Seeking the reality of paradise, it turns out, at least according to Star Trek history, amounts to facing the reality of risk--that is, knowing that you might not survive the hardships that come with the possibility of a perfect world, but deciding it's worth facing the portent of failure for the chance to celebrate your dream. If you succeed, you have your ultimate fulfillment. If you fail, you die trying for what you want.
Episode Summary
The Enterprise seeks out a distant planet, a full year of travel from Earth, for the sake of seeking contact with an agricultural settlement that they don't actually expect to be alive. The planet is being bombarded by radiation rays that cause deterioration of any "animal flesh." As Spock puts it, these rays are "incontrovertibly deadly." The away team is, first surprised, and then confused, by the apparent life of the settlers, having expected not to find anyone alive.
Shortly after arrival, the team is brought to the home of the settler leader, where they discover a beautiful blond haired woman that obviously has and holds eyes for Spock. It turns out they have met before.
The philosophy of the settlers is to achieve harmony and peace by "returning to a simpler life" without mechanized assistance. The away team agrees to do what they can not to interfere with the settler way of life, all the while investigating a situation they can't even adequately interpret. Quickly, the team realizes there are no animals anywhere on the planet. Immediately after the discovery episode viewers overhear the blond woman and her friend discussing that "there is no choice. He [Spock] will stay." It appears the crew intends to keep the away team, or at least Spock, with them on the planet. Strangely, McCoy's medical examinations show that all members of the settler population are in perfect health, even having regrown previously removed organs. Finally, the blond woman reveals the source of health to Spock--a flower that grows on the planet releases its spores onto humans that pass by, thereby living through the human, giving them health and peaceful thinking in exchange.
The blond woman takes Spock to the flowers, and he is hit with them. In the moment after recovering from their impact, Spock opens to his feelings and declares his love for her. She embraces him, and we see Spock passionately kiss for the first time in Star Trek history.
Spock Enjoying Love and HappinessEpisode Tidbits
O my love, my darling! Finally Spock opens to his feelings and experiences them fully. He is swayed entirely by his affectionate devotion to his lady love. He must embrace her, snuggle her, love her, and kiss her passionately. She is entirely convicted of her feelings for him too. It's wonderful to see Spock expressive of his deeper emotions. In the past he has been opened to his devastating human pain, admitting to his feelings of failure and shame. But never before has Spock shown himself as soft and loving in such a manner.
It really is a wonderful joy to witness Spock express himself in such a manner. It's a shame we can't be persuaded to believe such feelings to be genuine. He is, afterall, lured in by the spores. OH THE SPORES. THE SPORES.
The result of Spock's feelings are, admittedly, heart breaking. By the end of the episode, he is unable to maintain his feelings, and yet he recalls his love for the blond woman as his first experience of being truly happy.
Episode 24 explores the notion of Eden as the experience of life with complete physical health, and total peace of mind. Spock describes it as a feeling of genuine belonging, recognition, and love. Without having been exposed to the influence of the spores, however, Kirk denies that it is reasonably paradise, asserting instead that it is the challenge of striving for more of what you need (rather than already having it all) that is better than paradise. He returns to the ship alone with the Enterprise, unsure of why he is the only one unaffected, and works to figure out how to remove the effects of the spores from the planet inhabitants lest he be marooned for the rest of his life.
Eventually Kirk realizes the means to release people from the influence of the spores. In no longer suffering under the appeasement of a peaceful mind, the colonists realize they no longer want to live a life so easy. As the episode ends Kirk reflects, "maybe we weren't meant for paradise. Maybe we were meant to struggle." Spock grows tired of Kirk's poetry, and then finally closes the episode, "For the first time in my life, I was happy."
1 comment:
Space Esctasy!
Did they lie across from either other not facing each other with only their lips touching when they kissed? :)
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