20 Best Star Trek The Original Series Episodes To Rewatch

20 Best Star Trek: The Original Series Episodes To Rewatch

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1 20 Best Star Trek: The Original Series Episodes To Rewatch

From the introduction of Khan to profound moral dilemmas, here are the best Star Trek: The Original Series episodes to rewatch today.

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As fans are rejoicing about currently having 5 Star Trek series in production at the same time, they might consider returning to the impetus of Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future in Star Trek: The Original Series. So much of the material that makes up the foundation of Star Trek lore, foundation, and canon comes from the ’60s sci-fi classic, with plot points and storylines strongly felt in Star Trek: Picard and to an even greater extent in Star Trek: Discovery.

The five-year mission of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Doc McCoy, and the rest of the crew of the starship Enterprise was full of everything from ethical questions regarding the humanity of artificial intelligence, to political intrigue pitting the Federation against Romulan insurgents. It also introduced fan favorites, from the Vulcan salute to the Mirror Universe. Boldly go where you’ve already gone before with these 15 classic episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series.

Updated on December 3rd, 2021 by Kayleena Pierce-Bohen: With a brand new season of Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Lower Decks, a brand new spin-off series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and the all-new animated show Star Trek: Prodigy, it’s the perfect moment to revisit the very best Star Trek: The Original Series episodes. Many of the characters, plots, and themes contained in this prestigious catalog have found their way into the current Star Trek canon, and continue to be appreciated for the perspective and insight they give fans today.

“Spectre Of The Gun” (Season 3, Episode 6)

Don’t let the premise fool you — one of the best Star Trek TOS episodes involves an old-fashioned Western showdown. When Kirk gets sentenced to death on a hostile planet, he’s only given the most primitive weapons to wage battle — a pair of six-shooters. Fans of Sci-fi Westerns should love the captain of the Enterprise and his bridge crew blasting their way through a gunfight at the OK Corral.

While The Original Series might have been restrained by budgetary restrictions, even the much slicker Star Trek: The Next Generation couldn’t resist taking elements from this classic episode in “A Fistful of Datas”, which sees the bridge crew in a very similar situation on the holodeck.

“All Our Yesterdays” (Season 3, Episode 23)

As a doomed planet hurtles towards its own annihilation, Captain Kirk spends the final hours perusing its library’s vast database. Unfortunately, this removes over 50 centuries of knowledge of Vulcan civilization from Mr. Spock, throwing him into a vortex of emotions.

Taking a page from The Twilight Zone’s “Time Enough At Last”, in which a book-obsessed bank clerk survives a nuclear attack and believes he has all the time in the world to read (but in fact doesn’t), “All Our Yesterdays” (itself a reference to Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”) plays with a similar issue of cause and effect, and the concept of “be careful what you wish for”, making it one of the best Star Trek TOS episodes in its final season.

“The Menagerie (Parts I And II)” (Season 1, Episodes 11 And 12)

Before James Tiberius Kirk took command of the Enterprise, another captain sat in “the chair”; Christopher Pike (Jeffrey Hunter). He was featured in the original pilot for the series (“The Cage”), which ended up being combined with “The Menagerie” for the original series’ only two-part episode. While less exuberant than Kirk, Pike was one of the first captains to openly discuss issues involving mental health.

The episode begins with Spock committing treason, taking command of the Enterprise, and abducting his former captain (who’s suffered a horrific accident) to participate in a tense, mercurial courtroom drama. The episode is necessary viewing for background into Captain Pike’s return in Star Trek: Discovery.

“The Galileo Seven” (Season 1, Episode 16)

Relief efforts in a mysterious solar system go awry when Mr. Spock and Co. accidentally crashland their shuttlecraft on Taurus II, where they’re immediately attacked by a giant creature and depleted of resources. Aboard the Enterprise, Captain Kirk is forced to make an important decision — continue the mission to deliver relief supplies to the colony, or wait to hear from Spock, Bones, and the rest of his friends.

The concept of placing the needs of the many over the needs of the few would continue to be a major touchstone in the franchise, and it’s no better articulated than in “The Galileo Seven”. The debut of the shuttlecraft to the lore is another first for one of the best Star Trek episodes in the canon.

“The Naked Time” (Season 1, Episode 4)

After the crew of the Enterprise passes through Psi 2000 in an effort to find answers to a research team’s unexpected demise, a virus takes hold of them that makes them act out their most hidden desires. For Sulu, that means swashbuckling around the ship shirtless with a rapier and creating one of the most iconic images of the series.

Star Trek canon would eventually be full of episodes of viruses making crew members behave irrationally (Star Trek: The Next Generation also did it early in its first season), but this episode is special because it’s recounted with particular zest by George Takei, who explained in his autobiography To The Stars that he only had 3 weeks of fencing to prepare for the plot, and 3 days to prepare for appearing shirtless!

