Top 50 Episodes of Star Trek: Part One (with Les)

In an empty room, the light sounds of Alexander Courage’s theme song for Star Trek waft lazily through the area. The door opens and RichB enters the room.

RichB: Les? Are you here, buddy?

*looks around seeing his friend hasn’t arrived yet. Then he notices the audience.

RichB: Oh, hello! In 1991 Star Trek turned 25, and I celebrated by watching every single episode of the original series back to back one a day for about four months, I wish there had been blogging then, I would have reviewed them for an audience also. This year, Star Trek is turning 50 and between Next Gen, DS9, Voyager, and Enterprise there are 703 episodes of Star Trek. Don’t think I could watch them all in a year let alone a month. So as one of many tributes that will be done this year, I asked my friend Les to help me count down the top ten best episodes of every series. Since I have spent a lot of time discussing bad episodes, the one rule there have to be episodes we love that are good. That’s funny…he’s supposed to be here and….

*a transporter hum drowns out the music and Les materializes next to richb.

LES: Ah, hi RichB. Sorry I’m late….there was a line to the transporter today. Are you ready to…..

*Les notices the audience too.

LES: AH! Greetings, Manic Fans. Glad you’re here as two Trekkers come together to tribute 50 years of Trek greatness.

*Les quickly scans the tricorder to see what rich already said.

LES: Great intro, my friend.

RichB: Thanks a lot. So, Les, ready for the challenge?

LES: Absolutely. In the light of what’s going on with current Star Trek…I think to honor the legacy of Gene Roddenberry, we’re going to have to look back and appreciate the groundbreaking series and the spinoffs that followed it in order to see the greatness in this show.

RichB:  So true, and since I could be here all day talking about what is wrong with the reboot movies and how they miss what made Star Trek so special, let’s not waste any more time. Let’s discuss the cream of the crop, the best episodes of them all, and hopefully as we go we can explain just what it is about this little sci fi franchise that has helped it endure for so long!

LES: There is much to recommend about Star Trek. The 2nd longest running science fiction television franchise(only Doctor Who is longer by 3 years), it broke down many doors in broadcast television. So many subjects formerly taboo or unacceptable by network censors were shown in clever ways that made us think about what the possibilities were in studying the human condition. Taking on hot social topics like racism, sexism, ethics and abuse of power, Star Trek showed us a bright future where mankind became greater from ending war and learning to work and live together without prejudice.

RichB:The list of topics goes on and on, you can throw anything from drug addiction to slavery to freaking 9/11 in there! And yet they knew how to be light and fun with sillier episodes. The best part was the characters, each series gave us characters that we love and adore (ok some more than others). Why can’t the reboot movies remember any of this? But I shouldn’t bash the attempt to turn Star Trek into Star Wars, I said I’d focus on what made it great these last fifty years.

LES: YEP…the less said about the upcoming ”Star Trek: Beyond,” the better. So, shall we list our respective top 50 episodes of Star Trek in it’s 6 series, my friend?

RichB: Sounds awesome! Let’s start with the classic series that started all fifty years ago!

WARNING: SOME SPOILERS AND ADVENTURES BOLDLY GOING WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE AHEAD…

LES: Ok, as any top 10 list I do with any chronological sense for Star Trek is going to start with the first filmed pilot of the whole show. My #10 pick is:

#10.  ”The Cage”

This tale of the first Captain(ok…technically 2nd Captain if you know about Captain Robert April…but he only appears in one episode of the animated series for canon…) Christopher Pike(Jeffrey Hunter) along with the only other character to survive into the actual series when it was picked up-Mr. Spock(Leonard Nimoy). The tale follows the Enterprise as they’re lured to Talos IV where captain Pike is kidnapped by the inhabitants who possess the awesome power of creating illusions in the minds of others. This story is a masterful study in human abhorrence of captivity, the notions of not judging a book by its cover and Captain Pike’s story arc to rediscover his purpose as the Captain of the USS Enterprise. Film clips of this episode make their way into the TOS 2-part episode, ”The Menagerie.”

