10 Star Trek Episodes Based On Real-Life Events
9. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is easily the most political film in the franchise, detailing the attempts to join Starfleet and the Klingon Empire in peace. However, along the way, factions on both sides try to derail these efforts through assassinations and backhand events. The opening shot of the film features the stunning Praxis explosion, which was the first real-life retelling in the film.
The entire backdrop to Star Trek Vi is the accident at Chernobyl and the Fall of the Berlin Wall. The explosion at Praxis is blamed on over-mining and sub-par safety standards, which is generally what resulted in the Chernobyl explosion. The breakdown of the Klingon Neutral Zone was a parallel to the Fall of the Iron Curtain and the eventual dissolution of the USSR.
After the critical disappointment that was Star Trek V, a final film featuring the Original Series cast had to deliver. Leonard Nimoy and Nicholas Meyer chose to use this event to usher in a new era of the franchise, one where the Klingons were no longer the greatest enemies of the Federation. Star Trek: The Next Generation had already established that by the 24th Century, both powers would be at peace. Here, the audience discovered how.