A Taste of Armageddon

While on a diplomatic mission to Star Cluster NGC321, Kirk and his landing party encounter a civilisation on Eminiar VII that claims to have been at war with neighbouring planet Vendikar for 500 years, although there is no sign of any conflict. It transpires that the two planets have a treaty and that the war is now controlled by computers that simulate attacks and calculate the number of human casualties, the victims of each simulation reporting to disintegration chambers; in doing so, they have made war neat and painless, clinical but also endless.

When it is reported that The Enterprise has been 'destroyed' in one such simulated attack, the Eminiar's hold Kirk and his party captive and try to trick the remaining crew into beaming down to the planet so that they can be disintegrated.

A Taste of Armageddon is a well-written, intriguing and thought-provoking episode that argues that it is the very real horrors of war -- death, pain, destruction, famine, and disease -- that often prevent it from happening. Of course, there is a much more preferable outcome that Kirk attempts to instigate -- peace -- but to do so he must kick some Eminarian ass!

8.5/10, rounded up to 9 for Scotty, who tells arrogant Earth Ambassador Fox where he can stick his diplomatic orders, and for Spock's hilarious line, 'Sir, there's a multi-legged creature crawling on your shoulder.'