“Arena” (Season 1, Episode 18)

After a Federation outpost gets destroyed, the Enterprise makes hot pursuit, until coming into contact with a new and fearsome enemy — the Gorn. Captain Kirk enters into a fight to the death in the slim chance that he might be able to save himself and his crew.

While some fans might dismiss this episode as Kirk two-fist punching a lizard man, it’s one of the best Star Trek TOS episodes because it ingeniously straddles the themes of humanity and mercy. Even after they fight to the death, Kirk spares the Gorn’s life (voiced by Ted Cassidy, who played Lurch on The Addams Family airing at the same time), an iconic end to an iconic moment in TOS.

“The Squire Of Gothos” (Season 1, Episode 17)

For the Enterprise crew, coming into contact with an omnipotent being isn’t out of the ordinary, but few are as memorable as Trelane, the “Squire of Gothos”. Located on a planet that should be uninhabited, Trelane becomes the focal point of an investigation by the Enterprise, and the crew spends an episode marveling at his 18th-century environment as he marvels at their technology.

Of course, Kirk and Co. soon discover that the anachronistic figure possesses godlike powers, and all their tech is no match for his shenanigans. They become trapped in a game of wits for his amusement, and they must beat Trelane to survive. The character inspired John DeLancie’s infamous Q on Star Trek: The Next Generation, a celestial mischief-maker known for his obnoxious harassment of Captain Picard and his crew.

“The Enemy Within” (Season 1, Episode 6)

After a transporter accident, Captain Kirk is split into two different entities, a plot point which would be revisited in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager. The episode becomes a study of the captain of the Enterprise, as each personality attempts to assert dominance over the Federation flagship.

One personality is domineering and hostile, while the other is incredibly passive. As the storyline progresses, it becomes something of a morality play, as it becomes increasingly clear that as each Kirk becomes his own man, it becomes a difficult task to determine who has the “right” to remain as the true James Tiberius Kirk.

“Journey To Babel” (Season 2, Episode 10)

There’s a mystery aboard the Enterprise in “Journey to Babel”, which marked the first time that representatives of the Federation’s founding members were all together again on screen. Vulcans, Humans, Andorians, and Tellarites all appear to attend the Babel Conference, and later a murder occurs.

Not only is the episode full of classic Trek humor, intrigue, and galactic politics, it also reveals a lot about Spock’s upbringing. His Vulcan father, Sarek, and human mother are also included in the mix, and Spock undergoes a great deal of character development thanks to the familial exchanges between them.

“The Corbomite Maneuver” (Season 1, Episode 11)

With many Star Trek series like Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Discovery, and even Star Trek: Picard piggy-backing so many episodes of the original series with their plots and storylines, it’s important to remember that what made it unique sometimes came down to Captain Kirk’s captaincy.

In “The Corbomite Maneuver”, the Enterprise encounters a mysterious alien intent on attacking it. Thanks to Kirk’s quick thinking, he outmaneuvers its assault. The episode provides great insight into Kirk’s tactical skill, and the original series’ ability to create tension without the fancy visuals of Star Trek: Discovery, though we suspect Captain Lorca would approve of Kirk’s plan.

“Let That Be Your Last Battlefield” (Season 3, Episode 15)

A stolen shuttlecraft boards the Enterprise and produces a fugitive from the planet Charon. The pilot, Lokai, has skin that’s split down the middle; one side of him is black and the other white. A second shuttle soon arrives bearing Bele, also from Charon, who despises Lokai despite looking almost exactly like him; one side of him is white, and the other black.

Conceptual sci-fi takes a very literal turn in “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield”, where the perceived difference in their skin color causes Lokai and Bele to commit to a generations-old feud between their people. It confounds the Enterprise crew, who cannot imagine hating another being for a physical attribute they cannot change.

“The Trouble With Tribbles” (Season 2, Episode 15)

No Star Trek list would be complete without one of its most famous episodes, “The Trouble With Tribbles”. The light-hearted plot finds the Enterprise docked at Space Station K-7, where fear-mongering has tarnished a Klingon visit and erupted in trade disputes. Uhura purchases what looks like a twittering ball of hair, but is in fact a Tribble – a pregnant one at that.

As the Tribbles begin to multiply exponentially, Kirk must balance Federation politics, the intricacies of grain supply and demand, and the burgeoning Tribble dilemma. The Tribbles proved so popular that they were featured again in “Trials And Tribble-ations” on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

“A Taste Of Armaggedon” (Season 1, Episode 23)

While most Star Trek fans view Starfleet as an organization that represents the highest ideals of the Federation, its members occasionally come in contact with cultures that have seemingly evolved beyond even its utopian parameters. In “A Taste of Armageddon”, the Enterprise visits a planet whose inhabitants have grown beyond combat, but not war itself, and as representatives of Starfleet, the crew judged them for their beliefs.

