The 5 WORST Episodes of Star Trek: TOS!
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- Опубліковано 6 чер 2024
- The five worst episodes from the entire series of Star Trek: The Original Series!
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How could you not possibly include Turnabout Intruder in this list? That, I would say, was the worst episode in my opinion.
You’re not PENSKY material...and your car is being towed
@@fuzzywzheI think Kirk filing his fingernails while being a shrew saved it!
@@mem1701moviesThat is a classic 'laugh-out-loud', the Sein would be proud👏
@@kennethmartin1300 Haha, I do not recall that scene. Perhaps I should rewatch it. When I first saw it, I saw it as a kid in reruns, and I remember hating it. It would have been much worse if I saw it as a season finale that turned out to be the last episode ever.
That which Survives is worse than Spock's Brain? Lee Meriwether is STUNNING in this episode!
Stock's brain was fun. Stupid, but fun in a campy 60s/50s b-movie style. "What is brain?!" Classic line, lol.
What I don't understand is why everyone loves that episode where Kirk falls in love with that the overly optimistic, 2-demensional woman from the 1930s. They have a few cheesy run-ins, change the past and have to change it back again. I hardly see why that's interesting or thought provoking. I mean sure, the time gate was cool and all, but the majority of events on planet earth were not quite so interesting, imo.
@Moon Shine I agree 100%! Mr. Scott you have 10 seconds...
Yeah..very much agree...That was a episode that stood up to the quality of the first 2 seasons... as a matter of fact better than a few of those episodes.. Many others in season 3 fell far short. Like Spock's brain.
@@davidsnyderWisdomYMadN The Empath and Spock's Brain are the two worst episodes. The third season was hampered by budget cuts fueled by poor ratings. Regardless, Spectre of the Gun and The Tholian Web are superb.
@John Smith The special effects in that episode were stunning for 1968. Lee Meriwether had the classic face of beauty. The premise that a long dead woman could kill by just a touch even though only a projection is intriguing. The acting is average in this episode. Solid "C" overall rating.
I thought for sure "Spock's Brain" would be number 1.
"Spock's Brain" was great. Loved it!
Spock's brain defined women as "The bringers of pain and delight". I've never heard a more accurate or succinct definition.
Brain and brain! What is brain??
That's because Spock's Brain is great! More laughs than any of the bad episodes listed here.
Platos step children is one of the Darkest Episodes of Trek, his Speech at the end was brilliant "your all dead inside, youve lived too long"
It was one of those banned in the U.K. for over 20 years due to cruelty, so I can see it being considered one of the worst for that factor alone. It does have a cringe factor, but I wouldn't put it on the worst list; I can think of a couple dozen that I don't want to watch again. I bought a third of the episodes on VHS back in the day, and I think this is one of them.
I think he would’ve spelled it “you’re” though, you know, since he’s not illiterate?
@@Frankie5Angels150 Frickin' grammar nazi. what a dick head
Cannot stand Platos Step children. Despite the astonishing Michael Dunn’s “Do you think I want to be like them?!” and Chapel’s pseudo Vulcan makeup, the sexual sadism and humiliation is unbearable. The Uhura Kirk kiss meant nothing to us back in the day, because it was forced. And then he’s going to burn her? With a hot poker?! Not really a total triumph as a civil rights moment. Lastly, the perverts on the planet did not get their sufficient desserts. Each time I’ve watched it, it bothers me even more.
As someone once said, Star Trek is a bit like sex: even if it's bad it's pretty good.
At least six TOS episodes are awful.
I would say that of TOS. The spinoffs are mostly just boring. My problem with Next Generation... almost every episode is resolved by some stupid technobabble in the last few minutes. BORING! I'll watch even bottom-of-the-barrel TOS any time.
@@brianoverland5474 The writing of TOS still reflected a Hollywood establishment that had experienced the Second World and Korean Wars, so they were not afraid to tackle and present the harshness of life even in the semi-Utopian 24th century (keeping within 1960s studio standards, of course). TNG and beyond stank of political correctness and keeping things blandly inoffensive.
@@brianoverland5474 Precise analyses.
@@baraxor exactly right!
Third Seson gets dumped on, but there were some very good episodes: Day of the Dove; The Enterprise Incident; All Our Yesterdays; The Tholian Web; Spectre of the Gun; Is There In Truth no Beauty; Elann of Troyus; The Savage Curtain.
Mariette Hartley was very hot in All Our Yesterday. 😊❤
Agreed The Enterprise Incident (in top 10), Tholian Web, Day of the Dove; All Our Yesterdays; and Is There In Truth no Beauty were very good. Also the World is Hollow and i have touched the Sky.
but Elaan of Troyus was mediocre at best. Spectre of the Gun and Savage Curtain were in the bottom 10.
"That Which Survives" was actually good.
@@jv-lk7bc Elaan of Troyius did end with an exciting space battle against the Klingons. (Was this the first episode where a Klingon ship commanded by a Klingon--not a Romulan--battled the Enterprise?) So that was worth waiting thru the rest of the episode for. Plus France Nuyen (as Elaan) was a good actress and fun to watch.
Two of the best episodes were in Season 3: All our Yesterdays, and The Paradise Syndrome. Also very good were The Wink of an Eye, The Enterprise Incident, Plato's Stepchildren, and Spectre of the Gun. Admittedly, only about a third of the Season Three episodes were good, but those few were excellent.
You forgot Spock’s Brain.
Yeah, I was waiting for that episode to come up. Spock's Brain is the worst episode by far.
Yep I agree
It's pretty bad, but not as bad as people say. There are worse ones, like The Way to Eden (space hippies), Patterns of Force (space Nazis), and Turnabout Intruder (lesson: women shouldn't be allowed to run anything).
@@colemannee9898 ha ha, The way to Eden was a great episode, loved the singing.
@@colemannee9898 hit it right on the button. Agree
Dude, I loved the empath. You completely missed the point. If I ever had one superpower it would be to take on some else’s pain, hurt, suffering, and injuries, hopefully not to the point of death. The ultimate sacrifice.
It was one I remembered being moved by as a little kid when I saw it. Bottom line, the worst Star Treks were still better than the best competing shows, with some arguable exceptions.
It was so damn brutal and gruesome, so it was hard to like.
I agree with that story plot but the music made it unwatchable. I would rather hear the Amok Time music with Kirk and Spock --- "Dah Da dah dah dah da duh a dah da." or the music from Doomsday that sounds like the Jaws theme.
