I think most of us, upon watching The Way To Eden, wondered just what the hell Gene was thinking. The entire episode takes a swing at the rising left-wing youth movement...or does it? Obviously, Kirk is suspicious of the space hippies the minute they board. For heaven's sake, the leader turns out to be clinically insane! And yet...Spock is not nearly of critical of them as he might have been. If Gene was really taking a stab at a political statement, why not go the whole hog and have Spock frown upon them too? And yet, not only are we treated to Leonard Nimoy singing hippie songs, but even at the end of the episode, Spock even gives the S.H.s words of encouragement as they leave! Spock's ambivalent attitude may suggest that Gene was not quite the Nixon-like hippie fighter that the rest of the episode makes him out to be...
He Hated the Hippies...Didn't He?
- Thread starter Captain Shatner
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I don't know that Gene can be credited with (or blamed for) everything in Arthur Heinemann's script (a rewrite of D. C. Fontana's story), especially since I believe he exercised less direct control over the show during the third season. But I think the episode is meant, however clumsily, to present a nuanced view of the sixties youth movement that is slightly sympathetic even while it is pessimistic.
The only thing Gene Roddenberry was thinking about during the making of this episode was where he would find employment after the expiration of his five year contract with Desilu (now Paramount). He was barely involved with the show during the third season, and as far as I know didn't contribute to the story or teleplay of this episode at any point.
How could anyone who came up with crap like "New Humans" hate hippies?
Very well. But the question still holds true even if we replace the word "Gene" with "Writer." What is the episode's attitude toward the youth movement?
Overall, the attitude is pretty clearly that the space hippies were misguided. They had noble intentions which were perverted by Dr. Sevrin.
Additionally, although Spock could reach, the younger members of the crew were more enamored with their trappings than the older Herberts like Kirk and Scotty. But in the end, even Kirk could reach.
There's no message of hate there. Rather, it's of bridging the generation gap. The message isn't the same if the space hippies aren't annoying.
Additionally, although Spock could reach, the younger members of the crew were more enamored with their trappings than the older Herberts like Kirk and Scotty. But in the end, even Kirk could reach.
There's no message of hate there. Rather, it's of bridging the generation gap. The message isn't the same if the space hippies aren't annoying.
Exactly.
And, in the original story, he falls for Joanna McCoy midway through the story, so he reaches (at least one hippy) much earlier. Supposedly, IIRC, that doesn't happen because Fred Frieberger didn't believe that Kirk would take up a relationship with the daughter of a man who was "his contemporary".
Very true. Sevrin was very manipulative of them, appealing to their drives purely for his own gain.
Well said.
The trouble with this episode is that it's caught in the down draft of the waning 60's "peace and love" movement. How do you create "future hippies"? It was a very hard thing to do, without losing the connection to hippies of the day. These people were smart, intelligent, and very driven. Although... there is one nagging thing for me about that episode. They pushed the Aurora beyond safety limits and it was just about to blow up when the crew was beamed aboard by the Enterprise. What idiots... that they'd rather perish than be caught? That to me was the antithesis of their mantra. If you can't evade, submit to the authorities but then devise your plan of escape. Dying doesn't help anyone.
Indeed. However, if I remember correctly, this is the episode where we find out that Chekhov had a girlfriend in Starfleet who joined the space hippies. Much of the episode is focused on Chekhov choosing his duty over his romance with the girl. Wouldn't that point to a more negative portrayal of the hippies? To me, the episode seems to jump around between viewpoints, never really settling upon whether the hippies are a good thing or bad.
I believe that Dr. Sevrin would have knowingly perished. I can imagine him pushing the rest of them on and reassuring them that the Enterprise will back down before allowing their reactor to go critical.
But yeah, given that explosion was imminent, you'd think that they would have been visibly shaken up by their brush with death, and that their wall of solidarity would have been cracking right away. If we have to work it out in-universe, most of them therefore probably weren't aware of just how much danger they were in.
Even smart, intelligent, driven people can be taken in by a cult leader, which is what Sevrin was. As for the changing viewpoints, that's exactly the point. All these people were in the same situation, for different reasons. The only real villain is Sevrin who, in his selfishness, figured that he wanted what he wanted - and if he had to go down, he'd take everybody else with him.
Sounds like a certain compound in 20th century Texas...
No, not really. I've been in some near nasty car accidents, and I was not shooken up, I often would go, "Ahh, good, I'm still here, all's well!" They were probably the same, panic is not a useful thing.
I was thinking more along the lines of it occurring to some of them that, since Sevrin was wrong about the Enterprise backing down, what have I gotten myself into? Eh, maybe not. No biggie.
I suppose he could have assured them that they would be rescued first, and he was right about that.
Lots of hippie like cults out there in the late 20th century..following charismatic leaders to eventual doom. I think this was the message that the writer was attempting to portray, that even bright young people can fall under the spell of a fast talking leader...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Manson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jones
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Koresh
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Manson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jones
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Koresh
I think it was an interesting episode. I think it showed how some of the intentions of the hippies were noble in spirit, but that hippies were undisciplined, trapped in their inner child, and lacked the maturity to make a positive contribution. I think it also showed that childish people who "just wanna feel good now" can easily be swayed by any Pied Piper who caters to their narcissism by telling them what they want to hear.
