This episode aired in 1969 and it still resonates today. It tells such a powerful story in 48 minutes. It’s so powerful that we all need to watch it today and remember.
I was 10 years old and a vivid fan when it first aired. As a young impressable kid, it helped color my view on race. Plus the fact I had a crush on Lt. Uhura, (Nichelle Nichols) helped
"Those that refuse to learn from history are doomed to repeat it". And here we are 55 years later, still making the same mistakes and refusing to learn from them. I'm hopeful we'll see the bright future for humanity that Star Trek envisioned, but it's going to be a long hard road to get there.
BELE: It is obvious to the most simpleminded that Lokai is of an inferior breed. SPOCK: The obvious visual evidence, Commissioner, is that he is of the same breed as yourself. BELE: Are you blind, Commander Spock? Well, look at me. Look at me! KIRK: You're black on one side and white on the other. BELE: I am black on the right side. KIRK: I fail to see the significant difference. BELE: Lokai is white on the right side. All of his people are white on the right side. 😳
I SO agree! That moment after they see their planet dead and Kirk is trying to convince them to give it up, Gorshin's choice to keep his arms up shaking his head with hate was a MASTER's class in acting right there. He looked completely like he was short-circuiting with rage. Brilliant. Brilliant!
My brother went to a Halloween party with the white-and-black makeup. Turns out someone he had never met before independently came up with the same idea. When they bumped into each other, they high-fived, but then noticed they chose different sides. They proceeded to "strangle" each other for a few seconds before getting a beer.
Bunny, many of us lived through the civil rights struggles of the sixties and even today it raises its ugly head through the continued prejudices today. A sad commentary on the past and present. Peace and continued love, Bunny.
Hate will always destroy the hater first. Politics is among the worst propogaters of hate. I'm a retired veteran from the Cold War; thanks to Reagan and Gorbechev, the wall came down on my watch and I actually witnessed American and Russian generals shaking hands and smiling for the first time in 45 years. I recently spent an entire month in Russia visiting a couple of long-time pen pals that live in Moscow. I self-taught myself how to speak and read Russian for 6 years. I was there long enough to get a good pulse on how they think, what they like, etc. They treated me like a king. They loved me, protected me, and they love America. My point is, despite ideological differences, most people are pretty much the same everywhere in the world - they just want to be loved and accepted and just be friends. It's the politicians and media that spread suspicion, division and hate. That's where the money and power is - and those are the things that corrupt. Russians are as mortified and ashamed of their politicians as we are in America. Take it from me, the average person (anywhere) just wants to get along and experience each others cultures in peace. They don't want war any more than we do.
Frank Gorshin was indeed an excellent mimic and impressionist, celebrated for his ability to imitate celebrities and create dynamic, engaging performances. His talent for mimicry was a significant part of his career as both an actor and stand up comedian
As a Gen X Trekkie, I find it quite satisfying to see that an episode of The Original Series can still have such a powerful impact on a young person like yourself even today. It restores my hope for the future a bit more. 🖖
I noticed that. Keen perception for sure. She’s picked up on nuance like that from the beginning. Love it. Bunny I suspect there are few endeavors you would not excel at with that ability.
@@bunnytailsREACTS Your speech at the end was powerful. It would have been an interesting ending if they would have reconciled. I think the writers wanted to slap people in the face with how illogical the hatred of other humans is, based on skin color. Appreciate your takes.
Your summation was profoundly wise. This was a statement of the times in the 60's and 70's and, once we have tried to mend issues we find new differences. Quite often that difference is chosen for us, quite often we choose the difference ourselves. Many times it is based on what we think about ourselves in as much as what we think about others. Bele was a a victim of what he thought about himself, and Lokai about what he thought about others. Too often we let our leaders tell us what others think about us, when we should be thinking for ourselves. IT is a sad statement but a nice warning of what it will come to if we continue.
"Returning hate for hate only multiplies hate, adding a deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
I met Frank Gorshin at a comedy club in London, Ontario in the late 80s and have a pic of him, my wife and me. 🤗 He was a great comedian and did a show you could take your kids to. No bad language. I'm impressed you pick up on the fact that they were opposites. I didn't notice that the first time I watched it until it was pointed out. You are absolutely correct about the similarity between those to guys and the way Earthers are. Most of Star Trek points out the same type of thing, friendship and peace are better. This was Rodenbury's dream for the future. BTW, the shirt looks good. The collar blends in nicely with your hair.
You're so smart! I have been waiting for you to react to this episode so that I could see your surprise that they were not both the same. You caught it right off the bat! This type of thinking was a big deal in the sixties during the civil rights struggle.
I'm a 60-yr old Hispanic and I grew up with racist parents, but I went to very diverse schools, so I interacted with all races and got to know some good people and some bad but like you said we have more in common with each other than different like being interested in Sci-fi and comics and music that's why I love Star Trek so much it shows us a better way.. It gives me hope that young people like you will save us from ourselves.
I'm a 66-yr old white guy, who grew up for 11-yrs years in San Francisico. My grandfater, who helped raise me was the epitome of Archie Bunke. Thankfully as much as I loved him I saw the stupidity of that belief system.
@@solvingpolitics3172 Whites, Blacks, Asians and even their own people. It took me a long time to stop thinking like them and to see people for who they were even when they told me lies about my friends. I would hear what they said but when I hung out with them, I found that we all liked the same things, and we had common interests. My best friend who is white and still my best friend got me into comics and to this day we talk for hours about our favorite books. My dad is still a bigot, but I finally got my mom to start thinking more progressively because I told her would not lose my friends over something so stupid.
@@frankbega5166 Same, 70 yr old white guy. When I was born, there were still drinking fountains in America labeled "White" and "Black". I think the Federation, where racism, poverty, and war are obsolete, is a more or less realistic view of the future of the human race. I hope all of us collectively will stand up and help move us forward toward the future we want.
I first saw this episode when it was originally broadcast (I was 12). It made a lasting impression on me. The running shots of Bele and Loki, with the superimposed images of burning cities, has stayed in my mind. My mother, who was an amateur artist, commented that the two Charonians looked like figures in a Picasso painting. Btw, in Greek myth, Charon was the ferryman who transported souls across the River Styx to the world of the dead. When the Enterprise arrives at Charon, it's literally a planet of the dead. Your reaction, Bunny, was very moving. It's like re-watching these classic Trek episodes through a pair of fresh eyes!
Bunny, you are a true trekkie with a beautiful, loving heart. Your wonderful statement truly was a blessing for us. I thank you for sharing your true feelings. This episode is very thought provoking, very hard hitting and tough to watch but it is an undeniable Star Trek Gold standard episode.
Its so wonderful that you understand the writing on the Original Series episodes. I never expect the younger generations to understand nor have an emotional response to the writing of that time. But you get it. It's invigorating.
Oh yes! By far, my favorite Batman series character. Also, a comedian, and as shown here, he convincingly played an intense role on screen. RIP Frank Gorshin.
Frank Gorshin was also known as the Riddler on Batman and was pretty animated character, the perfect nemesis for the dynamic duo. I also loved the way they showed the alarm light camera pulsing rapidly in and out. A nod to the classic Batman series which used the same effect. Great reaction video Bunny! Thank you.
