Star Trek Randomized Rewatch: Elaan of Troyius

ST "Elaan of Troyius"

"Elaan of Troyius" is a histrionic episode, whose only measure of success comes when viewed as high camp. Elaan (South Pacific's France Nuyen) of Elas is to be married off to the ruler of Troyius to mitigate a war. The trouble is, Elaan is an impetuous and arrogant hurricane of a stateswoman and rages against her arranged marriage. The idea is that Elas is an aggressive warrior culture, but in practice it's more like a series of over-the-top temper tantrums. And because it falls on Kirk to "discipline" the unruly Elaan, the episode moves the needle for crazy sexual politics all over the place.

One of the Elasian guards (who dress like Flash Gordon rejects) apparently kills a redshirt just by... touching his head? And when head guard Kryton kills himself, Kirk and company barely react to his act of desperation and get on with the plot. Emotional realism is not the episode's priority.

Written and directed by John Meredyth Lucas, "Elaan of Troyius" is a rare case study in Star Trek auteur theory. One of Lucas' primary moves is the highly provocative "save money" technique. Multiple times, stock footage of the bridge is used for coverage, so alternatively Sulu and Chekov are replaced by imposters, then switch back to the familiar helmsman and navigator.

Lucas has not hidden his mythological influence for the episode: replace Elaan with Helen and Troyius with Troy. But any "take" on that Iliad story is purely superficial and certainly incoherent. To add tension, Lucas adds a Klingon subplot that pays off with an extended space battle, which is a novelty in the original series. I do have some time for Jay Robinson's guest performance as Troyian Ambassador Petri, who gives the character an officious quality.

The only way to enjoy the episode is to take it as camp. 3/10.