# Return of the Archons (Trek) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 19, 2011, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796 "2011-09-19T06:02:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796/1 "2011-09-19T06:02:44Z")
One of the lesser talked about episodes, but pretty good. Yet once again Kirk steps in and destroys the order of a civilization and basically tells them “good luck assholes!” At least this time he left them with a federation sociologist. God help them. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796/2 "2011-09-19T06:04:51Z")
And WTF was up with the carnage they saw when they first beamed down? Not explained. All in all, one of the most bizarre eps. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796/3 "2011-09-19T08:58:15Z")
I thought it _was_ explained. Society was so quiet and orderly 99% of the time that the computer ordered everyone but the elderly to go out and riot at the prescribed time, from when the bell goes to when it stops again. Because, you know, people need to let off steam once in a while or they will go crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796/4 "2011-09-19T09:41:20Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > I thought it _was_ explained. Society was so quiet and orderly 99% of the time that the computer ordered everyone but the elderly to go out and riot at the prescribed time, from when the bell goes to when it stops again. Because, you know, people need to let off steam once in a while or they will go crazy. But that was not explicitly said in the ep. Although it was something that was easy enough for the viewer to infer. Yet another great feature of Star Trek. It made you have to think and figure stuff out for yourself! ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796/5 "2011-09-19T10:12:39Z")
Landru Help Me!! ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796/6 "2011-09-19T12:04:22Z")
I thought one policy of early “Star Trek” episodes was to have a fight early on to keep viewers from turning away from this unknown scifi show. The episode with Kim Darby and the planet of children comes to mind (“Miri”). ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796/7 "2011-09-19T14:09:44Z")
Man, I thought I’d seen all of TOS, but somehow I’ve missed this episode, or at least the beginning of it, which is the part I didn’t recognize on YouTube. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796/8 "2011-09-19T15:06:23Z")
> [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > All in all, one of the most bizarre eps. Well, you’re clearly not of the body. ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796/9 "2011-09-19T15:19:20Z")
Any episode where Kirk talks a computer into self-destructing is automatically awesome. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796/10 "2011-09-19T15:35:57Z")
You also get to see Spock asleep with his eyes open. Just one more low-cost way to say, “Hey, he’s an alien!” ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796/11 "2011-09-19T17:59:01Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > You also get to see Spock asleep with his eyes open. Just one more low-cost way to say, “Hey, he’s an alien!” Maybe his third eyelid was closed ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796/12 "2011-09-19T18:05:49Z")
Festival! _Festival!_ ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796/13 "2011-09-19T21:33:47Z")
In this episode you have a society that submitted itself to a computer (programmed by Landru, a leader who died 6000 years before Kirk showed up), thinking it was a god, or sumthin. Kirk doesn’t approve, and talks it into destroying itself. In “The Apple”, Kirk finds a society that has (probably) submitted itself to the control of a computer (a stone dragon mouth that must be fed). Kirk doesn’t approve, and destroys the computer. In “A taste of Armageddon”, Kirk finds a society that has submitted itself to waging war (for the last 500 years) by computer, and the tabulated casuakties must report to disintregration chambers. Kirk doesn’t approve, and destroys the computer. In “For the world is hollow…”, Kirk finds a society run by computer, and surpirse of surprises, Kirk disables it. Kirk also interferes in the domestic situation in several other planets: “A Piece of the Action”, “A Private little War”, “Patterns of Force”, “The Omega Glory”, “Bread and Circuses”, and the “The Cloud Miners”. I didn’t realise just how much Kirk interjects himself into other peoples buisness. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796/14 "2011-09-19T21:56:07Z")
