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Trelane later escaped from his parents again. The Enterprise again encountered Trelane in 2269 while investigating the disappearance of several vessels. During their second encounter, Trelane had become fascinated with the First World War . Trelane attacked the Enterprise with a space vessel made to resemble an early biplane. Kirk and the Enterprise crew were able to defeat the biplane, but Trelane then subjected several Starfleet officers to a simulation of a period German village. Kirk was again able to disrupt Trelane's power, and Trelane's nanny discovered him and took him away. ( TOS video game : Judgment Rites )

Years later, Trelane appeared again. Kirk told Trelane he had no interest in any more of Trelane's war games. However, Trelane revealed he was interested in romantic conquests now, which Kirk was quite familiar with. Effectively holding the Enterprise hostage and giving Kirk a brief but first hand reminder of Gothos ' deadly atmosphere, Kirk was first made to try and charm a random woman at a bar (and nearly getting killed because the woman was already taken).

Trelane also subjected Kirk to a hallucination of the Enterprise crew (in particular Spock ) into trying to kill Kirk in an attempt to appease Trelane's threats.

Taking a unintended hint from Kirk, Trelane switched tactics and instead made Kirk reunited with an old flame of his, Theresa Ross , but Kirk refused to follow through purely for Trelane's amusement. Punching Trelane in the face and knocking him down, Kirk called him " a boy in a man's body. "

Trelane chastised Kirk for thinking Kirk was the only one to have aged in the years since their last encounter.

Kirk having had enough of Trelane's games set the Enterprise for auto-destruct, Spock figuring the explosion would be enough to kill even Trelane. Trelane in a tantrum destroyed the part of the ship's computer responsible for the self-destruct declaring no one would destroy the Enterprise but him. Trelane revealed all he wanted was Kirk's advice and example on how to handle the ladies. Uhura then plays a part, pretending to want to give Trelane more hands on advice on the subject.

A good deal of this turned out to be delaying tactics on part of the crew, having noticed Trelane having repeatedly moved the ship when a powerful energy signature neared. The signature turns out to be a female of Trelane's species, Valedsia . Kirk was amused at Trelane's cowering at her presence. Kirk told them both to leave his ship at once, and the Valedsia was more than willing to comply with this, dragging off Trelane eagerly and happily as Trelane begged Kirk for help. McCoy found it interesting that coming from a race as advanced as them " they wanted advice on the birds and the bees. " Spock noted that the more advanced the civilization, the more arrogant its youth. ( TOS comic : " A Little Man-to-Man Talk ")

After swapping minds with an alternate version of himself , Kirk initially assumed he was experiencing another of Trelane's games much to Pavel Chekov 's confusion. ( TOS - Connection comic : " Part 1 ")

In the 24th century , the crew of the USS Enterprise -D encountered Trelane, and finally learned that he was a member of the Q Continuum . After Trelane acquired control of the Heart of the Storm, a part of the fundamental structure of the universe, capable of granting Trelane power over the very structure of chaos itself, he began to collapse three alternate timelines together for little more than the sake of it, driving an alternate version of Jack Crusher insane by revealing that he was the only version of himself left in the multiverse, as well as dispersing Q across the universe after sealing the Q Continuum away from the rest of reality. However, Q was able to piece himself back together over the millennia thanks to a signal sent out by his future self, with the result that, when he 'caught up' with Trelane in the present, his powers were intact enough for him to protect Captain Jean-Luc Picard and some of his crew from the insanity that would have been caused by Trelane's manipulation of reality. With the aid of Commander Riker , Lieutenant Worf and an alternate version of Lieutenant Commander Natasha Yar , Picard was able to teleport down to the planet Terminus - an artificial creation made to serve as a focus for Trelane's game- and confront Trelane in a sword-fight using a sword that was really Q's essence, Picard exploiting Trelane's overconfidence and limited practical knowledge of swordfighting to stab him in the chest, allowing Q-in-the-sword to disrupt Trelane's connection to the Heart of the Storm and disperse him into nothing, simultaneously restoring Q's powers. As he restored reality to normal, Q implied in a conversation with Picard that Trelane may have been his own illegitimate son, but his mother's high status in the Continuum meant that any relationship between her and Q would have been scandalous at best, and Picard respected Q's desire to let the matter drop. ( TNG novel : Q-Squared )

In early 2372 , Trelane began playing a strange game of chess with Q, using the crews of two starships Enterprise as pawns. As each superbeing was convinced that the captain he was used to dealing with was superior (Kirk for Trelane and Picard for Q), they switched the captains' places, allowing Kirk to take command of the brand-new USS Enterprise -E on the day of its launch, while Picard had to assume command of the original Enterprise during a Klingon attack. Both captains adapted to their new situations, and were able to work together to overcome Trelane and Q. ( ST - Unlimited comic : " An Infinite Jest ")

In 2379 , when the Q Continuum had launched a preemptive attack on the Organians and the Metrons , Trelane joined with Q in commanding the armies. When Jean-Luc Picard protested the damage caused by the God War, Q collected Picard's crew, along with three others, to serve as proxies armies, James Kirk acting as Trelane's champion. Being allowed to choose the second challenge, Trelane pit the crews against a Doomsday machine . After a disastrous challenge with the Prophets , the Continuum told Q to end things quickly, Trelane choosing the next challenge as collecting a Borg Queen . After the crews had been sent to collect an omega molecule , they rebelled against the contest, aided by Amanda Rogers . Eagerly, Trelane met their challenge before Q2 ended things peacefully, a peace treaty being drafted between the Q, the Organians, and the Metrons. ( TNG - The Q Conflict comics : " Issue 1 ", " Issue 2 ", " Issue 3 ", " Issue 4 ", " Issue 5 ", " Issue 6 ")

Appearance and references [ ]

• TOS comic : " A Little Man-to-Man Talk "
• ST - Unlimited comic : " An Infinite Jest "
• ST comic : " Who's Who in Star Trek, Issue 1 "

Portrayal [ ]

• Trelane was played by William Campbell in "The Squire of Gothos". Campbell voiced the character in Judgment Rites .

External links [ ]

• Trelane article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• Trelane article at Wikipedia , the free encyclopedia.
• Trelane article at Star Trek Expanded Universe wiki , the wiki for fan-authored Star Trek .
• 1 The Chase
• 2 Preserver (race)
• 3 Tzenkethi

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Review “The Squire Of Gothos” Remastered

| July 25, 2007 | By: Adam Cohen 86 comments so far

This scenario is what I refer to earlier as “vintage Trek.”  The Wikipedia article on this episode identifies a thematic trend in TOS called “dystheism” — the belief in God’s existence but not in His being wholly good.  While Trelane is not presented as the Judeo-Christian God, Kirk is not enamored with superior power in any form, which clearly parallels that theme.  Other TOS episodes go further in this direction, but consistently we see Kirk has a concrete set of values and priorities that he refuses to abrogate in the face of so-called all-knowingness.  Gene Roddenberry’s moral/secular humanist hero is strongly present in Kirk.  Looking back to when I first started watching this show as a youth, I can see how my attitudes towards organized religion and dogma were partially informed by the humanist hero of Kirk.  This is not to say that Star Trek is anti-organized religion, as I’m sure one could just as easily point out that the show regularly destroyed false gods and golden calves in all forms (and thus bolstered organized religion).  But that’s the beauty of this show– it gives varying points of view room to breath.

Trelane quickly devolves into the pathetic, lonely brat that Kirk identified in his mind early on.  Trelane abducts Uhura and Yeoman Teresa Ross to the surface, ogling them without pity, and ironically embodying the very thing which he accuses Kirk and his crew of possessing, namely “the very soul of sublime savagery.”  There is some nifty writing here, courtesy of Paul Schneider (“Balance of Terror”).  Little twists of dialogue and economical set-ups move the story forward, developing a tension-filled showdown between Kirk and Trelane.  Campbell and Shatner face off well, eclipsing the cardboard scenery with theatrical performances (see the courtroom scene for the show’s true crescendo). And when Kirk finally decides to confront to Trelane, he affirms his status as a hero– one who is willing to risk his life to protect others.  Before Trelane can kill Kirk, two glowing spots appear on a nearby rock. Naturally, these are Trelane’s parents.  They call off Trelane and promise Kirk that they will punish their rambunctious child for mistreating Kirk and his crew.  But there’s a tinge of Trelane’s superiority underlying his parents’ tone (yet another subtle shade by Schneider).  I picture your typical old-fashioned aristocratic couple, embarrassed by their son’s behavior towards “the help.”  And the voice acting, while obviously dated and cheesy, brings the point home regardless.  Kirk attempts to ask Trelane’s parent’s about their origins and powers, but he’s blown off as they disappear (probably to play Pinochle with Q’s parents).

“Cat and Mouse” Never Looked Better!

The remastered effects greatly improve this episode.  CBS-D gave visceral movement to the “cat and mouse” scene where the Enterprise attempts to escape Gothos– with the planet repeatedly appearing in the ship’s path.  I found myself leaning side to side in my chair as I watched Gothos zip by the bridge’s main viewscreen.  That’s some mighty good FX work!  Now, I’ve read comments on this site by some readers stating the hand phaser shots are inconsistent from episode to episode.  I agree that uniformity would be helpful, but I take CBS-D’s work in its entirety and I am extremely impressed and grateful for the majority of what they’ve done up until this point.  This episode in particular benefited greatly from the new Gothos shots. 

Beware The 40,000 Year-Old Virgin

Trelane starts out as an overpowering foe but by the episode’s end he is revealed to be an immature loner lacking friends and social skills.  This motif is used repeatedly throughout the series but starting in the show’s first season, “The Squire of Gothos” is truly one of the classic Treks.  Revisiting its poignant themes about power and free will was a worthwhile experience.

Adam Cohen is the editor and mastermind of the sometimes funny The Jack Sack , a "24" (humor) site.

Excellent review. Not an episode i remember fondly, but one having read your description of merits i’d never thought about before, I’m up for a rewatch. Thanks!

