Saving "THE NAKED TIME".
Great acting by everyone, particularly Nimoy.
I'm 20% into a rewatch of this episode and, damn, it's
very compelling stuff. And almost sixty years after its original broadcast, no less.
This episode was early on in TOS's run and actually shows how to explore characters. Even Spock, whom we have little enough on, but still know enough of, with his keeping emotions back being powerful. Joe too, with unusual emotions coming to the fore.
Sulu and Riley confronting Joe is an exceptional scene, to the point where it's obvious they're using red powder for "blood" just doesn't matter. I bring up that point only because, as a kid, others pointed it out. They weren't technically wrong, but early TOS focused more on the psychological and philosophical, but often striving to make the science feel plausible (most of the time, for some things, usually for good reasons, one has to roll with it - and if the story is otherwise strong, it's easier to do.)
Even the surgery scene is well-timed, leaving incidental music minimal and letting the scene steep in itself.
I forgot how good this was and I only vaguely remember the creepy stuff with the crewman painting memes on walls.
Yes, one has to overlook the behind the scenes issues (new show, expensive, had to cut corners somehow) that forced the use of modified shower curtains as futuristic biohazard costumes and, more obviously, why Spock didn't tell Joe BEFORE to not go around touching things (it's technically for the audience's benefit as much as post-commercial captains logs are, but still.) It's the only one scene that sticks out for timing purposes.