RichB: The Cage is…not an episode I have ever watched entirely. I do find it curious to see the way that show worked and wonder what Trek would have been like if Hunter never left the role. The Menagerie I have a love/hate relationship with but that’s a story for another day.


#10.  “This Side of Paradise”

This episode has a special place in my heart, and I am not entirely sure why. The premise is simple, the landing party discover a colony that should be dead…aren’t. Turns out it’s because of spores which make people blissfully happy as long as they exist in them. Yeah the story sounds like something from the 60’s doesn’t it? But it works because of Shatner and Nimoy. NImoy gets to be ”free love” Spock and the scenes of him happy are fun to see. And Shatner does some fine acting after he is abandoned by his crew. Kirk can often be over the top but here it is nice. And the fight between the Kirk and Spock is very well done. Finally. Jill Ireland is in it, Need I say more?

LES: Yeah, it would’ve been interesting to see what Star Trek might’ve been with Captain Pike in the chair. Perhaps it’s best they didn’t as actor Jeffrey Hunter passed away in 1969(the year the series was cancelled, so no follow up films for Captain Pike…just saying…). ”This side of Paradise” is a classic episode, alright. I particularly loved the way McCoy’s southern drawl got bigger when the spores hit him. For my #9 pick, I’m going with:

#9.  ”The Man Trap”

While it’s the 3rd episode filmed, it was the first episode ever aired on television. Using some very clever editing, this story follows a parasitic salt vampire alien that can shape shift into its victim’s memories of friends. This episode also firmly establishes the foundation of the Kirk, Spock, McCoy dynamic that became the central focus on the show.

RichB:  The Man Trap is a bit underrated but it is pretty good, Deforest Kelley does some amazing acting as the ”fake” McCoy, being in and out of character at the same time. The characterizations are a bit off though. William Shatner himself admitted Kirk was a little kill happy with the Salt Vampire. This is the same guy who would refuse to kill The Horta? But it’s an early episode so we forgive it.

#9.  “The Apple”

This episode is a rarity for me. It’s mostly a planet episode, but I still like it. I guess it’s because of all the red shirt deaths. Just kidding, but this episode has more than it’s share! Poor Spock is put through the ringer here too getting knocked around a couple times. So what is it about this episode? The basic plot is that the landing part finds a planet where a computer basically controls the population. They serve the computer…and that’s it! So, should Kirk intervene and change it so that the people can think for themselves? Yeah great idea except there’s this little thing called The Prime Directive! Of course Kirk does, it’s another Kirk vs the computer episode and while there is a lot of filler, the good stuff is really good. DC Comics actually did a follow up story to this in the 80’s showing the results of Kirk’s actions here, and it was a very good read.

LES: Hmmmm gonna be honest here…The Apple was never one of my favorite eps. For busting the Prime Directive, I always go for ”The Omega Glory” or ”Patterns of Force.” but, to each his own LOL! I did, however like the statue of Vaal

(VAAL MOTHERFUCKER! VAAAAAAAL!-sorry, couldn’t resist ).
For my #8, I’m selecting:

#8.  ”The Squire of Gothos”

I love this episode as one of the better stories where Kirk battles against a being so powerful he can create objects and planets by mere whim. Trellane(William Campbell) is clearly the inspiration for the Q character in TNG(With a heavy dash of Liberace thrown in), and he’s delightfully whimsical, yet still dangerous. It’s great to see Kirk and co. try and outsmart him.

RichB: No arguments there, why Trelane only made the one appearance I will never know.
For my #8:

#8. “The Galileo Seven”

When people talk about great Spock episodes, this one often gets overlooked. But it really is one his best. In command of a stranded shuttle crew, we see him struggle with how his logical decsions do not necessarily mean the desired outcome will happen. All leading to one final moment of emotion which saves all their lives. There are things I could nitpick in it, like that one officer who keeps quiestioning Spock. At one point even McCoy has to tell him he’s crossing the line. Man I would have loved to see Spock report him right out of Starfleet. But the suspense is very good and the ending is a bit of a surprise. All in all, nice episode.