I wish that CBS would put more space between episode that are basically alike. last week Charlie, this week Trelane.

they did it before with the Nazi episode then next week the gangster episode.

I know Trek was guilty of recycling plot devices, but can we not point them out so obviously

He’s Not a Child! He’s 34! Melllvar’s Mom correcting fry regarding facts in ” Where no fan has gone before”

I for one liked this episode and I was greatly saddened that Trelane wasn’t related ot the Q race. I will always love John De Lancie’s performance as Q, but I can’t help but see Q as a more mature and villinous version of Trelane.

However, all was not lost. They actually made a sequel to this episode in the form of a game called “Star Trek: Judgement Rights”. Even actor William Campbell returns to the role as Trelane which is a real treat. And in this episode of the game, Trelane now emulates the first World War and his parents are no where to be seen in order to stop his bad ways. It even features a space battle between Trelane in his WWI Biplane against the Enterprise which is quite goofy. It also has a great ending to it where Kirk demands that Trelane take both of them to a much more realistic depiction of a war trench after a battle. It’s a pretty dark and uneasy setting that gives Kirk the level he needs in order to explain to Trelane that war isn’t always a glorious thing to behold and take for granted in a way that Trelane dipicts it and it’s never really wanted.

Pretty good stuff. There are multiple ways to end that chapter of the game, but the trench one was my favorite.

#2, yeah I was thinking the same thing. I always liked Gothos, but seeing it right after the more sophisticated Charlie X, it looks like kind of a cheap retread.

And frankly I think it’s a stretch to use Gothos as any kind of statement on religion. Kirk doesn’t trust Trelane because he’s clearly a dangerous and unpredictable alien with incredible powers. I doubt he saw him as any kind of “god.”

Nice review Adam. Where have you been?? I miss our resident science officer

Good show and review. “Kirk is a zero sum guy” is usually quite true. Watching this after not having seen it for many years, I almost thought it was a classic Twilight Zone, with a generic space crew. Meant as a compliment. The powerful beings in TOS kind of made the stories interesting because the crew wasn’t always top dog, as in most of the other series. Both Q and the Borg became parodies near the end. They (TOS) had to scratch their way out of trouble.

…not “All Good Things”, very good.

#6 Thanks, man.

I’m back from a long summer of traveling. You’ll be seeing more of me, don’t you worry :)

I don’t agree with those who have suggested the Gothos is a retread of Charlie. I think you get that because CBS-R played them back-to-back. Come on, this is 1966 TV. There’s a huge appetite for Man v. gods (small g) stories in a post-Vatican II (big V) America. I think that later Kirk v. god stories (esp. Apple and Adonis) suffer from sheer repetition, but I don’t get that feeling with Gothos, Charlie or Archons. Since, as you point out, it’s such a common theme in TOS, I wonder if JJ might throw in some omnipotent being/puter/thingie for Kirk to rail at. (As long as it’s not a giant face.)

another fine review Adam…thanks

I have always been curious as well about Roddenberry’s seeming obsession with superbeings. He has them in the pilots for both TOS and TNG and in the two movies he was most involved with TMP and STV…and littered throughout the series. Not sure what his message was…but he sure thought a lot about it.

Squire is not one of my faves but not on my badlist…it good fun effort…the new effects in this episode though really do make an improvement in increasing the tension levels for the ship scenes.

and a planet with some new colors…thanks CBSD

One oddity I noticed in the episode.

At the beginning during “coffee time,” Spock is standing by DeSalle’s console and he’s speaking to Kirk. Mid-sentence, he’s looking down at DeSalle’s console and he reports to Kirk that something’s in front of them.

Kirk asks the navigator – DeSalle – to confirm, and he says he can’t! Spock was looking at that very workstation and DeSalle didn’t see what Spock did so plainly a moment ago?

My only thought is that it was written with an eye toward Spock being at his regular science station, but on the day of shooting, they decided to block the scene with Spock loitering at the navigation station. While it gives a nice, fresh dynamic to the bridge interaction, it makes DeSalle look like an idiot ’cause he can’t read his own display.

“…played with panache by William Campbell…”

Rare, Spock-like understatement. Nicely done.

I believe Peter David’s book “Q-Suared” established that Trelane is a Q.

I was a little disappointed that a new wide establishing shot of the castle was not added in the Remastered version, similar to the new castle shot in Catspaw or exterior beam-in shot in Spock’s Brain. When the crew suddenly notice the castle we see the shock on their faces and hear a loud fanfare but all we get is an underwhelming shot of a door. This was a lost opportunity to really give the viewers an image that would’ve lifted the episode by expanding on its otherwise threadbare exterior planet set.

Brother Adam, Your timing is impecible, you came back at the right time. I had to buy diapers for the next couple days flood of info we are about to recieve.

Kirk to Apollo “We find our one God quite sufficient, thank you”. (A very remarked upon comment back in the Sixties’.)

Kirk was no secular humanist and displays the skepticism of one of the faithful when confronted with someone claiming to be a god.

Don’t know what religion he was, but Kirk has a faith. AND his very name means ‘church’. Dwell on that!

I thought DeSalle couldn’t confirm it as Gothos was there and then not there

Great review!

I’m always an advocate of new matte shots, and agree it would have been a nice addition, but the planet chase made up for it. I’m just glad I wasn’t the only one leaning like a ninny during the scene!

Q was a more mature version of Trelane, so was TNG a more mature version of TOS.

The coffee… wow, they had coffee in one episode. Picard had tea all the time (remember? earl grey, hot…) and as I recall Janeway couldn’t start her day without a pot of black coffee on her desk.

Trelane just kind of reminded me of a flamboyant insecure man who acted out his insecurities on the men he envied.It’s a case of a delusional egomaniac with too much power who treats others as objects.I see Trelane as a masochistic homosexual and as someone in a state of arrested emotional development

Sorry meant to say sadistic.

“Q Squared” is a Star Trek novel and thus, non-canon.

“I see Trelane as a *sadistic homosexual and as someone in a state of arrested emotional development.”

Homosexual! haha what the hell gave you that impression?

For one thing, Adam’s comment that he was “ogling” Uhura and the yeoman is completely accurate. I don’t remember him ogling Sulu or Kirk. Also, and more to the point, he’s an omnipotent energy alien who probably doesn’t even have genitals to begin with!

Your vilifying of homosexuals by comparing them to Trelane is not something I agree with. As for him being sadistic and emotionally arrested, I whole-heartedly agree.

Just a character study.that happens to be part of the mix I see.Just like most people see Liberace( including the author).I didn’t know it was prohibited to speak about villans with this feature.I guess all villans are heterosexual to you.

>I have always been curious as well about Roddenberry’s seeming >obsession with superbeings. He has them in the pilots for both TOS and >TNG and in the two movies he was most involved with TMP and STV…>and littered throughout the series. Not sure what his message was…but >he sure thought a lot about it.

Aye, but as far as STV is concerned, Roddenberry had little involvement. His role was just a technical advisor. In fact he didn’t like STV and it’s said that he even considered the movie (the book uses this word and not me) hypocriphal (non-canon). His letters written to the producer about the script are in his biography.

>I believe Peter David’s book “Q-Suared” established that Trelane is a Q.

Yes sir. Not exactly canon, but it’s still a good read.

I think Trelane is more flamboyant than gay. If anything, he’s really just a big blob of green energy… who knows how they even reproduce.

By that measure, Koloth had to have been gay too, since he was played by the same actor in almost the same way. lol

29.I think Trelane used flamboyance to mask his insecurity.Deep down inside He didn’t know who he was.He was just barely holding it together.That’s one reason for his envy of Kirk.Trelane was delusional great while Kirk was the real thing.It’s a case of resentement-the green eyed monster that mocks the meat it feeds on.

“Just a character study.that happens to be part of the mix I see.Just like most people see Liberace( including the author).I didn’t know it was prohibited to speak about villans with this feature.I guess all villans are heterosexual to you.”

Let’s see … we know he’s flamboyant and he’s sadistic, so he MUST be gay too.

Suggesting he’s gay is pretty far in left field given how he treated the females. Your suggestion is so far out in left field it seemed a little homo-phobic to me. It appeared to pigeonhole homosexuality as a negative characteristic associated with flamboyancy and sadism. If that is not what you intended to imply, however, I’ll take you at your word.

As for your second baseless assumption, I definitely don’t think all villains are heterosexual. Quite the contrary, Star Trek does have a history of implying alternative sexual orientations are a vilifying characteristic. Just look at Mirror Universe Kira from Deep Space Nine. Only in such an “evil deviant universe” could Kira be so promiscuous and appear bi-sexual?

Star Trek (and some Star Trek fans) needs to look more closely at how it addresses issues of sexual identity.

Maybe Q is Trelane’s Grandfather?

It wasn’t Roddenberry per se who had the greatest fascination with “god-like beings” as plot devices during TOS – it was Gene L. Coon. He used non-corporeal creatures with magical and near-infinite powers in “Arena” and “Errand Of Mercy,” two of the eight TOS episodes for which he’s credited under his own name for teleplay.

Roddenberry, by contrast, used creatures that could be described as “god-like” in the superiority of their technology and/or mental powers in only two out of twelve TOS scripts for which he was credited with the teleplays – “The Cage” and “The Savage Curtain.” Both the Talosians and the Excalbians were flesh-and-blood (so to speak; the Excalbians being a bit on the stony side) and were much more limited in their abilities than Coon’s near-deities.

“God-like aliens” start popping up in Roddenberry’s stories as deus-ex-machinas later, when trying to recreate “Star Trek” in the first motion picture or in the pilot episode of “Encounter At Farpoint.”

Coon was long dead by then, and it’s rather as if GR were looking back at some of the most popular episodes of TOS – most of which were written by other writers like Coon – and adopting tropes that either resonated with him thematically or that he thought contributed to the first show’s success.

As far as Trek V is concerned, of course, not only is it true that his input there was limited but that he argued vociferously against the whole “Enterprise meets God” storyline and was less than enthusiastic about the eventual watered-down version.

Kirk’s actual line in “Who Mourns For Adonais” was:

“Mankind has no need for gods. We find the one quite adequate.”

