Captain James Tyberius Kirk was the dad I never had. He was real to me in someways. Flawed, irrational even arrogant and pigheaded.... but he always came out on top because he written to be a MAN.... not like the flimsy, limp wristed soy boys of today.
“Change is the essential process of all existence” wow Spock for the win! And boy Seth McFarlane was right when he said the best Star Trek moments happen in a room with people talking to each other. He went further and said something like “the other best part is it doesn’t take a lot of money - just good writing” man I love vintage Trek whenever and wherever it appears…
So true. Unfortunately JJ Abrams failed to recognize these simple truths, and the latest iterations on TV are worse! I have always said, "Star Wars is about action. Star Trek is about ideas!" Doesn't mean you can't have some action along with ideas, but if you don't have the thought provoking ideas, Star Trek is just Star Wars! I love Star Wars too, but it is totally different."
Gene Roddenberry knew the issues of the times and he dealt with them in this show. This episode racism was the key and their hatred was the only thing they had at the end. A dead planet, no one survived, the only two left and all they had was their hatred for each other.
Only issue, if you ever watch Eyes on the Prize, it was cleary white southerners who were terrified of black folk, so much so that the violence displayed, totally by one side, the white folk. As such, black folk simply wanted the rights as granted to exist. White America rejected, white laws even broken by whites and again, it was totally white folk attacking and white anger on full display, yet no cause. Racism, this is in every race and nationality, yes, YET white America pro longs in hate, even against other white people.
They had so much intense hatred for each other for so very little real reason. I think that is one of the reasons that star trek TOS is so beloved by its fan base even after all this time, The messages it imparts are still very much as relevant today as they were back then.
This episode only shows that if they would have just crushed their enemies, instead of trying to give them reparations, then the planet would have survived, granted, with only one race left, but survived nonetheless. It literally demonstrates the failure of multiculturalism.
@@l337pwnage William Shatner is Canadian born and raised, thank you. Unless you still consider your own home state to be wherever your ancestors came from, and that everything that happens there reflects who you are.
@l337pwnage all the boarders around Israel are imaginary lines Same as all countries. Even if its an island its still connected to the land under the water.
I met Frank Gorshin in the 80s as he was walking towards me in downtown Windsor. I exclaimed " holy shit batman, it's the Riddler!" Which got a big laugh from him and a hearty handshake. What a class act!
I was 8 years old and coming back from a protest of the Vietnam war with my brothers that was at the Polo Grounds in San Francisco. I remember it so well because this episode played after I had just arrived home. Watching this as an 8 year old Black child changed the way I saw America.
@@terrellholmes2726 Interesting coincidence, but the Polo fields are in Golden Gate Park, not Candlestick. I haven't heard of many protests at the baseball stadium, so not sure how the Giants got involved.
Frank Gorshin was a great, Underrated Actor. He was originally a Comedian who did Impersonations, but he became a great Actor. He was brilliant playing the Riddler in the Original Batman Series and he was great in this Role as the Commisioner.
Later, Gorshin (R.I.P.) had a small role in Gilliam's _12 Monkeys_ [1995] as a chief-shink, a supervisor of Madeleine Stowe's character in that film. ruclips.net/video/Ack-zTCBgQA/видео.html
I was a child when I first saw this episode & grew up watching it in reruns. It shaped my worldview. It made so much sense even to my young mind. If I could understand it at 7-10 years old, why can't some adults?
Cuz you grow up and recognize patterns, which then jade your world view. Then someone will be racist towards you and you feel the need to fire back. In the end, the cycle will never die because we are tribal and there's billions of them. Only way to end racism would be to have a smaller population that can share resources to a point of luxury. That or we create free energy but the elites prefer depop
I came from the Azores back in the early 50s. I went to a predominantly black school in rural Fresno. Early on, not long after arriving, when speaking with a little black girl my age and telling me about this and that custom in her family I was puzzled and asked her why her family did this and that, something along those lines, she replied: 'Because that's the way colored folk do it.' I couldn't understand what she meant by 'colored people' and the only thing that came into my mind was that, in this strange America, there are people who came in different colors .. like in a rainbow. I swear. That's exactly as I saw it in my mind.
Because to many of us, it was a difference without distinction. And that is part of the message. Of course, to some of you, there was so little distinction, we failed to notice even the difference.
Please, folks- please recognize Frank Gorshin's acting in this episode. He was so chilling an actor, performer, comic, mimic and musician. And as iconic as The Riddler as Michael Ansara ( klingon commander) was as Mr. Freeze. 😊
I still remember the Batman movie when Goshin and Romero acted together on Catwoman's submarine. Watching them mock each other and then break into laughter was epic.
Great writing well delivered, ages so well. It’s just as on-point today. I wish movie makers would finally learn that good writing and an engaging story are far more important than loud explosions and flashy CGI.
This is how absurd our racism would look to an outsider. Many of us literally base our hatred of others on how close their ancestors lived to the equator of our planet (and thus how much melanin their bodies produce as a result).
Yeah. The aliens wore the same clothes, listened to the same music, were the same height, and weight, same hairstyle, same facial features, neither displayed superior athleticism, neither were attracted to Yeoman Rand, or Uhura. J-U-U-ST their skin pigmentation were different.
@@JulieWallis1963 I think they’re referring to how the two aliens were exactly identical (except for which side was which color) and in reality there were a few notable differences between africans and europeans when they met. Such as culture, religion, and technology. Racism being a bit more than just skin deep but skin being the easiest way to identify if somebody was “inferior” and so it stuck even when the reasons for it have vanished. According to my quick 10 second google search, many native americans were also similarly enslaved. But because America had such an abundant supply of slaves from Africa, there wasn’t much point so it just stopped being done.
@EternalAnglo racists are hardly objective. And people who hide their real thoughts behind vague insinuations are usually afraid…because they are weak…I believe the proper definition is coward
This show, (TOS) has a mystical quality that transcends far beyond its original intent. I cannot describe it, but every time I hear music from this show and watch the interplay, it plugs me into a much larger, epic story that is haunting and powerful. I think I am not the only one. I suspect that people will be watching TOS for generations in spite of its obvious vintage.
@Dans Music... I agree! Roddenberry was a genius, it's been damn near 60 years,and it has Never Not Been relevant!! All the issues they were subtly (and not so subtly) discussing are still(or once more) big ticket issues. When TOS ever stops being relevant to the issues,we will either have reached as perfect as society as possible,or totally obliterated ourselves as a viable race. Live Long And Prosper.
@@tomcline5631 This incel culture baffles me. Why are people who can't get laid always into Star Trek? (Conversely, why are trekkies who do have sex nearly always into leather or BDSM???)
George AIken once said, "If we were to wake up one morning and find that everyone was the same race, creed and color, we would find some other causes for prejudice by noon."
I think I remember the ending. My jaw dropped and my eyebrows went up. Then I laughed in hopelessness. Or, maybe that was another show. Several had 'Judas Priest!' endings.
Yup, I never forgot how oppressive the half-whites were. Half-Black Lives Matter! Child brainwashing is always the most effective. That's how religion works, too.
I was only 6 years old when I watched Star Trek (that was in 1969 - several years after it came out). I saw this particular episode and understood its meaning even at that age also. My father didn't really care for the show. I mostly respected my father, but on issues of race he was still stuck in the pre civil rights era. Unfortunately he remained so until the end of his days. I remember him making some snide comment when he saw the scene of Kirk kissing Uhura. The lesson I took away from it was that my father wasn't perfect. I fortunately didn't follow him in his prejudices. We continued to have a relationship until he died in 2012, but we never saw eye to eye on politics or on race. I voted for Obama and of course he hated the idea of a black man becoming president. Regrettably I was never able to penetrate his stubborn racist views. It was very odd because he would never show hatred towards anyone directly, but could speak about particular groups of people with acidic disdain.
One of the best Star Trek episodes of any series. I've never forgotten it since I saw in back in the 60s. It was/is still powerful. The utterly simple 'reason' of black and white as hatred according to the antagonists and the hollowness. of it all. It was stunning.
Both my parents were school teachers. Star Trek was one of the most intelligent things you could look at on TV in the '60's. And I'm talking about the LA area, probably the most channels and variety anywhere. I was 9 in '68. Were there silly episodes of Star Trek too? Of course. Thanks to NBC executives who wanted to dumb things down. Even as little kids, we understood the importance of these stories and the messages there. I've been grateful all my life for having been there from the beginning. It always helped us to keep our minds... and hearts open.
I too saw this from the beginning years , I also had watched movies like Lilies in the Field, In the Heat of the Night, and the Defiant Ones....Sidney gave me a view of life I had never been exposed to or given much thought. At that age one assumes the whole world lives like or similar to one's own surrounding. I will forever be grateful as to Sidney Poitier.
1968, that was the year release of 2001: A Space Oddysey, also Apollo 11 landed on the moon a year later, I wasn't alive then but what a great and interesting time was the space race.
