Episode of the Week : The Return of the Archons
- Thread starter Botany Bay
- Start date
When I was a kid I was not a fan of this episode but it has really grown on me the older I get. I think the fact that most of the story takes place off of the Enterprise may have had something to do with me not really digging it back in the day. I rated it a strong 7; a good, festive episode. 
Great episode. We get a nice creepy first act, we get to see an extended landing party in action, Kirk talks another computer into committing suicide, and Spock punches a guy in the face, what's not to love?
One of my favorites since 1967, when I was 16, and I sometimes watch it several times a month. It's the first time Kirk talks a computer to death, and I think it's the first where he completely upends a society, "Miri" notwithstanding.
I especially like the first half, with expensive backlot work with about a dozen extras in a state of sleepwalking while in the Body, with repeated use of the "Vina's Theme" motif. Lawgiver Sid Haig later wound up growing a goatee, shaving his head, and doing a lot of bad guys in movies and tv shows.
I especially like the first half, with expensive backlot work with about a dozen extras in a state of sleepwalking while in the Body, with repeated use of the "Vina's Theme" motif. Lawgiver Sid Haig later wound up growing a goatee, shaving his head, and doing a lot of bad guys in movies and tv shows.
For the same reason the Krell energy gauges in Forbidden Planet were calibrated in tens. We're so accustomed to doing arithmetic in base 10 that any other base number would require explanation. Ditto for the 12-hour clock.
Of course, in-universe, it could be just another one of those parallel-planet-development things. Why do Landru's people dress in Earth fashions circa 1890?
That's the one thing about science fiction in general, not just STAR TREK, or The Original Series, in particular:
Regardless of limits on the budget, there are, in fact, limits to the imagination. Instead of truly strange, new worlds on offer, science fiction often reveals that those making it are only Human.
Because of the Archons?
The Landru town is an artificial environment: 19th century technology cannot exist in vacuum, and cannot be maintained by a one-horse town like the one we saw. Yet the Landru town is the Landru town - Landru himself lives underneath it! Our heroes homed in on this place before knowing of Landru, which more or less dictates that there be only one town on the entire planet... (That, plus the Valley. But nothing much comes out of the Valley, apparently.)
Now, Landru has chosen to imitate late 19th century West for his games. He doesn't think too much of the same thing is good for the people, though: he has these Red Hours to break up the dull routines. We might just as well assume that he has regular makeovers of the entire world so that he can experiment and find out the best possible way to keep his chattel in best possible happiness indefinitely. And what better way to do such makeovers than to borrow from visitors?
We even have direct proof that the place evolves: our heroes initially beamed down in clothing more appropriate for 17th century West, perhaps indicating that's what worked for the crew of the Archon (else why make that odd choice?), or possibly even that that's what was worn on the planet the previous day, before the very latest makeover that our heroes failed to notice. That's not natural evolution, as a single town cannot evolve new clothing technologies and fashions like that - that's Landru playing a game.
And he has played the game for, what, six thousand years? Odds would be astronomically against 19th century West evolving (and supposedly first devolving) in that specific time, but not against Landru trying out all sorts of different societal models and rapidly moving on when certain models didn't work out. Also, we witness Landru adapting to a threat, albeit with great inertia, much like the Borg do.
Timo Saloniemi
I vote 7. I like it, but it's not one of my favorites, but not because of the Captain and his crew.
I've never understood the "red hour" I mean, WTF? and how the hell often does that happen? It doesn't seem too often judging how clean it looked before and how slow they were cleaning up after. Maybe that's no reason to lower the episode, but that's what I did.
I really like the part that Kirk has and uses his Sociologist and then leaves him there to help out with a team afterward. They mentioned something like that towards the end of Miri, but it seems like those little details got skipped in later seasons.
I've never understood the "red hour" I mean, WTF? and how the hell often does that happen? It doesn't seem too often judging how clean it looked before and how slow they were cleaning up after. Maybe that's no reason to lower the episode, but that's what I did.
I really like the part that Kirk has and uses his Sociologist and then leaves him there to help out with a team afterward. They mentioned something like that towards the end of Miri, but it seems like those little details got skipped in later seasons.
It's also accepted that our heroes have come from afar for the Festival. If it were a daily event, the locals probably wouldn't jump to this conclusion - it's only because Kirk and pals arrive exactly at the day of the Festival that their cover story is so easily embraced (indeed, it's the locals who invent it for them!).
I'd think an annual event would fit the bill, plus minus a bit (say, from monthly to every three years). But personally I side with the shorter end of the range - from monthly to four times a year would be just fine.
Timo saloniemi
Except for Valley Girls and 1970s porn films.
One of my favs, if only because it has one of my favorite bloopers. When the Red Hour starts and Kirk decides to take the landing party and beat feet off the street, Ensign Hothead (maybe Lindstrom himself) has a grapefruit sized piece of "rubble" bounce right off the top of his head as the group runs off the curb.
I laugh out loud every time I watch, which I often do just to enjoy that precious moment.
By the way, long-time lurker, first post.
I laugh out loud every time I watch, which I often do just to enjoy that precious moment.
By the way, long-time lurker, first post.
In E.C. Tubb's Kalin, one of the top science fiction novels of 1969, the hero Earl Dumarest is at the beginning of the episode on a planet which is observing a ritual called "bloodtime", which in desription is strikingly similar to "The Red Hour" of ROTA. I wonder if Tubb maybe cribbed this idea from Star Trek?
Quotable lines. Kirk kills another computer. Sulu gets brainwashed. What's not to like?
No Trek Babe in this one, though.
It didn't occur to me when I was 10, but later the clock took me out of the story. Why do they have the same clocks as we do?
Don't be fooled, there's a babe in the episode. She's just dressed down some and bundled.
Welcome!
You know, I know that's there, I've even looked for it, but I tend to miss it. I almost mentioned it, but because I usually miss it, even knowing it's there, I didn't.
Just like they never use the wide field stun in any spinoffs. Right?
Except for Valley Girls and 1970s porn films.
"Are you strangers?"
"Yes. We're... from the Valley."
Valley of the jolly (ho ho ho) Green Giant.
As a kid I had the same reaction to "Errand of Mercy." But I always gave "Archons" a pass on its old-timey look because the music score was so good. It was all re-used stuff, tracked as they say, but still wonderful.
That's an insightful analysis. You take a recurring problem with ST episodes, the one-village-represents-a-planet thing ("A Private Little War", "Friday's Child"), and explore it as a solid sci-fi concept. In this sense especially, but also in general, I think "Archons" has a much more interesting set-up than "The Apple," where a similar machine governance is going on.
You point out a great irony in "Archons" versus the real world. Instead of people gaming on computers, Landru is a computer gaming on people. It like the old saying that Disneyland is a human trap built by a mouse.
Very good episode, but I've a problem with Lieutenant Lindstrom. He's the one who talks too much, like Bailey, Stiles, Boma or sometimes Chekov...but as sociologist who travels in space, why the hell he's so "judgmental"?
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