The thing about 'The Empath' is the implicit twist at the end that the audience has to figure out for themselves, never spelled out, like Darth Jar Jar.
The Vians were trying to decide whether to evaluate the Empath's planet or one other, and the torture test for self sacrifice was the deciding factor.
Why?
Because the Vians themselves were the other planet.
The Vians sacrificed themselves to save the younger species.
Can humanity begin to imagine the same?
The audience certainly couldn't comprehend it, the 'Imagine' concept vs. 'Better Dead Than Red', or Theodore Sturgeon's story, 'Thunder and Roses'
Peter, I totally agree with you. Everyone dumps on "The Empath," but this was always one of my favorite episodes -- maybe even my favorite episode when I was a kid. I was moved by it.
I might be a minority but I liked the Empath episode and it had touching sensitivity of Spock to McCoy, when he thought he was dying.
You are not in the minority.
It was also DeForest Kelly’s favorite episode.
I enjoyed the Empath immensely. I STRONGLY disagree with the OP's opinion. This was a great episode.
Can you mean to tell me the Mark of Gideon wasn't horrible I couldn't stand that 1
@@lavellhall7650
You're not in the minority. That episode was pathetic. 🤮
Yeah some of those I would go along with but NEVER NEVER 'The Empath' that is such a good one just good acting throughout and showing a bond of love and friendship, this was DeForrest Kelley's favourite and I see why.
How could you have left off "The Way to Eden" -- with the most unconvincing collection of hippies in the galaxy?
I love the song?
Because the plot twist at the end was very well. The ending was very well.
Listen Herbert, that episode was far out. Do we reach?
@@codybuckner9325 Charles Napier went on to have a pretty good acting career in his middle age. He put on a lot of weight so you might not even recognize him from "The Way to Eden."
THANK you....Ive always hated that episode... Damn space hippies
The Empath was WAY ahead of its time; no one else was even thinking about Metaphysics on tv in the sixties.
Not Twilight Zone? That show was also ahead of its time.
I liked the "Empath." The relationships between the "Big Three" is well played in the episode.
Had the feeling of theater, minimal sets, just a decent script and good acting, all that stuff is lost today "in space"! ;D
As a kid I found the episode really interesting. Weird, but interesting. Any episode featuring the main three interacting is always a good one.
'The Empath' was filmed in a German-Impressionist style, similar to the silent Horror Classic 'The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari', and I rather enjoyed it.
Fun fact about "The Alternative Factor": Robert Brown, who played Lazarus, was not the producer's first choice for the role. He was actually a last-minute substitute for John Barrymore, Jr., who pulled a no-show when filming started. Who is John Barrymore, Jr., you ask? Drew Barrymore's father.
Wow, I didn't know that. Robert Brown did a great job in that role, IMO.
I also didnt know that...but I still think Robert Brown did an excellent job playing Lazarus
Mr. Brown did do a good job, especially considering he was brought in at the last minute, having to learn the script, etc.
Wow! Thanks for the info. I wondered who got replaced. That’s wild. The episode is very hard to track. As a boy, I couldn’t follow it.
TOS has the worst batting average? This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard.
The WORST episode was 'The Way to Eden': "HERBERT HERBERT HERBERT!"
Thrakerzog Steppin’ out to Eden, yay brother...
That's real NOW, man!
You just dont reach brother✌🏼 haha
Watching Charles Napier try to sing and play that goofy guitar makes " The Way to Eden" unwatchable!!
The Way to Eden was bad but Spock's Brain has to be the worst.
‘The Empath’ is the true gem of the third season. No pun intended.
I agree ,this nerd missed the point completely. I like the Bible quote in the last scene from Scotty.
I like "The Empath". You must've lost your brain for a sec. "Brain, brain, what is brain?" I'd replace it with "Spock's Brain".
@@andrewtobias1 Spock’s Brain is the “so bad it’s good in a funny way” The Empath on the other hand…
It was horrible....
@@andrewtobias1 Yes speaking of "brains", in the episode "the Changeling", In a scene on the deck, the powerful AI probe NOMAD, which was beamed onboard the Enterprise to stop it firing upon the ship, it absorbed the late great Lt. Uhuru's brain. And, upon learning from Spock that, she, the "biological unit" was a woman, Nomad then uttered one the truly classic lines in all of TOS, it's delicious for its brutal non- wokeness as viewed today. Nomad said: "A woman? A Mass of Conflicting Emotions, absorbing it Unsettled me"! Or words to that general effect, as I recall. :D LOL
The empath is my favorite episode. It's about self-sacrifice and intolerance to others' suffering. The irony that the Vians praise the empathy that they themselves lack (which Kirk bitterly points out) adds more depth to the plot.
Annika R
Me too Annika! Even after 50 years it still makes me tear up. I wish that somehow, they could have followed up on Gem. She was wonderful.
@@maureentuohy8672 Yeah. Even today, when that episode comes on, I just want to give Gem a big hug! She was SOOO wonderful!
I love this one!
"The Empath" and "Errand of Mercy" appear to be attempts at advancing human character development. But that could possibly be said for many episodes, and I appreciate Gene Roddenberry for the focus and intent of his storylines.
@@questor5189 Yes, in many of the characters you cared about them, and not just the main TOS actors. You were concerned about them, even admired them, like the Romulan Commander in "Balance of Terror". And it's totally unlike the ones today, which you wish would just step out of an air lock, and be done with them, or something. ;D
I believe the Star Trek Original Series Season 1 and 2 are the best of all the franchise. I keep watching some of them over and over again.
ME TOO! Thank you for that!
Bruno I could not agree more. When NGR came out the first two years were absolute snoozers....thank goodness they came up with the Borg or that would have been a complete loss.
@@jaimhaas5170 That cheesy next generation stuff is a total and complete loss. Hate that cheesy next generation stuff.
jaim haas ... What's NGR?
@@danbasta3677- Next Generation had it's moments. Season 4 thru 6 were definitely their best seasons. That's when they produced some of their best episodes.
I like all of them. Corny is OK. Don't lose your sense of humor when watching Star Trek. You'll never get through it.
The hokey nature is what keeps me invested, it's a silly show and that's brilliant.
I like the orginal one because it is so corny. It rank number 3 for star trek series.
You sound like one of the 'Yang's we peblista' when you talk like that.
