Another day, another godlike being! TNG may have been in love with the Q continuum, but TOS is certainly in love with different godlike beings each week. Arena is an episode most know for it's climactic battle between Kirk and the lizardman Gorn. I suspect I saw this episode as a kid, but I don't really remember much so it was really fun watching it for essentially the first time.
As Kirk and company prepare to beam down to a colony with a governor famous for hospitality they receive and odd request to beam down all the Enterprise tactical teams. Thinking nothing of it Kirk beams down only to find the colony destroyed. There is only one survivor and they come under fire soon after arriving. Before moving on I want to point out this episode features a huge (by TV trek standards anyway) set of the destroyed colony, and it really helps set the scene. While Kirk and several crewman battle the unseen enemy the Enterprise comes under attack from an unknown opponent.
Sulu warps away on orders, but apparently not far because he can beam Kirk back immediately when the attack stops. The Enterprise races after the attacker moving to the highest non-time warp speed seen so far, warp 8 which puts a severe strain on the Enterprise, but allows them to gain on the attacker. Kirk has decided this was an act of war (not unreasonably I have to say) and is determined to destroy them. Just as it appears the Enterprise is onto the enemy both ships come to a complete stop and lose weapons capabilities. A strange image comes on the viewscreen telling them Kirk and the Gorn captain will fight to the death to resolve this dispute.
Kirk disappears and finds himself facing down a dude in a cheesy lizard suit. After some frankly silly fight scenes (fought in slow motion since the Gorn guy clearly can't see well) the two separate and begin planning. The Gorn builds a trap and Kirk pushes a rock onto the Gorn. Neither plan works out, but Kirk has a MacGyver moment and builds a cannon out of bamboo plus some chemicals judiciously spread across the Vasquez rocks. After blasting the Gorn Kirk decides to spare his life. Suddenly an sparkly alien in a toga appears and congratulates him. Kirk explains he realized perhaps he was wrong about the Gorn and there is much self congratulations and everybody goes on there way.
Review segment: This is a fun and action packed episode. Despite some stunt silliness it manages to keep things tense. The use of sets other than rocks made of spray foam really helps things look a lot less cheesy.
8 out of 10
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