The remastered version of the original Star Trek series episode, "The Omega Glory," airs locally tonight on NBC around 1:00 am, following a rerun of Saturday Night Live.In this (mostly ridiculous) episode "E Pleb Neesta" is a bastardization of "We the People" and the name by which the pictured character, Cloud William, and his people, the Yangs, refer to their inexplicably obtained copy of the Constitution of the United States of America (and US Flag, and...).
Again, I must stress that this is one of the worst episodes of Star Trek ever, but... William Shatner's stilted performance* (which has become iconic by the reckoning of today's comedians), for a few moments has an authenticity that will give you goose bumps of national pride.
Surely you're wondering why I'm writing about Star Trek on Independence Day. If you wash away all the bad elements of this teleplay there's still something of worth underneath. I am completely baffled as to how so much contrivance and confusion could have made it into one tale, past editors, and to the screen.** But again, there's the tiniest of gems hidden inside, completely appropriate to Independence Day in the United States of America.
As bad as this episode is, it is probably more timely now than it ever was. It features a people, the Yangs, who worship documents they don't understand at all. They do have a small sense of what these things mean, but the Yangs have lost the language skills to actually read and comprehend the words, making the original purpose of those words meaningless.
Please visit and comprehend the founding of our country by reading "The Constitution of the United States of America" and related information found here:
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html
Have a SAFE and Happy Independence Day weekend! :-)
*This is the episode that best illustrates the over-dramatic and pause-y style so often attributed to William Shatner.
**A subject I may explore another time on my personal blog, BonK!
