Star Trek

Let That Be Your Last Battlefield

Season 3, Episode 15, Aired 1/10/69

Episode Summary

The Enterprise finds itself host to two alien beings from the same planet, who share an intense and self-destructive hatred of each other.

7.6

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Cast & Crew

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Leonard Nimoy

Mr. Spock
William Shatner

Captain James Tiberius Kirk
DeForest Kelley

Dr. Leonard Horatio "Bones" McCoy

Fan Episode Reviews (7)

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The Enterprise finds itself in the midst of a chase between two aliens who hate each other's race.

5.0

"Mediocre"

By Celedorian, Jan 27, 2011 Report Abuse

Star Trek tackles racism head on in this episode; but with a poor story and a lack of budget, the result is nothing special. (The most laughable budget saver is Bele's ship, which he must have bought from Wonder Woman. It's invisible.) Impressionist, actor, and comedian Frank Gorshin guest stars, but he's not given anything too interesting to do and his appearance is most memorable for his makeup: the half black and half white faces of his character and his arch enemy are great, both visually and thematically for the way they lay bare the stupidity of prejudice. The episode also has a gem of a scene involving the self destruct of the Enterprise; it's not only breathtaking in its own right, it sets up a payoff scene in the Star Trek movies! Unfortunately, the rest of the episode isn't nearly as good, and there are plot holes you could drive a ship through, be it visible or invisible.moreless

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Potential that fails and flattens, too bad as I really like the idea here.

4.7

"Poor"

By Mac-Ale, Dec 25, 2010 Report Abuse

Bele and Lokai from Charon take their personal struggle aboard the Enterprise.

Here is an episode I wanted to like, a serious 20th century problem transposed into the 23rd century but it's mainly swallowed by 3rd season "Star Trek formula". The set-up is good, blind and ultimately silly racial hatred coming to bear at one point in time. There are an awful lot of similarities to Dr. Suess's tale of "Sneeches", but still. Lokai has some good scenes preaching in the recreation room, Bele has some nasty and pointed dialog as well.

But all this is obliterated in a poorly-reasoned script and meandering direction. Why is the Federation, familiar with the protagonists' homeworld at the "southern" end of the galaxy unaware of its complete destruction long ago? Why are beings as powerful as Bele and Lokai (able to drive ships with their mind and generate force fields with their bodies) bothering to follow any ship's rules? The back-and-forth direction of the ship's heading needlessly takes away from the main point of the entire show - almost as if any deeper examination of the real issue would be too much.

Though somewhat progressive in its topic for the 1960s, there is just not enough real follow-up in the execution here.moreless

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Not a bad episode, but pretty goofy

6.0

"Fair"

By Gislef, Dec 25, 2010 Report Abuse

Yes, this is the "let's explore racism" episode. And the "let's hit you over the head with racism" angle not withstanding, it makes some other good points on the nature of revolution (as noted, Bele seems to have survived his followers quite neatly) and authority (Lokai having a nasty fascist/political streak).

Performance-wise, Lou Antonio is the better of the two guest stars, both preaching to the crew his litany of hatred, and playing the hot-headed rebel who is also a political self-serving manipulator. Gorshin, unfortunately, comes across as the Riddler. His performance is almost mime-like at times (especially near the end), and other times he's the sneering megalomaniac villain. Still, he gives a good performance as someone who thinks he's from a superior race forced to consort with these "lesser" humans and a Vulcan.

The costume design does them no favors, though, especially Antonio in his skintight white tights and codpiece. Ugh.

The main problem is that the Enterprise crew is pretty much passive through all of this. Shatner gets some overly dramatic speeches, and Nimoy seems more emotionless then ever. DeForest Kelley seems to get out while the getting is good: maybe they thought his presence as a Southerner might strike a little too close to home about racism?

Also maybe it's the fact that even without their hatred, Bele and Lokai are pretty unsympathetic figures. Even before they were torn by the absurdly large 50,000 years of hatred (does such a huge number add anything to the episode?), they were pretty unlikeable jerks. Maybe if they were a law officer and an escaped slave wanted for murder who were gradually twisted into hatred, over a couple of 100 years, rather than a major political officer and the head of the revolutionary underground, they might come across more sympathetic.

As is often the case in the third season, they seem to spend a lot of time saving planets from disaster (see also The Cloud-Minders) and the 2008 remastery teams wastes an opportunity to show the Enterprise actually... doing something above Ariannus. The upgrade of Cheron's surface is nice, though.

Jud Taylor's direction is... odd, to say the least. As has been noted elsewhere, he seems to have been inspired by Gorshin's presence to do 60s Batman-style flourishes like tilted camera angles and zoom ins and outs on Red Alert signals. He never did a Batman episode, though, but his style here is unique compared to his other third-season Trek episodes. He also makes pointless self-destruct sequence suitably suspenseful. (And he remains gainfully employed at least through 2004.)

It's not that the racism angle is that heavy-handed for 60s allegory: in fact, as noted the Enterprise series reused the basic plot decades later. It just has a few too many contrivances. The crew here know all about the legendary semi-mythical Cheron, the two visitors have whatever convenient powers they need, Kirk lets them wander all over the ship, and then they just get off the ship and go ahead and kill each other. It might be some weird argument for the Prime Directive ("They want to kill each other, fine!"), but it still seems odd to just let two advanced beings leave the ship and hunt each other through the ruins (as chilling an image as that might be).

