52 – The Omega Glory

Grade: B

Summary

Kirk and crew beam down to a planet where another Starfleet captain seems to have found the secret of eternal youth. Once they arrive, however, they find out this is a planet that is remarkably similar to Earth.

Commentary

I like this episode, though I know it’s not everyone’s favorite. I think there are some good insights into freedom and what it means for us. I like it that Kirk is able to teach the people on the planet about the proper way to honor the Constitution. There are plenty of people alive today (including within our own government) who could really benefit from reading it now.

But on the other hand, the story is rather heavy-handed. A more subtle approach would have been better. It also gets a little tiresome that so many episodes deal with planets that are “remarkably similar to Earth.” Just like Voyager had

Of Note

The main villain in this episode shows up later in a different episode. Sometimes I confuse the two episodes.

In this one, Spock uses a Jedi Mind Trick to put an idea into someone else’s head. I’ve always thought this could have come in handy in later episodes, but as far as I’m aware, this is the only time it’s used.