Joke between me and my college roommate: "You're not Andorian." "No, I'm her brother, Bob." Plus, when we'd let the ship in the Major Havoc video game get closer and then destroy it, we called that "the Chekhov maneuver" and say "Got 'im" in a fake accent.
I really like "All Our Yesterdays" too, mostly because, when it began, I expected Kirk to be trapped in the past with Spock and McCoy trying to find a way to get him back, but no, Kirk manages to return to the present relatively early in the episode. So that was a pleasant surprise.
That scene when Commador Decker watches his own death coming- still chills my blood to this day! And how can you forget the Mantrap?! That was terrifying to me as a child!
A solid list of best episodes, but omitting "Mirror, Mirror" is unforgivable! It has so many great moments. Evil Sulu and Checkov. The scene where Uhura "distracts" Sulu. The final scene interaction between Kirk and Spock and of course Nimoys totally on target performance portraying a Spock still logical but serving in a completely different type of Federation. A brilliantly written and acted episode with nice moments from the secondary cast. Should be on any top ten.
City on the edge of forever is maybe a predictable favorite episode, but it's just so damn good. Time travel done right imo. And Joan Collins in that soft lighting is too gorgeous for words and Spock in that blue beanie is super adorable . Tos really has some amazing writing sometimes (balanced out by some truly atrocious and borderline insulting writing ofc)
I also love balance of terror because the bad guys are nuanced and even sympathetic to a degree. Oh and doomsday machine deserves a mention for its musical score too. It's cinematic in scope.
& the Tribbles start breeding in your attic if you don't mention 'Devil in the Dark'! & the Gorn... I don't know. Rip up your lawn looking for big rocks???
Agreed. We always hear about Kirk being a womanizer and a brute, but Trouble with Tribbles shows us his professional side. He's forced to discipline his men for starting a bar fight with the Klingons (a fight which you'd expect Kirk to have joined in if you only watch Trek parodies), he clashes with the Federation official Barris about their responsibilities, he even has some friendly banter with the Klingon captain, played by the same actor who played Trelane. That's the Kirk who wins a lot of Kirk vs Picard debates.
Lifesizemortal- The thing about "Arena" is that it was one of those early episodes that depicted beings who were far beyond the puny humanoids of the mighty Federation of Planets. Beings who could somehow remain hidden from the Federation. Hopefully, the entire concept doesn't reflect real life. Otherwise, the reason our galaxy appears so empty and quiet, might not bode well for us in the long run... lol.
Good, solid list. Problem with classic Trek is it is hard to pick just 10. My list is: The Doomsday Machine, City on the Edge of Forever, Where No Man Has Gone Before, Journey to Bable, Amok Time, The Enemy Within, Mirror Mirror, Balance of Terror, Arena, The Ultimate Computer.
I personally would have put 'Obsession' in the list, it's an interesting way of showing what guilt can do to a person, and how dangerous obsession can be, it's highly underrated.
That’s one of my favorites also. Very thought provoking about guilt, responsibility, memory, mourning, priorities (needs of the many vs the needs of the few), and of course obsession. I absolutely love that episode!
Operation Annialate Bones is forever my favorite character, and DeForest the perfect actor, every line leaving his lips turns to gold. He and Spock are always at loggerheads but Bones's remorse at his error leaving Spock blind and Spock's genuine forgiveness are beautifully delivered. Kirk snapping at Bones, instantly regretted and the ( too late) apology. Gorgeous!
I have to chide you for not listing "The Corbamite Maneuver." This is the episode that really introduces the interplay between the main characters. The talk TO each other, not just at.
My favorite of season three is The Enterprise Incident. Romulans using Klingon ships, and Kirk playing spy games by getting surgically altered to infiltrate the enemy ship. I’m glad I’m not alone in liking it It’s been suggested Commodore Matt Decker in The Doomsday Machine is the father of Captain Willard Decker in The Motion Picture
Love Enterprise Incident! Seen it several times but actually totally forgot that they were using Klingon ships...but yeah, the whole Kirk in disguise thing was great! Also, that's an interesting tidbit about the Deckers!
@@billanthony7896 Yes, like I slept through about half of the motion picture! 😆 That's an interesting connection though. I think I never noticed it because I watched The Motion Picture before that episode. Then again, maybe I was just too bored to care. Motion Picture =💤
Doomsday Machine Journey to Babel Amok Time Trouble with Tribbles Piece of the Action Balance of Terror City on the Edge of Forever Tholian Web Enterprise Incident Spaceseed In no particular order
Thank you for including "Spectre Of The Gun". The third season is much maligned (and for good reason) and this episode in particular is regarded by some as one of the "low points" of that season, but it's one I keep coming back and watching again and again. I think it's a good example of how to do good television when your budget has been slashed beyond belief - they pulled this episode off UNDER budget and it's a great story.
Right. The tight budget forced the use of building facades instead of complete structures. And all the guest actors had such equally wooden acting that the whole planet seemed spooky or unearthly. As a kid, I found that to be unnerving.
Frankly, at a time when T.V. science fiction was trying to make Leave It To Beaver in Space, or maybe Lassie in Space (Lost In Space) or running gag/theme series like Time Tunnel, Land Of The Giants (copy Little Timmy Lost in Space, throw in Gilligan's Island with a hint of Twilight Zone's alternate Earth - presto - Land of the Giants) and most movies were stuck in the 50's ideas of fire propelled, bullet shaped rockets to the Moon, or Venus or Mars, Star Trek depicted the most plausible future of 200 years. Like any 22 episode T.V. series there were "stinker" episodes, either stories hastily thought out or subjects deserving of more than 48 minutes of film time, but the technology of Star Trek was completely believable and made sense. Shallow characters (or under-developed characters) were typical in T.V. at the time so no one expected to get to know any of them very well, but we did anyway. The visual effects were primitive compared to that of even 10 years later, but for the late 60's the mat composites of the Enterprise and the planets were better than anything up to that time. Star Trek was one of the first sci-fi productions that used moving camera composites rather than moving model and it made a striking difference. As a science fiction loving 12 year old, I lived for Tuesday night to watch Star Trek, and would be hard pressed to choose any episode I liked more than another. My favorite line: "Damn it Jim, I'm a doctor, not a brick layer!"
Good list! Some excellent choices on here! Here are my thoughts on your list: 10. Shore Leave: A fun, wacky episode. I can't really elevate it more than that. It's good for what it is. 09. The Squire Of Gothos: Well there's the obvious thing about Trelaine being a Q...but his interactions with Kirk are very enjoyable. Their relationship hops between being cautiously playful and possibly deadly. Definitely the archetype of the Q / Picard relationship to come. 08. A Taste Of Armageddon: Perhaps I need to rewatch this episode, but I can't help but remember thinking it was really boring. Even now, I'm struggling to think of anything memorable about it. 07. Balance Of Terror: Good for all the reasons you stated. A tense battle of wits between a starship captain and a new foe. The fact that this is the introduction of the Romulans. I also like how there are casualties of the battle on both sides. 06. City On The Edge Of Forever: Well, first off, it's just good fun to see Bones lose his shit! Then of course, there's Kirk's romance with Edith Keeler. Now, usually I don't feel engaged in the slightest when Trek pulls the one-off romance episode. This is because the romance just doesn't have time to blossom or mean anything. In this case however, I think because of the time travel implications and the fact that it ends in tragedy, this is an example of it done right. Sure, Kirk doesn't get enough screen time with Edith for it to be entirely engaging, but his impact at her death does leave the viewer with the feeling that this one actually meant something. Not least of all because it had to happen. 05. This Side Of Paradise: Any episode that untethers Spock from his usual Vulcan stoicism is guaranteed to be enjoyable. Plus it ends in a Kirk on Spock fight! What's not to like? 04. Space Seed: KKKAAAHHHNNN! 03. The Enterprise Incident: My personal favorite of the Romulan episodes from TOS. Very underrated! There's so much I like about this episode. Kirk's behavior towards his crew just serves as such a good way to make you raise an eyebrow at the start of the episode. The whole thing is just covered in subterfuge, including Spock's relationship with the sexy Romulan commander. Another example of a single episode romance, done right! It's interesting to see how far Spock's deceit will go and how much the Romulan Commander is or isn't buying into it. I also love the section with Kirk boarding the Romulan Vessel in disguise to steal the cloaking device. All this lying and trickery is very Romulan! The only thing I am disappointed in, is how no other episode ever follows up on the Federation's possession of the cloaking device... 02. Spectre Of The Gun: A decent episode, especially for season 3. It's the original "western" Trek episode. You get some good banter between the guys in the saloon. Chekhov gets shot. You get the whole OK Corral thing at the end. All in all, some solid entertainment. 01. The Doomsday Machine: Another personal favorite of mine! William Windom's guest spot as Commodore Decker really does serve to elevate this episode. When he's first found, he really over dramatizes the trauma the character is feeling. However, it doesn't come off as bad acting or cheesy. He seems genuinely distraught. After this, he goes into full revenge mode by commandeering Kirk's Enterprise. He does an excellent job of seeming like someone who is outwardly in control of the situation, but who is emotionally delusional on the inside. The banter between him, Kirk and Spock is excellent! The Machine itself seems like something genuinely unknowable and dangerous. It ends with some tense moments where Decker sacrifices himself and Kirk almost bites the dust as well! "Any time now gentlemen!"
