Star Trek Discovery - Season 1

Well, I gave it a chance. I was very impressed with the set design, special effects, makeup, and overall look of the show. If only TOS, could've had this kind of technology and special effects back in the 1960s! Unforturnately, STD is all sizzle and no steak. The characters were bland or unlikable, the dialogue forgettable, and the stories just aveage. So, I lost interest fast. I can only sit through so many "cool" special effects and explosions before I get bored.

But I'm not the target audience.
I'm not just talking about Teenagers and young adults. Hollywoods sells its movies/TV shows to the whole world now. And young people around the world want action and "cool special effects". And there's no sense writing great English language dialogue, when it'll be dubbed in Chinese or German.

And the actors didn't make much of an impression. But actors have to work with what's on the page. And they didn't get much. 

So, its back to watching "Old" star trek for me.

TOS - Season 1 - Ranking

 Excellent

1. Balance of Terror
2. Corbanite maneuver 
3. City on the edge of Forever
4. Menagerie

Very Good

1. Arena
2. Conscience of a King
3. Devil in the Dark
4. Enemy within
5. Errand of Mercy
6. Galileo Seven
7. Shore Leave
8. Space Seed
9. Tomorrow is yesterday
10. Where no man has gone before
11. What are little girls made of?

Good

1. A taste of Armageddon
2. Charlie X
3. Court Martial
4. Dagger of the  mind
5. The Man Trap
6. Miri
7. Mudd's women
8. Naked Time
9. Operation Annialate
10. Squire of Gothos
11. This Side of paradise

Average

1. Return of the Archons

The Worst

1. Alternative Factor

TOS Season 2 - Ranking

Excellent

1. Amok Time
2. Doomsday machine 
3. Mirror, Mirror
4. Troubles with Tribbles

Very Good

1. Bread and Circuses
2. Gamesters of Triksolian
3. Immunity Syndrome 
4. Journey to Babel
5. Metamorphosis
6. Obsession 
7. Patterns of Force
8. Piece of the Action
9. Private Little war
10. Return to Tomorrow
11. Ultimate Computer

Good

1. Assignment earth
2. By Any other name
3. Cats-paw
4. changling
5. Deadly years 
6. Friday's Child
7. I, Mudd
8. Omega Glory 
9. Wolf in the fold 

Average

1. The Apple
2. Who mourns for Adonis

TOS - The Apple

Plot:  When Kirk and a landing party visit Gamma Trianguli VI they find innocents who  worship an all-powerful God - and danger.

Time hasn't been kind to The Apple. A fairly expensive episode, it offered (for the 60s) cutting edge special effects, unusual makeup and extensive set design. We also get a lot of action. Sadly in 2022, the sets looks incredibly fake, as do the "landmines" and "Killer flowers". And we no longer can suspend disbelief when American actors in tan makeup are presented as primitive space aliens. 

Also, the story is far too familiar. Once again, as in the "The Last of the Archons", we have an all-power computer/mechanical being that runs a "Utopia". A once again, Kirk has to destroy it, because its threatening the USS Enterprise.

With all that said, "The Apple" isn't that bad. We get some great Spock-McCoy byplay, some funny lines (hat tip Gene Coon), some Checkov romance, and some good action sequences. The story drags at times, but its watchable.

Best Quote

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..

Summary: Currently ranked as the 8th worst episode on IMDB, the problem with The Apple isn't that its terrible - its that so many other Star Trek Episodes are better. It has flaws, but its not mind-numbing boring like Mark of Gideon, or annoying like And the Children shall Lead. Its just very, very average.

TOS - The Empath

Plot: Trapped in an alien laboratory, Kirk, Spock and McCoy meet an empath and are involved in a series of experiments.

Pros: Acting, Ending, Some good drama, Dialogue, minimalist set, Guest star
Cons: Slow moving, not enough story or action. Villians aren't logical

Favorite Quote
McCoy: Men weren't intended to live this far underground. It's just not natural.
Kirk: And space travel is?
Spock: Some men spend the majority of their lives in mines beneath the surface.
McCoy: I'm a doctor, not a coal miner.

De Forrest Kelly's Favorite
This was supposedly De Forsest Kelly's favorite episode, and its easy to see why. The set is a darkened sound stage with the guest stars and "The big three". The focus in on the acting, and Dr. McCoy gets a lot of screen time. And he gets to be the hero and show a wide range emotions, instead of just being cantankerous or trading barbs with Spock.

