STAR TREK
"The Cloud Minders"

From Wikipedia:

"The Cloud Minders" is a third season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, and was broadcast on February 28, 1969. It is episode #76, production #74, written by Margaret Armen, based on a story by David Gerrold and Oliver Crawford, and directed by Jud Taylor.

Overview: Kirk races against time to acquire plague-fighting minerals from a world in the midst of a civil uprising against a grievous social class disparity.

More here.

Watch it here.

Notes and pics:

* Stratos, city in the sky, full of artists and philosophers. Cool idea.



* The Troglytes, workers who toil on the planet below, look like 60s Marvel Comics super villains. I'm already liking the class consciousness here.



* David Gerrold helped write this one. That's cool, too.

* Hand-held camera for the fight. Nice touch.

* Actor Jeff Corey is Stratos leader. He's good, really good. Taught an audition workshop for acting students when I was at the U of Texas. You've seen him in something else whether you realize it or not. That kind of actor. Worked in fucking everything because he was so totally solid and dependable. Sort of the Steve Gadd of acting.



* Cool alternative transporter technology.



* Whoa-oh-ho-whoa-whoa-hey!!! Now this is a Star Trek babe!



* So, of course, somebody has to jump off to his death.

* I'm digging the montage with Spock's voice-over, his social analysis verging on Marxist territory.

* What's with Spock's interest in this woman? He went through Pon Farr last season, so he shouldn't be sexual for another six years. Still, it's nice to see him so captivated.



* Was Kirk even actually sleeping at all?

* I'm digging the BDSM aspect of Kirk holding down this rebel leader. Very Kate and Petruchio.



* Oh, too funny. "You only mate every seven years?" She cuts right to the chase.

* The Stratos security uniforms are really starting to make me giggle. Sort of Italian Renaissance drag queen go-go girl.



* Okay, this is interesting. Kirk and Spock inflict Marxist class analysis on the babe.

* Plasus: "Very well, if you prefer the rays..." (he gives a dramatic clap). I'm thinking that Jeff Corey is much better than the script.

* Fab shot of Vanna being tortured.



* More discussion of class structure.

* While I'm ideologically in solidarity with Comrades Kirk and Spock, I'm impressed with how Plasus threatens to report them to Star Fleet Command for interfering with local affairs.

* Oh great! According to McCoy, the Troglytes are, as established by scientific study, "mentally inferior." Nice nineteenth century social Darwinism at play here. This is continuing to go into commie territory.



* Plasus' denial of zenite gas poisoning back in 1969 foreshadows eventual Republican global warming denial, and other anti-science attitudes, today.



* I'm liking Vanna as she deals with Kirk. She's a nice archetypal rebel faction leader.

* Nice punishment: she makes Kirk endure the work they do. I totally dig making the elite officer-of-the-empire live as a regular worker. I mean, even though Kirk is obviously a bleeding heart.



* Another sexual take down.



* "If we have to kill every Troglyte below..." Plasus is now a capitalist pig.

* Okay, cool, now the zenite crazed Kirk is forcing BOTH classes to work together! Stalinist collectivizing, I suppose.



* Do we really think Plasus even has a chance with Kirk in hand to hand combat?



* Oh yeeeeeaaaah! Kirk is totally ready to pop Spock across the chops!



* More class discussion. And it looks like we're headed into some collective bargaining, for sure.



* Okay, the story here is just fucking stupid. But what makes this episode worth it are the great moments and Marxist vignettes. The acting is pretty darned good in this one--Jeff Corey really jumps into the swing of things. And even the goofiness of the story itself rises to an amusing level. I really dig this one. Four stars. Or maybe three if you don't like Marxist rhetoric. Whatever. When the revolution comes people like you are going to be the first up against the wall.

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