I'm really glad you included A Taste of Armageddon. Many top ten lists forget this episode yet is the one that is very applicable to current times as we make war more sanitized and more common. I think of it often.
I always enjoyed The Trouble with Tribles. It is hilarious. Just some fun escapism. My favorite two episodes are The Doomsday Machine and The City on the Edge of Forever.
Some that are missed here are The Enemy Within, Amok Time (which one of if not my absolute fave) Galileo Seven, Devil in the Dark, Bread and Circuses, Patterns of Force, and Turnabout Intruder. I was surprised to see none of these on the list. Honorable Mentions for I,Mudd, and Plato's Stepchidren they were hilarious, and The Savage Curtain because Surak.
"Patterns of Force" used to be one of my favorites when I was young, but then I realized what a contrivance the transponders were. How many episodes revolve around Scotty not being able to beam someone up because they're separated from their communicators?
The actress playing Lester does a better Kirk than Shatner was by that point in the series. Shatner's performance as Lester's character is hilariously over-the-top, even for him.
Chris Maxfield- Well, I personally wouldn't put Shatner's over the top performance in "Turnabout Intruder" as anywhere near his most hilarious. In my opinion, that would have to be his scene with Spock in "And The Children Shall Lead." "I'm losing command, I'm losing command; I've lost command..."
"The Doomsday Machine" is still one of my all-time favorites. Watching Decker come unglued at the beginning, then sacrifice himself on the shuttle made for a gripping drama. BTW, watch the scene where Scotty shows Kirk the controls for overloading the USS Constellation. When he says, "Two minutes later...poof," his Scottish accent wanders off. Listen for it.
1: Mirror Mirror 2: City on the Edge of Forever 3: Space Seed 4: Arena 5: Balance of Terror 6: Naked Time 7: Trouble With Tribbles 8: Doomsday Machine 9: Devil in the Dark 10: Where No Man Has Gone Before
Immunity Syndrome and Operation: Annihilate. However, The Doomsday Machine is my all time fave. William Windom should have won an award for his portrayal of Matt Decker. Breaks my heart every time I watch it, "There was, but not anymore!"
city on the edge of forever will always be my favorite. also, i was rewatching search for spock yesterday and i forgot how happy the ending makes me,,,, spock is too damn sweet.
Interesting Top 10! Genuinely surprised at your inclusion of "Shore Leave" and "Spectre of the Gun". Personal Favorites that didn't make your list: "Mirror, Mirror" (!!), "Amok Time", "Journey to Babel", "By Any Other Name" and "Whom Gods Destroy" (LORD Garth). Also, the Klingon episodes with Kor, Koloth and Kang - Errand of Mercy, Trouble with Tribbles and Day of the Dove are all great and it was awesome that DS9 would go on to revisit those characters.
Personal Ranking: 1) The City on the Edge of Forever 2) Amok Time 3) The Doomsday Machine 4) The Trouble with Tribbles 5) The Enemy Within 6) Arena 7) Space Seed 8) Balance of Terror 9) This Side of Paradise 10) Mirror, Mirror
Mirror, Mirror: Here in Germany one of the less popular episodes and almost forgotten. People here were quite confused when the topic turned up in the computer game STAR TREK.VOYAGER ELITE FORCE
I like your list and I could watch "Squire of Gothos" all day. Trelaine, acting like a kid with all of that power and Kirk smacking him around! I don't no why "Tribbles" wasn't on the list It's such a riot! "Where No Man Has Gone Before" is such a thriller that someone, besides me, must like it, with Lockwood and Kellerman in the cast!
Balance of Terror is also my favorite TOS episode, hands down. I know City on The Edge of Forever is always claimed to be the best episode but the introduction of the Romulans and that entire space "battle" was what made me fall in love with Star Trek in the first place.
So many other great episodes were not mentioned such as "Devil in the Dark," "The Naked Time," "The Enemy Within," "Amok Time," "Mirror, Mirror," "Assignment: Earth," "Elaan of Troius," "Day of the Dove," and "Journey to Babel." However, I cannot say that any of the ones on this list don't deserve it, as I like them all as well.
I recall the 1st FX remaster of Doomsday Machine (my personal #1) was a dialogue hacked disaster! It initially included more remaster effects, while editing out such original dialogue sequences including the Decker: "You're bluffing!"... Spock: "Vulcan's never bluff!" I'm sure I wasn't the only one ticked off, who yelled "FOUL" at this trade-off remastered hack of FX over the original 3-way (Kirk, Decker, Spock) script. Fortunately, the later remaster restored that dialogue... Btw, to me there is no more defining "leader" Kirk line than in response to Decker's Star Fleet regulations dismissing his being relieved when Kirk fires back: "Blast regulations -- Mr. Spock, I order you to assume command on my personal authority as Captain of the Enterprise!" That plus Mr. Scott's heroic resurrection of the Constellation with a charging phaser bank, which I know inspired many to be an "engineer."
I admire your courage for limiting the list to 10....I'd need at least 20 to also be able to include: "The Trouble with Tribbles" "By any other name" "Devil in the dark" "The Menagerie" "Mirror, Mirror" "The Immunity Syndrome" "Amok Time" "Arena" "All our Yesterdays" "The enemy within"
"The Corbomite Maneuver," ,"The Enemy Within," "Charlie X," "Return of the Archons," "Tomorrow Is Yesterday," and "Miri" would make my top ten. But the two best are "The Doomsday Machine" and "City on the Edge of Forever."
My personal top ten list is: 1. A Taste of Armageddon 2. The Doomsday Machine 3. Amok Time 4. The Trouble with Tribbles 5. The Tholian Web 6. The Squire of Gothos 7. Return to Tomorrow 8. Journey to Babel 9. Where No Man Has Gone Before 10. The Empath Honorable Mentions: Friday's Child, Devil in the Dark
5:32 I argue with the notion that anyone in that episode 'This Side of Paradise' was "genuinely happy." The idea behind this episode is that they were all brainwashed into imagining they felt happiness and contentment. Obviously, if they're brainwashed they aren't exercising their free will and therefore the illusion of happiness ISN'T genuine. They were under the undue influence of the "spores." What this episode is about really is CULTS. "The colony" is standing in for a typical cult commune or compound. The "spores" are substituting the guru in control of the followers. It's not until these colonists (cultists) are FREED (deprogrammed) from the influence of the spores (guru) that they could have ANY genuine feelings of their own. The brainwashed don't realize they're brainwashed. Far from being "ambiguous," I feel the lesson here was intended to be very clear and direct. Your individual independent freedom-of-thought MUST prevail over any mindless group-think mentality, or else you'll be the unwilling and unwitting prisoner of someone else's will. Considering that Star Trek was shot before most people had much awareness of Cult indoctrination, since the Mason Family; Jonestown; The Moonies; The Branch Davidians at Waco; The Heaven's Gate "comet' cult; Aum Shinrikyo; The Rajneeshees' Salad Bar attack; al Queda; ISIL; and other groups were yet to become known or to exist yet; THIS was a REALLY forward-thinking episode! It did what the best of Science Fiction aught to do, which is warn humanity of what COULD occur in the future if we don't pay attention to the signs present today. And sadly, people didn't pay enough attention to this episode, and the cult phenomenon escalated in the subsequent years following this. At the time, the only Cult that was really getting somewhat well known around when this episode was shot; was Scientology! And not many people even recognized it was a Cult yet! Nor did they understand what a Cult was, or how it operates to erase your free will. But, I'm sure the DIRECTOR of this episode got it, because he clearly instructed these actors to have that same sort of blank tranquility, or "deluded-happiness" that so many cult members & other religious fanatics tend to display.
anonyarena- WOW. That's a leap of logic that really can't be proven. All about cults, eh? Sure... Okay... Whatever... Lol!!! You can make an equally compelling argument that it was an episode warning of mood elevating drugs! Maybe the writer and director were warning against the future use of Prozac!