The 60's was a turbulent time for race relations. Roddenberry was showing exactly what you are talking about. We are the same race of people with different skin pigmentations that shouldn't matter to how we relate to each other. Once again I enjoy watching these with you. You made me cry watching your reaction 💙💙💙
And the reference Loki makes to his people being pulled out of their homes and "shipped off to a war" was of course a reference to Vietnam, where minorities tended to serve more frequently in the frontline.
I greatly appreciated your reaction to the story. This is what Roddenberry wanted. As he said, he wanted to send out messages to intelligent life in the other side of the tube. And you got the message perfectly! As a kid I didn’t like it very much, a lot of the third season gave me headaches. It’s been VERY interesting to see your reactions as I watch with you and see so many episodes from year three are far better than I believed. Thank you so much for the gift. I’ve been a fan for 54 years, yet I am still catching and discovering stuff I never had before. At some point with my multiple viewings as a kid, I know I absorbed the color message, I can’t remember a time of not being aware they were opposite colors. I have heard the heavy-handed comments for years from the fandom, especially about this episode. It might have been needed, as much of the audience in the third season was a bit too young to date (Fridays at 10 pm!), but considering the tv audience of that era, and the heavy racism all across America in 1968-69, I think a strong case could be made that the heavy-handedness was necessary for many viewers. Unfortunately, Star Trek wasn’t the kind of show to get Emmy nominations for the guest stars (though at least Nimoy got nominated for his work all three years), but I think Frank Gorshin did an outstanding job as Commissioner Bele, and Lou Antonio as Lokai. Their hate was incredibly strong, you could feel it as much as a number of episodes where there was a romantic chemistry in them. Thanks again for sharing the gift of a great third season episode. I loved your uniform. Even if the color is ‘off’, it’s a great color. And reminds me of how though the command ‘light green’ came out mustard or gold from the lighting on older tvs, it was separate from Kirk’s darker green wraparound tunic. The episode is needed more than ever….
You know someone’s now a full-fledged fan when they A, know which branch of Starfleet wears which color, and B, can tell when it’s the wrong shade of yellow. It’s got the veteran Trek fan’s version of “my little girl is all grown up now” vibes all over it, but mostly because I get a sense of pride and joy about having been with you since the first episode and seeing how your growing appreciation for the show has developed into what it now is.
"All that matters to them is their hate." "Do you suppose that's all they've ever had, sir?" "No,... but that's all they have left." These words resonate even more true today!
When they showed those buildings burning it reminds you of America just a few years back does it not? I saw it.....Disgusting........Who knows, maybe we'll survive now a little longer!
Here's an interesting fact about Frank Gorshin. When he wasn't acting, he did stand up monologues in nightclubs; always smoking cigarettes (he was a heavy smoker). Adam West once said that Frank could reduce a king-sized cigarette to ashes with one draw. I'm not a smoker, so I don't really don't know if this is difficult or not. But, it sounds impressive.
I always imagined him in real life as the type would a cigarette with one hand and a martini in the other one, while he tells crazy tales. I suppose that’s not far from the truth.
"Give yourself a chance to breathe! Let go of your hate!" More powerful words that warped my fragile little mind. The people who mock this episode for being heavy handed do not understand the play is the thing.
Frank Gorshin, best known for playing the villainous Riddler in the 1960s Batman series, was a versatile and accomplished actor. Here, he shows no trace of the manic insanity of his former character, but a single-minded intellect and cold, determined ruthlessness. You would never suspect he began his performing career as a stand-up comedian, before becoming an actor. Thank goodness he did. 😌
He was the first and greatest Riddler of all time, and he was superb in his intense performance in this episode. As a kid, I couldn't get enough of him.
Great reaction, Bunny. This episode was a commentary on race relations of the late 60's, when it aired. This was at the height of the civil rights movement, and the only reason they were able to get it past the network censors was by making them aliens in order to tell the story they were telling. They really had to dance around certain things in order to get what they wanted to tell told. For example, notice that the problem making Loki inferior was that he was *white* on the right side, not because he was black on the left side. They were very careful in the way they presented the information; even though it was exactly what they were trying to say. They knew that their audience would "get it." A powerful message in the episode, and seeing your face toward the end told me that you understood exactly what they were saying as well. 👍
This episode is just one example of what makes Star Trek great. This is the series that changed TV viewing forever from what TV was at the time, to what it is now. Star Trek is the most successful TV franchise of all time!😮😊
Frank Gorshin had so much energy as a actor. He does it here and Batman. What warms me up young people are getting the messages from this show and “get it.”This was the show I grew up with while in Syndication in the 70s . Star Trek is timeless.
"We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist." - James Baldwin Hate is not "a difference of opinion" and intolerance of bigotry is not oppression.
7:00 - You: They look the same except for their coloration being flipped. Me: You have a definite talent for expressing keen observation in what turns out to be the most humorously ironic ways possible. It is well worthwhile watching your reactions. :)
Make sure to memorize the destruct sequence for the Enterprise. There WILL be a test.🖖 This episode really hit me as a little boy when I first saw it. I knew Frank Gorshin from the Batman television show and his appearances on variety shows doing his stand-up and impersonations. Loved your reaction on this one. As for the negative comments remind yourself as you mentioned how our differences are so minor and such a small percentage so are the negative comments compared to all of us here that are like-minded and happily on this Trek with you.
GREAT episode. An easy grade of "A+". There was not even a whiff of a "happy ending" in this episode! Lokai and Bele are high on the List of Most Tragic TV Characters. Lou Antonio and Frank Gorshin were outstanding as Lokai and Commissioner Bele. "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" was a landmark event in 1960's television programming. It gave viewers a strong lesson on the evils of tribalism and the futility of racist hatred. I could talk for an hour about the late, great Frank Gorshin. He was an immensely talented actor, comedian and impressionist. His massive film & TV career spanned over three decades. He is best known as the insufferable arch-villain "The Riddler" in the 1960's "Batman" TV series. His maniacal laugh is forever imprinted in my memories! He tortured Batman and Robin with his perplexing riddles. I loved trying to solve his riddles before Batman did....but I never succeeded....😩
Lou Antonio was also an episodic director. He worked on "The Flying Nun", "The Rockford Files", "Picket Fences", "Felicity", "CSI" and "Numb3rs". He's retired.
Bunny, you go right ahead and get on your soap box! Preach it! 👍 The skin color racism of the Cheron people is much simpler than that of Humans' skin color racism. Black-White versus White-Black and nothing in between! That's just too easy. The Cherons are like Dr. Seuss's "Sneeches", who fought over the status of having stars on their bellies. You were either a "Star Belly" or a "No Star Belly", with nothing in between. Human skin color racism is more complex. We have many shades of brown, which range from very light brown to very dark brown. In many societies, the darker you are, the worse you're treated. Lokai and Bele wouldn't be very happy living on Earth. They would be too intolerant of all the different shady characters.....
Interesting fact: The name of the planet "Charon" is also the name of the minor Greek god who was the ferryman who brought dead souls across the river Styx to Hades. Hades is also the Greek name of the Roman god Pluto, who is the lord of the underworld. Charon is the largest moon of Pluto, which was discovered many years after this episode was aired.