Kirk argues that a society run by a computer is not, of itself, a viable society, and hence interfering with the computer is not a violation of the Prime Directive. He makes this point especially in “The Apple”. “A Piece of the Action”, Kirk acts to correct earlier (unintentional) interference. “A Private Little War”, Kirk acts to redress the balance in the face of Klingon interference - and to do no more than even the sides up. “Patterns of Force”, Kirk acts to correct earlier interference by John Gill. “The Omega Glory”, s/John Gill/Captain Tracy “Bread and Circuses”, Kirk (and crew) pointedly do _not_ interfere with the planet, but only contrive an escape for themselves. “The Cloud Minders”, the locals are advanced enough for the Prime Directive not to apply (and also already in contact with the Federation). It’s meddling in local politics, agreed, but Kirk prevails (mainly) by force of argument not of arms. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796/15 "2011-09-19T22:00:22Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > In this episode you have a society that submitted itself to a computer (programmed by Landru, a leader who died 6000 years before Kirk showed up), thinking it was a god, or sumthin. Kirk doesn’t approve, and talks it into destroying itself. > > In “The Apple”, Kirk finds a society that has (probably) submitted itself to the control of a computer (a stone dragon mouth that must be fed). Kirk doesn’t approve, and destroys the computer. > > In “A taste of Armageddon”, Kirk finds a society that has submitted itself to waging war (for the last 500 years) by computer, and the tabulated casuakties must report to disintregration chambers. Kirk doesn’t approve, and destroys the computer. > > In “For the world is hollow…”, Kirk finds a society run by computer, and surpirse of surprises, Kirk disables it. > [@](#): > > I didn’t realise just how much Kirk interjects himself into other peoples buisness. 🙂 I didn’t realize how much he hates computers! ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796/16 "2011-09-19T22:07:05Z")
All the good one liners have been taken, so I won’t post in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796/17 "2011-09-19T22:07:45Z")
> [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](#): > > Any episode where Kirk talks a computer into self-destructing is automatically awesome. 😃 > [@mlees](#): > > In this episode you have a society that submitted itself to a computer (programmed by Landru, a leader who died 6000 years before Kirk showed up), thinking it was a god, or sumthin. Kirk doesn’t approve, and talks it into destroying itself. > > In “The Apple”, Kirk finds a society that has (probably) submitted itself to the control of a computer (a stone dragon mouth that must be fed). Kirk doesn’t approve, and destroys the computer. > > In “A taste of Armageddon”, Kirk finds a society that has submitted itself to waging war (for the last 500 years) by computer, and the tabulated casuakties must report to disintregration chambers. Kirk doesn’t approve, and destroys the computer. > > In “For the world is hollow…”, Kirk finds a society run by computer, and surpirse of surprises, Kirk disables it. > > Kirk also interferes in the domestic situation in several other planets: “A Piece of the Action”, “A Private little War”, “Patterns of Force”, “The Omega Glory”, “Bread and Circuses”, and the “The Cloud Miners”. > > I didn’t realise just how much Kirk interjects himself into other peoples buisness. 🙂 > [@Malacandra](#): > > Kirk argues that a society run by a computer is not, of itself, a viable society, and hence interfering with the computer is not a violation of the Prime Directive. He makes this point especially in “The Apple”. > > “A Piece of the Action”, Kirk acts to correct earlier (unintentional) interference. > “A Private Little War”, Kirk acts to redress the balance in the face of Klingon interference - and to do no more than even the sides up. > “Patterns of Force”, Kirk acts to correct earlier interference by John Gill. > “The Omega Glory”, s/John Gill/Captain Tracy > “Bread and Circuses”, Kirk (and crew) pointedly do _not_ interfere with the planet, but only contrive an escape for themselves. > “The Cloud Minders”, the locals are advanced enough for the Prime Directive not to apply (and also already in contact with the Federation). It’s meddling in local politics, agreed, but Kirk prevails (mainly) by force of argument not of arms. Now we know who’s writin’ all the damn virus programs! FRIGGIN TIMETRAVELIN’ KIIIIIRRRRKKKK! ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796/18 "2011-09-19T22:09:03Z")
Interesting how afraid of computers SciFi writers were in the '60s, isn’t it? My, how times have changed - although if you look at our current society, they might have been right to be worried - we’re a bit like the society that Norman envisioned - > [@](#): > > …And we shall serve them and you will be happy, …and controlled. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796/19 "2011-09-19T23:12:22Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > I didn’t realise just how much Kirk interjects himself into other peoples buisness. 🙂 In “The Paradise Syndrome”, Kirk definitely injected a bit of himself into Miramanee (she was pregnant when she was killed). It’s strongly implied that Kirk did quite a bit of injecting along the way, including Deela, Odona, Carol Marcus… ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796/20 "2011-09-19T23:32:00Z")
Jason was the Archon’s captain’s first name. Guess what pun that leads to, **Bryan Ekers**? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-of-the-archons-trek/596796.md?page=2)