LES: Yeah, this was a great Spock episode, alright. It’s also the first episode to use the Shuttlecraft, and it’s used very well in it.
For my #7, I’m going with:

#7.  ”Devil in the Dark”

This is a great monster in the shadows episode with a wonderful twist at the end. Kirk, Spock and McCoy all get great moments in it to show the very best of Starfleet idealism. I believe it’s also Spock’s first mind-meld as he communicates with the Horta to discover the secret of the silicon balls and why the miners are having so many mishaps.

RichB: His first mind meld was in ”Dagger of the Mind”, but this was one of his most unforgettable. Did you know Shatner’s father died during filming, and he filmed anyway since his flight out was late? That man was awesome! The episode is good though not of my favorites.
Now for my #7.

#7.  “Tomorrow is Yesterday”

This is a time travel episode, one of the first I believe in the whole series, written by the super awesome D.C. Fontana. Yeah the story makes no sense. If they went back and changed it so it never happened, why did they waste so much time breaking into the facility? Anyway, gripes aside this has always been a cool episode. It features one of the best cold opens, as we see things from Earth’s point of view. It starts at a military base, where they get a blip on their radar. They send a plane to check it out…and it’s The Enterprise!! I should do a list of the coolest cold openings, but I already spoiled one. And I’ll discuss TNG’s when we get to that. So after that it’s basically an ethical dilemma, they capture an air force captain and he wants to go home. But they can’t send him home without disturbibg the time line. And how do they get home anyway? It’s a good script that makes you ignore the obvious plot holes.

LES: AH…Captain Christopher….I loved that episode. It’s the one where they figure out how to do a time warp from a slingshot around the sun(that came very convinient when they needed to do the trick in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home). Good pick. For my #6, I’m picking:

#6.  ”The City on the edge of Forever”

Another great time-travel episode, this one is doubly powerful for the tragic love story between Kirk and Edith Keeler(Joan Collins). If you had to let your love die to save the timeline, would you be able to do it? Mr. Spock is magnificent in this one as he lets his human half come forward to help his friend make the decision.

RichB:I’ve already made my feelings on that known, while I don’t think it’s a great ”Star Trek” episode it is very, very well written and acted. So I respect it. The ending is a winner.

#6.  “The Enterprise Incident”

It was either this or Space Seed, but honestly if you take out Ricardo Montalban that episode has very little going for it. I bet it would be forgotten had it not been for ST2. This episode is a rarity for several reason. It’s a good season three episode. I know, right? It’s also the best Romulan episode. Yeah Balance of Terror has it’s good moments of suspense but aside from Mark Lenard The Romulans aren’t really defined. The Romulans are much more fleshed out here, heck we get a female commander! The best part is the ruse Kirk and Spock use to get the cloaking device. Without going on forever, Kirk seems to be losing it and takes the ship into the Neutral Zone. After getting captured, Kirk seems to attack Spock who uses the Vulcan Death Grip in defense. What??? Yeah, there’s actually no such thing. Honestly, it’s one of Trek’s best deceptions as we find out it was all a trick to put blame on Kirk not Starfleet if they messed it up. And then Kirk is disguised as a Romulan. The only stupid thing in this one is how they used the stock Klingon vessels because they couldn’t afford Romulan one’s, but that’s a minor point and was fixed when they upgraded all the effects a few years ago.

LES: I KNOW!….I really liked how they put Romulan ships back into that. I particularly loved the lengths Spock went to in his mission…’nuff said.
For my #5, I’m picking:

#5.  “Amok Time”

For many, this is the definitive Spock episode. In this one, Spock undergoes the Pon Far(Vulcan mating cycle) where he must marry and mate or die. When his betrothed issues the challenge, instead, Kirk enters a gladiatorial match with Spock to satisfy his honor(not realizing it’s a fight to the death). No spoilers here. GO WATCH THIS EPISODE NOW!!!!!!

