Episode
075
The Way to Eden
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The Enterprise catches a few hippies hot roddin’ in a stolen spaceship. Turns out they’re not just punks, though. They’re highly intelligent people led by one insane individual. They’re on the road to paradise, and they’re willing to kill to get there. Will the crew of the Enterprise survive? Find out when we put The Way to Eden in the Mission Log.
Like Let That be Your Last Battlefield, this is another episode of the Original Series that gets a label of ridicule, but is far better and deeper than what its surfce might suggest. And Dr Sevrin’s illness, Synthococcus Novae, which came about as a result of the “aseptic, sterilised civilisations”, sound scarily like the Superbugs of today.
Agree Woofie ‘We Reach’ it’s remarkable how Star Trek predicts these health issues and there are theories how overly sanitized environments cause other conditions.
Less seriously’Wayto Eden’ is just great retro entertainment.
I can’t help it, I have to post. I HATE this episode with a driving passion. I hate the idiotic songs which make it feel like a Scooby-Doo type cartoon with bad dated songs thrown in for no reason. I hate the irritating characters. I hate Spock jamming with them, and I hate the dumb music being piped throughout the ship for no reason. I hate that the Enterprise is taken over yet AGAIN!!
And on that subject, how many times has the Enterprise been taken over? 10 times? 20? Khan does it, well, okay, he has a team of supermen with super-intellects. The “Day of the Dove” alien does it, but okay, it is a crazy powerful energy being. Bele does it, but he has superpowers, and so on, and so on.
But these imbeciles? I know is is said they are “pretty smart people,” but sheesh. Because Chekhov says “you can run it from auxiliary control” and they can therefore master every intricacy, subroutine, presumably classified login, and plan for every emergency instantly? Like the omnipresent security cameras maybe showing them entering auxiliary control? Security guards maybe coming their way since they stick out like sore thumbs? No one noticing as they rig up their sonic knockout, or whatever it is? Come ON!!
I hate, hate, hated this episode. It makes ‘Spock’s Brain’ look like Shakespeare by comparison. Worst episode EVER.
The VHS covers showed Spock rocking out by playing an instrument in both episodes : https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/20c8c23200e55f17519d5b602e8d731d086093b7b5845f87be0e3e9d28647e3b.jpg
This is a bad episode, makes fun of hippies in the worst way, and Napier is painfully miscast. However, like a great train wreck, it is more entertaining than a boring episode like The Empath or even That Which Survives.
I actually liked this episode a lot. I thought it was compelling and had some interesting questions to ponder.
In addition to the messages you guys discussed, I think you can also say the message is “actions matter more than words” and the hypocrisy of moral leadership. For all the hippie ideology this group is spouting, they use violence, they steal, they lie, and they use emotional manipulation. They can go on and on about peace and brotherhood but they’re really just out for their own ends and willing to step on anyone who gets in their way.
That’s why their “Eden” is poisoned. Corrupt means will only achieve corrupt ends.
I can think of an example this reminded me of this morning. All of these sexual harassment/sexual assault stories are coming out about powerful men (celebrities, politicians, etc.). For some reason, a few Democratic politicians think they get some kind of pass for bad behavior because they have a history of supporting women’s causes. No! I will no longer judge you for that epic speech you gave on women’s equality, but rather on your action of jumping your staffer!
I agree with Ken, though. It would have been nice to get an episode that actually dissected counter-culture and peace-nik ideas. Despite the iconography and obvious parallel, this was never actually about hippies.