Favorite Star Trek episodes
I should be doing work really should be doing work but instead I am finally going to write up my favorite Trek episodes. I still have not seen them all but I am pretty sure I've seen all the important ones. I've even seen some of the notoriously bad ones like Spock's Brain lol so I think I have a pretty good idea of what are the top episodes.
Episodes in bold are in my top favorites
Please note that I might mention sexism, it is pretty abundant in TOS. I am not going to make excuses for it, it was there and I think it is important to point out problematic stuff in things you like. Still I am more bothered by sexism today than sexism of the past because we can't change history. And the fact is cast members and staff acknowledged the sexism of the show and I have a lot of respect for that.
Also while they were just token minorities, it is still impressive that a show from the 1960's looking to the future had a black woman, Japanese man, and Russian man in non-stereotypical roles on the ship which did promote a positive message and inspired many kids.
But my main reason for loving this series is the trio and their ultimate friendships of friendships.
Now back to the topic at hand. Probably talking to myself here but oh well. :)
Season 1
The Enemy Within: The one with two Kirk's...This is one where Kirk is split into two with an "evil" and "good" Kirk. The episode is very reminiscent of Mr Jekyll and Dr. Hyde. William Shatner absolutely overacts as evil Kirk and as far as sexism go there is an attempted rape scene that is uncomfortable to watch. However despite these issues the story has great themes and dialog about the nature of our two sides about why we need both. The episode was written by Richard Matheson famous for books such as "I am Legend" and "The Shrinking Man". He also wrote the Twilight Zone episode with Shatner on the plane.
The episode is also the first time the Vulcan Nerve pinch was filmed. Nimoy came up with the idea. Everyone was kind of confused what he wanted to do, but Shatner got it.
The Corbomite Maneuver- This is the episode where Kirk plays poker with an alien. Okay not literally but it is where he bluffs his way out of a conflict. But what I really like about this episode is the ending which has an overwhelming sense of optimism about peace and forming friendships with other species. I think it really gets the message of Star Trek. Although it was not the first episode aired, it was the first filmed. It was also Deforest Kelley's first episode and he got the character right away
Balance of Terror- Another Kirk and alien battle episode this time with the Romulans. This episode reminds me a lot of Legend of the Galactic Heroes with Kirk and the Romulan captain both being brilliant fighters who have respect for their enemy. If they were in another time and place they might have been friends. The Romulan captain is played by Mark Lenard who is great in the role and later on will be called back to play a recurring role, Spock's father.
This episode also happens to have my favorite Kirk/McCoy scene
This Side of Paradise: The episode with the spores & Spock falls in love and swings from the tree. This episode could have been all wrong but instead scripted by the brilliant DC Fontana it just works perfectly in my opinion. I don't particularly like romance of the week in Trek but I like this story because of the ambiguous nature of Spock's feelings. Is Spock really in love or was it a product of the spores. More importantly I think the episode's moral is even a bit ambiguous. Although everyone is only happy because of the spores and are being unproductive, there is a sense of love and belonging. Although I think the final quote sums up the final theme of the episode nicely
"Maybe we weren't meant for paradise. Maybe we were meant to fight our way through, struggle, claw our way up, scratch for every inch of the way. Maybe we can't stroll to the music of the lute. We must march to the sound of drums."
The episode also has McCoy affected by the spores talking with a much increased southern accent and it's absolutely adorable.
Although I say TOS was sexist, it is nice to see DC Fontana a woman as a prominent writer on Star Trek. In comparison the new Doctor Who has basically no female writers.
The Devil in the Dark- Another episode that just perfectly gets what Star Trek is all about. It also features my favorite non-humanoid alien of the Horta. All of the main 3: Kirk, Spock, and Bones get cute scenes and lines.
The City on the Edge of Forever One of the most famous episodes of Star Trek and yes it does deserve all its recognition (even though its writer Ellison is extremely annoying to put it nicely). One of the best time travel and changing the past episodes and the consequences (both personal and for the world) not just in Star Trek but in sci-fi in general.
Of all of Kirk's romance stories this is also my favorite. This is also a great trio episode. Although most of the episode is with Kirk/Spock and the very famous line about where Spock belongs: "At his side, as if you've always been there and always will."