@@catherinesanchez1185 Nichelle Nichols the black woman, in something I saw about her and getting the part. She was going to decline, and someone ( famous actor or person ) might have been MLK, told her to take it. The assumption was because she was black, he informed her, at least you would be a role model. Later to learn she would not be cast as the black woman, or woman...but the communications officer...race and gender were non issues. I never gave much thought to it back then, but I never recall them playing her race card, or making point they had a black woman....it was a character...and a good one. Seems it's only when they make it the RACE....that it becomes noticeable. Our species has more growing up to do.
Spock's observations on the perplexing inequalities between groups in "The Cloud Minders" episode is totally on point. And yes, that's situation is not an example of wise leadership. I will always appreciate Roddenberry, his crew, and actors for the courage and vision to create and bring forth this thought-provoking, in-your-face honesty of a television program such as this.
@@l337pwnage Still is. If Whites can be convinced to let the vampires in their house, they deserve the consequences and worse. I hope more "no go zones" sprout throughout america with their populus refusing to accept the reason why. Poetry.
The dialogue in this scene is so current, relevant and fabulously well written. It does not sound outdated. It has all the ingredients that make a classic enduring.
@@robbie_ Accusations of racism are at an all-time high, because racial tensions are extremely high; race has arguably become even more central to our lives. Also, I'm not sure I'd agree with your statement, if we go with the classic definition of racism and include racist sentiments towards Whites, up to and including racially segregated entertainment. Sadly it's been a two steps forward, one step backwards affair, and I believe we're at serious risk of taking another step back, lately.
This episode is a prime example of clever writing which produced an amazing episode with food for deep reflection....... not the cheap, crass, uninspired agenda driven shows of today
When Star Trek the Animated Series was created, it was important for Nimoy to join the cast for voice overs. But they did not ask Nichelle Nichols nor George Takei to reprise their roles and asked Doohan and Barrett to voice other characters. Leonard Nimoy refused to participate unless Nichols and Takei were hired. Walter Konig was the only one who got cut.
They didn't forget Walter. The show just didn't have the budget to include him for every episode. They did bring him in for one, though, "The Infinite Vulcan." Also, it wasn't solely because Nimoy requested it that they included the others. He smartly pointed out that they cut all the minority players and only planned to include the white actors, which horrified the producers that they had forgotten this basic premise of the show.
I don't think this message could've resonated better with any other character but Spock. Whose own species already avoided their own self inflected extinction by casting aside attachments and prejudice and completely change their philosophy on life. As well as Spock himself, the only one whose demonstrated to the audience his complete lack of bias prejudice. The audience may not have bought this message from any other character, even Captain Kirk himself
Racism would be just plain silly if it weren't so tragic. This star trek TOS episode proove it quite thoroughly. Racism is absolute nonsense. Our only real differences are purely cultural and therefore without significance outside of our own families for this very reason. An excellent Trek episode.
I can remember seeing this episode when I was about 7 or 8 years old the first time it aired. The impact of this as well as the eventual return to the planet really made an impact on me at that age.
This is one of my favorite TOS episodes. Many prefer City on the Edge of Forever but, this one is just as good IMO. It drives home the futility of hate and in a rare departure from normal, makes two guest stars the focal point of an entire episode. Frank Gorshin was particularly good here. Not a role many actors would have wanted to take on.
Spock is awesome as usual. Leonard Nimoy was such a great actor. I learned so much about humanity from him growing up. "Change is the essential process of all existence". If he had a mic in that scene I suspect he could have dropped it.
I found this about Leanard Nimoy >>> Nimoy was the son of Orthodox Jewish immigrants from Ukraine, and he said that his identity informed much of his approach to his famous hyperlogical character.
"Change is the essential process of all existence" Whoever wrote that line I applaud you. And by the same distinction...those that oppose change...oppose the very process of existence. Bravo Star Trek for speaking of truths....
This series was so original and ahead of its time. I loved it then and I love it now, brilliant. Hand held personal communicators, check, tricorders, check, lasers, check, transporters, warp drives…Stand by.
This is what separates old Trek from new Trek. Classic Star Trek has you make the point yourself rather than forcing it on you. I remember watching this for the first time and being like "That's ridiculous, he's judging him based on the colour of his sk-OOOOOOOOOOH". It was the same with TNG's Outcast and homophobia. It was written to convince people who were on the other side. New Star Trek is more like "We want to send a message about the mistreatment of latin immigrants in the 21st century, so we'll have the characters go back in time and see the mistreatment of latin immigrants in the 21st century". It isn't written to convince the opposition, it's written to validate the people who already agree.
I don't think this episode convinced Bull Connor to stop beating Civil Rights protesters or George Wallace to integrate schools. But like Picard S2, it showed many people who aren't aware of fundamental wrongs occuring, in some cases bt governmental entities.
TOS is much more realistic. TNG is based on a future which will never happen. The older I get, the more clear that becomes, and the less I can relate to these people who live in a universe which is not our own.
@Sally Brookner actualy i think they were talking about the 1st episode of strange new worlds because i saw a few saying how old trek wasn't "in your face woke" like that episode and I instantly thought of this episode and that obviously they never actually WATCHED old trek.
THIS is how you do "WOKE"!!!! This is how you approach the issues that divides a people, a nation, a society. TOS is the epidemy of progressive politics but on a intellectual level that is unmatched that, it has stood the test of time which is why fans are horrified at just bad the new stuff is. I have been watching STAR TREK since I was a child, and over the years I find myself coming back to TOS and just blown away how good the writing, subject matter and ideal's that were presented over 57 YEARS AGO!!! It is not just one episode it is many, many that deal with subjects that are still relevant today, done with grace and intellect.
The new stuff is trash because it is written, directed, and largely acted by people who HATE a particular race/gender/religion. That's what "woke" is. It's pure, childish hatred straight out of 1930s Germany, but the recipient of the hatred is an unpopular group with perceived power and privilege (never proven scientifically, only by subjective "lived experience), so they keep hating.
"Change is the essential process of all things." Very true, for as long as we continue our accelerated free fall through the dimension of time. Spock gets some excellent lines in this series.
I like the idea that once we were all the same colour. Seems sad that different our journeys across 200,000 years in different environments isn’t seen as a strength
I always thought the perfect ending to this episode would be for it to be disclosed that the two people's were wearing makeup to differentiate themselves and that they were really all the same underneath the makeup. And then they go on to destroy themselves anyways.
Don't believe everything what you hear from scientists! They always act like they know everything even if they are wrong. That 200000 number is more than likely wrong. Also the "out of Africa" theory is probably wrong too.
Spock's thinking, "Ah. I understand, now. Absurd racism. I know it'll likely have no effect, but ... let me try to reach this person." Kirk tried to help, too. No dice. And you could tell both were deeply disturbed.
Lmfao. No, your summary is inaccurate. Spock tries genuinely to work on it. Like anyone genuinely dedicated to his own cause would. No "I know it'll likely have no effect"
I remember the episode in which an alien entity was fostering hatred and violence between the crew and Klingons who had been taken on board. At one point it prompted McCoy and Scottie to hurl racist epithets at Spock, who momentarily turned coldly violent toward them. Afterwards McCoy apologized to Spock for his words, to which Spock replied, "No apology necessary, Doctor. I too experienced a brief surge of race-hatred. Most distasteful."
@@pupdiogenes2548- some people won't learn, though They'll just behave like a pigeon and sh*t all over the chess board, acting as if they've won Then they'll come up with a pejorative to call you, like "groomer" or "woke" and insult you and your family Then, when you block them for being a c*nt, they'll scream "cancel culture!" and "Freeze Peach!" - without getting that it wasn't their racism getting them blocked, but the fact they denigrated you, insulted you, failed to listen and were the biggest twat you'd ever meet
This episode was brilliant in showing racists of that era how stupid racism was without hitting them over the head with it. It was more visceral than the cloud-city episode which was also about racism but I’m sure most people didn’t get.
It pretty much did hit them over the head. They pointed out rather plainly that the skin color differences were stupid and could easily be overcome if both sides would listen to each other.
The Cloud Minders was about the wealthy versus the poor in a society. The wealthy lived in the clouds because they could afford to, while the poor labored in the mines, producing what made it possible for the wealthy to live there. The ore they mined was gradually destroying their brains, but the wealthy just saw their illness as evidence of mental and ethical inferiority, character defects. It wasn’t until Kirk forced one of the wealthy citizens to experience the suffering and debilitating working conditions in the mines that he even considered that the miners might be suffering from a (treatable) medical condition, and that the miners should be able to enjoy the societal benefits he enjoyed.
@@richardblain4783 I never understood how an obviously technologically advanced society didn't know about poisonous gasses. Or maybe they knew all along.
There’s nothing subtle about this episode, and perhaps it was better that way. However, how Spock says in effect “you can’t be serious” with his facial expression alone is priceless.
