Whenever a discussion is had about the storytelling of Trek "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" is invariably brought up. During the turbulent social change of the 1960's, Star Trek aired an episode that seemed to encapsulate the entire civil rights struggle, bringing it into every home across the nation. In its simplicity it was able to point out exactly what it was all about and to this day the episode is still heralded as a testament to what makes Star Trek so enduring.
"Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" is ridiculous! The hokey story of two men from a race the federation has yet to make first contact with battling each other across the endless void of space for 50,000 years because one is black on the right side while the other is black on the left side is absurd, and that is precisely what makes this episode so good. It took the story of race relations in the United States and pointed it out for all the world to see how preposterous the whole idea is. Our characters treat the story with the seriousness it deserves, but the viewer is treated to just how stupid the whole thing is. Our antagonists Lokai and Commissioner Beale cannot see the idiocy of their endeavor to destroy one another, but to the viewer it is plainly obvious and is proven during the goofy (intentional or not) running scene at the end of the episode giving us all the evidence we need. The only thing left to do is to turn that gaze towards ourselves to see just how ridiculous we are. The story may be as subtle as a punch in the gut, but that was the objective. Had the situation been less blatant it would not have achieved such a high rating, and its in your face attitude forces the viewer to take a long hard look at the world in which we live and the ludicrousness of it all.
"Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" is ridiculous! The hokey story of two men from a race the federation has yet to make first contact with battling each other across the endless void of space for 50,000 years because one is black on the right side while the other is black on the left side is absurd, and that is precisely what makes this episode so good. It took the story of race relations in the United States and pointed it out for all the world to see how preposterous the whole idea is. Our characters treat the story with the seriousness it deserves, but the viewer is treated to just how stupid the whole thing is. Our antagonists Lokai and Commissioner Beale cannot see the idiocy of their endeavor to destroy one another, but to the viewer it is plainly obvious and is proven during the goofy (intentional or not) running scene at the end of the episode giving us all the evidence we need. The only thing left to do is to turn that gaze towards ourselves to see just how ridiculous we are. The story may be as subtle as a punch in the gut, but that was the objective. Had the situation been less blatant it would not have achieved such a high rating, and its in your face attitude forces the viewer to take a long hard look at the world in which we live and the ludicrousness of it all.