Original air date: February 9, 1967
Captain’s Log, Stardate 3156.2
SYNOPSIS
Seeking the answer to a century-old mystery, Kirk and crew encounter a vacantly peaceful society under a 6000-year autocratic rule that kills all those it can't absorb.
CANON CONTEXT
The episode contains Star Trek's first reference to the Prime Directive. The "Festival" in this episode served as the inspiration behind the 2013 film The Purge, and the subsequent media franchise it spawned.
RECAP
I find it very fascinating that the “Festival” scene in this episode was the inspiration behind The Purge franchise. It definitely had that vibe about it. As with the previous episode, this one starts right in the thick of it. The Enterprise has sent down Sulu and another dude down to a planet to look for signs of the starship Archon that went missing more than a hundred years ago. What they find instead is something rather strange. Weird men walking around in robes with staffs that can make a person behave rather strangely. The first to be affected is Sulu. Gone completely crackers as he’s transported back onto the Enterprise.
This forces Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Bones, and some others to go down to the planet for further investigation on what the heck is going on.
Unfortunately, what they encounter are a group of seemingly mindless people dressed in clothing that is reminiscent (to me) of the time of the Salem Witch trials. The people seem harmless enough until talk of “the festival” comes up. Not much time to go into what it’s all about as it happens exactly at 6 o’clock, which is a mere minutes away from when they arrive. Remember how I said The Purge was inspired by this scene? Well, it seems the younger people “let loose” at this time. They break store windows. Riot in the streets. Beat each other up. You name it.
The crew only manage to escape to a man named Reger’s home where he is able to put them up for the night.
Though not without raising suspicion as to why he’s willingly helping these people who clearly are not followers of the will of Landru. This is a name that is spoken often. Basically, think of a cult leader or religious leader of a group that is very much considered a cult in their behavior and how they worship one man. Everyone in this place seem to not only worship Landru, but they are fearful of him. If you are absorbed it basically means you are under his mind control and whatever you hear, he hears. Back to the story. The crew are met by two druids of some kind who are under the deepest of mind control. I think they are referred to as the lawgivers by the others. They arrive to inform the captain and his crew that they are to be absorbed because they are disrupting the harmony and peace and tranquility that happens there. It is the will of Landru.
The captain relents as he realizes this act of defiance confuses not only the lawgivers but Landru as well. Eventually, the crew is taken into an underground hiding place by Reger who explains there are few of his kind trying to figure out how to escape Landru’s control over them. At this point they know there are three such good guys. One of them happens to be close to Landru and offers to help them as it believed they are descendants of Archon.
Okay, so about the title. At first I thought I might’ve missed an episode somewhere and this was bringing up something I would’ve already known. I mean, when you read a word like “return” it’s fair to assume some sort of familiarity. But in this instance it means that the Archon were there a hundred years ago causing trouble for Landru and he eventually had to do away with all of them before they started a rebellion among the others. This underground group were hoping Kirk and his crew were like the Archons and would help them.
This is where the Prime Directive is first mentioned and its definition given to us. The idea behind the prime directive is that the federation may not directly (or indirectly) interfere with the lives of a civilization in any way that would alter how they are meant to naturally progress in their own way. Spock reminds Kirk of this when he insists that Landru must be destroyed. His argument is valid, though. As their only view of Landru has been a hologram the conclusion would be that Landru isn’t real, but a machine. A machine ruling over a society would not (and should not) be considered a civilization at least by the standards of, it’s not a living breathing thing. Though I do have many opinions on how this should relate to the Borg (discussions for another time and series).
Eventually, Kirk and Mr. Spock are taken to Landru where it is discovered to be a machine. When Kirk poses questions to it, confusing it, making it realize that it is the evil it’s trying to keep out of the world, the machine destroys itself. This leaves a planet full of people who have not had their own thoughts for many years.
Before the Enterprise goes on its merry way they leave behind a psychology officer and some others to assist this society get acclimated to being human. Some might question is this was the right decision to make? I would say it was the only decision to be made at the time. These people wouldn’t know what to do or even how to behave. They need some guidance from someone.
DID THEY REALLY SAY THAT?
Captain James T. Kirk: [Spoken to two lawgivers, after Landru's self-destruction] You can get rid of those robes. And if I were you I'd start looking for another job.
Captain James T. Kirk: Mr. Spock, the plug must be pulled.
Mr. Spock: Sir?
Captain James T. Kirk: Landru must die.
Mr. Spock: Captain, our prime directive of non-interference...
Captain James T. Kirk: That refers to a living, growing culture. You think this one is?