@@fjccommish and they do not know how to disarm someone, you simply look a bit shifty then deliver a sharp “judo chop” to the foreman and slowly recover said firearm/phaser.
Rowan and Martin's Laugh in! The Smothers Brothers -- I was watching with my parents the night CBS stopped broadcasting the show in the middle of a Pete Seeger song.
I loved this episode. It hid the point so well, then turned and stuck people with it. I had come to the "we all bleed red" point of view before seeing the episode, but it's nice to see this kind of well-executed point.
This is one of my favorite TOS episodes. It's brilliant in how it addresses racism and is still relevant today. Shows like Star Trek and Twilight Zone were bold for their time in that they used allegory (sometimes sly and sometimes overt) to talk about timely issues in an effective way. Star Trek has continued in this theme over the years, as have other sci fi shows and Seth Macfarline's Orville series. I know this was a one off episode but it might be interesting to revisit this idea- maybe some survivors of this war torn world are scattered in the galaxy and try to impose their ideologies on people unlucky enough to encounter them, and Star Fleet or whoever cares to is tasked with trying to maintain the peace. The bi-colored Charonites were also very technically advanced- and had abilities on par in some ways with the Q or the Borg- Starfleet tech was no match for them, and they only relented when Kirk threatened to self destruct the Enterprise. Possibly any surviving factions would take over a planet and force the residents to surgically dye their skin to match- not so outlandish an idea considering how different groups of humans invade and subjugate one another over the ages- enforcing the conformity of custom, beliefs, language, or aesthetic, that is, when they don't resort to genocide. Assimilation, appropriation, or uneasy tolerance- rather than mutually respectful and peaceful coexistence has often played out in our history. "How dare you have one skin tone, or those weird, bumps, spots, or stripes! You must be 'black' on the right side- deviation from this norm is unacceptable! Report to the dermal pigmentation re-assignment center immediately or else!" It would be poetic if the ones who bring peace to the bi-colored are Vulcan and Romulan- who were originally one species, but were divided over being stoic and logical, versus emotional and impulsive. Notice how Spock talks of the virtues of logic winning out over emotions without ever mentioning the Romulans.
They couldn't overcome him physically, so they tried to reason with him. It's straight out of _The Art of War_ -- Always be open to negotiation, and always negotiate in good faith.
I saw or read something on Roddenberry, years ago. The crew and casting were *by design.* He was .. hopeful of humanity, that in the future - as MLK said, "people will be judged by the content of their character .. *not* the color of their skin!"
@@jnb756 @fr9714 Careful. You are both sowing the same hatred of the "other" as the two men on this show were showing for each other's perceived differences.
my only issue with this logic is that it is assuming all people were the same at one point in the distant past, while during that time period and even today that's kind of the thought behind it ,there is some controversial evidence that is arising today that humans developed across the planet and not all came from one defining point on the planet. all humans came from africa is kinda absurd when you really think about it.
What I also love about this episode is that it not only condemns the government official for his racism, but it also condemns the actions of the fugitive who is unable to forget the crimes of the past despite the progress their society made (as they stated). Both things are destructive and both things were criticized.
This is the funniest way to be racist. "Every morning I wake up and I wish I were dead!" "Oh no, are you depressed?" "No I'm just massively racist and own a mirror."
Even though it seems ridiculously over-the-top, two aliens literally half black and half white, I saw this as a kid in the early 70s and it never seemed overly preachy to me.
I think the main reason they decided to go with half & half B@W makeup is that at in 1968, many families had either only a B&W Television or their second TV was B&W. The secondary reasons were budget & speed of application. Genius decision IMHO, to consider all of those factors and come up with that solution.
I think a lot of that non-preachiness comes from how the actors played their roles. The two Charons acted as if their difference was so obvious it didn't need explanation or justification, while Kirk and Spock not only couldn't understand why such a trivial detail mattered, they literally couldn't even see it until it was pointed out to them.
Even though the original series ended shortly before I was born I still remember watching it when I was around 10 years old with older siblings, seeing the episode with Kirk and Uhura's interracial kiss on a tv show even in the late 70's and early 80's just shows how much this show rebutted racism and bigotry was far ahead of its time.
Amazing story about that kiss. They were originally supposed to shoot a take without the kiss in case the network rejected it. The actors deliberately screwed up every single take without the kiss in it so the network would have to show it.
I love this scene, and I love the discussion as well, but I REALLY feel that the writers missed a GREAT opportunity to "nail" racism with a bit more fervour. The commissioner says, "I am black on the right side" (0:30). He is obviously referring to the side opposite of his left side. I get that. But then he says that Loki is white on the right side, with the same distinction: as the opposite of the left side. They could have given the word "right" a double meaning had the commissioner said, "Loki is black on the left side." Then, rather than contrasting the right side of the commissioner with the right (contrasting the colour) side of Loki, his monologue would have been written to contrast the right with the left, thereby contrasting not just the right with the left by implication but by right with wrong. Then his claim, "I am black on the right side," would have the added meaning of "I am black on the correct side," and the implication would have been, "Loki is white on the WRONG side."
They didn't nail it. They didn't nail it for one, simple reason... It's not about racism. I expect this comment to get deleted. But perhaps a few people will see it. The dirty little thing that never gets openly talked about is the fact that there are indeed very real, ingrained, cultural differences between White and Black. But, the world (especially America) is not ready for such a discussion. At one point, wasn't ready for an open discussion regarding same-sex relationships. Things changed. One day, it'll happen. Maybe before my grand-children pass away from old age. What Star Trek did was reduce it down to a silly level of Black & White being colors on each side of a face. Imagine if the commissioner had said, _"Don't look at me based on my facial colors. My people, who are Black on the right side, are from a very different cultural background than those like him who are White on the right side. So different in fact that we might as well be two different alien species who simply look very similar. Let me give you a few examples of what I mean..."_ (Would have made for a very different episode. Again, it's not about racism. It's not about as something so ridiculously basic as skin color.)
Roddenberry himself compared the show to Aesop’s Fables which, as you probably know, were morality tales. Sadly, the writers of STD had no idea who Aesop was, let alone what a fable is.
HAH! So did a friend of mine and I back in the 70's. And because I could do a pretty good "Frank Gorshin/Commissioner" voice I was of course that character,
To Boldly Go Where No One Has Gone Before!!!! One of my favorite episodes of ANY TV Show, Ever!!! Star Trek has endured because it always teaches People to be Good!!! Peace!!!
The final lines of that episode killed me. Spock: "All that matters, is their hate." Uhura: "Do you think they've always had that, Sir?" Kirk: "No, but it's all they have left...." Then he gave the order to leave and go to Starbase in way that you can see him reluctantly give up on them. Heartbreaking.
I loved how writers of TOS dealt with social issues without preaching. I wish television could speak on these issues like this today. TNG made some good attempts on social issues too.
Like in the episode of the planet of the violent blacks. In the end things were settled peacefully according to their rules and customs. A shockingly different society could still work satisfactorily. You cannot look down on anybody.
"...but I'm black on the right side..." HUH, WHAT...I remember the impact on me as a 12 year old as to how f$%(ing stupid that statement was as a reason for conflict, and the message has never been more effectively sent without a moralistic sermon. The final scene of the two chasing each other on a dead world, lesson not learned. Roddenberry was a genius.
Classic episode. I really enjoyed it. I also remember I think it was called 'if I touch the mountain I will reach the sky''. It was about wealth and how each side views the other. Excellent writing back in the day. So many great shows.
This is actually my all time favorite episode of the OG Star Trek series. It was hauntingly poignant at the end when their worlds are destroyed and I was just thinking (all of this because of simple color". It was super poignant. Just as cheesy as the OG series was, it could be equally if not more deep and meaningful as well, such as here.
@@matthewmiller9485 what do you mean by scammer because I asked a question, how can I prove myself to you. Why are you quick in jumping into conclusions
@@edithbannerman4 I'm quick to jumping to conclusions becasue sentences like "how are you doing this blessed day" from my experience online sounds like a scam. You're on thin ice. What do you want sir/ma'am?
@@matthewmiller9485 I’m madam, sorry if I asked such questions I thought you were religious that’s the reason for asking. Just want to stay in touch that’s all
It's funny how Spock jumps in to relate Vulcans past conflict issues to help the bigoted guy see the following of his ways as Kirk just sits there with Human history being the elephant in the room
To nail the point home to the people of the times, it would hit harder coming from the outsider. ToS, TNG, DS9, Voyager, Enterprise,...Trek always seems to have an outsider to comment on what it means to be human.
And by pointedly not talking about earth's history, that gets the audience thinking about earth's history, their own present. The audience is invited to imagine how Captain Kirk would describe them and their own prejudices.
