My father appears in this episode. He portrays the father of the drowned boy. I was considered for the part of the boy, but, I was too old. We are of the Winnebago tribe  of Nebraska. So, there was, at least, one actual Native American represented. It’s always a wonderful thing to see my father.

I find it hilarious that subsequent Star Trek content has turned Spock's 'two months staring at a monitor to translate the Preserver language" into kind of a joke. He should have just talked to Uhura.

That obelisk was a pretty dang cool set piece, especially for the original series

It's the notion that these transplanted peoples wouldn't have advanced at all in the 700ish years since their arrival that I find most galling. The little we know for sure of pre-contact North American history tells that their progress wasn't particularly slower than Indo-Europeans, it was just delayed due to a later development of crops suitable for each region since there wasn't a large band of east-west cropland that allowed for easy transfer of crops and domestic animals. The North American peoples were well on their way to sophisticated trade networks and regional governments, they just had so much available space and abundance of resources that there was never the population pressure that created the Eurasion pressure cooker for advance.

Reminds me of the Stargate SG-1 episode A Hundred Days. Similar concept, the SG-1 team leader O'Neill ends up stranded on a planet cut off from Earth. We go back and forth between O'Neill being taken in by the natives (not native americans though, they did better here) and slowly losing hope of rescue, and the rest of the team on Earth planning and overcoming obstacles to his rescue over a period of a hundred days.

The Paradise Syndrome is the first Star Trek episode that attempts to explain why there are so many humans on alien planets in the Star Trek Universe.  Out of universe it is of course because of budget, but finally we have an in universe explanation:
Mr. Spock: The obelisk is a marker, just as I thought. It was left by a super race, known as the Preservers. They passed through the galaxy rescuing primitive cultures, which were in danger of extinction, and seeding them, so to speak, where they could live, and grow.
Dr. McCoy: I've always wondered why there were so many humanoids scattered through the galaxy.

An essential contribution to Star Trek Lore.

Enjoy your insights. Note the episode says Salish’s father knew how to work the temple (and presumably the symbols) but died before teaching his son the secret.

"Hello Starfleet?  We're having some trouble.  In the next two months could you send a few more ships to help us?"

One key aspect  of  "The Paradise
Syndrome" that wasn't mentioned in
your review was Gerald Fried's much
admired and hauntingly beautiful musical score that accompanied
this episode.  It plays a key role in
delivering the emotional impact that
"The Paradise Syndrome" has been
known for. It is also is why I consider
"The Paradise Syndrome"  to be one
of my favorite episodes of Star Trek.
Gerald Fried passed away in February
2023 and is worthy of a review of his
life and musical contribution to Star
Trek.  I hope you seriously consider it.
Live long and prosper.   🖖

I can't think of this episode without remembering some candid videos I saw that were made during its filming of Shatner skipping(!) down the dirt road in his Hollywood "Indian outfit" happily making the fringe bounce as he skipped and danced around. He was obviously feeling very giddy and silly that day. Unfortunately the episode itself didn't age well at all in spite of its location shooting being a welcome change from the usual studio sets.

"Not wanting to hurt her feelings, Kirk reacts as though this is actually good news" 😂

The Hohokam, who dwelled in what is now Phoenix, had a massive irrigation system that supported a population of thousands.  Much of the current irrigation in the valley of the Sun follows the original Hohokam pattern.

I felt so bad for Salesh!  First, he loses his position as medicine chief, then he loses his fiancee

Thanks Steve. Your TOS reviews had me start watching the show and I fell in love. Had a crappy few months, the show and these reviews always cheer me up.

The sheer improbability of the magic words to open the  obelisk being "Kirk to Enterprise" is so immense, it makes me wonder if the astroid deflector uses an Infinite Improbability Drive.

Not to mention the tiny detail to show that much time has passed - Kirk growing out his pointy sideburns.

"Tahiti, it's a MAGICAL place!"

I saw this episode when it was aired in Germany for the first time. I must have been 12 or 13 years old then and - man - did I have a crush on that girl :D

As a teenage girl in the 1970’s, I loved this episode. I really wanted to BE Miramani. 😂

What truly amazes me about "The Paradise Syndrome" is how rarely it is broadcast. I have been watching Star Trek since TOS in its Prime-Time first run, and I've only seen it twice...the first time only 20 years ago. It was strange to see a TOS episode I had never seen, having seen most of them multiple times. I had seen Spock's Brain a dozen time by the time I saw this episode for the first time.