The second sentence was added at the insistence of NBC Standards and Practices.

Excellent review Adam. Thank you!

#26: “Just a character study.that happens to be part of the mix I see.”

Except that there’s no reason based on the material to think that Trelane is homosexual. The only overtly sexual behavior he displays is toward the female Enterprise crew members.

That a viewer might identify Trelane’s foppish behavior with a camp gay stereotype and conclude as a result that the character was *intended* to be homosexual is an observation on the stereotype itself and on the viewer in question, not actually found in the material

Didn’t anyone tell the writers about how Deus Ex Machina is a fatal error of dramaturgy?

Overacting does not equal gay behavior. If that were the case, shouldn”t the Enterprise’s Captain be raising eyebrows too?

Trelane’s biggest failing was that he was out of his element when it came to human behavior. He really was a social idiot. Kirk picked up on this early on and exploited Trelane’s ineptness to his advantage. Kirk played armchair psychologist and managed to cause Trelane to beat himself. What was rewarding about that strategy was seeing it develop over the course of the episode. By the time Kirk decides he’s going to take down Trelane, you had the feeling that he knew precisely what buttons to push. Sure, Trelane could have wiped out Kirk with the blink of an eye, but he didn’t. That’s a testament to good writing and strong acting for making that set-up so satisfactory in the end. Kirk is so very good at the mind games.

P.S. Thanks to everyone for writing their comments. It is my pleasure to read your reactions and thoughts to this episode.

I don’t recall how He treated the females.I bet ,however it was probably in a degrading manner.Which supports the fact that He’s full of self loathing.Probably to prove something to himself.Remember He had a big issue with his identity ,being very jealous of other men.But anyway that’s my assesment.

Um Yeah,Adam.Captain Kirk had a great fear of commitment.(and Shatner’s a bit of a ham)I hope someone doesn’t get on my back about being a heterophobe!(shatnerphobe)

Actually, I was only half surprised they didn’t have John De Lancie redo the dub of Trelane’s “father” (or both; it would have been short order to rewrite the parents dialog as a single voice). I guess that would have been pushing things a bit far. Still…

sweet episode!

sweet review!

Trelane’s behavior is typical of the way late 18th century “fops” or “dandies” behaved (according to contemoprary description). They were not any more homosexual than posers or players are today. As #36 has pointed, his behavior is foppish rather than homosexual.

What’s the difference? Well, for one thing, “homosexual” is not a mannerism, a character trait or a way of talking, moving or acting — whereas fops and dandies behaved according to a strict code of behavior.

End of lecture. But he sure did act gay. (not homosexual).

Trelane couldn’t have been gay. Judy Garland wasn’t born until way after the 19th century.

I thought Campbell was great in this, BTW.

That randy, foppish, non-gay, megalomaniacal, not a Q, child of green omnipotent energy beings bastard!

And that was a great review, Adam. I have also enjoyed the insightful views from the other posters. THIS is what this site is all about, to me.

(Were they green? I forgot during my opening sentence.)

Foppish, yes…Gay, no.

He did have a fascination with women…unless he was just overcompensating….lol

Mugs? Yeah, if by mugs you mean “styrofoam cups”

Touche, Donnysan.

But Trelane’s castle was styrofoam as well…

Star Trek: The Q Continuum Was Introduced Before TNG (Thanks to a Retcon)

Q's influence on Star Trek: The Next Generation was clear from the start, but it would take years before it came close to canon.

The Q Continuum is a long-beloved artifact of Star Trek history, and its mischievous ambassador, Q (John de Lancie), has been a welcome guest star since his first appearance in The Next Generation 's premiere event. The origins of the Continuum and their omnipotent forces remain a mystery, but John de Lancie himself would voice some likely suspicions about the roots of Q in 2008, and he traces a direct link between Q and one of Star Trek 's iconic original episodes, "The Squire of Gothos." And that link is bolstered by the fan-favorite novel Q-Squared , which reveals that Trelane is a Q, after all.

"The Squire of Gothos" has a familiar premise. The Enterprise is hijacked from focusing on their primary mission when Kirk and Sulu disappear. It's not long before the rest of the crew is confronted with a 14th-century castle and its humanoid ruler. Introducing himself as Trelane, general and self-styled Squire of planet Gothos, Trelane bounces from foppish to petulant whenever Kirk and his crew won't play along. Trelane eventually puts the crew on trial for treason and insurrection, his courtroom as anachronistic as the rest of his playhouse. It's only the intervention of his family that stops the execution, two energy beings revealing that the godlike power is a spoiled child, left alone too long with his toys.

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Though Q's disruption of the new Enterprise in "Encounter at Farpoint" has a sharper point, the playfulness and petulance he displays have a familiar ring to it. Fond of theatrics and anachronisms and placing Picard on a still-running trial for the future of humanity, the similarities to Trelane were quickly pointed out to Q's inventor, Gene Roddenberry. According to The Fifty Year Mission: The Next 25 Years by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, the preproduction crew tried to stop the introduction of Q because he was so similar to Trelane. But Roddenberry brushed off their fears, assuring them that fans would love this new take on familiar territory.

John de Lancie also recognized the similarities when he was cast, and speculated privately that Roddenberry had drawn from previous experience, looking for what had worked before. Q was, as de Lancie explained in a 2008 interview for an enhanced rerelease of the original Star Trek DVDs, "kind of carrying that baton through time." With de Lancie's work and clear fondness of the character, Q would become more than a spiritual successor to Trelane. They're both complicated and mercurial entities, but Q has a subtler sense of morality.

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The link between the Continuum and the troublesome Squire of Gothos deepened in 1994. Tie-in Star Trek novels are typically non-canonical, but some novels had a bigger impact than others, and writer Peter David became a welcome resource for new Q adventures. Q-Squared elevated what the fandom long suspected into a widely accepted fact. Trelane is revealed to be a Q, and more than that, the book sets up the clear assumption that de Lancie's iconic Q is one of the spoiled squire's parents.

It's a wild ride for Picard, who gets approached by Q in one of his more humble moments. Trelane is drunk on power, and his spoiled nature has turned him into a reality-destroying threat. As Trelane's influence warps multiple timelines out of joint, he inadvertently sets a course towards his own death and rebirth as a Q, setting him up as the slightly less powerful being that meets Kirk in his future. And while it's   technically not canon, it's not easy to find Star   Trek fans who don't accept the connection as fact, either.

As a Q, Trelane's since made fewer appearances than his sire, but his impact may arguably be greater. Without Trelane, Star Trek  would be a less bizarre place. Roddenberry played a huge gamble on how well he understood what would delight fans waiting for new Star Trek adventures, and by turning to the playful Squire of Gothos to build his spiritual successor, Gene came out the clear winner.

KEEP READING:  Star Trek: Two Random TOS Characters Were ALMOST Series Regulars

Star Trek N00b, Episode 18: Squire of Gothos (Basically, Napolean)

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History buffs, get your Napoleon hats on, because this episode is for you and you can watch along right here !

Every time I hit “play” I feel like I’m hopping onto the Magic School Bus. I know that Captain Kirk aka Ms. Frizzle is about to school me on some aspect of tech, history, literature or philosophy.

Hey, That’s a Neat Magic Trick

While they’re out driving through space, a large planet goes *poof* and appears out of nowhere. Uhura notices that it’s jamming up their communicators by emitting radio waves. Dun dun duuun.

Sulu suddenly stands up, looking confused. I was gonna say that Sulu looks like he forgot to turn off the stove or something. But then I remembered that there are no stoves on the Enterprise and that Sulu also works as a botanist.

Come to think of it, we haven’t seen his botany department in a while!

Then *poof,* Sulu has disappeared from the bridge! Oh myyyyy!

Kirk looks alarmed, but then *poof,* he’s gone too!

It’s an illusion, not a trick! Source: Gifrific

One of the cool things about Spock is that pesky emotions don’t cause him to hesitate. Or maybe his love for the Captain just makes him all the more effective.

The split second after Kirk disappears, Spock cries out, “Emergency!” The Enterprise goes into Red Alert. Omg, what’s happening?!

Texts from Last Night

Bones is ready to lead the cavalry down to the planet, but Spock’s like, “Hold up, cowboy, we gotta do this shit rationally.” They run some tests and discover that the planet’s surface is super deadly. The landing crew will need life support systems before they go down.

Suddenly Uhura intercepts a whole bunch of drunk Texts from Last Night that look like this:

Blackletter script? Spock will find a way to out-vintage you!

This gibberish worries Spock, so he texts Bones: PLS HURRY UP AND SAVE MY BF.

Fifty Shades of Nightmare Decor

Bones and his landing party beam to the planet’s surface. Strangely enough, it’s just like Earth’s atmosphere, so they remove their life support systems.

If this atmosphere is an illusion, you’re all screwed.

Also their communicators don’t work. Can I just say — it seems like these cheese graters NEVER work. Time to change your mobile carrier, people!

They find a totally unexpected old manor just sitting in the middle of the wilderness, and it’s full of antique statues and artistic displays. I’m pretty sure they’ve actually just wandered across time/channels and onto HGTV.

What do they find inside? Well. Do you remember the gender-shifting creature from The Man Trap ?

Yep, a house full of taxidermy / life-like sculptures is spooky.

This building is like some kinda wax museum. And guess who they find?

Kirk and Sulu were amazing buskers in a past life.

Meet Peeping Tom

Suddenly, the room is filled with harpsichord music! There’s a strange fellow sitting there, pulling a Liberace.

Y’all should read Liberace’s other quotes . They’re pretty fantastic.

The musician introduces himself as General Trelane, (retired). The Squire of Gothos. He unfreezes Kirk and Sulu with a fabulous snap of his fingers. Magical!

Trelane has been spying on Earth using an ultra telescope, Marvin the Martian style. He’s trying to mimic everything he sees with his fashion and environment.

Kirk points out that Earth is 900 light years away, so uhhh, Trelane’s been watching events from 900 years ago. Like a live stream of 18th-century reality TV. Whoaaa.