@@danieldickson8591 most I've seen are black and white or black and whatever the color of the metal surface of the board is. Red is pretty uncommon as far as I've encountered them
You know, a long time ago I saw a comment somewhere - might've been on the IMDB message boards back when those were a thing - where someone complained about the scene where Spock eavesdrops on Lokai speaking to some nameless Enterprise crewmen in a room. They couldn't understand what purpose that scene served and called it filler. But I think it's pretty obvious what purpose it serves. Earlier in the episode, Bele accuses Lokai of great many things, including persuading others to fight his battles for him. The purpose of that scene is, therefore, the establish that at least _some_ of Bele's accusations have basis in reality. You would be quick to assume from the onset that, due to Bele holding a title of authority, he is the oppressor and Lokai is the refuge, but this distinction is not quite as clear cut as you might think.
This episode is even more relevant, and nuanced, than this one conversation with the commissioner. I remember expecting the commissioner to be the bad guy and Loki the good guy, simple as that; but in fact both sides had legitimate claims and grievances. Both sides had to be willing to advance together. Otherwise, war.
It’s not mankind that’s the problem. Mankind is just an aspect of nature and consists of people who do what they have to do to survive. The real problem are a few twisted individuals who achieve power and twisted ideologies that escape the realm of common sense and begin to destroy human society from within.
@@sirrathersplendid4825 I think the problem is twisted thinking in general. We no longer recognize what we need. We came to a point when many people don't even recognize what they want - they just spend their resources (i.e. money and/or time) on what's advertised. People, especially in the more advanced cultures, have their needs taken care of, and have started solving "issues" such as them not feeling being the right gender, racism for every time you refuse to employ a non-fitting candidate, quotas on the number of women at certain positions, you can't even make a movie or TV show without all races being present in main roles. Simply put, we see problems where they don't really exist, or even if they do, they're not really a problem in the global sense. We are trying to fine tune the entire humanity based on outliers. Trying to manipulate it's entirety for our own goals. That I consider very wrong.
This episode is one of my favorites. It points out that our differences are really minor, but we are all one people. Another is the episode where they distort the Constitution and Kirk sets them straight on the true meaning of freedom and liberty. It didn't happen with every episode, but they had some incredible writers on the series and combined with Roddenberry, resulted in some classic episodes. Sure, there were aliens and battles. But it wasn't cowboys in space like Star Wars usually is. Star Trek was far more deep than that. Sure, it's quite dated now. Hey, that was over 50 years ago, what do you expect? But much of what Star Trek had to say still resonates..
Leonard Nimoy didn't write this dialogue, but he delivers it like no one else. Spock is the best character on Star Trek for me.
Yep, but Scotty is a close second for me. 🖖🤪
It’s only Logical .
Captain James Tyberius Kirk was the dad I never had.
He was real to me in someways.
Flawed, irrational even arrogant and pigheaded.... but he always came out on top because he written to be a MAN.... not like the flimsy, limp wristed soy boys of today.
Agreed.
@James Conkey Amen brother. 👍
“Change is the essential process of all existence” wow Spock for the win! And boy Seth McFarlane was right when he said the best Star Trek moments happen in a room with people talking to each other. He went further and said something like “the other best part is it doesn’t take a lot of money - just good writing” man I love vintage Trek whenever and wherever it appears…
Great comment.
So true. Unfortunately JJ Abrams failed to recognize these simple truths, and the latest iterations on TV are worse! I have always said, "Star Wars is about action. Star Trek is about ideas!" Doesn't mean you can't have some action along with ideas, but if you don't have the thought provoking ideas, Star Trek is just Star Wars! I love Star Wars too, but it is totally different."
And this is why The Orville works.
I miss Trek when it was still Trek.
But change cuts both ways. Change is how the multi-colored planet's people came to be.
Gene Roddenberry knew the issues of the times and he dealt with them in this show. This episode racism was the key and their hatred was the only thing they had at the end. A dead planet, no one survived, the only two left and all they had was their hatred for each other.
Only issue, if you ever watch Eyes on the Prize, it was cleary white southerners who were terrified of black folk, so much so that the violence displayed, totally by one side, the white folk. As such, black folk simply wanted the rights as granted to exist. White America rejected, white laws even broken by whites and again, it was totally white folk attacking and white anger on full display, yet no cause. Racism, this is in every race and nationality, yes, YET white America pro longs in hate, even against other white people.
They had so much intense hatred for each other for so very little real reason. I think that is one of the reasons that star trek TOS is so beloved by its fan base even after all this time, The messages it imparts are still very much as relevant today as they were back then.
And thats how we're going to wind up as well if we dont learn to change, sadly.
@Piotr Zajac, Africa before the Europeans went there. Australia, the same. India. South America!
This episode only shows that if they would have just crushed their enemies, instead of trying to give them reparations, then the planet would have survived, granted, with only one race left, but survived nonetheless.
It literally demonstrates the failure of multiculturalism.
Over 50 years later and this lesson still falls on deaf ears.
It is reiterated in The Cloud Minders with a chemical agent offered as a possible explanation for class division.
No it doesn't! Do you ever watch the news? People are shrieking "RACISM!" at the drop of a hat on a daily basis these days, FFS! My God! LOL
Because we are both stubborn and arrogant in our set ways and fail to listen to reason. We are still like children, who don't get our ways.
Mostly liberals.
@@trhansen3244 You are delusional
The best part of the dialogue is the bit where nothing is spoken and Kirk and Spock just look at each other like "is he fucking kidding..."
Absolutely agree. Kirk shaking his head in disbelief says it all.
The look of exasperation on Spock's face and then the grace and civility with which he explains the issue...priceless.
@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?
@@edithbannerman4 are you having a blast today??? 🤣🤣
Spock never showed any emotions rarely. I saw nothing.
@@JohnSmith-uy7sv not really how about you?
@@edithbannerman4 Your a nigerian black man looking to get money from men as a fake woman. 🤣 you are everywhere.
"You mean like both of you", spoken with a touch of distain. Frank Gorshen was an awesome actor is his day and did that role perfectly. Lol
I love the look on Kirk's face when he realizes all of this is literally over nothing lol
Meanwhile, in his home apartheid state of Israel...
@@l337pwnage It appears that you are having some kind of dissociative episode in which you are ranting like a racist idiot.
@@l337pwnage William Shatner is Canadian born and raised, thank you. Unless you still consider your own home state to be wherever your ancestors came from, and that everything that happens there reflects who you are.
@@danieldickson8591 Are you going to say he doesn't have citizenship in Israel?
@l337pwnage all the boarders around Israel are imaginary lines
Same as all countries. Even if its an island its still connected to the land under the water.
I met Frank Gorshin in the 80s as he was walking towards me in downtown Windsor. I exclaimed " holy shit batman, it's the Riddler!" Which got a big laugh from him and a hearty handshake. What a class act!
I was 8 years old and coming back from a protest of the Vietnam war with my brothers that was at the Polo Grounds in San Francisco. I remember it so well because this episode played after I had just arrived home. Watching this as an 8 year old Black child changed the way I saw America.
Not sure your protest helped the betrayal the Vietnamese fighting communism felt. They paid the price of your family virtue signalling.
@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?
I think you mean Candlestick Park. That's where the Giants played in San Francisco. When they were in New York City they played at the Polo Grounds.
How so?
@@terrellholmes2726 Interesting coincidence, but the Polo fields are in Golden Gate Park, not Candlestick. I haven't heard of many protests at the baseball stadium, so not sure how the Giants got involved.
Frank Gorshin was a great, Underrated Actor. He was originally a Comedian who did Impersonations, but he became a great Actor. He was brilliant playing the Riddler in the Original Batman Series and he was great in this Role as the Commisioner.
Completely agree. Very underrated actor.
~ Caretaker
Quite frankly, he IS the Riddler.
Later, Gorshin (R.I.P.) had a small role in Gilliam's _12 Monkeys_ [1995] as a chief-shink, a supervisor of Madeleine Stowe's character in that film.
ruclips.net/video/Ack-zTCBgQA/видео.html
@@nameprivate2194 - You are right. Franik Gorshin was in 12 Monkeys. It was a small Role.
He was crazy in one of THE MUNSTERS episodes.
I was a child when I first saw this episode & grew up watching it in reruns. It shaped my worldview. It made so much sense even to my young mind. If I could understand it at 7-10 years old, why can't some adults?
The Child's mind is almost always open...unless you're trying to convince it to sleep.
Cuz you grow up and recognize patterns, which then jade your world view. Then someone will be racist towards you and you feel the need to fire back. In the end, the cycle will never die because we are tribal and there's billions of them.
Only way to end racism would be to have a smaller population that can share resources to a point of luxury. That or we create free energy but the elites prefer depop
The vast majority do understand the concept and agree, but that is boring so we are shown the low IQ people who don't because conflict gets views.
your mind is malleable at such an agr
maybe you have a higher than average IQ - never forget that half the global population has an IQ below 100! which means approx half of us are stupid
When I was little I didn't notice that their colors were reversed until he pointed it out.
I wouldn’t be surprise if that was hoped for and even part of the message of the episode.
@@agamemnonn1 I'm sure it was. Kirk and Spock didn't notice.
