STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES
Season 1, Episode 18

Arena

Series: Original Series - (1966-1969)
Season: 1
Episode #: 18
Production #: 6149-19
Original Airdate: 01/19/1967

Writer(s): Gene L. Coon and Fredric Brown
Director(s): Joseph Pevney

Guest Stars
Jerry Ayres as Ensign O'Herlihy
Grant Woods as Lt. Kelowitz
Tom Troupe as Lt. Harold
James Farley as Lt. Cmdr. Lang
Carole Shelyne as the Metron
Sean Kenney as Lt. DePaul

Uncredited Guest Stars
William Blackburn as Lt. Hadley and the Gorn Captain (head only)
Bobby Clark as the Gorn Captain
Gary Combs as the Gorn Captain
Ted Cassidy as the Voice of the Gorn Captain
Jeannie Malone as a Bridge Yeoman
Vic Perrin as the Voice of the Metron
Frank da Vinci as Lt. Brent
Eddie Paskey as Lt. Leslie
Ron Veto as Lt. Harrison

Stardate: 3045.6

Synopsis

The U.S.S. Enterprise is in pursuit of an unknown alien ship which has destroyed a Starfleet base on Cestus III. In an uncharted area of space, both the alien ship and the Enterprise are caught by an advanced race called Metrons. The Metrons are angry at the two ships for trespassing into their space and believe that physical combat is the answer to finding justice.

They transport Kirk and the alien captain, a lizard-like creature called a Gorn, to an uninhabited asteroid to fight to the death. The Metrons promise that the victor and his ship will be set free, while the loser will be destroyed, along with his ship and crew.

[ Complete Screencap Index ]

The Gorn informs Kirk that the base on Cestus III was destroyed because it was believed to be a hostile intrusion on Gorn space. The Gorn is seven feet tall and much stronger than a human, with an extremely aggressive nature, but Kirk has the advantage of speed and agility that his opponent lacks. Kirk manages to keep out of the Gorn's way long enough to mix local minerals into gunpowder, which he uses in a primitive cannon to wound the Gorn captain.

When Kirk refuses to kill the Gorn, the Metrons decide that there may be some hope for the human species after all. Both captains and their ships are set free.

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