Star Trek: The Animated Series S1E09 – Once Upon A Planet

The Animated Series revisits its habit of following up on original series episodes with Once Upon a Planet, a sequel to The Original Series episode Shore Leave that takes the concept of a planet where fantasies come to life and flips it into a more sinister exploration of autonomy, control, and artificial intelligence gone awry. It’s a mix of whimsy and danger that stays true to Star Trek’s knack for blending lighthearted premises with deeper themes.

The story begins with the Enterprise crew revisiting the Shore Leave planet, expecting the same experience as before, but even the most willing redshirt can’t have expected the experience to be almost exactly the same as the last time, even down to the plot. The twist this time is not that the settings haven’t been set to “Hard” but that the SysAdmin has died, leaving the computer in charge and, viewing the Enterprise crew as a threat to its autonomy, turns the crew’s public domain-based fantasies into deadly traps rather than harmless diversions.

The computer’s desire for independence feels like a trope bolted on to a retread, mirroring the many sentient or sentient-adjacent machines across Star Trek’s history, compounded by the often correlating trope of Kirk’s ability to talk the computer around to his way of thinking. Kirk has a (somewhat exaggerated and unfairly pejorative) reputation as an arch womaniser, but honestly he deserves to be known as the universe’s prompt engineer messiah, given how often and how easily he can change a machine’s mind.

Visually, the animated format allows for even more fantastical interpretations of the crew’s imaginings, from a fiery dragon to a lethal Queen of Hearts. These creations are more vibrant and threatening than those in the original Shore Leave, enhancing the episode’s playful-yet-menacing tone. However, the similarity to the first visit—both in premise and execution—leaves little room for the visuals to truly surprise, despite their increased vibrancy. Instead, they serve to underscore how much of this episode feels like an embellished echo of the original.

While Kirk, Spock, and McCoy take the lead as usual, Uhura gets a standout moment when she’s captured by the planet’s computer, giving her a chance to shine as more than just a duty station officer. Her calm under pressure and quick thinking serve as a reminder of how much the supporting characters can bring to the table when given the opportunity.

The computer’s eventual decision to embrace its new role as a benevolent caretaker, thanks to Kirk’s persuasive arguments, is a classic nay clichéd Star Trek resolution: digital diplomacy and understanding triumphing over violence. It’s an ending that feels both satisfying and true to the spirit of the series, even if the episode doesn’t quite break any new ground narratively.

Once Upon a Planet is a charming, slightly derivative sequel that revisits the whimsical premise of Shore Leave, but, like revisiting your favourite theme park year after year when they’ve not opened any new rides, the comfort of familiarity soon fades into the contempt of the repetition. This is too much “rhyming” for even George Lucas to countenance.