It also had a lot to do with people wanting to participate, move into, establish, idealize communes, which was a big thing in the later 60's and Hippy culture. Many young people were intrigued with a communistic social structure and were convinced it was the way to a Utopian society. It was seen by traditionalist that most communes of the day didn't contribute much to any society and existed simply for the sake of existing and smoking pot. Your analysis of a chemically induced euphoria is pretty accurate, but I believe it was aimed a little less at psychological and religious brain washing and more towards the fact that the use of mind altering drugs (pot and L.S.D. mostly at that time) tends to remove the desire to accomplish much of anything.
I saw it in part as a study of the downside of drug abuse; LSD, Mescaline, etc. and pot were (are) well known for the euphoric states they produced; ie the spores.
You guys seen to be forgetting the spores left all the subjects in "perfect" health. McCoy even grew back his appendix! So, it was more than just an "illusion" of happiness. And I resist the spin that it was all about the danger of cults. Even Spock conceded the benefits of the plants. This was science fiction at it's best, NOT some hidden allegory on the danger of mind control!
Pretty good list. I concur on "The Doomsday Machine" being the best episode of them all. My own top ten: The Doomsday Machine, Balance of Terror, The Corbomite Maneuver, This Side of Paradise, The Enemy Within, Tomorrow is Yesterday, The Ultimate Computer, The Squire of Gothos, Who Mourns for Adonis, The Naked Time.
Patterns of Force for the historical memory, Bread and Circuses for the banter between every-one and maybe either Tomorrow is Yesterday for the joy-humor-frolic or Return of the Archons for the Twilight Zone feel
I'm surprised that 'Where No Man Has Gone Before' isn't in your top ten. OK, it was officially a 'pilot' rather than an episode of the series, but never the less... I watched 'Doomsday Machine' a year or two ago on, I think, the Horror channel and couldn't tear myself away. I agree that it's one of the best. Ditto 'Spectre of the Gun'. I wonder how Joan Collins feels knowing that the best thing she EVER did was her episode of Star Trek ?!!!
Barrows was a yeoman, not an ensign... Shocked that Mirror, Mirror didn't make the list, it is my all time favorite episode of Star Trek of any show...
My Top Ten: The City on the Edge of Forever The Amok Time Mirror, Mirror Space Seed This Side of Paradise Who Mourns for Adonais The Naked Time The Doomsday Machine The Squire of Gothos Balance of Terror Honorable Mentions: Arena The Changeling Shore Leave Journey to Babel The Enterprise Incident
Bill - In the original "Arena" short story the alien was a land octopus that rolled from place to place and the Captain stabbed it to death. In the TV version they improved a lot. Imagine wearing that reptile getup while filming long hours in the desert.
Other favorites not mentioned- Arena, A Piece of the Action, The Ultimate Computer, The Tholian Web, The Enterprise Incident, The Empath and Patterns of Force.
Tomorrow is yesterday, arena, balance of terror, the city on the edge of forever, the doomsday machine, the squire of gothos, shore leave, the tholian web, the trouble with the tribbles and a piece of the action are my favourites
As a younger adult......in the early 80s....I ran across a Hustler magazine with a x-rated satire version of Star Trek......the ship was called the USS INTERCOURSE......Uhura was Ahore a.....Screwlu…..Captain Jerk......Jerkoff......Oh yea.....Mr.Spick…..half Mexican, half Vulcan.The ship had dildo's for engine nacels…..very funny
xXPyrophorusXx- Truly one of Star Trek's finest episodes. Although, truth be known, it was hardly the first time parallel dimensions had been dealt with in televised science fiction.
My Top Forty Star Trek Episodes (In particular order) 1) City On The Edge Of Forever 2) Mirror, Mirror 3) This Side Of Paradise 4) The Doomsday Machine 5) The Changeling 6) Return Of The Archons 7) Errand Of Mercy 8) Bread And Circuses 9) A Piece Of The Action 10) Obsession 11) Amok Time 12) Miri 13) Patterns Of Force 14) Dagger Of The Mind 15) The Conscience Of The King 16) Shore Leave 17) The Trouble With Tribbles 18) The Devil In The Dark 19) Journey To Babel 20) Day Of The Dove 21) The Corbomite Maneuver 22) The Naked Time 23) The Galileo Seven 24) The Squire Of Gothos 25) The Naked Time 26) The Enemy Within 27) I, Mudd 28) A Taste Of Armageddon 29) Balance Of Terror 30) Space Speed 31) The Deadly Years 32) Return To Tomorrow 33) By Any Other Name 34) What Are Little Girls Made Of 35) Wolf In The Fold 36) Gamesters Of Triskelion 37) Friday's Child 38) The Ultimate Computer 39) The Omega Glory 40) Spectre Of The Gun
We could make another top 10 to match that one. Let's see. Where No Man Has Gone Before The Enemy Within The Menagerie The Conscience of the King The Galileo Seven Tomorrow Is Yesterday Court Martial Errand of Mercy Amok Time Mirror, Mirror Journey to Babel Assignment: Earth 12, I won't take any off :)
It's really hard to narrow it down to just 10 episodes. The only one I really disagree with is "Specter of the Gun". I mean, c'mon, it's just a retelling of the gunfight at the OK corral. I think as TrekHeads we should think in terms of the best 20 or 25 episodes. Then we wouldn't have to argue. :-) What about, "The Trouble with Tribbles", "A Piece of the Action", "Amok Time", "The Corbomite Maneuver", "Arena", "Court Martial", "Errand of Mercy", "The Changeling", "I, Mudd", "The Immunity Syndrome", "The Ultimate Computer", "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield", and others mentioned in comments I read. It's like Phillip J. Fry said in the ST episode of Futurama, "...You know. 79 episodes, about...thirty good ones". Sorry for being tardy to this party. Live long and prosper my fellow Trekheads.
Not exactly. The information the Melkotians drew from Captain Kirk's mind was fragmented and inconsistent, and so they had to go by that. Therefore, the scenario they thrust the Enterprise landing party into was somewhat inaccurate. You may remember that Billy Claiborne survived the shooting at the bar. In addition---there was a new element: Spock's realization that the whole setup was "unreal...appearances only..." and when he performed that mind-meld in triplicate, a kind of telepathic hypnosis, the result was that at the actual shootout the only casualty was that wooden fence being shot full of holes! I loved this episode and saw it as a probing exploration of the nature of reality.
Its nice that everyone seems to have personal faviourites, I agree with a lot of that list; my personal favourites are: What Are Little Girls Made Of, The Corbomite Manouver, Devil in the Dark, The Cloud Miners, Mirror Mirror, The Cage... to name a few. Theres just so many though.
It's interesting that although your list is in no particular order, your #1 and #2 are my favorites, in that order. As a 12 year old, watching the series back in 1966, I wasn't sure about it based on sad stories like the salt monster or Charlie X, but when "Shore Leave" aired I gave Star Trek more than another chance and Squire of Gothos made me a fan for life.
I'm surprised not more love for Corbonite I was sure he was going to go with Tribbles, seeing the happy theme. Requiem for Methusela is in my top five for sure
Interesting, Maureen, that "Conscience Of The King," is on your top three list. That episode is often overlooked. I wouldn't include it in my own top ten list, although like "Devil In The Dark," I do think it would make my top ten list of most under-rated episodes!
*I was beginning to start that I was the only one who loves "The Conscience of the King"* ^Nope, not only is it great, its one of the original Trek's darkest episodes given its storyline and how it effected several members of the Enterprise crew (Captain Kirk & Riley). And its small tie-into Star Trek: Enterprise even (one of NX-Enterprise's crew was killed by Kodos eventually in their elder years.)
It's of course, all down to what you like... My personal top 10 ST : T.O.S. episodes are : (Bear in mind, except for # 1, they're in no particular order) # 1 : "The Doomsday Machine" # 2 : "The Ultimate Computer" # 3 : "The Tholian Web" # 4 : " The Corbomite Maneuver" # 5 : "The Enterprise Incident" # 6 : "A Taste Of Armageddon" # 7 : "City On The Edge Of Forever" # 8 : "The Immunity Syndrome" # 9 : "Mirror, Mirror" # 10 : " The Enemy Within" Honorable Mention goes to : "The Galileo Seven", "Dagger Of The Mind" "Court Martial" "All Our Yesterdays" "Day Of The Dove" "Bread & Circuses" and "Patterns Of Force"
What a not-obvious top ten! I was almost waiting for The Entity to pop up! I disagree with alot of these choices, and for that, it was a very interesting watch. Loved Spectre Of The Gun myself, nice to see it mentioned.
