"The Apple" turns the idyllic setting of Gamma Trianguli VI into a life and death struggle replete with landmine- rocks, lethal dart-tossing flowers, and extremely precise lightning bolts. Controlling it all is Vaal, giant green-eyed serpent-headed cave-mouth fed by a bevy of scantily clad unspoiled immortal natives. Vaal however doesn't know better than to interfere with Kirk's command and tries to bring Enterprise down from orbit. Any such threat draws an immediate response of course, and Kirk's actions to counter it are to be justified in that manner. But there are unavoidable issues with the Prime Directive here.

Spock was correct in that the Feeders are healthy and happy, and for Kirk to disturb their blessings (if solely) to prevent "humanoids living to service a hunk of tin" is highly debatable. For him to shrug it off with a flippant (if not racist) reference to Spock poorly deflects the issue, especially after just watching them learn that killing is also "a thing to do, like feeding Vaal."

The Feeders of Vaal might derive from another era in which the great machine was constructed, little is known. They might not even be indigenous to Gamma Trianguli VI (another deposit from The Preservers perhaps?), and if Vaal is akin to an asteroid deflector or something there's a chance removing it from operation may in fact endanger if not imperil the Feeders. Kirk took a stagnant paradise away from the Feeders to give them a guarantee of death along with their freedom to create (and procreate). Good trade? You tell me.

Keith Andes as Akuta, the eyes and ears of Vaal, is fantastic. He represents the Feeders convincingly as simultaneously naïve and loyal (and unable to take a right cross). The rest of the cast does a similarly excellent job, with special mention to the Big Three for communicating a spectrum of opinion, and for a fired and re-hired Scotty suffering the effects of mysterious Vaal-water on his antimatter-fire.

For all the issues raised it is certainly fun to watch and does entertain, adding marvelous details like Spock's smoking, lightning-struck shirt (and knowing how much Starfleet has invested in him down to the credit!). The redshirt body-count reputation gets a big boost here also, with a stunning run early on (Hendorff, Kaplan, Mallory, Marple … it's so bad they have to use two transporter sequences to beam down the victims!). Nevertheless this sweet and tasty episode leaves a lingering doubt about its flavor, an unpalatable pondering about swallowing a worm in the process.


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