9. MiriWHY WE LIKE IT: Miri's a sweet character.
WHY WE DON'T: Bonk bonk on the head! Kids and Star Trek really don't mix.
REVIEW: I had fonder memories of this episode, I think, but watching it again today has been almost torturous in spots. I knew I was gonna cringe at all the kid-speak ("Bonk bonk" chief among the expressions used), but I found almost everything about them irritating. The silly games, the masks, the rebellious attitudes, the Lord of the Flies flashbacks...
The story is replete with TOS clichés (or things that would become clichés) like Kirk's amazing rippable shirt, his power hug to Miri not unlike the one he gave "himself" in The Enemy Within, the planet that's just like Earth (incredibly so in this case, with the notable differences that this Earth has no cloud cover and that some countries are differently colored like on a map, which is the case for Canada and India), and the idea that Kirk probably shouldn't have any children.
Miri is a likeable character and exudes a lot of charm, but her relationship with Kirk gets a little creepy at times. She's naturally jealous of his relationship with Yeoman Rand, but that just highlights a relationship that's difficult to understand. This isn't the first time words have been exchanged between the two "grups" speaking to a certain desire between them. But nothing is ever done about it, and it's hard to believe there wouldn't be a lot of awkwardness at the end of each of these episodes.
LESSON: You don't really need your secretary along for an away mission.
REWATCHABILITY - Low: Between extremely annoying antagonists and loads of unbelievable or boring story elements, I can't possibly sit through this one again any time soon.
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