I’m not sure there are any neo-pagans or mythic revivalists left in Kirk’s time. Or much in the way of religion among humans at all. Uhura is the one one who shows much sign of caring about such things; she’s the only one who makes the jump that the Romans in the gladiator episode are talking about the Son of God rather than the Sun god.
That episode rocks, by the way. I love how Spock’s combat in the arena consists of him mostly trying to figure out how to defeat a human in pitched combat without breaking any of the human’s bones.
They all do, but the poor bastards are so depressed about the lack of religion in the twenty-third century and the resultant lack of congregations that they are perpetually intoxicated on altar wine.
One doesn’t want to portray that sort of thing on Prime Time.
Fact is, the Enterprise has a chapel (and not the one named Christine). Someone in Starfleet thinks starship crew members practice religion, or they wouldn’t waste the space. Maybe there was a chaplain on board, along with crew that fill all the other necessary support jobs, but Desilu didn’t want to pay for another speaking role.
Let the word get around that Apollo is out there, waiting for people to come worship him, and the line will be longer than for opening night for Star Wars.
What I like most about that episode is the message that a philosophy of “give up technology and get back to nature” doesn’t actually make you a better person. There are TNG episodes that suggested it did, as I recall.
Well, plus we got to see Skip Homeier play a fanatical murderous hippie, following up his earlier turn in “Patterns of Force” as a fanatical murderous Nazi, which is kinda cool in and of itself.
Not having read the thread yet, I don’t know if one of my favorites has been listed, but it’s Spectre of the Gun. What boy doesn’t love the story of the gunfight at the OK Corral? And some of the acting is great in my opinion. The Earps and Doc Holliday’s stonefaced almost monotone deliveries make them seem almost robotic, as befits the episode scenario. I love the half finished sets, which added to its eerieness, although of course the real reason was budget cuts.
I also liked Bloch’s stories Catspaw and Wolf in the Fold, the former scared the shit out of me when I saw it during the original run. I must’ve been about 6, and the phantom witches moaning, “Caaaaptain Kiiiiiirrrrk,” almost gave me nightmares. And there’s nothing wrong with recycling a classic story like “Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper” into Wolf in the Fold.
It doesn’t automatically make you a better person, I’d say.
The problem with having a chaplain is that there would be too many confessions to administer to, given the Federation’s diverse population. The solution: Have buttinsky “counselors” instead! Eeeeeeeew! :smack:
Better to just stick with ecumenical chapels and drinking buddies. :mad:
Eh, I dunno, I kind of found the whole “Go insane when you discover another you wandering around out there and then vow to kill him-along with everything else” angle more than a little intriguing.
