[Kyuusaku]

The Kyuu Continuum
By {UFP}Kyuusaku

Issue Six: The TOS 10 (plus)
November 11, 2011

NOTE: The following views are to be treated as opinions unless otherwise stated and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of {UFP}.

Happy Veterans' Day!

Last column, I mentioned discussing the top ten Star Trek episodes, but coming up with an all-Trek list was insanely difficult. Like agonizingly difficult. So, I hope you don't mind if I spread this out, series-by-series. In preparation, I'm catching up with Enterprise episodes, just so you guys understand the sacrifices being made for these next few articles, which I imagine will take us into the middle of December.

And now, here is my top ten all-time TOS episodes, in reverse order. Beware: From beyond this point, there be spoilers!

#10: "All Our Yesterdays," written by Jean Lisette Aroeste. Episode 3x23

The TL;DR Summary: Kirk, Spock, and Doctor McCoy are trapped in the distant past of a planet, where Spock falls in love with a woman sent there in exile.

Why this episode ruled: Spock. After nearly three seasons of watching Star Trek, you get a real feel for Spock. He loses his control over his emotions in "This Side of Paradise," sure, but it was kind of a loopy, happy, druggy Spock and not really Spock as his core. In this episode, he reverts back to a time when Vulcans had no emotional control and it's not because of some spores. No, here we have base Spock, complete with the full spectrum of the emotions he'd been denying himself (and we, the viewers) since the first episode broadcast. Not only do we experience all of that with him, he also manages to get busy with Zarabeth. If it weren't for the fact that McCoy couldn't return without Spock, you really believed there that Spock would've stayed with her and had Spocklings.

Future Ramifications: The Temporal Prime Directive, anyone? Spock literally left his genetic material behind. Okay, granted that the planet was headed for destruction anyhow, but I always considered it a remote possibility that the Vulcan gene pool might be diluted, but maybe pointed ears are a latent trait. Chalk it up to there not yet being a Temporal Prime Directive, I guess.

Behind-the-scenes: Aroeste also wrote "Is There In Truth No Beauty?" She was a reference librarian at UCLA, when she showed the script to Robert Justman and he recommended to Gene Roddenberry that he buy it. "All Our Yesterdays" and "Truth" are her only two screen credits, ever.

#9: "Obsession," written by Art Wallace. Episode 2x18

The TL;DR Summary: When an amorphous alien entity begins attacking Captain Kirk's landing party, Kirk realizes that it's the same alien that caused the death of his first commanding officer when he was an ensign.

Why this episode ruled: This episode was among those in Trek where wearing a red shirt on an Enterprise landing party could be hazardous to your health. Beyond that, though, I always found this to be one of those defining Kirk episodes. Up until then, we'd seen Kirk be pretty rough-and-tumble with Starfleet regulations in order to secure victory for his ship and the Federation. What we had yet to see was the character face down a personal demon (though we saw a somewhat half-hearted attempt with Matheson's "The Enemy Within") that defines who Kirk really is. Enter a gripping trauma from his early days aboard the starship Farragut and how it directly affects his ability to command. He takes it out on Ensign Garrovick, Spock, and he even has a go at McCoy. Kirk goes from this brilliantly observant starship captain to a single-minded 23rd Century version of Captain Ahab, going after his Moby ♥♥♥♥ for about 44 minutes of this episode.

Future ramifications: Unfortunately, none. The best part of the episode was Kirk's realization that his supposed inaction as an ensign didn't matter and he'd been harboring this guilt for eleven years. Unfortunately, as with most Trek episodes, events between them had little bearing on the continuity, or else it would have been amazing to see how Kirk handled his newfound freedom from that guilt in a later story.

Behind-the-scenes: Art Wallace, who wrote this episode, also wrote the back-door pilot, "Assignment: Earth." But he was most famous for his many, many contributions to the gothic soap opera, Dark Shadows.

#8: "The Ultimate Computer," story by Laurence N. Wolfe, teleplay by D.C. Fontana. Episode 2.24

The TL;DR Summary: Enterprise is ordered to act as a testbed for an A.I. commanding officer, during a war-games simulation against other Federation starships.