Errand of Mercy would be on my list. I like your inclusion of The Squire of Gothos. There's no question that because of Q, that episode has grown leaps and bounds in my eyes over the years (and it was always terrific).
Errand of mercy had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, and what a GREAT ending. You can't argue with the Organians! Even my father liked it (God rest his soul).
Just a few which I'd put in place of several on your list: Amok Time, Mirror Mirror, All Our Yesterdays, The Corbomite Maneuver, The Trouble With Tribbles, I Mudd, A Piece of the Action, those last three for their intentional humor elements (many or maybe even most of my favorite episodes in the X-Files are the intentionally humorous ones).
Whom Gods Destroy - Unique story, clever banter among Kirk, Spock and Garth, well scored, good guest star performances, phasers, hand to hand, body count, neck pinch, suspense- it has some of everything that I enjoy about Trek!
Halloween 2017 is coming up and I'm a little hard pressed to think of "scary" ST eps. Catspaw? The Doomsday Machine? Return to Tomorrow? Wolf in the Fold? The Lights of Zetar? OH, since I'm in my mid 50's now, The Deadly Years! :D Dagger of the Mind? Mantrap? Where No Man Has Gone Before? It's hard for me to think of ST as being scary. ST has been my friend since I was five years old. :-)
1. The City on The Edge of Forever. 2. The Trouble With Tribbles (How could you not have this one on your list?) 3) The Doomsday Machine 4. Space Seed 5. The Enterprise Incident 6. Journey to Babel (Another glaring omission) 7. Balance of Terror 8. The Squire of Gothos 9. The Menagerie (Admitedly a 2-parter. But, I count it as one. 10. Amok Time (C'mon. Spock gets married. How could you not include this one?)
I'd like to give a shout-out to "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield". From a young age watching this show, the stupidity and pointlessness of prejudice was put on full display with the two aliens they encountered and the preconceived ideas that each one had about the other. Most especially the destructive result shown when they arrived on their home planet (or what was left of it) really drove the point home. I was maybe six years old when I saw that episode for the first time and my mind was blown.
Here is my top ten episdoes and favorite lines from them:(Not in any particular order): WOLF IN THE FOLDolf (Die, die, die everybody die!) A TASTE OF ARMAGEDDON (Sir, you have a multi legged creature crawling on your shoulder!) THE SQUIRE Of GOTHOS (Hip, hip, hurrah, Tally ho!) ERRAND OF MERCY(It's too bad, Captain, It would have been glorious!) THE TROUBLE WITH TRIBBLES (On the contrary, Mr. Lurie, I do take this mission seriously, it is YOU I do not take seriouosly!) MIRI (Tell him Jim! tell him Jim! Tell him Jim!) THE CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER (He knows, Dr., He knows!) I MUDD(I am not programed to respond in that area!) THE DOOMSDAY MACHINE (Don't you think I know that?!) WHOM GOD'S DESTROY (Why can't I blow off just one of his ears?/ Queen to Queen's level 3)
1) The City On The Edge Of Forever 2) Mirror, Mirror 3) The Doomsday Machine 4) This Side Of Paradise 5) Errand Of Mercy 6) Journey To Babel 7) The Galileo Seven 8) The Devil In The Dark 9) Obsession 10) The Trouble With Tribbles Honorable Mentions-- A) The Conscience Of The King B) A Piece Of The Action C) Patterns Of Force D) Shore Leave E) Amok Time F) The Deadly Years G) Balance Of Terror H) Space Seed I) The Corbomite Maneuver Guilty Pleasures-- And The Children Shall Lead Plato's Step Children Wolf In The Fold Is There In Truth No Beauty The Squire Of Gothos Spectre Of The Gun The Paradise Syndrome BEST TITLE Ever, Although The Episode Itself Was A Snoozer: "For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky." Okay, putting together a list is a subjective business. It all comes down to opinion. Some opinions might be stronger than others, but at the end of the day, it's all about personal preferences. In the world of Star Trek... It's all okay!
Amok Time ,Mirror Mirror, All Our Yesterdays and Journey to Babel are my favs and surprised not one was on this list
They were in the running, but got eliminated via coin flip.It was a difficult list to narrow down.
That says something about a series when you have so many really good episodes to choose from that it becomes difficult to limit yourself to just ten.
Joke between me and my college roommate: "You're not Andorian." "No, I'm her brother, Bob." Plus, when we'd let the ship in the Major Havoc video game get closer and then destroy it, we called that "the Chekhov maneuver" and say "Got 'im" in a fake accent.
'All Our Yesterdays' is second to 'The Tholian Web' as my favorite season 3 episode. Always felt it was really underrated.
I really like "All Our Yesterdays" too, mostly because, when it began, I expected Kirk to be trapped in the past with Spock and McCoy trying to find a way to get him back, but no, Kirk manages to return to the present relatively early in the episode. So that was a pleasant surprise.
I don't know, but I kinda think The Squire Of Gothos is where they came up with the idea for Q when they were putting STTNG together.
I wouldn't be surprised if he was retroactively declared to be from the Q Continuum.
Yeah, I'd be shocked if he wasn't the inspiration. There are a ton of similarities. Basically an immature child version of Q.
For me he's a younger Q, and nothing could convince me otherwise.
That scene when Commador Decker watches his own death coming- still chills my blood to this day! And how can you forget the Mantrap?! That was terrifying to me as a child!
"Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" is Trek personified ...no holds barred ..beating the audience over the head ..morality tale. Love it.
A solid list of best episodes, but omitting "Mirror, Mirror" is unforgivable! It has so many great moments. Evil Sulu and Checkov. The scene where Uhura "distracts" Sulu. The final scene interaction between Kirk and Spock and of course Nimoys totally on target performance portraying a Spock still logical but serving in a completely different type of Federation. A brilliantly written and acted episode with nice moments from the secondary cast. Should be on any top ten.
Nichelle looks amazing in that episode. Her abs and hips, I'm like...holy this is the 60's???/
"Devil In The Dark" deserved to be in the Top 10!
City on the edge of forever is maybe a predictable favorite episode, but it's just so damn good. Time travel done right imo. And Joan Collins in that soft lighting is too gorgeous for words and Spock in that blue beanie is super adorable . Tos really has some amazing writing sometimes (balanced out by some truly atrocious and borderline insulting writing ofc)
I also love balance of terror because the bad guys are nuanced and even sympathetic to a degree.
Oh and doomsday machine deserves a mention for its musical score too. It's cinematic in scope.
"The Doomsday Machine" probably has my favorite cinematography of any Star Trek episode.
You may have already seen it but just in case, check out The Doomsday Machine Revealed.
ua-cam.com/video/AAfEXDCsRmg/v-deo.html
May a thousand Horta start breeding in your sub-basement for failure to mention "The Trouble With Tribbles" !! -_-
& the Tribbles start breeding in your attic if you don't mention 'Devil in the Dark'!
& the Gorn... I don't know. Rip up your lawn looking for big rocks???
Agreed. We always hear about Kirk being a womanizer and a brute, but Trouble with Tribbles shows us his professional side. He's forced to discipline his men for starting a bar fight with the Klingons (a fight which you'd expect Kirk to have joined in if you only watch Trek parodies), he clashes with the Federation official Barris about their responsibilities, he even has some friendly banter with the Klingon captain, played by the same actor who played Trelane. That's the Kirk who wins a lot of Kirk vs Picard debates.
Arena is completely overrated and worth skipping
Lifesizemortal- The thing about "Arena" is that it was one of those early episodes that depicted beings who were far beyond the puny humanoids of the mighty Federation of Planets. Beings who could somehow remain hidden from the Federation. Hopefully, the entire concept doesn't reflect real life. Otherwise, the reason our galaxy appears so empty and quiet, might not bode well for us in the long run... lol.
I agree, "Tribbles" is popular among many fans!
Good, solid list. Problem with classic Trek is it is hard to pick just 10.
My list is:
The Doomsday Machine, City on the Edge of Forever, Where No Man Has Gone Before, Journey to Bable, Amok Time, The Enemy Within, Mirror Mirror, Balance of Terror, Arena, The Ultimate Computer.
You forgot the Menagerie parts 1&2, seriously epic story.
Hard to pick a favorite but I’d have to say it’s City on the Edge of Forever.
I agree "City" is the best, by far.
