Post #3, 2-10-09, Not a Trekee

I have to start out saying that I am not a Star Trek fan. Never have been, never will be. Whether it be watching it with my Dad on Spike late at night because he won’t let go of the channel changer, or watching an episode in English class because it sort of ties in with The Crucible, every episode bores me to tears. However, when the latter situation did arise, and I was forced to suffer through 45 minutes of Betazoids and Vulcans, I found that I was able to stay awake long enough to actually learn something from it. Yes, I learned something from Star Trek. Not in a million years would I have even imagined saying that sentence. But for that reason, I found it interesting enough to blog about.

In English, we watched “The Drumhead”, Episode 21 of Season 4. The storyline of this episode is very similar to the plot of The Crucible, numerous parallels can be drawn. In “The Drumhead”, Admiral Satie arrives on board the Enterprise to assist Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the investigation of a security breach. They quickly find that a Klingon exobiologist named J’Ddan is guilty. However, the trials do not stop there. Admiral Satie is convinced that there is a conspiracy on the ship, and is determined to stop it. She goes so far as to even accuse Captain Picard before her unethical hearings are finally brought to an end.

Many important points were brought up during “The Drumhead”. In a scene when Admiral Satie and Captain Picard were discussing the trials, Admiral Satie argued that the trials were necessary because they needed to find all conspirators. Captain Picard replied “Oh yes, that's how it starts, but the road from legitimate suspicion to rampant paranoia is very much shorter than we think.” This quote stuck out to me. It made me think about how fast things can get out of hand. The trials started because of one spy, but soon unraveled into false accusations directed towards most of the Enterprise crew.

Another scene that stayed fixed in my mind was towards the end when Captain Picard was talking with one of the accused, Simon Tarses. During the scene, Captain Picard tells Tarses that he’ll still have a place on the Enterprise if he is not found guilty. But Tarses responds, “It doesn’t matter. I lied on my application. That mistake will be with me for the rest of my life.” The trials completely exposed Tarses for who he really was, and ruined his reputation. Often times, we make rash judgments about others without even realizing it. We are quick to jump to conclusions after hearing rumors and gossiping with friends. Those judgments will tear a person down if we are not careful. We should allow others the chance to reveal what they are hiding and not do it for them. The hearings started with proving a person guilty, and ended with a person being forced to prove their innocence.

In one of the last scenes, Worf confronts Captain Picard about Admiral Satie. Worf said, “I believed her. I... helped her. I did not see her for what she was.”

Captain Picard told him, “Mr. Worf, villains who twirl their moustaches are easy to spot. Those who clothe themselves in good deeds are well-camouflaged.”

Worf: “I think... after yesterday people will not be so ready to trust her.”

Captain Picard: “Maybe. But she, or someone like her, will always be with us. Waiting for the right climate in which to flourish, spreading fear in the name of righteousness. Vigilance, Mr. Worf. That is the price we must continually pay.”

I'll leave you with that to chew on.

And although I'll admit, I actually did enjoy watching this in English, it was more because we didn't have to do a Timed Write, and less because the show is growing on me. If I'm ever up late with nothing to do, turning on the television will definitely be my Dad's choice, not mine.

Quotes from: Star Trek: The Next Generation.

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation#The_Drumhead_.5B4.21.5D