Ep. 28 The City on the Edge of Forever

After McCoy accidentally injects himself, he escapes to a strange planet and flees back in time to 1930's Earth through the Guardian of Forever. In the past, he saves a woman named Edith Keeler, destroying history. Kirk and Spock are mercifully protected from the time ripple by their nearness to the Guardian, and so follow him. Kirk falls in love with Edith, but allows her to die to fix history.

Arguably the best episode of the series, it does have all the most important recurring characters, even if they are barely used. It is written by a genius of the science fiction world, and has a very compelling, human story to it. It won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation in 1968, fully deserved. It also won the Writer's Guild of America Award. The only slightly cheesy part was Edith's death. I love it, and I dare anyone to watch it and not. I won't write a big long review on this one because most people have seen it, and I'd honestly rather let it speak for itself. WATCH IT!!!

RECURRING CHARACTERS:
DeForrest Kelley as McCoy
James Doohan as Scotty
George Takei as Sulu
Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
John Winston as Kyle
Michael Barrier as DeSalle
David L. Ross as Galloway

NOTABLE GUEST STARS:
Joan Collins as Edith Keeler

Quote:
"I think I like this century. Simple. Easier to manage. I think we're not going to have any difficulty explaining... "
"...you were saying you'd have no trouble explaining it."
"My friend is obviously Chinese. I see you've noticed the ears. They're actually easy to explain."
"Perhaps the unfortunate accident I has a child..."
"The unfortunate accident he had as a child. He caught his head in a mechanical rice picker." ~ Kirk and Spock

Ep. 27 Errand of Mercy

Kirk goes to meet with the Klingons at Organia, to try to avoid war. The Enterprise wants to protect the planet, but it turns out they don't need protection, nor do they want it. Kirk gets frustrated, not understanding what is going on, at first, and he and Spock have to play along as locals during a Klingon occupation, but their hosts are unhappy with their use of violence. Of course their cover is soon blown, and Kor intends to torture and kill the crewmen. But the Organians are highly advanced, not defenseless, and 'help' Kirk and Kor form a peace treaty, however temporary.

This episode had the first appearance of the Klingons, who began looking dramatically different in the late 1970's when the movie series began, and never changed back. The cosmetic differences were never fully explained, but it was acknowledged that they were present, and it is not discussed with outsiders. Several Klingons from this series were later in Deep Space 9, including Kor, but with the later makeup. One book theorized a rebellion of society and that plastic surgery was involved, but this explanation was not considered canon. This episode was very much a Kirk and Spock episode, leaving the rest of the supporting characters out for the hour. They have good chemistry, though, so it was a good episode, with only a few problems. Such as Kirk and Spock talking openly on the street of their ranks and their mission, and that made no sense to me while in disguise. Surely some of the Klingons standing mere feet away would overhear them. And automatic doors on a supposedly base society? Really? The extreme heat tactic was cheesy. But this episode set the stage for forty years of Star Trek history and did it quite effectively. Excellent episode.

RECURRING CHARACTERS:
DeForrest Kelley as McCoy
George Takei as Sulu
Nichelle Nichols as Uhura

NOTABLE GUEST STARS:
John Colicos as Kor
Jon Abbott as Ayelborne

Quote:
"In the future, you and the Klingons will become fast friends." ~ Ayelborne

Ep. 26 The Devil in the Dark

A monster is killing off miners, and the Enterprise is sent to investigate. Scanners pick up no life forms. It turns out to be a silicon-based life form, which the ship doesn't suspect or scan for. The Horta, as it calls itself, is just trying to protect its eggs. There was no malice, and Kirk and crew were able to arrange peace between the creature and the miners.

This episode began without the crew, which was unusual. I find it odd that the miners forgive the Horta for the murders so easily, and the Horta to forgive the miners killing her children, but am heartened by the much more positive than expected ending. The creature itself was very hokey, but considering when the episode was made, that can be overlooked. The concept was ahead of the technology available to bring it to life, and how can you fault Star Trek for trying to make it work anyway? It was a good episode, with some interesting ideas.

RECURRING CHARACTERS:
DeForrest Kelley as McCoy
James Doohan as Scotty
Eddie Paskey as Leslie

NOTABLE GUEST STARS:
Ken Lynch as Vanderberg
Brad Weston as Ed Appel

Quote:
"Please stay out of trouble, Mr. Spock."
"That is always my intention, Captain." ~ Kirk and Spock

Ep. 25 This Side of Paradise

The Enterprise arrives at a colony expecting the inhabitants to be dead, but instead, they seem quite healthy, although without any animals. Beginning with Spock, the crew soon becomes infected with spores that thrive on the planet's deadly rays, and keep the people healthy. Kirk is strangely unaffected. Kirk realizes that it is because he was angry, angers the others, and of course, all ends happily solved.