McCoy is more a plot device in this episode who in his drugged state goes back in time and changes history but as I said I still feel this is a trio episode with Kirk and Spock going back in time to rescue McCoy. There is actually a pretty good novel out there that examines the life of the McCoy that changed history and was stuck in the past called McCoy: Provenance of Shadow
Season 2
Amok Time- The One with Vulcan mating rituals. This one is weird but personally that is why I like it. It makes Vulcans feel "alien". This episode was written by another famous Sci-fi writer Thomas Sturgeon. Other things I like about this episode is the strong female matriach T'Pol and I consider this another episode that is central to the trio of Kirk/Spock/McCoy. You get a Kirk/Spock fight, McCoy coming up with the solution to save the day, and Spock showing emotion but then denying it, all in all a fun episode. It is also the first episode Deforest Kelley is listed in the main credits :)
Of course this episode will come back to haunt me in The Search for Spock film, where this mating ritual is brought back in a way I am not too fond of lol.
Mirror Mirror- This episode might seem a bit silly by today's standards and sure parallel universes are par for the course now. But this episode was one of the first and pretty much set the standard (along with your evil version will have a goatee). Maybe not the ultimate serious episode but there are a lot of fun touches to create the two parallel worlds and I love that McCoy can't let the other Spock die because he is still like their Spock (plus I also enjoy the mirror Spock/McCoy mind meld scene)
Journey to Babel- Another DC Fontana episode and one that delves into Spock's family. This is the episode where we meet his parents Sarek and Amanda (and again Sarek is played by Mark Lenard who was first in Balance of Terror). One thing I can criticize about this episode is there is just one too many crises going on but I still think DC Fontana creates an excellent back story for Spock and I think the drama of this episode is still pretty gripping. There is also some nice logic vs emotion arguments which for me is part of the heart of Star Trek. Finally how can I not love an episode where McCoy gets the last word.
From watching this episode I don't know who has it worst. Spock and Kirk who have such a scary doctor or McCoy who has to put up with two of the most difficult patients XD
I also like that the episode shows us both of Spock's family. His family by blood (Sarek and Amanda) and his family by friendship (Kirk and McCoy)
The Trouble with Tribbles- Next to City, the other most famous episode of TOS I believe. Although I will give the edge to City I still love this episode and it's definitely my favorite of the light episodes. I have also seen this episode played homage to many times.
The whole idea of the cute furry creatures being menaces is actually really clever. But I like that they aren't menaces that attack, no they just breed so much that there is no end to them. "It's like they are born pregnant". XD
But actually my favorite scene of this episode doesn't include the tribbles at all. In fact it surprisingly doesn't include Spock or McCoy but Scotty explaining why he finally got in a fight with the Klingons. Although I will say yes sometimes Shatner overacts, here his reaction is just perfect and really adds to the comedy of the scene.
The Immunity Syndrome- Unlike a lot of episodes I mentioned this one is probably less famous and yet it was instrumental in making me a fan. You see I am a huge Spock/McCoy fan and I absolutely love the way their relationship is portrayed in this episode. A lot of fans just don't get Spock and McCoy and don't get that even though characters can argue they can also care about each other. I think this episode highlights that. It also has one of my favorite moments between them (can't find a clip) where after Spock says they shouldn't save him.
McCoy (yells in the way only McCoy can): "Shut Up Spock, we are rescuing you"
Spock (being a real sass, something I miss from movie Spock): "Why thank you captain McCoy"
And also since Star Trek deals with exploration I do like the concept of exploring something other than a planet. In this case a giant amoeba/virus.
Season 3
The Enterprise Incident- Another by DC Fontana (yes I really like her) and another Romulan episode (I also really like them). This one plays out liken a thriller espionage and it's a lot of fun and. This is another episode where I like the female character who is shown to be intelligent and a leader. Although she is tricked I like that the end of the episode points out that it might not have all been a trick (in terms of a certain character's feelings).
Spectre of the Gun: The 3rd season's budget was cut really low but sometimes they did creative things with less. Because they were trying to save money they create kind of a half set here but its creates this dreamy, out worldly atmosphere that really works. This is a Western episode of Star Trek following the story of the gunfight at Ok Corral. I am not usually a big fan of alternative world episodes of Star Trek, but this one works for me. Maybe because I feel Star Trek has some elements of a Western in space. Now there are certain things in the plot of the episode that seem to contradict each other but I still have a lot of fun with this one.
