Star Trek Season 2 Ep. 25 Bread and Circuses

Kirk and his team encounter a ship that has been lost for 6 years called the SS Beagle. Captain Merrick was the captain of the ship and know Kirk from their days in the academy. I live by Merrick Blvd, this is the only time in my life I have heard it said by anyone who was not talking about the street.  What is the origin of the name Merrick? They have TV on the Enterprise, a black and white broadcast of what looks like Roman soldiers shows on the screen. Is the cable in space better than Earth? Kirk, McCoy and Spock beam down to the planet and get held up by some guys with rifles. They take the crew to Septimus the leader of this planet. He asks if they are children of the son and they think that the crew worships the sun. I don’t get it are they on Earth or another planet? Lately all these planets look like Earth no matter where they go. The crew tries to get to the capital which is Rome to meet a being named Menikus by dressing like slaves and trying to sneak in unnoticed. You know they get captured and Spock and McCoy have to fight some gladiators while Kirk is put with some lady trying to get laid. The fight has a fake crowd in the background cheering and everything. They are all to be executed soon. Spock whoops on both the gladiators and all McCoy can do is thank him. Hes not built for combat. Scott finds a way to disrupt power on the planet from the Enterprise and saves the day, AGAIN.