I personally would have put 'Obsession' in the list, it's an interesting way of showing what guilt can do to a person, and how dangerous obsession can be, it's highly underrated.
And its the top one for wasting Red shirts.
That’s one of my favorites also. Very thought provoking about guilt, responsibility, memory, mourning, priorities (needs of the many vs the needs of the few), and of course obsession. I absolutely love that episode!
Operation Annialate
Bones is forever my favorite character, and DeForest the perfect actor, every line leaving his lips turns to gold. He and Spock are always at loggerheads but Bones's remorse at his error leaving Spock blind and Spock's genuine forgiveness are beautifully delivered. Kirk snapping at Bones, instantly regretted and the ( too late) apology. Gorgeous!
John Price ....and I enjoyed the flying raviolis!
Todd Walker
I was thinking more fried egg, but I see where you're coming from.
By any other name
All our yesterday's
Who mourns for Adonis
The Apple
Eden
Triskelian
Devil in the Dark and The Trouble with Tribbles
ya Devil In The Dark was a pretty spooky and scary at times episode. scared me when i first watched it as a kid !
I have to chide you for not listing "The Corbamite Maneuver."
This is the episode that really introduces the interplay between the main characters.
The talk TO each other, not just at.
Also Star Trek's best first contact story.
Forgot about that one. Another episode that's stand alone better than "Spectre Of The Gun," or "The Enterprise Incident."
My favorite of season three is The Enterprise Incident. Romulans using Klingon ships, and Kirk playing spy games by getting surgically altered to infiltrate the enemy ship. I’m glad I’m not alone in liking it
It’s been suggested Commodore Matt Decker in The Doomsday Machine is the father of Captain Willard Decker in The Motion Picture
I really hate these "small universe" conspiracies. Can't just people have the same surename by accident?
Uh, guys, they come right out in the film and say he's the son of Matt Decker. Did you sleep through that part?
Yes, he was.
Love Enterprise Incident! Seen it several times but actually totally forgot that they were using Klingon ships...but yeah, the whole Kirk in disguise thing was great! Also, that's an interesting tidbit about the Deckers!
@@billanthony7896 Yes, like I slept through about half of the motion picture! 😆 That's an interesting connection though. I think I never noticed it because I watched The Motion Picture before that episode. Then again, maybe I was just too bored to care. Motion Picture =💤
Patterns of Force is one of my favorites
City on the Edge of Forever. I'll never forget the automatic rice picker line. Even as a 8yr old, I was like, "WTF?"
The Trouble with Tribbles, and Devil in the Dark should be in the top 10.
For the world is hollow, and I have touched the sky. That was a fave :)
YES!!!! Finally someone else feels that way.
Coolest episode title for sure!
Yeah, another McCoy-gets-some-pussy episode, only not as annoying as "Shore Leave".
I never had much use for that episode. However, I will admit it was probably the BEST Title of any episode in Star Trek's three year original run.
I will say this...For the world is hollow, and I have touched the sky does have one of best titles of any Trek episode.
Doomsday Machine
Journey to Babel
Amok Time
Trouble with Tribbles
Piece of the Action
Balance of Terror
City on the Edge of Forever
Tholian Web
Enterprise Incident
Spaceseed
In no particular order
I love your Star Trek videos keep up the good work!
Thanks, will do.
@@RowanJColeman ua-cam.com/video/8vSQ5uTlE14/v-deo.html
Thank you for including "Spectre Of The Gun". The third season is much maligned (and for good reason) and this episode in particular is regarded by some as one of the "low points" of that season, but it's one I keep coming back and watching again and again. I think it's a good example of how to do good television when your budget has been slashed beyond belief - they pulled this episode off UNDER budget and it's a great story.
Inexplicably the network selected the atrocious "Spock's Brain" to start off the season. Coupled that with its placement in the "death slot"...
Right. The tight budget forced the use of building facades instead of complete structures. And all the guest actors had such equally wooden acting that the whole planet seemed spooky or unearthly. As a kid, I found that to be unnerving.
Agreed. There are plenty of episodes from Season three that are way worse than Spectre Of The Gun.
Frankly, at a time when T.V. science fiction was trying to make Leave It To Beaver in Space, or maybe Lassie in Space (Lost In Space) or running gag/theme series like Time Tunnel, Land Of The Giants (copy Little Timmy Lost in Space, throw in Gilligan's Island with a hint of Twilight Zone's alternate Earth - presto - Land of the Giants) and most movies were stuck in the 50's ideas of fire propelled, bullet shaped rockets to the Moon, or Venus or Mars, Star Trek depicted the most plausible future of 200 years. Like any 22 episode T.V. series there were "stinker" episodes, either stories hastily thought out or subjects deserving of more than 48 minutes of film time, but the technology of Star Trek was completely believable and made sense. Shallow characters (or under-developed characters) were typical in T.V. at the time so no one expected to get to know any of them very well, but we did anyway. The visual effects were primitive compared to that of even 10 years later, but for the late 60's the mat composites of the Enterprise and the planets were better than anything up to that time. Star Trek was one of the first sci-fi productions that used moving camera composites rather than moving model and it made a striking difference. As a science fiction loving 12 year old, I lived for Tuesday night to watch Star Trek, and would be hard pressed to choose any episode I liked more than another.
My favorite line: "Damn it Jim, I'm a doctor, not a brick layer!"
Good list! Some excellent choices on here! Here are my thoughts on your list:
10. Shore Leave: A fun, wacky episode. I can't really elevate it more than that. It's good for what it is.
09. The Squire Of Gothos: Well there's the obvious thing about Trelaine being a Q...but his interactions with Kirk are very enjoyable. Their relationship hops between being cautiously playful and possibly deadly. Definitely the archetype of the Q / Picard relationship to come.
08. A Taste Of Armageddon: Perhaps I need to rewatch this episode, but I can't help but remember thinking it was really boring. Even now, I'm struggling to think of anything memorable about it.
07. Balance Of Terror: Good for all the reasons you stated. A tense battle of wits between a starship captain and a new foe. The fact that this is the introduction of the Romulans. I also like how there are casualties of the battle on both sides.
06. City On The Edge Of Forever: Well, first off, it's just good fun to see Bones lose his shit! Then of course, there's Kirk's romance with Edith Keeler. Now, usually I don't feel engaged in the slightest when Trek pulls the one-off romance episode. This is because the romance just doesn't have time to blossom or mean anything. In this case however, I think because of the time travel implications and the fact that it ends in tragedy, this is an example of it done right. Sure, Kirk doesn't get enough screen time with Edith for it to be entirely engaging, but his impact at her death does leave the viewer with the feeling that this one actually meant something. Not least of all because it had to happen.
05. This Side Of Paradise: Any episode that untethers Spock from his usual Vulcan stoicism is guaranteed to be enjoyable. Plus it ends in a Kirk on Spock fight! What's not to like?
04. Space Seed: KKKAAAHHHNNN!
03. The Enterprise Incident: My personal favorite of the Romulan episodes from TOS. Very underrated! There's so much I like about this episode. Kirk's behavior towards his crew just serves as such a good way to make you raise an eyebrow at the start of the episode. The whole thing is just covered in subterfuge, including Spock's relationship with the sexy Romulan commander. Another example of a single episode romance, done right! It's interesting to see how far Spock's deceit will go and how much the Romulan Commander is or isn't buying into it. I also love the section with Kirk boarding the Romulan Vessel in disguise to steal the cloaking device. All this lying and trickery is very Romulan! The only thing I am disappointed in, is how no other episode ever follows up on the Federation's possession of the cloaking device...
02. Spectre Of The Gun: A decent episode, especially for season 3. It's the original "western" Trek episode. You get some good banter between the guys in the saloon. Chekhov gets shot. You get the whole OK Corral thing at the end. All in all, some solid entertainment.
01. The Doomsday Machine: Another personal favorite of mine! William Windom's guest spot as Commodore Decker really does serve to elevate this episode. When he's first found, he really over dramatizes the trauma the character is feeling. However, it doesn't come off as bad acting or cheesy. He seems genuinely distraught. After this, he goes into full revenge mode by commandeering Kirk's Enterprise. He does an excellent job of seeming like someone who is outwardly in control of the situation, but who is emotionally delusional on the inside. The banter between him, Kirk and Spock is excellent! The Machine itself seems like something genuinely unknowable and dangerous. It ends with some tense moments where Decker sacrifices himself and Kirk almost bites the dust as well! "Any time now gentlemen!"