After getting interrupted by Kirk in the middle of a Starfleet communique, I find it significant that we hear from Uhura at the end, when she first says, "It doesn't make any sense." Spock sums up Bele and Lokai as having nothing left but their hate for each other. Uhura wonders aloud to Kirk, "Do you suppose that's all they ever had, sir?" Kirk answers her, "No ... but that's all they have left." I like to think there's a faint warble when Kirk says "No," as if even he is getting misty-eyed. I also think that "No" does a lot of heavy lifting. Surely there was a time in Cheron's history when people were simply living their lives, when their civilization had not yet hardwired their hate into them. What became of that, and how do you earn that back? I feel a little ashamed that I felt a bit jaded when this first aired in 1969. It was less than one year after the assassination of Martin Luther King and as some smart-aleck kid I could roll my eyes at how on-the-nose it was and think, "Yeah, I get it, I get it, this is very big in America's news right now and this is wrong." But the older I get, the less I demand that a story get told a certain way and the more I appreciate that a story ever gets told at all. Oh, and Bun, thank you for remembering The Alternative Factor, an episode which I always thought had great potential. This episode, it met its potential.
That's the thing with "Star Trek", right? It's good to be different. Different people bring new ideas, and people with new ideas can solve dilemnas that the old ways haven't. And yes, the stupidity of the Charonian's reasons for hating each other is meant to hit us on the head like a hammer. Bunny, your Command uniform is very flattering, even if it is a little orangish.
The Civil Rights movement comes to Star Trek. Bunnytails reacts focuses on the immutable differences being an insane motivation for the characters. I agree. I love this episode. The writing is superb, suggesting that Loki and Beal are stand-ins for Valjean and Javert from Les Miserables. I love when Loki is making his case to the officers whose reactions are all, huh? The Sharon scenes seem taken from the London Blitz and the planet looks uninhabitable. Hilarious central scene about the starship self-destruct program that could have had better security than the password that looks like PASSWORD.
One episode that lingered in my head for weeks. The tragic ending haunted me. I remembered the episode years later in college in Manila. My classmates would hang out together in certain groups that I noticed was the same for the whole university. I could not tell the reasons for it. It was the dialects! They were from the far-flung corners of the Philippines drawn together to attend university. I was able to talk to most of them as MY dialect was known throughout the country, but they would not use it to talk to other ‘clans’. I remembered this episode thru college. I still tear up with this episode. My mother and her family spoke a different dialect from that of my dad and his family. Us kid were brought up with the third ‘universal’ dialect. We could not understand our parents and elders when they speak in their own dialect. Mom and dad never learned each others dialect. With mom’s passing, her dialect no longer heard in the house. I have been teaching myself and my son mom’s dialect. Dad is very sick, so I have begun learning his.
Nah. While the message might be good it's delivered in such a heavy-handed way that it both takes the viewer out of the story, and also doesn't do anything to convince anyone who isn't already on board.
@Alex, people needed to be told with a heavy-hand, and they still need that heavy-hand today, because ignoring racism doesn’t work, nor does coddling people’s feelings. We can find common ground with people, but that doesn’t mean we need to beat around the bush and not call them out for being racist. It’s a binary choice, one way leads to destruction of ourselves, and the other leads in the opposite direction. It’s like destroying the planet’s ability to sustain us, we either change or we destroy ourselves.
@@joeb918 You seem to be talking about general political messaging rather than story-telling. Being heavy-handed is bad story-telling. And because it's in a story, rather than a reasoned argument about the real world, it's easy to dismiss if it's blatant and you're already opposed to it.
@Alex, both ways of story telling have a time and place, sometimes more subtle story telling goes over people’s heads and they just enjoy it as a popcorn flick with no message. Because they get lost in the action or the story line. Other times you have a message that hits you over the head, because it’s something that needs to be said. It’s direct, it’s in your face, because it’s a message that needs to be told. There are people who watch Lord of the Rings and see it as just a fantasy story and nothing more, because Tolkien didn’t go out of his way to draw exact parallels to real world peoples and histories. Yes people can read the stories or watch the movies and make their own correlations, but many just enjoy it as an escape from reality. Sometimes you need a blunt message about our reality, to be told directly, because otherwise your message is not heard. They can ignore it after being told, or dismiss it, but that’s on them and it can’t be said later that they were never warned, that they were never told they were stupid for holding on to immature qualities that linger in the baser parts of ourselves. It’s a slap in the face, because sometimes we are so set in our ways, heading off a cliff we need to be woken up before it’s too late. If you’re heading off the edge, you don’t have time for someone to subtly be told that you’re going off yourself, you need to be jolted to action to overt going over.
The beauty and power of Star Trek. It so well written. It reflects the problems we have as a race back then and now. Star Trek then shows how we have moved passed that and work together for good. By being kind and respectful to each other. Another great reaction Bunny. Still amazed how you figure things out early on.
Command Officer BunnyTails, thank you for your genuine post analysis. I agree - It's a very simple, powerful, straight forward message to humanity on hatred and bigotry. This episode Guest Stars LEGENDARY Comedic Actor Frank Gorshin! Gorshin portrayed the first Riddler on the Adam West Batman series (Which i also enjoyed as a child. Still do for the dry humor). -- SIDENOTE: Your Command Uniform is a bit Pumpkin Orange, but it really looks great on you. 👍
Captain Bunnytails It was still impressive that you made it to commanding your own Star Ship When your job on your previouse two ships was making the "Woop-Woop!" sound effects into a microphone.
This episode offered a strong, cogent lesson and warning about the harmful, destructive impacts of racism. Yes, the auto-destruct scene was VERY intense! In Jonathan Swift's famous book Gulliver's Travel, which came out over 300 years ago, the war between Liliput and their enemies began from something as trivial as which end of the egg to crack. This was Jonathan Swift's way of showing everyone how ridiculous most conflicts are. If you ever get a chance, read his book. So much of it's all too relevant and timely today in 2024. Back then, England was the big world power and today, it's the US. In real life, a large percentage of wars were fought for utterly stupid, trivial reasons or were because of a feud between 2 families that began long ago where no one knows how it all started in the first place. WWI was an absolutely senseless conflict that cost tens of millions of lives. In more modern times, I think of the LA gangs with the big feud between the Bloods and the Crips where no one knew what started it all. Today, we have problems like racism, sexism, classism and now in the US, there's a very sharp divide between people who voted for Trump and who voted for Harris. The part where Spock talked about the importance of accepting change was very significant. This is how we end problems like racism, sexism and classism. It all begins with an active decision to make different and better choices. Frank Goshwin played Bele, and he was already famous for his role as The Riddler in the Batman TV series in the late 1950s. It was refreshing to see him in such a different role.
Bunny, as others have mentioned, your empathy and perceptiveness are very moving qualities you possess, ones which make you a reactor to be greatly appreciated!!!
I met Frank Goshen while a bartender in college....that guy could really put down the martinis...he was a nice guy ...this was long before this episode.
In regard to travel time, Star Trek was sophisticated enough to consider that time and distance was an issue. In Star Wars every place seems to be equally distant because the writers don't consider it.
Star Wars just uses a different method. They don't have warp drive (they're generally much lower tech), but they've discovered natural hyperspace lanes that can - if navigated properly - transport them very quickly throughout their galaxy.
Frank Gorshin's intensity, the silliness of their prejudice, how dangerous those prejudices can be, the burning buildings at the end... Yes Bunny, this one hits harder than Alternative Factor.