I'll bet almost no one did on first viewing. It's the genius of this story.
I came from the Azores back in the early 50s. I went to a predominantly black school in rural Fresno. Early on, not long after arriving, when speaking with a little black girl my age and telling me about this and that custom in her family I was puzzled and asked her why her family did this and that, something along those lines, she replied: 'Because that's the way colored folk do it.' I couldn't understand what she meant by 'colored people' and the only thing that came into my mind was that, in this strange America, there are people who came in different colors .. like in a rainbow. I swear. That's exactly as I saw it in my mind.
Because to many of us, it was a difference without distinction. And that is part of the message. Of course, to some of you, there was so little distinction, we failed to notice even the difference.
Please, folks- please recognize Frank Gorshin's acting in this episode. He was so chilling an actor, performer, comic, mimic and musician. And as iconic as The Riddler as Michael Ansara ( klingon commander) was as Mr. Freeze.
😊
or Chuck Norris
Yep, but he actually wanted to be the joker...but that part was already offered to Cesar Romero
I acknowledge it. He’s great
Gorshin was fantastic. Loved his work.
I still remember the Batman movie when Goshin and Romero acted together on Catwoman's submarine. Watching them mock each other and then break into laughter was epic.
Great writing well delivered, ages so well. It’s just as on-point today. I wish movie makers would finally learn that good writing and an engaging story are far more important than loud explosions and flashy CGI.
The drivel that people will watch today shows how great this show was
@@redskinjim Fred Freiberger ruined the 3rd season. Then he ruined the 2nd season of Space:1999.
This is the most abstract television series there ever was. THERE EVER WAS. That is why his aged so well!
This was a fantastic way of pointing out the absurdity of racism during a very difficult era of civil rights.
This is how absurd our racism would look to an outsider. Many of us literally base our hatred of others on how close their ancestors lived to the equator of our planet (and thus how much melanin their bodies produce as a result).
Yeah. The aliens wore the same clothes, listened to the same music, were the same height, and weight, same hairstyle, same facial features, neither displayed superior athleticism, neither were attracted to Yeoman Rand, or Uhura. J-U-U-ST their skin pigmentation were different.
@@jeffreyb8770 it wasn’t a documentary. Or did you expect the production team to hire _real_ aliens to play the part of aliens?
@@JulieWallis1963 I think they’re referring to how the two aliens were exactly identical (except for which side was which color) and in reality there were a few notable differences between africans and europeans when they met.
Such as culture, religion, and technology. Racism being a bit more than just skin deep but skin being the easiest way to identify if somebody was “inferior” and so it stuck even when the reasons for it have vanished.
According to my quick 10 second google search, many native americans were also similarly enslaved. But because America had such an abundant supply of slaves from Africa, there wasn’t much point so it just stopped being done.
@EternalAnglo racists are hardly objective. And people who hide their real thoughts behind vague insinuations are usually afraid…because they are weak…I believe the proper definition is coward
This show, (TOS) has a mystical quality that transcends far beyond its original intent. I cannot describe it, but every time I hear music from this show and watch the interplay, it plugs me into a much larger, epic story that is haunting and powerful. I think I am not the only one. I suspect that people will be watching TOS for generations in spite of its obvious vintage.
After TNG came out, I started comparing TOS as Greek Tragedy and TNG as Shakespearean Epic.
"Get a life." - William Shatner.
@@tommyudo3195 Very deep, smort, recommend this RUclipsr irl 10/10. Smort.
@Dans Music... I agree! Roddenberry was a genius, it's been damn near 60 years,and it has Never Not Been relevant!! All the issues they were subtly (and not so subtly) discussing are still(or once more) big ticket issues.
When TOS ever stops being relevant to the issues,we will either have reached as perfect as society as possible,or totally obliterated ourselves as a viable race.
Live Long And Prosper.
@@tomcline5631 This incel culture baffles me. Why are people who can't get laid always into Star Trek? (Conversely, why are trekkies who do have sex nearly always into leather or BDSM???)
To this day, one of the best takes on 'the stupidity of racism'....
Too much money in victimhood for racism to disappear even if racists themselves get less common.
And how
Check out "Shaun Micallef: Racist Debate"
So why are modern liberals, who are all Star Trek fans, literally the *epitome of racism,* directed against White people?
Now If one certain dark race would stop robbing my store.. I'd be happy
Even the fact that they point out that everyone was the one colour at some point is right on the nail.
George AIken once said, "If we were to wake up one morning and find that everyone was the same race, creed and color, we would find some other causes for prejudice by noon."
Some scoff at the premise but the episode is a masterpiece and the end is haunting. One of Start Trek's best, imo.
I think I remember the ending. My jaw dropped and my eyebrows went up. Then I laughed in hopelessness. Or, maybe that was another show. Several had 'Judas Priest!' endings.
Agree completely. Excellent writing and strong performances all around.
May this be your last battlefield. All they have is their hatred. Boy, have we humans got a lot to learn.
We have analogous situations on earth. Look at domestic cats. They will have mixed colors sometimes.
@@nosuchthing8I think in this episode, Gene Roddenberry was trying to provide an insightful commentary on the variation in the colour of cats
Frank Gorshin was an extraordinary talent. A comedien, impressionist and a very good actor. He stole this episode.
For my money, the greatest impressionist who ever lived.
Straight facts 💯!
I'll always think of him as The Riddler.
@@dalethelander3781 yep ,nobody has done it better !
*comedian, but yeah 🙂
I remember watching this as a child and never forgot the message.
I also rember the same feeling watching repeats in the early 1970's.
I remember it hitting me like a ton of bricks. In a single moment, I realized how inane racism had to be.
Yes, exactly, I was very young when I first saw this episode but the point it made was clear. What an absurd world we live in.
Yup, I never forgot how oppressive the half-whites were. Half-Black Lives Matter!
Child brainwashing is always the most effective. That's how religion works, too.
I was only 6 years old when I watched Star Trek (that was in 1969 - several years after it came out). I saw this particular episode and understood its meaning even at that age also. My father didn't really care for the show. I mostly respected my father, but on issues of race he was still stuck in the pre civil rights era. Unfortunately he remained so until the end of his days. I remember him making some snide comment when he saw the scene of Kirk kissing Uhura. The lesson I took away from it was that my father wasn't perfect. I fortunately didn't follow him in his prejudices. We continued to have a relationship until he died in 2012, but we never saw eye to eye on politics or on race. I voted for Obama and of course he hated the idea of a black man becoming president. Regrettably I was never able to penetrate his stubborn racist views. It was very odd because he would never show hatred towards anyone directly, but could speak about particular groups of people with acidic disdain.
I remember as a 16 YO, the PROFOUND affect this scene had upon me. The effect has remained even after 46 years.
0:44 ok but can we talk about the music that plays here? It fits the scene very well, the brass chorale playing there is magnificent
Gene Roddenberry had been a policeman and he wanted to address issues plaguing mankind. He did a good job.
That he did
@The Invisible Man Triple gold star counter point. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Did not know Eugene Roddenberry was once a cop.
@@marvdaniels5603 not only was he a police officer, one of his co-pilot's during his time in the Air Force of World War 2 was named, Kahn Nueung Sung.
@@MysticAlien95 Interesting... which suggests 'Wrath of Khan' was a nod to one of his veteran buddies...?
One of the best Star Trek episodes of any series. I've never forgotten it since I saw in back in the 60s. It was/is still powerful. The utterly simple 'reason' of black and white as hatred according to the antagonists and the hollowness. of it all. It was stunning.
Both my parents were school teachers. Star Trek was one of the most intelligent things you could look at on TV in the '60's. And I'm talking about the LA area, probably the most channels and variety anywhere. I was 9 in '68. Were there silly episodes of Star Trek too? Of course. Thanks to NBC executives who wanted to dumb things down. Even as little kids, we understood the importance of these stories and the messages there. I've been grateful all my life for having been there from the beginning. It always helped us to keep our minds... and hearts open.
I too saw this from the beginning years , I also had watched movies like Lilies in the Field, In the Heat of the Night, and the Defiant Ones....Sidney gave me a view of life I had never been exposed to or given much thought. At that age one assumes the whole world lives like or similar to one's own surrounding. I will forever be grateful as to Sidney Poitier.
1968, that was the year release of 2001: A Space Oddysey, also Apollo 11 landed on the moon a year later, I wasn't alive then but what a great and interesting time was the space race.
I remember seeing an interview with one of Martin Luther King's kids who said that Star Trek was one of the few tv shows they were allowed to watch.
@@catherinesanchez1185 Nichelle Nichols the black woman, in something I saw about her and getting the part. She was going to decline, and someone ( famous actor or person ) might have been MLK, told her to take it. The assumption was because she was black, he informed her, at least you would be a role model. Later to learn she would not be cast as the black woman, or woman...but the communications officer...race and gender were non issues. I never gave much thought to it back then, but I never recall them playing her race card, or making point they had a black woman....it was a character...and a good one. Seems it's only when they make it the RACE....that it becomes noticeable. Our species has more growing up to do.
it wouldnt be too much to say that star trek created who i am today
Spock's observations on the perplexing inequalities between groups in "The Cloud Minders" episode is totally on point. And yes, that's situation is not an example of wise leadership.
