The return of the Klingons. And another example of ‘what Prime Directive’, although with a bit more justification than in most instances here.
This episode’s moral has actually improved a bit. The idea of the difficulties of obeying a culture’s rules at the expense of your own is something that has become more important in recent times.
Not that Kirk, Spock and McCoy spend very much longer than they have to obeying the rules of the natives. But for a change the situation they find themselves in is more to do with actions outside their control, which makes this episode play a lot better than Errand of Mercy.
The Klingons are still developing – here they’re far more sneaky and duplicitous than warrior like. Errand of Mercy was far better at establishing the culture for the future.
Another pure Red Shirt in this episode, the fourth. And is it just me, or has Scotty been spending more time in command lately than Kirk?
(Oh, and hello again, Vasquez Rocks).
40 down, 697 to go. And that’s 2,000 minutes watched.