These are episodes planted deep in my 13 year old brain that had changed my perspective of the world around me. This stuff goes way past entertainment, and guides my life. I would record each episode on tape and listen to them playing in the background, while busying with my hobbies. In the book 'Gulliver's Travels' the war was between which end of a poached egg should be broken to eat it.
Great reaction - this is another episode tied to my earliest childhood memories; I remember I had a toy of one of these two-colored beings (along w my Gorn) - in both cases, it was an occasion when I finally viewed the episode that inspired them - this one was more ambiguous to me as a child - now I'm startled to realize it's among the strongest episodes, almost like a summary statement for the series as a whole, taking time to meditate on the nature of Conflict itself, w resolution so tantalizingly close, yet so far
We are still behaving as the Metrons described us in "Arena" - savages but with promise. I pray we don't end up like Loki and Beal but we've never been so close to destroying ourselves.
I always remember that in Trek Lore, the dream of a United Earth government, and later the United Federation of Planets, was only achieved AFTER a nuclear WW3 and an apocalyptic post atomic horror. I fear that going through those two self destructive steps is the only way we will learn our lesson as a species.
The Metrons were not in any position to call any other race "savage". The Metrons were even more savage dispensing death just because they could. If the Metrons were truly evolved, they would have tried to bring Kirk and the Gorn into a place of mediation.
@@adamcollazo8228 The Metrons are a metaphor the current US government by that logic. They dish out death and destruction and offer disingenuous peace talks to the battered victims on the proviso that US corporations get the reconstruction contracts.
The most frustrating part about this episode is that the people that need to see it won't understand it or won't care. So many years later this is still an important story and I'm glad you understood it.
A very moving and heart-felt response! This episode is heavy-handed and has some plot contrivances to ratchet up the tension, but the message is central and you say, essential. I also like that it has a character focus as well; Lou Antonio (Lokai) and Frank Gorshin (Bele) are great at playing obsessed adversaries. You words on Humankind's essential unity put me in mind of this quote from Carl Sagan: “Our loyalties are to the species and the planet. We speak for Earth. Our obligation to survive is owed not just to ourselves but also to that Cosmos, ancient and vast, from which we spring.”
I was blessed enough to see Frank Gorshin do his standup routine at the old Valley Forge Center in Pa that isn't there anymore opening for Jack Jones. This reaction brought back so many memories ty!
Ah yes, Frank Gorshin. The man who with his incredible acting skills turned the Riddler from an unpopular comic villain into one of the Top 4 of Batman's rogues gallery.
I first saw this episode when I was 10 or 12 yrs old. It was the first time I'd started watching the original series, and I loved it. The allegories, the allusions to real history, the moral lessons, its a lot of good to impart that can really imprint on a kid, and Star Trek at its best is full of episodes like that, where a handful of episodes really stay with you because you know even as a young person what its really trying to say about the world around you. And as a young person it just awakens good things like questioning society, plitics, religion, what we're doing to our environment ... and how we can improve on all those things. But then again, great science fiction always does that. Gets you to take a good look at who you are, or who we are as humans, and question our own route.
Sheldon mentioned this episode on "The Big Bang Theory", when he couldn't get his way, he used a countdown on his computer to force Leonard to sign a new roommate agreement. If not, once the countdown hit 0, a certain e-mail would be sent to Leonard's girlfriend's parents. It was a mutually assured destruction, if he couldn't get his way.
This episode aired in 1969 and it still resonates today. It tells such a powerful story in 48 minutes. It’s so powerful that we all need to watch it today and remember.
I was 10 years old and a vivid fan when it first aired. As a young impressable kid, it helped color my view on race. Plus the fact I had a crush on Lt. Uhura, (Nichelle Nichols) helped
"Those that refuse to learn from history are doomed to repeat it". And here we are 55 years later, still making the same mistakes and refusing to learn from them. I'm hopeful we'll see the bright future for humanity that Star Trek envisioned, but it's going to be a long hard road to get there.
AS a Caitian Felinoid, one wonders which one was HAMAS.
BELE: It is obvious to the most simpleminded that Lokai is of an inferior breed.
SPOCK: The obvious visual evidence, Commissioner, is that he is of the same breed as yourself.
BELE: Are you blind, Commander Spock? Well, look at me. Look at me!
KIRK: You're black on one side and white on the other.
BELE: I am black on the right side.
KIRK: I fail to see the significant difference.
BELE: Lokai is white on the right side. All of his people are white on the right side.
😳
A moral lesson for us all .i love Kirk's last line ... No but its all they have left " .
Ah Frank Gorshin (Comissioner Bele), AKA the Riddler… he does such a great job with this role.
I SO agree! That moment after they see their planet dead and Kirk is trying to convince them to give it up, Gorshin's choice to keep his arms up shaking his head with hate was a MASTER's class in acting right there. He looked completely like he was short-circuiting with rage. Brilliant. Brilliant!
Frank was a great get for the show, no doubt. He was a big star at the time, and justifiably so.
I feel robbed that Burgess Meredith never did a Star Trek episode.
@@Bfdidc Agree, also Roddy McDowall would have been great. He was in almost every other sci fi/fantasy show of the 60s, it seemed.
@@Ravenscroft82 McDowall is always fun. Both Planet of the Apes and Fright Night are great films where he added both gravitas and humor.
My brother went to a Halloween party with the white-and-black makeup. Turns out someone he had never met before independently came up with the same idea. When they bumped into each other, they high-fived, but then noticed they chose different sides. They proceeded to "strangle" each other for a few seconds before getting a beer.
Awesome
LOKIE!
That sounds like the start of a beautiful friendship
That's Awesome!! 🍻🍺🍻
Did they have flames coming off each other and sheet?
Bunny, many of us lived through the civil rights struggles of the sixties and even today it raises its ugly head through the continued prejudices today. A sad commentary on the past and present. Peace and continued love, Bunny.
Don't apologize for the little soap box, Bunny. I appreciate your heartfelt reactions. You have a beautiful soul.
Hate will always destroy the hater first. Politics is among the worst propogaters of hate. I'm a retired veteran from the Cold War; thanks to Reagan and Gorbechev, the wall came down on my watch and I actually witnessed American and Russian generals shaking hands and smiling for the first time in 45 years. I recently spent an entire month in Russia visiting a couple of long-time pen pals that live in Moscow. I self-taught myself how to speak and read Russian for 6 years. I was there long enough to get a good pulse on how they think, what they like, etc. They treated me like a king. They loved me, protected me, and they love America. My point is, despite ideological differences, most people are pretty much the same everywhere in the world - they just want to be loved and accepted and just be friends. It's the politicians and media that spread suspicion, division and hate. That's where the money and power is - and those are the things that corrupt. Russians are as mortified and ashamed of their politicians as we are in America. Take it from me, the average person (anywhere) just wants to get along and experience each others cultures in peace. They don't want war any more than we do.
Great words of encouragement and spot on! Thank you for your service, and God bless 🙏🖖
Slava Ukraini.
"Its green." Only a real Trekkie would know this phrase.😊
Scotty was too drunk by that point to remember what the drink was. Some of us have been there.
Grateful to be 31 years sober.
Frank Gorshin was indeed an excellent mimic and impressionist, celebrated for his ability to imitate celebrities and create dynamic, engaging performances. His talent for mimicry was a significant part of his career as both an actor and stand up comedian
The best Riddler of all time, a funny man, and as shown here, he convincingly played an intense role on screen.