I also like that in this episode there are no red shirts just the main 3 with Chekov and Scotty, Chekov not Kirk gets the girl, and unlike most other versions the Earps and Doc Holliday are the bad guys.
The Tholian Web Another Spock/McCoy episode that made me a big fan of this relationship. In this episode McCoy stressed over the supposed death of Captain Kirk, the health of the entire crew really gets on Spock's case but in the end realizes he was wrong and apologizes. Some people think characters should be perfect and never make mistakes. I prefer characters who can make a mistake and admit they were wrong. It's part of the reason as I said in my previous post I love Bones the best, he seems the most human to me.
So while the first half of the episode there is some uncomfortable moments between Spock & McCoy the later half really makes up for that with some adorable moments of Spock actually calling McCoy, Bones (a first) and Bones calling Spock Captain obviously as a means of respect and good will. And then later Spock and McCoy both fib to Kirk. ;)
The Empath Star Trek does fanfiction yay ;)
Actually I adore this episode. It gets an unfair rep from some fans which obviously I completely disagree with because it is bold. To me this is the ultimate trio friendship episode. It involves Kirk/Spock/McCoy who end up as part of some crazy alien experiment. The other prominent character is a female alien mute who can heal and take in the pain of others.
Although I love this episode I won't say it is without its problems. Gem is a bit of sexist character. I mean she isn't even given a voice but just is there to heal the guys to prove her worth to some crazy aliens. Plus McCoy just decides to name her Gem like she is a puppy or something. Still at least she is dressed modestly and doesn't fall in love with any of the main 3 (so that is something).
Still I can't help it I love how this episode shows the strong bond of the main three who are all willing to sacrifice themselves for each other. And again this is just a really good McCoy episode especially since he with his hypo knocks the other 2 out so the aliens will take him instead of his friends. And then Spock and Kirk (especially Spock) are just all over him. The episode also indicates that Gem learned compassion and love from watching the 3 of them interact. The episode couldn't be clearer these 3 guys love and cherish each other very much even if they don't say it outright.
Finally like Spectre of the Gun this episode obviously has a low budget but it uses a simple set (almost all black set with minimal furniture) to perfect effect making the episode feel more eery, distant, and lonely. The episode also has a beautiful musical score.
Episodes in bold are in my top favorites
Please note that I might mention sexism, it is pretty abundant in TOS. I am not going to make excuses for it, it was there and I think it is important to point out problematic stuff in things you like. Still I am more bothered by sexism today than sexism of the past because we can't change history. And the fact is cast members and staff acknowledged the sexism of the show and I have a lot of respect for that.
Also while they were just token minorities, it is still impressive that a show from the 1960's looking to the future had a black woman, Japanese man, and Russian man in non-stereotypical roles on the ship which did promote a positive message and inspired many kids.
But my main reason for loving this series is the trio and their ultimate friendships of friendships.
Now back to the topic at hand. Probably talking to myself here but oh well. :)
Season 1
The Enemy Within: The one with two Kirk's...This is one where Kirk is split into two with an "evil" and "good" Kirk. The episode is very reminiscent of Mr Jekyll and Dr. Hyde. William Shatner absolutely overacts as evil Kirk and as far as sexism go there is an attempted rape scene that is uncomfortable to watch. However despite these issues the story has great themes and dialog about the nature of our two sides about why we need both. The episode was written by Richard Matheson famous for books such as "I am Legend" and "The Shrinking Man". He also wrote the Twilight Zone episode with Shatner on the plane.
The episode is also the first time the Vulcan Nerve pinch was filmed. Nimoy came up with the idea. Everyone was kind of confused what he wanted to do, but Shatner got it.
The Corbomite Maneuver- This is the episode where Kirk plays poker with an alien. Okay not literally but it is where he bluffs his way out of a conflict. But what I really like about this episode is the ending which has an overwhelming sense of optimism about peace and forming friendships with other species. I think it really gets the message of Star Trek. Although it was not the first episode aired, it was the first filmed. It was also Deforest Kelley's first episode and he got the character right away
Click to viewBalance of Terror- Another Kirk and alien battle episode this time with the Romulans. This episode reminds me a lot of Legend of the Galactic Heroes with Kirk and the Romulan captain both being brilliant fighters who have respect for their enemy. If they were in another time and place they might have been friends. The Romulan captain is played by Mark Lenard who is great in the role and later on will be called back to play a recurring role, Spock's father.
