This episode will never be in my top ten list of original series favorites, but as others have said it is not nearly as bad as its reputation and has a lot of things going for it.
Number one - Chekov gets one of his most most substantial and character developing roles.
Number two - Skip Homeier's performance in this episode is absolutely brilliant. He maintains a demeanor of contemptuous stoicism throughout. But in the scene with Spock where he has the conversation while in the brig, he lets his stoicism slip to just the right degree to reveal real bitterness and longing. And later, when one of his underlings tells him they are within range of Eden, his face breaks out into a beautific smile.
Number three - One subtle aspect of the episode is that it acts as an expose of the real-life hippies, how so many of them gave lip service to peace and love and brotherhood but who at the same time had no problem with hurting and killing innocent people to achieve their goals.
Number four - It also was interesting to see that there were groups of malcontents within the supposedly utopian society of the 23rd century Earth and Federation. This was a radical notion to introduce into TOS at the time.
Number five - And it was also a nice subtle touch that Spock, of all people, was the one who best understood the Eden movement . . . "They regard themselves as aliens in their own world, a condition I am somewhat familiar with."
Number one - Chekov gets one of his most most substantial and character developing roles.
Number two - Skip Homeier's performance in this episode is absolutely brilliant. He maintains a demeanor of contemptuous stoicism throughout. But in the scene with Spock where he has the conversation while in the brig, he lets his stoicism slip to just the right degree to reveal real bitterness and longing. And later, when one of his underlings tells him they are within range of Eden, his face breaks out into a beautific smile.
Number three - One subtle aspect of the episode is that it acts as an expose of the real-life hippies, how so many of them gave lip service to peace and love and brotherhood but who at the same time had no problem with hurting and killing innocent people to achieve their goals.
Number four - It also was interesting to see that there were groups of malcontents within the supposedly utopian society of the 23rd century Earth and Federation. This was a radical notion to introduce into TOS at the time.
Number five - And it was also a nice subtle touch that Spock, of all people, was the one who best understood the Eden movement . . . "They regard themselves as aliens in their own world, a condition I am somewhat familiar with."
I gave it a 3. 
