‘Star Trek’ Retro Recap: ‘By Any Other Name’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

If there’s one particular constant that I’ve noticed when it comes to science fiction, it’s that the less desirable parts of the human condition, will always be examined in the most negative light imaginable. Which is something that makes sense when all is said and done. For the anger that resides within all of us, and our ability to be greedy on a moment’s notice has led to plenty of problems in modern society, as has our proclivity for selfishness since it keeps us from looking forward toward to the future. And these little problems with mankind tend to allow for some powerful storytelling to take place when we see more evolved humans understand the species’ flaws on the silver or small screen or within the framework of a novel.
 
But what we tend to forget about when it comes to our darker side, is that it is essential for growth. For if we don’t see our temper flare, we have no idea how to control it, or if we never hoard something of value, we never know how to share it. And of course, if we don’t close our minds and hearts for a moment, we never understand the value of opening up when someone special comes along. The point is, that our follies and our flaws lead us to make mistakes, the kind that teach us valuable lessons and allow for us to become better people down the line, and really, this is on my mind today, simply due to the fact that this particular lesson was on full display in the next episode of Star Trek, and it made ‘By Any Other Name’ quite the fascinating and fun tale.
 
However, it took a while to get to that particular lesson. Because early on in this tale, the crew of the Enterprise found themselves in quite the troublesome space pickle. For their kindness outright backfired, since their arrival at a distress call turned out to be nothing more than a ruse, one instigated by a being named Rojan and well, he summoned the ship to his remote world in order to execute a grand plan. Because Rojan and his people were inhabitants of the Andromeda Galaxy, and they found themselves stranded in the Milky Way thanks to the powerful barrier that surrounds it, and well… they wanted back home and they needed the Enterprise to make that happen. But what brought about the trouble in question, stemmed from Rojan’s desire to do all of this by force and he used his vast power to disable the crew or kill them if they didn’t abide by his rules, eventually leaving only Kirk, Spock and McCoy and Scotty standing as the ship began its three hundred year voyage to another galaxy.
 
Which is where the show took a more lighthearted turn and instilled its lesson of the week. Because Kirk came to realize that the only way to get to these beings and potentially defeat them was to introduce them to something they didn’t understand; the human condition. And the only way to do accomplish that, was to show them the uglier parts of our psyche and what a treat that turned out to be. Because hey, this is Star Trek and you know the series isn’t going to stoop to the real ugly stuff to get its point across. So instead, the crew played mind games with Rojan and his crew by getting them drunk or using drugs and reverse psychology to bring out the stuff we don’t like about ourselves. And Kirk… well he used his charm and love of sex to turn Rojan’s world upside down by temping his lady and eventually, their plan worked, and they were able to return home and offer these castaways a home in Federation space.
 
But what matters more here, is the delightful commentary present. Since having these aliens exhibit some of our unsavory quirks did indeed engender the right lesson, and it allowed for them to see the light and I am so glad the series took this particular storytelling route. Because it was just refreshing to see a sci fi story take the darker side of mankind and use it for good and do it in damn entertaining fashion. For watching Rojan and his crew succumb to their raw emotions was just downright hilarious and it allowed for the cast to let loose again and have a little fun and it definitely lightened the mood and kept me guessing because I hadn’t a clue what surprises would await me next. If anything, it’s obvious now that the producers and writers saved the best for last in season two, because this was just another treat, and I really am enjoying the home stretch as year two comes to a close. Until next time.  

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