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Here is the question we put before readers last week:
J.W. in West Chester, PA, asks: What do you think is the best episode of any of the Star Trek series?
We got a LOT of responses. Rather more than we expected. Since there are clearly a lot of fans among the readership, we're going to divide this into three parts. Today, it will be the original series. Next week, it will be the "second generation" shows (e.g., The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, etc.). The week after, the "third generation: shows (e.g. Lower Decks, Strange New Worlds, etc.) And now, ahead Warp factor 9:
J.L.G. in Boston, MA: Hard to claim it's the best, but the most memorable moment for me comes from the episode "Mirror, Mirror." Kirk finds himself transported to an alternate universe where he's captain of the Imperial Star Ship Enterprise, in service of an unethical and immoral empire that unleashes savage unilateral military force against any civilization that refuses to submit to its whims (hmmm...).
As the episode comes to a close, Kirk urges mirror-universe Spock to stand up for his own values, even in a world that punishes decency as weakness. He asks Spock for one act of courage despite the odds: Do the right thing today so that we can do the right thing tomorrow. That message is central to Star Trek and will be as relevant in 2167 as it was in 1967.
J.B. in Bozeman, MT: I've always enjoyed "The Doomsday Machine" quite a bit. The Enterprise is not only trying to stop a planet destroying device from another galaxy but also the captain of another ship who has gone rogue. It's a good mix of action, science fiction, and Cold War social commentary. Everything you want from Trek!
R.V. in Pittsburgh, PA: Being a casual fan of the various Star Trek series, one episode from the original show that always stuck out was "Bread and Circuses," when the Enterprise crew was forced into gladiator games. And in this episode was the guy (William Smithers) who ran solitary confinement in the 1973 movie, Papillion.
D.J. in Beachwood, OH: Lots of people will write "City on the Edge of Forever" or "The Trouble with Tribbles" for the original series. But for me, it was "Balance of Terror." The submarine-warfare-like tense atmosphere and the racial metaphors set a tone that was iconic for what made great Trek.
S.E.Z. in New Haven, CT: For comedy: "The Trouble with Tribbles," "Mudd's Women," and "I, Mudd."
Most memorable ending: "That Which Survives":
Captain Kirk: She must have been... a remarkable woman.
Dr. McCoy: And beautiful.
Mr. Spock: Beauty is transitory, Doctor; however, she was evidently highly intelligent.
Kirk: Kirk to Enterprise, five to beam up. I don't agree with you, Mr. Spock.
Spock: Indeed, Captain?
Kirk: Beauty... survives.
G.W. in Oxnard, CA: The episode that sprung to mind when I saw the question was "The Trouble With Tribbles" from the original series, so I'm going to go with my gut and not give it too much thought. The episode is at its core about a dispute about the status of a neutral planet. The United Federation of Planets offers the planet aid in the form of grain the planet can cultivate for their benefit. The Klingons offer security and the potential to be a part of a glorious empire. Comedic hijinks ensue. Enter the interstellar trader Cyrano Jones, who among other products, offers pet tribbles for sale. The tribble has 90% of its metabolism dedicated to reproduction, and the space station and the Enterprise are overrun by the tribbles. The Klingon fiendish plot to win control of the disputed planet by poisoning the grain is revealed.
What makes this a great episode is the woke values of the UFP triumphing in the end, and that we are given an opportunity to see the crew on shore leave in an informal setting where they are relaxed and more nuanced characters. The Klingons are finally seen as a more complex species rather than one-dimensional villain characters.
The thought on the Klingons leads me to another point about Star Trek's subtle racism. All Klingons are alike, all Cardassians are alike, all Vulcans are alike, but there is a variety of attitudes and personalities among humans. You do see exceptions to that rule: Nog and Rom rebel against the expectations of the Ferengi culture in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Rom eventually becomes Grand Nagus, Spock's half brother Sybok goes 180 degrees from his Vulcan culture. Still, the Star Trek audience expects too much conformity of alien species. There is a lot of anger that the Klingon character Jay-Den Kraag in the current series is gay and seeks a career in science and medicine. I applaud Star Trek having variety in the characters, but I fear the audience is too comfortable with the subtle racism.
