Star Trek: A Utopia for the Sixties - Essay Example

Star Trek: A Utopia for the Sixties The series star trek first released for public viewing at a time when the United States was going through a profound crisis of which they have never recovered from the said crisis. The series was first broadcasted in a period of thirty three months which were between September 1966 and June 1969. It was at the same time that America was going through the most agonizing period in its history. It was in the middle of a disastrous war, that the country was going through a number of things such as increased crime; students in campus were rebelling, and inflation and debt. All these challenges interfered with the cultural values and the gender roles of the people of the United States (Brereton, 45). The series star trek took the position of what would happen in the future such that it talked of the earth being a prosperous place, harmonious without social conflicts or wars. According to the series, the future was a place with a new name known the U.S.S enterprise, which was self-contained and capable of new cultural values and images that suited the new nation. At the same time, in the mind of Americans was the issue of Vietnam War, which was a threat to split the nations asunder. The Vietnam War was terrifying such that it is mentioning raises emotional temperature among Americans at the same time creates divisions among those who agree with it. As a medium for star trek, the war prowled in the background successively. The utopian, which featured in the 23rd century, was assumed in star trek. Star trek was among the first drama series that challenged the Vietnam War. For fear of losing both advertisers and viewers most television of the television, networks at that time were hesitant to allow any controversial issues into shows for entertainment. Due to its usual strategy for handling controversial issues, star trek was able to displace the Vietnam War in both time and space. The first series of the star trek was known as ‘the city on the edge of forever’ that was aired in 1967 which was a week before the end of the star trek. The film starts with creativity from strange ripples at that time. McCoy injects himself with a powerful drug by accident. Moreover, while in paranoia confusion, the movie dashes through a time when New York City was in the 1930. McCoy does something that conquers the future where the enterprise exists. This makes Kirk and Spock to follow him though there were obstacles that prevented his actions therefore reestablishing the correct course of history (Brereton, 67). In the process of searching McCoy, Kirk falls in love with Edith Keeler who is a social worker and an angel from the slum. On the other hand, Spocks finds out that in order for the entire future to happen, Edith Keeler has to die. Her death has to occur soon and it should take place in a road accident . He feared that In case Edith does not die, she will become the head of a peace movement that aims at misdirecting the course of history. This is a crucial time for the three; therefore Kirk manages to stop McCoy from saving Edith from a truck that was coming towards her. This therefore makes them restore a history that was familiar to the audience and the members of the enterprise. The implication of this episode and its concerns highlight the progress ion the script as well as the major key pieces of dialogues that are inserted in a version that was broadcasted in 1967. Spocks works nervously with the material available which came from a primitive period to build a basic computer. The computer was an important thing for him since he needed it so that his tricorder could display the possibilities of the future unreeling from a focal point in New York in 1930 (Budapest). Moreover, he learns of an obituary that was for Edith Keeler, which indicates her death in a road accident in 1930. On the other hands, he discovers that there newspapers that had later dates which showed that Edith had become the head and founder of a gigantic peace movement. The movement was meant to keep the United States out of the Second World War long enough for the Germans to develop a new atomic bomb, rule the world, and win in wars, therefore defeating the future existence of the U.S.S Enterprise. Therefore, in order to the great 23rd-century of star trek to come to pass, Spocks remorsefully informs Kirk that Edith Keeler has to die. In that case, the duty of Captain James Kirk to ensure that he has taken all the necessary actions insures Edith was dead. As an example of a dangerously misguided peace movement, Edith who is the founder is not described as a commendable scorn, ridicule or a disrespected person She is a god woman who has nothing but worthy and admirable motives. She is indeed a true visionary leader who in the middle of misery caused by the depression can offer prophecy of a great future. This is an inspiration to the unemployed and the homeless within the society. In her prophecy, she describes the dramatic future by the star trek series. However, during the time that people experienced peace, prosperity, space exploration and technological progress there was misfortune, which seemed to be living in a wrong historical time and place. The second episode is known as ‘A Private Little War’ which was released at a time when millions of Americans discovering that the war had begun with the aim of defending the nation from an empire that had existed against an indigenous movement. The episode sanctions major developments of the Vietnam War. The Enterprise presents the options that they take during a debate that takes place between McCoy and Kirk. During the debate, it was reveal that in the puzzle, Spock who had issued a stern warning against anyone who interfered with the affairs of the planet is now seriously wounded and has no choice but to spend the rest of the time in the episode recovering in a ship (Budapest, 63). This was a convenient was of removing him from the rest of the discussions therefore did not make any decisions. Just as Rick Worland suggests, the usual role of an objective commentator on human affairs from outside which Spocks plays was what the team suspected that had made him be as dangerous as he was. Before McCoy challenged Kirk, Kirk had made the decision to provide military services to the people living on the hill at the same time arming them with similar weapons that were given to the villagers. McCoy who was shocked by the decision points out its potential consequences, which affect the people who were supposed to be receiving help from the federation. In a speech, he loudly suggests the issue of Vietnam in the mind of people viewing the program. On the other hand, Kirk argues that he was only creating a balance of power, which is parallel to the Vietnam War. The last episode is ‘The Omega Glory’ where Kirk, Spock, and McCoy visit planet Omega IV. The plant has frightful history, which is a revelation in the episode. The plane is full of Asians who are determined to end the warfare against other races known as the Yang’s. The Yang’s were primitive and were very few in number and at the same time were they were starting to accept the rest of the Asian group known as the kohm (Woodbury, 78). On the other hand, Captain Tracey, who was a mad traitor, violates the prime directive by intervening in the war that took place in the planet. McCoy’s research shows that the moment advanced civilization gets to the planet, and the people destroy themselves, the people will be left in a number of wars. The people who survive show a sign that they come from a bacterial war, which relates to the experience on earth that took place in the 1990. According to McCoy, they had fought a war, which had been avoided by people on the earth. Work Cited Brereton, Pat. Hollywood Utopia: Ecology in Contemporary American Cinema. Bristol: Intellect, 2004. Internet resource Budapest, Zsuzsanna E. Summoning the Fates: A Guide to Destiny and Sacred Transformation. Woodbury, Minn: Llewellyn Publications, 2007. Print. Reagin, Nancy. Star Trek and History. New York: Wiley, 2013. Internet resource Read More