As a Gen X Trekkie, I find it quite satisfying to see that an episode of The Original Series can still have such a powerful impact on a young person like yourself even today. It restores my hope for the future a bit more. 🖖
Agreed, she gets it.
Ditto from this Boomer Trekkie/Trekker
You picked up on Lokai and Beall's opposite color scheme pretty quickly. I'm impressed.
I noticed that. Keen perception for sure. She’s picked up on nuance like that from the beginning. Love it. Bunny I suspect there are few endeavors you would not excel at with that ability.
"I don't think I'm gonna watch the whole series"
watches Wrath of Kahn
"I'm gonna watch the entire series"
😂 I never stood a chance
@@bunnytailsREACTS Your speech at the end was powerful. It would have been an interesting ending if they would have reconciled. I think the writers wanted to slap people in the face with how illogical the hatred of other humans is, based on skin color. Appreciate your takes.
Most definitely one of the flagship Star Trek episodes. the rawness of your reaction to it is beautiful.
Bunny, never toss away your soapbox. 🖖
Your summation was profoundly wise. This was a statement of the times in the 60's and 70's and, once we have tried to mend issues we find new differences. Quite often that difference is chosen for us, quite often we choose the difference ourselves. Many times it is based on what we think about ourselves in as much as what we think about others. Bele was a a victim of what he thought about himself, and Lokai about what he thought about others. Too often we let our leaders tell us what others think about us, when we should be thinking for ourselves. IT is a sad statement but a nice warning of what it will come to if we continue.
"Returning hate for hate only multiplies hate, adding a deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Bunny, you are intelligent and sensitive and unashamedly emotional, but always for the right things. This is why your reaction videos are the best. 😊
You are a precious soul Bunny. Thank you for this.
I'm envisioning Spock saying to you "A very logical summation of this episode, Lt. Commander Pumpkin." A beautiful reaction. ❤️
I met Frank Gorshin at a comedy club in London, Ontario in the late 80s and have a pic of him, my wife and me. 🤗 He was a great comedian and did a show you could take your kids to. No bad language.
I'm impressed you pick up on the fact that they were opposites. I didn't notice that the first time I watched it until it was pointed out.
You are absolutely correct about the similarity between those to guys and the way Earthers are. Most of Star Trek points out the same type of thing, friendship and peace are better. This was Rodenbury's dream for the future.
BTW, the shirt looks good. The collar blends in nicely with your hair.
You're so smart! I have been waiting for you to react to this episode so that I could see your surprise that they were not both the same. You caught it right off the bat! This type of thinking was a big deal in the sixties during the civil rights struggle.
I'm a 60-yr old Hispanic and I grew up with racist parents, but I went to very diverse schools, so I interacted with all races and got to know some good people and some bad but like you said we have more in common with each other than different like being interested in Sci-fi and comics and music that's why I love Star Trek so much it shows us a better way.. It gives me hope that young people like you will save us from ourselves.
Who were your parents prejudice against?
I'm a 66-yr old white guy, who grew up for 11-yrs years in San Francisico. My grandfater, who helped raise me was the epitome of Archie Bunke. Thankfully as much as I loved him I saw the stupidity of that belief system.
@@solvingpolitics3172 Whites, Blacks, Asians and even their own people. It took me a long time to stop thinking like them and to see people for who they were even when they told me lies about my friends. I would hear what they said but when I hung out with them, I found that we all liked the same things, and we had common interests. My best friend who is white and still my best friend got me into comics and to this day we talk for hours about our favorite books. My dad is still a bigot, but I finally got my mom to start thinking more progressively because I told her would not lose my friends over something so stupid.
@@frankbega5166 Same, 70 yr old white guy. When I was born, there were still drinking fountains in America labeled "White" and "Black". I think the Federation, where racism, poverty, and war are obsolete, is a more or less realistic view of the future of the human race. I hope all of us collectively will stand up and help move us forward toward the future we want.
I first saw this episode when it was originally broadcast (I was 12). It made a lasting impression on me. The running shots of Bele and Loki, with the superimposed images of burning cities, has stayed in my mind. My mother, who was an amateur artist, commented that the two Charonians looked like figures in a Picasso painting. Btw, in Greek myth, Charon was the ferryman who transported souls across the River Styx to the world of the dead. When the Enterprise arrives at Charon, it's literally a planet of the dead.
Your reaction, Bunny, was very moving. It's like re-watching these classic Trek episodes through a pair of fresh eyes!
Bunny, you are a true trekkie with a beautiful, loving heart. Your wonderful statement truly was a blessing for us. I thank you for sharing your true feelings. This episode is very thought provoking, very hard hitting and tough to watch but it is an undeniable Star Trek Gold standard episode.
Hi Bunny! Once again I must say your heartfelt review is much appreciated. For me you are by far the best TOS reactor on youtube.
I appreciate it ❤️
It's so encouraging to have you as a counterweight to all the 'tough' meanness on the Internet.
Its so wonderful that you understand the writing on the Original Series episodes. I never expect the younger generations to understand nor have an emotional response to the writing of that time. But you get it. It's invigorating.
You may feel like a Pumpkin, but your’re our little Pumpkin😁
🤣
Oh yeah and for those folks who keep CRAPPING on Season 3 this is yet ANOTHER Season 3 banger for you Season 3 haters. 😂
Season 3 isn’t a great season, but it has great episodes. Contrast that with season one, over all it’s a great season, but it has some meh episodes.
@@joeb918 One of them is cringe and did not age well.
Let Season 3 Be Your Last Battlefield.
5:33 Introducing Frank Gorshin...the BEST Riddler there ever was. He was the Riddler in the 60's Batman TV series.
And also in the first Batman movie, back before Batman sucked.
Oh yes! By far, my favorite Batman series character. Also, a comedian, and as shown here, he convincingly played an intense role on screen. RIP Frank Gorshin.
Great reaction. You're a kind soul. Trivial differences should not mean that much. We must find common ground among ourselves.
Frank Gorshin was also known as the Riddler on Batman and was pretty animated character, the perfect nemesis for the dynamic duo. I also loved the way they showed the alarm light camera pulsing rapidly in and out. A nod to the classic Batman series which used the same effect. Great reaction video Bunny! Thank you.
The 60's was a turbulent time for race relations. Roddenberry was showing exactly what you are talking about. We are the same race of people with different skin pigmentations that shouldn't matter to how we relate to each other. Once again I enjoy watching these with you. You made me cry watching your reaction 💙💙💙
And the reference Loki makes to his people being pulled out of their homes and "shipped off to a war" was of course a reference to Vietnam, where minorities tended to serve more frequently in the frontline.
Bunny is now accurately quoting episodes by title in her comparisons. Our work is done here. Beam us up
Transporter failure! Guess we'll just have to hang out with Mizz Bunneh a while longer. ♥
@@arrjee3176 what we got back...
I greatly appreciated your reaction to the story. This is what Roddenberry wanted. As he said, he wanted to send out messages to intelligent life in the other side of the tube. And you got the message perfectly!
As a kid I didn’t like it very much, a lot of the third season gave me headaches. It’s been VERY interesting to see your reactions as I watch with you and see so many episodes from year three are far better than I believed. Thank you so much for the gift. I’ve been a fan for 54 years, yet I am still catching and discovering stuff I never had before.
