10 Star Trek Cliffhangers That Were Never Resolved

8. Remember That Time Kirk Started A War?

Star Trek A Private Little War
CBS Media Ventures

In A Private Little War, Kirk shatters any notion that he honours the Prime Directive by arming Tyree's people with flintlock weapons, matching the firepower that the Klingons have provided to their enemies. While his reasons may have been altruistic, this unbelievable action should have at least resulted in a court-martial, and definitely deserved to be followed up on.

This episode was Star Trek's attempt to depict the horrors of what was happening in Vietnam, with the Federation standing in for the Americans while the Klingons represented the Chinese. Still, that doesn't excuse Kirk's actions at the episode's close. By arming Tyree, he may have evened the odds a little, but he has also dragged the Federation into a civil war, one that is never again mentioned on-screen.

This is something that required a mention going forward. While the Federation and the Klingon Empire would eventually become allies, what of the worlds that suffered in the middle? Planets such as Organia were able to take care of themselves, but the same could not be said here. This seemed to be headed to disaster only, with Kirk never bothering to check up on them.

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"