I think it would have been more effective to have the love story involve any other crewmen but Spock, but perhaps that's just my opinion. Spock's smile, to me, was not definitive proof of something wrong, since early episodes did tend to let emotion through before it was decided by Roddenberry that Vulcan's didn't allow emotion. This episode did have most of the very minor recurring characters, which was cool. I don't understand how Kirk says he can keep the ship in orbit for months when other episodes, it was mere hours without control. Could it be a power issue? He's smart enough to set a bunch of automatic stuff? Possibly, but seems thin. It was pretty good, but not fantastic, though the Kirk / Spock fight in the transporter room was some great acting. Quick random fact, the shot of Kirk alone on the bridge was used for The Next Generation episode "Relics".

RECURRING CHARACTERS:
DeForrest Kelley as McCoy
George Takei as Sulu
Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
Michael Barrier as DeSalle
Eddie Paskey as Leslie
Grant Woods as Kelowitz

NOTABLE GUEST STARS:
Jill Ireland as Leila Kalomi
Frank Overton as Elias Sandoval

Quote:
"No, I don't think so."
"You don't think so what?"
"I don't think so, sir." ~ Spock and a very angry Kirk.

Ep. 24 Space Seed

The Enterprise finds a sleeper ship, S.S. Botany Bay, from Earth, circa 1990's, containing a race of genetic supermen who are woken up. One of them, Khan tried to take over and destroy the ship. He had help in the form of the ship's historian, with whom he falls in love. After capturing the bridge crew especially, and suffocating Kirk until the crew fall in line, but none do. Khan is eventually defeated because McGivers betrays him, but he forgives her. Khan, who had once ruled about a quarter of the planet Earth, would always be dangerous, so Kirk maroons him and his people a planet, including the historian, after dropping all charges against them. The arrangement suits Khan, having a planet to tame, and they part on amicable terms.

A sequel to this episode was made in the form of a movie, Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan, arguably the best of all the Star Trek movies. While this episode states that the ship came from the Eugenics Wars, Earth's last world war, though later episodes would establish that World War III happened in the mid twenty-first century, decades after the Eugenics Wars. One must assume that perhaps Spock meant that the Eugenics Wars led to the world war. Further confusing the matter, Kirk says that Khan has been asleep for two hundred years, though later dates mentioned would suggest that it has been about three hundred years since the 1990's when this series takes place. On an interesting note, the Eugenics Wars took place about the same time as Desert Storm, and there are two novels that tie together global events of that era, written just a few years ago, that show how a global war could happen without the general population knowing. Very good books. I digress, this was a really cool episode. It was an action sci-fi adventure, and I was very pleased with not only it, but especially the movie sequel. Ricardo is a superior actor. It is interesting how Kirk and Khan both respect each other greatly, even while hating each other. A must watch episode for any Star Trek fan.

RECURRING CHARACTERS:
DeForrest Kelley as McCoy
James Doohan as Scotty
Nichelle Nichols as Uhura

NOTABLE GUEST STARS:
Ricardo Montalban as Khan
Madlyn Rhue as Lt. Marla McGivers
Mark Tobin as Joaquin

Quote:
"It would be most effective if you would cut the cartoid artery, just under the left ear." ~ McCoy to Khan as the latter holds a knife to the doctor's throat.

Ep. 23 A Taste of Armageddon

The Enterprise goes on a diplomatic mission, but is warned away from the planet. Kirk, Spock, and a small landing party beam down anyway, and are told that the Enterprise has been destroyed in their war, fought on computers, and the crew must report to disintegration chambers to die. Kirk refuses, and is locked up. The planet first tries using Kirk's voice to get the crew down, then fires on the ship, then tries to trick the ship into lowering its shields. None of that works, of course, thanks to Scotty, though the ambassador does manage to beam down. On the planet, Kirk escapes, then is recaptured, before freeing himself and destroying the war computer, making the other planet in the battle think that the first one would begin attacking for real, escalating the war.