At some point with my multiple viewings as a kid, I know I absorbed the color message, I can’t remember a time of not being aware they were opposite colors.
I have heard the heavy-handed comments for years from the fandom, especially about this episode. It might have been needed, as much of the audience in the third season was a bit too young to date (Fridays at 10 pm!), but considering the tv audience of that era, and the heavy racism all across America in 1968-69, I think a strong case could be made that the heavy-handedness was necessary for many viewers.
Unfortunately, Star Trek wasn’t the kind of show to get Emmy nominations for the guest stars (though at least Nimoy got nominated for his work all three years), but I think Frank Gorshin did an outstanding job as Commissioner Bele, and Lou Antonio as Lokai. Their hate was incredibly strong, you could feel it as much as a number of episodes where there was a romantic chemistry in them.
Thanks again for sharing the gift of a great third season episode.
I loved your uniform. Even if the color is ‘off’, it’s a great color. And reminds me of how though the command ‘light green’ came out mustard or gold from the lighting on older tvs, it was separate from Kirk’s darker green wraparound tunic.
The episode is needed more than ever….
You know someone’s now a full-fledged fan when they A, know which branch of Starfleet wears which color, and B, can tell when it’s the wrong shade of yellow.
It’s got the veteran Trek fan’s version of “my little girl is all grown up now” vibes all over it, but mostly because I get a sense of pride and joy about having been with you since the first episode and seeing how your growing appreciation for the show has developed into what it now is.
This episode still hits home after what I saw growing up in the 60's. Great writing. Wonderful reaction!
"All that matters to them is their hate."
"Do you suppose that's all they've ever had, sir?"
"No,... but that's all they have left."
These words resonate even more true today!
Sometimes it feels like the message is that we are given what we deserve or what we wish for to the nth degree. They chose hate, and hate chose them.
I was six when this first aired, I had many questions for the grownups in my life.
I boiled it all down to racism is dumb.
When they showed those buildings burning it reminds you of America just a few years back does it not? I saw it.....Disgusting........Who knows, maybe we'll survive now a little longer!
Historically, hatred has been the most manipulated emotion. Don't be manipulated.
Here's an interesting fact about Frank Gorshin. When he wasn't acting, he did stand up monologues in nightclubs; always smoking cigarettes (he was a heavy smoker). Adam West once said that Frank could reduce a king-sized cigarette to ashes with one draw. I'm not a smoker, so I don't really don't know if this is difficult or not. But, it sounds impressive.
I always imagined him in real life as the type would a cigarette with one hand and a martini in the other one, while he tells crazy tales. I suppose that’s not far from the truth.
@ I think your impression is spot on!
He was a funny man, a fantastic Riddler, and as shown in this episode, he could play an intense role on screen.
Scotty's line is one of my favorites of all time... "And at warp 10 we're goin' nowhere mighty fast"
"Give yourself a chance to breathe! Let go of your hate!" More powerful words that warped my fragile little mind.
The people who mock this episode for being heavy handed do not understand the play is the thing.
Frank Gorshin, best known for playing the villainous Riddler in the 1960s Batman series, was a versatile and accomplished actor. Here, he shows no trace of the manic insanity of his former character, but a single-minded intellect and cold, determined ruthlessness.
You would never suspect he began his performing career as a stand-up comedian, before becoming an actor. Thank goodness he did. 😌
He was the first and greatest Riddler of all time, and he was superb in his intense performance in this episode. As a kid, I couldn't get enough of him.
Great reaction, Bunny.
This episode was a commentary on race relations of the late 60's, when it aired. This was at the height of the civil rights movement, and the only reason they were able to get it past the network censors was by making them aliens in order to tell the story they were telling. They really had to dance around certain things in order to get what they wanted to tell told. For example, notice that the problem making Loki inferior was that he was *white* on the right side, not because he was black on the left side. They were very careful in the way they presented the information; even though it was exactly what they were trying to say. They knew that their audience would "get it." A powerful message in the episode, and seeing your face toward the end told me that you understood exactly what they were saying as well. 👍
I liked the "It's green" call back to Scotty.
That won’t be the last one. 😉
@@kevin-g1w Aldebran whisky.
Well said closing reaction Bunny. Hard to tell at times what progress we've made seen since 1968.
Two steps forward; three steps back.
This episode is just one example of what makes Star Trek great. This is the series that changed TV viewing forever from what TV was at the time, to what it is now. Star Trek is the most successful TV franchise of all time!😮😊
It certainly is one of the most influential. iPads, smartphones, voice assistants like Alexa, were inspired by Trek
Star Trek makes you think. One of the best things about the series.
Bunny nailed it in the first 5 minutes. Hard to get one past her at this point.
I was about to type the same thing. Well done Bunny!
Star trek is an extraordinary show! It's still talked about today. How many shows can you say that about. Not many.
Frank Gorshin had so much energy as a actor. He does it here and Batman. What warms me up young people are getting the messages from this show and “get it.”This was the show I grew up with while in Syndication in the 70s . Star Trek is timeless.
My goodness you have such a kind heart. I can’t help but love you. ❤️ Great review and your observations on people is spot on!
A rather heavy handed message in this one but well acted and a message needed at all times.
"We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist." - James Baldwin
Hate is not "a difference of opinion" and intolerance of bigotry is not oppression.
When I think of the series, this is one of the episodes that stands out.
7:00 - You: They look the same except for their coloration being flipped.
Me: You have a definite talent for expressing keen observation in what turns out to be the most humorously ironic ways possible. It is well worthwhile watching your reactions. :)
Make sure to memorize the destruct sequence for the Enterprise. There WILL be a test.🖖
This episode really hit me as a little boy when I first saw it. I knew Frank Gorshin from the Batman television show and his appearances on variety shows doing his stand-up and impersonations. Loved your reaction on this one.
As for the negative comments remind yourself as you mentioned how our differences are so minor and such a small percentage so are the negative comments compared to all of us here that are like-minded and happily on this Trek with you.
Very good point, thanks 😊
GREAT episode. An easy grade of "A+". There was not even a whiff of a "happy ending" in this episode! Lokai and Bele are high on the List of Most Tragic TV Characters. Lou Antonio and Frank Gorshin were outstanding as Lokai and Commissioner Bele.
"Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" was a landmark event in 1960's television programming. It gave viewers a strong lesson on the evils of tribalism and the futility of racist hatred.
I could talk for an hour about the late, great Frank Gorshin. He was an immensely talented actor, comedian and impressionist. His massive film & TV career spanned over three decades. He is best known as the insufferable arch-villain "The Riddler" in the 1960's "Batman" TV series. His maniacal laugh is forever imprinted in my memories! He tortured Batman and Robin with his perplexing riddles. I loved trying to solve his riddles before Batman did....but I never succeeded....😩
Oh god yes. Extremely tragic. They lost everything except for each other but.... :(
Lou Antonio was also an episodic director. He worked on "The Flying Nun", "The Rockford Files", "Picket Fences", "Felicity", "CSI" and "Numb3rs". He's retired.
Riddle me this batman... What kind of people are always in a hurry?... Russians
The Rockford Files are worth a look as a TV series.
Frank Gorshin's last role was in an episode of CSI. And boy, did he play an unforgettable part.
