TOS-0124 Space Seed

Image Credits: IMDB 🖖 The Original Series-1966 Season:01 Episode:24

Overall Score:       68.00 / 100
Star Trek Values:    4.00 / 5
Inspiring:           5.00 / 5
Story Development:   4.25 / 5

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Ahhh, Kirkkk!

The episode is one of the breathtaking one, so I won’t describe the story here. It’s one of the should-watch episodes; the episode of first encounter with Khan Noonien Singh.

I’m criticizing that, how a captain can drop the accusations from a group of people who claim their superiority and took command of the enterprise. Or how can a captain can open the specifications of his ship to another man out of Starfleet command. This is certainly not the times of precautions, and Kirk is the first example of so many violations. :)

Still, let’s see some points;

• Eugenics Wars; Roddenberry speculated a Eugenics war probability in the 1990s (within 20–30 years of his time). The World War 2 was not history in those times, the end of the war was 1945; 21 years ago from this episode. We might not be able to imagine how it was, but Gene Roddenberry saw that years, Hitler’s claims on superiority and empowering his nation differently. Hitler, Mussolini, etc., were the leaders of an understanding with the motives of Eugenics. So they lost the war, but the ideas didn’t lose with military defeats.
• So it’s natural to expect thinkers to highlight the risks of similar ideas and convincing the humanity in general to co-operate, not to classify societies and claim superiority. Likewise, Roddenberry did the same thing.
• With the decreased tolerance to diversities today, we can still find ways of realistic co-operations. The falsehood of hollow activism will bring us nowhere. But still we should think about equality.

We might expect more dialogues between Kirk and Singh. And it would be great if we see that Singh sees some weak spots in his perspective, without beating an idea, we cannot beat someone, even we can create enemies. So dialogues are crucial to have an effect on people.

If the story development had a similar approach, the captain’s action to leave Singh’s crew to a planet would be more meaningful.

Some less crucial things;

• McGivers, stupid girl, or she’s really illusioned by Singh; I don’t know, I’m close to evaluate her as a stupid!
• “It is better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven” Khan imply the Milton’s poem “Lost Paradise”

The original Poem from poets.org, and a split version (meaning and sentences are preserved same, just spitted the text) by ChatGPT is below.

Actually, Khan declares his motives. By mentioning the poem, He says he’s playing the demon in a way, he won’t serve in a life which he believes hell-like, instead he might create and lead another hell. So I’m not yet a captain but my judgement tell that leaving them on their own would be a solution!

s this the Region, this the Soil, the Clime,
Said then the lost Arch-Angel, this the seat
That we must change for Heav’n, this mournful gloom
For that celestial light?

Be it so, since he
Who now is Sovran can dispose and bid
What shall be right: fardest from him is best
Whom reason hath equald, force hath made supream
Above his equals.

Farewel happy Fields
Where Joy for ever dwells: Hail horrours, hail
Infernal world, and thou profoundest Hell
Receive thy new Possessor: One who brings
A mind not to be chang’d by Place or Time.

The mind is its own place, and in it self
Can make a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n.
What matter where, if I be still the same,
And what I should be, all but less then he
Whom Thunder hath made greater?

Here at least
We shall be free; th’ Almighty hath not built
Here for his envy, will not drive us hence:
Here we may reign secure, and in my choyce
To reign is worth ambition though in Hell:
Better to reign in Hell, then serve in Heav’n.

But wherefore let we then our faithful friends,
Th’ associates and copartners of our loss
Lye thus astonisht on th’ oblivious Pool,
And call them not to share with us their part
In this unhappy Mansion, or once more
With rallied Arms to try what may be yet
Regaind in Heav’n, or what more lost in Hell?