Afterthought: I just wandered into the kitchen, still ranting (as I am
wont to do), explained it to Kathryn...who brought me up short (as *she* is
wont to do) by pointing out the antecedent to BOTH stories.  Th  ultimate
"hard choice" example in SF-TV is of course "The City on the Edge of Forever,"
from ST.  There are only two choices, both hard: either Edith Keeler dies, or
the Nazis win WW II.  Kirk *has* to let her die; there's no other choice.

     It is, at the same moment, gratifying and annoying to have someone around
who's smarter than I am....

                                                                  jms