I thought "Turnabout Intruder" was way worse than the Omega Glory.
Oh I agree because this episode hasn't aged well at all. This is a case of an Unreliable Narrator.
that episode was probably to tell the audience goodbye since that was the last episode
I thought Turnabout Intruder was very good.
It's all a matter of opinion, but how, "And the Children Shall Lead," and "The Way to Eden" didn't make your top 5 is beyond me. They are easily 1 and 2 on my list. "The Alternative Factor" isn't as bad an episode as it it just a hot mess for me. They had some good ideas, and if you've ever heard the behind the scenes of that episode you'll understand why it turned out into the jumbled nonsense that it did.
And the children shall lead has a terrific first act, while the way to eden has an earworm of a song!
Requiem for Methuselah is my least favourite episode. Kirk is so far out of character. Ignoring his responsibility to his ship and crew because he has the hots for an android.
Is this the same man who allowed Edith Keeler to die?
I'd forgotten about "And The Children Shall Lead". A completely execrable episode.
@@WillCamx Absolutely my favorite. (“Forget.” )
Raina was the final draft of the perfect women as designed by di Vinci, et al. Two very different women and circumstances.
@@scottmcneely1927 Apart from the old Uhura, it’s insufferable.
There are episodes that are pure cheese (Turnabout Intruder, Spock's Brain), some that are just plain bad (Alternative Factor), but one manages to combine all of the worst of Trek into 50 minutes of cringe. The Mark of Gideon starts with such a horribly implausible premise that it makes you wonder just how much handwaving went into getting it approved. A completely functional Enterprise replica that even Captain Kirk found indistinguishable from the real ship? Wow, it must have included everything...even the personal belongings and computer files from Kirk himself. But...never mind all that. Kirk meets a beautiful young woman who manages to convince him that she has no idea what they are doing there, until she gets sick and Daddy appears to explain the plan. She's supposed to die so that others will be inspired to infect themselves or infect others or let the government infect them to reduce the planet's population. Apparently their love and respect for life prevents them from using birth control, but suicide or genocide is fine, as long as it's by disease rather than another method like gas chambers or starting a computer war with Eminiar 7. Kirk has developed feelings for the young woman so he takes her back to the Enterprise and saves her life just in time. And the good news is that she now carries the infection in her blood, so she can still wipe out billions of people because no starship captain will be around to rescue them. What a happy ending!
For sheer stupidity and ham-handed social commentary I don't think you can beat this episode.
The next generation stuff is pure cheese.
Excellent commentary!
Turnabout Intruder would have been better if Shatner had toned down his hammy acting of a woman in a man's body.
Yeah, the ethics are questionable in _The Mark of Gideon._ It also makes you wonder how safe it is for people in Starfleet to encounter alien civilizations, primitive or otherwise if they can pass on deadly diseases?
The actor who played Cyrano Jones in "The Trouble with Tribbles" originally wrote the episode about overpopulation on this planet, where the leaders wanted to introduce death, but not for them or their families. There was no mock-Enterprise. But even this treatment was iffy, involving blood transfusion and trying to create a deadly virus before it was changed to what was filmed.
Like most third-season episodes they wanted to make it another "Ship in a bottle" episode to save money.
On our Earth there are places in the world where overpopulation has completely ravaged the natural world, destroying trees and forests, wildlife and so forth. If we get to 10 billion, the environment will suffer even more. If that had been the theme of the episode, maybe people wouldn't care about a world like that?
The year 2022 was the year of _Soylent Green_ when life in the oceans died and they were converting human bodies into food.
See it's weird because The Empath was one of my favorites, but at the same time I fully expected it to be on this list lol. I can't say for sure why I figured it, especially since I liked the minimalist set design, but I just had a feeling
Lots of stuff is touted: "Less is more", today, but rarely is it really. In this episode, the few set props did not compete with the acting performances of all the main characters and the aliens. It was like watching a live theater performance, I think many here would agree that is part of its charm, at least for me it is. Especially true today in sci fi movies and TV shows, which have generally strong "acting performances" by the CGI sets and gadgets, and weak ones by the "actors", including the later iterations of the franchise we focus on here, Star Trek.
I think you have misunderstood the Empath. That episode is very important for character- development, and it is very different from the other episodes. Interesting to hear your point of view, nonetheless.
The Empath had great music, also the self sacrifice exhibited by the characters (Spock,McCoy,Kirk) was the groundwork for the hero worship of them to follow.
@@davidvalensi8616 Yes, they were truly "Officers and Gentlemen" in that episode.
If it wasn't a ripoff of an episode of _The Outer Limits_ then perhaps it could have merit.
I always thought it was just boring. It's like I could see what they were going for, and had good ideas, but just didn't make it interesting enough to be watchable.
Can't agree about "Plato's Stepchildren." Lots of great ideas in that one about the abuse of power and the mistreatment of outsiders. Plus, Alexander, Philana, and Parmen are all complex and memorable characters (unlike Losira from "That Which Survives," who only becomes more confusing as the story unfolds). I would replace "Stepchildren" with "And the Children Shall Lead."
The best part about "And The Children Shall Lead," is Shatner's hamfest in the lift when he's "losing command." It should definitely be used in acting classes as a warning to performers on why they should NEVER over act a scene!
That scene with Kirk's being ridden like a horse was pretty funny.
Have to say that which survives was pretty good..Better than some season 1 and 2 episodes..Natira was mysterious and beautuful...not hard to understand that..DIsagree with And the children shall lead being a bad episode. I remember watching this many years ago and the vision of the crazy leader appearing after the children performed their chanting ... still is memorable to me. Then the vision of Uhura as the very old hag ; made it worth watching just by itself..Not a bad episode at all...Quite a few others i can think of that deserve to be called the worst.. Insert instead ; Mudd's woman or The way to Eden or Spock's Brain. But to each his own.
@@davidsnyderWisdomYMadN ... Natira was the leader of the planet ship in For the World Is Hollow, And I Have Touched the Sky. She helped cure Bones of his extremely rare disease.
"That Which Survives" had Commander Losira, played by Lee Meriwether. Natira (from "For the world is hollow, and I have touched the Sky") was played by Kate Woodville.
The omega glory is repeatedly pissed on, This episode moved me as a child and continues to move me as one of Kirks most valiant efforts to defend his beliefs and those of the federation. If not for this episode....I would not be a treky.
Hey, part of being a fan of the series is enjoying terrible episodes!
