PLATO'S STEPCHILDREN: Underrated great episode

[david g]

I never paid too much attention to this one, but I recently rewatched it and was very impressed. The themes of the abuse of power that are so crucial to TOS are at their height here. But more than anything else the episode seemed oddly resonant to me in our era of Abu Graib and Guantanomo. The actors convey powerfully the hellishness of torture.

The actor playing Alexander is particularly good. The scene where Kirk and Uhura and Spock and Chapel are forced to kiss each other is very moving, and especially well-played.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I can't agree. This is one of the two or three worst episodes of TOS.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Oh, no.. this is Trek at its worst! Bitter dregs. Bitter dregs!

 

[Mallory]

Sorry david, this isn't an episode that I look forward to either.

 

[A beaker full of death]

People like to knock this episode. I agree with OP, it's a good one.

 

[Christopher]

I tend to agree with davidg. Certainly the episode has a certain '60s goofiness, but it is a rather wrenching thing to behold the characters enduring such humiliation and psychological torture, and the scene where Kirk, Spock and McCoy are dealing with the emotional baggage afterward is very potent and well-played. Spock's dialogue also makes an excellent statement about how vengeance is not the answer, about the need to let go of hate no matter the provocation.

He's also right about Michael Dunn as Alexander. Certainly the highlight of the episode.

 

[flandry84]

The abuse of power aspect ,plus the plight of Alexander cannot dispel images of Nimoy flamenco-dancing,or The Shat,gadding about.


Yes I did say gadding!

 

[Yassim]

I think the individual success or failure of this episode, from person to person, depends mostly on your reaction to watching Kirk slap himself and pretend to be a horse.

If that image strikes you with fear or empathy, then the episode works quite well. My first reaction to the episode was like this.

Watching it now, though, there's no denying the laughs in watching Kirk pretend he's a pony, or listening to Spock sing...

I like it more than most people, I guess.

 

[Plum]

I think it's a terrific episode. Sure, this one is chock full of silly, humiliating, moments for our heros... bitter dregs! But hey, it fits the story just fine and the theme about power was perfectly contrasted with Alexander. He was the highlight for the show.

The final "thought battle" sure was cheezy, good ole Shatner (you see the power of his brain! oh wait, no you can't), but the final bit with Alexander refusing the power, topping off the theme of the show, was well done.

I am not so pleased with the production, seems rushed. Just me?

 

[Christopher]

Yes, these things were silly, but what makes them chilling is that they were forced to do these ridiculous things -- that they had their control over their own bodies ripped from them and were compelled to act clownishly for the people who were violating them. That makes it more creepy than campy. And the sheer ludicrous grotesquerie of it was an excellent illustration of how decadent and shallow the Platonians had become, inflicting such tortures and violations merely for petty amusement, thinking it's all about goofy fun when they turn sentient beings into mind-controlled slaves. I don't think any TOS villains ever displayed quite so much sheer, unadulterated sadism as the Platonians did.

And flamenco dancing or not, there's a palpable sense of danger seeing Spock slamming his feet down so close to Kirk's head. I mean, if Nimoy (or the stunt performer that probably did it in the close-ups of Shatner's head) had slipped just once, Shatner might've been in serious trouble. So I find that part a bit scary to watch.

 

[Neopeius]

I haven't gotten to that episode yet, still trapped behind Mark of Gideon, but I seem to recall enjoying the episode when I was a kid. You take everything at face value as a kid, so it was pretty effective and kind of neat.

 

[Plum]

Christopher said:
I don't think any TOS villains ever displayed quite so much sheer, unadulterated sadism as the Platonians did.

Ya got that right Plato.

(my fav Xena line)

 

[Saxman1]

I can't stand this ep. This, Alternative Factor, Let That Be Your Last Battlefield and Turnabout Intruder are TOS eps I can't watch again. Ever.

"Bitter Dregs," Kirk slapping himself and playing horsey, ugh, it's unbearable.

 

[A beaker full of death]

Saxman1 said:

"Bitter Dregs," Kirk slapping himself and playing horsey, ugh, it's unbearable.

That's the IDEA.

 

[Jack Bauer]

So bad this should be used as an interrogation tool at Guantanamo.

 

[Hambone]

If you ever want to prove to a non-trek fan that Star Trek was a wierd, strange show full of laughable plot lines, cheap cardboard sets and overacting, just pop in this episode. This one is just embarrassing (I know that's the point, but it shouldn't be embarrassing to watch). Plus it's got Dr. Anne Philana Pulaski in it. Yechh.

 

[TremblingBluStar]

Hambone said:
If you ever want to prove to a non-trek fan that Star Trek was a wierd, strange show full of laughable plot lines, cheap cardboard sets and overacting, just pop in this episode.

While I agree the episode is rather silly, this description describes most 60's television shows. Westerns had cheap looking, cardboard western sets. Cop shows had cheap looking, cardboard police office or jail house sets.

People, especially when I was growing up, always seemed to expect Trek production values to match modern television. They failed to take into context when it was filmed.

 

[Christopher]

Hambone said:
Plus it's got Dr. Anne Philana Pulaski in it.

Philana was played by Barbara Babcock, whose previous TOS roles were Mea 3 in "A Taste of Armageddon" and the voices of Trelane's mother and Isis the cat. Dr. Anne Mulhall and Katherine Pulaski (as well as Miranda Jones) were played by Diana Muldaur, who does not resemble Barbara Babcock in the least.

 

[garakfan]

Not a great episode aside from Kirks lecture to Alexander about how where he comes from a persons appearance makes no difference. I remember seeing an interview with a publisher who was also a little person and what aprofound effect that speech had on him and his life. I wish we could have seen the look on Alexander's face when he got to the Enterprise.

 

[Hambone]

TremblingBluStar said:

Hambone said:
If you ever want to prove to a non-trek fan that Star Trek was a wierd, strange show full of laughable plot lines, cheap cardboard sets and overacting, just pop in this episode.

While I agree the episode is rather silly, this description describes most 60's television shows. Westerns had cheap looking, cardboard western sets. Cop shows had cheap looking, cardboard police office or jail house sets.

People, especially when I was growing up, always seemed to expect Trek production values to match modern television. They failed to take into context when it was filmed.

Thanks, I was just pointing out that it's one of the worst offenders. I grew up in the 1960's and I know all about television production values.