The Vietnam war analogy here could not be clearer. Mainly because Kirk takes the little time out two-thirds of the way through the mission to make it painfully clear through a direct reference. But that said it’s a pretty sophisticated analogy for the time (1968 in this case). Kirk is pretty clearly stuck with no good options – arm his side, violating the prime directive and causing an escalating war, or do nothing and cede the planet to the Klingons and leave his side to die.
I found the whole ‘women are seductive and will manipulate you’ side plot an unwanted distraction by comparison, clearly an example of Star Trek’s relatively unevolved attitude towards women (oh, and another example of the midriff rule in action).
48 down, 689 to go. Now 14 episodes behind, or 415 minutes (depending on how you’re counting).