44) Bread and Circuses

We're excited to once again be joined by director Ralph Senensky for our deep dive of "Bread and Circuses," the third "Star Trek" episode he directed, and one that marked a turning point for both the series and the legendary studio that produced it.

The search for survivors from a lost survey vessel leads the Enterprise to a planet that closely resembles 20th Century Earth, with one glaring exception -- on this parallel world, the Roman Empire never fell, and slaves are forced to fight in brutal gladiatorial games that are broadcast on national TV. After beaming down to continue their search, Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy are captured by Merik, the former commander of the lost ship who sacrificed his crew in an effort to save his own life. Now Kirk is forced into the same situation, and he must find a way to escape with Spock and McCoy back to the Enterprise without violating the Prime Directive. For an episode that has so much going on, it's surprising that "Bread and Circuses" isn't held in higher regard with relation to the rest of the series. In addition to being an intense, action-packed and ambitious episode, it's also an effective satire of network television that has become even more relevant in the age of reality TV. And it's all perfectly-balanced by returning director Ralph Senensky, resulting in yet another "Star Trek" classic that represents the very best of the series.

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