The Enterprise is approaching two inhabited planets, Ekos and Zaos, hoping to find out what happened to Anthropological Historian John Gill (David Brian). Kirk is a former student of Gill's and Spock is duly impressed by Mr. Hill's teachings, but nobody has heard from him for a long time. A nuclear warhead is the Enterprise's welcoming committee, and the ship fairly quickly comes to understand that Gill has become involved in the creation of a cultural duplication of Nazi Germany on Ekos. So, the conflict seems to hinge on TOS' most powerful self-created cliché Morality and the prime directive.
This background is very pithily crammed into the five minute opening sequence. The episode proceeds somewhat more leisurely afterward, but remains, essentially, an action/adventure story. Kirk and Spock are captured and have to escape, as usual, but the plot does involve a couple of nicely executed twists. The support cast deserves special mention here. This episode could not have been as successful as it was without really nice performances by Richard Evans, David Brian, the mysteriously MIA Valora Noland (not seen in film since 1971), and Skip Homeier. The sets are also excellent and very convincing.
There are a couple of troubling and interesting points that this episode, whether intentionally or not, raises. Aside from the usual clichés about absolute power corrupting absolutely, etc, the episode praises Naziism for its efficiency (a compliment somewhat at odds with the real economic and political history of Nazi Germany) and seems to suggest that in the hands of a benevolent dictator, totalitarianism isn't necessarily a bad thing. Also, I wasn't sure whether to be amused or disturbed by the fact that the most Aryan looking actor in the entire cast by far Skip Homeier was cast in the role of the of a scheming, manipulative, sociopath. I am not sure what statement, if any, this was intended, but it certainly was affective. Homeier's performance is very memorable.
All considered, this is a memorable episode for its difficult and intelligently handled subject matter, strong acting and sets. The script and directing are sort of average for TOS, but nevertheless adequate. Director McEveety would later make a name for himself with the TV show Dallas.
This background is very pithily crammed into the five minute opening sequence. The episode proceeds somewhat more leisurely afterward, but remains, essentially, an action/adventure story. Kirk and Spock are captured and have to escape, as usual, but the plot does involve a couple of nicely executed twists. The support cast deserves special mention here. This episode could not have been as successful as it was without really nice performances by Richard Evans, David Brian, the mysteriously MIA Valora Noland (not seen in film since 1971), and Skip Homeier. The sets are also excellent and very convincing.
There are a couple of troubling and interesting points that this episode, whether intentionally or not, raises. Aside from the usual clichés about absolute power corrupting absolutely, etc, the episode praises Naziism for its efficiency (a compliment somewhat at odds with the real economic and political history of Nazi Germany) and seems to suggest that in the hands of a benevolent dictator, totalitarianism isn't necessarily a bad thing. Also, I wasn't sure whether to be amused or disturbed by the fact that the most Aryan looking actor in the entire cast by far Skip Homeier was cast in the role of the of a scheming, manipulative, sociopath. I am not sure what statement, if any, this was intended, but it certainly was affective. Homeier's performance is very memorable.
All considered, this is a memorable episode for its difficult and intelligently handled subject matter, strong acting and sets. The script and directing are sort of average for TOS, but nevertheless adequate. Director McEveety would later make a name for himself with the TV show Dallas.