When his mistake is pointed out, Trelane bursts out with one of my favorite lines in this episode, “Oh, how fallible of me!”

He’s got such unusual speech habits — I gotta find a way to get this phrase into daily conversation.

Like if I stumble while walking: “Whoops, how fallible of me!”

Trelane decides to hold the landing party captive, so that he can demonstrate his god-like abilities to rearrange matter at will.

Jail Break!

DeSalle, one of the crew members in the landing party, tries to sneak behind Trelane to stun the guy with a phaser. This might have been a great strategy, but silly DeSalle tries to shoot him in front of a mirror!

Aha! Not very stealthy!

Trelane uses his powers to get ahold of the phaser and set it to “kill.” He gets all scary, like a kid with a dangerous weapon. He shoots the creatures being displayed in his manor.

Right when Kirk, Sulu and the landing party start to get really worried, Spock beams them up to the Enterprise. He basically hacked the transporter so that it would beam up ALL living creatures within a certain area. Hmmm.

Bones couldn’t find any traditional life signs when he used the medical scanner on Trelane, so they assume that he’s been left behind. No such luck.

Ughhh, Trelane. No one wants you here!

Throwing Some Shade

Trelane uses his annoying powers to toss the crew back onto his planet. Looks like he’s asking them to dinner.

He brags about how tasteful the decor is, and Sulu responds with “No.”

Spock jumps into the Diss Battle with, “I object to power without constructive purpose.”

No one there actually eats or drinks anything. Except for Bones, who seems to drink every episode.

Oh Bones, you so silly. Don’t drink booze from psychopathic gods

Bones, Spock, and Kirk try to strategize their way out, while the women are being manipulated by Trelane. Uhura doesn’t know how to play the harpsichord, so he does this creepy thing – he turns her into a musical puppet. He’s so amused because he’s never encountered women before! In fact, Trelane describes human motivation as the “fight for the possession of women!”

Ughhhh. What a creep!

Isn’t this fun! You have no volition!

Kirk doesn’t buy the whole “god” thing. The food doesn’t have any flavor, and the fireplace gives off no heat. It’s like Trelane’s just copied everything from what he’s seen on Earth. They’re convinced that he’s using some kind of technology to do this. Trelane keeps standing in front of his mirror and posing dramatically — so everyone figures the control panel is behind the mirror!

Haven’t we seen a mirror operating system before?

Kirk challenges Trelane to an old fashioned duel with guns. Cuz this totally makes sense.

He shoots the crap out of the mirror. Seven years of bad luck! The interference with their transporter clears up, and they beam away.

We DON’T Wanna Hang Out, Trelane!

This dude has a hissy fit when the crew escapes. Turns out his ENTIRE PLANET is his ship, and he follows them at high speed. Kirk gets so irritated that he beams back to the planet to confront Trelane and give him a smack.

Too bad he didn’t anticipate this freaky / kinky roleplay.

Trelane is very upset and demands that Kirk suffer capital punishment.

Eddie Izzard.

Kirk knows that he’s gotta get outside and away from this power-hungry maniac! He tells Trelane that simple murder is too easy — he needs to enjoy the sport of hunting Kirk!

I dunno where you’re going with this Kirk, but it seems like a bad strategy.

Hunger Games

Kirk agrees to give Trelane an exciting chase, if the omnipotent being lets go of the Enterprise. Basically, Kirk is sacrificing himself for the crew, since Trelane’s clearly got too much power. What a captain!

Kirk runs outside and gets a head start. He desperately tries to contact the Enterprise with his communicator, demanding them to flee. But he can’t get through to them.

Trelane comes after him like a deranged serial killer.

But his killing spree is interrupted by… his parents?! That’s right — little Trelane’s ma and pa are omnipotent beings as well, and this kid has CROSSED THE LINE!

He’s going to time out — hopefully with that other brat, Charlie X .

You need to supervise your kid better.

There’s an awkward moment when Trelane’s parents apologize to Kirk for their psychopathic son. Yeah, well maybe you should take away his driving and god privileges. They release him, and Kirk beams back onto the Enterprise.

Spock greets him and asks how they should describe Trelane in their upcoming report.

Kirk starts comparing Trelane’s behavior to that of a small boy, except with much greater power.

He reminisces on his own childhood. “Dipping little girls’ curls in inkwells. Stealing apples from the neighbors’ trees…”

Spock just gives him this look:

Growing up, I had never watched a Star Trek episode all the way through. My family members weren’t huge sci-fi fans, and they’d flip the channel whenever Star Trek came on. Now I am embarking on an epic nerd rite of passage, chronicling my reactions to every episode of Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS).

Header by  Rory Midhani

Queer hapa writer inspired by gadgets. Attending the Ada Developers Academy in the third cohort. Uninterested in quitting her coffee habit. Reads and writes sci-fi and horror. Find her at lorainekv.com or on Twitter .

Loraine has written 33 articles for us.

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17 comments.

I think this is officially my favorite of your recaps to date.

Aw, thank you for saying so! Trelane made it easy to let loose with the jokes. He’s hilarious and a much better brat than Charlie X.

This column brightens my Mondays :)

I kind of like this episode and I think the idea of Q in TNG builds on this episode of TOS. If you compare Trelane and Q, they’re both kind of fallible and childish god-like creatures, and the way that Trelane tried to put Kirk to death for the crimes of humans is carried on by Q in TNG (compare the court scenes in this episode and the pilot of TNG for example).

Ugh, this comment was a lot less coherent than I hoped it would be but anyway hope you enjoyed this one.

Absolutely! I’ve been dabbling in TNG, and since Q is right there in the first ep, I got to see John de Lancie in all his mischievous glory. I was definitely reminded of him throughout the episode!

so good. every time. I look forward to this column every monday!

Aw, so glad to hear that! Thank you for reading!

Hilarious! Love this column.

What loony fun this episode is! Great recap, Loraine, as usual. Nice Eddie Izard reference! That’s my favorite show he’s filmed, so far anyway.

Kayl, you’re right, of course, though this guy is much goofier even than Q, which is saying something!

Super random: Eddie Izzard is in NBC’s Hannibal and he is effing TERRIFYING.( Just in case you wanted to look into a horror series anytime soon. IMO, it’s the best horror series right now. )

I wanna see an episode with both Trelane and Q occupying the same planet. Hilarity would ensue.

wow this is a blast from the past! we used to have this episode on VIDEO back in the day and it’s probably the only star trek episode i’ve actually ever watched!! I think it’s time I revisited this memory and watch this again!

Your comment just made me realize….that I haven’t had access to a VHS player in years. Weird!

Of course, if the Squire is watching 900 years ago in a time that’s about 300 years from when the show was broadcast, so it’s about 600 years before 1966, which is 1460, right? Yet he knows all about Napoleon and mid-20th century German fascism! A bit of a time error, indeed, but it wasn’t made by the Squire! How fallible of the writers!

And the costumes are totally wrong, even assuming he’s only looking at Europe. His dress and the harpsichord are from about 1765 in France or Germany. Very, very silly!

I forgot to mention that this episode marks the first on-screen inter-racial kiss in the history of television (even though they didn’t actually lock lips). It’s renowned for that fact alone.

No, I’m wrong! That’s a bit farther on! How fallible of me!

I loved this episode! It’s kind of ridiculous, but I love it.

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The Best Throwaway Joke In The Strange New Worlds/Lower Decks Crossover Makes A Big Fan Theory Canon

This post contains spoilers for the latest episode of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."

One of the more amusing aspects of "Star Trek" is that when a Starfleet captain meets an all-powerful deity, in some cases literal gods, they roll their eyes. "Star Trek" takes place in a post-religious world wherein old faiths have given way to a form of technology-driven benevolent humanism. When Captain Kirk (William Shatner) meets Apollo, the god is waved away as a problem that needs to be solved. When Kirk meets the Mesoamerican deity Kukulkan, he merely explains to the all-powerful serpent that humanity how outgrown the need for gods. When Kirk meets an impish trickster god named Trelane, the Squire of Gothos (William Campbell), he slaps him across the face. 

The same is true of Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart). When Picard meets an equally impish trickster god named Q ( John De Lancie ), he rolls his eyes and declares that humanity is doing just fine without divine intervention. Q may be omnipotent, but he is seen more as a nuisance than a threat. 

"The Squire of Gothos" (January 12, 1967), one of the better episodes of the original "Star Trek" series, depicted the title character as a dandyish aristocrat who was obsessed with Earth's war history. He giggled like a little boy and insisted others listen to his harpsichord. He also seemingly had unlimited power and could bend reality to his will. Q, meanwhile, was first seen in "Encounter at Farpoint," (September 28, 1987) the NextGen pilot. Savvy Trekkies immediately saw the similarities between the two characters, and a retrospective fan theory just as quickly formed — was Trelane a member of the Q species?

Thanks to a tossed-off line of dialogue in "Those Old Scientists," the latest episode of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," that might finally be canonically confirmed.

Don't yell Q

In "Those Old Scientists," Ensign Boimler (Jack Quaid) and Ensign Mariner (Tawney Newsome) have been thrown back in time 120 years, and have immediately become careful about tainting the timeline. Boimler, to undo some damage he incurred, sneaks aboard a shuttlecraft where he is startled by Ensign Mariner (Tawney Newsome). He exclaims "Holy Q!" and Mariner immediately shushes him. In her usual flip fashion, she then explains that the people in this timeline haven't met Q yet. "They sort of had a Trelane thing going on." 

Trekkies enacted the "Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood" meme . If Trelane isn't a Q, the characters within "Star Trek" at least acknowledge the similarities. Surely they have made the same connection theories as fans.

Trekkies, with their instincts toward canonical nitpicking, have long held that Trelane was a Q. At the end of "The Squire of Gothos," Trelane's "parents" appeared to scold him for playing too rough with his human "pets." Trelane whines like a child and vanishes into the ether. His parents — depicted as glimmers of light — apologize to Captain Kirk for their child's behavior. Were they Qs?