@@thepenskyfile- That's true. And part of being subjective, is deciding which episodes are good and bad.
Good points. The ending of this episode showcased the idea that the best of American values would be a part of making the Federation a force for good. It was also a show meant to be watched by children, it was not aimed at the cynical adults of our age--so they trotted out the American flag at the end.
matt barrett .....Not one bad episode on the original series.
This is the only one on the list I disagree with, I’d put on my second tier list of great episodes
The Empath is one of my favorite episodes in the whole series. It introduced me to the word "empath" and to the realization that I, on fact, am an Empath. Maybe that's why the topic wasn't boring to me I don't mind that it's a bottle episode, and I loved that the actress who played Gem was a skilled mime, who's graceful movements made up for the lack of a set.
On the other hand, Spock's Brain is a truly horrible episode, which I have to take on memory as I haven't seen it in 60-some-odd years.
Personally, I love The Empath. My worst would be The way to eden ("Herbert!"), spocks brain ("In search of his brain, doctor!"), whom gods destroy ("You stupid cow!"), alternative factor ("Winking Out!"), I Mudd, Catspaw ("Very bad poetry, Captain."), Omega Glory, The Lights of Zetar, Patterns of Force, Bread and Circuses.
thanks!
you no like the space hippies???? Space hippies GOOD!
I thought 'Whom Gods Destroy' was a pretty good EP. Most of I, Mudd was OK. Most of the others I'd prolly agree, except maybe Lights of Zetar.
@@Total_Recall Roger C. Carmel brilliantly played Harry Mudd, adding much entertainment value to the two episodes he played in. A very likeable villain in my opinion.
Maybe ya'll forgot "The Apple," "And the Children Shall Lead," and "Mark of Gideon." Those were INCREDIBLY bad. I'd agree about "Spock's Brain and "Catspaw."
Several on your list are ones I consider upper-half episodes, like "I, Mudd" and "Patterns of Force." But it really is all in the eye of the beholder.
Both final seasons two and three were very enjoyable. Even if they're bad they're pretty good.
Yes, the good and the bad, and not that many were ugly, like some of the ones today, with Woke "Amok Time" ! LOL
The more I learn, the more I realise that ST TOS was a success in spite of Gene Roddenberry, not because of him.
Well, it depends on how you measure success. If measured in Primetime Ratings, it was pretty much of a failure. If measured in how it seeped into the American consciousness via reruns on UHF stations, spawning a whole entertainment universe of sequels and motion pictures...
Agreed. He said at the conventions he attended, that he made Star Trek for HIMSELF, not us
@@williamanthony9090 I think someone said the ratings weren't done correctly, so TOS got better ratings than they initially thought.
@@sandal_thong8631 I understood it that the breakdown of ratings by WHO was watching (age groups and purchasing patterns) was just on the verge of being introduced, and Star Trek would have been a very valuable property under the about to be introduced rating system, instead of the ratings failure it was under the system that just counted viewers.
WHOA!! The Empath is excellent. I see very few flaws in it.
Should have the space hippy one on here and "And the children shall lead"
Opinions 💁♂️
I love "The Empath." I can't stand that episode where an Angel/Satan persuades children to take over the Enterprise. Awful, but embarrassingly funny, in many levels.
One or two points. First one of clarification: The Platonians were not telepaths, they were psychopaths (in two separate senses of the word). They were sadistic and unfeeling, but their power was psychokinesis, NOT telepathy. Secondly, the Empath, while quirky and devoid of fight scenes, was NOT pointless. Third, the episode Spock's Brain was FAR worse than the first season episode Alternative Factor. Maybe Pensky felt he had picked on the third season enough.
Nah, Spocks Brain is campy fun. Alternative is dull nonsense.
@@thepenskyfile- And the 3rd season was a collection of scripts hurriedly rushed into production from the rejection pile!
@@williamanthony9090 Yet still ...some of the season 3 episodes stood up as Star trek classics!.....Specter of the gun...The Tholian web... For the world is hollow and i have touched the sky...Day of the Dove...Some were in fact much better than season 1 and 2 episodes...And turnabout intruder is far underrated. Almost forgot The Paradise syndrome. All our Yesterdays also.
@@davidsnyderWisdomYMadN - Well, that's entirely subjective. A couple of the shows you mention, in my view, are just God AWFUL! I won't mention which ones, because everyone's entitled to their preferred episodes. I agree that a couple of third season scripts stood up to previous seasons, but I can't think of one that was really better than the quality of seasons one and two. Again, that's simply my opinion. Live Long And Prosper!
@@billanthony7896 Yes, if anyone is doing creative work, you know that not every effort is a winner. I recall a lot of other shows of that era as I was a kid or young adult then. Even great shows of the time, and those that preceding it in that genre were not without their clinkers, like Twilight Zone (donated toys in a barrel) and Outer Limits ("aliens" in shower caps after Robert Culp) for example. Don't even get me started on the sitcoms of the era too, like Dream of Genie, Beverly Hillbillies, Gilligan's Island, and even westerns like Bonanza. So, it's sometimes a crap shoot to get a good piece of work, fortunately for the franchise it started off mostly strong otherwise there would be no Trekkies today, who are still saying things like "Live Long and Prosper"!! And I do it too, BTW! LOL ;D
While I agree about The Empath's script, I found its minimalist sets really appealing for some reason.
The Empath's set design reminded me of Irwin Allen's Time Tunnel set. Very Dark black to foster the illusion that it was vast in scope. Also the Space 1999 Year One episode the Infernal Machine. Inside the GWENT ship was minimalist in a way that made the ship appear VAST!
@@AUTISTICLYCAN Yes, so insightful that, when the set and the effects today have become the "story" and the acting and the plot is playing second fiddle to 67 explosions per hour, and intricately designed "spaceships". Who cares about that if you've read any classic sci fi like Asimov and Clarke. These films today are for children, or those with minds of children!
@@ronschlorff7089 i.i.p.a.
Fill a economic read
I.i.l.t. nuclear department education t minus post error
P.s.y.c. visible invisible periodic element table course ¹876 1878 galaxy 100% 30.5 galaxy spread into 26.4 milky way and galaxy converging
2.3 billuon years growth 1.104 milky way 0.6 at the climax 97.6% galaxy 30.5 and 26.4 galaxy
It would be interesting if it wasn't a repeat of an episode from _The Outer Limits,_ which was also minimalist.
