YMMV / Star Trek S3 E19 "Requiem for Methuselah"

• Alternative Character Interpretation: While the episode keeps it to Kirk being lonely, it's been pointed out in both fandom and official media that after episodes like "A Private Little War", "Wink of an Eye", "Elaan Of Troyius", and "The Mark Of Gideon", all involving Kirk being coerced in some way, maybe he fell so hard because he just wants someone to be nice to him.
• Fanfic Fuel: Let's just say the revelation of an actual, honest human immortal who was several very important historical figures (and possibly more) has led to lots and lots of fodder for fan stories and even the official spin-off novels. Possibly the most (ahem) logical spin-off novel is Judy Klass' Cry of the Onlies, wherein the long-lived children from "Miri" are being exploited by one of the doctors sent to help. Flint is involved in another part of the story, and ends up asking to stay on the onlies' world, adopting one of them and sort of mentoring the group as a whole.
• Harsher in Hindsight:
  • The debate over how human Rayna may or may not be takes on added poignancy when we know that in future years (and a Next Generation episode) androids will be granted legal rights and eventually be seen as equivalent to humans. And then it gets worse by the time of Star Trek: Picard when the Federation has outlawed all synthetic life as a result of a terrorist attack on Mars.
  • The ending, where Spock mind melds with Kirk to take away his grief over Rayna. Not only was this done without Kirk's consent (the captain was asleep at the time), but given the events of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, it's highly likely Kirk would not have wanted it. When Spock's brother, Sybok, offers to remove the crew's pain in similar fashion, Kirk roundly and fiercely rejects the offer, insisting his pain is a part of who he is and he needs it.
• Heartwarming in Hindsight: Despite Kirk's brief Heroic BSoD on discovering Rayna is a Robot Girl, he later refers to her as a woman while talking to Spock. It's heartwarming that he quickly concludes she's still a person after realizing that she's robotic, considering that androids still have a problem being considered people in Picard's time.
• Theiss Titillation Theory: The silver dress Rayna wears covers up everything but a panel just above her breasts, and that seems to be hanging closed by a mere thread.

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