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.