Why this episode ruled: This is a straight-up action story, one of many in Star Trek, but what I loved about it most was the fact that we were able to see more of Starfleet. Oh, and the captain hadn't gone crazy ("The Omega Glory") or suicidal ("The Doomsday Machine"), which was a nice change. We also get to see Kirk put in an unusual position of having to basically do nothing for the first-half of the episode, except complain about the achievement of the computer and why it was there. But, after having watched a season and most of the second, by now, you and I know this experiment is going to invoke the Trek-version of Murphy's Law of Programming: Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong, and kill everything within reach. I liked the story's way of making Kirk the fish-out-of-water in that situation, until the M-5 goes crazy and then he springs into action like a tiger.

Future ramifications: Richard Daystrom was portrayed as a kind of imbalanced guy in this episode. Obviously brilliant and clever, but his paranoid reaction to Kirk might've been more than a bit of a warning flag to anyone. Given that Kirk was the CO, you would think he'd pull that thing the moment Daystrom made his first terse remark. After all, Kirk's word is the law aboard Enterprise, no matter what orders he has. Anyway, the ramification I want to talk about? They named an Institute after this guy. What?!

Behind-the-scenes: This is Laurence Wolfe's only writing credit; he was a mathematician and had a fascination with computers; his original draft was focused almost entirely on Daystrom and M-5. Fontana's addition to the story was changing the focus from M-5 to Captain Kirk. She is, of course, famous within Trek for her many, many contributions.

#7: "Mirror, Mirror," written by Jerome Bixby. Episode 2x10

The TL;DR Summary: In the most famous of all transporter malfunctions, Kirk, McCoy, Scotty, and Uhura (in a rare landing party appearance) are sent into a parallel universe where Kirk is the captain of the Terran Empire battlecruiser I.S.S. Enterprise.

Why this episode ruled: Dude. Mirror Universe. 'nuff said. Oh, I need more? Fine. This episode is pretty much one of those fixed points in the Trek universe that had blazed a trail for other shows to take their cues on mirror universe stories. Oh, and the goatees! "Evil" Spock with the goatee was priceless, and he wasn't even all that evil, come to think of it. Although my previous list entry dealt with fish-out-of-water situations, this one was a big one. We learn that in addition to being brilliant and a master strategist, the evil Kirk is also ruthless and bloodthirsty. You would think if Kirk were a true mirror, he would also be incompetent, but then he probably wouldn't have survived being captain all that long, right? I also really enjoyed the bare midriff uniforms the ladies wore, and the very slight difference in the uniform tunics was a simple change in the emblem on the chest.

Future ramifications: This is a fine example of a "bottle show" with major impact on the Trek mythos. Not only did it open the door for DS9 and Enterprise to take their own swings at different points of the mirror universe, it really was the standard-bearer for other science-fiction shows to look to when attempting their own mirror universes (Stargate: SG-1, Eureka, etc).

Behind-the-scenes: Jerome Bixby based this episode on a short story of his called "One Way Street." He wrote a number of TOS episodes, but he's most famous for his contribution to The Twilight Zone with "It's a Good Life," which was a possible inspiration for "Charlie X." While filming this episode, Barbara Luna (Lieutenant Moreau) couldn't kiss William Shatner because she had strep throat. They had to postpone those shoots until after she recovered. Also, the scene at the end of this episode, where he meets the primary universe version of Lieutenant Moreau was reused for Sisko's appearance with Kirk at the end of "Trials and Tribble-ations."

#6: "Space Speed," story by Carey Wilber, teleplay by Gene L. Coon and Carey Wilbur. Episode 1x24

The TL;DR Summary: Enterprise comes upon a 21st century sleeper ship, carrying a group of genetically-manipulated people and their leader... KHAN!

Why this episode ruled: KHAN! I really can't say more than this, because this was basically the Ricardo Montalban Show for about forty-four minutes of airtime. Even though he is the quintessential madman, drunk on his own ego and managing to give Kirk a run for his money, Montalban's Khan was the suave and charismatic leader that acted as an awesome foil. And another red shirt falls (in love), ending up marooned on Ceti Alpha VI with Khan and his followers. But really, this episode ruled simply because of Khan. On the other side of the spectrum, I want to point out that I wasn't too happy with the treatment of the lieutenant, Marla McGivers. In one scene, she's all huffy about being treated like an object by Khan and then all of a sudden, she's down for party action with the guy. I guess, if she couldn't have Alexander the Great, this was the next best thing, eh?

Future ramifications: Four words for you. The. Wrath. Of. Khan. That's it. Hands down. Best Trek movie, ever. And, of course, much, much later, Star Trek: Enterprise will revisit Khan in context to the 2150s in "The Augments."

