Saving "Friday's Child" as it shows that the Federation is not always above board when it comes to negotiationg with apparent prewarp civilizations. Also, I have always enjoyed the Capellans, their salute and weapons.
Also, Bob the Klingon.!
Those Capellans sure could sing!
The episode has memorable set pieces, but that beginning where a plop of expositionvomit tells us that this is a sensitive situation and what does Kirk do? He beams down Rookie Redshirt and then grovels over it, citing he was a rookie. I suspect they wrote the story's ending then worked their way backwards, but ran out of time.
(not sure who did the edit, but I think they need to turn the bass up just a few thousand decibels more...)
Nitpick aside, the ploys used in the episode to separate the crew and corner them are otherwise quite good and, indeed, are exciting. But that opening seems a bit much, especially for Kirk. But he's only human.
Saving TOS Season 2: "The Omega Glory." Yes it has some level of absurdity in it, even for Star Trek, but otherwise it is a very taught, tense, and even terrifying hour of Star Trek with one of the most menacing antagonists the series ever produced. There's some really good stuff in this one that you can't overlook.
It's such a mixed bag.
The sci-fi bit with the "fountain of youth" is probably the one time Trek got it right. And it's downright creepy, the virus that causes people to decompose into their various crystalline and salt chemicals. But, dang, the "Earth parallel" bit really stretches it. It was one of the original pilot episodes, and during the thick of the 1950s/60s cold war, meant to appease the suits to greenlight the show. Not wrongly so as people often misunderstand sci-fi. Look at the premiere movie-length episode of "Sliders" from 1995. It was doing anything
but glorifying communism, but some critics managed to interpret it as such. Granted, in 10th grade I also wrote a story in a creative writing class involving a parallel dimension (yes, I'm old) and the teacher was baffled by it too. Still got a B+ so enough of it still made sense to them... wish I'd kept it. It'd be worth a re-read and giggle over how corny it was...
Surprised "The Apple" is still here. It's super entertaining. All those crazy red shirt deaths. Kirk's casual "you'll figure it out!" when the natives ask follow-up questions about how they will live now that Kirk has blown up their whole way of life. Always a lot of laughs on this one.
Like "The Horns of Nimon" of Doctor Who infamy, accept it on its own level and there's fun to be had.
The McCoy/Spock scene was excellent, one of the best, but it's still too short.
There are some good scenes...
The notion that those rocks, the nice splodey-boomboom ones you don't want to trip over or lob at a tree for a cheap thrill, are the ones Vaal wants to get its power from, and in return providing the slushy blobby squishy juicy bits that the local species needs to survive.
There's an interesting point on birth control as there are no "little ones"... this is arguably another "free love" fantasy theme that some episodes tend to use. Meanwhile, one can already hear the 80s saying "Hold my toy".
And there are chilling moments; like when the lead guy casually tells his fellows how to turn the Enterprise crews' heads into shattered pulp. Forget Jason and Freddy; that scene always did more for threat and build-up.
And not until "Justice" is everyone so carbon-copied in countenance. Oh well, at least they have hair akin to a pet store rabbit or lab rat, rather than cliche blonde. The wigs aren't as grating, either.
But the parallels to religious folklore are a little too heavy-handed and dorky. The garden of Eden, the baddie is a machine that - oh look! - takes the form of a giant serpent, there's dialogue that states "apple" (never mind the title drop), and so on.
Also, Spock was right - despite McCoy having a couple of worthy quips. Never mind that he's the one begging to Jim as referee, partly because he knows Jim will agree - but Jim's not ready to take the bait and for rather a good reason...
(The villagers are walking into the serpent's mouth and depositing plates of fruit down it's throat. Kirk and Spock watch from behind a shrub.)
SPOCK: Apparently, our hypothesis is correct. There is no living being there. It is a machine, nothing more.
KIRK: Well, the field's down, people are going in. Let's see what kind of luck we have.
(But as soon as they stand, the eyes light up and there is a rumble of thunder.)
KIRK: That's not the way.
SPOCK: Evidently not. This is no ordinary machine, Captain. It may well possess a rudimentary intelligence.
KIRK: But it needs to eat. Frequently. So it can't have any great power reserves.
SPOCK: That may not be of any help. The Enterprise has only ten hours left in which to break free.
KIRK: What happens if Vaal weakens around feeding time? Spock, check the electromagnetic section of the astrophysics lab. Get an estimate of the total amount of energy being expended against the ship. Have them measure it hour by hour.
SPOCK: Acknowledged.
(McCoy joins them.)
MCCOY: What's going on, Jim?
KIRK: Mess call.
SPOCK: In my view, a splendid example of reciprocity.
MCCOY: It would take a computerised Vulcan mind such as yours to make that kind of a statement.
SPOCK: Doctor, you insist on applying human standards to non-human cultures. I remind you that humans are only a tiny minority in this galaxy.
MCCOY: There are certain absolutes, Mister Spock, and one of them is the right of humanoids to a free and unchained environment, the right to have conditions which permit growth.
SPOCK: Another is their right to choose a system which seems to work for them.
MCCOY: Jim, you're not just going to stand by and be blinded to what's going on here. These are humanoids, intelligent. They need to advance and grow. Don't you understand what my readings indicate? There's been no progress here in at least ten thousand years. This isn't life. It's stagnation.
SPOCK: Doctor, these people are healthy and they are happy. What ever you choose to call it, this system works, despite your emotional reaction to it.
MCCOY: It might work for you, Mister Spock, but it doesn't work for me. Humanoids living so they can service a hunk of tin.
KIRK: Gentlemen, I think this philosophical argument can wait until our ship's out of danger. Kirk here.
Never mind the ending, where the worst parallel is made. Sadly, it would not be possible to have a movie as a sequel, since "The Wrath of Vaal" wouldn't get far and a few millennia would be needed before Akuta and co would be able to figure out how to hightail it at warp speed to track down Kirk. Maybe "Lower Decks" could have fun with this. After all, what they did to follow up "Symbiosis" with was genuinely impressive. Ditto for Pakleds. To tackle
this story in an equally creative way would be the icing on the cake. LD has surprised in many ways, generally and genuinely good or better.
It's definitely not barrel-scrapin's when all is said and done, but some moments do come close.
