I also find this to be one of the very best Star Trek episodes. One of the saddest and moving also.
To me, this episode is a thinly-veiled allegory that examines some of the good effects and bad effects of mind and personality altering substances (drugs, alcohol).
The two quotes that best exemplify this (and the bad/good) are when Sandoval sobers up and says "We've done nothing here". And the last line of the episode from Spock: "For the first time in my life, I was happy".
Also, I've begun to think that the difficulties that Spock has with the spores shows why some people become addicted to substances while others don't. Spock finds happiness with the spores, but realizes later that the spores are wrong. Well acted, you can see the mental torture Spock goes through. Very similar to people fighting addictions.
Spock's comments about self-made purgatories are especially poignant, beautiful, and moving.
An excellent TV episode.
To me, this episode is a thinly-veiled allegory that examines some of the good effects and bad effects of mind and personality altering substances (drugs, alcohol).
The two quotes that best exemplify this (and the bad/good) are when Sandoval sobers up and says "We've done nothing here". And the last line of the episode from Spock: "For the first time in my life, I was happy".
Also, I've begun to think that the difficulties that Spock has with the spores shows why some people become addicted to substances while others don't. Spock finds happiness with the spores, but realizes later that the spores are wrong. Well acted, you can see the mental torture Spock goes through. Very similar to people fighting addictions.
Spock's comments about self-made purgatories are especially poignant, beautiful, and moving.
An excellent TV episode.