Rather than destroy itself with weapons, the culture encourages warfare to be acted out in an accurate simulation. Trouble arises when the Enterprise crew finds itself in a building marked “destroyed” by the simulation, but rather than turn themselves in for disintegration like other members of the population, they refuse to surrender. This action threatens to bring about real war in all its destructive capacity, but Kirk sagely suggests that without it, the people of Eminiar VII had muted its horror.

“Balance Of Terror” (Season 1, Episode 15)

Not only did “Balance of Terror” introduce the nefarious Romulans to Star Trek canon, but it also featured a pragmatic battle of wills between warriors that, as one Romulan commander relays so poignantly to Captain Kirk, could have been friends in another reality. It reminds viewers that neither men are good nor evil, simply men on missions.

Though the Federation had fought the Romulans 100 years prior, until the incident along the neutral zone that opens the episode, no Federation starships had engaged a Romulan vessel in the years since, making this the premier occasion for visual contact.

“The Doomsday Machine” (Season 2, Episode 6)

In one of the most harrowing episodes in Star Trek franchise history, a destructive machine goes out of control, sparking the sort of paranoia and fear that existed during the Cold War happening during the show’s broadcast. Known as the Doomsday Machine, it’s being hunted by Captain Kirk and Commander Decker in an attempt to prevent it from destroying entire planets.

While Kirk sees finding the location of the device as one of many missions he needs to complete in the Enterprise’s five-year journey, Decker becomes increasingly obsessed. As Kirk nevertheless faces off against it, he continues to promote a message of peace despite the terrifying alternative.

“Space Seed” (Season 1, Episode 22)

This episode was highlighted by two major components of Trek branding – a memorable nemesis, and the presence of relentless optimism. Ricardo Montalban introduced one of the most iconic villains in the entire Star Trek franchise as Khan Noonien Singh, a former dictator of Asia in the wake of the 20th century Eugenics War.

Khan represented the lowest point of humanity and Earth, while Captain Kirk and Co. stood for the great strides that it would come to make between the 20th and 24th centuries. It’s not only necessary Trek to view, but sows the seeds of a great rivalry in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

“The Enterprise Incident” (Season 3, Episode 2)

Though The Federation may have outlawed cloaking technology by the time Star Trek: The Next Generation was on the air, in Star Trek: The Original Series, it was very much favored. The Federation went so far as to send Kirk and Spock aboard a Romulan vessel to obtain the details of its engineering.

This premise has been visited again in Season 1 of Star Trek: Discovery, with Klingons in place of Romulans, but a similarly bizarre romantic interlude occurs. In “The Enterprise Incident”, Spock participates in an uncharacteristically malevolent seduction of a female Romulan for the sake of the mission, adding complexity and depth to his character.

“Amok Time” (Season 2, Episode 1)

The first appearance of pon farr in Star Trek history occurs in this memorable episode when Mr. Spock’s ordinarily reserved equipoise is disrupted by the Vulcan mating ritual. The Enterprise is rerouted to Vulcan so Spock can take care of his needs with a pre-arranged partner, only to find that she prefers another mate.

Not only does the episode provide insight into another fascinating ritual in Vulcan life, but it also reveals another side to Spock and Kirk’s friendship. Not even a fight to the death can drive a wedge between the two, though it’s great fun seeing the ordinarily calm and collected Spock lose his cool Vulcan facade. It’s also the premiere of the Vulcan salute!

“The City On The Edge Of Forever” (Season 1, Episode 29)

In one of the most revered episodes in the Star Trek canon, one of the most difficult questions in sci-fi is posed; should one person be allowed to die, if their death would keep history intact and save millions? The query is raised when Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock travel back in time to save a raving Doc McCoy, ending up in 1930’s America.

The episode is important for not only setting a precedent for time-travel stories in future Star Trek episodes but also to demonstrate that Captain Kirk was capable of true love and William Shatner of genuine acting. Kirk’s sacrifice of a future with Edith Keeler so that the future of Earth remains secure is one of the most profound ethical quandaries in the entire franchise.

“Mirror, Mirror” (Season 2, Episode 4)

Before this episode’s plot became a huge story arc in Star Trek: Discovery, it captured the imagination of fans everywhere as they watched the usually sterling crew of the Enterprise be depicted as malicious conquerors in an alternate reality. A transporter incident sends Kirk and Co. to a parallel universe, where the only opportunity for advancement on a starship is through assassination.

In this “Mirrorverse”, The Federation has been replaced by a Klingon-type organization called the Terran Empire. Captain Kirk behaves with the sort of brutal malevolence only glimpsed at in “The Enemy Within”, and even a heavily scarred Sulu becomes a vengeful officer, in a reality where everyone is the polar opposite of Federation ideals.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/star-trek-best-episodes-tos-original-series-rewatch-ranked/

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