In "Encounter at Farpoint," Q explains that he is a member of the Q Continuum, a panoply of ineffable space deities that have existed for an untold amount of time. They can do anything and know everything. Q is also fixated on the darker chapters of Earth's history, pointing out to Picard that humans have a distressing tendency toward war and death. Both Q and Trelane know a lot about tactics and battles and war. Trelane sees such activities as fun hobbies while Q uses them to condemn humanity. Q puts humanity on trial for its crimes, using Picard as the primary defendant. 

Of course, the Q-Trelane connection had already entered the conversation in Peter David's 1994 expanded-universe "Star Trek" novel "Q-Squared." Addressing the fan theory that Trelane was a young Q, David wrote a story wherein Trelane was brought on board the Enterprise-D by an impatient Q, tasked with babysitting him. It seems that Trelane, while still a child in the eyes of the Q Continuum, has somehow become even more powerful than all-powerful. Indeed, Trelane seems to be overseeing three disparate timelines, all laid out in the novel. Trelane dies at the end, but then, he's immortal. His "death" was really just his life being shunted backward in time. Because he tried to oversee three realities at once — three lanes — he was given the nickname tre-lanes, or Trelane. 

"Q-Squared" was quite an event for the Trekkies who keep track of expanded universe lore, as it was considered the first sanctioned confirmation that Trelane and Q were of the same species. It should be explained, however, that while "Star Trek" novels are authorized by Paramount, they are not canonical. 

The authors may have to play within certain parameters — they cannot, for instance, kill off characters or end their novels well outside of the status quo– but their books are still not considered "official" parts of the "Star Trek" timeline. The novels are more or less a playground wherein writers and fans can postulate their theories in a more palpable way. Have you ever wanted to see what happened when Q met Lwaxana Troi ? Read Peter David's "Q-in-Law."  

It's rare that a novel influences Trek canon, but perhaps the long-held fan theory was solidified by Peter David. Thanks to "Strange New Worlds," it's official official. 

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Recap / Star Trek S1 E17 "The Squire of Gothos"

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Original air date: January 12, 1967

The Enterprise happens on a planet ruled by a being named Trelane, who has unnatural powers. When he attempts to force his will on the crew, Kirk determines to leave - a decision that is easier made than implemented.

It all started when the Enterprise was just on its way to Beta VI and crossing a "star desert" when they come across a rogue planet comprised primarily of iron-silica. Sulu is just going to steer around it when BOING! He disappears! Kirk soon also disappears with a similar BOING!

Soon after, the Enterprise receives a text greeting in Old English Font. After a quick scan, Spock assigns three officers (no Red Shirts this time) to rescue the Captain and Sulu. The place they beam down to has thick vegetation and a manor house in French style architecture, and they can't get a communication signal. Maybe they're in Louisiana?

No such luck. The landing party investigates the manor to find it filled with unusual artifacts, including one that looks suspiciously like their old nemesis, the Salt Vampire . Sulu and Kirk are frozen like wax figures, but freed with a touch. Slam goes the door. Tinka-tinka-tink goes the harpsichord. They are introduced to General Trelane (retired), the Squire of Gothos.

The Tropes of Gothos:

• Accent Slip-Up : Trelane speaks in a posh, eloquent manner befitting his cultured façade, e.g. ( "Dear Captain, your inquiries are becoming tiresome... ") until his parents appear. Then, he tellingly starts talking like a stereotypical bratty kid with more of a working-class American accent. e.g. ( "Aw, but ya said I could [play]! Ya promised!" )
• Ain't Too Proud to Beg : Half buying time, half serious, Kirk lets himself be Trelane's plaything if he promises to let the ship go, and can't quite hide his fear when the noose swings towards him.
• Affably Evil : Trelane fancies himself a retired general with an elegant home to show his captives every hospitality, or to at least play at doing so.
• Aliens Steal Cable : Trelane wasn't receiving radio signals, but clearly was limited by speed-of-light transmission when he thought that 18th-century fashions and behavior were the latest things for Earth people, there on his planet some 900 light years from Earth. Then again, he was merely a child from a race of Sufficiently Advanced Aliens and might be excused from making such a mistake.
• Bilingual Bonus : Trelane counts to four in German and says "Gehen wir mit dem Schießgewehr!" (We go with the rifle shooting!) Jaeger responds (in English) with "I'm a scientist, not a military man." (However, his last name does mean "Hunter".) Trelane asks DeSalle (in French) if he is really French. ("Un vrais Francais?") DeSalle responds (again in English), "My ancestry was French, yes."
• Bling of War : It's unlikely he did anything to earn them, but Trelane believes no general costume is complete without a few medals.
• Continuity Nod : The salt vampire from "The Man Trap" is among Trelane's collection. Bones does a double take when he sees it and a musical cue from that episode is briefly dubbed in.
• Dance of Romance : Trelane starts his idea of one with Yeoman Ross while Uhura plays the harpsichord. (After he magically gave her the ability to do so?)
• When Kirk introduces Bones and Sulu, Trelane (correctly) intuits the latter's Japanese ancestry (somehow, since Sulu isn't a Japanese name) and bows deeply to him in a hilariously over-the-top fashion. Trelane : Welcome, good physicianer ! (bows) And honourable sir. Sulu (aside, to Bones) : Is he kidding?
• Later, after Trelane teleports the entire bridge crew back down to his "estate" on Gothos: Trelane : Anyway, the decor of my drawing room is much more appropriate - ( Jump Cut to everyone in his drawing room ) - and tasteful. Don't you agree? Sulu ( very dryly) : No.
• To add insult to injury, Trelane bows at him again in response.
• Deconstruction : Of the Sufficiently Advanced Aliens plot that regularly showed up in science fiction (and would again on Trek). Why would god-like aliens even bother with unpowered humans? Because in Trelane's case, he's a Spoiled Brat . And how do the puny humans defeat such an incredibly powerful foe? They don't, they just survive long enough for his parents to basically call him in and tell him to wash up before dinner.
• Deus ex Machina : Trelane's parents show up and take their son away, also giving Kirk the ability to return to the ship.
• Distracted by My Own Sexy : Trelane likes admiring his reflection. Of course, this makes sneaking up on him difficult.
• There was still a very vague idea of just how far into the future the series was set, but going from this episode, it's at least the 27th century given the statement that Trelane's information is 900 years out of date. The TOS era would later be firmly set in the 23rd century.
• At one point, Uhura refers to Spacefleet Command rather than Starfleet Command.
• Energy Beings : What Trelane and others like him are when they aren't pretending to be human.
• Five-Second Foreshadowing : Kirk realizes Trelane has a "lot to learn about everything" right before Trelane's parents show up.
• Foreshadowing : Trelane indicates that he's a fan of the title "Squire". While historically the term was later used as a term for landed gentry and the lord of a manor, its original use was for a knight's apprentice, an appropriate appellation given that he's little more than a child still learning how to use his powers.
• Flynning : Justified, as Trelane is a fan of swordfighting but has never actually tried it before.
• Ghost Butler : When the group sent down to find Kirk and Sulu enter Trelane's house, the door closes itself just before Trelane appears.
• A Glitch in the Matrix : The crew realize that Trelane is not all-powerful because of numerous mistakes in his playground; the food he provides has no taste, and the fires in the fireplace and on the Hollywood Torches on the wall do not produce heat. Kirk : Whatever we're dealing with, he certainly isn't all knowledgeable. He makes mistakes.
• Glove Slap : Kirk uses one of Yeoman Ross' gloves to challenge Trelane, who is all too eager to take part in an old-fashioned Duel to the Death .
• Go-Go Enslavement : Subverted. Trelane transformed Ross' uniform into an expensive-looking ballroom gown, which covers more than her uniform.
• Gorgeous Period Dress : Trelane's outfit, as well as the gown he conjures up for Yeoman Ross.
• Graceful Ladies Like Purple : Trelane believes this. The Regency style gown with High-Class Gloves he zaps Yeoman Ross into is a fine shade of lavender.
• Hanging Around : Trelane tries to make Kirk stick his head in a noose, but he naturally refuses.
• Hanging Judge : Trelane makes believe at being one, complete with powdered wig.
• Heroic Sacrifice : Kirk intends this, staying behind to distract Trelane so that the Enterprise can escape from orbit. This would have two possible outcomes— either the vengeful Trelane kills him, or Kirk dies from oxygen deprivation after defeating him. It's subverted when Trelane's parents show up just as he is about to finish Kirk off.
• Hollywood Torches : There are a number of them burning at various places on the walls of Trelane's mansion. This is Justified In-Universe because Trelane is a Reality Warper who created his mansion using his powers; Notice the wood fire, Captain? Burning steadily, ember bed glowing, and it doesn't give off any heat at all.
• Hot Blooded Sideburns : The passionate and quick-tempered Trelane has a pair. Granted, he may only be wearing them because they were fashionable in the timeline he's trying to re-create, but it still fits.
• Humans Are Bastards : Trelane believes this. That's why he admires them so!
• Humans Are Special : Trelane's father chides him for his high-handed attitude, telling him, "They're beings, Trelane. They have spirit. They're superior." (though he seems to be referring to corporeal intelligences generally rather than humans specifically).
• Immortal Immaturity : Trelane is an extremely powerful near-god and hundreds if not thousands of years old, but acts like a child... and by the standards of his race, he is— his parents show up at the end to drag their whining kid home.
• Insult Backfire : "I can't imagine a mirage ever disturbing those mathematically perfect brain waves of yours," snipes Bones at Spock. Spock thanks him for the compliment.
• Japanese Politeness : Trelane bows to Sulu and calls him "Honorable Sir." Sulu responds, "Is he kidding?!"
• Judicial Wig : When Trelane puts Kirk on trial for defying him, he wears a long and curly white wig along with his judges' robes.
• Large Ham : Trelane.
• Mood Whiplash : Goes from a whimsical "we're dealing with a weird alien" plot to a God-like Trelane going berserk over Kirk's actions. And back again when we find out Trelane isn't God, just a spoiled brat.
• Must Have Caffeine : Yeoman Ross serves up cups of coffee for everyone on the bridge at the opening of the episode. Doesn't it strike anyone as odd that they're allowing open beverages near what is probably very important electrical equipment?
• Negative Space Wedgie : Gothos itself, an uncharted planet which shows up light years from any star and heralds the beginning of the weirdness.
• Nightmare Fetishist : Trelane practically squeals with delight over thoughts of savagery, war, and violence. He abducts the crew specifically to hear stories of their military achievements.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed : Trelane is rather obviously modeled after Liberace , with William Campbell being hairstyled and costumed similarly, and spending much of his screen time playing a keyboard instrument (albeit the harpsichord instead of the piano).
• No, Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Dine : Trelane provides a sumptuous dinner the second time he abducts part of the Enterprise crew. Too bad none of it tastes like anything, because all he knows about Earth food is what it looks like.
• No Challenge Equals No Satisfaction : Trelane repeatedly complains that hunting Kirk is "too easy" to be any fun.
• Not-So-Harmless Villain : Trelane doesn't kill or even injure anyone aboard Enterprise over the course of the entire episode (though, perhaps, not through lack of trying). The worst they suffer is a delay in their otherwise routine mission and some humiliation. Yet the majority of the tension of the episode comes from knowing that Trelane is so powerful, as he demonstrated on multiple occasions, that he could kill the entire crew with a flick of his fingers if he decided to— and he seems to think that death is only a "time out" or a temporary loss in a game, so he could easily kill them without having the slightest understanding of what that really means. Kirk walks a delicate tightrope for the entire runtime: keeping Trelane entertained enough not to kill them, bored enough to consider letting them go, but not so bored he'll kill them all out of spite.
• Offscreen Teleportation : The entire planet Gothos does this when Sulu tries to get the Enterprise away at warp speed. No matter where the Enterprise goes, there's Gothos, right in front of them!
• The One Thing I Don't Hate About You : Trelane doesn't like Spock, but does approve of him being ill-mannered.
• Planet Baron : Trelane is a Sufficiently Advanced Alien with his own planet, though he only uses a portion of it.
• Psychopathic Man Child : Trelane treats the crew like his toys and he essentially throws a tantrum after Kirk destroys his computer, thus ruining his fun. He loves boasting about his authority and tries to make the crew play his little games. Once Kirk realizes what kind of person Trelane is, he plays on his need for fun. Based off the ending, he seems to be a child by his species’ standards and he is chastised by his parents for his treatment of Kirk and his crew.
• Reality Has No Subtitles : In order to show off his knowledge of Earth, Trelane speaks in French to DeSalle and in German to Mr. Jaeger without any translation for the audience.
• Reality Warper : Trelane. Which brings us to....
• Reality Warping Is Not a Toy : Trelane is a godlike alien reality warper who creates new worlds to suit his whims. He torments the Enterprise crew with his powers, but just as he's about to kill Kirk, his parents show up and remonstrate him.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech : Kirk dishes one out to Trelane, along with a couple of bitch slaps.
• Revealing Reflection : When one of the abducted officers tries to shoot Trelane while he’s admiring himself in the mirror, Trelane notices and freezes him on the spot.
• Scheherezade Gambit : Kirk convinces Trelane to spare him because it would be more fun to Hunt The Most Dangerous Game .
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here : Kirk and co. try to pull this at first. Trelane punishes Kirk for attempting to do so by briefly transporting him to another part of the planet with a noxious atmosphere. When Trelane is distracted by his broken toys, Kirk and co. beam back to the Enterprise , where Kirk tells Sulu to floor it. (Not that this works.)
• Silly Walk : On hearing the name of the meteorologist is Karl Jaeger, Trelane does an exaggerated goose-step while counting in German. Lt. Jaeger is not amused.
• Spoiled Brat : What Trelane ultimately is. He drops his suave gentleman act when his parents show up and starts acting like a whiny little child. The parents apologize, realizing that it's partially their own fault for over-indulging him.
• Stock Sound Effects : When Kirk damages Trelane's equipment with the dueling pistol, we hear some stock cartoon "things have gone haywire" sound effects.
• Suspiciously Similar Substitute : The character of Yeoman Ross was very likely written as Janice Rand until Grace Lee Whitney left the series.
• Sword Fight : Trelane and Kirk get into one. Trelane doesn't fight fair.
• Taken for Granite : Trelane's first act is to kidnap Kirk and Sulu, turning them into statues; he turns them back to normal when the rest of the crew arrive, seeing as that was his intent.
• Trial of the Mystical Jury : Trelane puts Kirk on trial.
• Wacky Sound Effect : Along with the usual "BOING" whenever anyone disappears, we get a cavalcade of goofy noises right out of an old Warner Bros. cartoon when Kirk shoots out Trelane's mirror, where he's been hiding the power source of his illusions. This is likely intentional, for Trelane doesn't seem to understand the difference between representations of reality and fictional imagery.
• Where's the Fun in That? : Kirk asks his captor "Where's the sport?" in simply hanging him as he had planned. Instead, Kirk talked his captor into staging a "royal hunt". This bought Kirk enough time for a Deus ex Machina rescue.
• Younger Than They Look : Despite looking like an adult human, Trelane is actually a child by the standards of his incredibly long-lived species.
• You Wouldn't Believe Me If I Told You : Bones tries to tell Uhura what Trelane is like, but gives up. She'll soon find out for herself anyway.
• Star Trek S1 E16 "The Galileo Seven"
• Recap/Star Trek: The Original Series
• Star Trek S1 E18 "Arena"

