“Let That Be Your Last Battlefield” is a remarkable episode on a number of levels. Only a rather clumsy execution of the resolution holds this back from being a truly exceptional installment. Otherwise, this is one of the better episodes of the entire series. The allegory here is blatant and ridiculous, but I suspect that’s because the writers wanted to demonstrate how blatant and ridiculous the notions of abject prejudice and hatred are, in general, and racism, specifically. The “black and white” characters are so overly simplistic that it cannot be seen simply as a mistake, but rather as a deliberate production idea. As a result, what we get is a rendition of the Sneeches, with much greater, and profound, consequences for the prejudice.

The episode begins with the Enterprise en route to desperate rescue mission to decontaminate a planet (presumably from a kind of pollution – adding yet another layer to the episode’s message). But the rescue mission turns out to be remarkably minor compared to what unfolds. The Enterprise stumbles onto a stolen shuttle (inexplicably bearing a NCC-1701 marking) carrying a truly remarkable character: Lokai, a man whose face is half white, half black. As it turns out, not only does Starfleet want to question him for the theft of the shuttlecraft, but he is also being hunted by Bele, another man who is also half black, half white. The only difference between the two aliens, and the source of their hatred and prejudice, is the fact that their markings are swapped – Lokai has black on the left side of his face, and white on the right, Bele the opposite.

This setup, though simplistic, is quite effective in demonstrating the truly preposterous nature of racial prejudice and hatred. The two men continue throughout the episode with an unyielding hatred of each other that is both palpable and, as Spock would say, illogical. Their personal conflict, between hunter and hunted, eventually engulfs the Enterprise en route to its mission of mercy. This leads to one of the more riveting moments of the series thus far: Kirk’s self-destruct gambit. Questionable camera angles aside, it plays out remarkably well.

Furthermore, following the successful (and rather perfunctory) completion of the mission of mercy, the Enterprise arrives at the aliens’ home planet of Cheron only to discover that the entire world is barren and desolate – the consequences of a war of hatred that spiraled out of control until everyone was dead, save for Lokai and Bele. That the two eventually leave the Enterprise and beam down to their homeworld to continue their eternal conflict is particularly poetic and poignant. It’s the rare open-ended resolution to a Trek episode and, here, it fits perfectly with the characters, the narrative, and the episode’s message.

Along the way, there are issues of justice and political persecution which are raised just enough to provide a much more layered story than we usually see from Trek. And despite a few obvious blunders from a filming standpoint (the red alert shots, and the shots of Lokai and Bele running through the ship), the result is a production that has a much better command of message and execution than many recent (and later) episodes.

“Let That Be Your Last Battlefield” is an iconic episode of Star Trek. The characters are memorable. The crew demonstrate their moral superiority simply by way of their actions, rather than through speeches. And the ultimate conclusion is chilling in its implications. Some may dismiss this episode out of hand as ridiculous. But if they do, they are missing the point that prejudice, particularly that which is either politically or racially motivated, is in and of itself, ridiculous.

Filed under: Original Series