Product Details

• Actors: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan
• Directors: David Alexander
• Writers: Gene Roddenberry, Meyer Dolinsky
• Producers: Edward K. Milkis, Fred Freiberger, Gene Roddenberry, Gregg Peters, Robert H. Justman
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: CBS Paramount International Television
• VHS Release Date: April 15, 1994
• Run Time: 46 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6300988635
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #279,553 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Best known as the episode featuring the first interracial kiss on television, "Plato's Stepchildren" remains a disconcerting story in which our Star Trek heroes are reduced to playthings for psycho-telekinetic fiends. The Enterprise proceeds to the planet Platonius in response to a distress signal, and find that a race of people with special powers live there, having created a society loosely based on that of ancient Greece. These Platonians can force outsiders to act against their wills, and when Captain Kirk (William Shatner) attempts to prevent the Platonian king from holding Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) indefinitely, he and Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), and Nurse Chapel (Majel Barrett) are made to perform for their captors. Much discussed by the show's producers before shooting commenced, a kiss exchanged between Shatner and Nichols crossed a certain threshold in network television, where such a thing had been previously unimaginable. Still, Shatner's own recollection (from his memoir, Where No Man Has Gone Before) is accurate when he states that the scene is so compelling dramatically that the color of the actors is almost beyond notice. What does not go unnoticed, however, is the sensitive performance of Michael Dunn, the dwarf actor best known as Dr. Loveless from The Wild Wild West. --Tom Keogh

From the Back Cover

Kirk, Spock, Uhura and Chapel are forced to suffer humiliating experiences as puppets of aliens with incredible telekinetic abilities.

TREK TRIVIA
Michael Dunn, who appears as Alexander, is well known to TV buffs as Dr. Miguelito Loveless of The Wild, Wild West series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exploitation is wrong, and so is Shatner's acting, January 21, 2000

By 

Rebecca - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 67: Plato's Stepchildren [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I've got to give the show and its fine crew of writers credit where credit is due, not just for the impact of Kirk and Uhura's kiss (the first interracial kiss in television history) but for their overall message in this episode.

With the help of the unimaginally indulgent, remorseless Platonians, they sent across a substantial message in a flash of sparkling outfits, thick makeup (particularly in poor Chris Chapel's case) and Will Shatner's staccato and over-the-top acting:

Exploitation is wrong.

True, this is a lesson we all learned years ago in Kindergarten with the Golden Rule, but, not surprisingly, in the midst of the guilty excitement of gossip and the build-'em-up, tear-'em-down philosophy of the media, we all tend to wander from that message.

The Platonians used Kirk, Spock, Uhura and Chapel, putting them into humiliating, and what would have inevitably become fatal, situations purely for their own amusement. One can find similar parallels in the mass media market today. Indeed we do seem to receive some sort of pleasure in seeing some of our favorite actors, writers, personalities, etc. put into embarrasing situations.

Kirk and the gang, as always, represent the new world of equality, virtue and harmony throughout, even when consumed with hatred for their capturs.

One has to wonder just who the Platonians represent.

One Schlocky Note: Shatner slapping himself silly, cracking the whip, and...well just *being* in the episode seemed to be one big campfest for him this time. Congratrulations Bill, you should be proud.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Groundbreaking first interracial kiss, otherwise a bad episode, May 19, 2008

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 67: Plato's Stepchildren [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Even though it was groundbreaking in the social sense, this episode was one of the worst in the series. The groundbreaking event was the first interracial kiss on network television that took place between Kirk and Uhura. However, it was so staged (apparently forced) and hidden that it is almost a non-event.
The premise is that there is a hidden colony of people with strong telekinetic power and their leader is ill. Therefore, they send for the Enterprise so that Dr. McCoy can treat and cure him. However, their power has made them extremely arrogant and they want Dr. McCoy to stay. When he refuses, they force Kirk and Spock to act like children, the worst scene is when Spock acts like a rearing horse.
The other redeeming feature of this episode is provided by Michael Dunn, the dwarf actor who is the only one on the planet without the telekinetic powers. He plays his role well and the Enterprise crew treats him as an equal, which strongly contrasts to his being a slave to the other people on the planet.
With so many possible plot scenarios that could have been used on Star Trek, it is unfortunate that the producers decided to feature some pathetic humanoids exhibiting some of the worst behaviors imaginable. It is such a forced story that the only reason I watch it is to try to determine if Kirk and Uhura actually put their lips together.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This episode gets a D+ grade and is ranked 70th out of 80, November 23, 1999

By 

"guerticusmaximus" (Vallejo, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 67: Plato's Stepchildren [VHS] (VHS Tape)

When the U.S.S. Enterprise receives a distress call from the planet Platonius, Kirk, Spock and McCoy beam down to the planet's surface. There they find the planet's leader, Parmen, with a badly infected leg. The Platonians, while powerful psycho kinetics, have no resistance against physical injury. As Parmen's wife tells them, a cut or break in the skin can literally cause death. The only resident of Platonius that doesn't have "the power" is Alexander, a dwarf, who is everyone's jester and slave. When Parmen's wound has healed and the landing party prepares to leave, they find the U.S.S. Enterprise's control are frozen. Parmen has decided that it would be beneficial for them to have a resident doctor and tries to convince McCoy to remain. When he refuses, Parmen and the others try to convince him by subjecting Kirk and Spock to several humiliating scenarios. Still the doctor refuses and the three officers are locked away to ponder their plight. After questioning Alexander, McCoy determines that the Platonians probably got their mental powers from eating the local foods. Something about Alexander's metabolism has kept him from acquiring those powers as well. McCoy prepares concentrated doses of kironide, the substance in the local food, and injects it into Kirk and Spock. Alexander, given the chance, refuses an injection. He doesn't want the same powers that his masters have. As they discuss their next move, the shimmering of a transporter beam appear in the room and Lt. Uhura and Nurse Chapel appear. Without a word, they are jerked out of the room, as if controlled with invisible strings, and disappear. Kirk comments grimly that the men were apparently not entertaining enough for the Platonians. Later, Uhura and Christine join the other officers, dressed in sparkling gowns and lavish makeup. Christine's is even vaguely Vulcan with slanted eyebrows and partially covered ears. What follows is a series of "games" designed to humiliate the U.S.S. Enterprise crew members and entertain the Platonians. McCoy, seated in a place of honor beside Parmen, is expected to accept the leaders offer to stay and serve as their physician. Kirk and Spock are forced to fight each other and Spock is made to sing "Maiden Wine" to the two women. Finally, Spock is paired on a loveseat with Christine, while Kirk shares one with Uhura. They are forced to make advances on the women. The play gets nasty then, as Kirk and Spock take up whips, which they snap at their respective partners. By now, however, the doses of kironide are beginning to take effect and both officers now resist the Platonians powers and throw down their weapons. Kirk tells Parmen that they can recreate this power whenever they want and if the Federation finds that Parmen and his people have fallen back to their old ways, there will be trouble. With this, Kirk calls for the U.S.S. Enterprise to beam them aboard... along with Alexander, who will be coming with them to start a new life.