The Enterprise is on a desperate mission to the planet Ardana to secure the consignment of a rare substance called Zenite, which is the only antidote to a botanical plaque that is threatening all life on the planet Merak II. But the promised delivery of the Zenite is delayed when Captain Kirk gets caught in the middle of a class struggle between the allegedly "inferior" cave-dwelling Troglyte miners and the so-called "superior" intellectual society that inhabits the cloud city of Stratos. With time running out, Captain Kirk takes matters into his own hands, which threatens to further the divide between the Troglytes and the Stratos city dwellers, which in effect will threaten to destroy all life on Merak II. "The Cloud Minders" may not represent "Star Trek" at its best, but at this point so late in the 3rd Season -- not to mention so close to the end of the series -- it comes close enough. It's an ambitious episode that features a strong message, notable production values and stellar performances, all of which make "The Cloud Minders" represent a return to form to the values and standards that made "Star Trek" so great in the first place.

Following our deep dive of "The Cloud Minders," we're honored to once again be joined for very special interview by writer David Gerrold! In addition to writing the story for "The Cloud Minders," he is perhaps best known in "Star Trek" history for writing its most popular episode, "The Trouble with Tribbles." Gerrold is also the recipient of the 2022 Robert A. Heinlein Award, honoring a lifetime of outstanding achievements in science fiction writing.

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