By Chris Snellgrove
| Revealed 22 seconds in the past

Star Trek followers typically debate the franchise’s themes, together with the concept that superior civilizations shouldn’t affect the improvement of much less superior civilizations. That is the Prime Directive, and it has triggered extra arguments in the fandom than nearly the rest. Paradoxically sufficient, Star Trek: The Next Generation showrunner Michael Piller as soon as confirmed that the present’s employees had this similar debate about this theme when it got here to the climax of the episode “The Hunted.”

This episode was a few planet that wished to affix the Federation, however they wanted Captain Picard’s assist to trace down an escaped convict. It seems that he was a former soldier enhanced by the authorities after which (like others of his sort) avoided well mannered society when his conflict was over. By the finish, these disgruntled veterans had been storming the planetary capital, and leaders had been horrified that Picard refused to assist them out, all as a result of this was an inner affair wherein Starfleet had no enterprise interfering.

Contemplating how Star Trek’s Prime Directive works, this ending is arguably according to the franchise’s theme of noninterference. However “arguably” is the key phrase right here as a result of Michael Piller revealed that “there are individuals on the employees” who hated the climax wherein Picard clarified “this isn’t our affair” and “you guys are going to have to unravel it.” As for the Star Trek showrunner, he felt that this was “an necessary sufficient theme” that The Next Generation “can not discover sufficient.”

In our all the time humble opinion, this Star Trek episode hit on the theme of interference in an ideal method…not solely is the captain’s choice to not assist the authorities according to the Prime Directive theme, however the planetary chief had beforehand insisted that this was an inner matter. Nevertheless, we discover it fascinating that this episode’s climax was so divisive amongst the present’s employees as a result of it proves that those that convey these episodes to life aren’t very totally different from the passionate followers watching at residence. They spend loads of time behind the scenes, passionately debating the Prime Directive similar to the remainder of us.

And make no mistake: the Prime Directive is undoubtedly price debating. It is smart that a complicated civilization like the Federation wouldn’t wish to disrupt the evolution of a pre-warp planet, but it surely all the time appears monstrous to consider what number of primitive planets Starfleet officers have left to die. Like, our heroes are simply bombing round the galaxy and having debates about philosophy and honor, all whereas having the blood of thousands and thousands and even billions of lifeless individuals on their fingers as a result of their bosses determined to sentence numerous pre-warp planets to their grisly fates.

That is probably why Star Trek guru Michael Piller considers this noninterference coverage the largest theme of The Next Generation. This coverage could successfully condemn dwelling beings to loss of life, but it surely’s additionally the solely factor preserving the common Starfleet captain from enjoying God and deciding for himself who lives and who dies (a bit like the evil admirals of The Authentic Collection). And contemplating how annoying he discovered Q, we will solely assume the final factor Captain Picard desires to do is play God.