‘Star Trek’ Retro Recap: ‘Spectre of the Gun’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

If there is one particular storytelling element, that allowed for Star Trek to rise above other science fiction stories, it would have to be that this series truly showed us our potential for growth, by plunging us into a world where mankind had grown beyond its petty and angry nature. Because that really did allow for audiences to latch onto a universe where hope for the future was abundant and it was always incredible to see Captain Kirk and the captains that followed him, use their minds over brawn at every turn and show every species out there that mankind truly did come in peace and wanted nothing more than to learn and grow and explore the galaxy. 

If anything, that particularly wondrous concept is relevant to today’s discussion, simply because it served as the focal theme for the next episode in this storied series. For ‘Specter of the Gun’ saw the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise venture to a part of space that hosted the home of a reclusive species known as the Melkotians. And the ship was there, simply because there was a prevailing belief that both sides could learn much from one another, but sadly, cooperation from the Melkotian side was fleeting at best. Because these beings wanted no one near their home world, and threatened action if Kirk and the crew pressed any harder. Which of course they did since James T. Kirk always finishes the mission and that’s what led to this exploration of an evolved humanity.

Because the Melkotians were upset with the fact that the Federation continued to make great efforts to communicate, despite being warned to go away. And they saw these repeated attempts as nothing more than acts of aggression, the kind that could be solved by teaching the aggressor a violent lesson, and the best way for humanity to be taught to not mess with species that prefer isolation, was to end lives through a violent act from mankind’s history. Which brought Kirk and his landing party to 1881, wherein they assumed the roles of the Clanton family mere hours before the gunfight at the O.K. Corral and well, despite their best efforts to be peaceful about this and avoid a bloody fight, the simulation surrounding them made sure to keep them on a path toward violence.

In fact, at times said simulation even went so far as to try to push them into becoming an aggressor, since Chekov was gunned down by one of the Earp brothers in the hopes of motivating a fight. But still, they refused to resort to violence, and even assembled a plan that should allow for this waking nightmare to end in peace. But a quick test showed that the plan would fail, because that’s what the simulation wanted, and that’s when Spock realized, there was a peaceful way out of this after all. For this faux reality could be controlled with an iron will. Which prompted him to mind meld with everyone left standing, so that they would ignore the bullets flying their way and by standing tall and never once resorting to violence in the slightest, the away team survived and the Federation made a new ally, since the Melkotians allowed for them to visit their world, but the message present here is what matters more.

For in essence, this was a story that served to remind us in somewhat blunt fashion… that violence is a conscious choice for modern man. One that we do not have to make if we take the time to truly look at and work toward other forms of resolution and well, that’s a beautiful message to embed in a series airing in 1968. Because it offered hope to a nation and a world that was mired in war and strife, and really, it doesn’t get any better than that when it comes to this series. Because this is Trek at its finest since it gives us both the fantastical and the philosophical. Which makes this episode quite special for certain, because it really tapped into the show’s potential and showed everyone what it could have done with a little more time on the air. But alas, we know how this story ends, which means it is best we simply bask in one brilliant tale, one that showed us our potential and one that truly embodied the spirit of a franchise that still inspires so many to choose a better way after all these years. Until next time.

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