Plato's Stepchildren

Episode aired Nov 22, 1968
TV-PG
51m

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

3.4K

YOUR RATING

Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, DeForest Kelley, and Michael Dunn in Star Trek (1966)

Play trailer1:34

1 Video

33 Photos

Action Adventure Sci-Fi

After Dr. McCoy helps the leader of a planet populated by people with powerful psionic abilities, they decide to force him to stay by torturing his comrades until he submits.After Dr. McCoy helps the leader of a planet populated by people with powerful psionic abilities, they decide to force him to stay by torturing his comrades until he submits.After Dr. McCoy helps the leader of a planet populated by people with powerful psionic abilities, they decide to force him to stay by torturing his comrades until he submits.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

3.4K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
Network executives ordered director David Alexander to shoot a take where Kirk and Uhura did not kiss, just so it would be available. However, William Shatner crossed his eyes at the camera, making the take useless.

Goofs
In his Captain's Log, Kirk states that the Platonians' "planet went nova." Planets don't go nova, only stars.

Quotes
Captain James T. Kirk: Alexander, are there other Platonians like you?
Alexander: [defensively] What do you mean "like me?"
Captain James T. Kirk: Who don't have the psychokinetic ability.
Alexander: [relieved] I thought you were talking about my size, because they make fun of me for my size. But, um, to answer your question, I'm the only one who doesn't have it. I was brought here as the court buffoon. That's why I'm everybody's slave, and I have to be at ten places at once, and I never do anything right.
Spock: How does one obtain the power?
Alexander: As far as I know, it just comes to you some time after you're born. They say I'm a throwback. And I am, and so are you... Sorry. I shouldn't have said that.
Captain James T. Kirk: Don't worry about it. We're happy without it.
Alexander: You know, I believe you are! Listen, where you come from, are there are lot of people without the power and my size?
Captain James T. Kirk: Alexander, where I come from, size, shape or color makes no difference. And nobody has the power.

Alternate versions
Special Enhanced version Digitally Remastered with new exterior shots and remade opening theme song

Connections
Featured in The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next (1988)

Soundtracks
Theme
Music credited to Alexander Courage
Sung by Loulie Jean Norman

User reviews36

Review

Featured review

5/10

Bitter Dregs...

Aristotle would have wallowed, Socrates would not have swallowed, Pythagoras would spin around and around while Democritus would gaze down with a frown.

A group of alien philosophers fail to see the bigger picture and cause some of the crew to descend into the world of Marcel Marceau with vocals.