If “A Piece of the Action” was a cursory view of cultural contamination, this episode’s adventure is a fully realized infection of the worst disease in philosophy. Much like the mafia planet, the citizens of planet Ekos were introduced to an outside viewpoint by a Starfleet bungle. This time, a historian and cultural observer John … More A Shift in Power, TOS: S2E21 “Patterns of Force”
Kirk and Spock seem to have no shortage of mind-altering adventures, which is reasonable considering one of the final frontiers still beyond our understanding is the mind. If space offers anomalies and aggressive aliens, the human body provides complex mystery and questionable theories. Brushing up against this frontier, Kirk, Spock, and Lt. Cmdr. Mulhall respond … More Brain Drain, TOS: S2E20 “Return to Tomorrow”
With great power comes great…capacity to make things worse. Starfleet wields amazing strength due to its superior weaponry and the governing capability of a united political force. With so much influence, it is not surprising that many powerful organizations find themselves in dilemmas when weaker states look to them for help. Is it immoral to … More Friend of my Enemy, TOS: S2E19 “A Private Little War”
The many possibilities for life often stretch beyond our imaginations. Just when we think we have a basic understanding of how it all works, biology throws a platypus into the mix. From bizarre animal bodies to bacteria surviving under the most inhospitable conditions, life simply pushes against the impossible. However, even with seemingly endless variety, … More The Laws of Existence, TOS: S2E18 “The Immunity Syndrome”
A holy book defines a culture. It provides a basis for what a society values and what it condemns. These ideals also shape how the stories are told, as the listener uses his or her cultural lens to discern the morals hidden in the tale. There are many alien races in the Star Trek universe … More People of the Book, TOS: S2E17 “A Piece of the Action”
We cannot become intelligent beings if we don’t value life. A simpleton lacks empathy, but sensitive, compassionate, and well-rounded people can see themselves in the other. An important step in maturity is the ability to recognize others have needs outside of ourselves. On a larger scale, a certain amount of moral growth prompted our ancestors … More A Mind for Mercy, TOS: S2E16 “The Gamesters of Triskelion”
In 1788, the first European settlers in Australia brought rabbits as a source of food. With no native predators in their new home, the rabbit population exploded, and became one of the country’s most devastating invasive pests. Thus is the inspiration for this Star Trek story. Perhaps one of the most iconic episodes of the … More Additional Multiplication, TOS: S2E15 “Trouble with Tribbles”
Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself’. If that is the case, he may not have seen many wild animals, or found himself in a perilous survival situation. Perhaps his life was never in danger from the most treacherous of all creatures: another human being. It is possible that … More Root of all Fear, TOS: S2E14 “Wolf in the Fold”
Hell hath no fury like a captain chasing a white whale. In an episode reminiscent of the vendetta plot from “The Doomsday Machine”, and the body harvesting of “The Man Trap”, Kirk’s old foe is a deeply personal weapon of mass destruction. Upon finding his surveying party attacked and drained of their hemoglobin, Kirk suspects … More The Misty Whale, TOS: S2E13 “Obsession”
Aging comes with all kinds of challenges, but our culture has sanitized the process so much that it is rarely in the forefront of a young and healthy person’s mind. Medical science bombards us with trendy new ways to keep healthy and sharp as you move through life, championing the superiority of youth. In a … More Radioactive Aging, TOS: S2E12 “The Deadly Years”
Hopeless Trekkie 