"Archons": You make the call.

Discussion in 'Star Trek - The Original & Animated Series' started by plynch, Aug 15, 2011.

  1. cbspock

    cbspock Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Archon's story still works today. A society that has no freedom and is stagnant. All work for the good of the state. When Landru is questioned, his followers attack without mercy. Sure sounds like Obama America to me.


    -Chris
     
  2. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

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    :eek::confused: Uhm okay. That was out of the blue. (or is that red?)
     
  3. { Emilia }

    { Emilia } Cute but deadly Moderator

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    What kind of Orwellian mirror universe world do you live in?
     
  4. Squiggy

    Squiggy FrozenToad Admiral

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    Republicans never attacked Democrats before...right?
     
  5. CorporalCaptain

    CorporalCaptain Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    My interpretation of Festival was that it was precisely when the species procreated. No festival, no people.
     
  6. chardman

    chardman Vice Admiral In Memoriam

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    Fixed that for you Sparky!
     
  7. plynch

    plynch Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Take that, all you "Its obviously cuz people just need to blow off steam" Theorists. That's why I like Festival. Never explained.

    What if it were FESTIVUS! FESTIVUS! People would be impaling each other with poles and screaming grievances at each other. "You didn't return my sappy greeting sappily enough last week!!"
     
  8. SFRabid

    SFRabid Commodore Commodore

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    Watched it on blu-ray last night. What got me was how out of place the rape and violence was. Almost like a network suit said "put something in to make it more ..."
     
  9. plynch

    plynch Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I was always assuming it got by them. It seems a very natural outcome if people give in to their urges.
     
  10. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

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    The "violence and rape" were pretty integral to the episode's theme, hardly an after thought.
     
  11. SFRabid

    SFRabid Commodore Commodore

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    Actually, peace and understanding was the integral part. That is why the computer was developed. To make everyone docile in a time of war. Festival was not just procreation. It was also destructive. Throwing rocks. Using clubs. Who cleaned up the mess afterwards?
     
  12. T'Bonz

    T'Bonz Romulan Curmudgeon Administrator

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    Let's keep politics out of this forum, OK? I get enough of it elsewhere.
     
  13. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

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    Key phrase: "to the episode". Not the in universe reasons behind the computer creation, but why the writers wrote what they did. There had to be something strange and off to the society. Something that makes Kirk ( and the audience) wonder whats going on and why. The transformation from friendly smiling townsfolk to wanton savages provides that.
     
  14. Wingsley

    Wingsley Commodore Commodore

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    Respectfully, I would submit that politics are very much a part of STAR TREK, especially TOS. But TOS's makers were wise enough to be at least somewhat clever and discreet in presenting points of view, instead of launching into outright partisan polemics.

    The politics in question was clearly off-topic. Including the name "Landru" in the post in question may make sense to the individual who posted the polemic, but it seems everyone else, including T'Bonz, saw it as OT.

    FWIW, that's how I see it.

    Thanks for chiming in, T'Bonz.
     
  15. Gary7

    Gary7 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Interesting. "Landru". "Land-ru". "Land of Russia."

    Gene wanted to explore politics quite a lot, but had to be very careful because of censorship. It's actually amazing how much political commentary about current times was slipped through in Star Trek episodes.
     
  16. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

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    Well, Landru is also an actual name. Was "ru" commonly used to mean Russia in the 1960s? The episode seems to be about repressing human nature. In the end people are having arguments and fist fights. Which to the Enterprise crew is being normal.
     
  17. Admiral Buzzkill

    Admiral Buzzkill Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    No.
     
  18. iguana_tonante

    iguana_tonante Admiral Admiral

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    It's also amazing what people can see when they want to see it.
     
  19. CorporalCaptain

    CorporalCaptain Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Here are some additional random thoughts I've had about the episode. Nothing conclusive, but perhaps some may answer.

    1) In the context of a group of people, the Body of Christ refers to Christians as a group. Therefore, to me, the terminology "the Body" in this episode has always suggested a parallel between the followers of Landru and Christians.

    2) Although I said upthread that I think that Festival is when the people of Beta III procreate, I agree that there is an intended commentary regarding repressed urges. If a parallel to Christianity is intended, then the comment would seem to be that rigid puritanical chastity is unhealthy because it leads to violent expressions of sexuality.

    3) There are Judeo-Christian usages of the term archon. The usages vary, but the thrust of the various meanings is an angel who is a leader people. I wonder if any parallel is intended here, and what precisely is meant by "return". Is it that more spacemen (angels) come to Beta III, or is it that real spiritual leaders return to the people of Beta III?
     
  20. Gary7

    Gary7 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I'm not suggesting that it was. I just thought it to be a funny coincidence. "Ru" of course signifies Russia today, because of the Internet domain. From a USA perspective in the 60's, the USSR was repressing their people. The "Iron Curtain" metaphor certainly suggests that. The Archons story applies to repression in general, but we do know that Gene thought about the USSR. Take "Omega Glory" for instance... Yankies and Communists.

    So you're suggesting I'm delusional and that Star Trek had no political commentary interwoven into their episode stories?