In my opinion, the biggest reason the hippie movement died is because they grew up.
I think the hippie movement was a necessary evil, like vomiting after you've eaten something poisonous. It was a rejection of the stale ridged way America had become in the technological age, where everyone was expected to be christian, join the military when you're 18, then get a job wearing a suit and tie, and stand the assembly line for the rest of your life.
Again, it's ultimate draw back is that its mentality was juvenile and self indulgent. And in my interpretation of things, The Way To Eden was expressing that.
Just look at how when they didn't get their way they started chanting "Herbert" like protesters, like children shouting to annoy their parents to get what they want.
In my opinion, the biggest reason the hippie movement died is because they grew up.
I think the hippie movement was a necessary evil, like vomiting after you've eaten something poisonous. It was a rejection of the stale ridged way America had become in the technological age, where everyone was expected to be christian, join the military when you're 18, then get a job wearing a suit and tie, and stand the assembly line for the rest of your life.
Again, it's ultimate draw back is that its mentality was juvenile and self indulgent. And in my interpretation of things, The Way To Eden was expressing that.
Just look at how when they didn't get their way they started chanting "Herbert" like protesters, like children shouting to annoy their parents to get what they want.
I think it was an interesting episode. I think it showed how some of the intentions of the hippies were noble in spirit, but that hippies were undisciplined, trapped in their inner child, and lacked the maturity to make a positive contribution. I think it also showed that childish people who "just wanna feel good now" can easily be swayed by any Pied Piper who caters to their narcissism by telling them what they want to hear.
In my opinion, the biggest reason the hippie movement died is because they grew up.
I think the hippie movement was a necessary evil, like vomiting after you've eaten something poisonous. It was a rejection of the stale ridged way America had become in the technological age, where everyone was expected to be christian, join the military when you're 18, then get a job wearing a suit and tie, and stand on the assembly line for the rest of your life, never questioning the authority your government had over you.
Again, it's ultimate draw back is that its mentality was juvenile and self indulgent. And in my interpretation of things, The Way To Eden was expressing that.
Just look at how when they didn't get their way they started chanting "Herbert" like protesters, like children shouting to annoy their parents to get what they want.
In my opinion, the biggest reason the hippie movement died is because they grew up.
I think the hippie movement was a necessary evil, like vomiting after you've eaten something poisonous. It was a rejection of the stale ridged way America had become in the technological age, where everyone was expected to be christian, join the military when you're 18, then get a job wearing a suit and tie, and stand on the assembly line for the rest of your life, never questioning the authority your government had over you.
Again, it's ultimate draw back is that its mentality was juvenile and self indulgent. And in my interpretation of things, The Way To Eden was expressing that.
Just look at how when they didn't get their way they started chanting "Herbert" like protesters, like children shouting to annoy their parents to get what they want.
Kirk had a certain sympathy for them. When Scotty went on a mini rant about young minds always being undisciplined, Kirk said somewhat indulgently, "I got into some trouble myself at that age". Of course, since he was the main authority figure he was bound to be the target of the hippie's annoying tactics, but it's not like he was "Herbert" all the way through, even though his job put him in that role.
Bubbles McGee
Lieutenant Commander
And that's an important point! As Captain, he has to put the safety of the ship and crew first at all times...even if it makes him unpopular to do so. I think in this episode Kirk represents openness to change while recognizing the need for security as oppose to the space hippies' unbridled idealism. Is there a commentary here? Perhaps, the writer was communicating the the youth movement the need to tread carefully and steadily lest they might risk their own safety and ultimately compromise their beliefs to attain their desired goal (i.e. using violence to attain peace and harmony).
Keep in mind that there were illegal wars going on at the time and were saying what they felt about it. I praised them for actually going out there and saying so. At an anti-war rally for the war in the middle east right now, met some hippies from the 60's and 70's who protested Vietnam. Was quite good to see folks still sticking to their principles.
First, as was previously noted, "Gene" had nothing to do with the episode.
By the time this was filmed, in the fall of 1968, the "Hippie Movment", whatever that was, had NOT waned. In fact, it was in full flower, if you'll pardon the expression.
Freddie Frieberger was desperately throwing his crappy ideas at the screen in a misguided attempt at broadening the audience. Take a look at the "Get Smart" hippie episode, or the "Batman hippie episode, or the "I Dream of Jeannie" hipisode.
Freddie was a hack, and he wrote and stole like one.
By the time this was filmed, in the fall of 1968, the "Hippie Movment", whatever that was, had NOT waned. In fact, it was in full flower, if you'll pardon the expression.
Freddie Frieberger was desperately throwing his crappy ideas at the screen in a misguided attempt at broadening the audience. Take a look at the "Get Smart" hippie episode, or the "Batman hippie episode, or the "I Dream of Jeannie" hipisode.
Freddie was a hack, and he wrote and stole like one.
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