When comparing Kirk to Picard, it's fashionable to say that Picard would rather talk his way out of a fight, whereas Kirk would shoot first and ask questions later. For the most part, that actually wasn't true (it depended on who was writing a particular episode). In this episode, Kirk saw a federation outpost blown away for no apparent reason, immediately assumed invasion, and took off after the attacking ship with the full intent of destroying it before it reached home.
He was not without his reasons. The Enterprise had also received two faked messages, the first asking them to come to the doomed outpost on planet Cestus 3, and the second inviting Kirk and his officers to come ashore (with emphasis on their "tactical aids"). It turned out both messages were a ruse to trap the Enterprise and its officers. Of course, as it turns out, when a third party superior race intervenes (a recurring theme in "Trek"), we see that the truth is not so simple.
But back to Kirk. This reaction is completely inconsistent with the way he had dealt with hostile aliens in other episodes. Case and point: The encounter with the Romulans just a few episodes earlier. He agonized over whether or not to attack them and possibly start a galactic war, after the invaders had clearly committed an act of war by blowing away FOUR federation outposts. Same for the Corbomite Maneuver. Kirk used force against the cube that was blocking the ship only when every other option had been exhausted, and only when it began emitting radiation. Kirk actually admonished a young lieutenant for being too quick to the trigger.
Also, how is it that the ship's sensors didn't pick up the fact that the entire outpost on the surface of the planet had been destroyed (not to mention failure to spot any alien presence)? If the aliens were doing something to block the sensors, it wasn't explained. More likely it was an oversight. This was ultimately Roddenberry's responsibility, as part of the job of both the producer and executive producer is rewrites. This isn't the only instance where there's been a continuity problem with the series.
All of that said, this is an entertaining episode, and one that points out that even in extreme circumstances, it's possible that things may not be all that they seem to be. And yes, the Gorn was probably the cheesiest looking alien in Star Trek history; possibly the only time this series sunk to the level of Lost in Space in the costume/effects department. According to some reports, the original story on which this episode was based was also the basis for the Outer Limits episode "Fun and Games," although according to IMDb they have different authors.
He was not without his reasons. The Enterprise had also received two faked messages, the first asking them to come to the doomed outpost on planet Cestus 3, and the second inviting Kirk and his officers to come ashore (with emphasis on their "tactical aids"). It turned out both messages were a ruse to trap the Enterprise and its officers. Of course, as it turns out, when a third party superior race intervenes (a recurring theme in "Trek"), we see that the truth is not so simple.
But back to Kirk. This reaction is completely inconsistent with the way he had dealt with hostile aliens in other episodes. Case and point: The encounter with the Romulans just a few episodes earlier. He agonized over whether or not to attack them and possibly start a galactic war, after the invaders had clearly committed an act of war by blowing away FOUR federation outposts. Same for the Corbomite Maneuver. Kirk used force against the cube that was blocking the ship only when every other option had been exhausted, and only when it began emitting radiation. Kirk actually admonished a young lieutenant for being too quick to the trigger.
Also, how is it that the ship's sensors didn't pick up the fact that the entire outpost on the surface of the planet had been destroyed (not to mention failure to spot any alien presence)? If the aliens were doing something to block the sensors, it wasn't explained. More likely it was an oversight. This was ultimately Roddenberry's responsibility, as part of the job of both the producer and executive producer is rewrites. This isn't the only instance where there's been a continuity problem with the series.
All of that said, this is an entertaining episode, and one that points out that even in extreme circumstances, it's possible that things may not be all that they seem to be. And yes, the Gorn was probably the cheesiest looking alien in Star Trek history; possibly the only time this series sunk to the level of Lost in Space in the costume/effects department. According to some reports, the original story on which this episode was based was also the basis for the Outer Limits episode "Fun and Games," although according to IMDb they have different authors.