Interesting that Kirk and Spock initially liked and admired the city dwellers and their society and even in the end Kirk imposed pretty mild reforms rather than revolutionary changes ...
Episodes still relevant....
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Interesting that Kirk and Spock initially liked and admired the city dwellers and their society and even in the end Kirk imposed pretty mild reforms rather than revolutionary changes ...
Kirk was not in a position to institute reforms of any kind. He was duty bound to get the mineral needed to save another planet which meant he saw fit to push the limits to fulfill his mission. From his standpoint Plasus and the city dwellers were dragging their feet in fulfilling their obligations to another Federation member world.
He also offered the gas masks to Plasus openly, but soon saw Plasus wasn't interested in anything that could change the status quo. Given they were running out of time Kirk took the initiative to make a small deal with Vanna and the Troglytes, yet they didn't seem to be that willing to make any concessions either.
It goes further than that, because it also brings up forced euthanasia as a population control. The definition may refer to relieving an individual's pain and suffering, but the Eminians use it to relieve pain and suffering of society. The episode itself was a parable on the body counts during the Viet Nam war.
A Taste of Armageddon also would be a cautionary on civic duty, where the population simply reported to disintegration booths because they were told to by those in authority.
With The Cloud Minders, I do wonder how long it would be after Kirk left before the government began to collect the filter masks.
With The Cloud Minders, I do wonder how long it would be after Kirk left before the government began to collect the filter masks.
With Roddenberry's pontificating in later years, people got the idea that Star Trek was about this perfect Utopia.
But the people in TOS were realistic human beings that viewers can relate to. And it really makes you think about our own struggles, prejudices, and conflicts as real people.
The holier-than-thou, utopian lack of conflict (and human interest) didn't really show up on screen until TNG. To me, that isn't Star Trek.
Kor
But the people in TOS were realistic human beings that viewers can relate to. And it really makes you think about our own struggles, prejudices, and conflicts as real people.
The holier-than-thou, utopian lack of conflict (and human interest) didn't really show up on screen until TNG. To me, that isn't Star Trek.
Kor
With Roddenberry's pontificating in later years, people got the idea that Star Trek was about this perfect Utopia.
But the people in TOS were realistic human beings that viewers can relate to. And it really makes you think about our own struggles, prejudices, and conflicts as real people.
The holier-than-thou, utopian lack of conflict (and human interest) didn't really show up on screen until TNG. To me, that isn't Star Trek.
Kor
Star Trek and its offspring were definitely completely different creatures.
TNG was a good show in its own right. But the attitudes were completely different from TOS, which makes sense considering the two shows were made twenty years apart.
I think one can make the case that the Deadly Years, seen outside the actual structure of the plot, is effective in harkening one's attention to one of the most threatening health issues of our time, Alzheimer's Disease.
Naturally, the impact of the condition is portrayed most directly as it effects Kirk. Someone in the prime of his physical and mental powers, he suddenly starts to experience sporadic memory lapses which he finds convenient to dismiss as insignificant. However, these increase while at the same time his command decisions become less cogent and sensible. His emotional response to what is overtaking him morphs from denial to anger to a bewildering loss of self.
While I wouldn't give plaudits to the writer for being remarkably prescient, I do find that viewing the episode now, it is easy to see some parallels to this present day scourge.
Naturally, the impact of the condition is portrayed most directly as it effects Kirk. Someone in the prime of his physical and mental powers, he suddenly starts to experience sporadic memory lapses which he finds convenient to dismiss as insignificant. However, these increase while at the same time his command decisions become less cogent and sensible. His emotional response to what is overtaking him morphs from denial to anger to a bewildering loss of self.
While I wouldn't give plaudits to the writer for being remarkably prescient, I do find that viewing the episode now, it is easy to see some parallels to this present day scourge.
I'm a huge TOS fan, but this is one where TNG simply handled it better, in "Sarek". "The Deadly Years" is decent enough, but ultimately very forgettable.
Can you give an example of Kirk being holier-than-thou?
Kirk would on occasion advocate a point of view, push a belief, but i can't remember him pulling a Picard where he came right out and said the he (and his society) was better than someone elses.
None of the bullshit about we grew out of our infantcy (and obviously you haven't).
None of the bullshit about we grew out of our infantcy (and obviously you haven't).
Another item for our list is "Day of the Dove." It reinforces the message that violence is self-sustaining and ultimately poisonous.
His disgust at the Organians for not violently resisting the Klingons, the stagnation in "This Side of Paradise" and collectivism in "A Taste of Armageddon".
I would hardly call that holier-than-thou.
Yeah, there's a difference between fighting for what you believe is right and being sanctimonious. Kirk avoided the latter when doing the former. He even conceded human frailty, fallibility, and savagery, as applying not only generally but also to himself, on numerous occasions.
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