ɪn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd sˈɛvəntˌiːn, skɹˈiːn ɹˈænt ɹˈæŋkt ðɪs ˈɛpɪsˌoʊd ðə sˈɛvənθ θiːmˈæɾɪkli dˈɑːɹkɪst ˈɛpɪsˌoʊd ʌvðə stˈɑːɹ tɹˈɛk fɹˈæntʃaɪz.
In 2017, ScreenRant ranked this episode the seventh thematically darkest episode of the Star Trek franchise.