B.B. in Pasadena, CA: How many people have seen EVERY one of EVERY Star Trek series? Well, not I, but I saw every one of the original series when it first aired. And many of some and none of others. I'm very happy with Strange New Worlds and find Starfleet Academy pretty good and a great addition. To get to the question, I must defer to define it as what is the most memorable, and for me it is hands down all the way back to the beginning: "The Trouble with Tribbles," written by real science fiction author David Gerrold.
T.K. in Fayetteville, NY: I believe the best episode of Star Trek should be the one with the most lasting and important message. So, I choose "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" from the original series. Although it is often criticized as too heavy-handed, the episode deals with the absurdity and the destructiveness of racism, a lesson many have failed to learn almost 60 years later.
M.W. in Marlborough, CT: The original series used the facade of science fiction to address contemporary issues through easily digested metaphors—e.g., "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" (racism); "A Taste of Armageddon" (the Cold War); and "Amok Time" (hormones). However, the issue that affected everyone equally in the 60s was the generational disconnect between the Boomers and their parents (the Greatest Generation or the Silent Generation). Nowhere is it clearer than in the attempt of the "Herberts" (as the squares were called) who wrote and acted in the original series, to moralize on the half-baked idealism of 60s youth in "The Way to Eden."
I can't forget the middle-aged actor with the receding hairline (Charles Napier) wearing a tie-dyed onesie and shredding "Goin' to Eden" on a his futuristic "axe." Or Spock bridging the gap as only an outsider can, jamming with the cool kids on his Vulcan peace harp. Or William Shatner showing an unseemly interest in the much younger female space hippies. The admonition against personality cults and the anti-drug message are well-taken, but the campy interpretation of youth culture perfectly illustrates the disconnect between generations that defined the late 60s. Any boomer who cringed at their parents' attempts to be cool can dig where I'm coming from, man.
B.C. in Phoenix, AZ: "Court Martial" stands out to me as the best episode; primarily because of the presence and quotes of lawyer Samuel T. Cogley, played by Elisha Cook, Jr.
When Kirk tells Cogley his obsession with books means he has "to be either an obsessive crackpot who's escaped from his keeper or Samuel T. Cogley, attorney-at-law," Cogley responds "Right on both counts."
A superb quote from Cogley, highly relevant in these days of infatuation with AI: "I speak of rights! A machine has none; a man must. If you do not grant him that right, you have brought us down to the level of the machine; indeed, you have elevated that machine above us!"
C.C. in Fort Wayne, IN: My choice would be the "The City on the Edge of Forever." Maybe the first time I saw a film version of the "What if?" impact or "butterfly effect" possibility if someone were to use time travel to affect history. It's too bad that a somewhat self-centered Shatner decided to have it focused on him and Joan Collins instead of the DeForest Kelley character the original story focused on, but it's still a great episode. It might even foreshadow that we won't really know good or bad the long-term effects of Trumpism (although I lean towards the bad).
I was considering the episode "Requiem for Methuselah," about an immortal that had been several characters in history. The jealousy he displayed after using Kirk to awaken emotions in his android creation of an immortal woman. Unfortunately, it was part "Forbidden Planet" and didn't really ring true that an immortal who led so many lives as famous Earthmen would not understand his emotions and allow him to act out violently. It would have been more interesting to me had they explored his past lives and either lamented or rejoiced that he was now aging.
M.D.H. in Coralville, IA: My two favorite Star Trek episodes are "The City On The Edge Of Forever and "The Conscience Of The King." In both, the drama revolves around genuinely difficult moral choices and their long-term consequences. Also, both make exceptionally good use of Shatner's somewhat over-the-top acting style.
S.T. in Worcestershire, England, UK: OK, let's go for an obvious choice: "The City on the Edge of Forever."
First because it was written by a proper sci-fi writer, Harlan Ellison.