I'm really glad you included A Taste of Armageddon. Many top ten lists forget this episode yet is the one that is very applicable to current times as we make war more sanitized and more common. I think of it often.
"Where no Man has gone before" S01E04 is for me the best Star Trek episode ever made.
Great casting and powerful story and dialogues.
Errand of Mercy and Mirror Mirror should be there, as well as Devil in the Dark.
I always enjoyed The Trouble with Tribles. It is hilarious. Just some fun escapism. My favorite two episodes are The Doomsday Machine and The City on the Edge of Forever.
Some that are missed here are The Enemy Within, Amok Time (which one of if not my absolute fave) Galileo Seven, Devil in the Dark, Bread and Circuses, Patterns of Force, and Turnabout Intruder. I was surprised to see none of these on the list. Honorable Mentions for I,Mudd, and Plato's Stepchidren they were hilarious, and The Savage Curtain because Surak.
"Patterns of Force" used to be one of my favorites when I was young, but then I realized what a contrivance the transponders were. How many episodes revolve around Scotty not being able to beam someone up because they're separated from their communicators?
Turnabout Intruder is generally considered one of the worst episodes. But I liked it. I wouldn't put it in top 10 though.
The actress playing Lester does a better Kirk than Shatner was by that point in the series. Shatner's performance as Lester's character is hilariously over-the-top, even for him.
Chris Maxfield- Well, I personally wouldn't put Shatner's over the top performance in "Turnabout Intruder" as anywhere near his most hilarious. In my opinion, that would have to be his scene with Spock in "And The Children Shall Lead."
"I'm losing command, I'm losing command; I've lost command..."
I didn't say it was the definitive example, just one of the biggies. Your example is excellent as well.
"The Doomsday Machine" is still one of my all-time favorites. Watching Decker come unglued at the beginning, then sacrifice himself on the shuttle made for a gripping drama.
BTW, watch the scene where Scotty shows Kirk the controls for overloading the USS Constellation. When he says, "Two minutes later...poof," his Scottish accent wanders off. Listen for it.
His sacrifice helped to destroy the doomsday device.
1: Mirror Mirror
2: City on the Edge of Forever
3: Space Seed
4: Arena
5: Balance of Terror
6: Naked Time
7: Trouble With Tribbles
8: Doomsday Machine
9: Devil in the Dark
10: Where No Man Has Gone Before
Immunity Syndrome and Operation: Annihilate.
However, The Doomsday Machine is my all time fave. William Windom should have won an award for his portrayal of Matt Decker. Breaks my heart every time I watch it, "There was, but not anymore!"
Jeffrey Ballein- "The called me, they begged me for help, four hundred of them... I couldn't (Sobbing) I couldn't!"
city on the edge of forever will always be my favorite.
also, i was rewatching search for spock yesterday and i forgot how happy the ending makes me,,,, spock is too damn sweet.
Interesting Top 10! Genuinely surprised at your inclusion of "Shore Leave" and "Spectre of the Gun".
Personal Favorites that didn't make your list: "Mirror, Mirror" (!!), "Amok Time", "Journey to Babel", "By Any Other Name" and "Whom Gods Destroy" (LORD Garth).
Also, the Klingon episodes with Kor, Koloth and Kang - Errand of Mercy, Trouble with Tribbles and Day of the Dove are all great and it was awesome that DS9 would go on to revisit those characters.
Rarely does "Whom God's Destroy" receive mention, one of my favorites, funny as hell!
"Bones starts tripping Balls" HAHAAHAHAHA GREAT ?INE
lmao I burst out laughing when he said that
I liked "Where no Man Has Gone Before" with Gary Lockwood, who achieved God like powers, it was essentially the second pilot of the show.
Personal Ranking:
1) The City on the Edge of Forever
2) Amok Time
3) The Doomsday Machine
4) The Trouble with Tribbles
5) The Enemy Within
6) Arena
7) Space Seed
8) Balance of Terror
9) This Side of Paradise
10) Mirror, Mirror
Ahem, Mirror Mirror?
Huge omission. Maybe the best episode ever.
I agree that "Mirror, Mirror" definitely should have been included!
Yep mirror mirror was my fave
Mirror, Mirror: Here in Germany one of the less popular episodes and almost forgotten. People here were quite confused when the topic turned up in the computer game STAR TREK.VOYAGER ELITE FORCE
Yeah, that's a pretty funny one.
I like your list and I could watch "Squire of Gothos" all day. Trelaine, acting like a kid with all of that power and Kirk smacking him around! I don't no why "Tribbles" wasn't on the list It's such a riot! "Where No Man Has Gone Before" is such a thriller that someone, besides me, must like it, with Lockwood and Kellerman in the cast!
Awkward Shatner fist fights? We LOVE those fights!
Good list, well thought out.
Thanks for the trip back into the past reminding us why we loved this series so much.
Balance of Terror is also my favorite TOS episode, hands down. I know City on The Edge of Forever is always claimed to be the best episode but the introduction of the Romulans and that entire space "battle" was what made me fall in love with Star Trek in the first place.
So many other great episodes were not mentioned such as "Devil in the Dark," "The Naked Time," "The Enemy Within," "Amok Time," "Mirror, Mirror," "Assignment: Earth," "Elaan of Troius," "Day of the Dove," and "Journey to Babel." However, I cannot say that any of the ones on this list don't deserve it, as I like them all as well.
An underrated one is a first season is "Court Martial".
The Devil in the Dark
i looooove that episode oh my god
My 5 favorite TOS episodes: 'The Trouble with Tribbles','City on the Edge of Forever', 'Amok Time', 'Devil in the Dark' and 'The Galileo Seven'.
A favorite episode from the original Star Trek series is, "A Piece of the Action" where Koik" cuts the Federation in for 40%.
Mel Sharples as a gangster instead of his "Vera, pickup!!"
Lots of good ones there! I would add "Mirror Mirrror". It's the "Spock with a beard" episode.
I recall the 1st FX remaster of Doomsday Machine (my personal #1) was a dialogue hacked disaster! It initially included more remaster effects, while editing out such original dialogue sequences including the Decker: "You're bluffing!"... Spock: "Vulcan's never bluff!" I'm sure I wasn't the only one ticked off, who yelled "FOUL" at this trade-off remastered hack of FX over the original 3-way (Kirk, Decker, Spock) script. Fortunately, the later remaster restored that dialogue...
Btw, to me there is no more defining "leader" Kirk line than in response to Decker's Star Fleet regulations dismissing his being relieved when Kirk fires back: "Blast regulations -- Mr. Spock, I order you to assume command on my personal authority as Captain of the Enterprise!" That plus Mr. Scott's heroic resurrection of the Constellation with a charging phaser bank, which I know inspired many to be an "engineer."
I admire your courage for limiting the list to 10....I'd need at least 20 to also be able to include:
"The Trouble with Tribbles"
"By any other name"
"Devil in the dark"
"The Menagerie"
"Mirror, Mirror"
"The Immunity Syndrome"
"Amok Time"
"Arena"
"All our Yesterdays"
"The enemy within"
"The Corbomite Maneuver," ,"The Enemy Within," "Charlie X," "Return of the Archons," "Tomorrow Is Yesterday," and "Miri" would make my top ten. But the two best are "The Doomsday Machine" and "City on the Edge of Forever."
These are GREAT choices and the reasoning given is spot on correct. Besides that, this channel has a great name as well. :-)
My personal top ten list is:
1. A Taste of Armageddon
2. The Doomsday Machine
3. Amok Time
4. The Trouble with Tribbles
5. The Tholian Web
6. The Squire of Gothos
7. Return to Tomorrow
8. Journey to Babel
9. Where No Man Has Gone Before
10. The Empath
Honorable Mentions: Friday's Child, Devil in the Dark
Actually, I agree on Doomsday Machine, too. :-)
God, I love the Doomsday Machine.
