I talked about this one before because it's an interesting episode. It's one of those I really liked, but have no idea why.
Plot:The Enterprise crew finds happiness at a colony where alien spores provide total contentment.
Guest Stars:Frank Overton as Sandoval, Jill Ireland as Leila Kalomi
Nitpick:Maybe someday I will understand how spores can not only prevent radiation from killing you but reverse any illness or injury you've ever had. And yeah yeah the scene of Kirk on the Bridge was recycle into "Relics" over on TNG. Oh, and I've complained about that god awful romance music here before. In "Shore Leave" it blended in better, it's just grating to listen to.
Summary:
Teaser-The Enterprise is orbiting Omicron Cetti III. Years earlier colonists arrived there to form a settlement. However, soon after Berthold Rays were discovered and were found to be lethal, and there is no way the settlement survived. However when the landing party beams down, they are met by the colony leader and several others.
Act 1-The crew are stunned to see the colonists alive and well. It simply shouldn't be possible. The crew follow Sandoval to a house where they meet his daughter, Leila. And it's instantly clear she has met Spock once before. McCoy isnists on running medical checks on all the colonists while the pthers scout the area. The crew reports an absolute lack of animals, even insects. Even though the colonists had some for breeding (on a two year space flight? That ship must have smelled!) Then McCoy reports that the colonists are an absolute perfect health, even lacking scars from previous surgeries. Sandoval refuss to answer Kirk's questions (why I never understood). Kirk says Starfleet wants the colonists removed but Sandoval refuses to do that also. When Spock asks Leila how they have survived, she brings him to some strange flowers. The flower spray spores, which makes Spock suffer for a second and then suddenly he is happy and content and can love Leila.
Act 2-Kirk tries to push the evacuation despite the resistance from the colonists. When he calls Spock, Spock doesn't answer right away. When Spock finally does, he is flippant and insubordinate. Even McCoy acknowledges that Spock didn't sound like himself. Kirk tracks Spock down with Sulu and another officer, and finds him hanging from a tree happily flirting with Leila. Kirk tells Sulu to place Spock under arrest, and instead Spock takes them to the planets. They spray on Sulu and the other officer, and they understand. Kirk finds McCoy has also been sprayed with the spores, and has been beaming plants up to the Enterprise. On board, Uhura has sabotaged the communications while the entire rest of the crew are beaming down the planet.
Act 3-Kirk is unable to get any help from McCoy so he transports back down to talk to Spock. He explains how the spores drifted through space until they landed on the planet. The spores need a host body to live, and in return they give perfect health and peace of mind. Kirk points out that they also take away man's drive to better himself. People were meant for more than just being happy all day with no ambition. He returns to the ship, and finds it completely empty. As he wanders, a plant suddenly appear and sprays him. And he understands, and tells Spock he is on the way down. In the Transporter room, Kirk is preparing to bem down when he fights the urge and angrily declares he is not leaving. Suddenly the spores are gone, and he thinks he has the answer. Violent emotions destroy the spore influence. He tricks Spock into returning so he can goad him into getting angry. When it works, Spock comes close to killing Kirk.
Act 4-Spock realizes what he is doing and stops himself, he also realizes the spore influence is now gone. Kirk has an idea to send a signal over the crew's communicators that will agitate them until they get angry. As the work on it, Leila calls Spock to see what is taking so long. Spock beams her up, and realizes that he is no longer under the spore influence. Spock explains that he is what he is, and Leila is sad and cries which also kills the spores in her. This scene is better than I am making it sound, annoying music aside, because these are two amazing actors at the top of there game. Nimoy plays Spock heartbroken but still very much in character. The signal is sent and soon the crew and colonists are fighting each other. Sandoval and McCoy also get into a small fight, and Sandoval realizes that their colony has been a failure. He tells Kirk he will cooperate fully. Later, the crew have returned and the ship is leaving. Kirk asks Spock why he has been so quiet about the planet. Spock says he has little to say, except that for the first time in his life he was happy.
Final Thoughts:Leonard Nimoy owns this episode. However honestly my favorite scenes are the one's of Kirk alone on the Enterprise. It's not easy to carry several minutes of a show all alone but I think Shatner pulled it off well. The romance stuff is fine, we know its a doomed romance but it is fun to see Spock indulge more into his human half. And I give credit it wasn't forgotten in the end, Spock accepts that he was happy for once in his life. The episodes big problem is that the great mystery that sets the episode is solved by the end of act 1, meaning the rest of the episode has to meander till it gets to the end. It isn't bad, but it does drag.
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