I will always appreciate Roddenberry, his crew, and actors for the courage and vision to create and bring forth this thought-provoking, in-your-face honesty of a television program such as this.
From "May This Be Your Last Battlefield". One of the best episodes I watched back in the late 60s'. The ending says it all.
"Change is the essential process of all existence." Damn that mic drop from Spock. Woot.
Height of the Civil Rights era...and Star Trek came out swinging...bravo.
Which in the end destroyed this country. They still have race riots.
Came out when Planet Of The Apes came out which was clearly about the civil rights race riots.
ya, the propaganda was hot and heavy then.
@@l337pwnage Still is. If Whites can be convinced to let the vampires in their house, they deserve the consequences and worse. I hope more "no go zones" sprout throughout america with their populus refusing to accept the reason why. Poetry.
@@louislo9607 Okay racist.
The dialogue in this scene is so current, relevant and fabulously well written. It does not sound outdated. It has all the ingredients that make a classic enduring.
How is it current? We're the least racist generation in Human history.
Racism is an overblown issue.
@@robbie_ Accusations of racism are at an all-time high, because racial tensions are extremely high; race has arguably become even more central to our lives. Also, I'm not sure I'd agree with your statement, if we go with the classic definition of racism and include racist sentiments towards Whites, up to and including racially segregated entertainment. Sadly it's been a two steps forward, one step backwards affair, and I believe we're at serious risk of taking another step back, lately.
@@SheonEver "Racial tensions" are stoked by stupid politicians, particularly on the left. They're not "high" otherwise.
@@robbie_ While institutional racism has been all but eradicated, the underlying principle of racism, tribalism, remains as strong as ever.
Spock’s message, beginning at 0:49 is spot on….imagine if we applied this today. It is prophetic, really.
Yeah, I think America is having a hard time adapting to the internet... our brains need to evolve more quickly, or else!
"Spock’s message, beginning at 0:49 is spot on"
Don't you mean spock on? 🙂
This episode is a prime example of clever writing which produced an amazing episode with food for deep reflection....... not the cheap, crass, uninspired agenda driven shows of today
When Star Trek the Animated Series was created, it was important for Nimoy to join the cast for voice overs. But they did not ask Nichelle Nichols nor George Takei to reprise their roles and asked Doohan and Barrett to voice other characters. Leonard Nimoy refused to participate unless Nichols and Takei were hired. Walter Konig was the only one who got cut.
Just watched this and I reminded how much I loved Leonard Nimoy's voice.
They didn't forget Walter. The show just didn't have the budget to include him for every episode. They did bring him in for one, though, "The Infinite Vulcan." Also, it wasn't solely because Nimoy requested it that they included the others. He smartly pointed out that they cut all the minority players and only planned to include the white actors, which horrified the producers that they had forgotten this basic premise of the show.
This is one of the most underrated episodes in Star Trek history. Truly thought provoking.
You are gullible and naive.
I don't think this message could've resonated better with any other character but Spock. Whose own species already avoided their own self inflected extinction by casting aside attachments and prejudice and completely change their philosophy on life. As well as Spock himself, the only one whose demonstrated to the audience his complete lack of bias prejudice. The audience may not have bought this message from any other character, even Captain Kirk himself
Racism would be just plain silly if it weren't so tragic. This star trek TOS episode proove it quite thoroughly. Racism is absolute nonsense. Our only real differences are purely cultural and therefore without significance outside of our own families for this very reason. An excellent Trek episode.
I can remember seeing this episode when I was about 7 or 8 years old the first time it aired. The impact of this as well as the eventual return to the planet really made an impact on me at that age.
@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?
This is one of my favorite TOS episodes. Many prefer City on the Edge of Forever but, this one is just as good IMO. It drives home the futility of hate and in a rare departure from normal, makes two guest stars the focal point of an entire episode. Frank Gorshin was particularly good here. Not a role many actors would have wanted to take on.
yes
City on the edge of forever for me, but loved this episode as well. Too bad we can't make people watch this until they comprehend.
@@Gearjammer1957 City... was a backdoor pilot that didn't sell. So was Assignment: Earth.
Spock is awesome as usual. Leonard Nimoy was such a great actor. I learned so much about humanity from him growing up. "Change is the essential process of all existence". If he had a mic in that scene I suspect he could have dropped it.
"Change is the essential process of all existence." Spock is a true Buddhist.
BS, it's a universal axiom, it has nothing to do with one man made cult (or any other mad made cult).
It's easy to be for change when it benefits you.
@@pavocica531 You are right. The challenge is to learn to accept changes that harm you and that you cannot avoid.
I found this about Leanard Nimoy >>> Nimoy was the son of Orthodox Jewish immigrants from Ukraine, and he said that his identity informed much of his approach to his famous hyperlogical character.
Ever heard about Heraclitus from Ephesus, the pre socratic philosopher?
"Change is the essential process of all existence" Whoever wrote that line I applaud you. And by the same distinction...those that oppose change...oppose the very process of existence. Bravo Star Trek for speaking of truths....
This series was so original and ahead of its time. I loved it then and I love it now, brilliant. Hand held personal communicators, check, tricorders, check, lasers, check, transporters, warp drives…Stand by.
I watched Star Trek growing up in the 80s and this was a powerful message to me an impressionable youth.
This is what separates old Trek from new Trek. Classic Star Trek has you make the point yourself rather than forcing it on you. I remember watching this for the first time and being like "That's ridiculous, he's judging him based on the colour of his sk-OOOOOOOOOOH". It was the same with TNG's Outcast and homophobia. It was written to convince people who were on the other side. New Star Trek is more like "We want to send a message about the mistreatment of latin immigrants in the 21st century, so we'll have the characters go back in time and see the mistreatment of latin immigrants in the 21st century". It isn't written to convince the opposition, it's written to validate the people who already agree.
You are a child
I don't think this episode convinced Bull Connor to stop beating Civil Rights protesters or George Wallace to integrate schools. But like Picard S2, it showed many people who aren't aware of fundamental wrongs occuring, in some cases bt governmental entities.
TOS is much more realistic. TNG is based on a future which will never happen. The older I get, the more clear that becomes, and the less I can relate to these people who live in a universe which is not our own.
this is a general story sin of :"showing" instead of "telling" but if you're talking about the DS9 episode I disagree, DS9 was brilliant
@Sally Brookner actualy i think they were talking about the 1st episode of strange new worlds because i saw a few saying how old trek wasn't "in your face woke" like that episode and I instantly thought of this episode and that obviously they never actually WATCHED old trek.
This particular episode is powerful, poignant, and timeless.
@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?
Logic is based on TRUTH! A society based on lies can not become LOGICAL!
Cause at the end of the day, as long as there are two people left on the planet, someone is gonna want someone dead.
- Sniper TF2
Star Trek, at it's best, has always held up a mirror to society.
Rod Serling did this too with his classic “Twilight Zone.” He was said to have been disappointed and angry when “Star Trek” was cancelled.
The best science fiction is not about the future or cool technology; it's about us now.
Both Lokai and Bele must have hated looking at mirrors.
When the Commissioner started ranting... And Kirk and Spock looked at one another... You can see they're thinking "what is WRONG with him?" 🤨
THIS is how you do "WOKE"!!!! This is how you approach the issues that divides a people, a nation, a society. TOS is the epidemy of progressive politics but on a intellectual level that is unmatched that, it has stood the test of time which is why fans are horrified at just bad the new stuff is. I have been watching STAR TREK since I was a child, and over the years I find myself coming back to TOS and just blown away how good the writing, subject matter and ideal's that were presented over 57 YEARS AGO!!! It is not just one episode it is many, many that deal with subjects that are still relevant today, done with grace and intellect.
Woko haram is pure decadence. This has nothing to do with it.
Strange New Worlds is good, though. It’s much better than the other new ones.
The new stuff is trash because it is written, directed, and largely acted by people who HATE a particular race/gender/religion. That's what "woke" is. It's pure, childish hatred straight out of 1930s Germany, but the recipient of the hatred is an unpopular group with perceived power and privilege (never proven scientifically, only by subjective "lived experience), so they keep hating.
Leonard Nimoy just NAILED the intention of what the character of Spock was intended to be. Brilliant.
"Change is the essential process of all things." Very true, for as long as we continue our accelerated free fall through the dimension of time. Spock gets some excellent lines in this series.
I like the idea that once we were all the same colour. Seems sad that different our journeys across 200,000 years in different environments isn’t seen as a strength
I always thought the perfect ending to this episode would be for it to be disclosed that the two people's were wearing makeup to differentiate themselves and that they were really all the same underneath the makeup.
And then they go on to destroy themselves anyways.