J. Carey BEST EVA!! THRILLING!!
5:32 I argue with the notion that anyone in that episode 'This Side of Paradise' was "genuinely happy." The idea behind this episode is that they were all brainwashed into imagining they felt happiness and contentment. Obviously, if they're brainwashed they aren't exercising their free will and therefore the illusion of happiness ISN'T genuine. They were under the undue influence of the "spores." What this episode is about really is CULTS. "The colony" is standing in for a typical cult commune or compound. The "spores" are substituting the guru in control of the followers. It's not until these colonists (cultists) are FREED (deprogrammed) from the influence of the spores (guru) that they could have ANY genuine feelings of their own. The brainwashed don't realize they're brainwashed. Far from being "ambiguous," I feel the lesson here was intended to be very clear and direct. Your individual independent freedom-of-thought MUST prevail over any mindless group-think mentality, or else you'll be the unwilling and unwitting prisoner of someone else's will. Considering that Star Trek was shot before most people had much awareness of Cult indoctrination, since the Mason Family; Jonestown; The Moonies; The Branch Davidians at Waco; The Heaven's Gate "comet' cult; Aum Shinrikyo; The Rajneeshees' Salad Bar attack; al Queda; ISIL; and other groups were yet to become known or to exist yet; THIS was a REALLY forward-thinking episode! It did what the best of Science Fiction aught to do, which is warn humanity of what COULD occur in the future if we don't pay attention to the signs present today. And sadly, people didn't pay enough attention to this episode, and the cult phenomenon escalated in the subsequent years following this. At the time, the only Cult that was really getting somewhat well known around when this episode was shot; was Scientology! And not many people even recognized it was a Cult yet! Nor did they understand what a Cult was, or how it operates to erase your free will. But, I'm sure the DIRECTOR of this episode got it, because he clearly instructed these actors to have that same sort of blank tranquility, or "deluded-happiness" that so many cult members & other religious fanatics tend to display.
excellent analysis
anonyarena- WOW. That's a leap of logic that really can't be proven. All about cults, eh? Sure... Okay... Whatever... Lol!!!
You can make an equally compelling argument that it was an episode warning of mood elevating drugs! Maybe the writer and director were warning against the future use of Prozac!
It also had a lot to do with people wanting to participate, move into, establish, idealize communes, which was a big thing in the later 60's and Hippy culture. Many young people were intrigued with a communistic social structure and were convinced it was the way to a Utopian society. It was seen by traditionalist that most communes of the day didn't contribute much to any society and existed simply for the sake of existing and smoking pot. Your analysis of a chemically induced euphoria is pretty accurate, but I believe it was aimed a little less at psychological and religious brain washing and more towards the fact that the use of mind altering drugs (pot and L.S.D. mostly at that time) tends to remove the desire to accomplish much of anything.
I saw it in part as a study of the downside of drug abuse; LSD, Mescaline, etc. and pot were (are) well known for the euphoric states they produced; ie the spores.
You guys seen to be forgetting the spores left all the subjects in "perfect" health. McCoy even grew back his appendix! So, it was more than just an "illusion" of happiness. And I resist the spin that it was all about the danger of cults. Even Spock conceded the benefits of the plants. This was science fiction at it's best, NOT some hidden allegory on the danger of mind control!
Pretty good list. I concur on "The Doomsday Machine" being the best episode of them all. My own top ten: The Doomsday Machine, Balance of Terror, The Corbomite Maneuver, This Side of Paradise, The Enemy Within, Tomorrow is Yesterday, The Ultimate Computer, The Squire of Gothos, Who Mourns for Adonis, The Naked Time.
The ultimate computer was a good one too!
Everyone thought Spock's reaction to seeing the Romulan commander was because he looked like a Vulcan but really he was thnking "Daddy?"
Rowan. I have seen other lists of best episodes, but this is the best list my Star Trek Friend. Live long but don't Prosper....... just kidding.
So glad you included 'The Enterprise Incident'. One of my favorite espionage episodes!
Sure is my favorite of season three
The Enterprise Incident is Star Trek meets Mission Impossible.
Patterns of Force for the historical memory, Bread and Circuses for the banter between every-one and maybe either Tomorrow is Yesterday for the joy-humor-frolic or Return of the Archons for the Twilight Zone feel
I'm surprised that 'Where No Man Has Gone Before' isn't in your top ten. OK, it was officially a 'pilot' rather than an episode of the series, but never the less... I watched 'Doomsday Machine' a year or two ago on, I think, the Horror channel and couldn't tear myself away. I agree that it's one of the best. Ditto 'Spectre of the Gun'. I wonder how Joan Collins feels knowing that the best thing she EVER did was her episode of Star Trek ?!!!
Barrows was a yeoman, not an ensign... Shocked that Mirror, Mirror didn't make the list, it is my all time favorite episode of Star Trek of any show...
My Top Ten:
The City on the Edge of Forever
The Amok Time
Mirror, Mirror
Space Seed
This Side of Paradise
Who Mourns for Adonais
The Naked Time
The Doomsday Machine
The Squire of Gothos
Balance of Terror
Honorable Mentions:
Arena
The Changeling
Shore Leave
Journey to Babel
The Enterprise Incident
The Balance of Terror. The acting, writing and tension throughout the episode made this come together as top notch TOS Trek. My standout favorite.
My all time favorite is Amok Time
Arena is missing
Well... It's all subjective. In my opinion, "Arena" suffered one giant flaw. An exceedingly cheesy alien!
Bill - In the original "Arena" short story the alien was a land octopus that rolled from place to place and the Captain stabbed it to death. In the TV version they improved a lot. Imagine wearing that reptile getup while filming long hours in the desert.
Another great one that makes up for its guy-in-a-rubber-suit by great suspense.
@Lari easily top 10.
Other favorites not mentioned- Arena, A Piece of the Action, The Ultimate Computer, The Tholian Web, The Enterprise Incident, The Empath and Patterns of Force.
Tomorrow is yesterday, arena, balance of terror, the city on the edge of forever, the doomsday machine, the squire of gothos, shore leave, the tholian web, the trouble with the tribbles and a piece of the action are my favourites
"The City on the Edge of Forever" towers over all other episodes -- that was a masterpiece. I suspect I'm the only one who loved "The Cloud Minders."
" The Cloud Minders" was not one of my favorites.
As a younger adult......in the early 80s....I ran across a Hustler magazine with a x-rated satire version of Star Trek......the ship was called the USS INTERCOURSE......Uhura was Ahore a.....Screwlu…..Captain Jerk......Jerkoff......Oh yea.....Mr.Spick…..half Mexican, half Vulcan.The ship had dildo's for engine nacels…..very funny
Mirror, Mirror.
xXPyrophorusXx- Truly one of Star Trek's finest episodes. Although, truth be known, it was hardly the first time parallel dimensions had been dealt with in televised science fiction.
My Top Forty Star Trek Episodes
(In particular order)
1) City On The Edge Of Forever
2) Mirror, Mirror
3) This Side Of Paradise
4) The Doomsday Machine
5) The Changeling
6) Return Of The Archons
7) Errand Of Mercy
8) Bread And Circuses
9) A Piece Of The Action
10) Obsession
11) Amok Time
12) Miri
13) Patterns Of Force
14) Dagger Of The Mind
15) The Conscience Of The King
16) Shore Leave
17) The Trouble With Tribbles
18) The Devil In The Dark
19) Journey To Babel
20) Day Of The Dove
21) The Corbomite Maneuver
22) The Naked Time
23) The Galileo Seven
24) The Squire Of Gothos
25) The Naked Time
26) The Enemy Within
27) I, Mudd
28) A Taste Of Armageddon
29) Balance Of Terror
30) Space Speed
31) The Deadly Years
32) Return To Tomorrow
33) By Any Other Name
34) What Are Little Girls Made Of
35) Wolf In The Fold
36) Gamesters Of Triskelion
37) Friday's Child
38) The Ultimate Computer
39) The Omega Glory
40) Spectre Of The Gun
Space seed, Spectre of the gun, the squire of Gothos, City on the edge of forever, and the Doomsday Machine are my favorites
We could make another top 10 to match that one. Let's see.
Where No Man Has Gone Before
The Enemy Within
The Menagerie
The Conscience of the King
The Galileo Seven
Tomorrow Is Yesterday
Court Martial
Errand of Mercy
Amok Time
Mirror, Mirror
Journey to Babel
Assignment: Earth
12, I won't take any off :)
It's really hard to narrow it down to just 10 episodes. The only one I really disagree with is "Specter of the Gun". I mean, c'mon, it's just a retelling of the gunfight at the OK corral.
I think as TrekHeads we should think in terms of the best 20 or 25 episodes. Then we wouldn't have to argue. :-) What about, "The Trouble with Tribbles", "A Piece of the Action", "Amok Time", "The Corbomite Maneuver", "Arena", "Court Martial", "Errand of Mercy", "The Changeling", "I, Mudd", "The Immunity Syndrome", "The Ultimate Computer", "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield", and others mentioned in comments I read.
It's like Phillip J. Fry said in the ST episode of Futurama, "...You know. 79 episodes, about...thirty good ones".
Sorry for being tardy to this party. Live long and prosper my fellow Trekheads.