I personally would have swapped out "The Empath" for "And The Children Shall Lead".
Some even worse episodes: "and the children shall lead" with children going nyanyanya empowered by a space ghost, "spock's brain, and "the way to eden" with its idiotically stereotypical space hippies.
That was the worst episode......They were playing space guitar etc... I get the meaning but they could have did it a little different.
Herbert! Herbert! Herbert! 😀
The Empath is one of my favourites. I think And the Children shall Lead is the worst Star Trek episodes.
Absolutely disagree with "The Empath". It was meant to be emotional and deal with the best of humanity with their love for each other and their ability for self-sacrifice. The Vidians couldn't provide that which is why they used others. The face of the leaders of the Vidians shows that he recognizes it as their fatal flaw.
We didn't need the cringy few minutes at the end which appear to be obligatory in Star Trek TOS.
I rewatched it just now to see if my original feelings about the episode remain. They do.
I also liked to a degree "That Which Survives". The "Way to Eden" was much worse and the portrayal of Spock in that episode was terrible.
That Which Survives, has one major redeeming feature, Lee Meriwether.
You needed a longer list. Any list of terrible episodes should contain And the Children Shall Lead, Way to Eden, and Spock's Brain.
Spock's Brain is an honorable mention, but I appreciate the camp factor.
I might actually leave Spock's Brain off the list because it is entertaining. It gets a low rating for being totally ridiculous.
It also has a production "innovation". For the first time they back project the screen projection, rather than superimposing it in post-production. And they have the cast and extras walk back and forth in front of it constantly, because they can. I laughed my ass off at that. Director is like "OK. Everybody get between the camera and the screen. So we can show off our special effect innovation."
But "and the Children Shall Lead" has no redeeming qualities.
Agree with your list. Spock's Brain is campy fun, but awful. And very sad for Nimoy to have to do that when he'd brought so much to the character of Spock. The Children Shall Lead, can we call it "Children of the Gorn"? Might have been redeemed with acting that wasn't the worse in TOS. But I can't picture it. Way to Eden, Enterprise crew play "The Man" to a group of space hippies. In the era before TNG, it was one of the few episodes that could make me turn off the TV during Star Trek. Though I will say, I haven't heard a bike rim played better since.
Good point on the camp factor. I was surprised at first not to see Spock's Brain in this list, because I consider it one of the worst, however, I can have a good time laughing at how silly it is. I'd probably sa the same for Way To Eden, and when originally viewed during the 60s with the hippy culture, probably would have been even more funny at how it tried to express something something poignant in the time of the viewer, but does it in a preposterous, laughable way.
"That's now, that's real now!"
I actually really enjoyed the empath, largely due to the scene where McCoy knocks out both Kirk and Spock. If nothing else, I think that was a well-done interaction. One of my least favorites is The Deadly Years. The way Kirk puts his ship in jeopardy to feed his own ego is very disturbing to me. And when he’s cured, there is no consequence for or mention of the terrible way he treated everyone.
All of the worst episodes are better than any episode of Star Trek Discovery.
WTD(What The Dunsel)?? I can not believe "Spock's Brain" did not make your list. With the line, "Brain & Brain. What is brain?" to Scotty's fake faint to enable Kirk to disarm the female alien lead.
How much worse can you get? Bad enough having Nimoy on "robot" mode during most of the episode.
Script appeared to be written & called in by JHS student. (7th grade).
Must admit when they got a dose of the pain stimulator the first time, I was cracking up, then the second time when Kirk batted the controller for Spock, it had me on the floor!
I cannot agree at all with the choice of "The Empath" here. I consider it to be one of the most important episodes of all, because possibly more than any other installment, it explores the true nature and depth of the relationship between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy: that each would without a moment's hesitation lay down his life for the others. And despite their constant friction and bickering, both Spock and McCoy would very willingly die to save the other.
"Spock's Brain" should be on the list.
it has its moments. I like the solar system schematic with three Class M planets at various technological levels. It was a busy galaxy.
Agreed.
I-Morg
It had hope, but i couldn't stop laughing at the fact that spock LITERALLY GOT ROBBED OF HIS BRAIN
it's one of the best. completely hillarious
For me, The Empath was one of the best episodes.
Bon iBroco YES! A great episode for sure! 👍🏻
@@julianbristow4793 ....Yup.....it may have been cheap and simple to produce but it had a very profound message for all sentient life.
I think deforest Kelly said it was his favorite episode of his time on TOS
Why because an actor who played a judge in MATLOCK was tortured
4:31
I agree with everything but the Empath. That was a great and emotional episode IMPO! I loved the way each one of them was ready to sacrifice his own life to save his friends, i loved the way the relationships between them went, i also loved the girl, she's absolutely beautiful. (sorry for my English)
Unwatchable episode
I know that money was tight. However, I think that the story line of The Empath had the potential of being a really good episode.
"Brain and brain! What is brain? It is... Controller?"
TOS I love them all have watched them all and still watch them Star Trek is my great escape from reality
How can anyone possibly omit “”And The Children Shall Lead”, “Spock’s Brain” and “The Way to Eden”??
Those should have been the top 3. Not, 'That Which Survives'.
How could 'And the Children shall lead' NOT appear on this list? Or Spock's Brain?
I have wondered for years why so many are apprehensive toward naming "And the Children Shall Lead" as a poor Star Trek episode and I think I've nailed it down -- fear of being sued by Melvin Belli's ghost, renowned lawyer who played " Gorgan, Friendly Angel."
How, how is anyone that's even remotely aware of TOS, not listing "Spock's brain" as the worst episode ever? It is absolutely unwatchable
Come on! The Empath is a great episode!
My least favorite episode was The Way to Eden. The musical numbers went on wayyy too long.
My Top 7 cringeworthy TOS episodes in order starting from absolute worst to barely watchable.
1. 'And The Children Shall Lead'
2. 'The Alternative Factor'
3. 'The Mark Of Gideon'
4. 'Plato's Stepchildren'
5. 'The Way To Eden'
6. 'Let That Be Your Last Battlefield'
7. 'Spock's Brain'
I thought "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" was corny or heavy-handed when I first saw it, but it does have something to say. Not about white-black relations, but more likely the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since they really hate each other, though they are both Semite peoples who are closely related though being separated for nearly 2000 years.
@@sandal_thong8631 Religion is a Sickness of the Mind!
Whom God's Destroy is pretty bad.