Bunny, you go right ahead and get on your soap box! Preach it! 👍
The skin color racism of the Cheron people is much simpler than that of Humans' skin color racism. Black-White versus White-Black and nothing in between! That's just too easy. The Cherons are like Dr. Seuss's "Sneeches", who fought over the status of having stars on their bellies. You were either a "Star Belly" or a "No Star Belly", with nothing in between.
Human skin color racism is more complex. We have many shades of brown, which range from very light brown to very dark brown. In many societies, the darker you are, the worse you're treated. Lokai and Bele wouldn't be very happy living on Earth. They would be too intolerant of all the different shady characters.....
You are a real sweetheart. I think that it's touching how deeply these episodes affect you.
It links her to her father...
Interesting fact: The name of the planet "Charon" is also the name of the minor Greek god who was the ferryman who brought dead souls across the river Styx to Hades. Hades is also the Greek name of the Roman god Pluto, who is the lord of the underworld. Charon is the largest moon of Pluto, which was discovered many years after this episode was aired.
The difference between them is so trivial that most people didn't even realize it until it was pointed out in the dialog.
After getting interrupted by Kirk in the middle of a Starfleet communique, I find it significant that we hear from Uhura at the end, when she first says, "It doesn't make any sense." Spock sums up Bele and Lokai as having nothing left but their hate for each other. Uhura wonders aloud to Kirk, "Do you suppose that's all they ever had, sir?" Kirk answers her, "No ... but that's all they have left." I like to think there's a faint warble when Kirk says "No," as if even he is getting misty-eyed. I also think that "No" does a lot of heavy lifting. Surely there was a time in Cheron's history when people were simply living their lives, when their civilization had not yet hardwired their hate into them. What became of that, and how do you earn that back? I feel a little ashamed that I felt a bit jaded when this first aired in 1969. It was less than one year after the assassination of Martin Luther King and as some smart-aleck kid I could roll my eyes at how on-the-nose it was and think, "Yeah, I get it, I get it, this is very big in America's news right now and this is wrong." But the older I get, the less I demand that a story get told a certain way and the more I appreciate that a story ever gets told at all. Oh, and Bun, thank you for remembering The Alternative Factor, an episode which I always thought had great potential. This episode, it met its potential.
That's the thing with "Star Trek", right? It's good to be different. Different people bring new ideas, and people with new ideas can solve dilemnas that the old ways haven't. And yes, the stupidity of the Charonian's reasons for hating each other is meant to hit us on the head like a hammer.
Bunny, your Command uniform is very flattering, even if it is a little orangish.
Frank Goshen played the Riddler in the 60s Batman TV show and Movie.
The Civil Rights movement comes to Star Trek. Bunnytails reacts focuses on the immutable differences being an insane motivation for the characters. I agree. I love this episode. The writing is superb, suggesting that Loki and Beal are stand-ins for Valjean and Javert from Les Miserables. I love when Loki is making his case to the officers whose reactions are all, huh?
The Sharon scenes seem taken from the London Blitz and the planet looks uninhabitable. Hilarious central scene about the starship self-destruct program that could have had better security than the password that looks like PASSWORD.
It required voice recognition of the three who gave their codes.
Computer activate self destruct program.
Searching for shelf construct program. Can I take you to IKEA?
After watching excerpts again here, I'll admit this one is better than I thought it was. It has emotional impact, and obviously did on our hostess.
Sneetches in Space….great reaction, thank you.
Frank Gorshin was a talented impressionist; he did a killer Burt Lancaster, and a great Richard Burton.
Just an all-around great entertainer. Oh and he also did some voice acting for "Diablo II." I think it was the last work he ever did.
HAAA! How many are asking who?? Always liked the spark Burt Lancaster brought to the table especially in Westerns! ☮️
Frank Gorshin also did a one man Broadway show called "Goodnight Gracie" where he spent an evening doing a killer impersonation of George Burns.
As a kid, I could not get enough of this talented man.
One episode that lingered in my head for weeks. The tragic ending haunted me. I remembered the episode years later in college in Manila. My classmates would hang out together in certain groups that I noticed was the same for the whole university. I could not tell the reasons for it. It was the dialects! They were from the far-flung corners of the Philippines drawn together to attend university. I was able to talk to most of them as MY dialect was known throughout the country, but they would not use it to talk to other ‘clans’. I remembered this episode thru college. I still tear up with this episode. My mother and her family spoke a different dialect from that of my dad and his family. Us kid were brought up with the third ‘universal’ dialect. We could not understand our parents and elders when they speak in their own dialect. Mom and dad never learned each others dialect. With mom’s passing, her dialect no longer heard in the house. I have been teaching myself and my son mom’s dialect. Dad is very sick, so I have begun learning his.
You noticed right away that the colors of the two characters were flipped. Most viewers - and the Enterprise crew - did not.
I agree that was impressive attention to detail on her part
One of the best episodes… basically the “don’t be racist” episode, it was needed very much back then, sadly we still need it today.
more than ever.
Nah. While the message might be good it's delivered in such a heavy-handed way that it both takes the viewer out of the story, and also doesn't do anything to convince anyone who isn't already on board.
@Alex, people needed to be told with a heavy-hand, and they still need that heavy-hand today, because ignoring racism doesn’t work, nor does coddling people’s feelings. We can find common ground with people, but that doesn’t mean we need to beat around the bush and not call them out for being racist. It’s a binary choice, one way leads to destruction of ourselves, and the other leads in the opposite direction. It’s like destroying the planet’s ability to sustain us, we either change or we destroy ourselves.
@@joeb918 You seem to be talking about general political messaging rather than story-telling. Being heavy-handed is bad story-telling. And because it's in a story, rather than a reasoned argument about the real world, it's easy to dismiss if it's blatant and you're already opposed to it.
@Alex, both ways of story telling have a time and place, sometimes more subtle story telling goes over people’s heads and they just enjoy it as a popcorn flick with no message. Because they get lost in the action or the story line. Other times you have a message that hits you over the head, because it’s something that needs to be said. It’s direct, it’s in your face, because it’s a message that needs to be told. There are people who watch Lord of the Rings and see it as just a fantasy story and nothing more, because Tolkien didn’t go out of his way to draw exact parallels to real world peoples and histories. Yes people can read the stories or watch the movies and make their own correlations, but many just enjoy it as an escape from reality. Sometimes you need a blunt message about our reality, to be told directly, because otherwise your message is not heard. They can ignore it after being told, or dismiss it, but that’s on them and it can’t be said later that they were never warned, that they were never told they were stupid for holding on to immature qualities that linger in the baser parts of ourselves. It’s a slap in the face, because sometimes we are so set in our ways, heading off a cliff we need to be woken up before it’s too late. If you’re heading off the edge, you don’t have time for someone to subtly be told that you’re going off yourself, you need to be jolted to action to overt going over.
The beauty and power of Star Trek. It so well written. It reflects the problems we have as a race back then and now. Star Trek then shows how we have moved passed that and work together for good. By being kind and respectful to each other. Another great reaction Bunny. Still amazed how you figure things out early on.
Bele's ship is invisible because it's cheaper that way.
