We are now entering the realm of the strange episodes. This one is by far the most scifi/experiment so far. It suffers from some set issues and blatant use of stock footage, but still managed to pull of a westworld kind of story with clearly not a lot of budget.
The episode opens with Kirk on the Enterprise being examined/massaged on the bridge by yeoman Barrows and we learn that he is stressed and and refusing to rest. What timing! McCoy and Sulu along with a team of scouts are down on the surface of an apparently unoccupied below checking to make sure it is safe for shore leave. Spock tricks Kirk into beaming down for some relaxation. Just before he arrives McCoy is spooked by the sight of a giant, human shaped rabbit being chased by a little girl who looks like Alice. When Kirk arrives they investigate and find giant rabbit tracks. At this point it seems like maybe it is time to stop just randomly wandering around, but nah.
The camera shows us a rock opening up revealing a revolver and moments later Kirk and McCoy rush towards the sounds of gunshots. Sulu has found the revolver, just the kind he always wanted, and starts shooting it over a lake. Lets stop for a minute and talk about the outdoor sets in this episode. The grass is obviously mowed and there are even power poles and grass huts (they filmed this part at the Africa USA theme park, ironic since this episode is about a theme park) visible in the background. This makes the episode feel kinda cheap.
The action continues when Yeoman barrows is attacked by Don Juan and Kirk meets his old lover Ruth. They are also attacked by a diving WWII fighter aircraft and a tiger that alternates between being stock footage obviously shot on different film that the episode and a tiger with a chain around it's neck. Spock beams down to assist and informs Kirk the Enterprise is losing power and no one else will be able to beam down. After splitting up and getting back together several times they all meet in a grassy field just in time to see McCoy killed by a charging black knight. Kirk shoots the knight with a revolver killing him, but also revealing he is some sort of dummy or robot.
Even though they are most of the way towards figuring out the figures they keep encountering are being made from their thoughts, Kirk can't resist a good old fashioned fist fight with his rival from his academy days at Vasquez Rocks, a location trek would return to many more times. Finally they all get back together and figure it out, and as they do a man emerges from the bushes and explains the whole planet is set up as an amusement park and McCoy comes out two who a chorus girl on either arm. The man tells them it is too advanced for humans, but they are welcome to enjoy the place which is good enough for Kirk who orders the crew to beam down and party on.
Review time! After watching I read up a bit on this episode and it started life as a Theodore Sturgeon script, but Roddenberry had it rewritten and it just kept getting stranger. It got so bad that Roddenberry was working on set to try to make it all work. Despite it strangeness and fantasy elements the actors are all taking it seriously and the core idea is an interesting one.
6 out of 10
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