Spectre of the Gun
Kirk, Spock, Scotty, and Chekov are swept off to an illusionary Tombstone, Arizona in the 1880s and must join the gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
An excellent example of creativity overcoming budgetary restraints. The original plan was to have the officers roam about a full film set, but lack of funds kept them in the usual sound stage. With minimal sets, a few well-cast guest stars (Doc Holiday and Wyatt Eerp are particularly good), and some eerie music, a unique environment is created. We use our imaginations for costumes and so forth, but it all works. Apparently this was all drawn from Kirks's lively subconscious. There is sufficient suspense as the clock (hanging in the red sky) ticks away, and Kirk's navigation efforts prove futile. The smoke bomb is a clever invention, and proves that physical laws don't apply in this space. That's a weapon in itself. In our CGI world of entertainment, it's rare to be dazzled by effects from the '60s, but the shoot-out scene is just cool. What could have been a bad special effect is rendered totally realistic with proper camera angles. The bullets seem to pass right through! Again Kirk shows mercy (after swinging a few punches at Eerp), and a new race joins the Federation. This is what Star Trek does best: some satisfying fighting with a surprisingly peaceful resolution.
Spock Saves the Day: The first officer identifies the setting, builds a smoke grenade, and mind-melds with everyone to convince them of the unreality.
Oops: We would say the malfunctioning grenade, but it serves a purpose.
Developments: Spock is master of time and space! Well, when that space happens to be an illusion. McCoy's analogy of Spock's mind having an on/off switch is accurate, and he's able to transmit this ability via the melds. He might have known too that Chekov is not really dead, given the nature of the place... but he grieves in his own way and puts the nagging McCoy in his place. " I am half human" seems to say it all.