Star Trek
The Return of the Archons
Season 1, Episode 21 · Aired 1967-02-09
Synopsis
Six thousand years ago, the planet Beta III was torn apart by war, crime, and corruption. Then a visionary leader arose, Landru, who became a benevolent autocrat. He has maintained a simple, stable society that has survived since then without those "ancient evils". Enterprise is there to investigate the disappearance of the starship Archon in the vicinity a century earlier. It seems that Landru dislikes those who display individuality; they must be absorbed into "The Body" or destroyed. So it was with the "Archons" and so it will be with the Enterprise unless Kirk can defeat Landru. But will unseating him destabilize the society? Will it be a violation of the Prime Directive?
In the series
This episode is part of Star Trek (1966–1969) on NBC.
A cancelled space opera that refused to die — fandom's founding text.
Key cast
- William Shatner as Capt. James T. Kirk
- Leonard Nimoy as Spock
- DeForest Kelley as Dr. Leonard McCoy
- Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
- James Doohan as Scotty