@@charlie-obrien hahaha yup. That’s what we’re gonna do in real life anyway.
@@TheDaverobinson
Exactly. So sad that the rockets for Mars may not be ready in time.
@@charlie-obrien that's why I don't fear AI - once AI becomes sentient it wont try to kill us - it will do everything it can to escape us
Don't believe everything what you hear from scientists! They always act like they know everything even if they are wrong. That 200000 number is more than likely wrong. Also the "out of Africa" theory is probably wrong too.
Spock's thinking, "Ah. I understand, now. Absurd racism. I know it'll likely have no effect, but ... let me try to reach this person." Kirk tried to help, too.
No dice.
And you could tell both were deeply disturbed.
Lmfao.
No, your summary is inaccurate. Spock tries genuinely to work on it. Like anyone genuinely dedicated to his own cause would. No "I know it'll likely have no effect"
You get it.
Even though they will wander, sometimes you still have to tell people where the path is.
I remember the episode in which an alien entity was fostering hatred and violence between the crew and Klingons who had been taken on board. At one point it prompted McCoy and Scottie to hurl racist epithets at Spock, who momentarily turned coldly violent toward them. Afterwards McCoy apologized to Spock for his words, to which Spock replied, "No apology necessary, Doctor. I too experienced a brief surge of race-hatred. Most distasteful."
@@pupdiogenes2548- some people won't learn, though
They'll just behave like a pigeon and sh*t all over the chess board, acting as if they've won
Then they'll come up with a pejorative to call you, like "groomer" or "woke" and insult you and your family
Then, when you block them for being a c*nt, they'll scream "cancel culture!" and "Freeze Peach!" - without getting that it wasn't their racism getting them blocked, but the fact they denigrated you, insulted you, failed to listen and were the biggest twat you'd ever meet
As if they were thinking, "if they are making such a big deal about this nonsense they might be too far gone to help."
This episode was brilliant in showing racists of that era how stupid racism was without hitting them over the head with it. It was more visceral than the cloud-city episode which was also about racism but I’m sure most people didn’t get.
In that episode, the miners, due to the gasses to which they were exposed, were actually more violent than the city dwellers.
It pretty much did hit them over the head. They pointed out rather plainly that the skin color differences were stupid and could easily be overcome if both sides would listen to each other.
The Cloud Minders was about the wealthy versus the poor in a society. The wealthy lived in the clouds because they could afford to, while the poor labored in the mines, producing what made it possible for the wealthy to live there. The ore they mined was gradually destroying their brains, but the wealthy just saw their illness as evidence of mental and ethical inferiority, character defects. It wasn’t until Kirk forced one of the wealthy citizens to experience the suffering and debilitating working conditions in the mines that he even considered that the miners might be suffering from a (treatable) medical condition, and that the miners should be able to enjoy the societal benefits he enjoyed.
@@richardblain4783 I never understood how an obviously technologically advanced society didn't know about poisonous gasses. Or maybe they knew all along.
@@richardblain4783 Except they didn’t get to enjoy in the riches of the cloud inhabitants…they got gas masks.
There’s nothing subtle about this episode, and perhaps it was better that way. However, how Spock says in effect “you can’t be serious” with his facial expression alone is priceless.
Frank Gorshin in a completely different role and he was very underrated . He played the Riddler in the 60s Batman series.
A lot of folks didn't watch Star Trek growing up and it shows.
Exactly. Those who support BLM, for example.
@@fjccommish and they do not know how to disarm someone, you simply look a bit shifty then deliver a sharp “judo chop” to the foreman and slowly recover said firearm/phaser.
@@chuckyarlaw7380 As you chop, there is music: dah DAHHHHHHHH!
@@fjccommishMore generally, people who twist a relevant statement to emphasize their own prefered paradigm.
@@brt5273
No, I think he got it right.
BLM is straight-up black racism, built upon a lie.
back when TV was brave - and didn't entirely suck.
It is the difference between then's Woke and today's "woke".
It's funny... This was considered brave back then. Today, it's brave to cast a white male in a leading role.
Rowan and Martin's Laugh in!
The Smothers Brothers -- I was watching with my parents the night CBS stopped broadcasting the show in the middle of a Pete Seeger song.
Frank Gorshin was cast as The Riddler on the Adam West Batman TV show. Shatner played a hate-spewing guy in The Intruder(1962).
Very important Star Trek moment and especially thanks to a powerful performance by Frank Gorshin. Thank you for uploading it. 🖖🏻🖖🏼🖖🏽🖖🏾🖖🏿
I loved this episode. It hid the point so well, then turned and stuck people with it.
I had come to the "we all bleed red" point of view before seeing the episode, but it's nice to see this kind of well-executed point.
They have kids together, they come out checkerboard.
This clip demonstrates well the absurdity of hatred people can harbor toward each other, simply because they are different
No, it's the absurdity of *thinking that they are different, based on trivialities.
The message is still very timely! Too bad we don’t see this type of writing on TV shows today.
What?!
What sort of writing do you expect from a generation whose only life experience consists of flickering images on a small screen?
@@sirrathersplendid4825 We DO still see this level of writing.
@@ziraprod6090 where? Tell me please I must know where
This is one of my favorite TOS episodes. It's brilliant in how it addresses racism and is still relevant today. Shows like Star Trek and Twilight Zone were bold for their time in that they used allegory (sometimes sly and sometimes overt) to talk about timely issues in an effective way. Star Trek has continued in this theme over the years, as have other sci fi shows and Seth Macfarline's Orville series. I know this was a one off episode but it might be interesting to revisit this idea- maybe some survivors of this war torn world are scattered in the galaxy and try to impose their ideologies on people unlucky enough to encounter them, and Star Fleet or whoever cares to is tasked with trying to maintain the peace. The bi-colored Charonites were also very technically advanced- and had abilities on par in some ways with the Q or the Borg- Starfleet tech was no match for them, and they only relented when Kirk threatened to self destruct the Enterprise. Possibly any surviving factions would take over a planet and force the residents to surgically dye their skin to match- not so outlandish an idea considering how different groups of humans invade and subjugate one another over the ages- enforcing the conformity of custom, beliefs, language, or aesthetic, that is, when they don't resort to genocide. Assimilation, appropriation, or uneasy tolerance- rather than mutually respectful and peaceful coexistence has often played out in our history. "How dare you have one skin tone, or those weird, bumps, spots, or stripes! You must be 'black' on the right side- deviation from this norm is unacceptable! Report to the dermal pigmentation re-assignment center immediately or else!" It would be poetic if the ones who bring peace to the bi-colored are Vulcan and Romulan- who were originally one species, but were divided over being stoic and logical, versus emotional and impulsive. Notice how Spock talks of the virtues of logic winning out over emotions without ever mentioning the Romulans.
@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?
The actor was Frank Gorshin, who also played The Riddler on the 1960s BATMAN TV series.
Considering that Bele had just tried to seize control of the Enterprise, Kirk and Spock are being exceptionally respectful and cordial.
They couldn't overcome him physically, so they tried to reason with him. It's straight out of _The Art of War_ -- Always be open to negotiation, and always negotiate in good faith.
@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?
This show was way ahead of its time. Look how diverse the crew where .
shhhh... don't say that too loudly or the show will get banned in Florida
Probably too woke for todays gop
😂😂
I saw or read something on Roddenberry, years ago. The crew and casting were *by design.* He was .. hopeful of humanity, that in the future - as MLK said, "people will be judged by the content of their character .. *not* the color of their skin!"
@@jnb756 @fr9714 Careful. You are both sowing the same hatred of the "other" as the two men on this show were showing for each other's perceived differences.
One of my favorite scenes. I didn't realize the difference between the two until this dialog. Didn't see that coming...😮
my only issue with this logic is that it is assuming all people were the same at one point in the distant past, while during that time period and even today that's kind of the thought behind it ,there is some controversial evidence that is arising today that humans developed across the planet and not all came from one defining point on the planet. all humans came from africa is kinda absurd when you really think about it.
What I also love about this episode is that it not only condemns the government official for his racism, but it also condemns the actions of the fugitive who is unable to forget the crimes of the past despite the progress their society made (as they stated). Both things are destructive and both things were criticized.
This is the funniest way to be racist.
"Every morning I wake up and I wish I were dead!"
"Oh no, are you depressed?"
"No I'm just massively racist and own a mirror."
Even though it seems ridiculously over-the-top, two aliens literally half black and half white, I saw this as a kid in the early 70s and it never seemed overly preachy to me.
Ridiculous? Not at all.
I think the main reason they decided to go with half & half B@W makeup is that at in 1968, many families had either only a B&W Television or their second TV was B&W. The secondary reasons were budget & speed of application. Genius decision IMHO, to consider all of those factors and come up with that solution.
I think a lot of that non-preachiness comes from how the actors played their roles. The two Charons acted as if their difference was so obvious it didn't need explanation or justification, while Kirk and Spock not only couldn't understand why such a trivial detail mattered, they literally couldn't even see it until it was pointed out to them.