RichB: I can’t argue, this could almost be considered a perfect episode. The only flaw may be the way Kirk gets out of trouble for bringing Spock to Vulcan. Kind of a cop out, but that’s not big deal really. Love that one.
My #5 is:

#5.  “The Ultimate Computer”

I almost put Obsession here but while it’s a good Kirk episode there isn’t much else. So I swapped it for a better Kirk episode. This episode is always a joy to watch. Yeah, it’s another Kirk vs the computer story but one I enjoy. There are so many little things in this one. True it’s a bottle show but it’s an action packed one. I guess it really comes down to two things. Jimmy Doohan voices the M-5, how cool is that? But it’s also interesting to see what happens when Kirk has no control of a situation. That’s what the computer does, takes control away and it’s fun to see Kirk deal with that.

LES: Ah…the M-5 computer….one of the more creative episodes for offing a redshirt, to be sure. I love the way Kirk and Spock have to out-logic the computer in this one. For my #4, I’m selecting:

#4.  ”The Doomsday Machine”

Everything about this episode is hard-core awesome. The Enterprise faces a vastly more powerful ship that destroys and eats planetary systems and errant starships. And Kirk and Spock battle Commodore Decker of the USS Constellation for control of the Enterprise in the fight against it. Mr. Spock scores major points for using the rules and regulations to win this one.

RichB: Doomsday Machine is awesome. That last scene with Kirk stuck on the other ship as it approached the doomsday machine is still as nerve wracking and suspenseful as it was when the episode first aired!
My #4:

#4.  “The Tholian Web”
 
Ah, the third season. There are plenty of episodes I like but most of that season falls into the category of good…but could have been better. Or just awful. Course the reasons for this have been fully documented. This is one of the few exceptions, I love this episode. Even if Kirk is barely in it! There is just a feeling of tension and dread during the whole thing. You feel the weight of Kirk being absent. You feel the tension as the crew goes nuts and McCoy searches for an answer. You feel the stress Spock is under (even if he doesn’t show it) as he has to command while The Tholans create their web. And since it’s third season, all the characters get a few lines (and Chekov screams his head off) It’s an episode I just love to watch over and over even though, as I said, Kirk is hardly in it! I always wondered how Shatner felt about that? Heck even the effects are good, they won an award! When they upgraded all the special effects for the series some episodes got heavy upgrades, this was one hardly needed any!

LES: Yep, The Tholian Web was a really outstanding episode that gave other characters(Like Uhura) more things to do than just say, ”Aye, Captain…” It also really examined the dynamic between Spock and McCoy that needed Kirk to balance out and what happens when he’s not there.
For my #3, I’m picking:


#3.  ”The Trouble with Tribbles”
 
I know…I know…picking this episode is practically a Star Trek cliche…but I can’t help it. There’s just so much meme-worthy moments and quotes throughout this very clever episode about a seemingly harmless cute furry creature that proliferates uncontrollably on Space Station K-7 and the uneasy truce between the Starfleeters and the Klingons who show up for shore leave. Scotty has some priceless moments in this one.


RichB: One of us had to pick it and what can I say? It may not be perfect, but it comes damn close. It’s a fun episodes that doesn’t go so far that the characters feel out of character. It also has the best ending with the scene on the bridge (where Scotty admits what he did with the tribbles) followed by that energized fanfare which is the perfect end to the episode. If you never noticed go back and watch that ending, it’s great!


#3.  “The Naked Time”
 
I said in another article that it would have been so easy for this to be a stupid episode. Just look at what happened when Next Generation tried it. But what sells it are the performances, most notably by William Shatner and especially Leonard Nimoy. This was the first time we really saw his dual sides (humans vs Vulcan) battle each other and it simply works. Yes it’s another virus episode and yes the silly stuff is..silly. But I also give it a pass since it was the first so you can’t argue that it was ripping off another episode. I am not a huge fan of the early episodes, but this is one I do like.

