I've seen this episode more times than I can count and I still don't get it.
1) What was the purpose of the duplicate Enterprise?
2) Why did they need Kirk to die to set an example for the remainder of the population? Wouldn't the Gideonites have simply thought "some alien guy we don't know and never heard of died of a disease no one knows about"
3) What happened to Odona after Kirk and the Enterprise left?
4) If Gideon was so congested and overpopulated as we see in the background of people nearly walking on each other where did they get the room to built the duplicate Enterprise?
I simply don't get it.
1a. To trick Kirk into not leaving, in a way that he would not be suspicious of - lull him into a state of complacency, at least early on - either to break him down psychologically as a precursor to life in a padded cell... and/or to make his spreading his STD infection (or whatever it was) to others easier. Again, a padded cell could have multiple fascinating uses...
1a1. But why they couldn't just take a blood or bacteria sample and spread it...
1b. During the making of the story, it was decided to do a bottle show to save costs. So the Enteprise sets were the ones predominantly seen.
1c. The best part is, at least Kirk recognizes some of the ship sounds are wrong.
1d. For a while, the trick worked and the revealing of Gideons from a window is rather effective... but the story doesn't bear up to any scrutiny, that's the real problem and an underlying moral message about overpopulation alone isn't enough on its own if the makers go out of their way to describe the duplicate ship.
2. Kirk had an immunity. Like a disease carrier; he can spread whatever his cooties are to anyone but he himself is still safe. He wouldn't die but he would have to spread it to many on Gideon. Sadly, enough details are not put out so what
is shown leads to any number of giggle-worthy conclusions.
3a. If I recall rightly, she was made immune just like Kirk. She spread the ailment to others. She'll live and everyone else can happily die ever after.
3b. I will admit that Odona and her father feel utterly sincere in regards to an unwanted situation and being sincere. The story is a real mixed bag but some moments are positive standouts.
4. Bingo. The episode does a (nominal) job in discussing organ regeneration, so one could guess that they could otherwise start to die of malnutrition and ***zing*** the affected organs renew themselves. Which solves the problem most people bring up of "What about food and water?" It's a tad magical thinking, that or these
Gallifreyans Gideons are unique in terms of being a non-simple organism that can regenerate its organs... Though the simpler organisms that can do that still die over time and need nutrients and hydration regardless, so it all goes back to magical thinking. But it was 1960s sci-fi, and proof that not just modern sci-fi is loaded with lapses of logic... which then doesn't reflect well on the modern stuff because today's audiences wouid be a lot more knowledgeable than their 1960s contemporaries...
The story has its heart is the right place, about discussing overpopulation. Perfect for Trek. But the script needed another edit or two made in order to get around the woolly areas, which quickly derail the story. There's also a dig at religion that isn't exactly subtle (despite being nondescript in terms of which religion it's going after), but it might not be the main point, or even
intentional either. Something about valuing life now somehow being a
bad thing is the takeaway. (But to value life also means not to act like an aquarium full of guppies and incessantly reproduce.)
