Line #10 YMMV/StarTrekS1E13TheConscienceOfTheKing


1	* CanonFodder: According to ''Literature/TheAutobiographyOfJamesTKirk'', the relief ship that comes to Tarsus IV was the newly-commissioned ''Enterprise'' under Captain Robert April. This helped fuel young Kirk's desire to join Starfleet.
2	* HarsherInHindsight:
3	** "[[Recap/StarTrekEnterpriseS04E18InAMirrorDarkly In a Mirror, Darkly]]" reveals (via a barely visible screen) that [[Series/StarTrekEnterprise Hoshi Sato]] was among the 4,000 killed by Kodos.
4	** When Spock says Kodos had his own theories about eugenics, Bones replies that he wouldn't be the first. This episode is before we learn about Khan and the Eugenics Wars, which makes [=McCoy=]'s comment darker than was probably originally intended.
5	* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct: In a departure from his usual LargeHam style, Creator/WilliamShatner showcases some brilliantly subtle acting in this episode, really driving home how deeply affected Kirk is by what he witnessed.
6	* HilariousInHindsight:
7	** ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' has made it somewhat more difficult to be suitably grave about the possibility that the villain is the notorious Kodos in disguise.
8	** Kodos' StartOfDarkness involved him losing most of their food supply, so he divided the population in half (for eugenic reasons however rather than chance) and exterminated one half. This wiped out exactly 50% of the colony, but he got away with it and later became a RetiredMonster [[spoiler:who dies after his sins catch up to him]]. One can't help but think of [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse Thanos]].
9	** ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' cast member Creator/ReneAuberjonois frequently shared an amusing anecdote about his experiences watching the original ''Star Trek''. During the scene where Riley's drink is secretly poisoned, the unseen assassin is using what we now recognize as a Windex-style spray bottle (which was invented around the time of this episode's airing). He mused about how such bottles are now ubiquitous, yet appeared perfectly futuristic at the time. Of course, this isn't implausible in universe, as it's quite believable that an industrial lubricant might be applied in that way.
10	* OlderThanTheyThink: Themes: Creator/RonMoore is a fan of this episode, particularly the way Kirk wavers between his ethics and thirst for vengeance ("There's a stain of cruelty on your shining armor, Captain"). "The brooding tone and the morally ambiguous nature of the drama fascinated me and definitely influenced my thinking as to [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine what Trek could and should be all about.]]" Likewise, in his re-imagined version of ''[[Series/BattlestarGalactica2003 Battlestar Galactica]]'', Moore named the prison barge ''Astral Queen'' after the ship commanded in this episode by Captain Daily.
11	* RonTheDeathEater: Kodos frequently gets the "make the villain even more villainous" version of this treatment in fan works, especially those set in the [[Film/StarTrek2009 reboot]] universe. Whereas the episode depicts him as a particularly twisted (and [[TheAtoner repentant]]) WellIntentionedExtremist, these fan works often depict him as not only a ManipulativeBastard using the situation of the famine to his own benefit[[note]]though one can argue enacting a culling based on one's own theories showcases he ''did'' use the situation for his own benefit to some extent, it's not quite the same as what's depicted in these works, which generally involve a lot more active manipulation of the situation on Kodos' part[[/note]], but also a sadistic monster who reveled in the pain he caused. While there's no denying that Kodos canonically committed an unspeakable atrocity, there's no indication that he, for instance, deliberately caused the famine to create a situation where he could put his principles into effect, delayed calling for help in order to ensure the death of the "unworthy" and/or extend his own time in power, was in possession of secret stores of food the entire time that would have been enough to feed the entire colony, or delighted in torture and murder (including [[WouldHurtAChild of children]]) -- all of which are common attributes of the character in fan works.
12	* {{Squick}}: Isn't it just a trifle odd that father and daughter were playing a married couple? True, Lord and Lady Macbeth don't have any big romantic moments (she spends much of their time together belittling his manhood) but still! [[IncestSubtext It becomes more so when you note his daughter is unhealthily attached to her father.]]
13	** From the company's side of things, it's likely that it was just a case of casting their most established actors in the most prominent roles, and that given the aforementioned lack of any romantic scenes, they just didn't think much of it one way or the other. But that doesn't mean Lenore might not have been enjoying the fantasy a little ''too'' much.
14	* TheissTitillationTheory: Lenore wears a mink micro mini when she visits the bridge of the ''Enterprise''. Her other outfits (barring her Ophelia costume) are a strange blend of Greek chiton, Indian sari and early flower child.
15	* VindicatedByHistory: This episode was among the lowest in ratings during the first season, mainly due to the fact that it was "too talky" with no action scenes, and didn't feature any "monster" or "sci-fi gimmick". Hence, it was decided not to give it a repeat broadcast. Now, it's considered one of the show's best episodes.

Context YMMV / StarTrekS1E13TheConscienceOfTheKing