S3.E10

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Plato's Stepchildren

Episode aired Nov 22, 1968
TV-PG
51m

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

YOUR RATING

DeForest Kelley, Barbara Babcock, and Liam Sullivan in Star Trek: The Original Series (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.

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IMDb RATING

6.5/10

YOUR RATING

See more at IMDbPro

Videos1

Trailer 1:34

Watch Star Trek: Plato's Stepchildren

Photos33

Michael Dunn in Star Trek: The Original Series (1966)

William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols in Star Trek: The Original Series (1966)

Leonard Nimoy in Star Trek: The Original Series (1966)

William Shatner, DeForest Kelley, and Michael Dunn in Star Trek: The Original Series (1966)

Leonard Nimoy and Majel Barrett in Star Trek: The Original Series (1966)

Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, and Michael Dunn in Star Trek: The Original Series (1966)

Nichelle Nichols in Star Trek: The Original Series (1966)

Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, and DeForest Kelley in Star Trek: The Original Series (1966)

Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner in Star Trek: The Original Series (1966)

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

William Shatner in Star Trek: The Original Series (1966)

Storyline

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Did you know

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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 William Shatner's Star Trek Memories (1995)

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

User reviews34

Review

Featured review

7/10

This one got in my head

Typical of the 3rd season Star Trek; They had a shoestring budget and had to make the most of it. Most of the acting was right out there and cringeworthy; not that it was all that terrible but the actors pushed their characters well past their limits in this one. The star of this episode was a character by the name of Alexander (Played by Michael Dunn). His revelation and struggles seemed the most genuine and central to the plot.

I was so intrigued that I went to ask my my search engine whatever happened to him. I had just watched him looking so real and personable. Mr. Dunn died in 1973; 47 years ago. That really got in my head.

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