Changes: Plato's Stepchildren (episode)

Revision as of 03:25, 17 May 2007

The Enterprise finds a planet inhabited by aliens who were once followers of the Greek philosopher Plato.

Summary

Summoned by an urgent request for medical help, the Enterprise crew finds a group of aliens who supposedly model their society on the teachings of Plato. Their leader is suffering massive infection and is close to death. The crew discovers the Platonians' powerful psychokinetic abilities, as the man's delirium has violent effects on his surroundings. Another Platonian trait is extreme longevity, as well as frail physical immunity seemingly caused by their emphasis on mental prowess. This is what caused their powerful ruler to be so vulnerable to what should have been a minor injury.

When in the Sahndara system, the inhabitants initiated an eugenics program. "Plato's Stepchildren" escaped to Earth in the time of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato when their star, Sahndara, went supernova. They established a republic based on the eponymous work, where 38 inhabitants live lives of quiet contemplation and self-reliance.

A simple cut in the leg has developed an unknown infection. Dr. McCoy's treatment of Parmen is effective, and the crew attempts to leave the planet. However, the Enterprise is frozen; there are no transporters, no navigation, or subspace communication with Starfleet. Kirk barges into Parmen's chamber, and Parmen strips Kirk of his weapon and tell him that guests must recognize his supremacy. In an allusion to the Greek ideal of guest-friend, Kirk retorts: "Guest? You don't know the meaning of the word. Guests are not treated like common prisoners." Parmen uses his psychokinetic powers to force Kirk to slap himself in the face.

Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are in their room next, trying to contact the Enterprise to no avail. The Platonians summon them and seem grateful for McCoy's help. They provide the landing party with gifts: the shield of Pericles goes to Kirk, a kithara to Spock, and a collection of Greek cures written by Hipocrates for McCoy. Parmen appeals for Kirk's forgiveness. He says he will release the ship, but he wants McCoy to remain on the planet.

McCoy refuses, and Parmen says he will not be refused. Kirk says that he cannot consider himself a descendent of Plato. Spock points out, "Plato wanted truth and beauty and above all, justice." Parmen says that their society is the most democratic ever--unlike the Federation, which uses weapons to enforce justice, the Platonians use the power of the mind. He says wants to persuade Kirk and Spock to leave peacefully so as not to upset McCoy.

Parmen uses his mental mental powers to intimidate and humiliate Captain Kirk and Spock into compliance. First, they sing a song and dance a jig. Kirk tells McCoy that he is not going to let him stay behind, and Parmen makes Kirk recite some lines which are from Shakespeare's Sonnet LVII: "Being your slave what should I do but tend | Upon the hours, and times of your desire? | I have no precious time at all to spend; | Nor service[s] to do, till you ..." (see Shakespeare and Star Trek). Parmen makes Spock dance some more, and then forces him to laugh and cry, torturing his Vulcan psychology by forcing emotion out of him.

McCoy decides that he will volunteer to stay, but Kirk refuses, pointing out that once they are gone they will be destroyed. Alexander speaks up, saying that Kirk is right. He gives a speech that says he used to think that it was his own fault that he did not have the same powers, and that he was lucky that the Platonians kept him alive. But now, after the crew stood up to them and showed them for what they are, he knows it's them.

Spock questions Alexander about the powers, and learns that the power grew shortly after the Platonians used up their food stores and started eating local food. McCoy scans Alexander's blood and finds that Parmen has more kironide, which is broken down by the pituitary gland. McCoy synthesizes the kironide and injects himself, Kirk and Spock. Kirk suggests that Alexander get a dose, take Parmen's place, and rule the planet, but Alexander refuses: "You think that's what I want? Become one of them? Become my own enemy? Just lie around like a big blob of nothing and have things done for me? I want to run around for myself. If I am going to laugh or cry I want to do it for myself. You can keep your precious power. All I ask is one thing: if you do make it out of here, take me with you."

The conversation is interrupted when the Platonians have Lt. Uhura and Nurse Chapel beam down. Kirk and Spock try to lift some plates of food, but the powers have not kicked in yet. Kirk, Spock, Uhura, and Chapel are led to a stage. Parmen would like to welcome McCoy, but he has to convince McCoy to change his mind first. He makes Spock sing "A Serenade From the Laughing Spaceman" to Uhura and Chapel.

