Most Underrated Episode?

Good summation! That is consistant over all 3 seasons, too.

One thing about "This Side of Paradise" that hurts it, because it's really good in almost every way otherwise, is that they discover a safe way to cure all diseases and No One ever uses it or mentions it again, even and especially when it's the main driving force behind the plot from everything from "The Omega Glory" right up to "Insurrection"

That was one of my biggest complaints with "Plato's Stepchildren" because of the telekenisis for everyone, but I've been assured that only works on that planet, too bad the episode didn't mention that. However, I don't see an easy one liner for the Spores like for Kironide.

I think that planet would be the ultimate health resort. Just imagine "For The World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky" (another underated). Bones is sick, let's beam him down to Omicron Ceti III for a nice 3 month vacation, beam him back up, insult him a little and slap him a few times, and he's all better. There's already buildings on the planet, it's begging to be a resort.

 

"The Conscience of the King" for me - that was a great Kirk story, with real gravitas & brevity. Deserves a lot more love.

 

I think "A Private Little War," IMO good characterizations, plot progressions and themes, I think Roddenberry was quite conflicted about the real-life inspirations and the ambivalence flowed into the episode and really worked.

 

I concur that is indeed underrated for exactly that reason. Don Ingalls (aka, Jud Crucis) deserves story credit, of course.