In 1968, an influential new book blew society’s collective mind. The Population Bomb, by husband and wife team Paul and Anne Ehrlich, predicted a world in which hundreds of millions of people would starve to death in the 1970s, despite anything we may do to stop it. If you’re reading this in the far future … More Population Dud, TOS: S3E16 “The Mark of Gideon”
Racism has always been a sensitive and polarizing issue. The original Star Trek was opening our minds to the possibility of a better future, just as the American civil rights movement achieved many of its ambitious goals. However, civil rights on paper does not always translate to civil rights in practice, and humanity has been … More Under Your Skin, TOS: S3E15 “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield”
Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad, and whom Kirk wishes to cure he must first understand. When the Enterprise crew visits the asylum planet Elba II, which houses individuals deemed dangerously insane, Captain Kirk encounters Garth of Izar, a former Starfleet captain who has descended into madness. Kirk and crew were delivering … More Positive ID, TOS: S3E14 “Whom Gods Destroy”
The late American author Sam Levenson summarized the beauty of commitment with his insightful quote: “Love at first sight is easy to understand; it’s when two people have been looking at each other for a lifetime that it becomes a miracle.” Unfortunately, movies and television must make due with much shorter runtimes, and thus we … More Taming of the Crew, TOS: S3E13 “Elaan of Troyius”
The Enterprise is tasked with rescuing a research crew on Minara II before its star goes supernova. While on the planet, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy can’t find the researchers, but video footage shows them disappearing at random. Soon, the three officers are also transported to the center of the planet for some strange reason. There, … More Cold-Hearted Compassion, TOS: S3E12 “The Empath”
The Enterprise beams down to the planet Scalos in response to a distress call, only to find no evidence of life at all. When one of the disposables suddenly disappears, the ship experiences bizarre malfunctions orchestrated by some mysterious ‘enemy’. Kirk doesn’t know what to do, so he just lets the situation play out. While … More Speed of Life, TOS: S3E11 “Wink of an Eye”
One of the most iconic episodes of the original Star Trek, “Plato’s Stepchildren”, claims the first interracial kiss portrayed on television. Aside from the groundbreaking milestone, the philosophy behind the story walks the well-trodden ground of absolute power and its ensuing corruption. Kirk and crew respond to a distress call from the Platonians, a group … More Plato’s Tyrannical Republic, TOS: S3E10 “Plato’s Stepchildren”
Space is a vast and endless mystery. In addition to what we can see, there are other forms of existence stretching beyond our capacity to imagine them. One of these is the possibility of surviving in other dimensions. Our brains belong in three dimensions, and experience consistently forward moving time. How would we withstand a … More A Dimension of Mystery, TOS: S3E9 “The Tholian Web”
The Enterprise crew encounter a ship disguised as an asteroid on a collision course with the planet Daran V. Its inhabitants are the descendants of an alien race called the Fabrini, whose planet was destroyed long ago. Aboard their multi-generational ship, they have forgotten their original purpose over time (or they weren’t allowed to know … More Hitting a Wall, TOS: S3E8 “For the World is Hollow and I have Touched the Sky”
War is an unavoidable stain on human civilization, but if you must die for a cause, at least make sure it is not a stupid one! A series of bizarre events proved almost fatal for two starship crews who refused to see reason. On the surface of an alien planet, Kirk and crew think they … More Ever Burning Hate, TOS: S3E7 “Day of the Dove”
Hopeless Trekkie 