‘Star Trek’ Retro Recap: ‘The Cloud Minders’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

There is nothing more difficult for a fanbase, than to watch their beloved series begin to crumble before their very eyes. For this is a story that they have dedicated countless hours to and have fawned over and celebrated at every single turn. But alas, all good things eventually come to their end and sometimes the grand farewell is an ugly and inconsistent affair, which is quite frankly what is happening with Star Trek right now. Because as we close in on the series finale, the writing is becoming far more inconsistent, and the stories are growing more outlandish and lost. But thankfully, this saga still had a little bit of life left in it, since the next episode in this final season, actually managed to offer up a little social commentary and a compelling story.
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For ‘The Cloud Minders’ is an episode that actually has relevance to modern America, since it is grounded in notions of class warfare and wealth inequality. Two topics that are on our minds often in 2020, and it accomplishes this particular feat by plunging us into a world that seems to have figured out a way for peace and harmony to exist amongst its two classes. For the Troglytes that mine raw materials beneath the planet Ardana, are supposedly happy with their role as providers for the aristocrats that float above the surface in the city of Stratos. And they in turn make sure that the Troglytes seemingly have everything they need because it is only right to care for those who care for you. But it takes an emergency on a faraway world, to prove that this is nothing more than a grand lie.

Because once the Enterprise arrives to get their hands on a precious ore known as Zenite, to save said planet from an ecological disaster, Kirk and Spock discover that there is trouble currently brewing on Ardana. For some of the Troglytes believe that they deserve a shot at a better life, instead of being stuck in the mines, and they are fighting with all their might to get someone to hear and understand their plight. Even going so far as to keep the Zenite hidden so that perhaps the Federation will step in. But this is something that the people of this proud cloud city refuse to let happen, for they believe that the Troglytes are an inferior species and need to comply with their design for the future. Which means that Captain Kirk has to go to some extreme measures to get both sides to talk, even risking his own mental and physical health at the end of this tale to make that happen.

But while all of that is quite powerful and compelling for certain, what truly allows for this episode to shine is what it has to say about class warfare and wealth inequality in general. Because rather than scold the audience and spoon feed them the obvious fact that such matters are bad, it instead tries to offer up a way forward, which is quite refreshing for certain. And It accomplishes that by taking the time to remind us that all human beings are created equal and that everyone deserves a shot at a quality education and the chance to succeed in life, and if we take the time to do that, perhaps we can accomplish wonders after all. Which is a lovely message to see injected into this series, and once again it is quite the surprise to find a message that is relevant some fifty years after this episode originally aired.

If anything, it makes this episode quite refreshing for certain since it once again reminds us why this series is so beloved. Because social commentary and offering potential solutions is what allowed for so many of us to fall in love with Trek in the first place. But seeing a brilliant story here with only three episodes to go before the five-year mission comes to an early end is also quite bittersweet. For it really does leave one wishing that the writer’s room didn’t bend to the whims of the network and pushed for this kind of content from day one of season three’s production. Because that would have resulted in more powerful and dynamic stories. But alas, one cannot change the past and all we can do now, is celebrate those brilliant final gasps from a series that transformed science fiction for decades to come. Until next time.

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