Star Trek

INTRODUCTION

Now and then, I watch an episode of Black Mirror. While I've enjoyed a few episodes over the years, I'm usually indifferent to the series. I might not like a cynical or over-cynical tone to an episode. Or an episode might be good to a degree, but the main character unlikeable or illogical.

USS Callister was an episode that made a point about online trolls. You and I, and people we know, have all been trolled online at some point in our lives, whether on social media or in a game.

Years ago, I was a member of a forum website where I was trolled by a guy from New Jersey. He evidently presumed things about me after seeing my profile pic and reading info about me on my profile page. He told another Durbanite, who was merely answering questions with natural lingo, that he didn't talk properly.

Other than that, the troll enjoyed angering American men. He also mocked Britain and how British people enjoy darts and the Premier League. And never answered questions posed by Canadians, Australians, and New Zealanders. In fact, most of the world did not exist to him.

However, I disliked USS Callister due to its mockery of William Shatner as Captain Kirk. While I got the chuckle humour over certain aspects of the "wholesome universe", such as the shortness of the female crew members' uniforms, and Shatner's odd and average onscreen kissing, having an entire episode dedicated to mocking both Kirk and Shatner made the screenwriters, at least in that episode, troll-like themselves.

While Kirk could be very direct sometimes, so could McCoy. And Kirk would never do such a thing as use someone's back as a footstool. Neither did he ever take or expect thanks or praise for what was usually a joint effort to save the day. Certainly no one ever sang for him; episodes usually ended with light-heartedness or humour.

I have picked out three episodes from the original series to illustrate that while Kirk was imperfect, he was not a bad captain.

EPISODES

In The Squire of Gothos, some of the crew are held hostage by General Trelane, a childish, theatrical version of Napoleon Bonaparte. He freezes the movements of DeSalle. In the name of gallantry and charm, becomes instantly over-friendly with Uhura and a yeoman, the latter of whom he becomes fixated with. And doesn't care if Kirk dies by pistol-shot or asphyxiation.

Briefly back on the Enterprise, Kirk elects to be beamed back down to Trelane. He tells Spock, "Whatever it takes to make him give up our ship. If you don't receive a message from me within the hour, leave the vicinity at once. No turning back."

Soon afterwards, Kirk tells Trelane, "Vent your anger on me alone. Just allow the Enterprise to continue its journey."

In Who Mourns for Adonais? an energy-based humanoid version of the Greek god Apollo wants Enterprise's male crew members to embrace the negative aspects of BC years. And Lieutenant Palamas, the anthropology and archaeology officer, to give up her personality, cleverness, and work ethic to listen to his historical anecdotes and regalements. He is interested only in her looks.

On 39 minutes, Kirk, concerned that Palamas might fall for Apollo, and knowing that she will ultimately save the day, takes her hand and reminds her of the equality of men and women, and the preciousness of human beings.

While other 1960s shows used words like "toots".

In The Return of the Archons, Kirk and a small party beam down to a planet where nobody behaves normal. During the day, everyone is boring and unnatural. And then, from six at night to six in the morning, debauched and violent. Mistaken for archons, the party discovers that the source of the erratic behaviour is a religious figure named Landru.

When Landru appears as a ghost-like figure, Spock realises it is just a holographic recording. He also notes that the town's religious lawgivers, while evidently human, sound like regurgitating computers that can't handle disagreements or any new input. When he and Kirk blast a hole in a holy wall of the Hall of Audiences, they discover why – Landru is an ancient machine that's been repeating the same teachings for thousands of years.

Kirk tells the machine to do what's best for the town – stop interfering with human thought – and it starts sparking and smoking. Then packs up. The townsfolk no longer need to be "saved" by a religion supposedly of peace and tranquillity. They can now live their lives as natural, creative individuals.

Scotty and Sulu have necessary bits in the episode. McCoy's role as doctor and brief convert is pivotal. And Sociologist Lindstrom stays behind to help the townsfolk in their transitional period.

STAR TREK

In high school, a good friend of mine couldn't understand why I wasn't interested in whatever Star Trek series was on at the time. He was convinced that I would enjoy it. In my late teens, a midday retro hour on an SABC channel (South African Broadcasting Corporation) showed me he was right. I've been hooked ever since. The Chris Pine movies. Audiobooks on YouTube. During the global Corona lockdown, Star Trek: Discovery, on Netflix. I then went on to Star Trek: Enterprise, the pilot with Captain Pike, and back to the original series, which that SABC retro hour had introduced me to. This last one is particularly nice to watch now – the original clever scripts together with the enhanced graphics it got a couple of decades back.

As for William Shatner, I have a friend who, when he was small, enjoyed him as TJ Hooker. My mother enjoyed him in Boston Legal. And my wife and I liked him in Weird or What? He was also an accomplished theatre actor. So despite all his supposed flaws and faults, which usually come to the public tenth hand, he must have done something right.

TROLL

As for the troll on that forum site, he even resorted to mocking my interest in raising money for anti-rhino poaching, to try and get a response out of me. Most of the community members just ignored him. There was a little drop-down list where a member could be reported, with words like harassment, offensive; things like that. But we just let him make a fool of himself – he used photos of himself as his status pics, and close-up ones at that. He was a very proud troll.

He gloated over how he shouted at his children if he caught them reading stories. And in the end, I noticed he gravitated to chatting mostly to teenage girls, despite looking around forty, and displayed photos of his wife in her bikini for all the world to see. Yikes, all round!

That was a good site. Colourful but not overdone format. Lots of pleasantness. And actual reading of answers; not impatient skimming. Most of the users did not resort to trolling, even in or after unpleasant disagreements. And usually gave answers that were both natural and sincere; genuine attempts to impart something to the community.

Unfortunately, the site, which, especially in hindsight, appeals to me more than its present-day equivalents – where naturalness without an actual answer may get a vote, or, conversely, an answer without naturalness – closed.

Otherwise, I'd still be there, catching up with the other members and learning something new, and ignoring the troll.