"Star Trek" The Conscience of the King (1966)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Gerd Oswald

Writers:

Barry Trivers (written by)
Gene Roddenberry (creator)

TV Series:

"Star Trek" (1966)

Original Air Date:

8 December 1966 (Season 1, Episode 13)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

While Captain Kirk investigates whether an actor is actually a presumed dead mass murderer, a mysterious assailant is killing the people who could identify the fugitive.

Plot Keywords:

Presumed Dead | Mass Murderer | Beautiful Daughter | Fugitive | Faked Death

Cast

William Shatner	...	Captain James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy	...	Mr. Spock
Arnold Moss	...	Karidian
Barbara Anderson	...	Lenore
DeForest Kelley	...	Dr. McCoy
Grace Lee Whitney	...	Yeoman Rand
Nichelle Nichols	...	Uhura
William Sargent	...	Dr. Leighton
Natalie Norwick	...	Martha Leighton
David Troy	...	Larry Matson (as David-Troy)
Karl Bruck	...	King Duncan
Marc Grady Adams	...	Hamlet (as Marc Adams)
Bruce Hyde	...	Kevin Riley

Runtime:

50 min | Argentina:60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Canada:PG (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Desilu Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Desilu Productions

Trivia:

The title refers to Shakespeare's Hamlet Act II, Scene II; "The play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king".

Goofs:

Plot holes: The plot involves the last few people who know what Kodos looked like being murdered one by one. Yet Kirk brings up a clear *photo* of Kodos to compare with Karidian's.

Quotes:

Karidian: I am an actor. I play many parts.
Captain James T. Kirk: You're an actor now. What were you twenty years ago?
Karidian: Younger. Much younger.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Battlestar Galactica: Bastille Day (#1.3)" (2004)

Kirk Faces Some Difficult Choices

In "The Conscience of the King", Captain Kirk is forced to confront old painful memories. Kirk's close friend Dr. Thomas Leighton (William Sargent) is sure that he has found Anton Karidian, the man responsible for a needless genocide that both men barely escaped. Kirk is left to determine if an old Shakespearean actor (Arnold Moss) is really the nefarious Karidian. This is not one of Star Trek's strongest episodes, but it is very interesting for two reasons: it allows us to see some of Kirk's weaknesses (overly-strong emotions) and some of his strengths (a stubborn desire to do the right thing). Kirk seems to think that the end result does not justify the means, but he does not believe justice operates in a vacuum either. In terms of exploring the Captain's personality, this episode is essential to understand our hero. Bill Shatner's excellent work stands out.