10 Worst Things Captain Kirk Has Ever Done
6. Violating The Prime Directive
The guiding principle of Starfleet, it is imperative that you don’t muck about with the natural development of alien cultures. It’s the number one law when it comes to the governing body Kirk has dedicated his life to, so naturally he violates it time and again.
In “The Apple”, the crew find themselves on a veritable paradise of a planet, temperate in climate and rich in resources. The ever-youthful residents of the planet call themselves the “feeders of Vaal”, after the supercomputer which maintains their bodies in return for their constantly supplying it with power-granting minerals. Kirk deems this a form of slavery, with the machine keeping the childlike innocents from learning about various human delights, and in due course he smashes it up.
While he has a point, he has thought very little about what’s going to happen once he has completely altered the way of living of a whole planet. These people previously wanted for nothing, and they’ll now want for everything. Not to worry, though - it’s off on the next adventure for Kirk, and with a warm fuzzy feeling in his tummy after a job well done.