Episode of the Week : And the Children Shall Lead
- Thread starter Botany Bay
- Start date
We also got to see the "recreation lounge" with that neat ice cream replicator, though you just know that Scotty had his own special data card that made it dispense scotch.
He brought with him the advantage of not having to be fitted too much for his mumu or whatever it was he was wearing!!!
They liked making things out of shower curtains, back then.
Bit of a lost art, you could say.
Perhaps rightly so.
This cheese is Limburger!
I liked Sulu seeing the knives coming at the ship... good image.
I give this episode a little credit for having one of the most effective redshirt death scenes...when they beam the crewmen out into space thinking that they're still in orbit of the planet, and only learn different after the fact.
My least favorite episode, period.
One reason for that? This is the one episode that wasn't shown in syndication where I live (Dallas) because the station worried that children watching would get the idea they could conjure up evil spirits. When I finally saw it at a STAR TREK convention in the '80s, I remember being so disappointed.
The only thing interesting about it is it's the only third season episode to showcase the new recreation room set (also used in "Elaan of Troyius" but that scene was discarded).
One reason for that? This is the one episode that wasn't shown in syndication where I live (Dallas) because the station worried that children watching would get the idea they could conjure up evil spirits. When I finally saw it at a STAR TREK convention in the '80s, I remember being so disappointed.
The only thing interesting about it is it's the only third season episode to showcase the new recreation room set (also used in "Elaan of Troyius" but that scene was discarded).
Positive points:
- The idea of children being manipulated, then accepting the brainwashing / becoming irate at any opposition was a comment (intentional or not) on the rise of cults in America, where children become some of the biggest representatives (and starting young--ultimately more dangerous) of the cult. The all-promising false leader is certainly to be found in Gorgan, and his equally false care & promises are indicative of the cult leader. As in other examples throughout the series, TOS was ahead of the curve on this kid of subject matter, which would not even begin to be in vogue on American TV until the 1970s.
- The arboretum. It was always great to see the 1701 interiors expanded with more common use areas for basic living, making the ship seem so expansive.
Yes, I think every Trek ep still had a dedicated team that made it rise about the badness of any one script premise. The characters stay true to themselves, and there are nice or interesting moments, even if it's just an image, or an interesting new thing concerning the ship, or a line or two of dialogue.
Out of curiousity, as I was about some the same age as some of those kids at the time, what are some examples of the these organizations/groups you're referring to? I don't think you're talking about Manson or Rajneesh. Hare Krishnas or the People's Temple, perhaps? The latter hadn't moved to Guyana yet, but it been in existence for awhile at that time. Hare Krishnas came to the US in 1965. Maybe I can't recall any such groups because I was in one of them and was subsequently deprogrammed, very, very effectively.
Out of curiousity, as I was about some the same age as some of those kids at the time, what are some examples of the these organizations/groups you're referring to? I don't think you're talking about Manson or Rajneesh. Hare Krishnas or the People's Temple, perhaps? The latter hadn't moved to Guyana yet, but it been in existence for awhile at that time. Hare Krishnas came to the US in 1965. Maybe I can't recall any such groups because I was in one of them and was subsequently deprogrammed, very, very effectively.
I was referring to People's Temple to a degree.The children/teens of People's Temple were already fully "in" with the doctrines, and had already come under suspicion in Indiana--before the move to California. Some cite the mid 70s investigations and the New West article as first exposing the abuses / structure of PT, but Jones' organization was ducking, dodging and partnering with / greasing the right legal palms all along, preventing any true weight from stopping the use/abuse of children.
On the CA streets, groups like that were always known--even if not to the level of infamy it earned a decade later. I did say the episode's false leader / children model could have been a comment (intentional or not), but the way Gorgan's relationship with the children is presented, it seems like it was not just some story completely dreamed up from nowhere.
These were the days of mass rebellion of kids against parents. The WW2 generation was baffled and alarmed by it all. Sometimes they blamed it all on "leaders" who were leading their kids astray, thinking that without these leaders, kids would be content to grow up to be like their parents, not questioning, not being individuals, no sex or drugs, no protests, etc.. It wasn't just a few isolated cults they were afraid of, it was the whole counter-culture. A lot of parents felt as if the world was coming to an end, and they couldn't conceive of their kids wanting to rebel willingly-- it had to be that they were being tricked and led astray.
I think this episode reflects WW2 generation paranoia about the generation gap.
I think this episode reflects WW2 generation paranoia about the generation gap.
I was talking to my mum about the very topic (cults) a few nights ago. She told me that in the 1960s, parents were terrified that their kids would get caught up in one. She fretted over my sister who was a teenager at the time and monitored her carefully.
By my time as a teen (early 1970s), the fear was lessened quite a bit. Still, there were lots of cautions against cults and there was some concern, particularly for college-aged students away from home for the first time.
By my time as a teen (early 1970s), the fear was lessened quite a bit. Still, there were lots of cautions against cults and there was some concern, particularly for college-aged students away from home for the first time.
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