Title
And the Children Shall Lead
Subject
Kirk, James T. (Fictitious character) -- Drama.
Spock (Fictitious character) -- Drama.
McCoy, Leonard (Fictitious character) -- Drama.
Scott, Montgomery (Fictitious character) -- Drama.
Sulu, Hikaru (Fictitious character) -- Drama.
Interplanetary voyages -- Drama.
Life on other planets -- Drama.
Television programs -- United States.
Star Trek television programs.
Science fiction television programs.
Fiction television programs.
Television series.
Video recordings for the hearing impaired.
Outer space -- Exploration -- Drama.
Description
"And the Children Shall Lead," aired October 11, 1968, is a Star Trek episode that depicts children in space. The episode is centered around the Enterprise taking aboard five children after their parents were discovered dead on the planet Triachus. Throughout the episode, the children disrupt the Enterprise's crew because of orders from an alien that has possessed them until they realize the it is not their friend.
"And the Children Shall Lead" depicts space exploration successfully and accomplished by a diverse group of individuals. The space explorers of this episode are comprised of both genders, both military and civilian, and includes individuals of other races. It also brings children into space. Space exploration is also portrayed in this episode as relatively easy and safe. There are no depictions of unknown space dangers or crash landings. Rather the Enterprise smoothly moves through space. While space exploration is portrayed in a successful manner and the children are safely aboard the Enterprise, this episode would suggest children do not belong in space because they are a distraction for adults and cannot explore space without adult guidance.
"And the Children Shall Lead" depicts children in space as a nuisance for the adults engaged in duties related to space exploration. This is best exemplified in the scene when nurse Chaplin watches over these children. In essence, she fills the roll of baby sitter. She tries to get the children to settle down and eat what appears to be an ice cream sunday. Despite her efforts, the children are still rambunctious and want to play especially when Captain Kirk tries to talk to them. Eventually, at the children dismay, Kirk orders Chaplin to put the children to bed even though the children just want to play and eat "sundays" the whole time. Kirk also has to divert some of his men from their normal duties to place a guard on the children. A side from the need of being baby sat, the children are also portrayed as disruptive to the crews main functions. This is depicted in the scenes where the children, with the help of the powers provided by the alien, take over the crew mentally. The crew, as a result of the children, change the ships course, defy Kirk's commands, and nearly kill Kirk and Spock. With children in control, the ship has been distracted from its original tasks and diverted to different unessential ones. With children being portrayed as a distraction, it is one way that child space exploration is shown in a negative way.
Child space exploration is also portrayed as something impossible without adult guidance. This is exemplified by the necessity of taking over the crew. Rather than disposing of the crew and flying the ship on their own, the children are portrayed as dependent on the adults to navigate through space. In order to get the ship where they want to go, the children take control over Mr. Suhlu and get him to take the Enterprise to their intended destination. In order to ensure that no one changes the plans, the children subvert any other adults who notice the change in course. As one can see, if the adults were not guiding the ship, the children could not have gotten started on their intended destination, which shows a sense of dependency. On these grounds, the episode would probably imply child space exploration as impossible.
While children are depicted aboard one of the most famous space exploration vessels in science fiction, it seems evident this episodes provides a negative image of children in space for its viewers. For adult space explorers, children are portrayed as a nuisance. Children are portrayed as incapable of exploring space without the help of adults. With these negative images against children in space, it seems probable that most adults would have not endorsed child space exploration.
"And the Children Shall Lead" depicts space exploration successfully and accomplished by a diverse group of individuals. The space explorers of this episode are comprised of both genders, both military and civilian, and includes individuals of other races. It also brings children into space. Space exploration is also portrayed in this episode as relatively easy and safe. There are no depictions of unknown space dangers or crash landings. Rather the Enterprise smoothly moves through space. While space exploration is portrayed in a successful manner and the children are safely aboard the Enterprise, this episode would suggest children do not belong in space because they are a distraction for adults and cannot explore space without adult guidance.
"And the Children Shall Lead" depicts children in space as a nuisance for the adults engaged in duties related to space exploration. This is best exemplified in the scene when nurse Chaplin watches over these children. In essence, she fills the roll of baby sitter. She tries to get the children to settle down and eat what appears to be an ice cream sunday. Despite her efforts, the children are still rambunctious and want to play especially when Captain Kirk tries to talk to them. Eventually, at the children dismay, Kirk orders Chaplin to put the children to bed even though the children just want to play and eat "sundays" the whole time. Kirk also has to divert some of his men from their normal duties to place a guard on the children. A side from the need of being baby sat, the children are also portrayed as disruptive to the crews main functions. This is depicted in the scenes where the children, with the help of the powers provided by the alien, take over the crew mentally. The crew, as a result of the children, change the ships course, defy Kirk's commands, and nearly kill Kirk and Spock. With children in control, the ship has been distracted from its original tasks and diverted to different unessential ones. With children being portrayed as a distraction, it is one way that child space exploration is shown in a negative way.
Child space exploration is also portrayed as something impossible without adult guidance. This is exemplified by the necessity of taking over the crew. Rather than disposing of the crew and flying the ship on their own, the children are portrayed as dependent on the adults to navigate through space. In order to get the ship where they want to go, the children take control over Mr. Suhlu and get him to take the Enterprise to their intended destination. In order to ensure that no one changes the plans, the children subvert any other adults who notice the change in course. As one can see, if the adults were not guiding the ship, the children could not have gotten started on their intended destination, which shows a sense of dependency. On these grounds, the episode would probably imply child space exploration as impossible.
While children are depicted aboard one of the most famous space exploration vessels in science fiction, it seems evident this episodes provides a negative image of children in space for its viewers. For adult space explorers, children are portrayed as a nuisance. Children are portrayed as incapable of exploring space without the help of adults. With these negative images against children in space, it seems probable that most adults would have not endorsed child space exploration.
Creator
Roddenberry, Gene
Director: Chromsky, Marvin
Written By: Lakso, Edward J.
Source
Star Trek, The Original Series: Season 3
Publisher
Paramount Television
Aired by NBC
Date
1968-10-11
Contributor
Olle Larson
Rights
CBS Television Distribution
Fair Use
Relation
"And the Children Shall Lead" is the fourth episode of Star Trek, the Original Series: Season three.
Format
jpeg
Language
English
Type
Moving Image
Identifier
LC: PN1992.77.S7
Dewey: 791.45/75
Coverage
1960's
Original Format
This static image corresponds to one second of film in the Star Trek Episode "And the Children Shall Lead." In this image, Captain Kirk is around the children offering reassurance to them after they learned their parents are dead and cry. Spock is also featured in the background along side the Enterprise's control room.
Physical Dimensions
10.51 by 9.94 inches