Not exactly. The information the Melkotians drew from Captain Kirk's mind was fragmented and inconsistent, and so they had to go by that. Therefore, the scenario they thrust the Enterprise landing party into was somewhat inaccurate. You may remember that Billy Claiborne survived the shooting at the bar. In addition---there was a new element: Spock's realization that the whole setup was "unreal...appearances only..." and when he performed that mind-meld in triplicate, a kind of telepathic hypnosis, the result was that at the actual shootout the only casualty was that wooden fence being shot full of holes! I loved this episode and saw it as a probing exploration of the nature of reality.
Amazing list. Thank you.
Its nice that everyone seems to have personal faviourites, I agree with a lot of that list; my personal favourites are:
What Are Little Girls Made Of, The Corbomite Manouver, Devil in the Dark, The Cloud Miners, Mirror Mirror, The Cage... to name a few. Theres just so many though.
It's interesting that although your list is in no particular order, your #1 and #2 are my favorites, in that order. As a 12 year old, watching the series back in 1966, I wasn't sure about it based on sad stories like the salt monster or Charlie X, but when "Shore Leave" aired I gave Star Trek more than another chance and Squire of Gothos made me a fan for life.
Glad you mentioned Spectre of the Gun. Very underrated episode
The Ultimate Computer
One of my favorites and underrated episodes is "Day of the Dove."
Top 3
3 City on The Edge of Forever
2 Conscience of The King
1 The Corbomite Maneuver
I was beginning to start that I was the only one who loves "The Conscience of the King"!
I'm surprised not more love for Corbonite
I was sure he was going to go with Tribbles, seeing the happy theme.
Requiem for Methusela is in my top five for sure
Interesting, Maureen, that "Conscience Of The King," is on your top three list. That episode is often overlooked. I wouldn't include it in my own top ten list, although like "Devil In The Dark," I do think it would make my top ten list of most under-rated episodes!
*I was beginning to start that I was the only one who loves "The Conscience of the King"*
^Nope, not only is it great, its one of the original Trek's darkest episodes given its storyline and how it effected several members of the Enterprise crew (Captain Kirk & Riley). And its small tie-into Star Trek: Enterprise even (one of NX-Enterprise's crew was killed by Kodos eventually in their elder years.)
You're kidding, right? Conscience of the King has a horrible ending and The Corbomite Maneuver is so boring.
Amok time definitely needed to be on this list but I love all the ones you picked
It's of course, all down to what you like... My personal top 10 ST : T.O.S. episodes are :
(Bear in mind, except for # 1, they're in no particular order)
# 1 : "The Doomsday Machine"
# 2 : "The Ultimate Computer"
# 3 : "The Tholian Web"
# 4 : " The Corbomite Maneuver"
# 5 : "The Enterprise Incident"
# 6 : "A Taste Of Armageddon"
# 7 : "City On The Edge Of Forever"
# 8 : "The Immunity Syndrome"
# 9 : "Mirror, Mirror"
# 10 : " The Enemy Within"
Honorable Mention goes to : "The Galileo Seven", "Dagger Of The Mind" "Court Martial"
"All Our Yesterdays" "Day Of The Dove" "Bread & Circuses" and "Patterns Of Force"
What a not-obvious top ten! I was almost waiting for The Entity to pop up!
I disagree with alot of these choices, and for that, it was a very interesting watch.
Loved Spectre Of The Gun myself, nice to see it mentioned.
Errand of Mercy would be on my list.
I like your inclusion of The Squire of Gothos. There's no question that because of Q, that episode has grown leaps and bounds in my eyes over the years (and it was always terrific).
Errand of mercy had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, and what a GREAT ending. You can't argue with the Organians! Even my father liked it (God rest his soul).
Just a few which I'd put in place of several on your list: Amok Time, Mirror Mirror, All Our Yesterdays, The Corbomite Maneuver, The Trouble With Tribbles, I Mudd, A Piece of the Action, those last three for their intentional humor elements (many or maybe even most of my favorite episodes in the X-Files are the intentionally humorous ones).
Whom Gods Destroy - Unique story, clever banter among Kirk, Spock and Garth, well scored, good guest star performances, phasers, hand to hand, body count, neck pinch, suspense- it has some of everything that I enjoy about Trek!
Okay, what's the countersign? Q to Q's level 1:
Since Halloween is coming will you do top 10 scariest Star Trek episodes?
Halloween 2017 is coming up and I'm a little hard pressed to think of "scary" ST eps.
Catspaw? The Doomsday Machine? Return to Tomorrow? Wolf in the Fold? The Lights of Zetar? OH, since I'm in my mid 50's now, The Deadly Years! :D Dagger of the Mind? Mantrap? Where No Man Has Gone Before?
It's hard for me to think of ST as being scary. ST has been my friend since I was five years old. :-)
Not an episode, but I used to be terrified by the borg, particularly in First Contact
The android in the caves was bloody scary!
Blastfrom thepast. Which one? The really tall one?
Yes. I remember watching that episode circa 1970 (on BBC1) and being quite frightened!
The Conscience of the King is probably my fav.
Was really hoping that Kirk's childhood backstory used in this episode would somehow be explored when Star Trek was rebooted back in 2009. But...JJ
1. The City on The Edge of Forever. 2. The Trouble With Tribbles (How could you not have this one on your list?) 3) The Doomsday Machine 4. Space Seed 5. The Enterprise Incident 6. Journey to Babel (Another glaring omission) 7. Balance of Terror 8. The Squire of Gothos 9. The Menagerie (Admitedly a 2-parter. But, I count it as one. 10. Amok Time (C'mon. Spock gets married. How could you not include this one?)
I agree with you again the only addition I would make would be "A Piece of the Action", that was a lighthearted and funny episode
I'd like to give a shout-out to "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield". From a young age watching this show, the stupidity and pointlessness of prejudice was put on full display with the two aliens they encountered and the preconceived ideas that each one had about the other. Most especially the destructive result shown when they arrived on their home planet (or what was left of it) really drove the point home. I was maybe six years old when I saw that episode for the first time and my mind was blown.
Very good list! Thanks for including "Spectre of the Gun."
Here is my top ten episdoes and favorite lines from them:(Not in any particular order): WOLF IN THE FOLDolf (Die, die, die everybody die!) A TASTE OF ARMAGEDDON (Sir, you have a multi legged creature crawling on your shoulder!) THE SQUIRE Of GOTHOS (Hip, hip, hurrah, Tally ho!) ERRAND OF MERCY(It's too bad, Captain, It would have been glorious!) THE TROUBLE WITH TRIBBLES (On the contrary, Mr. Lurie, I do take this mission seriously, it is YOU I do not take seriouosly!) MIRI (Tell him Jim! tell him Jim! Tell him Jim!) THE CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER (He knows, Dr., He knows!) I MUDD(I am not programed to respond in that area!) THE DOOMSDAY MACHINE (Don't you think I know that?!) WHOM GOD'S DESTROY (Why can't I blow off just one of his ears?/ Queen to Queen's level 3)
1) The City On The
Edge Of Forever
2) Mirror, Mirror
3) The Doomsday Machine
4) This Side Of Paradise
5) Errand Of Mercy
6) Journey To Babel
7) The Galileo Seven
8) The Devil In The Dark
9) Obsession
10) The Trouble
With Tribbles
Honorable Mentions--
A) The Conscience
Of The King
B) A Piece Of The Action
C) Patterns Of Force
D) Shore Leave
E) Amok Time
F) The Deadly Years
G) Balance Of Terror
H) Space Seed
I) The Corbomite Maneuver
Guilty Pleasures--
And The Children Shall Lead
Plato's Step Children
Wolf In The Fold
Is There In Truth No Beauty
The Squire Of Gothos
Spectre Of The Gun
The Paradise Syndrome
BEST TITLE Ever, Although The Episode Itself Was A Snoozer:
"For The World Is Hollow
And I Have Touched The Sky."
Okay, putting together a list is a subjective business. It all comes down to opinion. Some opinions might be stronger than others, but at the end of the day, it's all about personal preferences. In the world of Star Trek... It's all okay!
Can't agree with Paradise but glad to see Specture included
where is mirror,mirror,amok time?
What about Assignment Earth? Mirror, Mirror is my fav.
defiantsisko- "Assignment Earth" was written as a possible spin-off for another series that was to be about Gary Seven.
You didn't include Assignment: Earth with the awesome Gary Seven? What the hell is the matter with you?
I did like Mirror Mirror with the alternative universe for the same reason I liked the Anti Matter Man in Lost in Space.
@@billanthony7896 Not to mention, Teri Garr was in that episode.