Times When Star Trek Got Seriously Political

Throughout the long history of "Star Trek," the franchise has become known for its optimistic outlook on the future and tales of space exploration and scientific discovery, often with a moral or ethical dilemma at the center. In recent years, some audiences have griped that newer "Star Trek" shows like "Discovery" and "Picard" have become a bit too political, but the truth is that social issues have long sat at the center of some of the franchise's best episodes.

While "Discovery" has openly discussed and examined important problems of today like LGBTQ issues and the rise in political extremism, the older "Trek" series told stories that focused on problems facing society in the 1960s through the '90s. Whether it was racism or class struggles, "Star Trek" has never shied away from divisive topics and has never feared making judgments about what is right and what is wrong. After all, that's what science fiction often does: teach morals through the use of clever outer-space metaphors. The following list is just a small sampling of the many times that "Star Trek" stories have gotten seriously political from 1966 to today.

Racism and civil rights weren't the only hot-button political issue raging in the 1960s. America was deeply embroiled in military conflict in Vietnam while neck-deep in a Cold War arms race with their Soviet rivals. As many have since noted, the Klingons were often stand-ins for the Russians in "Star Trek" lore of the day. The writers used them to tell politically minded stories, such as the Season 2 episode "A Private Little War." The 1968 episode is famous for its big, horned, gorilla-like creature the Mugato. It focuses on a Stone Age civilization on an alien world that, to Kirk's dismay, has somehow acquired firearm technology. 

Kirk, Spock, and McCoy soon trace the origin of the weaponry to the devilish Klingons, who have been supplying one side of a warring conflict on the planet with flintlock rifles, far more advanced than the primitive sticks and stones of their enemies. Overmatched, one member of the lesser-equipped faction becomes enamored with Kirk's phaser weapon after seeing it in action and wants it to overpower their enemy's projectile weapons.

While this may sound like a compelling adventure story in its own right, its timing during the Vietnam War was no coincidence, as the two sides in the Asian country were backed by bigger adversaries: the United States and the Soviet Union. A commentary on the conflict in Vietnam and the dangers an arms race can pose, it was a clear statement from creator Gene Roddenberry, himself a military veteran. 

Moving into the 1980s and '90s, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" began exploring new and bolder social and political issues, although sometimes their efforts were less than successful. The Season 3 episode "The High Ground" stands out as one that worked well. It dealt with the fine line between terrorist and freedom fighter, a theme that would become central in the later spin-off series "Deep Space Nine." This earlier episode introduces a violent conflict on an alien world where the Ansata people are seeking political autonomy. The regime on his planet denies them, and so their leader, Kyril Finn, leads his people in a fight for independence. He eventually draws the Enterprise into the conflict by kidnapping Dr. Crusher to help him in a medical crisis.

During her imprisonment, Finn gives a powerful speech, equating his fight to that of George Washington, even though everyone else labels him a terrorist. One could view this story as an analog for the Irish independence movement that had raged for nearly 100 years, with the Irish Republican Army responsible for some of the worst terrorist attacks in Europe throughout the '70s and '80s. In fact, a key exchange between Captain Picard and Commander Data about the relative effectiveness of terrorism mentions the "Irish Unification of 2024," where violent extremists eventually succeeded in creating a united and independent Ireland (in "Trek's" fictional history). A bold and controversial political take, that single scene got the episode banned in the UK for decades.

In 1994, during the seventh season of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," the series addressed another serious issue society was facing that had become increasingly political. "Force of Nature" opens with a Starfleet vessel lost in a hazardous region of space. The Enterprise is called in to find it. When it does, the crew discovers the lost ship was intentionally disabled by a pair of scientists who theorize that their sector of space has been damaged by the warp engines of ships passing through it. They've taken to disabling these ships to get the attention of the Federation. Picard is reluctantly forced to investigate their hypothesis.

A message episode, "Force of Nature" is a story about the dangerous effects of man-made technology on the environment and an obvious parallel to global warming, which was an even more controversial subject in the early '90s. The establishment pushes the two scientists aside and views them as alarmist crackpots because, if their theories are correct, it would mean the end of space travel as it exists in the 24th century. This is similar to how the drastic measures needed to avert climate change disaster would mean radically altering the way we live even today, some 30 years after the episode aired. 

Ultimately, the two scientists are proved correct, and Starfleet orders a limit to the use of warp speed. Unfortunately, this is one message that society has failed to heed from "Star Trek."

