Luke
Commander
[ss:Cool Blue]
Posts: 1,087
|
Post by Luke on Nov 3, 2010 12:15:44 GMT -6
In this episode the Enterprise is investigating the disappearance of another starship, the USS Archon, and finds a bizarre society ruled by Landru.
|
|
Atoz 77
Vice Admiral
[M:0]
[ss:Insurrection]
Posts: 4,065
|
Post by Atoz 77 on Nov 5, 2010 7:49:14 GMT -6
This is one of my very favorite episodes. Landru wanted to create a paradise, a planet where there was no anger or hostility, where everyone was in perfect harmony. The catch was that he only way to do that was by taking away the people's autonomy. Apparently the people could function on their own, going about and doing their normal day-to-day activities, but their higher mental functions, creativity and so on, were severely curtailed. They were like simple robots in effect.
|
|
Luke
Commander
[ss:Cool Blue]
Posts: 1,087
|
Post by Luke on Nov 6, 2010 8:07:47 GMT -6
It's pretty clear Landru wasn't contorlling every move they made just kind of suppressing them like you say. And waht about that Festival thing? That was just bizarre. Everybody tearing up thestreet and just running amok? Do you think there was some special reason for that?
|
|
Atoz 77
Vice Admiral
[M:0]
[ss:Insurrection]
Posts: 4,065
|
Post by Atoz 77 on Nov 8, 2010 8:57:50 GMT -6
I expect Landru knew that people still need to blow off steam every now and then. Instead of suppressing every impulse, he did the opposite and left them completely uninhibited for 12 hours. The episode didn't really tell us, but I imagine the Festival was only once a month, maybe even longer.
There's one point at which Spock points out the Prime Directive (which Kirk shrugs off). Do you think he had a point? Originally Landru's control must have been voluntary, people must have really WANTED to be taken back to "a simpler time". Wouldn't putting a stop to it be considered interference in their culture?
|
|
Luke
Commander
[ss:Cool Blue]
Posts: 1,087
|
Post by Luke on Nov 10, 2010 12:20:46 GMT -6
That's a point. do you really think they volunteered to have their autonomy taken away like that? There was a similar episode later on where a plaent is ruled by a computer, THe Apple. How do you think this compares with that?
|
|
Atoz 77
Vice Admiral
[M:0]
[ss:Insurrection]
Posts: 4,065
|
Post by Atoz 77 on Nov 12, 2010 8:45:16 GMT -6
That's a very good comparison. I think the difference was that Vaal didn't deny the villagers their freedom as individuals. All they had to do was feed him. Otherwise they were free to do whatever they wanted. Landru, on the other hand, really did trample on the Betans human rights. He took away their freedom the worst possible way, by taking away their autonomy.
|
|
Arkroyal
Lt. Commander
I'm a historian, not an engineer![ss:Federation]
Posts: 440
|
Post by Arkroyal on Nov 14, 2010 10:58:16 GMT -6
This sounds like quite an interesting episode, I'll have to watch it before I can make an indepth comment but it sounds to me that Landru was essentially running a high-tech authoritarian state with severe punishment for transgression except that it wasn't possible because of the tech so they needed someone else to act as the rebellion for them. 'Cos there's a difference between returning to a simpler time and being completely castrated.
|
|
Atoz 77
Vice Admiral
[M:0]
[ss:Insurrection]
Posts: 4,065
|
Post by Atoz 77 on Nov 15, 2010 8:54:53 GMT -6
Yes it is interesting. Landru wanted a paradise, so what he did was "absorb" people into a sort of collective ("the Body"). Once you were absorbed, you were able to go out about your life, but there was still something missing, a kind of mind control where you weren't yourself. Sulu, and later McCoy were both absorbed in the course of the episode. Some people were immune to the control or were able to fight it off somehow (apparently as you got older the control began to slip), and in these cases more drastic measures were taken. If you stepped out of line then, you were killed.
|
|
Luke
Commander
[ss:Cool Blue]
Posts: 1,087
|
Post by Luke on Nov 17, 2010 12:10:16 GMT -6
But it was weird that the staff weapons the lawgivers carried around weren't really weapons at all. As Spock sid, they were just hollow tubes. It was apparently Landru himself using the staff as an antenna! And... instant lobotomy!
|
|
kijuro
Lt. Commander
[ss:Borg]
Posts: 448
|
Post by kijuro on Dec 7, 2010 11:31:37 GMT -6
As a young child I had a hard time understanding how hollow sticks went boom. Then I understood as I grew up and appreciated Landru's power all the more.
|
|
Luke
Commander
[ss:Cool Blue]
Posts: 1,087
|
Post by Luke on Dec 8, 2010 13:10:32 GMT -6
You ever watch Stargate Sg-1? Well of course you do! Remember the Priors in that couple of seasons? Don't they remind you of the Lawgivers?
|
|
kijuro
Lt. Commander
[ss:Borg]
Posts: 448
|
Post by kijuro on Dec 8, 2010 16:17:06 GMT -6
Me personally? I never had the right channels for it, so I didn't start watching until they were several seasons in. Have to say that I thought they terribly miscast O'Neill.
|
|
Atoz 77
Vice Admiral
[M:0]
[ss:Insurrection]
Posts: 4,065
|
Post by Atoz 77 on Dec 10, 2010 8:40:44 GMT -6
Ah yes the Priors. You have to admit those Lawgivers make for a spooky image, stalking around in those huge cowls and those staff weapons.
|
|