This was a fantastic episode, don't get me wrong. It was an intriguing, dramatic story with some great acting. Removing the horror of war, war wages indefinitely. Cool concept, beautifully executed. That being said, this episode had more plot holes than just about any other I have seen. Another starship went missing, as one did in the last episode, and the Enterprise finally goes to investigate, though that is not their primary mission. Does Starfleet not care about their missing ships? A century later there was a massive hunt for Voyager, but in this time, they only have a ship check it out if they happen to be in the area? Really? What was up with Spock using telepathy through a wall to convince a guard to come inside? He never did that again that I can remember! That is one handy skill. How come he didn't reuse it? I also don't understand why Spock and Kirk attacked the disintegration chamber instead of sending the security guard they had with them. Why else would security go if not to engage in offensive or defensive procedures? And since when can the Enterprise not use full phaser power with the shields up? That seriously hinders their ability to fight. Weird. Then Fox left the bridge after giving a few orders, in the middle of the crisis. That made no sense. And why did Kirk set out through the base by himself instead of taking Spock and the security guards with him? Not that I have only complaints. Kudos to Scotty, however, figuring out the plan and thwarting it. That was by far the coolest thing he has done so far in the series. Yay for Bones for backing him up. It was thrilling to see the ship without the two main characters still functioning heroically with the third and fourth in command in charge. And overall, as I said before, fantastic episode.

RECURRING CHARACTERS:
DeForrest Kelley as McCoy
James Doohan as Scotty
Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
Sean Kenney as DePaul
David L. Ross as Lt. Galloway

NOTABLE GUEST STARS:
Gene Lyons as Ambassador Fox
David Opatoshu as Anan 7
Barbara Babcock as Mea 3

Quote:
"Sir, there is a multi-legged creature crawling on your shoulder." ~ Spock, distracting the guard

Ep. 22 Return of the Archons

The Enterprise investigates a planet where the starship Archon was last heard from, a century ago. They find a society that worships a computer named 'Landru', based on a leader that died 6,000 years ago. When the townspeople realize that Kirk and the others aren't 'of the body', they ask them if they are Archons. The computer wants to destroy the ship and assimilate its crew to protect its so called perfect society, but of course our guys don't buy it. The computer has the society attack, as they did when the Archon crew showed up before. It's almost like an early type of Borg, but not quite. Sulu, McCoy, and others are brain washed and join 'the body'. Kirk out logics the computer and destroys it, of course. Lindstrom and a team stay behind to help the new society exist without the computer control.

First of all, did it really take a century to send a rescue group? Secondly, when Sulu called for an emergency transport, they sure took their sweet time beaming him up. Third, how is their host who helps them escape not obeying the computer? He is surely of the body, is he not? And if not, how does he survive in the society? I know Reger tried to explain it away, but I didn't buy it. And why was Kirk the one who out smarted the computer, instead of the more obvious choice of Spock? This episode was too far fetched, even for me. I'm sorry, but it ranks on the low end of the spectrum in terms of story quality.

RECURRING CHARACTERS:
DeForrest Kelley as McCoy
James Doohan as Scotty
George Takei as Sulu
Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
Eddie Paskey as Leslie

NOTABLE GUEST STARS:
Harry Townes as Reger
Charles Macaulay as Landru
Torin Thatcher as Marphon
Christopher Held as Lindstrom

Quote:
"You'd make a splendid computer, Mr. Spock."
"That is very kind of you, Captain." ~ Kirk & Spock

Ep. 21 Tomorrow is Yesterday

The Enterprise gets thrown back in time quite violently by a black star, ending up in the 1960's. They are spotted by the United States Air Force's John Christopher, the pilot up observing the apparent UFO. He is rescued by transporter when the Enterprise locks onto his ship with a tractor beam and accidentally destroys it. Spock realizes that they have to return Christopher because his son, which has yet to be conceived, will be an important man. While covering up their presence, Kirk and Sulu break into an Air Force base to erase tapes of the Enterprise and doctor the wreckage of the jet, another 1960's officer gets beamed up, and Kirk gets captured. Spock and Sulu rescue him, then they slingshot around the sun to fix everything.

Not only is this the first real Star Trek time travel episode (other than that re-live a few days thing), but it actually deals with the realities of time travel by showing how something done can affect the future. It is definitely weird that the Enterprise was traveling within the atmosphere, and the view from the screen doesn't seem to match the shot we saw of it in the sky. Despite this episode being a full two years before the first moon landing, they correctly identified the events at the late 1960's, and that there would be three astronauts. Kudos to their continuity experts. Was the Enterprise really afraid of the jet's missiles, though? I love that the computer malfunctioned and became sultry. Why did they give Christopher a Lieutenant's uniform? There were no civilian clothes aboard? Kirk's fight in the photo room was the funniest, and most unnecessary, fight ever. They sling shoted the sun to travel back, which they do again later in the series. I am confused on how taking Christopher back in time erased his memory, but whatever. This was Mr. Kyle's first episode, who would actually become a true recurring character, appearing many more times. This was a very amusing episode. It really kept my attention.

