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In addition to the very lofty title there are some interesting themes buzzing about this otherwise workmanlike episode of Trek. For one, we meet a generation ship in the Heinlein model. This is a variation of a sci-fi trope (a ship traveling at such great distances it will take multiple generations to get there) wherein the true nature of the occupants’ reality is either lost or purposely kept from “middle” generations. Add to this: a computer glitch has this “ship” off course (cribbing a bit from The Paradise Syndrome) and, potentially, destroying a Federation planet. Still more plot: McCoy has a terminal disease and he’s in love with one of these travelling space babes who knows not the true Truman Show-esque situation he’s in. And he’s willing to bag it all to stay with her (in an odd reverse-breach of the Prime Directive.) In a word: woah. Well, things tie up neatly at the end (it involves Spock doing some speed-reading) and despite the (ahem) hollow feeling this causes I still give this episode the thumbs up for digging deep into the ol’ bag of tricks.