Summary
- Despite its dated elements, Star Trek: The Original Series is still worth watching for its captivating stories, compelling characters, and low-budget charm.
- The show's enduring popularity and success can be attributed to the beloved characters of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and their original adventures.
- These recommended episodes, such as "Mirror, Mirror" and "The City on the Edge of Forever," showcase the depth of storytelling and emotional resonance that Star Trek excels at.
Although the Star Trek franchise has branched out into many different television shows and movies, everything began with Star Trek: The Original Series in the 1960s. While certain elements of the show can feel dated by modern standards, TOS is certainly still worth watching, especially for those who want to dive deeper into the Star Trek mythos. Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and his adventures with Spock (Leonard Nimoy) aboard the USS Enterprise earned their place in television history and remain fun and entertaining today.
While it's true that some elements of TOS may feel dated, the captivating stories, compelling characters, and low-budget charm make up for the show's shortcomings. The Star Trek franchise has endured for nearly sixty years for a reason, and it never would have taken flight if so many people had not fallen in love with Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and their original adventures. Modern audiences may find Star Trek: The Original Series difficult to get into, but here are 10 episodes that will get even the most skeptical new viewer hooked on Trek.
10 "Shore Leave" (Star Trek: TOS Season 1, Episode 15)
In one of the first mostly comedic episodes of TOS, "Shore Leave" finds the crew visiting a seemingly idyllic planet for some rest and relaxation. As of the landing party begin to experience strange occurrences, they realize that the planet appears to be turning their thoughts into reality. TOS season 1, episode 15 does not require much previous knowledge of the characters and it serves as a good introduction to the sillier aspects of Star Trek. It also gives insight into the characters of Kirk, Spock, and Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), and includes some fun character moments.
9 "Mirror, Mirror" (Star Trek: TOS Season 2, Episode 4)
Although "Mirror, Mirror" may work best with some background knowledge of the characters, it holds up on its own as a solid hour of television. When the Enterprise transporter malfunctions, Captain Kirk and some of his crew find themselves in the Mirror Universe, on an alternate version of the Enterprise that's vastly different from Kirk's. As they work to find a way back to their own universe, they must impersonate their evil Mirror Universe counterparts. Not only does TOS season 2, episode 4 offer insight into many of the characters, but it also introduces the concept of the Mirror Universe, which would be revisited in several Star Trek series. "Mirror Mirror" also introduces the Mirror Spock wearing his iconic goatee.
8 "The Corbomite Maneuver" (Star Trek: TOS Season 1, Episode 10)
When the Enterprise unknowingly destroys a border-marking beacon, they are pursued by a giant sphere-shaped ship whose occupant, Balok (the first of 5 Star Trek characters played by Clint Howard), announces it will soon destroy the Enterprise. Captain Kirk comes up with a solution to bluff Balok by claiming the Enterprise has a substance called corbomite onboard that will destroy Balok's ship. The bluff works and Balok eventually reveals that he was just testing the Enterprise crew. "The Corbomite Maneuver" takes place almost entirely aboard the Enterprise and contains many classic Trek elements, from a mysteriously powerful alien foe to Kirk maneuvering his way out of a tricky situation.
7 "Balance of Terror" (Star Trek: TOS Season 1, Episode 14)
Not only does "Balance of Terror" contain important elements of Star Trek lore, but it is also a good episode of television in its own right. Mark Lenard makes his Star Trek debut as a Romulan Commander, the first Romulan to ever have been seen by the Federation. The tense stand-off between the Romulan ship and the Enterprise makes for a compelling hour of television, and Kirk is forced to make some tough decisions. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1, episode 10, "A Quality of Mercy," revisits this TOS episode, putting Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) in Kirk's position with decidedly less favorable results.
6 "The Galileo Seven" (Star Trek: TOS Season 1, Episode 16)
Leonard Nimoy's Spock has become one of the most iconic science fiction characters of all time, and "The Galileo Seven" offers insight into Spock and his Vulcan way of thinking. When Spock leads an away mission aboard the shuttlecraft Galileo, the shuttle crash lands on a nearby planet. Although Spock tries to rely on logic to help him find a solution to get back to the Enterprise, the mission goes from bad to worse when a crew member is killed by a creature on the planet. Spock begins to realize that not every problem can be solved with logic alone, and that emotion plays a part in being a good leader.
5 "Space Seed" (Star Trek: TOS Season 1, Episode 22)
While "Space Seed" is particularly notable for introducing the infamous Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalbán), it stands on its own as a solid episode of sci-fi television. When Captain Kirk and the Enterprise find the SS Botany Bay drifting in space, they discover several living human engers who had been placed in suspended animation nearly 200 years before. Kirk revives Khan only to discover that he is a genetically enhanced tyrant who contributed to the Eugenics Wars. Khan tries to take over the Enterprise with his people, but is eventually thwarted by Kirk. Khan will, of course, go on to be the primary antagonist in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
4 "The City on the Edge of Forever" (Star Trek: TOS Season 1, Episode 28)
In what is widely regarded as one of Star Trek's best episodes, Kirk and Spock find themselves transported back in time to 1930s New York City. When Dr. McCoy jumps through a time portal known as the Guardian of Forever, Kirk and Spock must follow him back to the past. As they search for McCoy and work to restore the proper timeline, Kirk meets and falls in love with the operator of a local soup kitchen, Edith Keeler (Joan Collins). Although "The City on the Edge of Forever" ends in tragedy for Kirk, it's a beautiful self-contained story that exemplifies the emotional, human stories at which Star Trek excels.
3 "The Doomsday Machine" (Star Trek: TOS Season 2, Episode 6)
After the Enterprise rescues a distraught Commodore Matt Decker (William Windom) from his ship, they set out to stop the planet-killing doomsday machine that killed Decker's entire crew. "The Doomsday Machine" follows a classic Trek plot that allows almost every member of the main cast to participate. It also shows a glimpse of Starfleet and its officers beyond the Enterprise, and pits the Enterprise against a nearly unstoppable machine that cannot be reasoned with. The tense plot and compelling characters make TOS season 2, episode 6 an immensely entertaining episode and a great way to introduce new viewers to Star Trek.
2 "The Trouble With Tribbles" (Star Trek: TOS Season 2, Episode 15)
The Enterprise visits a deep space station to retrieve a shipment of grain, and some of the crew visit the station for shore leave. When Lt. Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) encounters a trader, she acquires a cute little fluff ball called a tribble and brings it aboard the Enterprise. Before long, one tribble has turned into hundreds and the crew fears the fluff balls will fill up the ship. "The Trouble With Tribbles" has some truly laugh-out-loud moments and also includes recognizable Trek elements like the Klingons and a classic Star Trek plot. It's simply an incredibly fun hour of television with an easy-to-follow story that definitely has the potential to hook new fans.
1 "A Piece of the Action" (Star Trek: TOS Season 2, Episode 17)
In another episode that leans into the comedy side of Star Trek, "A Piece of the Action" finds Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock on a planet modeled after the gangster-filled Chicago of the 1920s. TOS season 2, episode 17 contains some truly hilarious moments as Kirk invents a ridiculous card game on the fly and Spock embraces his inner gangster. Kirk and Spock get to have a lot of fun here, and both William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy seem to be enjoying themselves, too. For those new to Star Trek, "A Piece of the Action" demonstrates the breadth of genres the franchise tackles, and highlights the wonderful characters of Star Trek: The Original Series.
