As with other episodes where strongmen attempt to overpower and/or kill the Enterprise crew, often with some casualties before our heroes regain control, the ending has Kirk & Co. Show kindness, or at least understanding. They do not seek revenge. Perhaps this was just Roddenberry's vision of future humanity.
In "Space Seed" and "Plato's Stepchildren", this episode, and probably a few others, the conclusive action is to isolate or otherwise maroon the antagonists and hope they don't find a way to interact with us again (as happened in Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan).
That may be benevolent, but it is not very smart. And in this episode a young woman from the crew was needlessly killed in a unique and rather gruesome way. Kirk and others have had no issue killing when threatened before. I say the threat from these particular baddies warrants their execution.
In "Space Seed" and "Plato's Stepchildren", this episode, and probably a few others, the conclusive action is to isolate or otherwise maroon the antagonists and hope they don't find a way to interact with us again (as happened in Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan).
That may be benevolent, but it is not very smart. And in this episode a young woman from the crew was needlessly killed in a unique and rather gruesome way. Kirk and others have had no issue killing when threatened before. I say the threat from these particular baddies warrants their execution.