Bloggers at Tor.com are re-watching episodes of the original Star Trek , and writing up detailed reviews, one episode at a time. The original Trek is the only one I ever really loved, and so reading their reviews is a lot of fun.
This week, they look at the episode "The Deadly Years," in which Kirk, Spock, and the gang are exposed to an illness that prematurely ages them. They find it's one of the best of the series.
It felt appropriate that Kirk and the others afflicted aren’t so much scared of death as they are of senility.... [B]eyond the competency and the identity issues the worst part of their affliction is the loss of dignity. It’s humiliating. That’s what makes it so terrifying, so sad, and so moving.
I haven't seen this episode since I was in my early teens. I wonder how I'd react to it now that I'm 14 years older than Kirk?
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