))
TOS - Episode 49 - Business Ethics and Compliance Lessons from Return to Tomorrow
Manage episode 429760688 series 2708169
Content provided by Thomas Fox. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Thomas Fox or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
In this episode of Trekking Through Compliance, we consider the episode Return to Tomorrow, which aired on February 9, 1968, and occurred on Star Date 4768.3.
The Enterprise receives a distress call from a planet hundreds of light years too distant to have been visited by any Earth ship. Spock determines that the planet is similar to Earth but older and that its atmosphere was ripped away half a million years ago. Spock detects a power source originating 100 miles below the planet’s surface, and they all beam down.
The landing party discovers evidence of an ancient culture on a planet whose habitable surface was destroyed long ago by a self-inflicted cataclysm. They meet Sargon, whom Sargon occupies Kirk’s body. This transference produces great stress on Kirk’s body, causing McCoy to become alarmed. Sargon then asks to borrow the bodies of Spock and Dr. Mullhall so that they may construct androids. Sargon realizes that the temptation for him and Filissa to abuse their god-like powers is too great, and he and Filissa desert their bodies and fade into oblivion.
Commentary
The plot involves the Enterprise responding to a distress call, leading to encounters with disembodied entities seeking to take over the crew’s bodies to construct androids. This episode provides various lessons on compliance and business ethics, such as the importance of autonomous decision-making, informed consent, and transparency. Ethical dilemmas also illustrate the necessity of prioritizing the greater good, maintaining oversight and ethical boundaries, and fostering collaboration across functions. Additionally, the episode discusses controversies related to religion and script alterations made by Gene Roddenberry.
Key Highlights
- Sargon’s Request and the Crew’s Dilemma
- The Transference and Its Consequences
- The Betrayal and Resolution
- Fun Facts and Behind the Scenes
- Business Ethics Lessons from ‘Return to Tomorrow’
Resources
Excruciatingly Detailed Plot Summary by Eric W. Weisstein
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
253 episodes
Share