Then, the quartet split into two pairs: Uhura and Kirk, and Chapel and Spock. Chapel and Spock are forced to kiss despite their protests; Chapel confesses that she has wanted to be close to Spock for so long but now she wants to crawl away. Uhura likewise confesses to Kirk that she was so often calmed by Kirk when she was frightened on the bridge.

This is where the interacial kiss on American network T.V. almost takes place.

Kirk, however, is beginning to feel the power, enabling him to overpower the Platonian leader. When Kirk, Spock and McCoy finally do leave, they keep their promise and take Alexander with them.

Log Entries

Captain’s log, stardate 5784.2. We are responding to desperate distress calls from an unknown planet. My science officer, Mr. Spock, is unable to account for this, since he reported no signs of life on the planet. It is rich in kironide deposits, a very rare and long-lasting source of great power.

Captain’s log, stardate 5784.3. Dr. McCoy is endeavoring to treat the leader of a strange group of people. When their planet novaed, millennia ago, they transported themselves to Earth during the time of Socrates and Plato. After the death of the Greek civilization they idolized, they came to this planet and created for themselves a utopia patterned after it.

Memorable Quotes

"They're going to kill you after a while. You know that!"
"In that case, what's the point in you dying, too, Alexander?"
"That's the first time anyone's ever thought of my life before his own."

- Alexander and Kirk

"I feel so afraid."
"That's the way they want you to feel. It makes them think that they're alive."

- Uhura and Kirk, before "The Kiss."

"Pituitary hormones confirm the hypothesis. They also regulate body growth."
"Oh, you mean the same thing that kept me from having the power made me a... dwarf?"

- Spock and Alexander

"You think that's what I want? Become one of them? Become my own enemy? Just lie around like a big blob of nothing and have things done for me? No, sir! If I want to do something, I'll do it for myself! If I want to laugh or cry, I'll do it for myself! You can keep your precious power! All I ask is one thing. If you do make it out of here, take me with you!"

- Alexander, after being offered to be given the psychokinetic ability by McCoy

"Don't stop me! Let me finish him off!"
"Do you want to be like him?"

- Alexander (with Parmen at knifepoint) and Kirk

"Parmen, listen to me. I could have had your power, but I didn't want it. I could have had your position, your place, right now! But the sight of you and your academicia sickens me. Despite your brains, you're the most comtemptible beings who ever lived in this universe."

- Alexander

"The release of emotion is what keeps us healthy. Emotionally healthy."
"That may be, Doctor. However, I have noted that the healthy release of emotion is frequently unhealthy for those closest to you."

- McCoy and Spock

"Where I come from, size shape or color makes no difference."

- Kirk to Alexander

"Too much love is dangerous."
"Cupid's arrow kills Vulcans."

- Dionyd and Eraclitus, when Spock kisses Christine Chapel

"Uncontrolled power will turn even saints into savages. And we can all be counted on to live down to our lowest impulses."

- Parmen

"I'm Tweedledee, he's Tweedledum."
"We're spacemen marching to and from."
"We slythe among the mimsy troves,"
"And tire among the borogroves."

- Kirk and Spock

Background Information

This episode has long been famous for featuring "the first interracial kiss" on American network television, between Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura, although the kiss itself was not shown in the final edit. On December 11, 1967, NBC broadcast a musical-variety show entitled Movin' With Nancy, during which singers Nancy Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. kissed. [1] However, it should be noted that it was the first interracial kiss (as in black and white) on American network "episodic" television, between fictional characters (unless you count The Little Rascals).
According to Nichelle Nichols, in the early script, it was supposed to be Spock that kissed Uhura, but William Shatner had it changed, saying "If anyone's gonna get to kiss Nichelle, it's going to be me, I mean, Captain Kirk!" Nichols also said that they got more mail on that episode than any other episode in the history of the series and none of it, surprisingly, was negative. Nichols recalled a letter that Gene Roddenberry showed her. It was from a man in the American South, and he said "I am against the mixing of the races, but anytime a red-blooded American boy like Captain Kirk gets his arms around a gal like Lt. Uhura, he ain't gonna fight it!"
After being absent from the second season because of a dispute with Gene Roddenberry, Alexander "Sandy" Courage returned to compose the music for this episode, his last score for 'Star Trek.' This episode was also the last episode to have an original score, although new songs were composed for "The Way to Eden."
The episode pioneers the use of psycho-kinetic energy to strangle Alexander, almost a decade before Darth Vader's famous Force Choke.
George Takei (Sulu) and Walter Koenig (Chekov) do not appear in this episode.
Story outline was originally titled "The Sons of Socrates" and submitted 13 June 1968. The episode was filmed early to mid-September.
This episode was not shown until 22 December 1993 in the United Kingdom with the BBC skipping it due to 'sadistic' elements in the plot. (The same fate befell "The Empath" and "Whom Gods Destroy" and a decision was also taken to not repeat "Miri" in a 'family' timeslot for similar reasons.) Assumptions that "Plato's Stepchildren" was excluded because the Kirk/Uhura kiss would have been 'controversial' are erroneous. In fact, British Television had featured its first 'interracial' kiss several years before US TV; the massively popular prime time soap opera 'Emergency Ward 10'depicting a long term 'interracial' relationship between two major characters throughout 1964 without inciting controversy in the UK (although the producers had expected that it would).
Spock's observation that Plato desired justice above all is quite correct. In "The Republic," the philosopher envisioned justice as the highest ideal to which any state could aspire, achieved through the harmonious interplay of wisdom, courage, and temperance.

