Cultural theorist Cassandra Amesley states that this episode is "agreed to be one of the worst Star Trek episodes ever shown" by "Star Trek" fans. Brenton J. Malin sees the episode as a reactionary response to the radical feminism of the late 1960s. Dr. Lester is a "caricature and condemnation of the feminism of the late '60s, evoking a fear of powerful, power-hungry women... The message seems clear: women want to kill men and take their jobs, but ultimately they can't handle them."