In which Picard and Beverly fall down a hole.
Memory Alpha says: On a planet famous for its munitions industry, the crew of the Enterprise is threatened by a deadly automatic weapons system. (Please click the Memory Alpha link for detailed information.)
My Review
This is a very TOS-feeling plot. Perhaps, indeed, it has too much of the stamp of TOS on it, via Roddenberry, because according to M.A.,
Robert Lewin had originally meant “The Arsenal of Freedom” to develop the implied romantic relationship between Picard and Crusher. Roddenberry, however, nixed the idea, and Lewin cited Roddenberry’s lack of interest in character development as his reason for leaving the show.
Which is a good example of Gene Roddenberry not fully understanding what was good about his own show, and what would eventually become my most loved aspect of TNG and DS9: heavily character-driven episodes. What can I say, I watch it as a Space Soap. It’s nearly as good as Coronation Street.
Oh, and the sand in the pit where Picard and Bev are? Infested with fleas, so just you remember that in these scenes. Both of them are absolutely crawling with fleas. With that, on we go!