Production Timeline

Story outline by Meyer Dolinsky, 10 June 1968
First draft teleplay, 8 June 1968
Third draft teleplay, 8 August 1968
Filmed in early and mid September 1968

Links and References

VHS edition available through Amazon under ISBN 6300988635.

Main cast

Guest Stars

Michael Dunn as Alexander
Liam Sullivan as Parmen
Barbara Babcock as Philana
Ted Scott as Eraclitus
Derek Partridge as Dionyd
William Blackburn as Hadley (uncredited)

References

chess; Excellency; Hippocrates; kironide; kithara; "Maiden Wine"; Pericles; Plato; Platonian; Platonius; psychokinesis; Sahndara; Sahndara system; Through the Looking-Glass.

DVD Media Information

Star Trek: The Original Series, Volume 34 (original two episode single-disc release) ASIN B00005N5SF
Star Trek: The Original Series - The Complete Third Season (disc 3 of the set)

External Links

Template:NCwiki

Previous episode produced: "Day of the Dove"	Star Trek: The Original Series Season 3	Next episode produced: "Wink of an Eye"
Previous episode aired: "The Tholian Web"	Star Trek: The Original Series Season 3	Next episode aired: "Wink of an Eye"
Previous remastered episode aired: "Spock's Brain"	TOS Remastered	Next remastered episode aired: "The Omega Glory"

@@ Line 128: / Line 128: @@
 * After being absent from the second season because of a dispute with Gene Roddenberry, Alexander "Sandy" Courage returned to compose the music for this episode, his last score for 'Star Trek.' This episode was also the last episode to have an original score, although new songs were composed for "[[The Way to Eden]]."
 *The episode pioneers the use of psycho-kinetic energy to strangle Alexander, almost a decade before [[Wikipedia:Darth Vader|Darth Vader]]'s famous ''[[Wikipedia:Force_powers#Dark|Force Choke]]''.
-*[[George Takei]] ([[Hikaru Sulu|Sulu]]) does not appear in this episode.
+*[[George Takei]] ([[Hikaru Sulu|Sulu]]) and [[Walter Koenig]] ([[Pavel Chekov|Chekov]]) do not appear in this episode.
-*[[Walter Koenig]] ([[Pavel Chekov|Chekov]]) does not appear in this episode.
 * Story outline was originally titled "The Sons of Socrates" and submitted {{d|13|June|1968}}.  The episode was filmed early to mid-[[September 1968|September]].
 *This episode was not shown until {{d|22|December|1993}} in the United Kingdom with the [[BBC]] skipping it due to 'sadistic' elements in the plot. (The same fate befell "[[The Empath]]" and "[[Whom Gods Destroy]]" and a decision was also taken to not repeat "[[Miri]]" in a 'family' timeslot for similar reasons.) Assumptions that "[[Plato's Stepchildren]]" was excluded because the Kirk/Uhura kiss would have been 'controversial' are erroneous. In fact, British Television had featured its first 'interracial' kiss several years before US TV; the massively popular prime time soap opera [http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Ward_10 'Emergency Ward 10']depicting a long term [http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/ward.htm 'interracial' relationship] between two major characters throughout 1964 without inciting controversy in the UK (although the producers had expected that it would).