Spectre of the Gun

Plot

The Enterprise is ordered to initiate first contact with the Melkotians, a reclusive species. A probe intercepts the ship, delivering a warning in the native languages of the crew, proving the Melkotians are telepathic. Spock advises caution, but Kirk insists on proceeding. After entering orbit, Kirk, Spock, Scott, McCoy, and Chekov beam down.

A Melkotian emissary sentences them to death for trespassing. The landing party materializes in a surreal Old West town, where their phasers have become six-shooters and communication with the Enterprise is lost. A newspaper dated October 26, 1881, identifies the crew as the Cowboys: Kirk is Ike Clanton, Scott is Billy Clanton, McCoy is Tom McLaury, Spock is Frank McLaury, and Chekov is Billy Claiborne. The Earp brothers and Doc Holliday prepare for the gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

Attempts to alter the outcome fail; Morgan Earp kills Chekov after a barmaid, Sylvia, grows close to him. Spock observes that the real Billy Claiborne survived, implying the day’s events can be changed. He devises a tranquilizer gas grenade to disable the Earps, but the gas has no effect.

Production

James Blish's novelization of this episode was titled "The Last Gunfight" in Star Trek 3. This was the last episode to air on NBC at 10 p.m. on Fridays. DeForest Kelley played a character in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral for the third time; he had appeared as Ike Clanton in You are There and as Morgan Earp in the 1957 film Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Director Vincent McEveety used a stylized Western street of false building fronts with no sides due to budget constraints.

Reception

Walter Koenig considered this his favorite episode, saying it was the one he most enjoyed making and, at the time, his best performance. Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club gave it a B+, criticizing loose writing but commending the strong final showdown and a "weird, arrhythmic vibe" that finally worked for the series.

In 2012, The A.V. Club listed it among the original series' top ten "must see" episodes, and Christian Science Monitor ranked it ninth best. Keith R. A. DeCandido of Tor.com faulted its historical inaccuracies but appreciated its philosophical depth, noting that Kirk and his crew never fight when provoked, refuse revenge, and follow their mission to seek new life despite warnings. The Hollywood Reporter placed it 20th best in 2016, and Den of Geek ranked it the 10th "best worst" episode in 2017.

Home media releases

This episode was released on LaserDisc in the United States in 1987, paired with "Day of the Dove." It was released on VHS in the United Kingdom, paired with "Assignment: Earth." In Japan, it was released on December 21, 1993 as part of the complete season 3 LaserDisc set Star Trek: Original Series log.3, which included a trailer and English and Japanese audio tracks; the cover script read スター・トレック TVサードシーズン.