MovieChat Forums > Star Trek (1966) Discussion > Kirk did NOT break the Prime Directive… ...

Kirk did NOT break the Prime Directive… but Picard DID

posted 3 months ago by greenvelvet (176)
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I’m so tired of people saying Kirk is a bad captain because he didn’t follow the Prime Directive but Picard is awesome because he always did.

WRONG!

The Prime Directive does NOT mean that they can never help a planet that does not have warp capability.

Refer to the episodes “The Apple” and “Return of the Archons”: the Prime Directive only applies to "a living, growing culture." This is the most notable exception that applies to Kirk but there are several more:

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Prime_Directive

This means that Picard was wrong when he refused to help the planet addicted to drugs in Symbiosis and the girl whose planet was being destroyed in Pen Pals.

[–] Keelai (36123) a month ago

Night Court episode scene when brawling Trekkies were arrested:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPRp0VT9PxA

[–] strntz (12773) a month ago

I'm not the biggest fan of Picard's policies (and I think he acted borderline seditiously in The Pegasus), but I think he handled the situation in Symbiosis perfectly.

I don't however get his reluctance to help anyone in Pen Pals though - the planet was dying - what would be the conflict with the prime directive if he carried out a rescue operation?

In any case, the prime directive varied somewhat by who wrote the story.