A seemingly idyllic society welcomes everyone with perfect hospitality, that is, unless you step on a flower. Wesley Crusher finds out the hard way that some cultures go to great lengths to keep order. Hoping to establish a nearby colony, the Enterprise visits the planet Rubicun III, where the Edo live in bliss and innocence … More Keep off the Grass, TNG: S1E8 “Justice”
A strange new guest, calling himself the ‘Traveler’, arrives on the Enterprise, along with a propulsion expert named Mr. Kosinski. Both were brought aboard to help improve warp engine efficiency. Kosinski has an inflated ego, and Riker is suspicious of him from the start. The first officer claims that Kosinski was only so successful on … More Unreal Machine, TNG: S1E6 “Where No One Has Gone Before”
As we reach the end of the Star Trek that started it all, I’ve decided to take a closer look at a pattern some may have noticed cropping up fairly frequently. Many Star Trek stories feature planets and alien civilizations which are suspiciously uniform. From the proud warrior born from an entire alien species of … More Bonus Article: Planet of Hats
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”
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”
“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”
Hopeless Trekkie 