3.70 : Let That Be Your Last Battlefield.

[Dave]

The one with the two-tone aliens.

The Enterprise must intercept a shuttlecraft, stolen from Starbase 4 by Lokia, a native of the planet Cheron, and half-white and half-black. He is followed by Bele (Frank Gorshin), another native of Cheron, and also half-white and half-black.

This examination of predjudice wtihout any subtety, literally tackling the problem in 'black and white', actually works. I remember as a child, that I had no idea that although they were both bi-chromatic, that they were coloured exactly oppositely.

Eventually, they discover the inhabitants of Cheron have killed each other with their senseless fighting. To labour the point further, the pair continue to blame each other for the devastation and beam down to the surface of the dead world to continue their battle.

Most of the shortcomings of this episode are due to budget considerations: Bele's ship is fast, streamlined and also invisible (that must have saved them some money), stock footage abounds, we here about concerned personnel on Starbase 4 and on Ariannus, but we do not see or hear them.

 

[CommanderCain]

This episode was one of the best from season 3. The issue of prejudice and racism is excellently done and is to the point. Roddenberry was a genius at morality plays. Spock's speech to Bele is a waste of time because Bele is consumed with hatred for Lokia. In the end they must both end up dead. What a waste.

 

[Extollager]

I'll have to watch this again if I get the chance. I've thought of it as one of those Sixties and Seventies teleplays that indulged in predictable Relevant sentiments. The phenomenon seems to have started (before Star Trek) with shows about Troubled Youth. I think the Relevant shows often came later in a series' run and may have betrayed anxiety to boost ratings.

 

[BAYLOR]

A good episode which with a little tighter writing could have been a great episode.

 

[BAYLOR]

This episode was one of the best from season 3. The issue of prejudice and racism is excellently done and is to the point. Roddenberry was a genius at morality plays. Spock's speech to Bele is a waste of time because Bele is consumed with hatred for Lokia. In the end they must both end up dead. What a waste.

If anything , this episode it more relevant today then it was when it was first aired. Bele and Loki were both consumed with hate, they would never ben and never see one another point of view , never compromise. You want talk about political polarization , this episode deal with that.

 

[farntfar]

To labour the point further, the pair continue to blame each other for the devastation and beam down to the surface of the dead world to continue their battle.

Spock's speech to Bele is a waste of time because Bele is consumed with hatred for Lokia. In the end they must both end up dead.

Yes. I remember that disturbing me for a long time, as a boy.

The other think that worried me was more prosaic. They were both full of electricity and gave each other shocks, which seemed strange to me.
Could electric eels give each other shocks?
Could wasps sting each other? or Scorpions? Well apparently they can. but I couldn't see how.

 

[BAYLOR]

The last two survivors of their respective peoples. As endings go this one is one is a real downer.

 

[hej]

I guess I'm the odd one out.

I understand the relevance vis a vis bigotry. For some strange reason, I could not bring myself to enjoy the plot as much as that of other episodes. I'm not sure why, but the reason was not merely the political stances of the black/white white/black characters. Perhaps, I felt that the commandeering of the Enterprise was indefensible for someone who purported to be the arm of the law.

More power to you if you really liked it, though.