LES: Yep…TNG wouldn’t have an acting moment to match the performance of Mr. Spock until Captain Picard mind melded with Sarek in season 3.
For my #2 selection, I’m going with:


#2.  ”The Immunity Syndrome”
 
The concept, alone, makes this one exceptional. The Enterprise faces a space amoeba 11,000 miles wide that absorbs all energy sources and is preparing to reproduce. Can I just say WOW! Philosophers have pondered the notions of scale in the Universe and how the molecules that make up our bodies could each be a separate galaxy….and this episode puts that notion to practical consideration. I particularly love the battle of wills between Spock and McCoy to go on the suicide mission inside the creature to plant an anti-mater bomb since both have scientific reasons to explore it while doing it.


RichB: I love this one to and the updated effects make it 100 times better! Hmm, I keep mentioning those updated effects. Maybe I should discuss them at length one day? Anyway this is a great episode no question.
My #2 is, say it with me now…

#2.  “Mirror, Mirror”
 
What can I say? I have seen this 1,332 times and love it every time. Ok maybe not that many times. I said this before but this was during the stretch on TOS when they hit their stride and evert episodes was fantastic. We know the story, an Ion storm causes Kirk, McCoy, Uhura, and Scotty to trade places with their mirror counterparts. And what could have been a silly episode is really pretty, well, dark! I will admit there is a lot of filler here. The scenes between Kirk and Marlena go on forever and it felt like they were trying to stretch the neding out, why did Mirror Spock need emergency surgery again? But it still works and the episode is one I simply adore. I love the transition scene when the crew is beamed up and the ship flips around…and when they finally materialize they see the Spock with a beard! Gotta be one of Trek’s best moments.

LES: Absolutely. That was a brilliant episode. You should check out episode 3 of the fan-made Star Trek Continues to see how that story continues in the mirror universe when the 4 characters are returned to their respective universes-it’s equally brilliant.
My #1 of the first top 10 of our list of 50 best Star Trek episodes is:

#1.  ”Spectre of the Gun”
 
Not only is this one of the best ”period piece” episodes re-creating the day of the gunfight at the OK Corral, it’s one of the most stylized episodes to capitalize on the budgetary limitations of season 3 using partial sets against a solid red background(sky). The use of the Vulcan mind-meld is amazing in this one.


RichB: That episode is really cool, and I like how the budget cuts didn’t hurt it. The half done sets made sense in the context of the episode! Chekov also has a cool death scene..that of course doesn’t take but whatever.  Now for my #1….

#1.  “Journey to Babel”
 
This is one of my absolute favorite episodes. And not even because it introduces us to Sarek and Amanda, which of course it does. This is was when the series was hitting its stride and almost everything was classic. Everything here works, from the comedy to the action to the 4th wall gag in the end. The villain is top notch and we get one of my favorite ”Kirk outwits the villain” moments ever. And of course we have the character interactions to really make it something special. The plot is simple, someone is killing the delegates that the Enterprise is escorting to Babel. Meanwhile, Spock’s father suffers a heart attack (or the Vulcan equivalent) which creates some dilemma for Spock. He is half human but a Vulcan would never express emotion. But it gets even better when he refuses to step down to give his father the blood he needs to live. Logically, it makes sense. The crew and delegates are more important than one man and he has a duty. But, dude, that’s your father! It all comes to a head in a scene between Spock and Amanda which is so well written, so well acted…it’s just about perfect.

LES: AH…Journey to Babel. The episode that introduces us to not only Spock’s parents…but Andorians, Tellarites and, while offscreen, the Orions….ok, technically they’re introduced in ”The Cage” and briefly seen in ”The Menagerie”….but only in fantasy sequences in Captain Pike’s mind, so….it’s questionable. Anyway……That’s 10 down, 40 to go. Thanks for coming by, RichB.  See you tomorrow for the next 10.





And thank you Manic Fans for giving us some of your time, as well.  Join us tomorrow for the next top 10 Star Trek episodes on our lists as we continue counting down our favorite 50 episodes each, my friends. Peace.