Just watching back this episode for sentimental sake. It's interesting this plot.
One of the greatest rules in life is not to contaminate other worlds (they flew Cassini into Saturn, as not to potentially contaminate the orbiting moons).
If you get sent to the past, you can't contaminate that time/world with your knowledge of the future, or you'll change it's history. Biggest no-no of all time.
So Bones has basically unintentionally violated this rule - gone into the past - they must correct it.
Kirk says to the others 'if you think you've waited long enough, each of you must go into the past to try to get him, if not, you'll be happy in a past life". (essentially)
So Kirk's solution was to fix this one catastrophe of Bones being in the past and potential to 'f up their history and change it - I'm going to send all of you contaminates into the past as well, likely most of you won't find Bones, and will exponentially, as a contaminate, 'f up the history even more".
I don't know. <45>
I wonder if Harlan considered this, wanted it that way, or this is one of the issues he had with the script.
Just thought that was interesting writing.
Kirk's like... well if we don't find Bones... 'f it! We'll really screw up earth history even more for sure!
