I will ask though: Is TOS S3 as bad as the indicators would have me expect? (Roddenberry leaving due to time slot change etc.)
IMO, S3 is a noticable step down from the quality of the first few seasons, but it’s not terrible despite a few episodes being so. The only episode that was truly painful for me to watch was “And the Children Shall Lead”.
My favorite S3 episodes:
•“The Empath” (which might be an unpopular opinion)
•“Spectre of the Gun”
•“The Tholian Web”