From terrorism to racism and everything in between, "Deep Space Nine" packed its episodes full of social issues. They even tackled labor rights. In "Bar Association," the employees of Quark's bar organize a union. Quark is the show's resident Ferengi, a species whose entire culture centers on profit and greed. While the United Federation of Planets can often be described as a utopia with no monetary system, the Ferengi are driven almost solely by the accumulation of wealth, with their sacred precepts "The Rules of Acquisition" serving as their guiding philosophy. These rules provide the basis for the exploitation of the working class. In "Bar Association," Quark's brother Rom–his highest-level employee–has finally had enough of the low wages, poor treatment, and lack of benefits. 

At the urging of Chief O'Brien, who describes his Irish ancestor Sean as a hero and a union man, Rom organizes the Guild of Restaurant and Casino Employees. The formation of the union is illegal in Ferengi society and the Ferengi Commerce Authority violently attempt to bust it. The episode demonizes such anti-union practices and states unequivocally that Starfleet respects and encourages the right to collective bargaining. Chief of Security Odo notes that Starfleet's orders are to allow the employee protests outside the bar, so long as they remain peaceful.

Whatever you might think of unions, "Star Trek" philosophy tells us that they are an important part of a worker's rights.

"Star Trek" is famous for many things, including pioneering representation. In 1966, the episode "Plato's Stepchildren" is widely credited for portraying one of the first interracial kisses on American television. They were a little late on the first gay kiss on television. Even so, it was still a controversial moment on "Deep Space Nine" when, in the 1996 episode "Rejoined," Dax locks lips with Lenara Kahn, her former lover. The episode is more meaningful than the kiss alone. 

In "Rejoined," Dax–who regularly swaps genders in her centuries-long life when her symbiont is placed into a new host body–reconnects with Lenara Kahn, whom one of Dax's previous hosts had married many years before. In Trill society, the move to a new host means severing old connections, so it is forbidden to "reassociate," or resume relationships with a former lover. As Dax and Kahn become reacquainted, the sparks are still there. The two can't resist pursuing a renewed love affair, putting their reputations and lives at risk.

The episode has been cited by many as a meaningful exploration of LGBTQ issues. Producers of the series have lamented not going further. Still, as safe as the story seems by some standards, it took on the issue with sensitivity and grace. It also conveyed loudly and clearly that love between consenting adults should not be confined by the expectations of society.

Beginning its run just weeks after the September 11th terrorist attacks in 2001, "Star Trek: Enterprise" slowly abandons its initial optimistic and hopeful tone, eventually reflecting the somber mood of post-9/11 America. In its third season, the series opens with a storyline that includes a surprise attack on Earth by a terrifying new enemy. Called the Xindi, they are an obvious stand-in for the terrorist group that attacked America. The Xindi comprise different groups with a common goal: the destruction of Earth. 

Throughout the season, Captain Archer and his crew seek revenge on the Xindi for the seemingly unprovoked attack while also trying to prevent a second, much as America was doing against Al Qaeda. The season was more than just a parallel of real-world events; it had a social message as well, arguing that we should seek peace even with those who wish to do us harm. It went out of its way to portray the Xindi not as a group of bloodthirsty madmen, but as a wronged people looking for their own kind of justice. 

The episode "Detained" even taught us not to paint an entire people with the same brush because some have extremist views. It instead preaches tolerance and understanding. While this all might seem like common sense now, it was certainly a politically risky take at the time for some, as America was grappling with a wave of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim violence.

In the latest "Star Trek" series, "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," the franchise gives us the adventures of Captain Pike aboard the classic starship Enterprise. The premiere episode is a story that serves as a warning about where we're headed as a society given the increasing polarization on both sides of the political spectrum. While the episode largely deals with the question of violating the Prime Directive and rescuing kidnapped crew members, its finale sees Pike lecturing the leaders of a less advanced society he claims is on par with 21st century Earth.

Two warring factions on the planet stand on the brink of a conflict that could destroy them both. Pike gives an inspiring speech in which he warns them about what that could mean for their future, using the example of his homeworld. According to Pike, Earth was itself at the same crossroads in the 2020s. Sadly, it chose the path of war, leading to global devastation the likes of which they'd never seen. As he speaks of this moment in his people's past–and our future—images of our very real 21st century flash on the screen, including news footage captured during protests in Ukraine and the January 6th Capitol Insurrection in Washington, D.C.

Pike's words are meant not just as a message to the squabbling delegates of the planet Kiley, but also as a word of caution to real-life viewers that we too could be headed for a crisis point.