History Recap / StarTrekS2E5TheApple

* ChildlessDystopia: No need for "replacements" when you live forever. Curious that Kirk questions the absence of children here when he never has before when meeting a civilization seemingly comprised only of adults. Typically, civilizations solely made up of children concern him more.

* GeorgeJetsonJobSecurity: Kirk tells Scotty his job is on the line when he tells him to get the ''Enterprise'' away from the planet. When he fails, Kirk fires him. Considering Scotty's life was also on the line, it's a moot point. Scotty is rehired when he destroys Vaal with focused ship's phaser fire. It's all just CasualDangerDiaolg in any case.

* GeorgeJetsonJobSecurity: Kirk tells Scotty his job is on the line when he tells him to get the ''Enterprise'' away from the planet. When he fails, Kirk fires him. Considering Scotty's life was also on the line, it's a moot point. Scotty is rehired when he destroys Vaal with focused ship's phaser fire.

* GeorgeJetsonJobSecurity: Kirk tells Scotty his job is on the line when he tells him to get the ''Enterprise'' away from the planet. When he fails, Kirk fires him. Considering Scotty's life was also on the line, its a moot point. Scotty is rehired when he destroys Vaal with focused ship's phaser fire.

* SinisterMinister: Played with in Akuta's case. While he does order his followers to kill, having to show them how to do it, it's difficult to call him "evil". Like Satan from MarkTwain's ''Literature/TheMysteriousStranger'', he simply does not know what evil is.

* [[AIIsACrapShoot AI Is Still A Crap Shoot]]: This one has a bad case of AGodAmI.

* [[GodNeedsPrayerBadly God Needs Food Badly]]: Vaal has tired of fruit and now desires a starship. [[Film/StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier But what does God need with a starship?]]

* HeyItsThatGuy: [[Series/StarskyAndHutch Hutch]] is an alien who wants to know what kissing is!

* TheissTitillationTheory: A rare example where both males and females wear next to nothing.

Tropes for this episode include:
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* SinisterMinister: Played with in Akuta's case. While he does order his followers to kill, having to show them how to do it, it's difficult to call him "evil". Like Satan from MarkTwain's TheMysteriousStranger, he simply does not know what evil is.

* MenAreTheExpendableGender: Oh yeah. This episode has a whopping ''five'' {{Redshirt}}s, four men and one woman. The woman survives; the men might as well have sings on their backs saying "Kill me."

* HeroicRROD: Vaal destroys itself in trying to reinforce its own energy field when fired on by the ''Enterprise''.The "Heroic" part is debatable as Vaal was only defending itself.

* [[GodNeedsPrayerBadly God Needs Food Badly]]: Vaal has tired of fruit and now desires a starship. [[StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier But what does God need with a starship?]]

* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: Vaal takes on the appearance of a snake, just to drive home the Garden of Eden analogy.

* {{Understatement}} when Spock is struck by lightning, Bones decrees he has "Second degree burns. Not serious but I bet they smart." Spock commends him on his talent for understatement.

* HeyItsThatGuy: [[StarskyAndHutch Hutch]] is an alien who wants to know what kissing is!

* {{Understatement}}when Spock is struck by lightning, Bones decrees he has "Second degree burns. Not serious but I bet they smart." Spock commends him on his talent for understatement.

* AngerBornOfWorry: Kirk scolds Spock for putting himself in danger. He tries to make it sound like Spock is just to valuable to Starfleet to lose, but his quiet "Thanks" reveals his true feelings. Kirk, you {{Tsundere}}, you!

* TheisTitilationTheory: A rare example where both males and females wear next to nothing.

* CorruptChurh: If Vaal must teach its followers to murder to protect him, so be it.

* RedRingsOfDeath: Vaal destroys itself in trying to reinforce its own energy field when fired on by the ''Enterprise''.

* WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove: Akuta comes out and asks "What is love?" Sayana and Hutch-uh, I mean Makora are intrigued by the concept of kissing.

* {{Angst}}: Poor Kirk is having a bad day. He's torn between following Starfleet's orders and doing what he feels is right. The {{Redshirt}} body count is 4 by the episode's end. Spock nearly got himself killed twice. Spock and Bones are arguing...again. And as if that wasn't bad enough, an AI gone mad is trying to destroy his ship. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Oh, and the cute blonde seems to like Chekov more than him.]]

* EutopiaJustifiesTheMeans: The aliens sacrifice their ability to grow and develop plus making ritual sacrifices to Vaal in exchange for immortality and a life of mindless bliss.
* GodNeedsFoodBadly: Vaal has tired of fruit and now desires a starship.
* HeyItsThatGuy: [[StarskyAndHutch Hutch]] is an alien who wants to know what kissing is!

While Spock and Bones debate over whether or not to let the natives have their [[OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions silly superstition]], things get personal when Vaal seizes the ''Enterprise'', putting everyone aboard in grave danger. No more debate. Vaal must be destroyed, even if it means forcing the childlike aliens to grow up.