10 Star Trek Episodes Based On Real-Life Events
1. Stigma
Star Trek's approach to the AIDS epidemic was unfortunately stilted, with 'Blood and Fire', the script by David Gerrold, going through numerous rewrites before being tossed by Gene Roddenberry's lawyer, Leonard Maizlish. It would not be until the 21st century that the franchise would tackle the condition, with Enterprise's second season episode Stigma stepping up to the plate.
T'Pol is suffering from Pa'nar Syndrome, a degenerative disease passed on by mind-melding after she was forced into one on a previous episode. Mind-melding is taboo on Vulcan at this time, with sufferers of the illness ostracized after contracting it. Dr Phlox has been able to manage the illness, though time is running out and he must approach several Vulcan doctors in search of a cure.
T'pol's secret is outed which leads almost immediately to the threat of her being taken off the ship. Though the episode ends with the Vulcans becoming aware she contracted Pa'nar through non-consensual means, for which they allow her to remain, it is a stark depiction of the prejudice that many sufferers of HIV/AIDS faced in the eighties, nineties and beyond. Though Star Trek took its time in shedding light on how this would be depicted in the future, it is both a grim and accurate portrayal of how prejudice can destroy successful people.