Gene Roddenberry was a humanist fascinated with the future of mankind, and in his show he imagined a world where all races and genders could work together in harmony. It wasnt always peaceful but it showed progress could be made. Roddenberry also used sci-fi as a way to explore sensitive issues and cloak them in allegory. In the original series he used this to look at themes like racism, intolerance and the Vietnam War, with the infamous Kirk/Uhara kiss considered so shocking at the time that many think it was responsible for the show's cancellation. The various Star Trek shows and movies have continued to use science fiction in this way, with each one exploring topical issues under the cover of an adventure series. Star Trek 2017 should keep this custom alive and delve into current day issues. In particular topics such as immigration, gay rights and war are ripe for discussion. The show's job first and foremost is to be an entertaining adventure. If it can make the audience think a little bit while it does that then all the better.
