[Nate the Great]

March 15th, 1968, "Bread and Circuses"

Fiver (by Derek)
Transcript
Memory Alpha

The Episode

CHEKOV: Definitely class M, somewhat similar to Earth.
KIRK: Yes, similar. But the land masses and oceans are quite different, however.
SPOCK: Different in shape only, Captain. The proportion of land to water is exactly as on your Earth. Density five point five, diameter seven nine one seven at the equator, atmosphere seventy eight percent nitrogen, twenty one percent oxygen. Again, exactly like Earth.

I think this is supposed to justify the parallel evolution without having a duplicate Earth like other episodes. A valiant attempt, but I prefer the good old-fashioned "this is a necessary hand-wave to tell these stories, if we had the budget we'd use more alien makeup."

SPOCK: Fascinating. This atmosphere is remarkably similar to your twentieth century. Moderately industrialised pollution containing substantial amounts of carbon monoxide and partially consumed hydrocarbons.
MCCOY: The word was smog.
SPOCK: Yes, I believe that was the term. I had no idea you were that much of a historian, Doctor.
MCCOY: I am not, Mister Spock. I was simply trying to stop you from giving us a whole lecture on the subject.

It's a shame we never got this kind of repartee in later series, at least as well-written or of such frequency.

SPOCK: Then the Prime Directive is in full force, Captain?
KIRK: No identification of self or mission. No interference with the social development of said planet.
MCCOY: No references to space, or the fact that there are other worlds, or more advanced civilisations.

For the longest time this was as close to a full description of the Prime Directive as we ever had. The interesting thing is that merely visiting prewarp societies is allowed. No duckblinds, no trained cultural observers, any ordinary Starfleet officer can walk around these planets.

The thing is, if all Starfleet officers (and Federation scientists) take a vow that they're willing to die before breaking the Prime Directive, why are these sorts of missions allowed? At least by people not fully trained for this sort of thing.

MCCOY: One, just once, I'd like to be able to land someplace and say, Behold, I am the Archangel Gabriel.
SPOCK: I fail to see the humour in that situation, Doctor.
MCCOY: Naturally. You could hardly claim to be an angel with those pointed ears, Mister Spock. But say you landed someplace with a pitchfork.

Why wasn't this sort of thing more present in later series?

SPOCK: Complete Earth parallel. The language here is English.

It's rather sad how much this episode tries to defend the parallel development, only for it to completely backfire when the viewer is reminded of all those other episodes where the locals are nothing like Earth humans and yet still speak English. Even if my suspension of disbelieve can accept parallel development of humans, language is another matter. For some reason the writers are choosing to point out plot holes rather than ignoring them and hoping the audience does the same.

FLAVIUS: Who are you?
KIRK: We come from another province.

And again. In this episode our heroes are trying their best to fit in and not violate the Prime Directive, which just brings to mind how often they break it in other episodes.

Captain's log, stardate 4040.7. On the surface of planet four, system eight nine two...

And again. Of course we'd assign numbers to planets that have indigenous populations until we're informed by the locals what they consider the name of their world to be. But then there are all those episodes where we unilaterally give both the planets and the locals names and expect them to go along with it.

Captain's log, stardate 4040.7. (cont.) An amazing example of Hodgkins's law of Parallel Planet Development.

Until a text cameo in an Enterprise episode over thirty years later this will be the only mention of Hodgkin's Law. It won't be mentioned by name again in canon. A shame, as you'd think it'd come up more often.

KIRK: (looking at a car advert) But the Jupiter Eight? Mars toothpaste. Neptune bath salts.
SEPTIMUS: Taken from the names of false gods.

So...the planet evolved to be identical to Earth. The people evolved to be identical to Earth. The language, the inventions, the religions, everything is identical to Earth. Even proper nouns. One wonders what Improbability Factor you'd have to use in the Heart of Gold to create such a planet. Who knows how many whales and bowls of petunias and whales you'd make before this planet happens...

SPOCK: Curious, Captain, the similarity in names. Were you told why Merik was dropped from the Space Academy?
KIRK: He failed a psycho-simulator test. All it takes is a split second of indecision. Hardly the type to become a political strongman.

I wonder if the writers of TNG's "Coming of Age" was referencing this. The weird thing is that "unsuitable for command" is hardly the same as "unsuitable to be a Starfleet officer of any kind." Unless Merik was one of those "if I can't be a captain I don't want anything to do with Starfleet" types.

MCCOY: Odd that these people should worship the sun.
SPOCK: Why, Doctor?
MCCOY: Because, my dear Mister Spock, it is illogical. Rome had no sun worshipers. Why should they parallel Rome in every way except one?

Trillian must've forgotten to carry a one somewhere in her Improbability Drive calculations. Hehe...

SPOCK: Doctor, if I were able to show emotion, your new infatuation with that term would begin to annoy me.
MCCOY: What term? Logic? Medical men are trained in logic, Mister Spock.
SPOCK: Really, Doctor, I had no idea they were trained. Watching you, I assumed it was trial and error.
FLAVIUS: Are they enemies, Captain?
KIRK: I'm not sure they're sure.

Great writing.

KIRK: If I brought down a hundred of them armed with phasers...
CLAUDIUS: you could probably defeat the combined armies of our entire empire, and violate your oath regarding noninterference with other societies. I believe you all swear you'll die before you'd violate that directive. Am I right?
SPOCK: Quite correct.
MCCOY: Must you always be so blasted honest?
CLAUDIUS: But on the other hand, why even bother to send your men down? From what I understand, your vessel could lay waste to the entire surface of the world. Oh, but there's that Prime Directive in the way again. Can't interfere.

Exactly. It does beg the question...what do you do about people who haven't vowed to keep the Prime Directive, but are doing so anyway? Although the easy solution here is to take the cue of "A Piece of the Action" and stun everyone. Take the leaders away to be court-martialed before the rest can wake up.

SCOTT: But they have used the code term Condition Green, which means they're in trouble. But it also prohibits my taking any action.

A good idea, too bad we can start making a list of other episodes where the term should've been used and wasn't...

MCCOY: Well, what I'm trying to say is you saved my life in the arena.
SPOCK: Yes, that's quite true.
MCCOY: I'm trying to thank you, you pointed-eared hobgoblin!
SPOCK: Oh, yes. You humans have that emotional need to express gratitude. You're welcome, I believe, is the correct response. However, Doctor, you must remember I am entirely motivated by logic. The loss of our ship's surgeon, whatever I think of his skill, would mean a reduction in the efficiency of the Enterprise and therefore

I love these two. No matter how much later writers tried to replicate this dynamic, they never pulled it off to the same level of success.

UHURA: I'm afraid you have it all wrong, Mister Spock, all of you. I've been monitoring some of their old-style radio waves, the empire spokesman trying to ridicule their religion. But he couldn't. Don't you understand? It's not the sun up in the sky. It's the Son of God.
KIRK: Caesar and Christ. They had them both. And the word is spreading only now.
MCCOY: A philosophy of total love and total brotherhood.

This Chekov's Gun (insert obvious joke here) was pulled off about as well as could be expected, I suppose.