This episode also happens to have my favorite Kirk/McCoy scene
This Side of Paradise: The episode with the spores & Spock falls in love and swings from the tree. This episode could have been all wrong but instead scripted by the brilliant DC Fontana it just works perfectly in my opinion. I don't particularly like romance of the week in Trek but I like this story because of the ambiguous nature of Spock's feelings. Is Spock really in love or was it a product of the spores. More importantly I think the episode's moral is even a bit ambiguous. Although everyone is only happy because of the spores and are being unproductive, there is a sense of love and belonging. Although I think the final quote sums up the final theme of the episode nicely
"Maybe we weren't meant for paradise. Maybe we were meant to fight our way through, struggle, claw our way up, scratch for every inch of the way. Maybe we can't stroll to the music of the lute. We must march to the sound of drums."
The episode also has McCoy affected by the spores talking with a much increased southern accent and it's absolutely adorable.
Although I say TOS was sexist, it is nice to see DC Fontana a woman as a prominent writer on Star Trek. In comparison the new Doctor Who has basically no female writers.
The Devil in the Dark- Another episode that just perfectly gets what Star Trek is all about. It also features my favorite non-humanoid alien of the Horta. All of the main 3: Kirk, Spock, and Bones get cute scenes and lines.
The City on the Edge of Forever One of the most famous episodes of Star Trek and yes it does deserve all its recognition (even though its writer Ellison is extremely annoying to put it nicely). One of the best time travel and changing the past episodes and the consequences (both personal and for the world) not just in Star Trek but in sci-fi in general.
Of all of Kirk's romance stories this is also my favorite. This is also a great trio episode. Although most of the episode is with Kirk/Spock and the very famous line about where Spock belongs: "At his side, as if you've always been there and always will."
McCoy is more a plot device in this episode who in his drugged state goes back in time and changes history but as I said I still feel this is a trio episode with Kirk and Spock going back in time to rescue McCoy. There is actually a pretty good novel out there that examines the life of the McCoy that changed history and was stuck in the past called McCoy: Provenance of Shadow
Season 2
Amok Time- The One with Vulcan mating rituals. This one is weird but personally that is why I like it. It makes Vulcans feel "alien". This episode was written by another famous Sci-fi writer Thomas Sturgeon. Other things I like about this episode is the strong female matriach T'Pol and I consider this another episode that is central to the trio of Kirk/Spock/McCoy. You get a Kirk/Spock fight, McCoy coming up with the solution to save the day, and Spock showing emotion but then denying it, all in all a fun episode. It is also the first episode Deforest Kelley is listed in the main credits :)
Of course this episode will come back to haunt me in The Search for Spock film, where this mating ritual is brought back in a way I am not too fond of lol.
Mirror Mirror- This episode might seem a bit silly by today's standards and sure parallel universes are par for the course now. But this episode was one of the first and pretty much set the standard (along with your evil version will have a goatee). Maybe not the ultimate serious episode but there are a lot of fun touches to create the two parallel worlds and I love that McCoy can't let the other Spock die because he is still like their Spock (plus I also enjoy the mirror Spock/McCoy mind meld scene)
Journey to Babel- Another DC Fontana episode and one that delves into Spock's family. This is the episode where we meet his parents Sarek and Amanda (and again Sarek is played by Mark Lenard who was first in Balance of Terror). One thing I can criticize about this episode is there is just one too many crises going on but I still think DC Fontana creates an excellent back story for Spock and I think the drama of this episode is still pretty gripping. There is also some nice logic vs emotion arguments which for me is part of the heart of Star Trek. Finally how can I not love an episode where McCoy gets the last word.
From watching this episode I don't know who has it worst. Spock and Kirk who have such a scary doctor or McCoy who has to put up with two of the most difficult patients XD
I also like that the episode shows us both of Spock's family. His family by blood (Sarek and Amanda) and his family by friendship (Kirk and McCoy)
The Trouble with Tribbles- Next to City, the other most famous episode of TOS I believe. Although I will give the edge to City I still love this episode and it's definitely my favorite of the light episodes. I have also seen this episode played homage to many times.
