‘Star Trek’ Retro Recap: ‘Let That Be Your Last Battlefield’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

It’s always a wonderful thing, when you have the opportunity to watch an episode from a classic television series, that just so happens to be relevant to important topics today. For it means that the series in question truly understands the human condition and some of the problems plaguing our modern society. Which in turn allows for timeless tales to be discovered at just the right time and this is relevant to today’s discussion, simply because the next episode of Star Trek features a story that is in many ways ripped from the headlines that are happening right now, since it tackles racism and prejudice and how our hate and disdain for our differences can lead to horrible and catastrophic results.
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But what is quite impressive about ‘Let That Be Your Last Battlefield’ is that none of that appears to be present within the framework of this story early on. Because in the opening segment of this tale, the crew of the Enterprise is dealing with a fascinating and unique thief, named Lokai. Who clearly hails from a unique world since his skin is unlike anything we’ve seen on the series to date, since it features a perfect split of black and white. And why this was so misleading was related to the sheer fact that Kirk and company were spending a great deal of time trying to understand his respective plight. Because any man that is willing to break into a Starbase and steal a shuttlecraft is clearly dealing with some powerful trouble in this life.

Which made it seem as though this particular tale was going to spend a lot of time just exploring his home world of Cheron and the strife his people were experiencing. But the arrival of a lawman from Cheron, named Bele, is what brought about the commentary in question. For Bele, who had the opposite skin pattern of Lokai, came to the NCC-1701 to retrieve this rattled man to stand trial back home for treasonous exploits. Because Lokai and the people with his pattern of skin, were treated as second class citizens and wanted equality for their own kind. Something that he led the fight for and that’s also why Lokai ventured out into the universe, to find weaponry that could give people with his skin-tone an edge in this ongoing fight.

Which Is something that Kirk and his crew could not stand for, and they nearly had to destroy the ship to get these two to listen to reason and even then, those words fell upon deaf ears. For both sides believed they were the right side, and their hate for one another could not be cooled. And that led to quite the ending, where the ship arrived at Cheron only to discover that it lay in ruin, the result of a war grounded in prejudice, and now the only inhabitants of this barren world would be Lokai and Bele and their eternal hate and that is some powerful to stuff to find within the framework of Trek right now. Because we’re watching our own battles in regard to racial equality play out on the nightly news. And while this was a tale that exaggerated some parts by making both sides a guilty party to their species’ destruction, the message within is still clear.

In that, everyone is created equal, and we all have the same blood running through our veins. And the hate that we currently impart upon others because of the color of their skin isn’t right and needs to stop. Otherwise that hate will continue to harm lives and well, that’s something we definitely need to hear right now, and it speaks to how this show understood that mankind has a long way to go in regard to equality. But if we show understanding to one another, and accept others as equals, then perhaps a 23rd Century like the one seen here awaits us all and truly, this might be the finest episode that season three has offered up to date. Because this is what this series is all about, and this is an episode that will stay with you long after it has come to an end, since people are standing up for equality in the streets, right now. Until next time.

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