Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 18: The Squire of Gothos [VHS]
A real treat for long-haul Trekkers: "The Squire of Gothos" is an entertaining program in its own right and the obvious blueprint for "Encounter at Farpoint," Gene Roddenberry's pilot episode forStar Trek: The Next Generation. Guest star William Campbell plays Trelane, a bratty, impulsive alien given to wearing costumes appropriate for an 18th-century French aristocrat. Equipped with godlike powers that allow him to alter and manipulate the world around him, Trelane is the prototype ofThe Next Generation's beloved quasi villain, Q (John de Lancie). Like Q, Trelane regards the crew of theEnterpriseas playthings, and when Captain Kirk (William Shatner) disrupts his games, the omniscient boy-man puts humanity itself on trial. Great stuff.--Tom Keogh