Plot; An alien entity who feeds on conflict manipulates a group of Klingons and the crew of the Enterprise into a never ending stalemate.
Season 3 of ST:TOS is somewhat notorious for its slashed budget thanks to falling ratings and a lack of faith from the network. There are some well regarded episodes from the season, however, and "Day of the Dove" is among them (currently sporting an 8.0 rating on IMDb).
There's a germ of a good idea here, but without spoiling too much I believe it's somewhat undermined by the fact that the attitudes of the factions are often created, not simply manipulated, by the alien entity. It sort of robs the story of any real moral lesson. It does give the actors a nice stage, with even Chekov getting a little bit of gristle to chew on. But as usual it's Shatner and his go big or go home style that gives the stakes the weight they might otherwise have lacked.
Season 3 of ST:TOS is somewhat notorious for its slashed budget thanks to falling ratings and a lack of faith from the network. There are some well regarded episodes from the season, however, and "Day of the Dove" is among them (currently sporting an 8.0 rating on IMDb).
There's a germ of a good idea here, but without spoiling too much I believe it's somewhat undermined by the fact that the attitudes of the factions are often created, not simply manipulated, by the alien entity. It sort of robs the story of any real moral lesson. It does give the actors a nice stage, with even Chekov getting a little bit of gristle to chew on. But as usual it's Shatner and his go big or go home style that gives the stakes the weight they might otherwise have lacked.