2. Importance of the episode to Trekkies in 1967
While some episodes before "The Trouble with Tribbles" offered viewers some laughs, such as "I, Mudd," the former episode was pure comedy gold from beginning to end! No crew members died (not even a redshirt), and the Enterprise turned into the sassiest ship in the galaxy. It was like a space-faring comedy tour where literally every character arrived with The Producers or The Birdcage vibes, and in several ways, it changed the face of the franchise forever.
Imagine being a Trekkie in 1967; There was no such thing as the internet, social media, global Star Trek meetups, or Discord. Even the Bjo and John Trimble letter-writing campaign wasn't well-known at the time Then you turned on your television set to watch your cool sci-fi show, and there were fluffy, purring antagonists, Klingons, a knockoff Laurel and Hardy duo who were somehow funnier than the actual comedians, and a literal bar brawl!
It was hilarious, and despite the setting, none of it felt out of place. It was still Star Trek, yet every single character delivered the kind of comedic timing worthy of The Monkees, NBC's Emmy-winning series (and still one of the funniest shows in TV history).