@listelian perhaps you're right. one reason I think these episodes sit a little poorly with me, in Star Trek, is that they serve a similar purpose to other types of contrived episode like the holodeck episodes, in giving the cast a reason to give completely out-of-character performances. that's not a problem in itself, necessarily, except that then the limitations of some of the Trek shows' actors then get thrown into sharper relief, trying to act villainous and not convincing.