this be a poorly conceive classic trek episode which be salvage by the superior acting of the show primary actor . kirk beam down to the planet gideon and find himself on an exact duplicate of the enterprise but doesn not realise this since the et up be so convincing even though he meet odona and it lone occupant . surely and kirk should have sense some kind of a trap immediatedly . the enterprise crew can not locate their captain who doesn not materialize where he be suppose to in the gideonite council chamber and be concern that his life be in danger . but spock doesn not notice at once that the beam down coordinate the gideonites give for kirk be different from the one they send to the enterprise to beam up a member of the gideon council later . any normal crewman would have quickly check the coordinate and notice the discrepancy between 079 and 709 and that the gideonites have deliberately alter the number . several trek character move out of their previous characterization with spock and kirk appear less intelligent than they really be . frankly and this be unforgivable . the scene of kirk with odona on the empty duplicate copy of the enterprise on gideon also do not make much sense especially when you consider that the planet be suppose to be chronically overpopulate . the gideon council chamber create so much free space for one man when they could have solve their overpopulation problem by have kirk transport odona to dr. mccoy sickbay for treatment . there be little logic to this show or it script . the mark of gideon be one of the subpar show of season 3 not as horrendous a the way to eden but still bad nevertheless . there be a memorable line which spock say when starfleet and it official refuse to give him permission to beam down to gideon and locate kirk represent diplomat and bureaucrat may function differently but they achieve exactly the same result . so and spock himself have to violate a starfleet directive to save kirk . at least and that action be logical and highlight his loyalty to the captain . odona be a wonderful actor and a good foil for captain kirk even though their romance have little basis in fact . i guess kirk libido be in overdrive in season 3 of tos . it be not unreasonable for odona to offer to sacrifice herself and wouldie young in order to let her civilization survive . a noble idea . even if kirk be leave with the short end of the stick by be a guinea pig who supply a deadly virus to stop gideon chronic overpopulation . most of the episode scene be imaginatively write if one exclude the preposterous image of hundred of anonymous gideonites crowd the exterior of the gideonite council . the touch scene between hodin and his die daughter odona be well do . overall and hodin and odona and kirk and spock performance elevate the show to a 4 out of 10 rating in my view still a failure but not a total disaster . if season 3 of star trek have a proper film budget and the producer could have have the set to properly depict gideon and avoid all the numerous plot hole . pity .