10 Star Trek Episodes That Hit Different Now
4. The Outcast
Here was an episode that was controversial at the time of release, and as time has progressed, has found itself in discussion time and again, thanks to its themes. The Outcast attempted to deal with a transgender character and the topic of conversion therapy. At the time, activists called the episode out as a well-intentioned failure. They said it didn't go far enough, with Jonathan Frakes agreeing, feeling that a male actor playing Soren's part would have heightened the message.
The mistakes of the episode, however, pale in comparison to how relevant it has become in modern discourse. Today in the world, there is a genocide taking place of transgender people, with numerous bills introduced in the United States seeking to savagely curtail the rights of Transgender citizens.
One only needs to briefly skim social media to see the cries of Transgender people suffering, not least the rising murder rates of transgender people of colour. Gender-affirming care is under direct threat, as is the right of transgender people to exist in public spaces.
The message that Soren delivers - that they are normal, they are just like everyone else, is more and more prescient. There's no need to fear difference - embrace it, and open your mind.