'Legends of Tomorrow' Season 5 Episode 14: The Fates monstrously warp 'Star Trek' Prime Directive
Spoilers for 'DC's Legends of Tomorrow' Season 5 Episode 14 'The One Where We're Trapped on TV'
The latest episode of 'DC's Legends of Tomorrow' features an impressive array of parodies, including one 'Star Trek' one. With its uniforms, Sara Lance (Caity Lotz) and Ava Sharpe's (Jes Macallan) respective Kirk and Spock impressions, 'Star Trek' is recreated rather faithfully with one glaring exception.
The Fates have taken control of the world, altering its history and enforcing their will upon the populace in order to hold complete control. To this end, even their TV shows are meant to reinforce people's subservience to the rule of the Fates. The Waverider has been renamed the USS Faterider, a blend of the Fates' control, the Waverider and the USS Enterprise. The Enterprise was the iconic ship featured on both 'Star Trek' as well as 'Star Trek: The Next Generation.' However, the mission statement of the USS Faterider is a drastically different one from that of the Enterprise. It's mission? "To seek out rebellious lifeforms and disobedient civilizations. And blow them up with lasers."
This is a noted exception to the mission of the Enterprise: "To explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before!" 'Star Trek' made its mark by envisioning a peaceful utopia of a future, one which explored and celebrated new life, while also respecting its culture. The Prime Directive that every 'Star Trek' crew follows places great importance on not interfering with other civilizations, and respecting their rule of law, even if they're strongly disagreed with. It's that level of respect that embodies the spirit of peaceful exploration.
The Fates turned 'Star Trek' into 'Star Trip', a show about the subjugation of alien races. It is a series that could not be more opposed to the principles of 'Star Trek.' Though Sarah Lance and Ava Sharpe are modeled after Kirk and Spock, their characters on 'Star Trip' are most definitely the bad guys. It looks like not all evil mirror-universes feature goatees - some worlds favor long blonde hair.
The next episode of 'DC's Legends of Tomorrow' airs on June 2 on The CW.