"And The Children Shall Lead" the list of disreputable episodes in TOS, this one quite possibly worst of them all. Even the most faithful, imaginative fan strains to find anything worthwhile. (Quick! What's your favorite line?) Some episodes are so bad they're fun. Here, even ice cream is something to be suffered. We do see the only appearance of the flimsy UFP banner, hear a curious tricorder audio cue, and enjoy most major and minor characters. But produced early in the third season, this must have given everyone involved an early glimpse into the hopeless challenge and sad cost involved in prolonging the series.

There's no fantastic plot hook to nudge the imagination out from apathy. There's no human element with which to identify (beyond parricide). There's as much intolerable padding repeated scenes as is found beneath that glowing shower curtain of ludicrous villainy Kirk inexplicably identifies as "Gorgan." There aren't any good effects (in fact the Enterprise flying through space is terrible). There is as little consistency in the back-story - Starnes says natural disaster killed the space marauders, Spock says they were destroyed by enemies - as in the main plot. Spock is immune to the influence in the cave yet somehow succumbs unpredictably back aboard (and why would he fear bothering Starfleet?).

How did the children manifest their "friendly angel" in the first place and why does he need them? How can Professor Starnes record a log with his tricorder in view? Granted the unusual task for the costume department but why clothe the children in their pajamas. (And considering the "family movies," don't they ever change clothes?) The cast is not spared any unfavorable portrayal either. Kirk is micromanaging and unflatteringly detached. (Shouldn't they at least try and beam the redshirt bodies back?) Why is a swordsman afraid of knives (KNIVES?) and why can't an Aberdeen pub-crawler manhandle two redshirts? Where is McCoy when he's not spouting psychobabble?

In addition to the traditional proscription on robots or cute kids, this forces us to forbid "stunt casting" as well. Fortunately much if not most of all bad acting in TOS (including bad Batman and Robin style fighting) is confined to these long dull minutes. The sappy happy ending ruins the last chance this episode has to redeem itself. ("Charlie X" handles this sort of material properly and much more satisfactorily.) What does Star Trek without Roddenberry degenerate to? Take a good hard look. Then be encouraged. No matter where you lead, it only gets better from here.