Star Trek

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>Wanted to say thanks Spouter for your reviews and your keen observations on all of the Trek episodes. I started reading your thread and have to confess that I got so fascinated that I read and commented on all of the reviews in one sitting (as you probably saw). Great to see somebody who loves the old show as much as I do. 

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>Just watched "Requiem For Methuselah". 

>I really like this episode but it doesn't really make that much sense unless you consider Kirk maybe having some mid-life crisis or something.

>At the beginning of the episode all Kirk's crew are going to die of the plague unless they get some sort of cure within around 12 hours I'm estimating. They get to Flint's planet and negotiate for the raw materials for the cure and to kill time Kirk romances the girl.

>For one thing, Kirk's priority has always been the ship and I can't see him 'fiddling while Rome burns' dancing and playing pool while his crew is dying.

>Then he falls in love with Rayna in less than 4 hours, invites her to run-away with him while upsetting their host who has total control over whether his crew lives or dies. I'm not a guy but I don't think Rayna was that fantastic, oh yes she can discuss particle physics with you, is very attractive, dances well but I think too innocent for Kirk's usual tastes but maybe men will disagree with me. It seems to bizaare even for Kirk. I'm thinking and maybe its hinted in the episode that Kirk was under a lot of strain and Flint was riding him. If I was Starfleet and was rating his performance of this incident I would consider suspending him here or something. I consider Kirk's actions in this episode unprofessional (the only time I can remember aside from maybe TWOK).

>Then Kirk and McCoy have the hide to tell Spock that he doesn't know what love is and it is he rather than Kirk that demonstrates it in this episode. And that's what makes this episode great for me.

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