"Plato's Stepchildren"
Airdate: November 22, 1968
68 of 80 produced
65 of 80 aired
Watch now on CBS.com
Introduction
Summoned by a distress call for medical help, the Enterprise finds a group of humanoids who claim to have visited ancient Earth and modeled their society on the teachings of Plato. These people have developed the awesome power to move any object - or person - at will. Dr. McCoy cures their infection with his usual skill, and now the Platonians want him to stay permanently. It seems that long-term use of their powers has turned the Platonians into vicious tyrants accustomed to getting their way. How will the Enterprise escape this latest crisis?
Must... fight... urge... to miscegenate!
Conclusion
This episode has a special place in history (whether deserved or not) for its first depiction of an "interracial" kiss. And while the ballsy-ness of the producers should not be dismissed, and I think we do forget today just how shocking that would have been, the historical context tends to swallow a pretty good episode in its own right. We both gave this a four for a total of an 8. It has an interesting set-up, some top notch set design, and some good acting by all involved. A slightly too-pat ending and a less than stellar explorationof the Platonic philosophy that is supposed to have inspired these people hold this back from the 5.
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