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Star Trek (TV Series)

The squire of gothos (1967), william shatner: captain james tiberius 'jim' kirk.

• Quotes (15)

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Captain James T. Kirk : Turn in your glass slippers. The ball is over.

Trelane : [noticing Kirk talking with his men]  Discussing deep-laid plans, I'll wager. I cannot WAIT to see them evolve.

Captain James T. Kirk : Trelane, we haven't planned...

Trelane : [interrupting]  Tut, tut. Do not think that I deplore your martial virtue of deception and strategem. Quite the contrary. I have nothing but admiration for your whole species.

Trelane : Ah, you've been, eh, quite derelict in your social duties, Captain. You haven't introduced me to the charming contingent of your crew.

Captain James T. Kirk : [begrudgingly]  This is General Trelane.

Trelane : Retired. But if you prefer, you may address me as the lonely Squire of Gothos, dear ladies.

Captain James T. Kirk : Lieutenant Uhura of communications.

Trelane : Ah, a Nubian prize.

[he kisses her hand] 

Trelane : Taken on one of your raids of conquest, no doubt, Captain?

Captain James T. Kirk : No doubt.

Trelane : Oh, the remarkable treachery of the species!

Captain James T. Kirk : Go on, Trelane! Look at it! It's over. Your power is blanked out. You're finished!

Trelane : You've earned my wrath! Go back. Go back to your ship! All of you! And prepare: you're all dead men! You, especially, Captain!

Mr. Spock : Captain.

Captain James T. Kirk : Mr. Spock. Still thinking about Trelane, is that it?

Mr. Spock : For the record, Captain, how do we describe him? Pure mentality? A force of intellect? Embodied energy? Super-being? He must be classified, sir.

Captain James T. Kirk : [thinks a moment]  God of War, Mr. Spock.

Mr. Spock : Well, I hardly find that fitting.

Captain James T. Kirk : Then a small boy. And a very naughty one at that.

Mr. Spock : It WILL make a strange entry in the library banks.

Captain James T. Kirk : But then he was a very strange small boy.

Captain James T. Kirk : How were our scanners able to penetrate that radiation field?

Mr. Spock : They didn't, Captain. Not clearly. We merely beamed up all life forms in a given area.

Dr. McCoy : Which means Trelane is not a life form as we know it or he'd be beaming through now.

Captain James T. Kirk : I want you to leave my crewmen alone. I want you to leave my crew-WOMEN alone, too.

Captain James T. Kirk : Here you have an opportunity to experience something really unique and you waste it. You want to commit murder? Go ahead. But where's the sport in a simple hanging?

Captain James T. Kirk : There's STILL not enough sport in just killing me with a sword.

Trelane : I know. That WILL be dull.

Trelane : You broke it. You broke my sword!

Captain James T. Kirk : You've got a lot to learn about winning, Trelane.

Trelane : You dare to defy me!

Captain James T. Kirk : In fact, you've got a lot to learn about everything, haven't you?

[slaps him on both cheeks] 

Trelane : I'll fix you for that! You cheated! You haven't played the game right! I'll show you!

Lt. Hikaru Sulu : Captain... we're about to warp.

Lt. Vincent DeSalle : Large body ahead!

Mr. Spock : [Spock studies his scanner]  Collision course!

Captain James T. Kirk : Hard to port, Mr. Sulu!

[the Enterprise evades the planet] 

Mr. Spock : That was the planet Gothos, Captain.

Captain James T. Kirk : Gothos? Mr. Sulu, have we been going in circles?

Lt. Hikaru Sulu : No, sir. All instruments show on course.

Mr. Spock : Gothos again, Captain!

Captain James T. Kirk : [the planet has reappeared again in front of the ship, which evades it again, barely]  Hard over, Mr. Sulu.

Mr. Spock : Cat and mouse game...

Captain James T. Kirk : With us as the mouse...

Lt. Vincent DeSalle : There it is again, dead ahead!

Captain James T. Kirk : Ninety degrees to starboard, Mr. Sulu

Lt. Hikaru Sulu : Turning, Captain.

Lt. Hikaru Sulu : [the planet moves to block their course changes]  ... but not veering off from it.

Captain James T. Kirk : Ninety degrees sub port, Mr. Sulu. Adjust...

Lt. Hikaru Sulu : Turn completed... and still accelerating toward the planet!

Mr. Spock : Or it toward us.

Trelane : Until a moment ago, I didn't think it possible, but it was. I did it. I was angry! I actually experienced genuine rage. This experiment has been successful.

Captain James T. Kirk : [sarcastically]  I'm glad you weren't disappointed.

Trelane : Why, Captain, you're still angry! Would that I could have sustained that moment.

Trelane : Ah, yes, I've been looking in on the doings of your lively little Earth.