So B for effort, F for subtlety.moreless

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The Enterprise picks up an alien being trying to make an escape in a stolen shuttle craft. Soon, they are also host to another being from the same planet, and find that the pair is intent on destroying each other. An average episode that tackles racism...moreless

8.0

"Great"

By Jay-Spacedust, Dec 25, 2010 Report Abuse

This entirely Enterprise-bound episode is a blatantly obvious take on the issue of racism, no doubt inspired by the Civil Rights movement, which was at its peak in the 1960s when this episode was produced.
In respect of the plot, its concept is rather similar to the many 'moral stories' of the first season (indeed, the story was originally pitched for the first season, then titled "A Portrait in Black And White"). However, being a third season instalment, it is far less subtle, and lacks the classy feel of those earlier episodes.

The Cheron beings, half black and half white, are immediately interesting to look at, and arguably one of the most memorable beings from the Original Series; certainly from later on in the show's run anyway.
However, Kirk and co.'s amazement when the first see Lokai felt slightly wrong; yes he is unusual to look at, but the Enterprise encounters strange new beings and creatures just about every episode; why the particular amazement over Lokai?

Bele is played by Frank Gorshin, probably best known for playing the recurring Riddler in classic 1960s 'Batman', which had ceased production the previous year.
Both Gorshin and Lou Antonio have their moments as the respective Cherons, but these are interspread with some very hammy points.

One thing that did stand out to me was some of the directing particularly the very dodgy zooming in and out of the red alert lights, which didn't fit with the feel of the episode or the series in general at all. In fact, they look like something that would be more at home in the aforementioned '60s 'Batman'!

The racism plot is handled interestingly, but is not perfect. There are some good parallels to problems on Earth during the black slave period, but these points are let down by the plot generally feeling rather forced, and not as focused as it might have been.

Without giving too much away, the conclusion is an interesting and rather bleak one, as there seems to be no real solution to the Cheron's dispute.

All-in-all, this is not a bad episode there is certainly FAR worse in the third season and it is well intentioned, but it doesn't have the subtlety or depth that it deserves.moreless

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1 0
Some strong acting hides the most preachy episode ever made.

8.8

"Great"

By HypnoToad72, Dec 31, 2006 Report Abuse

Frank Gorshin puts in a very strong performance. Okay, who doesn't? This episode, directly tackling racism in a rather heavyhanded way, retains its power even today.

If anything, the story gets biased when Lokai starts talking about building armies, with Kirk and Spock talking about how how Lokai himself is still alive while his followers are dead (and ignore Bele having done the same thing!), but otherwise...

Also, Spock again is mistreated. He can't discern the difference between the two Sharronians. Nobody sees it, but Spock should have. Yet he claims it's obvious both are duo-colored. Come on, Spock is hyper-detailed. He would not miss this obvious piece!! (Season 3 really puts Spock in a bad light at times...) But it's only for that scene where he's badly treated.

Of course, for being a low budget show, it's also a transparent ploy to make Bele's ship invisible. It's the one scene that's so badly cobbled together that it cannot be believed. Even Frank Gorshin couldn't pull it off, but at least he kept a straight face.

Definitely worth seeing for its powerful, provocative nature. But it takes some things (living 50000 years, shields, et al) a little too conveniently.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- In one scene Spock, overhears a conversation between Lokai, Sulu, and Chekov in the rec room. But Chekov wasn't seen in the room as early in that scene, it was Sulu and three other crewmen. Edit
- Spock rather awkwardly says, "Captain, Cheron lies between 4-0-3 mark 7 and mark 9.." In other words... 4-0-3 mark 8. Why doesn't he just say that? Edit
- When Bele's ship approaches the Enterprise and Sulu says "Brace yourselves!", Hadley is at the navigator's position despite the fact Chekov is at the position before and after. This same shot occurs when the ship approaches the planet Cheron. Edit
Notes
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- Star Trek: Enterprise's third season episode "Chosen Realm" also ends on a desolated planet destroyed by its own inhabitants in a long drawn-out war. Edit
- In the original version, shuttlecraft flight through space footage is recycled from "Metamorphosis." The landing footage is recycled from "The Galileo Seven." The re-mastered 2008 version uses new footage, including a different serial number on the ship's hull. Edit
- The self-destruct sequence in this episode goes: Kirk: Destruct sequence 1, Code 1-1-A. Spock: Destruct sequence 2, Code 1-1-A-2-B. Scott: Destruct sequence 3, Code 1-B-2-B-3. After verified and engaged by the main computer, it awaits the final code for 30 second countdown, which is provided by Kirk as Code 0-0-0-Destruct-0. The self-destruct code would eventually be reused in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock by Kirk, Scotty, and Chekov to destroy the Enterprise to prevent Klingon capture. Edit
Quotes
ADD QUOTES
- Lokai: I am not a thief. Kirk: Well, certainly no ordinary thief, considering what it is you... appropriated. Lokai: You're being very loose with your accusations, and drawing conclusions without any facts. Kirk: You can try those technical evasions on Starfleet Command. That's where you'll be facing your charges. Lokai: I'm grateful for your rescue. Kirk: Don't mention it. We're pleased to have caught you. Edit
- Spock: Fascinating. Two irrevocably hostile humanoids. Scotty: Disgusting is what I call them. Spock: That description is not scientifically accurate. Scotty: Mr. Spock, the word "disgusting" describes exactly what I feel about those two. Kirk: That's enough for today. Those two are beginning to affect you. Edit
- Lokai: So this is justice after Ariannus! You have signed my death warrant. I warned you what to expect. Will you continue to let this mockery of justice go on? If you are partisans of justice, prove it! Kill him! Chekov: We are not killers. Lokai: What do you do, carry justice on your tongues? You will beg for it, but you won't fight or die for it. Kirk: After so many years of leading the fight, you seem very much alive. Spock: I doubt that the same can be said for many of his followers. Edit
Allusions
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