RECURRING CHARACTERS:
DeForrest Kelley as McCoy
James Doohan as Scotty
George Takei as Sulu
Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
John Winston as Mr. Kyle

NOTABLE GUEST STARS:
Roger Perry as Captain John Christopher
Ed Peck as Colonel Fellini
Hal Lynch as air police sergeant

Quote:
"Now you're sounding like Spock."
"Well, if you're going to get nasty, I'm going to leave." ~ Kirk and McCoy

Ep. 20 The Alternative Factor

After reality blinks out for a moment, a life form suddenly appears on a planet below. The blink is felt throughout the galaxy, and Starfleet, fearing invasion from an alternate dimension, assigns Kirk to figure it out. The life form, Lazarus, says that he is trying to stop an evil man that destroyed his whole civilization. After each blink, you never know which Lazarus you will get, as the evil man keeps switching places with him. When Kirk slips into the other universe, it appears that the good Lazarus is actually bad and vice versa. Kirk and the good Lazarus plan to trap the bad one, leaving both Lazaruses forever locked in combat outside time and space. It works, of course.

This was one of the first episodes I ever saw, and I never liked this episode much. I now think perhaps it was because it was badly edited to fit a contemporary television hour. Yes, Lazarus's starship looks like the old, saucer UFO, which is a bit silly. The special effects of the blinks are also a bit weird, and that may also have contributed to my negative reaction. But the drama is real, and the acting, as usual, is superior, which is why this show has sustained an unparalleled following over forty years after its original airing. Even Brown, cast in a hurry after the originally cast actor, John Barrymore Jr., didn't show, did a decent job. It was unprofessional of McCoy to refer to a perfectly nice security guard as 'that muscle man' in front of his face. I thought McCoy was nicer than that.

RECURRING CHARACTERS:
DeForrest Kelley as McCoy
Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
Eddie Paskey as Leslie

NOTABLE GUEST STARS:
Robert Brown as Lazarus
Janet MacLachlan as Lt. Masters
Richard Derr as Commodore Barstow

Quote:
"Bones, if I had time I'd... laugh." ~ Kirk, at McCoy's apparent joke, which he did not find funny

Ep. 19 Arena

Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and the landing party find a destroyed outpost, and are almost immediately attacked. The alien ship flees, and the landing party beams up and gives chase, discovering that the outpost was a trap, with the goal being to destroy the Enterprise. A mysterious Metron stops both ships cold, deciding to pit the enemy captains in a hand to hand battle to the death instead of allowing the ships to fight in their space. The winner of the battle gets to leave, the loser's ship is destroyed. Once the Gorn talks to Kirk, it is realized that the outpost may have been Gorn territory first, and perhaps Starfleet was in the wrong this time, humanizing the reptilian monster. Eventually, with the crew watching, Kirk makes gun powder, shoots diamonds, and defeats the Gorn, but refuses to kill him, convincing the Metrons to let both ships go, noble to a fault.

This episode established that you can't beam through shields. I was very disappointed that the Gorn's ship was never shown. I'm sure it was for budget reasons, but the Enterprise fought it, for goodness sake! It is episodes like this when you can see why Kirk became the youngest captain in the fleet. He's smart, he's tough, and he always beats the odds. Is that the crippled Captain Pike on the bridge? It is! How did he get better and become a Lieutenant? Is it a conspiracy? The Gorn captain is a memorable character, despite not talking, and that also takes skill, especially because the costume was a bit cheesy. The look on his face (sort of) as the boulder rolled towards him was great. I liked this episode, really. A simple battle of wits and strength testing the hero, Kirk.

RECURRING CHARACTERS:
DeForrest Kelley as McCoy
James Doohan as Scotty
George Takei as Sulu
Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
Grant Woods as Kelowitz
Sean Kenney as Lt. DePaul

NOTABLE GUEST STARS:
Bobby Clark and Gary Combs as the Gorn
Ted Cassidy as the Gorn voice

Quote:
"We'll either catch them or we'll blow up, Captain." ~ Scotty