Space the final frontier that Captain Kirk and his crew explored for three of the scheduled five years of their mission. But the crew of the USS Enterprise made the most of their short journey and made television history in the process. Now we at the House of Geekery look back at the Top 5 episodes of the original series that launched a franchise, Star Trek.
5. The Trouble With Tribbles: Say what you will but this episode was pure fun. True it brings the controversy of the change in appearance the Klingons have experienced right to the forefront. Proving that the The Twilight Zone was not the only science fiction series of the time capable of dabbling in different genres, this episode proved that Star Trek could deftly pull off comedy. As an added bonus you should check out the crossover episode that the spin-off Deep Space Nine did to tie in with this story.
4. Balance of Terror: The director behind the latest theatrical take of Star Trek, JJ Abrams stated that in the series the battles were not big and bombastic but were instead very tense and reminiscent of submarine warfare. This episode is the perfect example of such as Captain Kirk must match wits with his Romulan equal. Though our heroes win in the end Kirk is left with a parting message from his rival that in an alternate universe they could have perhaps been friends rather than enemies.
3. Mirror, Mirror: This episode may always be remembered for Spock with a goatee but there was much more to this Trek episode than it is given credit for. Exploring the nature of good and evil via Kirk and company becoming trapped in a parallel universe. This single episode introduced many icons of the franchise including, the Agony Booth as well as an evil parallel universe where many other stories have been generated.
2. Where No Man Has Gone Before: During his time helming the USS Enterprise James T. Kirk battled a host of enemies but few were as much of a challenge as Gary Mitchell. A crew member who had a friendship with Kirk is driven insane upon receiving immense power. This not only puts Kirk at odds with a god-like being but a god-like being in the form of someone who can challenge him emotionally as well as mentally.
1. City on the Edge of Forever: One element of science fiction story-telling that Star Trek has always excelled at is time travel. Out of all the Trek shows and movies which followed this stands as the best example of Star Trek utilizing time travel. Written by science fiction legend Harlan Ellison, fans will no doubt find themselves in shock as the usually self-assured and cocky Captain Kirk is broken down and forced to choose between love and duty. In order to save Dr. McCoy the dynamic duo of Kirk and Spock travel to Depression era New York and naturally the Enterprise’s captain finds himself involved with a woman. Unfortunately the death of this particular woman is a fixed point in time and if Kirk intervenes then history would be rewritten in the worst way possible. A poignant piece of science fiction which showcased Star Trek at its best.
