Television Review: Elaan of Troyius (Star Trek, S3X02, 1968)

Elaan of Troyius (S03E02)

Airdate: December 20th 1968

Written by: John Meredyth Lucas
Directed by: John Meredyth Lucas

Running Time: 50 minutes

The Original Series of Star Trek (TOS) was born from a tension between two opposing forces: the idealistic vision of Gene Roddenberry, who sought to craft a cerebral, socially conscious science fiction narrative, and the commercial demands of network television, which prioritised broad appeal over philosophical depth. This struggle was ever-present, but it became most pronounced during the show’s notoriously troubled third season (1968–69). With declining ratings and looming cancellation, Star Trek increasingly leaned into formulaic plots, heightened action, and what might now be termed “diversity tokenism” to appease sponsors and networks. NBC, in particular, sought to broaden the show’s audience beyond its perceived male-dominated sci-fi demographic, urging the production team to incorporate elements that might attract female viewers. Elaan of Troyius, a Season 3 episode first aired in December 1968, exemplifies this pivot. Ostensibly designed to court female audiences through a romantic subplot and a leading lady in distress, the episode instead transcends its utilitarian origins to deliver a surprisingly engaging blend of diplomacy, drama, and interstellar politics—a modest triumph amid a season often derided for its creative compromises.

A unique distinction of Elaan of Troyius is that it is the only episode of TOS written and directed by the same individual: John Meredyth Lucas, a veteran screenwriter and producer who had previously contributed to the series’ early seasons. Lucas, a pragmatic craftsman with a background in episodic television, approached the project with a clear-eyed understanding of the medium’s limitations. While his script occasionally succumbs to melodrama, his directorial acumen ensures the episode remains taut and visually coherent, a rarity in Season 3. The production’s modest budget is cleverly dealt with, with a focus on dialogue-driven scenes and minimal reliance on costly special effects—a strategy that, paradoxically, allows the story’s interpersonal conflicts to take center stage.

The plot is rooted in the Federation’s efforts to mediate peace between two warring planets, Elas and Troyius. To cement this fragile alliance, Elaan, the Dohlman (ruler) of Elas, is to marry a Troyian nobleman. The USS Enterprise is tasked with transporting Elaan and her delegation to Troyius, accompanied by the Troyian diplomat Petri (Jay Robinson), whose role is to acclimatise the headstrong Elaan to her future husband’s customs. However, Elaan’s disdain for Petri—and by extension, Troyius—quickly becomes evident. Played with fiery intensity by France Nuyen, Elaan is a figure of calculated obstinacy, her haughtiness bordering on caricature in early scenes. Yet her dynamic with Captain Kirk shifts the narrative’s tone. When Kirk is exposed to the Elasian “love pheromones” contained in Elaan’s tears, he begins to fall under her spell. This romantic tension unfolds against a backdrop of geopolitical intrigue, as a Klingon warship lurks menacingly, determined to sabotage the Federation’s mission and seize control of the Tellun star system.

From a technical standpoint, Elaan of Troyius benefits from Lucas’s unpretentious direction. Unlike some Season 3 episodes that flounder under the weight of undercooked ideas or clunky pacing, this installment maintains a steady rhythm, interspersing diplomatic negotiations with moments of high-stakes action. The limitations of 1960s television production are evident, particularly in the staging of the Klingon threat. The enemy vessel, represented by a stock model shot, never convincingly menaces the Enterprise, and the climactic space battle feels perfunctory. Yet Lucas’s focus on character dynamics compensates for these deficiencies. The episode’s most striking visual flourish lies in costume designer William Ware Theiss’s creations for Elaan. Nuyen’s outfits imbue her character with an otherworldly allure, though they occasionally veer into camp. In contrast, the attire of Elaan’s male attendants—stiff tunics evocative of 1950s B-movie aliens—undermines the episode’s attempts at gravitas.

The cast rises admirably to the material’s uneven challenges. William Shatner, often criticised for his stylised delivery, delivers one of his more nuanced performances as Kirk. His portrayal of a man grappling with the destabilising effects of Elaan’s “love potion” is particularly compelling. Shatner balances Kirk’s professional resolve with raw vulnerability, his voice trembling with a mix of confusion and longing. This emotional complexity is heightened by the chemistry between Shatner and Nuyen, who had previously shared the stage in Broadway’s The World of Suzie Wong. Their scenes together crackle with a tension that transcends the script’s occasional triteness. Nuyen’s Elaan undergoes a credible transformation from imperious princess to a woman genuinely invested in peace—and in Kirk—though the speed of her redemption strains credibility.

Jay Robinson, best known for his campy turn as Caligula in the 1953 film The Robe, brings a wry wit and weary dignity to Petri. Clad in garish green makeup that evokes the Andorians but lacks their cultural specificity, Robinson’s character is regrettably sidelined as the plot progresses. His initial clashes with Elaan provide comic relief but do little to explore the deeper tensions between Elasian and Troyian cultures—a missed opportunity to critique the Federation’s role as an interventionist power.

Lucas’s script, while serviceable, reveals his weaker suit as a writer. The episode’s title nods to Greek mythology, blending the tragedy of Helen of Troy with Shakespearean motifs from The Taming of the Shrew. Yet the allegory feels underdeveloped, reduced to a simplistic “woman tamed by love” narrative that clashes with Elaan’s early agency. The Klingons, introduced here as one-dimensional antagonists, serve primarily as a narrative device to justify the episode’s space battle—a lazy trope. Moreover, the deus ex machina plot twist—stones Elasians and Troyians consider worthless are actually source of valuable dilithium crystals—strains credulity.

Perhaps the most enduring legacy of Elaan of Troyius lies in its contentious cultural subtext. Critics have long debated whether Elaan represents a proto-feminist figure—assertive, politically significant, yet vulnerable—or a regressive stereotype of the “temperamental Oriental woman,” a trope rooted in 1960s Western orientalism. Nuyen’s casting as a Vietnamese-French actor in a role written with little ethnic specificity complicates this analysis. Elaan’s portrayal avoids overt exoticism, yet her arc—a woman’s anger soothed by a white male hero—echoes colonialist narratives. These contradictions have ensured the episode’s place in academic discourse, even as its dramatic merits remain modest.

Elaan of Troyius is a flawed but fascinating artifact of Star Trek’s fraught third season. It exemplifies the show’s capacity to adapt to commercial pressures while retaining glimmers of its utopian ethos. For every cringe-worthy line, there is a moment of genuine emotional resonance—a testament to the enduring appeal of its characters and the performers who brought them to life. Though far from canonical greatness, the episode is as a curious hybrid of diplomacy and demography, a reminder that even in its darkest hours, Star Trek never entirely abandoned its higher ideals.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

Blog in Croatian https://draxblog.com
Blog in English https://draxreview.wordpress.com/
InLeo blog https://inleo.io/@drax.leo

InLeo: https://inleo.io/signup?referral=drax.leo
Leodex: https://leodex.io/?ref=drax
Hiveonboard: https://hiveonboard.com?ref=drax
Rising Star game: https://www.risingstargame.com?referrer=drax
1Inch: https://1inch.exchange/#/r/0x83823d8CCB74F828148258BB4457642124b1328e

BTC donations: 1EWxiMiP6iiG9rger3NuUSd6HByaxQWafG
ETH donations: 0xB305F144323b99e6f8b1d66f5D7DE78B498C32A7
BCH donations: qpvxw0jax79lhmvlgcldkzpqanf03r9cjv8y6gtmk9