I like the Mark of Gideon.
@@gunternetzer9621
As Kirk himself said in "The Trouble With Tribbles": 'Well, there's no accounting for taste!' 😏
I like 'The Empath' and 'That Which Survives' a lot more than you do, even if I do agree about the logic of the latter. Got to work with Lee Meriwether on a radio project about 10 years ago, and she was a delight- she even let me record her doing the "I am for..." bit for me. lol
Loved The Empath! It's a very memorable episode with a very memorable music score!
Funny thing about The Omega Glory,.... even with the quality it ended up being, Roddenberry liked it so much that he personally submitted it for Emmy consideration. I would love to have been a fly on the wall during that conversation. I wonder if they laughed in his face, or humored him with a polite brush off
In this episode and a few other where other ships of star fleet and their officers were brought into play intrigued me, like in the Tholian Web, were one ship, the Defiant?, dissolved into a parallel universe. The best being the star ship Constellation in the Doomsday Machine episode. They all used the same sets as the Enterprise of course. So, this was one of them.
I LOVED Plato's Stepchildren. It was possibly the least boring episode. It was an acid trip, but it was so damn entertaining to see a dwarf riding William Shatner acting like a horse
I respect this opinion
the whole shaming/scapegoating/power thing is an important topic, and one thats impossible to address without making people uncomfortable. Discomfort/triggering is not the same as bad art.
The Empath is one of my favorite Star Trek episodes. And while season 3 was a season that saw the departure of Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek being scheduled in the Friday Night Death Slot, and a considerably lower budget that had episodes takin place entirely on the Enterprise set, it did have some great episodes like The Enterprise Incident, The Tholian Web and All Our Yesterdays. Star Trek is my favorite Star Trek series because it was the first and original. It was the series I remember watching on TV in the afternoon when I got home from elementary school in the 1970s.
10pm on Friday. No less.
That's because NBC believed that Gene Roddenberry was behind the "Save Star Trek" campaign (not true, it was Bjo Trimble and the show's fans) and decided to punish Roddenberry and the show for it. Hence the bad time slot. Since they knew that there was not going to be a fourth season, the show got edgey. But in all fairness to the fans, in the 1960s you needed at least three seasons worth of episodes to make syndication viable. So the fans really DID save Star Trek, more than they'll ever know! LL&P
Mark Schroeder That’s why Gene Roddenberry never wanted to deal with having a new Star Trek series on network television ever again. Ugly politics, false accusations and censorship issues, which Star Trek was developed to mostly avoid when writing scripts, led to its early demise before 100 episodes were made. Fortunately, the fans saved Star Trek for a third season and the show flourished beyond anyone’s imagination in syndication. Syndication is what saved TNG from cancellation during its first two seasons where the show took awhile to find its established footing and an audience.
The omega glory was good
"Spock's Brain" and "Way to Eden." So bad they were not discussed.
spocks brain is campy fun!
@@thepenskyfile I thought it more of an embarrassment.
@@thepenskyfile It's worthless rubbish.
Amen!! 7:09 7:09
Spock's Brain is nowhere as bad as people say it is....William Shatter says it's bad, so then it follows so many sheep bleat it's bad....when there is a lot worse Trek. It only degenerates once The Landing Party is in The Lift to The Underground City....before that it's pretty good. Starts with Mystery...then titles, shock, other bridge crew cast who normal get to do little except take home the weekly pay check, so that is refreshing and new when they debate which planet Spock's Brain has been taken too and then there is the genuine shock and horror as McCoy controls Spock by remote control.
There is a lot of Trek that is far far worse....like And the children shall lead and The Way to Eden both episode of excrement and vomit
Have to disagree about The Empath, it's my favourite episode, and unlike any other. It has great performances and character interaction, an interesting music score (the first Hollywood score to feature a Yamaha organ) and I think the sparse set design is very surreal and effective. My least favourites would probably be The Apple, The Omega Glory, Friday's Child, Spock's Brain and Mudd's Women.
"Mudd's Women" was pretty bad. Especially since, truth be known, there were much better looking women serving aboard the ship at the time. However, as bad as it was, there were still episodes, especially third season stories, that turned out being worse!
I love Alternative Factor. It is so bad that one assumes all the interns were turned loose that week. The time machine looks like a spare tea cup from the Disney Alice in Wonderland ride and a plexi dome that keeps appearing and disappearing. The dance scenes generously known as struggles look like depictions on ancient Greek pottery and move about as fast. And the beard...used in film schools worldwide as an example of what will get you fired and banned from the union. Play Lazarus by swigging your favourite libation every time the beard changes.
What you wrote should be included with any purchase of this episode in any format. Thanks! Hilarious, and right on target. A truly rancid episode.
@@kirkmaru4792 I'd offer a longer reply, but I'm completely sodded playing Lazarus for the third time today!
"That Whuch Suvives" is interesting in how they change Spock so much in one episode.
I watch certain episodes of Star Trek for certain reasons. The episodes you mentioned are the ones I watch purely for the love of the show & the nostalgic factor. Then there are the others I watch for their profound qualities, much like The Twilight Zone.
And though I do agree that The Alternative Factor is the worst one, I actually love Kirk's lines at the end of the episode that ends with "And what of Lazarus?"
I think that is the key premise, "What of Lazarus?" In a situation where two universes depended upon a single person spending an eternity in pain, would that person be able to make that sacrifice? Would any rational person do so? The idea, while compelling, is not faithfully sold during the execution of the episode. If more time was spent hammering that idea home, we might feel the weight of the drama more. As presented, there is too much slight of hand trying to keep the audience guessing about who and what is Lazarus and finally the twist at the end where it is revealed each is an antimatter opposite of the other. Lazarus also is never really developed as anything other than a chaotic lunatic who only garners sympathy at the very end after making his rational motives known via the sane version talking to Kirk. The idea in principle, could have been intriguing television. As presented though, it misses the mark.
Now wait a minute, the one about the space hippies has got to be the worst of all time. Admittedly Plato’s Stepchildren belongs on the list but The Empath was a good one.
The way to eden was so bad it was good, the exchanges between Doctor Sevron and Spock, the warning about cult leaders who are really madmen, the quest to find a real paradise to live , there was interesting things going on, if they had omitted some of the cringeworthy music it would have been better. It was a WW2 era guys( Roddenbury) idea of the hippie scene at that time.
