I noticed today that I’ve been getting an unusually high amount of hits from Google for the word “archons,” which is pretty cool. I wonder what the sudden surge in interest stems from. While looking around at other stuff on the topic, I happened across a Star Trek original series episode called “The Return of the Archons” from 1967.

Supposedly the Enterprise goes to some planet to investigate the 100 year old disappearance of a ship called the Archon. Not surprisingly, the whole thing sounds pretty gnostic.

They find the culture on Beta III is quiescent, with no creative tendencies. The entire culture is controlled by a group of ‘lawgivers’ known as “The Body” which is, in turn, controlled by the omniscient Landru.

Landru turns out to be the computer of a scientist who lived 6,000 years ago. He was attempting to create a perfect society based on reason.

Landru had affected the computer with his scientific thoughts and memories, but not his wisdom. For centuries the computer, ‘Landru,’ has been interpreting his suggestions to the point that no one is allowed independent thought.

This reminds me of a post I wrote about gnosticism a while ago, and the over-reliance on rationality built in the gnostic cosmological stories.

Sophia’s error is actually a metaphor for what happens in the seeker - the philosopher, the “lover of wisdom.” That there exists a real danger (and maybe even necessity?) of becoming so enamored of wisdom that this desire begets an abortive illusory world unto itself. Perhaps the egotistical nature of the Demiurge is an example of one who has become trapped in such a world, and who then thinks that they are its Lord and Creator.

Landru, in this Star Trek episode, would be sort of similar to the Demiurge as described in gnosticism. Also pretty closely related is the Architect in the Matrix movies.

While I’ve unfortunately never seen this episode, the description I found has some other really good parallels to things I’ve talked about in gnosticism previously. Apparently the crew of the original lost Federation ship has formed an underground resistance movement to “the Body” and to Landru, which helps Kirk and Spock free the people of the planet. Very reminiscent of Philip K. Dick’s secret gray robed Christians fighting against the Black Iron Prison.