The whole idea of the cute furry creatures being menaces is actually really clever. But I like that they aren't menaces that attack, no they just breed so much that there is no end to them. "It's like they are born pregnant". XD
But actually my favorite scene of this episode doesn't include the tribbles at all. In fact it surprisingly doesn't include Spock or McCoy but Scotty explaining why he finally got in a fight with the Klingons. Although I will say yes sometimes Shatner overacts, here his reaction is just perfect and really adds to the comedy of the scene.
The Immunity Syndrome- Unlike a lot of episodes I mentioned this one is probably less famous and yet it was instrumental in making me a fan. You see I am a huge Spock/McCoy fan and I absolutely love the way their relationship is portrayed in this episode. A lot of fans just don't get Spock and McCoy and don't get that even though characters can argue they can also care about each other. I think this episode highlights that. It also has one of my favorite moments between them (can't find a clip) where after Spock says they shouldn't save him.
McCoy (yells in the way only McCoy can): "Shut Up Spock, we are rescuing you"
Spock (being a real sass, something I miss from movie Spock): "Why thank you captain McCoy"
And also since Star Trek deals with exploration I do like the concept of exploring something other than a planet. In this case a giant amoeba/virus.
Season 3
The Enterprise Incident- Another by DC Fontana (yes I really like her) and another Romulan episode (I also really like them). This one plays out liken a thriller espionage and it's a lot of fun and. This is another episode where I like the female character who is shown to be intelligent and a leader. Although she is tricked I like that the end of the episode points out that it might not have all been a trick (in terms of a certain character's feelings).
Spectre of the Gun: The 3rd season's budget was cut really low but sometimes they did creative things with less. Because they were trying to save money they create kind of a half set here but its creates this dreamy, out worldly atmosphere that really works. This is a Western episode of Star Trek following the story of the gunfight at Ok Corral. I am not usually a big fan of alternative world episodes of Star Trek, but this one works for me. Maybe because I feel Star Trek has some elements of a Western in space. Now there are certain things in the plot of the episode that seem to contradict each other but I still have a lot of fun with this one.
I also like that in this episode there are no red shirts just the main 3 with Chekov and Scotty, Chekov not Kirk gets the girl, and unlike most other versions the Earps and Doc Holliday are the bad guys.
The Tholian Web Another Spock/McCoy episode that made me a big fan of this relationship. In this episode McCoy stressed over the supposed death of Captain Kirk, the health of the entire crew really gets on Spock's case but in the end realizes he was wrong and apologizes. Some people think characters should be perfect and never make mistakes. I prefer characters who can make a mistake and admit they were wrong. It's part of the reason as I said in my previous post I love Bones the best, he seems the most human to me.
So while the first half of the episode there is some uncomfortable moments between Spock & McCoy the later half really makes up for that with some adorable moments of Spock actually calling McCoy, Bones (a first) and Bones calling Spock Captain obviously as a means of respect and good will. And then later Spock and McCoy both fib to Kirk. ;)
The Empath Star Trek does fanfiction yay ;)
Actually I adore this episode. It gets an unfair rep from some fans which obviously I completely disagree with because it is bold. To me this is the ultimate trio friendship episode. It involves Kirk/Spock/McCoy who end up as part of some crazy alien experiment. The other prominent character is a female alien mute who can heal and take in the pain of others.
Although I love this episode I won't say it is without its problems. Gem is a bit of sexist character. I mean she isn't even given a voice but just is there to heal the guys to prove her worth to some crazy aliens. Plus McCoy just decides to name her Gem like she is a puppy or something. Still at least she is dressed modestly and doesn't fall in love with any of the main 3 (so that is something).
Still I can't help it I love how this episode shows the strong bond of the main three who are all willing to sacrifice themselves for each other. And again this is just a really good McCoy episode especially since he with his hypo knocks the other 2 out so the aliens will take him instead of his friends. And then Spock and Kirk (especially Spock) are just all over him. The episode also indicates that Gem learned compassion and love from watching the 3 of them interact. The episode couldn't be clearer these 3 guys love and cherish each other very much even if they don't say it outright.
Finally like Spectre of the Gun this episode obviously has a low budget but it uses a simple set (almost all black set with minimal furniture) to perfect effect making the episode feel more eery, distant, and lonely. The episode also has a beautiful musical score.