@@davidvalensi8616 I've always had a private theory that Robert Heinlein ghost wrote the script to Plato's Stepchildren in collaboration with Roddenberry. Lol.
@@donpietruk1517 I liked Plato's Stepchildren, but to me the original series could do no wrong, plus people have to take into account the time the show aired, Star trek, 2001 a space odyssey, real or not, the moon landings, fantasy had melded into reality and we felt anything was possible.
You need a top 20 list of terrible episodes.
The "worst" list was harder to make than the "best" list.
@@thepenskyfile - Really? If I was doing a worst list, I'd start with season three, and might never have to look beyond that season.
Let me guess, you're a huge Star Wars fan??
Where's Spock's Brain? That and Plato's Stepchildren are the worst!
I know Alternative Factor is a bad episode, but it's a guilty pleasure for me. Watching Lazarus fall of cliffs multiple times is entertaining, not to mention watching him be allowed to just wander around the ship after displaying some very questionable behavior and making threats.
The Empath did have one thing I liked, and that was the character of Gem. I always wondered how her people communicated with each other, since she didn't seem to use sign language or telepathy.
"Way to Eden" is the only TOS episode I've never watched in full, I just can't waste my life away like that. Good to see a young "Murdock" out of Rambo 2 in it though.
You're concerned about wasting your life away, but insist upon watching "Rambo 2" ?
@@rschier1 😆😆 😆 😆 😆
That's Charles Napier who play the bicycle wheel guitar and tried to sing!! Remember he was the leader of "The Good Old Boys" band from "The Blues Brothers".
Way to Eden in my guilty pleasure for TOS! Some people just don't Reach
@@rschier1 Ok, You got me there.
Please, how could you forget: “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield”
This one probably was raised out of the “Worst of ...” pit by Gorshin’s acting. If not for Gorshin, it probably would have made the cut.
I thought it was in-your-face or over-the-top when I first saw it, but it does have something to say about racism. I do think it has more to do with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict today than the white-black struggle in America.
Spock said to Uhura, "To expect sense from two mentalities of such extreme viewpoints is not logical."
@@sandal_thong8631 That right there shows why Star Trek was one of the greatest shows ever written. For how many years will we repeat “I think it has more to do with {current news focus} today than ...”?
Don't fully agree with you this time. "That which survives" and "The empath" are not as bad you say. I agree they were "cheaply made" stories but, they do tell a story. Agreed they may have been better in short story rather than a TV episode. The others I agree with. You left out one of the two worst ones...... "Spocks Brain" " Turn about intruder" (think that was the name where some woman enters Kirks body to take over the ship). They should have been on the list. Another thing I disagree with is your statement of more bad stories that good. When TOS came on they were fighting many battles. One with money, and one with the idea that only children watch Sci-Fi.
Spock's Brain is so campy it's good!
@@thepenskyfile "Brain and brain! What is 'brain'?"
Someone asked me this week why I didn't like Spock in "That Which Survives" and I should have said he behaves like a d*** which is what was said in this video! By season three Mr. Spock should know enough about his fellow crewmembers not to say stupid things or take them too literally like he does.
When the "earthquake" throws around the landing party, the set mechanics look ridiculous. Maybe they got the ideas for the end of Star Trek 3 from this episode?
I actually like "The Arena" because it is cheesy. Watching Kirk fight the Gorn is hilarious. A rubber lizard suit, styro-foam rocks, double-fisted back thumps, and ear bops. What more can one ask for?
Very entertaining, to be sure, and more than a bit thought provoking to boot. Were it not for that pesky big rock, Chicxulub, that allegedly wiped out the dinosaurs, could we, or they really, not have evolved into some sort of intelligent space fairing lizard-like creatures on this planet?! ;D LOL
Ted “Lurch” Cassidy got to play the Gorn. That had to be an awful costume to wear in that hot environment!
That was a famous episode. Didn't they show clips from that episode in _Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey?_
I never saw Arena on any bad EP lists. It's one that I like.
In my view it would be
#5 Spock's Brain
#4: The Alternative Factor
#3: Plato's Stepchildren
#2: The Way to Eden
#1: And the Children Shall Lead
While the original series had its many fair share of clunkers or forgettable episodes, these, in my mind, stand the test of time as truly awful representations of the show and the majority of these I either found myself bored with after a while or questioning the logic in each dumbfounding scene.
Can some trekkie out there answer me a question: what was the title of an original series episode where Kirk and Spock are on a city in the sky, that floats among the clouds? There is a scene where someone falls overboard...what is that episode called? Thanks.
The Cloud Minders?
Yeah he missed the water though.
That episode came to mind during COVID when we needed to wear masks, and the people in "The Cloud Minders" didn't believe in masks. That was another episode where it became obvious that Mr. Spock was hot for blondes.
Speaking of torture, I'd watch any of these again over "Spock's Brain," the ultimate form of torture. That one is just the worst.
Only agree with number 1. & my worst episode of TOS is "and the children shall lead" now that was brutal to watch
I suggest a dishonourable mention for....that one episode with the kids, and Melvin Belli as Gorgon the Friendly Angel. Any show with a lot of kids in them is off to a bad start.
You are talking about the episode " And the Children Will Lead."
Sorry, that should be " And The Children Shall Lead"
The one good thing about that episode is watching a superlawyer disintegrate. But that's just about one minute.
Uhura is thinking, "The aliens don't know they don't have to make me and the captain kiss. I go to his quarters about 2-3 times weekly and give him some of this good, good."
That Which Survives is a fine episode. Exotic Lee Meriweather is enough...
“The Savage Curtain” is the worst episode for me. Too much talky philosophising and the fight scene at the end is the weakest in Trek history and comes across as downright ‘meh’. I’d prefer to watch a badly written episode which is actually fun rather than a preachy and ostensibly thoughtful one like this which is just plain tedious
I do sometimes wonder if Surak was just Spock's idealistic version of the historical person and not the "real" Vulcan living in a time of passions, lack of emotional control and illogic perhaps 2000 years earlier. I can't see someone in that time living as a pacifist like a modern Vulcan and succeeding to promote his philosophy planet-wide. And he might not have been the first person to advocate for emotional control and logic, just the first successful one.
All the old STs are classics but I broadly agree with your choices. I think the weaker episodes are ones that are too derivative or where the dramatic aspect overrides the science-fiction element. Other episodes on my list would be -
And The Children Shall Lead - a group of kids psychokinetically take over the enterprise under the influence of a malevolent alien. Kirk's 'losing control' speech in the turbolift is a classic scene though, and the sequence where the crew are hallucinating has always been memorable.
