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."
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
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.
@@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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Ack-zTCBgQA.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
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.
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???)
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.
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
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!
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.
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.
"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....
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.
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.
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 is how you present a message. Logic, reason, respect, level headedness, and let the AUDIENCE draw their own conclusions. Nothing is force fed and no names are called. This is why I have undying respect for the OG Star Trek.
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
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 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.
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.
@@sallybrookner4158 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.
"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.
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.
@@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.
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.
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.
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
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."
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."
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!!!
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.
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.
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 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.
The original run was something special. When people say they hate politics in TV shows they mean heavy-handed preaching sessions that say "racism is bad blah blah blah". This... This was something truly wonderful.
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 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
even as a kid i thought the themes of this episode were stupidly simplistic. the fact that this is now hard hitting relevance just shows how stupid we've become as a society
What's interesting is that they didn't "cancel" or "de-platform" him. They said courteous and logical. Perhaps they should re-run Start Trek for us now.
If you watch the episode, they didn't have a choice. The technology the half-whites and half-blacks had was far superior to the federation(another huge plot hole, they both had the same tech), You routinely see the federation use, or threaten to use, force to get their way when they can.
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.
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.
Notice how Spock and Kirk didn't have an emotional meltdown and spaz out...they listened calmly and tried to reason. There is more than just a lesson about racism. There is a lesson about how to properly deal with it when you encounter it.
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..
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.
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.
There was another episode where the crew was in the lounge talking about how great it is that humans are past racism, and Spock was hearing that from outside the lounge, and decided to head the other direction. The subtlety being that humans still had the "us versus them" with other humanoids such as Vulcans.
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.
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.
