Code of Honor

Wow sometimes people are just so easily offended it's actually quite embarrassing and sad. The Star Trek universe is filled to the brim with every conceivable race and culture, with there own unique laws and morality!

The Ligonians are simply just one of those unique cultures! The fact they are an African looking group I can't see how anyone finds this awkward. They arnt portrayed as backward or dumb. They have transporter technology for heaven's sake! There has been plenty of races and peoples in Star Trek that have tech but still prefer upholding there ancient ways!

Enjoyable episode overall but some people unfortunately see racism whenever they simply walk into a room or turn on the TV.

I have to agree that this episode was not one of the best and perhaps deserves many of the negative critiques it received. What I don't understand is the various trivia notes discussing disappointment about the blatant racism in the episode.

Though the episode does involve African Americans representing an alien culture with primitive undertones. But what specifically was racist in this episode?

It's funny to see anyone call this racist, because it's not written well enough to even be that. Code of Honor suffers mainly in the same way that so many TNG episodes do, by not seeming to really understand the subject being tackled. Which -- again -- isn't racism, but making the primitive culture all black actors? Looks just like racism, lightened up just enough for deniability. Which might have meant something if anyone cared to put any effort into their acting, but it's just 40 minutes of people trotting out their lines ... sometimes with some dignity, but rarely with anything that could be called conviction. Hard pass.

Tasha Yar is kidnapped by a race who resemble tribal Africans. The leader of this race wants her as his wife and subsequently she is forced to fight it out with his old wife. Quite a bizarre episode,which has far more in common with the original series than Next Gen, a move probably entirely deliberate given that this only the third episode. I have to say as a Star Trek fan, I can put up with a lot of shoddy acting, but something about Tasha Yar always made me grind my teeth. Perhaps it was the haircut, or the tone of voice but I never liked her much and this is a perfect example of why. To be honest I was pleased when she left the series and actually enjoyed her performances in her subsequent and inevitable comebacks. Not essential.

Ugh. It's almost sufficient to write off 'Code of Honor' as just an awkward first step for the show's maiden season; the characters are still enough, and it's far more TOS than TNG. People go on about the overtones (both racist and sexist), but it's not like the Enterprise crew is actively promoting these values. Still, they don't fit and really only offer up that most awkward of commentary.

But far worse than any of this is the failure to entertain. This is easily the most lackluster episode I've ever seen from this crew, and that's unacceptable.

3/10