What it’s mainly about
The fate of the shuttle crew is in Spock’s hands….
If you’re a small vessel shipwrecked on an island, does that change the line of command at all? Should military order devolve into something more democratic? In questions of life or death, who decides? And can logic be the only true guide? Faced with a malfunctioning shuttle and cut off from contact with the Enterprise, the crew of seven aboard the Galileo will have to combat hostile aliens, as they also argue among themselves about Spock’s choices and the legitimacy of his power.
Why it’s awesome
Rarely do we see Spock so dramatically challenged — first by the crisis he’s facing and then by the budding revolt against his leadership by certain members of the crew (and, for a time, McCoy is in sympathy with them). It’s a lesson for Spock about the limits of logic, but it’s also a lesson for the others, when Spock remains true to his mission and, strong under high pressure, does the most-needed thing.