Author: Jessica

Plato’s Tyrannical Republic, TOS: S3E10 “Plato’s Stepchildren”

March 31, 2023

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”

A Dimension of Mystery, TOS: S3E9 “The Tholian Web”

February 28, 2023

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”

Hitting a Wall, TOS: S3E8 “For the World is Hollow and I have Touched the Sky”

January 31, 2023

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”

OK with Fate, TOS: S3E6 “Spectre of the Gun”

November 30, 2022

Forging on with first contact despite an alien race’s unwillingness to participate is one area of debate for Starfleet officers, but perhaps the more interesting subject of this episode is the unique psychological punishment the trespassing Starfleet officers endured. Upon encountering an alien probe, Kirk and crew are greeted with a message addressed to everyone … More OK with Fate, TOS: S3E6 “Spectre of the Gun”

Inner Ugly, TOS: S3E5 “Is There in Truth No Beauty”

October 31, 2022

“Who says that fictions only and false hair become a verse? Is there in truth no beauty?” claims one of George Herbert’s most famous poems: Jordan (I). Herbert was referring to the art of poetry and how poets often seem to focus on fictional subjects for their work. Reality, according to Herbert, offers many beautiful … More Inner Ugly, TOS: S3E5 “Is There in Truth No Beauty”

Spirit of Childhood, TOS: S3E4 “And the Children Shall Lead”

September 30, 2022

In what is considered one of the worst Star Trek: The Original Series episodes ever made, squeezing itself snuggly into the less than stellar Season 3, a group of children are compelled by an evil alien spirit to kill their parents. The sub-par child acting, and laughable alien ghost named Gorgan, all work to deprecate … More Spirit of Childhood, TOS: S3E4 “And the Children Shall Lead”

Dances with Memories, TOS: S3E3 “The Paradise Syndrome”

August 31, 2022

Captain Kirk falls in love with a Native American woman in this possibly questionable episode. However, aside from a few unflattering stereotypes, the story is not bad, and it was reasonably well received by audiences. The 60s were a thing, and Kirk embraces his inner flower child in a beautiful wilderness setting. For a character … More Dances with Memories, TOS: S3E3 “The Paradise Syndrome”

Cloak and Swagger, TOS: S3E2 “The Enterprise Incident”

July 31, 2022

Romulan cloaking technology has been a reoccurring feature of the Star Trek universe ever since it was first described in this episode.  Dangerous and unethical, the ability to cloak ships would give the offending party an unfair advantage in war, as well as the ability to carry out espionage without detection.  It was up to … More Cloak and Swagger, TOS: S3E2 “The Enterprise Incident”

What is Brain, TOS: S3E1 “Spock’s Brain”

June 30, 2022

We often think of scientific and technological progress as a steady march forward, but the reality is more complex.  Factors such as natural disaster, war, or even isolation can cause a culture to ‘forget’ its previous advancement.  This is known as technological regress and the idea behind it, according to Aiyar et al. (2008), is … More What is Brain, TOS: S3E1 “Spock’s Brain”