Almost a Great Episode
The Empath was one rewrite away from being a great Star Trek episode. While the acting, script, and Guest star, are good there's not enough story. The plot moves at a snails pace. Its a great 35 mintues, but the show is 50 minutes long.

Its one Star Trek episode that needed a "B" plot. Or maybe more action. Maybe "our guys" could have escaped from the undergound facility and the aliens had trouble reacapturing them. Of course, that would've cost more $$ and that would've gone against the whole goal of making a low budget episode.

Summary:
Anyway, the episode needed an exciting 10 minutes in the middle. And it didn't get it. However, its not that bad on DVD, since I could FF and focus on the best parts, which are very good indeed. But given the drawn out plot, I can't rate it more than average.

TOS Podcasts - Reviewing the Reviewers

As I've been watching Star Trek - the original series, I've been listening to various podcasts that go over the episodes. I've found several that standout:

1. Fascinating - A star trek podcast
2. Mission Log - A Rod Roddenberry production
3. Enterprise Incidents - with Steve Morris and Scott Mantz.
4. Inglorious Trekspersts

Sadly, the rest of them (and there are a lot) are hit and miss. Overall, these 2nd tier podcasts, are much more critical and political then those mentioned above, and the IMDB comments. Or more accurately, more critical and political in a much less intelligent manner.

These 2nd teir podcasts, really, really, love pointing out "Sexism", "Racism" and "Jingoism", even when they have to stretch the meaning of those words a country mile. They also do the following:

• constantly snark at what "a horn dog" Kirk is. Haha. There's Kirk making his moves on everything in a skirt - despite this being false.
• Miss the meaning of episode dialogue and can't place the situations in context
• Talk about how "boring" somethng is, without support
• Don't understand its a TV show and is supposed to be entertaining - not a science lesson or character study.
• Think pointing out minor inconsistencies and plot holes is important and interesting
• Don't like all that icky romance stuff (most podcasters are male nerds)
• Ignore the quality of the set design, music, writing or direction.
• Constantly snark about the acting being "Cheesy" and "over-the-top"
• Don't get the Humor and take the jokes literally
• Confuse the actor with the Character.  
• Think the 1960s and the 1950s are the same in terms of culture and sexual attitudes
• Thunder about how "Personally offended" they are by some mild instance of "sexism" or "colonalism". Thankfully, they don't cry on-air.

Part of them problem, is they don't know anything except TV shows or SF/fantasy.  Classical movies (let alone Classical literature) is a closed book to them. 

Many seem to think Critical analysis consists in combing through a TV show and pointing out all the violations against the polticially correct views in the current year.  One half expects them to denounce something as "Counter-revolutionairy" or "a poltical belief of the Bourgoise".  Its sometimes that goofy and stalinist. 

The old-time attitude of being broad-minded and welcoming different viewpoints/values is gone. Instead, these podcasters proudly (or in anger)  announce how OFFENDED they are at some line of dialogue.  Others use words like "icky" or "bizarre" to describe something that differs from their cultural values. How dare Kirk, compliment a women! That's intolerable! 

TOS - Omega Glory

Pros:  Good acting, Great Villian, lots of action, interesting ideas, fast paced 

Cons: Too many fights, Another Planet too much like Earth, Shatner reading the US Constitution

Best Quote:

SIRAH: Yes, it is written. Good shall always destroy evil.

MCCOY: Spock, I've found that evil usually triumphs unless good is very, very careful.

CLOUD: Hoola!

MCCOY: Spock, we've got to do something!

SPOCK: I am open to suggestions, Doctor.

Omega Glory is an action packed Star Trek episode with Morgn Woodward, a very good guest star. For the first 3 acts, its tightly-written, and full of interesting (if not fully developed) ideas. And then comes the 4th act, and things sorta go wrong. Unbelievably, we learn the savage "Yangs" (in terms of their beliefs) are almost carbon copy Americans, down to their flag, Pledge of Alligence and the US Constitution.

