this in the 1970s as a child and thought it was so cool and so scary at the same time! It was fun! And still is fun to watch. :)

One of my favorite episodes!

I rank it pretty high although I wish the Gorn captain could move a bit more easily, but his brute strength is quite intimidating. He's voiced by Ted Cassidy whose voice had a menacing distinction. Plus I enjoy the story's subtle inferences of disagreement regarding taking chase with Kirk and Spock where it's not preachy or melodramatic, just quietly effective, Kirk with his expression of immediacy and Spock with a more meditative outward look as to cause and effect. Good stuff.

Scorn from the Gorn! The first time I saw this episode I was still young enough to find men in rubber suits frightening, like Godzilla smashing up Tokyo. The episode also provided a first lesson in chemistry and how to make a crude cannon. I suppose it's a good thing the chemistry sets I played with when a got a little older lacked salt-peter because I probably would have tried to make gun powder with it if they had. Watching along now, the first half does a great job of building menace. Spock's tricorder overloading to explosion is a nice touch. The original denial of service attack! Lol. The twist in the middle that turns the episode into a duel in the sun is an interesting turn as well, as if the writers heard somebody say that all it would take to stop some war or another would be to have the two leaders at the top fight it out alone and took the idea to the next level with a deus ex machina intervention of sorts. Nevertheless, the trial by combat solution imposed from on high remains barbaric despite the Metrons purported enlightenment.

While discussing how TOS differed from other shows, past and present, I have often used this episode as an example. Even today, it is rare for a show's hero to spare an adversary who has just tried to kill the hero. TOS may have seemed unrealistic, but its ideas were very welcome during the Cold War and the Vietnam War. Many historians in the 1960s believed that the human species would destroy itself in an atomic holocaust before the year 2000. We have made it past the year 2000, so there is hope, but we are not out of the nuclear woods yet.

This was quite the social commentary of the day, I really enjoyed watching this gem with you, thank you as always for the video and commentary, happy Sunday everyone

William Shatner damaged his ears and got Tinnitus from being too close to the explosions on the beginning scene. It affected him for the rest of his life.

They wanted Kirk to be more agile, the Gorn super strong and slower, but I don't think they originally intended for the Gorn to be THAT much slower. Appreciate your patience on that matter. Be easier if they got some huge buff guy, painted him green, and adhered some scales here and there along with the headpiece. Better mobility!

Great reaction to one of my favorite episodes, despite the dated nature of the alien costume. Thanks for sharing it. Makes me want to watch it today on my Blu-ray. And I might. Keep up the great work. Cheers!

It's a good, solid, satisfying episode from theme thru effects. Is the Gorn all villain? What about the Metron - is he just into teasing insects? The all-action cap'n remembers minutiae from chemistry class and behaves from strategic diplomacy rather than kneejerk vengeance. The doc who is often undeniably racist towards Spock is thinking deeply and sensibly instead of sinking into bigoted tripe. And the great outdoor setting is harsh and beautiful - I wish some could have been filmed in moonlight.

Fairly good episode. 3 out of 5, “Metron sexuals.” P.S. I really hope you do watch Thunderheart.