The Omega Glory

TOS Season 2 Episode 23
Air Date: March 1st, 1968

Arriving at the planet Omega IV they discover the USS Exeter in orbit but are unable to establish contact. Kirk, Spock, McCoy and a security officer transport over to the ship to find nobody aboard. They do find the uniforms of the officers at their posts, but instead of people in the uniform, there are stones that look like diamonds crumbled on the floor. McCoy identifies it as Potassium 35%, Carbon 18%, Phosphorous 1.0%, Calcium 1.5% and identifies it human bodies with all water drained out.

They play back the medical officers log and he warns anyone that goes on the ship that there only chance of survival is to transport to the planet. When they arrive, they find the locals fighting which is broken up by the captain of the Exeter, Captain Ron Tracey. Tracey informs him that they are all infected and the planet seems to be what keeps them alive. McCoy discovers that they are infected with a bacteria similar to one developed in the 1990s, in an era of biological warfare.

The locals live in two groups. The more civilized villages and the "savages" known as the Yangs. The episode flipped the stereotypes of the times making the "savages" white men, while the villagers known as the Comms are of asian decent. On the surface it appears it is trying to be political commentary on racism and stereotypes but in reality the Comms are the bad guys, which is a prejudice that was common in the 60s.

Spock and the security officer get attacked by the Yangs but escape without using a phaser but they did find two empty phaser packs near the remains of hundreds of Yangs. Tracey then walks in phaser drawn and kills the security officer and takes the away team hostage. Tracey explains to Kirk that none of the planets inheritance have ever gotten sick. One of the guards says he is 462 years old.

Kirk ends up in the cell with two captured Yangs who continuously attack him. Eventually Spock is able to reach into the cell and use the Vulcan neck pinch to knock out the female Yang which causes the male to stop fighting and tend to her. They discover that the bars in the window are easy to break and they use it to escape.

Meanwhile McCoy was kept researching the bacteria problems. He found out there was a biological war that destroyed civilization. The planet adapted by developing vaccines in the food and water sources. If the crew of the Exeter stayed on the planet a mere 2 hours, they would have survived the bacterial infection so they can go back to the Enterprise.

The Yangs amassed and fought the Comms. Even with phasers the Comms lost. Captured now by the Yangs, Kirk makes an odd correlation that the Yangs are the Yankees and the Comms are the Communists. They even bring out a tattered American flag. At this point it becomes a battle of witts between Tracey and Kirk. Tracey tries to convince the Yangs that Kirk is evil even using pictures of the devils that looks like a Vulcan. Kirk says that good always beats evil and convinces the Comms to let him fight Tracey.

During the fight, Spock uses telepathy to get one of the Comms watching the fight to bring the communicator over. Meanwhile Kirk wins the fight but doesn't kill Tracey as it wouldn't be "good" to kill. Sulu transports down and takes Tracey into custody.

"Although it appears the infection may strand us here the rest of our lives, I face an even more difficult problem - a growing belief that Captain Tracey has been interfering with the evolution of life on this planet. It seems impossible. A star captain's most solemn oath is that he will give his life, even his entire crew, rather than violate the Prime Directive." - Kirk

"At least tell me why you want to kill me?" - Kirk
"Good captain try to reason with them." - Spock
"Keep trying captain, the behaviour is highly illogical." - Spock

"Leave medicine to medical men, Captain! You found no fountain of youth here!" - McCoy

"He must have attention soon." - McCoy
"My need for attention is vital, Doctor, but our need for departure is even more immediate." - Spock

"Spock, I've found that evil usually triumphs - unless good is very, very careful." - McCoy

"Among my people, we carry many such words as this from many lands, many worlds. Many are equally good and are as well respected, but wherever we have gone, no words have said this thing of importance in quite this way. Look at these three words written larger than the rest, with a special pride never written before, or since, tall words proudly saying, "We the People". That which you call Ee'd Plebnista, was not written for the chiefs of kings, or the warriors or the rich or the powerful, but for ALL the people! Down the centuries, you have slurred the meaning of the words, "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings  of Liberty, to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution". These words and the words that follow, were not written only for the Yangs, but for the Comms as well! They must apply to everyone, or they mean nothing!" - Kirk

"Does our involvement here also constitute a violation of the Prime Directive?" - Spock
"We merely showed them the... meaning of what they were fighting for. Liberty and freedom have to be more than just words. Gentlemen, the fighting is over here. I suggest we leave them to discover their history - and their liberty." - Kirk