Captain James T. Kirk's (William Shatner) adventures, some episodes hold up better than others. Television shows of the 1960s were not concerned with continuity, so most TOS episodes can be enjoyed in any order and even skipped without confusion. Some episodes, however, are too good to miss, while others reveal important character information or introduce concepts that become important in later Star Trek stories.
Truthfully, nearly every Star Trek: The Original Series season 2 established the show as something truly special, solidifying the Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) dynamic, and leaning into the more fun aspects of space travel.
5 "The Apple"
Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 5
Star Trek: The Original Series featured several alien cultures controlled by powerful computers, and "The Apple" marks one of the least interesting entries. The episode follows Captain Kirk and his crew as they visit a supposed paradise planet that turns out to be surprisingly hostile. When two of the planet's locals see Ensign Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) and Yeoman Martha Landon (Celeste Yarnall) kissing, they copy the behavior, which angers the computer that controls the planet.
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The planet's ruling computer, Vaal, orders the locals to kill Kirk and the landing party, but the Enterprise officers overpower the villagers. In the end, the Enterprise destroys Vaal and "frees" the people from the computer's control, but the villagers have no concept of how to live without Vaal. "The Apple" doesn't offer anything particularly unique in of storytelling, and the Enterprise arguably leaves the planet worse off than when they found it.
4 "Catspaw"
Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 7
From witches to black cats to creepy dungeons, "Catspaw" has all the trappings of Halloween and marks Star Trek: The Original Series' only holiday-themed episode. Released just before Halloween in 1967, "Catspaw" has some fun moments, but ultimately comes across as too ridiculous for its own good. The episode's story doesn't make much sense under scrutiny, and many of the effects look particularly bad, even for Star Trek's usual low-budget standards.
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"Catspaw's" plot follows powerful beings Korob (Theo Marcuse) and Sylvia (Antoinette Bower) as they terrorize Kirk and his crew until Kirk destroys the transmuter that keeps them alive. While "Catspaw" could have been an enjoyable Halloween episode, it's ultimately slow and forgettable, making it an easy episode to skip. The episode is also notable for Chekov's horrendous wig and for missing the perfect opportunity to put Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) in charge when the senior officers are down on the planet.
3 "Friday's Child"
Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 11
When the Starship Enterprise visits Capella IV to help negotiate a mining contract, they find that the Klingons have already sent their own emissary. Before long, fighting breaks out among the planet's inhabitants, forcing Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy to escape into the hills with Eleen (Julie Newmar), the very pregnant wife of the dead leader. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy then help Eleen deliver her baby, and she takes over command of the planet, acting as her son's regent.
"Friday's Child" makes great use of the landscape at Vasquez Rocks, which has served as the setting for numerous Star Trek episodes from various series.
While not necessarily a bad episode, "Friday's Child" is not particularly memorable either. Julie Newmar makes Eleen a compelling guest star, and Dr. McCoy has some good moments, but overall, you won't miss much by skipping "Friday's Child." The Klingons don't add much to the story, and Kras (Tige Andrews) simply doesn't have the same presence as the previously introduced Kor (John Colicos). Also, Dr. McCoy slaps a pregnant woman, which feels like an odd choice for his character, even if it mostly makes sense within the context of the episode.
2 "Wolf In The Fold"
Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 14
While it's nice to see Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) take center stage, it's unfortunate that it comes in this misfire of an episode. When a woman on the planet Argelius II is murdered, Scotty is found clutching a bloody knife with no memories of how he got there. The evidence continues to point to Scotty, but the culprit is eventually revealed to be an alien entity that was once Jack the Ripper. With its murder mystery and horror elements, "Wolf in the Fold" had a lot of potential, but still misses the mark.
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Unfortunately, "Wolf in the Fold" squanders its potential with a silly storyline and blatant sexism that feels outdated even by 1960s standards, but doubly so in the 24th century. Even Spock gets in on the sexism, claiming that "women are more easily and more deeply terrified," which feels gross and out of character for the ever-logical Vulcan. Even as someone who wishes Star Trek would have dipped into the horror genre more often, I still recommend skipping "Wolf in the Fold."
1 "The Omega Glory"
Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 23
Often considered to be one of the Star Trek, "The Omega Glory" follows Captain Kirk and his crew as they travel to Omega IV, a planet with inexplicable parallels to Earth. Even aside from the offensive racial stereotypes, "The Omega Glory" has very little to recommend it. Captain Ron Tracey's (Morgan Woodward) motivations to help the Kohms defeat the Yangs are never made clear, and the central storyline of the episode makes little sense. However, it's the reveal of the United States flag, Pledge of Allegiance, and US Constitution that cement the episode as one of the franchise's worst.
If you can only bear to skip one episode of Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, make it "The Omega Glory."
"The Omega Glory" provides no explanation as to how this planet developed so similarly to Earth that they created nearly the exact same flag and constitution as the United States. Because of the sheer ridiculousness of this "big reveal," Kirk's moment of silence at the episode's end ultimately comes across as laughable. Star Trek: The Original Series season 2 has plenty of episodes worth watching that have withstood the test of time, and if you can only bear to skip one episode, make it "The Omega Glory."
Star Trek: The Original Series
- Release Date
- September 8, 1966
- Network
- Paramount
- Showrunner
- Gene Roddenberry
Cast
James T. Kirk
Spock
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- Gene Roddenberry
- Writers
- Gene Roddenberry
- Franchise(s)
- Star Trek
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