Minus the “Yikes I have to respect the time frame when this came out but there’s white people dressed as Native Americans and dark face makeup,” The Paradise Syndrome is another good episode that I tend to like just because it’s not playing on any of the previously overused tropes and is it’s own unique story, with huge implications for Kirk.
I’ve also been waiting for this episode since I started this trek, though I had no idea which one it was or the episode number. But there was always a running gag in my group of childhood friends where they would randomly yell, ” I AM KIROCK!” I knew from what they told me that it was Shatner yelling that in a Trek episode, but never knew the context or saw the episode myself. So here it is. And it does not disappoint.
Basically, the Trio beam down to a planet to do a last minute (and I mean REALLY last minute considering how quickly Spock has to ditch Kirk when they can’t find him) survey before heading out to deflect an incoming asteroid that will destroy the planet. It makes me wonder where the Prime Directive comes in on all this: Should it be Starfleet’s prerogative to save planets from destruction just because they contain sentient life? Shouldn’t they be letting the natural order of things take place?
There’s also another very interesting aspect of the episode that posits that there are Designers, who seeded planets million of years ago, which is why so many of them are humanoid-like Earthlings. I like it, and it works and suddenly helps explain why so many aliens are human (and helps save on the makeup budget as well).
Having said all that, yes there’s a love story here, and probably the best of the series yet. Kirk gets amnesia and falls in love with a native, and they have a truly fulfilling, deep relationship, get married and conceive a child. Of course, this can not work since everything has to go back to normal by the end of the episode (darn episodic television!) so his wife must die so he can return to the Enterprise. But it is a touching moment and certainly one of the saddest endings of a Trek episode. (Ever notice how McCoy can never save anybody form dying?) For about 60 days Kirk was truly happy, it reminds me of the best TNG episode “The Inner Light.” Kirk has basically lived a different life, albeit for a much shorter time, but he is better for it in the end.
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