Star Trek: The Original Series, Season One

As a lighter subject, I’ve been watching all of the original Star Trek episodes from the sixties in order. Here are some comments on each one, and hopefully when I’m done I’ll have generated myself a decent top ten episodes list.

The Cage

= 3 stars

Only interesting to see the developmental workings of Star Trek, with a tempermental Spock, a different captain, and a female first officer. The plot involves a race of aliens that create illusions in the minds of their captives.

Crew on planet can’t contact the Enterprise (check)
Seemingly omnipotent alien(s) with a weakness (check)
Cute female crewmember (check)
Hot female alien (check)

The Man Trap

= 3 stars

The salt monster used to date McCoy. Okay idea, but it’s just a bit too obvious that something bizarre is going on, and it just takes everyone a bit too long to figure out.

Charlie X

= 2 stars

There’s several of these spoiled kid aliens running around. The first time, it’s acceptable, but after the second or third it smells like a cop-out.

Cute female crewmember (check)
Seemingly omnipotent alien(s) with a weakness (check)

Where No Man Has Gone Before

= 2 stars

Enterprise reaches a barrier at the edge of the galaxy.

The Naked Time

= 4 stars

Sulu runs around with a sword and everyone goes bats.

Medical disease (check)

The Enemy Within

= 4 stars

Kirk is split into the good and bad halves, one of which tries to seduce Yeoman Rand and the other one went on to make Star Trek V.

Cute female crewmember (check)

Mudd’s Women

= 3 stars

Mudd has hot women but with a catch.

Hot female alien (check)

What Are Little Girls Made Of?

= 2 stars

A bit of charchter development for Nurse Chapel on a planet full of androids.

Confused robots (check)

Miri

= 2 stars

Kids on a nutty planet and all the old people die.

Medical ailment (check)

Dagger of the Mind

= 4 stars

Mental insane asylum, basically shock therapy and a power mad doctor.

Cute female crewmember (check)
Mind meld (check)

The Corbomite Maneuver

= 2 stars

Seemingly omnipotent alien(s) with a weakness (check)

The Menagerie, Parts 1 and 2

= 3 stars

An overly long rehashing of the pilot episode that loses a lot of punch when you’ve seen it before. The only item of interest is the now-iconic crippled captain in his blinking binary wheelchair, forever immortalized in Trekkies. With all the technology available in the future you’d think medicine would come up with something better than a blinking chair; seriously.

Crew on planet can’t contact the Enterprise (check)

The Conscience of the King

= 2 stars

Actor might be a killer. Lots of Shakespeare quotes. More murder-mystery than sci-fi.
Ripping off history (check)

Cute actress (check)

Balance of Terror

= 4 stars

A nice space battle episode, likely some of the inspiration for Star Trek II. The Romulans are the baddies here.

Romulans (check)

Shore Leave

= 4 stars

A nice mix of humor, seriousness, and skin factor on a fantasy planet where the crew’s all too human brains get the better of them. Kirk gets into a lot of fist fighting here, too.

Crew on planet can’t contact the Enterprise (check)
Cute female crewmember (check)

The Gallileo Seven

= 5 stars

This episode demonstrates how Spock’s logic isn’t suited to lead a band of irritable humans. I feel rather sorry for Spock throughout this episode. It has a great ending though, when Spock bets the farm on an atypical hunch and saves the day.

Crew on planet can’t contact the Enterprise (check)
Cute female crewmember (check)

The Squire of Gothos

= 2 stars

I just don’t like the smarmy spoiled man-child-alien thing. Amusing at times but gets tired fast.

Crew on planet can’t contact the Enterprise (check)
Seemingly Omnipotent aliens with a weakness (check)

Arena

= 3 stars

The Gorn lizard wants to kill Kirk. Eventually, Kirk uses humanity to survive.

Crew can’t communicate with Enterprise (check)
Seemingly Omnipotent aliens (check)

Tomorrow is Yesterday

= 5 stars

Funny episode where the Enterprise goes back in time and has to fix stuff.

Time travel (check)

Court-Martial

= 2 stars

Another over-long court-room episode where Kirk’s on trial for killing someone who is actually alive and hiding out on the Enterprise.

The Return of the Archons

= 2 stars

The first of the society-controlled-by-a-robot that is dumb and must be destroyed by Kirk, despite the prime directive.

Naive alien society (check)
Confused robots (check)
Kirk ignores the prime directive (check)

Space Seed

= 4 stars

Khan steals the show and basically out does Kirk in the romance department. We get to learn a little history as the ship gets taken over.

A Taste of Armageddon

= 2 stars

So this society avoids war by randomly killing people. Kirk doesnt think this is a good idea.

Kirk ignores the prime directive (check)

This Side of Paradise

= 3 stars

Spock and most of the crew get sprayed by a happy plant.

Medical malady (check)
Cute girls (check)

The Devil in the Dark

= 3 stars

A big bread pudding called a Horta is killing people.

Spock mind-meld (check)

Errand of Mercy

= 3 stars

Klingons and Starfleet battle over the planet Organia.

The Alternative Factor

= 2 stars

A parallel galaxy and a crazy lunatic that can never meet his mirror image.

The City on the Edge of Forever

= 5 stars

Joan Collins!

Kirk romance (check)
Time travel (check)

Operation — Annihiliate!

= 5 stars

Flying fried eggs infect Spock.

Medical malady (check)
Seemingly omnipotent aliens with a weakness (check)