So many reasons I despise ST S3E21 'Requiem for Methuselah'

Kirk. The reasons, over and over, are centered in the stupid, insulting writing for Captain Kirk.

(This time I'll just ignore that they wrote the captain of the Enterprise not keeping his attention laser focused on the life and death mission, but rather following his playboy hormones, falling 'hopelessly' in love with a robot in less than 2 hours, while his entire crew will soon be fatally overtaken by an epidemic raging through the ship's crew potentially killing them all within a day. Their only reason to be on this Omega system planet is to QUICKLY process the one medicine that will save the crew.)

No, this time, I'll focus on THIS part. Right after transporting to the planet and meeting Flint, Kirk says - while he and Spock hold phasers on Flint:

and then not more than a matter of minutes later, they write Kirk to say -

Uh. Yes, you did ask Flint first, Captain, but when he said no, you didn't leave. You instead threatened him and assured him you would take what you wanted, even if you had to kill Flint to get it. So essentially the writers wrote for you to PROVE FLINT'S EXACT POINT:

So yeah. This entire episode is a huge insult to Captain Kirk. And I'm thrilled they NEVER wrote for Picard, Janeway, Sisco, or Archer to behave so cavalier about their crew's lives to have to chase tail, albeit finding out it's a robot, and then NOT EVEN CARING THEN to not keep chasing tail. He literally wants to take her back to the Enterprise with him. (oh crap - i forgot i said i was gonna ignore that part this time.)

@goldenteadust Picking up there, on the 'chasing tail' front' there is a lot of context here to consider. For a start Rayna is set up blatantly as a Spock parallel (identifies him as a kindred spirit immediately plus with the whole 'emotions' arc) - the clincher is the very end 'you don't know love [except you do]' scene that contextualizes the parallel as relating to Kirk and love - there is certainly more to this than meets the eye.

This is a season where Kirk is repeatedly coerced, drugged and sexually assaulted (and while audiences often ignore this, the character IS played on screen accurately as unhappy/conflicted during these encounters). Season 3 should really be called 'Kirk is hella traumatized'. AND all this during year #3 of...whatever his relationship is with Spock, that is growing in closeness and intensity. It's not at all hard to see Kirk at this point as someone needing help in terms of dealing with trauma (probably bottling it); combined with complicated (or maybe...simple) feelings for his closest friend who (implied by the end scene) has not thus far reciprocated in the desired fashion, and whose comfort is probably even more greatly longed for since Kirk's trauma almost all relates to abusive 'romantic' encounters - and this episode demonstrates all of this. Kirk not in a good headspace, not dealing with things well, not at all at his best - the shift of priority and single-minded desperation is really indicative of this; he's not being great at his job (and this is consistent for him - we see that in TMP, Kirk's decisions and motivations are 'off' when he's depressed...and Spock-less); he latches onto innocent, femme-Spock like a life raft and everything else goes out of the window.

McCoy's speech at the end is more poignant the more you think about it. He clarifies Kirk's desperate state, even if he doesn't acknowledge the extent to which Kirk is damaged, why he is coping SO badly. But he does (or the writer of the scene does) involve Spock, and bring the issue of love into it, to leave no question. And the interesting parallels with Spock and Rayna suddenly make sense. It's obvious and heartbreaking the look in Spock's eyes, that he does know love, and McCoy is (unintentionally?) saying 'he is suffering [because of you]'. Spock knows. McCoy possibly knows (well, Bread and Circuses has a similar moment: "you wouldn't know what to do with a genuine, warm, decent feeling" "really doctor? :'(" "I know. I'm worried abut jim too".......). SO, Spock goes to him; not to immediately assume that he's 'erasing' memories (can he even?), or even that Kirk's asleep (Kirk would be so exhausted, that sort of exhausted sadness where you just lie down on the floor and you're awake but catatonic - if you've been there..you'll know) - if you think about all this context, that and the act of meld itself...and the aftermath that you DON'T see...there's more to it. This is a moment where Kirk needs, and Spock gives him what he needs. Himself. How much, you don't know, but a meld is intimate; it's going to help. But..is Spock ready for this? This is a critical point in the character arcs, right near the end, before the mysterious breakup gap before we get Star Trek: The Emotion Picture. Kirk in TMP, depressed and not himself, questionable in his decisions and motives, again. Common denominator? What's missing? Who comes back and improves Kirk tenfold? It's kind of nice that its handed to the viewer to fill the gaps - so much of the story seems to be in what's not said, or shown, but how the characters act and react; the breadcrumbs are there. TMP is a whole other analysis but the tension really ramps up. Kirk thought Rayna was his balm, but Spock is really what he wants/needs; it's always Spock. Kirk is a brilliant but flawed character; is it a flaw that he is so bound to another, as he describes in TSFS, their souls to be the one and the same? Who knows, but it IS what he is. Another tidbit: Kirk, with great intensity, says 'I need him' of Spock in TMP. Recall The City on the Edge of Forever? The 'let me help' ≥ 'I love you'? And in the VERY NEXT EPISODE, Spock saying to Kirk, 'let me help', and Kirk replying, with feeling 'I need you'? Even when he doesn't say it, he does

Requiem for Methuselah (3x19)

the entire fandom urging kirk to stop falling in love with a woman in every episode be like:

Kirk: WELL YOU DON’T PAY ME ANY ATTENTION EVEN THOUGH I’VE BEEN DROPPING HINTS FOR 3 YEARS SO I’M GONNA GO WITH FEMME SPOCK BOT BECAUSE I’M ALONE AND I NEED. I NEED, SPOCK.

McCoy, later, the ‘you don’t know what love is’ speech translation: This is gonna keep happening, he’s gonna keep trying to find what he needs elsewhere and failing unless you ACT ON YOUR FEELINGS Spock so I’m gonna reverse psychology the heck out of you right now

Spock: *melds and gives Kirk a mental hug, the intimacy he craves, and urges him to forget*

This episode is actually quite a good one, as the whole point is that Kirk literally becomes instantly infatuated with essentially a femme Spock. I mean if her walking in the room and immediately saying ‘oh me and Spock are so alike’ and also they can’t emotions either isn’t a massively obvious parallel and set up to doom Kirk then what is

And the whole point is that it’s because he really needs Spock in a way clearly not yet broached in their relationship and it’s all about that end scene and pointing out that Spock *does* love Kirk and *could* give him what he needs, and save him from this futile cycle. IF ONLY HE WILL ACT ON IT. Kirk can and will just keep trying and trying, and politely suggesting that he doesn’t isn’t going to work while that deep need is going unfulfilled. Even if every attempt is doomed to failure because none of them are what he truly needs. None of them are Spock.

They’re both in pain and McCoy essentially gives Spock a slap and tells him to get his shit together.

(and just a friendly reminder Kirk doesn’t ‘fall in love’ every episode, even if the 60s puts romantic music on every time a woman enters a room; certainly not when he’s captured and coerced or gaslighted or drugged into some form of intimacy; he’s even a bit manipulated in this one)