THE PLOT
The Enterprise is targeted for attack - a rather odd attack, as it is made by antiquated missiles, easily shot down. Kirk and Spock trace their trajectory to an asteroid. Only it is not an asteroid at all, but a spaceship, on a collision course with a populated Federation world!
Beaming onto the ship, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are startled to find that the asteroid's interior has been made to resemble a planet. This "world" is a populated one, its people primitives ruled over by an Oracle (clearly the ship's computer), who has the power to punish offenses. Presenting themselves in friendship, Kirk and Spock gain permission to explore the "world." Meanwhile, McCoy draws the eye of the high priestess Natira, who presents him with a proposition that proves extremely tempting to the doctor: Stay on the world as her mate.
CHARACTERS
Capt. Kirk: Shatner gets a couple of nice moments when dealing with McCoy's illness early on. When McCoy is unconscious, Kirk allows his regret over his friend's condition to show when talking about it with Spock. As soon as McCoy wakes, the mask of friendly nonchalance reasserts itself, falling over Kirk's face within about a heartbeat as we watch. Clearly, some of the "Kirk attitude" is a commander, behaving with confidence for the benefit of his crew. It's a rare moment of subtlety from Shatner, who hasn't been particularly subtle in some time.
Capt. Ham makes up for that with his speech to Natira. Shatner gets to loose his inner pork as he bludgeons Natira into submission with a series of halting, fragmented sentences about "A world. That is. No more!" It's all good fun, though. And after ceding the bulk of the previous episode to Nimoy and the bulk of this episode to Kelly, it's fair enough to allow Shatner his moment in the spotlight.
Spock: Though his friendship for McCoy remains as unspoken as ever, he does make an emotional gesture when he learns of Mccoy's illness, gripping the doctor's shoulder and holding on for several seconds. Other than this, his Vulcan reserve will not allow him to demonstrate any feeling, and he insists on focusing on the mission.
McCoy: At the beginning of the episode, McCoy announces that he is dying of an xenopolycythemia, an incurable Plot Device... er, disease, which gives him about one year to live. Despite this, McCoy insists on accompanying Kirk and Spock on their mission, and insists on using his remaining time to perform his duties. However, his condition makes him particularly susceptibe to Natira's offer. DeForest Kelly is reliable as ever. Still, one does question what, other than plot necessity, had McCoy going on this mission? As the asteroid was supposedly uninhabited, the initial problem seemed purely mechanical in nature; surely Scotty would have been the more logical choice?
Hot Alien Space Babe of the Week: Kate Woodville is Natira, the high priestess of "The People." She is far from the first primitive ruler we have encountered in Trek, nor is she the first matriarchal leader with whom we have been presented. But this episode is refreshing, in that she is not portrayed as a fool who needs her some good man'-lovin' to show her The Way, nor as a superstitious idiot. She is consistently shown to be essentially good-hearted, and given the world in which she has been raised, she shows clarity in her decision-making. Woodville is quite attractive, too, even managing to pull off wearing a shower curtain wrapped around her body.
THOUGHTS
So... Most sheerly beautiful episode title ever? Say what you will about the third season, they do seem to have had a way with episode titles.
The episode isn't bad, either. It's not up there with The Tholian Web, but it's a solid piece, with a reasonably imaginative core concept... even if the script renders the major obstacle for the characters into yet another "crazed computer" that Kirk must outwit. At least Kirk doesn't have to talk this one to death.
Unfortunately, the romance between McCoy and Natira is the story's weakest element. Natira falls for McCoy much too quickly for it to be convincing, and there's some clunky dialogue in their "amicable break-up" at the end. Both actors are very good, but they lack chemistry. I bought McCoy's relationship with the too-young yeoman in Shore Leave, because the two actors actually seemed to "fit" in spite of the age gap. I never quite managed to buy into this relationship, which - given how central it is to the episode - does blunt the overall effectiveness.
The Kirk/Spock material is much better, though, and this episode does offer an inventive spin on Trek's recurring "primitive society" trope. It's "B" Trek, but I found it enjoyable.
Rating: 6/10.
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