57) Spectre of the Gun

After ignoring a warning buoy to stay away, Captain Kirk and his landing party are punished for violating Melkotian space by being made to appear as the Clanton gang in a facade of Tombstone, Arizona, on October 26, 1881. According to history, the "Clantons" -- in this case, Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty and Chekov -- will meet their fate later that day at the OK Corral in a gunfight with the Earps and Doc Holliday. Captain Kirk tries everything he can to avoid the showdown and prove his peaceful intentions, but history cannot be changed -- or can it? Despite all of the cards stacked against it (and there were many), Season 3 of "Star Trek" got off to a pretty terrific start -- at least, in terms of its production order -- with "Spectre of the Gun," superbly written by the always-reliable Gene L. Coon (under his pseudonym "Lee Cronin"). While the end result is basically a rehash of the first season classic "Arena" (also written by Coon), "Spectre of the Gun" ultimately succeeds as one of the third season's finest episodes, thanks to a clever and surreal setting, intense direction by Vincent McEveety, a stellar score composed by Jerry Fielding and strong performances from the entire cast.

Guest: Marc Cushman (author, "These Are the Voyages")

Your "Star Trek" library is not complete without author Marc Cushman's definitive history "These Are the Voyages" -- you can order your very own signed (and even inscribed) copies right here: http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/

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