Compare this to all the places that newer shows paid lip service to science being cool and then went back to teleporting around instantly with mushrooms or causing all of the dilithium in the galaxy to explode with emotions or whatever.

100% fair not to like it, but I've got to say nonsense science and goofy premises are also very old school Trek. Consider Where No One Has Gone Before's emotion drive, and its follow up episodes with warp bubble fantasy worlds and Wesley pausing time like some kinda child god.