Secondly because I firmly believe that history did take a wrong turn due to Joan Collins not being run over by a truck.
S.R. in Stockton, CA: I watch "The Doomsday Machine" the most enthusiastically (with all of the scene chewing from Shatner and William Windom, they probably had to rebuild all of the sets).
M.S. in Harrisonburg, VA: "Balance of Terror." Yes, it's basically The Enemy Below in space, but it tells a good story from both sides, is well paced, and is clear about the stakes involved (another war with the Romulans if Kirk doesn't get this right). It also makes a rather obvious point on the stupidity of racism (Lt. Stiles' distrust of Spock) but also a more subtle point when Kirk has Uhuru take over as helmsman for another officer. This was at a time when Black people would normally not have been seen as taking on such an important job (and likely not women either), and the episode treated it as a natural use of a competent officer. While I didn't pick it specifically because of this, this episode is usually high up on lists of best Star Trek episodes.
M.B. in Noble, OK: I really have many favorites but one that few people mention is "Who Mourns for Adonais." With the impending release from the government the secrets of whether or not we have been visited by aliens from other planets, this episode might explain the proliferation of gods in ancient mythology. For the record I do not believe Apollo first came here as an alien, but Star Trek sure was ahead of its time and got a lot of things right.
B.L.D. in Lisle, IL: Perhaps not "Spock's Brain," which belongs in the Hall of Very Good, but not all-time great, episodes of the original series. As an original Trekkie who has seen all of them too many times to count (but who has continued watching nearly all of the spin-offs), there are many that I think are outstanding. I'm a big fan of "The City on the Edge of Forever" and "Amok Time" (great music!), but for me the winner has to be "Space Seed"—the story of eugenics and mankind's hubris about nearly all things. It is also the episode that introduced us to Kahn Noonien Singh, and laid the foundation for two different versions of movie series. I would, in fact, argue that Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan saved the movie franchise entirely, which was nearly doomed by Star Trek: The Motion Picture (aka Star Trek: No Good Plot, but We Finally Have Decent Special Effects).
By sheer coincidence, I saw "Space Seed" (for probably the tenth time) the afternoon before seeing Star Trek II in the theater. What an amazing prequel to the movie! Also, as I watch them now (perhaps less often than in my youth), I am more drawn to episodes that I may have dismissed too quickly before, such as "The Empath" and "The Return of the Archons," perhaps because they require a bit more introspection and because of what I see as missing, and coming (respectively), in the world around us.
P.D. in Leamington, ON, Canada: Definitely "Spock's Brain." Followed by "Space Seed," "Wolf in the Fold" and "By Any Other Name." I also have a fondness for "The Trouble with Tribbles." Truthfully there are good moments in almost every episode—quotable lines and memorable scenes.
J.S. Germantown, OH: I will admit to really wanting to pick either "I, Mudd" or "Piece of the Action" because they are the pinnacle of humor in the Trek universe. But I mostly write to contest your implied selection of "Spock's Brain" as the worst episode. As bad as it is, I can still manage to watch it; the same cannot be said for "The Empath."
A.B. in Wendell, NC: TOS was on when I was a kid, and anyone who really knows me, knows which episode is my favorite, without me even saying it. It's "Turnabout Intruder," where Janice Lester and Captain Kirk switch bodies (against Kirk's will). I remember seeing that as a kid and wishing it would happen to me... and knowing that I'd be running to engineering top speed and telling Scotty to beam me halfway across the galaxy and not to tell him where I went! Sucker!! The episode was very badly received and reviewed for other reasons pertaining to women's lib, but to my seven-year-old eyes... well, a girl could dream, anyway!
A.G. in Scranton, PA: "Elaan of Troyius," where Kirk threatened to spank a space princess, you know, for thinking independently.
That sexist, tradwife, physical violence/BDSM kink sh** is hot because of my upbringing.
If you have favorites from the "second" or "third" generation Trek shows, there's still time at comments@electoral-vote.com, preferably with subject line "Spock's Brain"!