Whom Gods Destroy - the one where the ex-Starfleet captain 'Lord Garth' is held in a psychiatric hospital planet and somehow has learned to shapeshift as well as invent the most explosive substance ever. The eerie moment Kirk suspects that Spock is Garth and the two Kirk's confusion at the end salvages this episode for me in a surreal way.
Assignment Earth - Gary Seven has transported to Earth and is checking-up on the Apollo programme has a cat who turns into a sexy woman at the end. This one is very 'Man From Uncle'.
Spock's Brain has come onto my list over time. The plotline has a kind of sense to it but is basically a bit ridiculous, consequently the script is almost laughable in places.
Yes, depending on what you are in the mood for, TOS has an episode. Some of the plot lines will make you cry, others will make you laugh yourself sick!!
Well I liked 'Whom Gods Destroy', and 'Assignment Earth' is 1 of my faves (I love Teri Garr). It was also supposed to be a pilot for a spinoff. I thought that EP was popular.
I actually liked the Empath episode. Granted, some of your line up of worst episodes probably rings true with many of us, but I think the original series is sold too short by your estimate of the entire spin off set of series through the 2000's.
I'm curious, what video editing software do you use?
Adobe suite
Everyone’s least favorite episode is Episode 75 The Way to Eden.
Personally I hated Plato's Stepchildren more, but only by a whisker. I wonder what was up with the writers of Season 3, inserting all these dopey songs and chants into episodes ("Going Back to Eden," "Bitter Dregs," and the "Hail, Hail, Fire and Snow" thing in And the Children Shall Lead).
Yay, brother!
Not mine. People don't understand it, nor the social dynamics of that time. I was there, and am contrarian about that.
I actually love it (and not ironically or comedically). Sorry.
Herbert!
I love this. Fantastic job.
'The Empath" was the absolute worst episode.
I think I've seen it twice, the second time just to confirm that it really was as bad as I had remembered it from the first time.
Your initial point may be true, but ... the first season of Star Trek contains the greatest concentration of classic, brilliantly-written episodes across the entire franchise ... and it's not even close.
5 of the "worst" episodes of probably the most popular and influential TV show of all time? That still makes them all awesome!
the "most popular" show of all time got cancelled after 3 seasons?
@@thepenskyfile name another show from the 60s that has had so many people go to a movie theater and watch again 13 times? and let us not forget 9 newer tv series ( is it 8 or 9? )
"The Alternative Factor," as bad as it was, at least had two of the biggest hams on network television, competing for attention on the same hour long episode of primetime madness. They should declare it a historic event, and preserve it for future generations... lol!
Btw if they left out all references to Plato and made it about an alien colony developing telekinesis (not telepathy), devolving into tyranny due to the substance in the native food, it would be a fantastic episode
0:09 which episode is this from ?
The Empath
My five worst:
1. Spock's Brain (Nimoy himself hated this one)
2. The Way To Eden (Space Hippies-enough said)
3. And The Children Shall Lead (no real plot, super annoying kids)
4. The Empath (easily most BORING episode of series)
5. The Alternative Factor (weak plot and poorly executed)
Honorable Mentions:
The Omega Glory (Heavy handed cold war analogy)
Catspaw (Filler episode for Halloween)
Operation-Annihilate! (Weak but ok plot - and flying fried egg monsters?)
I actually liked Plato's Stepchildren because it gave Shatner a chance to take overacting to a new level and actually let Nimoy do something different for a change. I think the interracial kiss thing is also overrated because it actually wasn't the first televised such kiss. Sammy Davis Jr. kissed Nancy Sinatra on a different show prior.
I have always liked Catspaw and Operation-Annihilate!
I like your list. Now imagine doing this with NGR...the list would be so much longer.
jaim haas. TNG entire second season was mostly dumb. Especially recycled scripts from the dead Phase II project written in the early 70s. Season one was about half dumb. It was very racist that season, and ohhhhhh the rape gangs! TNG boped from being kid aimed Lost in Space (Shut up Wesley) and Genes sex fantasies. It got better when Gene started exiting daily production in season three.
It had a good ensemble but there was too much of a "30 Something" vibe in it, especially when Counsellor Hot Mess started spouting advice and Picard got all Princely. In season three/four they popped their lofty egos a bit and she mostly settled down as a character as did he. It had become the 90s and "30 Something" was off the air. No longer a need to stop and have a bran muffin (synthahol). Ractachinos were now the pop fad.
Charlie X was pretty annoying too
LastWarrior. Everybody think happy thoughts!
I never understood "the Alternative Factor" episode.
The scientist in our dimension, the mad one, opened the door to the parallel dimension where the sane scientist resided. If the door wasn't closed soon, both dimensions would cancel each other out and explode. I believe that was the basic storyline.
The alternative factor worst episode? I think its platos stepchildren.i hate that episode!
Same here
I agree. It doesn't make any sense.
The worst for me was “The Squire of Gothos” Trelane. Totally pointless.
The Omega Glory and Plato's Stepchildren are definitely NOT two of the worst episodes ever....that is absolutely ridiculous. they happen to be among the best episodes ever made
Turnabout Intruder is a pretty damn painful episode too.
It looks like several people who knew Kirk didn't like him getting promoted to captain. We saw Finney in "Court Martial" tried to frame him, and a number of his classmates gave him the cold shoulder when he was accused.
There is debate whether the woman in "Turnabout Intruder" wasn't cut out to be captain, or whether women were prevented from being captain. In any case she becomes a hysterical murderer, and TOS ends on what can be called a sexist episode.
The first female Starfleet captain we see is in _Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home_ and she gets her ship too close to the probe and gets neutralized. Good judgement there! Another starship run by an Hispanic captain gets neutralized after her. At least that episode had some social commentary in talking about saving the whales. If _Star Trek: The Motion Picture_ had social commentary about women's rights rather than being a repeat of "The Changeling," maybe it would have been a better movie. But by that time, Rodenberry was past it, (alternative scripts weren't any good) and he probably didn't think much of women's equality anyway.
I agree with all your choices, except to add that each of these makes for fine drinking games. Properly done, no one gives a flying leap at a rolling donut by the end of the show.
What!? No Space Hippies?! Hey, brother...that's so Herbert!