Trek's Spectre of the Gun

[Mikey]

Just watched it again this morning on TV Land, for the millionth time.

I can't help but wonder, why do so many many people HATE this episode ?

I can't understand it.

It has everything....

The main cast as stars (not including Uhura and Sulu)

A decent plot

Surrealistic sets .......

And a classic "Star Trek" conclusion...

In a way, the conclusion mimics "Arena"

What do YOU think of "Spectre of the Gun" ?

m

[Earth 2 Chris]

Its a favorite of mine, actually. The part where the Earps "shoot" the crew and the bullets hit the fencing behind them...that's just eerie, and very cool!

Yeah, the ending is a bit of a rip-off of Arena, but it works. "Spectre" is probably my second-favorite Season 3 episode, after "The Tholian Web".

Chris

[Tyme2tyme]

I didn't realise this episode was hated. I have always enjoyed 'Spectre'. I has to be a top ten or so episode for me. For some reason I've always been partial to 'The Doomsdsay Machine' as my fav, JOHN

[Boris71]

I never minded the episode, I didn't realise it was hated either, not my absolute favourite I'll be honest but I always liked it, then again I'm a big fan of the avengers and of the prisoner, lets face it it was awhole lot better than Charlie x my self I'v always had a 3 way split between the enterprise incident, the savage curtain and Spocks Brain that episode is just so funny

[Seeker]

Yeah Spocks Brain is on my wince list.

Spectre is OK as far as episodes go.

[HardyGirl]

LOL! I watched this morning too, and as it started I uttered, "Oh no, not this one!" I just don't really like the eps that look too much like "life on Earth". This ep, as well as "Paradise Syndrome" (American Indians) and "A Piece of the Action" (old time gangsters), just seem to me like the writers were kinda running out of ideas, so they used these. I like more unearthly eps. And they don't have to use weird looking creatures. I just don't like the actual historical parallels.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I thought some of the "just like earth" episodes were stretching things a bit, but I like "Paradise Syndrome". I think the location shooting really helps that one. You can almost buy that its an alien world similar to ours, instead of an old reused soundstage like many of the "earth-like" episodes.

I think Generations blew it big-time by not having Kirk with either Miramanee or Edith Keeler in "The Nexus".

Chris

[fallensaviour]

It's one of my Favs.It's a western,it's Trek,it has the main cast,good story.I like it if you couldn't tell already.I even made a custom Chekov with dual pistols and as soon as I get buckles I'll finish his holsters...LOL

[UnderdogDJLSW]

Any episode where it looks like Spock is about to pick Scotty's nose during a mind meld has got to be a good one. Actually, I like the episode a lot, except that I find it a bit far fetched that the old west would be the one bit of history the aliens would use to set their example.

[Thadiun Okona II]

I always liked this one, especially when they figured out that Chekov was only dead, because he believed everything to be real.

[johnmiic]

Let me join in and give this episode a negative review. I don't like it much-but I don't hate it. It seems to me Spectre a re-tread of familiar themes. The episode is one of the many by the numbers plots where the superior alien entity tests Enterprise crew, ( just like The Savage Curtain-also 3rd season, Freyberger episode). This plot was first done in The Corbomite Manuever and often copied and best done in Arena.

Most of the episode the crew waits for the gun battle at the O.K. Corrall. Their plans of action are mostly boring and consist of lots of talking. Not much action in this episode. I would think that since Star Trek was of such a high quality we could see a plot here at least approaching the intelligence of an average Prisoner epsiode but Spectre doesn't deliver; so the story goes no-where.

They are sooooo obviously stuck on a set. The set, even tho re-drssed for this story, looks nearly the same as That Which Survives and The Apple. The partial saloon and house sets were imaginative looking but more dictated as a cost-cutting measure. If the epsiode had been shot outdors on an available western set location it could have shone. There were many standing western sets all over Hollywood. Paramount should have had some as well. The epsiode could have looked as good as Shore Leave or Arena. Again, they were trying to save money so an outdoor shoot was not an option.

I think what really brings it down is it is a 3rd season, Fred Freyberger episode. I consider much of the 3rd season un-watchable with only a few exceptions, ( Day of the Dove and Let That Be Your Last Battlefield are good episodes for the 3rd season). Freyberger rejected many story suggestions by experienced writers and did Star Trek they way he thought it should be-and he turned out to be wrong. I leave it to all of you to read The World of Star Trek by David Gerrold. Gerrold had the task of outlining what made the 3rd season bad without specifically mentioning Freyberger, ( because Freyberger threatened him with a lawsuit if he blamed him in the book), and he does a good job of explaining things without maiking it personal. So you also have this shadow hanging over the episode.

[Earth 2 Chris]

On the third season DVD set, Nimoy admits while Freiberger was a solid producer, he didn't understand what Star Trek was, which resulted in lackluster episodes overall. That plus the horrid timeslot of 10 on Fridays killed Trek.

Chris