Enterprise visits the planet Ardana to acquire a mineral needed to cure a plague.
This is an enjoyable episode with a great central premise and some decent moments for Captain Kirk.
There is much of the plot to admire, such as the 'Metropolis' tributes, the portrayal of class divides and the forceful way Kirk interferes given what is at stake outside the planet. However, it's advisable not to read about David Gerrold's original outline for the story as it sounds much better than what was actually produced in this episode.
Kirk for me is good in most scenes as this is an example of him interfering in the balance of a society, largely because of his own mission. William Shatner plays it with trademark charisma, charm, a bit of force and does not go too far over-the-top. He has some good exchanges with Jeff Corey and the especially good Charlene Polite. The dialogue is not particularly subtle and is quite simplistic at times so their performances have to rescue it.
Spock is presented rather differently to usual in his interactions with the character Droxine. It just about feels logical that she would be drawn to him, but it depends on how interesting you find the scenes. Personally I'm not a huge fan of him departing from his usual character in this way, but it's not done badly.
The production design is strong, particularly the cloud city and zenite mines. The intercutting of scenes between Kirk/Vanna and Spock/Droxine is very good. The suicidal troglyte was quite impactful. I also like the costumes and props, as always.
I would have scored higher had I not learned the original plan for the story as, for me, it feels like a missed opportunity.
This is an enjoyable episode with a great central premise and some decent moments for Captain Kirk.
There is much of the plot to admire, such as the 'Metropolis' tributes, the portrayal of class divides and the forceful way Kirk interferes given what is at stake outside the planet. However, it's advisable not to read about David Gerrold's original outline for the story as it sounds much better than what was actually produced in this episode.
Kirk for me is good in most scenes as this is an example of him interfering in the balance of a society, largely because of his own mission. William Shatner plays it with trademark charisma, charm, a bit of force and does not go too far over-the-top. He has some good exchanges with Jeff Corey and the especially good Charlene Polite. The dialogue is not particularly subtle and is quite simplistic at times so their performances have to rescue it.
Spock is presented rather differently to usual in his interactions with the character Droxine. It just about feels logical that she would be drawn to him, but it depends on how interesting you find the scenes. Personally I'm not a huge fan of him departing from his usual character in this way, but it's not done badly.
The production design is strong, particularly the cloud city and zenite mines. The intercutting of scenes between Kirk/Vanna and Spock/Droxine is very good. The suicidal troglyte was quite impactful. I also like the costumes and props, as always.
I would have scored higher had I not learned the original plan for the story as, for me, it feels like a missed opportunity.