Command Officer BunnyTails, thank you for your genuine post analysis. I agree - It's a very simple, powerful, straight forward message to humanity on hatred and bigotry. This episode Guest Stars LEGENDARY Comedic Actor Frank Gorshin! Gorshin portrayed the first Riddler on the Adam West Batman series (Which i also enjoyed as a child. Still do for the dry humor).
-- SIDENOTE: Your Command Uniform is a bit Pumpkin Orange, but it really looks great on you. 👍
Terrific orange top color. I don't think I've ever seen a Star Fleet uniform in such a beautiful color, in any of the TV episodes or movies.
I think it was supposed to represent the gold-colored uniforms but came out a tad too bright. But i agree that it looks good on her; pumpkin-y or not.
Captain Bunnytails It was still impressive that you made it to commanding your own Star Ship When your job on your previouse two ships was making the "Woop-Woop!" sound effects into a microphone.
This episode offered a strong, cogent lesson and warning about the harmful, destructive impacts of racism. Yes, the auto-destruct scene was VERY intense!
In Jonathan Swift's famous book Gulliver's Travel, which came out over 300 years ago, the war between Liliput and their enemies began from something as trivial as which end of the egg to crack. This was Jonathan Swift's way of showing everyone how ridiculous most conflicts are. If you ever get a chance, read his book. So much of it's all too relevant and timely today in 2024. Back then, England was the big world power and today, it's the US.
In real life, a large percentage of wars were fought for utterly stupid, trivial reasons or were because of a feud between 2 families that began long ago where no one knows how it all started in the first place. WWI was an absolutely senseless conflict that cost tens of millions of lives.
In more modern times, I think of the LA gangs with the big feud between the Bloods and the Crips where no one knew what started it all.
Today, we have problems like racism, sexism, classism and now in the US, there's a very sharp divide between people who voted for Trump and who voted for Harris.
The part where Spock talked about the importance of accepting change was very significant. This is how we end problems like racism, sexism and classism. It all begins with an active decision to make different and better choices.
Frank Goshwin played Bele, and he was already famous for his role as The Riddler in the Batman TV series in the late 1950s. It was refreshing to see him in such a different role.
This is one of my favorite episodes. ST-TOS often excelled at social commentary.
Mine too. This episode went where few topics dare go,especially back in the late 60s.
Bunny, as others have mentioned, your empathy and perceptiveness are very moving qualities you possess, ones which make you a reactor to be greatly appreciated!!!
Chekov is grateful that he is wearing dark trousers.
I met Frank Goshen while a bartender in college....that guy could really put down the martinis...he was a nice guy ...this was long before this episode.
Certainly Trek's finest statements against racism!
Three days ago??? That a software glitch?
Anyhow... I think a top ten video could be made over this topic.
@jupreindeer, some people are members and get early access to the episodes.
DS9 "Far Beyond the Stars"
In regard to travel time, Star Trek was sophisticated enough to consider that time and distance was an issue. In Star Wars every place seems to be equally distant because the writers don't consider it.
That's not true. In Star Wars each journey lasts exactly the length of important conversations.
Star Wars just uses a different method. They don't have warp drive (they're generally much lower tech), but they've discovered natural hyperspace lanes that can - if navigated properly - transport them very quickly throughout their galaxy.
The late great Frank Gorshin played Bele. He was the Riddler from the 60s Batman TV series and hundreds of other shows ❤❤❤❤
He was absolutely fantastic in whatever he did, on screen!
Frank Gorshin's intensity, the silliness of their prejudice, how dangerous those prejudices can be, the burning buildings at the end...
Yes Bunny, this one hits harder than Alternative Factor.
It’s amazing how Trek was always on point with these themes that remain timeless.
These are episodes planted deep in my 13 year old brain that had changed my perspective of the world around me. This stuff goes way past entertainment, and guides my life. I would record each episode on tape and listen to them playing in the background, while busying with my hobbies. In the book 'Gulliver's Travels' the war was between which end of a poached egg should be broken to eat it.
Great reaction - this is another episode tied to my earliest childhood memories; I remember I had a toy of one of these two-colored beings (along w my Gorn) - in both cases, it was an occasion when I finally viewed the episode that inspired them - this one was more ambiguous to me as a child - now I'm startled to realize it's among the strongest episodes, almost like a summary statement for the series as a whole, taking time to meditate on the nature of Conflict itself, w resolution so tantalizingly close, yet so far
We are still behaving as the Metrons described us in "Arena" - savages but with promise.
I pray we don't end up like Loki and Beal but we've never been so close to destroying ourselves.
I always remember that in Trek Lore, the dream of a United Earth government, and later the United Federation of Planets, was only achieved AFTER a nuclear WW3 and an apocalyptic post atomic horror. I fear that going through those two self destructive steps is the only way we will learn our lesson as a species.
The Metrons were not in any position to call any other race "savage". The Metrons were even more savage dispensing death just because they could. If the Metrons were truly evolved, they would have tried to bring Kirk and the Gorn into a place of mediation.
@@adamcollazo8228 The Metrons are a metaphor the current US government by that logic. They dish out death and destruction and offer disingenuous peace talks to the battered victims on the proviso that US corporations get the reconstruction contracts.
"No, but that's all they have left."
That line gets me every time.
Spock: "To expect sense from two mentalities of such extreme viewpoints is not logical."
My favorite quote from this episode.
The most frustrating part about this episode is that the people that need to see it won't understand it or won't care. So many years later this is still an important story and I'm glad you understood it.
A very moving and heart-felt response! This episode is heavy-handed and has some plot contrivances to ratchet up the tension, but the message is central and you say, essential. I also like that it has a character focus as well; Lou Antonio (Lokai) and Frank Gorshin (Bele) are great at playing obsessed adversaries.
You words on Humankind's essential unity put me in mind of this quote from Carl Sagan: “Our loyalties are to the species and the planet. We speak for Earth. Our obligation to survive is owed not just to ourselves but also to that Cosmos, ancient and vast, from which we spring.”
Sergio Leone facial closeups for the destruct sequence scene.
Indeed.
I was blessed enough to see Frank Gorshin do his standup routine at the old Valley Forge Center in Pa that isn't there anymore opening for Jack Jones. This reaction brought back so many memories ty!
Ah yes, Frank Gorshin. The man who with his incredible acting skills turned the Riddler from an unpopular comic villain into one of the Top 4 of Batman's rogues gallery.
I first saw this episode when I was 10 or 12 yrs old. It was the first time I'd started watching the original series, and I loved it. The allegories, the allusions to real history, the moral lessons, its a lot of good to impart that can really imprint on a kid, and Star Trek at its best is full of episodes like that, where a handful of episodes really stay with you because you know even as a young person what its really trying to say about the world around you. And as a young person it just awakens good things like questioning society, plitics, religion, what we're doing to our environment ... and how we can improve on all those things.
But then again, great science fiction always does that. Gets you to take a good look at who you are, or who we are as humans, and question our own route.
Before remastering, that "beautiful planet" was all grey.
Sheldon mentioned this episode on "The Big Bang Theory", when he couldn't get his way, he used a countdown on his computer to force Leonard to sign a new roommate agreement. If not, once the countdown hit 0, a certain e-mail would be sent to Leonard's girlfriend's parents. It was a mutually assured destruction, if he couldn't get his way.
I enjoy your reactions and like that you put your heart into them. Thank you for sharing with us.
"Hate is a fire that feeds on itself" So true!