Bele represents the ruling race of Cheron, all of whom have black skin on the right side and white skin on the left, while Lokai comes from the submissive race, with opposite coloring. The struggle between the two represents a larger social battle, one that leads to the destruction of their civilization.

The coloring and conflicts between the two natives of Cheron bear witness to human racism, particularly in the United States. When Kirk (with the help of Spock and Scotty) defines the Business over a sequence of self-destruction in response to Bele’s hijacking of the ship, they underscore the episode’s belief that animosity between races results in mutual annihilation.

Arguably, the episode’s metaphor only goes so far. Although Bele is clearly the oppressor, Kirk also has little sympathy for Lokai’s revolutionary speech. After Bele released her control over the BusinessKirk takes the time to berate the two natives and dismisses Lokai’s call for justice against genocide as myopic bigotry. Spock listens worriedly as Lokai wakes the lower floors with his story, which even makes explicit connections to 20th century atrocities, and later he and Kirk share a drink with Bele.

As X-Men comics and The Twilight Zone episodes from the same era, “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield” sometimes stumbles in its attempts to address problems that most Americans would prefer to ignore. Yet there is no doubt that the episode addresses the issue of racism head-on. Moreover, he does so by dismissing the question of violence. During his conversation in Kirk’s quarters, Spock tells Bele that only respect for logic saved the Vulcans from their passions. The episode culminates with Bele and Lokai confronting each other, only for Kirk to beg them both to stop fighting, to no avail.

This classic Terms of Use The episode is a marked departure from the blitzkrieg action that the Article 31 promises the trailer. Maybe, Article 31Behind ‘s explosions and laser blasts is a more nuanced understanding of social justice issues, a moral complexity that has yet to be addressed on television in “Let This Be Your Last Battlefield.” Or maybe it’s just because the studio thinks Trekkies like it when things are booming. Let’s hope it’s the first.

Star Trek: Section 31 releases January 24.