Captain James T. Kirk : Then you've been looking in on the doings 900 years past.

Trelane : Oh, really? Have I made an error in time? How fallible of me.

Captain James T. Kirk : Beam me up, Mr. Spock. We're free to go.

Trelane : Now... do let me anticipate your next question.

[Looks around his drawing room] 

Trelane : You want to know how I've managed all of this.

Captain James T. Kirk : That's correct.

Trelane : We... meaning I and others, have, to state the matter briefly, perfected a system by which matter can be transferred to energy, and back to matter again.

Captain James T. Kirk : Like the transporter system aboard the Enterprise.

Trelane : [Dismissively]  Oh, a crude example of an infinitely more sophisticated process! You see, we not only transport matter from place to place... but we can alter its shape. At will.

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Screen Rant

Star trek may have introduced the q continuum in tos.

Star Trek: The Original Series featured the powerful trickster alien known as Trelane, who has more than a little in common with TNG’s menacing Q.

Star Trek: The Original Series may have introduced Star Trek: The Next Generation 's Q Continuum much earlier than believed through the trickster alien character Trelane (William Campbell). Introduced in the TOS season 1 episode "The Squire Of Gothos," Trelane was a playful but powerful alien who used the crew of the USS Enterprise as his playthings. Funny and theatrical, Trelane remains one of the most beloved adversaries from TOS, and his influence on the franchise would stretch much farther than just "The Squire Of Gothos."

Trelane was meant to be a one-off villain for Star Trek: The Original Series, as that show tended not to revisit its episodic antagonists. When the script for the two-part Star Trek: The Next Generation pilot episode "Encounter At Farpoint" by veteran Star Trek writer D.C. Fontana was running short, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry inserted a subplot involving Q (John de Lancie) an omnipotent alien who claims he's going to put Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his crew on a mysterious trial. That damaged Roddenberry's relationship with Fontana, but it resulted in a classic character. Early versions of Q had more than a little in common with Trelane.

Related: Discovery's Star Trek Strength Still Comes From TOS

Trelane Could Belong To The Q Continuum

The specifics of Trelane's origins and alien species were not really explored in Star Trek: The Original Series , only that he was a young entity who lashed out in childlike ways. In contrast, Star Trek: The Next Generation 's Q was in full command of his powers, a brilliant foil for Picard who taught him as much as he tormented him. Q even returned to teach his old friend Jean-Luc one final lesson in Star Trek: Picard season 2. Their relationship was finally laid bare in the Picard season 2 finale "Farewell," with a dying Q admitting how much Jean-Luc meant to him, and a reluctant Picard admitting the same.

Ever since Q's debut, there has been fan speculation that Trelane could be retconned to be a member of the Q Continuum. There's nothing in canon to back up this theory, but there's really nothing to contradict it either, as details on Trelane's background have remained scarce. Considering Picard season 2 bent over backwards to make a baffling connection between Star Trek: The Next Generation 's mysterious Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) mentor the Traveler (Eric Menyuk) and Star Trek: The Original Series ' Gary Seven (Robert Lansing) , a connection between Q and Trelane is certainly not out of the question.

Star Trek Media Has Connected Trelane To The Q Continuum

Trelane being a member of the Q Continuum has been a popular fan theory for so long that some non-canon Star Trek media has in fact addressed it. In the Peter David-penned novel Q-Squared, Trelane is confirmed to be a member of the Q Continuum, a protégé to Q himself. Q is forced to take on his young pupil when Trelane gains tremendous power and menaces the crew of the USS Enterprise-D in multiple timelines.

Infamously, the production staff of Star Trek: The Next Generation were immediately aware that the version of Q in "Encounter At Farpoint" was a facsimile of Trelane. Star Trek staff veterans like David Gerrold and Robert Justman feared Roddenberry was out of ideas and was resorting to recycling his great hits from Star Trek: The Original Series , but Roddenberry assured them fans would enjoy his new take on an old idea, and he was ultimately proved correct. How much of Q's popularity rests on Roddenberry's shoulders rather than on the talents of other, later TNG writers, who expanded considerably on the character after Roddenberry's death, remains an open debate.

Related: Star Trek VI Has Spock's Most Controversial Mind Meld

Trelane Influenced Star Trek: The Next Generation's Q

Trelane's initial influence on Q is undeniable. Roddenberry was in some ways consciously borrowing from his own bag of tricks when creating Q. Q's obsession with Picard , his seemingly limitless abilities, the sense of humor, and even the courtroom setting were all elements spliced onto Q from Trelane. John de Lancie was somewhat aware of the similarities between the two characters, and would eventually work to carve out his own identity in the franchise as Q.

The main difference between Q and Trelane would be the two characters' varying legacies in Star Trek history. Trelane is a fun, delightful one-off, but Q proved to be a pivotal figure in the lives of Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise-D. His return and ultimate demise in the season finale of Star Trek: Picard season 2 was a wonderful, emotional sendoff for one of Star Trek 's most beloved and popular antagonists. Perhaps Trelane's real legacy is that he laid the groundwork in Star Trek: The Original Series for Q's enduring greatness in Star Trek: The Next Generation and beyond.

More: 8 Good Things In Star Trek 3: The Search For Spock

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Published Nov 2, 2019

Trelane's Jacket: From Trek to Gilligan's Island to The Monkees

How one costume jacket made the Hollywood rounds.

Television viewers watching their favorite shows during January and February 1967 might have had a sense of triple déjà vu . Popular sitcoms Gilligan’s Island and The Monkees , along with Star Trek, then in the middle of its first season, all used the same, memorable costume. Star Trek fans may know it best as “General” Trelane’s cloak and jacket from " The Squire of Gothos ."

The costume was not designed by William Ware Theiss, the talented designer responsible for nearly all of the costumes seen on the original Star Trek . Rather, as a time and cost saver, the exquisite costume worn by actor William Campbell in his portrayal of Trelane was rented from the Western Costume Company . The company, founded in 1912 by LL Burns, is still in business today and has designed and supplied costumes used in many of Hollywood’s most famous films, including True Grit, The Ten Commandments and Titanic . As such, there were multiple versions of the Trelane costume made used in many productions in addition to Star Trek .

During that winter of 1967, the costume was featured heavily on television shows. Star Trek was the first to use it that season, featuring both the cloak and the long jacket worn by Trelane as he fancied himself a military leader. Pioneering fans Betty Jo and John Trimble shared with Startrek.com in 2014 that William Campbell so loved playing the role of Trelane that he was given a version of the jacket purchased from the Western Costume company by a fan at Equicon one year.

Eleven days later, the cloak portion of the costume would appear again on Gilligan’s Island . In the January 23, 1967, episode “Lovey’s Secret Admirer” Mrs. Howell and her husband have a disagreement which leads her to have a dream where she is Cinderella. Dressed as a handsome prince, Thurston Howell III dons the cloak from the same costume group that was worn by Trelane. Also of note is that Gilligan’s costume for his Fairy Godfather dream role in that same episode would be reused as the costume worn by Korob, played by Theo Marcuse, about 10 months later in the Star Trek episode, “ Catspaw .”

The long jacket worn by Trelane would again surface on the February 6, 1967, episode of The Monkees , also airing on NBC. The episode was “The Prince and the Paupers” whose plot was inspired by the 1881 novel The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain (who, as we all know, time travels to the 24th Century in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “ Time’s Arrow ”!). In the episode, Davy changes places with his duplicate, the Prince Ludlow, who must marry soon to keep his title. Michael Nesmith’s character Mike and the real Prince’s butler wear the Trelane jacket, sometimes on screen together at the same time.

In future articles, we will continue to explore the re-use of TOS costumes and props on other shows, a trend that continued for many years… including the famous re-use of Colonel Green’s costume from “ The Savage Curtain ” as Mork’s spacesuit on Mork & Mindy . Until then, live long and prosper, and Na-nu! Na-nu!

Maria Jose and John Tenuto are both sociology professors at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois, specializing in popular culture and subculture studies. The Tenutos have conducted extensive research on the history of Star Trek , and have presented at venues such as Creation Conventions and the St. Louis Science Center. They have written for the official Star Trek Magazine and their extensive collection of Star Trek items has been featured in SFX Magazine . Their theory about the “20-Year Nostalgia Cycle” and research on Star Trek fans has been featured on WGN News, BBC Radio and in the documentary The Force Among Us . They recently researched all known paperwork from the making of the classic episode " Space Seed " and are excited to be sharing some previously unreported information about Khan's first adventure with fellow fans. Contact the Tenutos at [email protected] or [email protected].

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William Campbell

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William Campbell ( 30 October 1923 – 28 April 2011 ; age 87) was an actor who played Trelane in the Star Trek: The Original Series first season episode " The Squire of Gothos " and Koloth in the second season episode " The Trouble with Tribbles ". He reprised the latter role in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine second season episode " Blood Oath ".

Campbell also reprised his role as Trelane in the video game Star Trek: Judgment Rites .

• 1 Star Trek work
• 2 Career outside Star Trek
• 3 Star Trek interviews
• 4 External links

Star Trek work [ ]

Campbell filmed his scenes for "The Squire of Gothos" on Monday 31 October 1966 at Desilu Stage 9 , and between Tuesday 1 November 1966 and Monday 7 November 1966 at Stage 10 . He filmed his scenes for "The Trouble with Tribbles" on Thursday 24 August 1967 and Friday 25 August 1967 at Stage 10.