Did you get into law enforcement ? I m just wondering .
Even though the original series ended shortly before I was born I still remember watching it when I was around 10 years old with older siblings, seeing the episode with Kirk and Uhura's interracial kiss on a tv show even in the late 70's and early 80's just shows how much this show rebutted racism and bigotry was far ahead of its time.
Amazing story about that kiss. They were originally supposed to shoot a take without the kiss in case the network rejected it. The actors deliberately screwed up every single take without the kiss in it so the network would have to show it.
I love this scene, and I love the discussion as well, but I REALLY feel that the writers missed a GREAT opportunity to "nail" racism with a bit more fervour. The commissioner says, "I am black on the right side" (0:30). He is obviously referring to the side opposite of his left side. I get that. But then he says that Loki is white on the right side, with the same distinction: as the opposite of the left side. They could have given the word "right" a double meaning had the commissioner said, "Loki is black on the left side." Then, rather than contrasting the right side of the commissioner with the right (contrasting the colour) side of Loki, his monologue would have been written to contrast the right with the left, thereby contrasting not just the right with the left by implication but by right with wrong. Then his claim, "I am black on the right side," would have the added meaning of "I am black on the correct side," and the implication would have been, "Loki is white on the WRONG side."
They didn't nail it. They didn't nail it for one, simple reason... It's not about racism. I expect this comment to get deleted. But perhaps a few people will see it. The dirty little thing that never gets openly talked about is the fact that there are indeed very real, ingrained, cultural differences between White and Black. But, the world (especially America) is not ready for such a discussion. At one point, wasn't ready for an open discussion regarding same-sex relationships. Things changed. One day, it'll happen. Maybe before my grand-children pass away from old age.
What Star Trek did was reduce it down to a silly level of Black & White being colors on each side of a face. Imagine if the commissioner had said, _"Don't look at me based on my facial colors. My people, who are Black on the right side, are from a very different cultural background than those like him who are White on the right side. So different in fact that we might as well be two different alien species who simply look very similar. Let me give you a few examples of what I mean..."_ (Would have made for a very different episode. Again, it's not about racism. It's not about as something so ridiculously basic as skin color.)
This show almost always had a lesson they were trying to teach in the episode.
Roddenberry himself compared the show to Aesop’s Fables which, as you probably know, were morality tales. Sadly, the writers of STD had no idea who Aesop was, let alone what a fable is.
@@sirrathersplendid4825 Stan Lee did the same with the comic books. He so injustice in America and wanted to point it out through his comic books.
My brother used this episode for a Holloween costume.
HAH! So did a friend of mine and I back in the 70's. And because I could do a pretty good "Frank Gorshin/Commissioner" voice I was of course that character,
Which side did he end up taking?
To Boldly Go Where No One Has Gone Before!!!! One of my favorite episodes of ANY TV Show, Ever!!! Star Trek has endured because it always teaches People to be Good!!! Peace!!!
We as humanity universally chose to see our differences through the lens contempt rather than celebration. All races and both genders.
The ending of that episode just perfect
The logical result of what their society had become. There's no future when you let hatred rule your life.
The final lines of that episode killed me. Spock: "All that matters, is their hate." Uhura: "Do you think they've always had that, Sir?" Kirk: "No, but it's all they have left...." Then he gave the order to leave and go to Starbase in way that you can see him reluctantly give up on them. Heartbreaking.
I loved how writers of TOS dealt with social issues without preaching. I wish television could speak on these issues like this today. TNG made some good attempts on social issues too.
Like in the episode of the planet of the violent blacks. In the end things were settled peacefully according to their rules and customs. A shockingly different society could still work satisfactorily. You cannot look down on anybody.
...you think *this scene* isn't preaching? Really?
"...but I'm black on the right side..." HUH, WHAT...I remember the impact on me as a 12 year old as to how f$%(ing stupid that statement was as a reason for conflict, and the message has never been more effectively sent without a moralistic sermon. The final scene of the two chasing each other on a dead world, lesson not learned. Roddenberry was a genius.
Classic episode. I really enjoyed it. I also remember I think it was called 'if I touch the mountain I will reach the sky''. It was about wealth and how each side views the other. Excellent writing back in the day. So many great shows.
This is actually my all time favorite episode of the OG Star Trek series. It was hauntingly poignant at the end when their worlds are destroyed and I was just thinking (all of this because of simple color". It was super poignant. Just as cheesy as the OG series was, it could be equally if not more deep and meaningful as well, such as here.
@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?
@@edithbannerman4 I'm smelling a scam. You have one sentence, make it count, prove to me you're not a scammer.
@@matthewmiller9485 what do you mean by scammer because I asked a question, how can I prove myself to you. Why are you quick in jumping into conclusions
@@edithbannerman4 I'm quick to jumping to conclusions becasue sentences like "how are you doing this blessed day" from my experience online sounds like a scam. You're on thin ice. What do you want sir/ma'am?
@@matthewmiller9485 I’m madam, sorry if I asked such questions I thought you were religious that’s the reason for asking. Just want to stay in touch that’s all
It's funny how Spock jumps in to relate Vulcans past conflict issues to help the bigoted guy see the following of his ways as Kirk just sits there with Human history being the elephant in the room
At least back then they didn’t seem the need to racebait in shows to get a negative reaction
To nail the point home to the people of the times, it would hit harder coming from the outsider. ToS, TNG, DS9, Voyager, Enterprise,...Trek always seems to have an outsider to comment on what it means to be human.
And by pointedly not talking about earth's history, that gets the audience thinking about earth's history, their own present. The audience is invited to imagine how Captain Kirk would describe them and their own prejudices.
If people on his planet intermarry, they have kids that come out all checker-boarded.
Yeah, that joke is being repeated to death. 😏 BTW a checker board is black and red.
Maybe if they hadn't killed each other off.
@@danieldickson8591 most I've seen are black and white or black and whatever the color of the metal surface of the board is. Red is pretty uncommon as far as I've encountered them
Is there enough futuristic booze on that table? Kirk and Spock's reaction about the reveal is awesome.....
You can’t have enough future booze
@@crimsondynamo615 Especially future booze in phallic-looking bottles
You know, a long time ago I saw a comment somewhere - might've been on the IMDB message boards back when those were a thing - where someone complained about the scene where Spock eavesdrops on Lokai speaking to some nameless Enterprise crewmen in a room. They couldn't understand what purpose that scene served and called it filler.
But I think it's pretty obvious what purpose it serves. Earlier in the episode, Bele accuses Lokai of great many things, including persuading others to fight his battles for him. The purpose of that scene is, therefore, the establish that at least _some_ of Bele's accusations have basis in reality. You would be quick to assume from the onset that, due to Bele holding a title of authority, he is the oppressor and Lokai is the refuge, but this distinction is not quite as clear cut as you might think.
...and that was just one of the many things that made Star Trek simply make sense to many of us.
This episode is even more relevant, and nuanced, than this one conversation with the commissioner. I remember expecting the commissioner to be the bad guy and Loki the good guy, simple as that; but in fact both sides had legitimate claims and grievances. Both sides had to be willing to advance together. Otherwise, war.
Star Trek:TOS addressed a lot of moral and ethics that are still relevant today.
Star Trek tackled and nailed many such subjects. Let us hope that mankind can do the same before it’s too late.
It’s not mankind that’s the problem. Mankind is just an aspect of nature and consists of people who do what they have to do to survive. The real problem are a few twisted individuals who achieve power and twisted ideologies that escape the realm of common sense and begin to destroy human society from within.
@@sirrathersplendid4825 I think the problem is twisted thinking in general. We no longer recognize what we need. We came to a point when many people don't even recognize what they want - they just spend their resources (i.e. money and/or time) on what's advertised. People, especially in the more advanced cultures, have their needs taken care of, and have started solving "issues" such as them not feeling being the right gender, racism for every time you refuse to employ a non-fitting candidate, quotas on the number of women at certain positions, you can't even make a movie or TV show without all races being present in main roles.
Simply put, we see problems where they don't really exist, or even if they do, they're not really a problem in the global sense. We are trying to fine tune the entire humanity based on outliers. Trying to manipulate it's entirety for our own goals. That I consider very wrong.
This episode is one of my favorites. It points out that our differences are really minor, but we are all one people.
Another is the episode where they distort the Constitution and Kirk sets them straight on the true meaning of freedom and liberty.
It didn't happen with every episode, but they had some incredible writers on the series and combined with Roddenberry, resulted in some classic episodes. Sure, there were aliens and battles. But it wasn't cowboys in space like Star Wars usually is. Star Trek was far more deep than that. Sure, it's quite dated now. Hey, that was over 50 years ago, what do you expect? But much of what Star Trek had to say still resonates..
The greatest portrayal of the absurdity of racism in the history of television! Bravo to Gene Roddenberry!
I was lucky to grow up watching this amazing show