AllMovie

Captain Kirk investigates a wandering Shakespearean actor who may in fact be a disguised war criminal in this installment of the popular science fiction series. Kirk's suspicions are aroused when he is contacted by Leighton, a former friend and colleague. Along with Kirk and another Enterprise officer, Leighton was one of only three survivors of a massacre on the planet Tarsus IV that was headed by the brutal dictator known as "Kodos the Executioner." After witnessing a performance by the actor Karidian, Leighton suspects that he may in fact be Kodos. Kirk is skeptical, but when Leighton is found murdered, he decides to invite the actor's company to visit the Enterprise, hoping to discover the truth before there are any more victims.