Yet the Episode is Vastly Underrated

Omega glory is currenly ranked on IMDB as the 5th worst TOS episode, right above, Spock's Brain, the way to eden, And the Children Shall Lead, and The Alternative factor. Non-Americans really  hate it, giving it a 5.9 IMDB Rating (US viewers give it a respectable 6.5). 

This is simply absurd. The episode is well-acted, action packed, well-directed, and fast-paced. At no time was I bored. The ending is weak (Shatner reads the Preamble to the US Constitution) and there are too many fist-fights but those are the only real criticisms I have. I'd rate it a 7.0. 

The situation from the Original Screenplay never fully spelt out,
You can glem this from screenplay. Somehow after the invention of space travel, both the Communist Chinese, and the USA, colonized the same planet. A war broke out using nuclear and biological weapons. Over the passage of hundreds of years, the Yangs (aka the Yanks) reverted to savagery. The Coms (aka the Chinese Communists) became the more civilized village dwellers and got the upper hand. But when Star Fleet show up, the savage Yangs, using "human wave" tactics are on the verge of conquering the last Com village.

The following lines were cut from final filmed episode:

McCoy: Jim, the parallel's too close. They seem so completely Human. Is it possible that... ?
Kirk: The result of Earth's early space race?
Spock: Quite possible, Captain. They are aggressive enough to be Human.
McCoy: Now listen, Spock, you...

It Played Better in 1968

Roddenberry, who wrote the script, is basically flipping the average American view of the Korean war, and on-going Vietnam war.  Instead, of backward poorly armed Chicoms and NVA attacking outnumbered, but technologically superior American forces and winning through sheer numbers, its the  Yangs "Hordes" using spear/lances to attack the more advanced Coms.  

Througout the episode, we're supposed to the side with the more civilized "Coms", and be fearful of the Yangs.  The fact that the "Coms" are placed by Asian actors, and the barbarian "Yangs" are played by white actors is supposed to show up racial predjudice, as does Kirk's ending comment that "We the People,  must apply to everyone or it means nothing!"   

Summary

While its understandable that non-USA viewers would be turned off by symbols of US Partiotism, that's a small part of the episode.  From reading some of the more hysterical critics, you'd think Captain Kirk spent the entire episode singing "God bless Ameica" and waving Old Glory.  Watching it, I was suprised how little partiotism we get.  It all comes at the end, and although the idea of a space alien having a US Constitution is quite silly, its no worse then a Roman Planet, a Greek planet, a Dakota-Navajo Indian planet, or a Chicago Gangster planet.

"Star Trek" is a mishmash of Science Fiction and Fantasy 

Time travel, mind swapping, all-powerful aliens who can ignore time and physics, and mirror universes are all fantasies.  And there are other questions: How can Spock knock people out with a "Vulcan Nerve pinch" or "read minds"?  How can  a ship travel at 10x or a 100x the speed of light? How can humanoids live 2,300 years? How can a transporter beam your atoms through  earth, steel or concrete? How can aliens turn the Enterprise into a toy and back again? How can everyone speak English? And so on.

Its amazing what SF fans will accept or reject as "unrealistic".  And explaining something as due to an  all-powerful, too advanced for us to understand, alien life form isn't science, its just magical thinking.   

TOS - Season 3 - Ranking

Very Good

1. All our yesterdays
2. Enterprise Incident
3. Elanne of Troyius
4. Spectre of the gun
5. Tholian web
6. Wink of an Eye
7. Turnabout Intruder
   

Good

1. Day of the Dove
2. Requiem for Methusela
3. Is there no Truth in Beauty?
4. Let this be your last battlefield
5. Savage curtain
6. The Empath

Average

1. Paradise Syndrome
2. For the world is hollow and I have touched the sky
3. Clound Minders
4. Whom The Gods Destroy

Below Average

1. That Which Survives
2. Spock's Brain
3. Way to Eden

The Worst

1. Mark of Gideon
2. Lights of zetar
3. And the Children Shall Lead
4. Plato's Stepchildren 

TOS - Paradise Syndrome

Plot: Kirk, suffering from from amnesia, finds romance and heartbreak on an alien planet peopled with the descendents of Native Americans.

Pros: Good script, shot on location, believable romance, good McCoy-Spock by-play, ending well done.
Cons: Hollywood "Indian" speak, mediocre supporting actors, somewhat predictable.

