were first seen on “Star Trek” in the original series episode “Arena.” The Gorn soldier in that episode was played by several stunt performers, and voiced by Ted Cassidy. Many non-Trekkies remember the Gorn because of how silly it looked. It was slow-moving, and the lizard mask was almost completely unarticulated. On a practical level, the Gorn didn’t come back to “Star Trek” a lot, just because the mask looked like something from a Halloween store.
It was said in “Arena” that Captain Kirk (William Shatner) was the first Starfleet officer to meet a Gorn face-to-face. “Strange New Worlds,” however, fouled up that continuity a little bit, as it has now featured several stories with the Gorn, and it takes place in the five-year period before the original “Star Trek.” Oops. Some may worry about this continuity gaffe, but others are willing to let the facts be fudged a little.
“Hegemony, Part II,” at the very least, tried to explain why the Gorn weren’t active antagonists on “Star Trek” until the events of “Arena.” In effect, they put them all to sleep.
