Captain Kirk defeats yet another evil computer (in this case, Norman the android) by... talking to it. Sigh. Computers don't work that way. If you talk nonsense to a computer, feed it gibberish commands, or use circular logic, computers just ignore you. It's a silly enough concept when shows have the hero conquer the evil enemy by talking him into submission (as opposed to fighting him, trapping him, disarming him, etc.). It's even sillier when the enemy is a computer. Worse still, this episode marks the third or fourth time Star Trek has depicted this happening.
Add to the weak plot the annoying, over-the-top, acting of Harry Mudd and failed attempts at humor (having a jerk for a wife is not funny - it's just sad), and you get one of Star Trek's worst episodes.
Add to the weak plot the annoying, over-the-top, acting of Harry Mudd and failed attempts at humor (having a jerk for a wife is not funny - it's just sad), and you get one of Star Trek's worst episodes.