A few years ago I picked up Ellison’s book-long bitchfest re: how the censors and brain dead Gene Rodenberry sodomized his god-like original script to “City.” After reading the script as he envisioned it and hacking through page after page of the man’s endlessly self-absorbed harangues, all I came away thinking was, eh. Don’t think they lost much with the finished episode.
It was The Enemy Below with Robert Mitchem
My favorite episode of TOS was “The Trouble With Tribbles” Two episodes tie for second place, “Journey to Babel” and “Amok Time”.
In JtB I love it at the end when Amanda blows up at her son and husband. “Logic, logic, I’m sick to death of your logic. Do you want to know what I think of your logic?”
Spock: Emotional, isn’t she?
Sarek: Indeed, she has always been that way.
Spock: Then why did you marry her?
Sarek: At the time it seemed the logical thing to do.
Amanda starts to puff up again, then realizes, insomuch as it is possible, that the men in her family are teasing her, so she settles down and smiles.
In AT, I thought T’pring’s explanation of why she chose Kirk as her champion was really sly. If he won, he wouldn’t want her, and she could have Ston. If Spock won, and killed Kirk, he might reject her afterwards, in which case she would have Ston. Or, if Spock did choose her, he would be away a lot of the time in Starfleet. She would have his name, his fortune, and Ston would still be there. Spock even complimented her on her logic.
All Our Yesterdays – the next-to-last ep.
All you anti-DS9 folks are making a huge mistake. Avoid Voyager, sure, although there are several individual episodes worth watching. Avoid Enterprise – by all means! (Although this final season is very good.) But DS9? No, no, no.
–Cliffy
I completely agree. Maybe it’s time for a new thread, “Great DS9 episodes for Trekkers who haven’t seen any DS9”?
My absolute favorite episode is “Errand of Mercy” I almost find it hard to believe that Roddenberry allowed a script that didn’t show Kirk and the Federation as perfection, but here it is. And it’s good – tension, excitement, action, and a great ending.
Of course, if you prefer flag-waving, and celebration of oneself and one’s government as without flaw, then by all means, watch “The Omega Glory” instead.
For my money, the black/white vs white/black episode is cheap, easy, and cliched social commentary (just as most anti-racist art is all about making oneself feel superiour. But I digress)
“Errand of Mercy” on the other hand is the real deal.
Honorable Mentions :“Mirror, Mirror” – big fun just to see Uhura in the thigh boots, Spock in a goatee, and fulfilling your evil overlord fantasies.
“The Enterprise Incident” – Spy fun!
“By Any Other Name” – Cheesy plot and average execution, but source of the immortal line “<Drunken Scottish accent on/> It’s… it’s… Green!”
I’m bad with non-Buffy episode titles, but of the TOS ones not mentioned yet, I loved the one where the Enterprise was hijacked by the beings that moved at superfast speed. I thought that was a really clever premise and that the show was well executed.
I’ve seen loads of DS-9. I just prefer the other series. It’s akin to liking brunettes or blondes. I can see the fun of either choice, but I prefer blondes.
Mr. Atoz was the perfect librian name. Mr. A - to - Z