Paradise Syndrome is a well done Star Trek drama. Not an action-adventure. A drama. The action is limited. The Enterprise isn't going to blow up, Spock and McCoy aren't going to die, and phaser blasts and fist-fights are kept to a minimum. 

Instead, we focus on Kirk (forgetting he's Captain Kirk) living in an Indian village whose decendents were brought to the planet thousands of years ago by the "Providers". Taken for a God, he ends up romancing an Indian princess. Meanwhile, onboard the USS Enterprise, Spock and McCoy try to keep an asteroid from smashing into the planet.

A Believable Romance

Kirk is at the village for over 2 months, and as a result, his romance with Miramanee is believable, as is his love for her. When she dies, Kirk is quite rightly upset. What a change from Requiem for Methusala - where Kirk falls in love in 3 hours!

Pushed by Roddenberry.  Fred Freiberg wanted action adventure
While Roddenberry mostly was hands-off during 3rd season, he is responisble for this episode and many key changes to the story.  Fred Freiberg didn't like the original script, thinking it was too talky and didn't have enough action.  To Freiberg Star Trek was "Tits in space".  Roddenberry, however, liked the story (and the writer Margaret Armen) and forced Freiberg to produce it. 

So what's Wrong?

• The supporting actors playing the Indians are mediocre. Not bad, they just aren't memorable.
• The Indian dialogue is mediocre. Its difficult to write great dialogue for "primitive" people. They have to sound different, yet uneducated. So, you get a lot of short, declarative sentences.
• Kirk's "Story" is rather predictable. His advanced knowlegdge makes him the Medicine man. He falls in love with a beautiful Indian maiden, tragedy strikes and she dies. After all, we can't have Captain Kirk running around the Galaxy with his wife and Indian son.
• We needed more excitement. Not a lot - but some. At one point, things get so laid back, Kirk and his wife talk about the Lamp he invented and his irrigation project. Yawn. Character development? Yes. Putting me to sleep? No.

Best Quote
MCCOY: Well, your Vulcan metabolism is so low it can hardly be measured, and as for the pressure, that green ice water you call blood
SPOCK: My physical condition is not important, Doctor. That obelisk is.
MCCOY: Well, my diagnosis is exhaustion brought on from overwork and guilt. You're blaming yourself for crippling this ship, just as we blamed you. Well, we were wrong. So were you. You made a command decision. Jim would have done the same. My prescription is rest, now. Do I have to call the security guards to enforce it?

Summary:  A good solid episode.  Gets better on rewatch. 

TOS - That Which Survives

There's not much to say about "That which survives". Its a mildly entertaining, if forgettable, action-filled episode. Lee Meriweather is killing people, the Enterprise commanded by Spock is about to blow up, and Kirk, McCoy, and Sulu are trying to stay alive on a barren, uninhabitated planet.

Several points:

1) Spock really needs McCoy or Kirk to play off. Here, he just has Scotty, and in order to generate some interest Spock is super-sarcastic and logical. Its good as far as it goes, but there's not much tension. Spock figures out how to save the ship, and Scotty does it.

2) The planet scenes are too low-budget with too many fake rocks. This is one episode that should have been shot on location.  Roddenberry wondered why a wind machine wasn't used (as it was in Specter of the Gun) to make the planet more "alien".

3) It also needed much better direction. It seems that Director Wallerstein wasn't really that talented, but got selected because he always came under budget. Having the writer John Meridith Lucas as director might have improved things.

4) This has the worst supporting TOS cast, I've ever seen. Sulu and McCoy need to be replaced since they're trapped on the planet. And who do we get? Unattractive, charisma-free replacements. The new helmswoman is horsefaced and can't act. McCoy's replacement is no great shakes either. And yes, and its nice to have an increased minority presence, but going from just Uhura every week - to Uhura, a black doctor AND a black engineering assistant is jarring. We even get a "Dr. Sanchez"! 

Meanwhile D'mato, who beams down with Kirk, looks and sounds like a middle-aged NYC Deli worker. Why do we get this 50 y/o bald guy with a paunch, when everyone else on Star Trek is young and fit? He's not a good actor either.  Plenty of  good young Italian actors in 1969, why didn't they hire one?  Note: seems he was a friend of the producer. So he got the job!

