I'll save "The Changeling"; alleged inspiration for TMP and another amusing example of Kirk talking a machine to death ("Error! Errrrrrrrrorrrrrrr!").
I will admit, tropey or not, Kirk nagging the computer to self-destruct was always amusing. Nomad's is arguably if not demonstrably the most entertaining...
As a kid, I wondered how the thing lit up and gently bounced up and down. As an adult, it's obviously hidden wires or actors doing the lifting, and a big-bleep car battery lighting the thing up, noting that the lighting needed to film with acceptable results anything was so much, and so hot, it's amazing actors didn't sweat visible on set.
It was a bit hokey, killing off Scotty just to revive him after a commercial break - which is also otherwise counter to Nomad's shiny new programming of "kill all that is imperfect". Wiping Uhura's mind allowed for a little more insight into her character, but it's glossed over with "Well, she'll be ready by next week Jim" where they're somehow able to re-educate her within that span, instead of the usual number of decades done under normal biological circumstances.
Saving "BREAD AND CIRCUSES".
Solid episode, and one of my favorite scenes between Spock and McCoy in the entire series is in the cell while Kirk is away. Just superbly done by both actors.
Another great Spock/Bones scene, among several others. The Earth parallel routine was really getting tropey, but this one did do it so well that I could suspend disbelief with ease.
Recently I've come to appreciate The Apple for giving us the first and only TOS female in the Security division, Martha Landon. Some have debated this interpretation, so for those I will adjust this to "the closest thing we get" to female security. In either case, Martha beams down with a phaser on her hip and she clearly has combat training. Personally I suspect she's the Security Chief's yeoman and doesn't get much field work, but this episode was a rare opportunity for her to join a landing party because the mission needed security personnel cross-trained in surveying, and she and Marple fit the bill.
But my real job for today is to save The Deadly Years. It's got its issues, but I enjoy Spock's professionalism in his conversations with Stocker.
Great points, all. I recall she did get a good piece of the action scene too.
I used to dislike the story for being superficial to an allegory, but have come to appreciate both individual nuances like Landon as well as other concepts.
Saving THE OMEGA GLORY.
Yes, the parallel Earth/flag stuff may be a bit hard to swallow, but that opening act is truly horrifying.
Morgan Woodward just steals the show. He only needs to whisper "Boo!" and a robust 7-figure audience quickly warps to their TV set to turn up the volume in interest.
The sci-fi aspect and "fountain of youth" is one of the very few times where the trope feels satisfying and well-written. TFF was thinking of using the trope, but ditched it. INS had used it, and did it so poorly that even its follow-up film forgot that INS happened!! Maybe that was the only way, given enough headcanon gymnastics to explain it off. No, "Omega" is the only one where it
works.
As this episode was a pilot, the Earth/flag stuff was not unexpected. The parallel development trope was stretched very thin for sure, but it's not devoid of ideas. With another draft rewrite, it may have been honed even better and not slagged off. Odd or not, there are lazier parallel world development episode IMHO...