Later friend, Original Series Art Director Matt Jefferies , noted this on his performance as Trelane in 2002, "Of course, the saving grace was of course Bill Campbell that played the Squire. I think the way he took that part on, he probably wouldn't have missed it, if the set has disappeared." ( TOS Season 2 DVD -special feature, "Designing the Final Frontier")

Campbell had always reveled in his Star Trek fame and had lent his presence to numerous events in the Star Trek convention circuit for decades. Even when his health started to fail him, starting in the early 2000s, he found the strength to attend his very last one, the Creation Entertainment 40th anniversary Star Trek convention held at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel in August of 2006, still managing to keep the audience "spellbound." [1]

He described his role on "Blood Oath" as his most difficult acting job, and one he would have liked to do again. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 13 , p. 52) His Klingon teeth from "Blood Oath" were once sold off by auction. [2]

Campbell was a close personal friend of DeForest Kelley , the actor best remembered as Dr. Leonard McCoy , and Kelley's death from cancer in 1999 came to him as a great personal shock. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 13 , p. 53) Taking center stage, Campbell spoke affectionately of his deceased friend in the DeForest Kelley: A Tribute -special feature on the 2004 DVD release of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , reissued on the 2009 Blu-ray version. He was also a close friend of James Doohan , whose second wedding he attended in 1967, and writer-producer Gene L. Coon , who came up with the idea of casting him as Trelane.

Career outside Star Trek [ ]

Campbell worked steadily in films and on television through the 1950s and 60s, beginning with the 1950 film noir The Breaking Point. In this film, Campbell appeared with fellow Original Series guest performers Sherry Jackson and Peter Brocco . This was followed with supporting roles in an extensive number of movies, including Operation Pacific (1951), Battle Circus (1953), Escape from Fort Bravo (1953), The High and the Mighty (1954, co-starring Paul Fix and William Schallert ), Battle Cry (1955, with Perry Lopez ), and Man Without a Star (1955, with George D. Wallace ).

Although Campbell received acclaim for his first starring role as a prisoner awaiting execution in the 1955 crime drama Cell 2455 Death Row, it did little to advance his career and returned to doing supporting roles. As one of the principal actors in 1956's Love Me Tender, Campbell became the first actor to sing with Elvis Presley in a film. Campbell then performed in such films Eighteen and Anxious (1957, with Yvonne Craig ), and The Naked and the Dead (1958, also featuring Grace Lee Whitney ). Campbell became a regular on the Canadian TV series Cannonball, which lasted thirty-nine episodes between October 1958 and July 1959.

By the 1960s, he began to appear more prominently on television, although he continued acting in low-grade films. In 1963, he was given the lead role in Francis Ford Coppola's Dementia 13 , having worked with Coppola on Roger Corman's The Young Racers the year before. In 1964, Campbell appeared in Corman's war drama The Secret Invasion and had a supporting role in Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte . Campbell also had an uncredited role in 1965's The Money Trap, starring Ricardo Montalban . In 1966, Campbell starred as a vampire artist who kills women and places their bodies within his sculptures in Roger Corman's Blood Bath, co-starring Biff Elliot and Sid Haig .

Campbell's television credits during this time included appearances on Philip Marlowe (in an episode with Barry Atwater ), Perry Mason (two episodes, including one alongside Kenneth Tobey ), The Wild Wild West (in an episode with Maggie Thrett , written by Gene L. Coon ), Combat! , Bonanza , and Gunsmoke (including one episode with James Gregory and Ed McCready , directed by Vincent McEveety ). In addition, Original Series director Herschel Daugherty cast and worked with Campbell in a 1968 episode of It Takes A Thief with Meg Wyllie and a 1969 episode of Bracken's World.

In 1971, Campbell co-starred with Original Series regular James Doohan in Pretty Maids All In A Row, a comedy written and produced by Trek creator Gene Roddenberry . Dawn Roddenberry also had a small role in the film. The following year, Campbell co-starred with Tony Young , Kate Woodville , Bernie Casey , and Julian Christopher in Black Gunn , which proved to be Campbell's last feature film credit, although he continued to act on television. He appeared with his Original Series co-star George Takei and "Trouble with Tribbles" co-star Stanley Adams in a 1971 episode of O'Hara, U.S. Treasury written by Gilbert Ralston . This was followed with appearances on Ironside (with Antoinette Bower ), Emergency! (with Vince Howard , Ken Lynch , and Kevin Tighe , directed by Joseph Pevney ), Adam-12 (with Vic Perrin ), The Manhunter (with William Smithers ), another episode of Gunsmoke , Marcus Welby, M.D. , Medical Center (with Barbara Baldavin and Louise Sorel , directed by Joseph Pevney), The Streets of San Francisco (with Darleen Carr , Jason Evers , and Ken Lynch), and The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (with William Schallert , and directed by Michael Pataki ).

In 1983, Campbell appeared in a two-part episode of Quincy, M.E., which featured Robert Ito and Garry Walberg as series regulars, and was co-written and directed by Jeri Taylor . In 1985, he co-starred with Barbara Babcock and Richard Kiley in an episode of Hotel. In 1987, he co-starred with Gary Lockwood in the TV special The Return Of The Six Million Dollar Man And Yhe Bionic Woman. Campbell's work in the 1994 DS9 episode "Blood Oath" and a 1996 appearance in an episode of Kung Fu: The Legend Continues were his final two acting roles.

A lesser known aspect of Campbell were his charity efforts, especially the fund raisings for "The Motion Picture & Television Fund ," previously called "The Actors's Relief Fund," a charitable organization that has offered assistance and care to those in the motion picture industry with limited or no resources, when struck with infirmity, and/or in retirement age. To that specific end, he founded "FantastiCon" in 1996, an annual science fiction and fantasy convention, which celebrated the achievements of production staffers in these genres, complete with award presentations and ceremonies. All proceeds went to the Motion Picture & Television Fund. ( Beyond the Clouds , p. 274: Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 13 , p. 53) The fifth edition, FantastiCon V 2K, held from 14 through 16 July 2000, was Star Trek themed and was well represented by Star Trek cast and production staffers, old and new. Several staffers were awarded on the occasion. As to underscore the fondness Campbell had for Star Trek, even though the convention celebrated other franchises as well, he had christened the most prestigious FantastiCon Award , "The Gene Roddenberry Award." [3] (X) Unfortunately, upon the failing health of its founder, the convention became defunct.

Campbell died on 28 April 2011 at the Motion Picture & Television Country Home and Hospital of the organization he held so dear to his heart, in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, following a lengthy illness. He was 87 years old. [4]

Star Trek interviews [ ]

• "William Campbell, From Naughty Boy to Nasty Klingon", Robert Greenberger , Starlog , issue 128, pp. 17-20
• "William Campbell", Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 13 , May 2000, pp. 48-53

External links [ ]

• "Remembering William Campbell" at StarTrek.com
• William Campbell at the Internet Movie Database
• William Campbell at Wikipedia
• 1 Abdullah bin al-Hussein

Star Trek Theory: Q Was In The Original Series

Trekkies can agree that Q (John de Lancie) is one of the most powerful and dangerous foes Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his Enterprise-D crew ever faced off against. In a 24th century brimming with Romulans, Ferengi, and even the Borg, Q's abilities and charisma arguably made him more unpredictable than any of the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" villains.

Q first appeared in the 1987 series premiere of "TNG" titled "Encounter at Farpoint," but many "Star Trek" diehards believe the fan theory (via TrekCulture ) that suggests Q is also General Trelane (William Campbell) from "Star Trek: The Original Series." Campbell also guest starred as the Klingon Koloth in Season 2's "The Trouble with Tribbles," but his one and only appearance as Trelane came in "TOS" Season 1 episode "The Squire of Gothos."

"I always believed Trelane was in fact just Q since they both are obsessed with humans and dress in military uniforms," YouTuber @Martin Western wrote in the comments. "And [they] also both love messing with the captain of the Enterprise." Yes, there were many similar traits shared by both Q and Trelane, not the least of which was their God-like powers. And as Q did with Picard, Trelane took a perverse interest in James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and his crew. But, in the end, it was Trelane's parents who put an end to their child's all-powerful tantrum. Whether General Trelane was a Q or the Q, he was a spoiled brat. 

The General Trelane/Q theory

The "Star Trek" theory (via TrekCulture ) posits a Q appeared in "TOS." However, are General Trelane and Q different beings, or are they the same character appearing in two generations of the "Star Trek" franchise? "Q is simply a grown version of Trelane," YouTuber @Martin Western wrote in the comments. "And even the fact that it's only 80 years later when Q appears but he can go to any time he wants and look how he wants to. I also think that the machine Trelane uses isn't the source of his power, but used to cover up his games from his parents as they only appear after it's destroyed."

"As vast as the reach of the Q continuum is, it seems unlikely that two different 'juvenile Q' would be in similar parts of the universe within a hundred years of each other," @JesseCole posted. "Both with the same penchant for dressing up like Napoleon and harassing starships and/or putting their crews on 'trial.'" Jesse Cole goes on to argue that a hundred-year lifespan allows a human being time to mature completely. The YouTuber also compared Q/Trelane's childlike disposition to that of a youngster who likes to play with bugs.

"I also definitely agree that the Q-like character in the original series was a Q," @StaceyNainLab commented. However, it's unclear within the confines of the "Star Trek" universe whether Q and Trelane are one in the same. For that answer, Trekkies need to look outside the box.

There was a Q in their midst

Most concede a member of the Q appeared in "TOS," but whether he's the same Q from "TNG" is debatable. Or is it? "Trelane being a Q isn't a fan theory," YouTuber @marquisofcarrabass explained in the comments (via TrekCulture ). "It's Expanded Universe." The user refers to the non-canonical 1994 novel "Q-Squared" written by Peter David. In that story, the General Trelane/Q debate is answered unequivocally: Q and General Trelane are different.

Trelane is an adolescent who is mentored by the adult Q who first appears in "TNG." Remember, "Q-Squared" isn't canon, but the actor who portrayed Q (John de Lancie) has his own thoughts on the debate. "The character of Trelane has a lot of characteristics that are very much like Q," de Lancie said in an interview (via YouTube ). "That's when it occurred to me that Gene [Roddenberry] had probably called upon that character either consciously or unconsciously."

"It's kind of carrying that baton through time," de Lancie continued. "My contribution is to continue that idea that started very possibly with Trelane — I'm not sure, but very possibly with Trelane. I wouldn't be surprised." It's logical to assume that a Q did terrorize the U.S.S. Enterprise crew under the command of Captain Kirk (Shatner) in "The Squire of Gothos." However, the debate rages, and Trekkies remain divisive on whether or not General Trelane and Q are the same.