5) Lee Meriweather does suprisingly well as the killer android. She's a killer with a heart of gold. She doesn't want to kill, but hey orders are orders.  The ending message was touching, and not in the original script.

6) Checkov given the week off.  And Bones might as well been. McCoy only has 41 lines and does nothing more than patch up Sulu, and ask Kirk "What do you think, Jim? "  

TOS - Wink of an Eye

Wink of an Eye is an above-average TOS epsisode that benefits from a great guest star. Kathie Browne absolutely nails it, as the "villian" Deela. TOS often lives and dies by its guest stars. Second-rate Jeff Corey helped ruined Cloudminders for me. But here, Browne makes Wink of an Eye very enjoyable. She brings the right amount of intelligence, playfulness, beauty, and strength to the role.

As for the story, its tightly written, but a rehash of other SF stories and previous Star Trek episodes. It  moves at a fast pace. Like Specter of the Gun (also based on a Gene Coon story outline) it shows that a low budget "Bottle episode" can be entertaining if done correctly.

I'd put it in the top 30 episodes of TOS.

Best Quote:

Kirk: Mr. Spock. My compliments to your repair work and yourself.

Spock: Thank you, Captain. I found it an accelerating experience.

TOS - The Cloudminders

Plot: The Enterprise arrives at Ardana to obtain "Zenite", the only cure for a plague on another planet. However, the troglodyte miners and the elite rulers in the beautiful cloud city of "Stratos" are locked in conflict. Can Kirk find a way to get the rare mineral in time to save millions?

Pros: Beautiful actresses and set design, not a bottle episode, philosophical plot, some Spock flirting, Kirk behaves like Kirk
Cons: Obvious message, weak villain, bad fights, static first half.

Cloudminders while average in execution is a welcome change from most of season 3. Finally, we're given a "new civilization" with some good set design. And we're not looking for Spock's brain, but following Kirk as he attempts to obtain a needed rare mineral and navigate the conflict between the "have-not" minors in revolt, and the upper-class cloud dwellers.

And Kirk is Kirk 

He's focused on the mission - not some beautiful android. Also nice are the two beautiful actresses. One, in a pretty blue dress, plays Plasus' daughter, and has some nice flirty moments with Spock. The other, is the tough resistance leader, battling for justice.

Substandard Jeff Corey as the villainous Plasus.
Corey simply doesn't have enough Charisma for the part. This guy is the leader of Stratos? I don't think so.   Corey is more of a  supporting actor, and playing against Shatner exaggerates his limitations.  Plus, he's far too old to be fighting with Kirk.

The talky over-obvious first half
While its enjoyable to visit Stratos and learn about their society, the first-half is far too talky and static. We pick up the situation fairly quickly: 

(1) the planet divided into workers and cloud people;

(2) Parus is prejudiced against the troglodytes; and 

(3) the workers are oppressed. 

But after these points are made, the first-half just drones on, with a needless torture scene and Plasus- Kirk arguments. Its not until the 3rd act, when Kirk decides to beam down to Vanna's prison cell, so she can help procure the Zinone gas, that the story starts moving again.  Albeit in a predictable direction.

The bad fights
The Director does a poor job with the two extended fights The one between Corey-Kirk is unbelievable, since Corey is too old and small. The beginning fight is poorly choreographed. Why Spock doesn't use his nerve pinch, and can't beat a 120 lbs girl isn't made obvious. Both lack any sense of danger and go on far too long. 

Best Quote

Droxine : You only take a mate once every seven years?

Mr. Spock : The seven-year cycle is biologically inherent in all Vulcans. At that time, the mating drive outweighs all other motivations.

Droxine : And is there nothing that can disturb that cycle, Mr. Spock?

Mr. Spock : Extreme feminine beauty is always disturbing, Madam.

Plasus : Gentlemen, one of our planet's most incomparable works of art: my daughter Droxine. 

Captain Kirk.  And First Officer Spock.

Droxine : I have never before met a Vulcan, sir.

Mr. Spock : Nor I a work of art, Madam.

Summary:  An average episode let down by some bad casting of the villian, and weak direction.  A message episode that needed less repetition and more wit.  However, the actresses are lovely, we get off the Enterprise, encounter a new world,  and the story is logical and mildly interesting.   

TOS - Lights of Zetar

Plot: Scotty's romance with a new Star Trek officer is interrupted when aliens attempt to take over her body. 

