I didn’t think it would happen until Season 3 — but it happened with this one. An episode I’ve never seen before! And a particularly good one, too. A surprisingly down and tragic episode — the internet tells me that special music was written and only used this once for the closing credits. Kirk and co. basically fail in trying to restore peace to the planet of Neural. The best they can do is balance the power and create an arms race that, if all follows as did on Earth, will eventually lead to peace. But first, a few centuries of horrible bloodshed. A brave Vietnam parallel with the hill people and villagers standing in as allies for the Federation and the Klingons. And some seriously heavy themes: when does pacifism the wrong philosophy? when does realpolitik trump idealism? when do ends justify the means? But it isn’t all heavy. There’s a white spiky poison gorilla on the loose (a Mugato) and sexpot Nona (the future Mrs. Zubin Mehta!?) will suck that poison from you for a nominal fee.
Here, Kirk, smoke this root. I mean touch this root. Oh, whatever, to your root. But the point is, you feel happy when she does it to your root.