Pros:  Guest star looks good in a short skirt.  Memory Alpha,  Conference to solve the problem
Cons: Bad romance, dull guest star,  Scotty plays the fool,  another bottle episode, plodding story

Quite rightly considered one of TOS' worst episode, there's really nothing terrible about LOZ, its not And the Children shall Lead,  it just covers familar ground and is very mediocre. Designed to appeal to a female audience, we get some standard 3rd Season tropes;

• A plot centered on a female guest-star (Mira)
• A romance (this time with Scotty)
• Aliens taking over a human body
• A bottle episode 

The script is pedistrian and the execution is poor.   Scotty is written as a love-sick mooncalf,  Gushing over Mira, and being overly-protective. Its hard to believe this version of Scotty has ever seen a woman before. Mira, meanwhile,  never even smiles at him. Her love for Scotty only appears at the end.  And the two actors (Doohan and Jan Shutan) have zero chemistry. Its a very odd romance.  

And while Shutan isn't bad in the role,  Mira - as written - isn't particularly likable or interesting.  She snarks at McCoy, and is often strong-headed and egotistical for no reason.  And that's a big problem, because there's nothing in the story  itself that's interesting.  Shatner, Bones, and Spock, help solve the problem and "cure" Mira, but she's really the center of the story.  A space battle with the alien lights, and a few dead people on Memory Alpha are thrown in, to gin up the action,  

Typical Bad Scotty Dialogue

SCOTT: You're the sanest, the smartest, the nicest woman that has ever come aboard this ship.
MIRA: Anything else?
SCOTT: Anything else, I'll keep to myself for the moment.

And:

KIRK: Get to Sickbay, Lieutenant. That's an order.
MIRA: Yes, sir.
SCOTT: Captain, would it be all right if I went along to Sickbay?
KIRK: No, Mister Scott. Stay at your post for the moment.
SCOTT: But Captain

Summary:  "The Lights of Zetar" is so bland and boring its hard to write about.  A talky, talk fest on the Enterprise, it plods along from A to B.  The aliens aren't particulary interesting either,  they just want to live.  Nor is the resolution exciting or belivable.  Given all that, the central character Mira, needed to be something special - and she's not.  Skippable.  

TOS - Mark of Gideon

One of the best things about Star Trek, The Original Series, is that while its sometimes silly, its rarely boring. Unfortunately, Mark of Gideon is an exception. For what seems like the whole episode, we alternate between two situations. First, Spock on the Enterprise Bridge talking to the Gideon leader and getting the run around. Second, Kirk, on a duplicate empty Enterprise, wandering around with a confused blond woman seeking answers. Eventually, Spock beams down and we learn Kirk's kidnapping was related to Gideon's overpopulation problem.

Its incredibly static and talky. There's almost no action. Neither guest star (Sharon Acker or David Hurst) is charsimatic, and we never feel Kirk is in danger. On the plus side, there's no sadism or annoying child actors. That's the best I can say about it.

Best Quote:  

SPOCK: Diplomats and bureaucrats may function differently, but they achieve exactly the same results.

Summary: A forgettable episode, its all talk, none of it interesting. Usually, I go into more detail, or review the reviewers, but this episode is so dull, its not worth the effort.  Basically, the Producers wanted to fill time, spend as little $$ as possible, and push their  politics. One of Star Trek's worst.

TOS - Plato's Stepchildren

Plato's Stepchildren is a perfect example of why TOS Season Three was so terrible. We start off with an interesting concept. A group of Space Aliens, after a brief sojourn in Ancient Greece, settle on a new Planet. After 2,000 years, the Enterprise comes calling and meets these ageless "Greeks" with vast mental powers.

Plenty of possibilities here. 

How do they handle being almost immortal and ageless? What have they done with their vast amounts of free time, meditation, and study? How has Greek philosophy formed their society?

But We get none of that.

These "Ancient Greeks" are just shallow, arrogant, self-entitled jerks. And there's nothing "Ancient Greek" about them, except their customs and dress. They just as easily could've been 18th Century aristocrats or Romans.

And the entire episode consists of these "Greeks"  trying to force McCoy to stay behind, by subjecting Spock and Kirk to sadistic humilation and torture. Almost 13.5 mnutes of it.  Here's the breakdown:

12:00 to 12:30 - Kirk is forced by Parmen to slap himself for 30 seconds.

19:45 to 25:15 - Kirk is forced to sing/dance, be a horse, and grovel.  Spock is forced to sing/laugh.

38:45 to 45:15 - Spock is forced to sing to, kiss, and threaten Nurse Chapel.  Kirk does the same to Uhura, except no singing.  

It should be noted that the last two scences are accompanied by McCoy shouting for Parmen to stop it, while we get close-ups of Alexander (looking pained/disgusted) and Philania (amused or excited).  

The Simple simon plot 

Act I - Hello there earthlings, please save our leader, he's ill. Have you met Alexander? He's small and pathetic. We like to bully him.
Act II - Please don't go Doctor McCoy - otherwise we'll have to Kill/torture your friends
Act III - Torture and Humiliation of Spock, Kirk
Act IV - Oh no! Now, you're more powerful than we are. Don't punish us, we'll be good. Adios Captain Kirk!

Now, is the episode boring? Nope. Torture and humiliation are never boring. But its very unpleasant. And when all is said and done, what is the point? Absolute power corrupts? Yeah OK, but we've had that moral/message about 10 times already.

The Annoying Alexander
I found Alexander very annoying this time round. His character is so pathetic, and the writers try to manipulate us into hating Parmen and his wife for bullying him. And cheer Alexander for being so cute a and lovable. Subtext? "Those upper-class Greeks may be beautiful and smart, but  they're really snooty swine,  The ugly little person, the outsider, the oppressed minority, is the only decent one in the bunch.  Its terrible, how they abuse him! 

Its such an old Trope. Remember the movie Spartacus? On one side, the nasty decadent Roman Aristos. On the other hand, the decent, full of life, salt-of-the-earth slaves. This is just another riff of that old tale.  

And again, what is the point? Why would they still be so nasty to him after 2,300 years? Why wouldn't any of that noble Greek philosophy and endless meditation have an effect? 

Typical Dialogue:

ALEXANDER: You think that's what I want? Become one of them? Become my own enemy? Just lie around like a big blob of nothing and have things done for me? I want to move around for myself. If I'm going to laugh or cry, I want do it for myself. You can keep your precious power. All I ask is one thing. If you do make it out of here, take me with you.

Other problems 

This is one of the lazier TOS scripts. Not only do we do "The Greeks" again (see Who Mourns for Adonis) but once again, we have a set of all powerful space aliens who have trapped our crew and need to be taught a lesson in humility.  We even get the patented Kirk "You've forgotten how to live" speech. The sets are cheap, and character development is minimal.  Alexander is the only character who shows any complexity. Parmen is an arrogant evil one-note johnny.  Philana is the same, only vain. Spock is given little to do. McCoy just protests he won't stay. Kirk is Kirk.  Memorable quotes are few. 

In addition to the 13.5 minutes of Torture porn,  we get 2 minutes of objects flying around when Parmen is delerious with fever, and another 1.5 minutes of Kirk/Parmen playing Ping-pong with a knife wielding Alexander.  Almost 17 minutes of  badly done "action". 

The Acting
Probably the best thing about the episode is the acting. Barbara Bobcock, Liam Sullivan, and Michael Dunning are very good in their roles. Too bad the story/script is so bad.

Reviewing the Reviews

Given how sensitive most Star Trek internet male reviewers are, I expected them to dislike the episode and be turned off by the sadism.  After all,  a few words of "Sexism" reduces them to tears, so all this unneccessary abuse of Kirk/Spock/Uhura/Chappell should really get them going.  Wrong!  Hey, they have no problem with it,. In fact, some of them seem to be into torture porn and only wanted Kirk to get some payback.  Otherwise, they go on and on about how great Alexander is, and hey, what about that 50 year old inter-racial kiss?

But   the  Fascinating star trek podcast has a wonderful take.   One of them likes the episode because he wants Shatner/Kirk "Taken down a peg".   And both wonder if the writer was expressing  his hatred of the two stars!

Summary:  This episode is the closest TOS ever came to trashy, sadistic sex porn. If you like seeing our heroes abused and humilated for 12 minutes or love little people, this episode is for you.  Myself, I consider it one of the worst.