Behind-the-scenes: Carey Wilbur's original draft had the Khan character's name as "Harold Erricsen," a false name before he's revealed to be super-tyrant "Ragnar Thorwald" the badass of the "First World Tyranny." Thorwald was depicted as far more brutal and less subtle than Khan in the final treatment and broadcast of the story. There's also a cut from the script where Kirk says he hopes Khan doesn't come looking for him later.

#5: "The Galileo Seven," written by Oliver Crawford, teleplay by Oliver Crawford and S. Bar-David. Episode 1x13.

The TL;DR Summary: During a shuttle mission with Spock in command, the shuttle crashes on a planet where giants throw boulders at you.

Why this episode ruled: You didn't really see many episodes that took place on a shuttle, for one. This was kind of a new concept in Trek, given that the transporters took most of the screen time. But, primarily, the Spock-in-command made for a great setup, even though I thought the danger while they were stranded on Taurus II was kind of contrived and obviously shoveled into position to make their airtime restrictions (let's just make them huge giants). The terse back-and-forth between Spock and his small crew of six, including McCoy and Scotty is the focus of the episode and it worked really well, up to and including his sudden desperate move... that was kind of reminiscent of a Kirkian strategy. Additionally, Scotty really shines in this one, when he MacGuyvers an electrical-charge to keep the giants away from the shuttle with a phaser, some spit, and chewing gum.

Future ramifications: The episode features one of the many Federation High Commissioners. Apparently, one of the prerequisites for becoming a High Commission was being a complete idiot. Three appeared in Star Trek overall, but each time, all they did was act like morons with unusually high authority over Starfleet officers. Thankfully, they did away with this in TNG, but there were a few admirals in TNG who reminded me a lot of the High Commissioners.

Behind-the-scenes: Oliver Crawford wrote a total of three episodes for TOS, including this one. Before that, he was one of the many writers who ended up on the blacklist in the 1950s, and one of the few to recover his career afterward. Crawford is most famous for his work as one of the board members of the Writers' Guild of America, where he helped to reverse many wrongs against those on that blacklist.

#4: "The Enterprise Incident," written by D.C. Fontana. Episode 3x04

The TL;DR Summary: Kirk surprises his crew by ordering Enterprise into Romulan space, where his ship is captured and he himself is held aboard the enemy ship.

Why this episode ruled: The episode starts out with Kirk getting all antsy and tense for no apparent reason. It's obviously a change from the very confident and clever man we've come to know from previous episodes. So when he orders the ship into Romulan space, you're basically waiting for Spock to slap him upside the head or something. But no, they follow the orders of their captain and right away, the Romulans appears as if from nowhere and capture them. Way to go, Captain Doofus! The clever part of the episode comes when you figure out that Kirk's on a mission. While it would've been more appropriate to bring his trusty crew in on the plot, it doesn't make for good entertainment, so now we're on a mission to get a cloaking device. The best bits of this episode are between Spock and the unnamed Romulan Commander. Their banter essentially made this episode for me, in spite of how contrived the opening was, it's worth it just to see Leonard Nimoy and Joanne Linville face off in true Vulcan-Romulan fashion.

Future ramifications: It's almost a preview of Spock and Commander Sela in TNG's "Unification, Part II." We're also kind of setting up some of the story from TNG's "The Pegasus" with the Romulan Cloaking Device. This is the first time McCoy does cosmetic surgery on anyone. This also becomes a staple in TNG-era storytelling.

Behind-the-scenes: Dorothy Fontana drew her inspiration from the USS Pueblo incident, after the ship was captured by North Korea in 1968. If you watch closely during some of the Spock/Romulan Commander scenes, they do a touching routine that is reminiscent of pon farr. Fontana and Nimoy both felt that this was essentially Vulcan foreplay, which affect the Romulans as well.

#3: "The Trouble with Tribbles," written by David Gerrold. Episode 2x13

The TL;DR Summary: Enterprise arrives at Space Station K-7, where they find a disputed planet, a lot of blue grain, some Klingons, and these furry little balls called Tribbles.

Why this episode ruled: Keep in mind that the Tribbles, though cute and made for some hilarity, were not really the focus of the story. What ruled me was the interaction between Kirk and Koloth. The Klingons, up to that point, had only been characterized in one episode, "Errand of Mercy." Koloth was the polar opposite of the ruthless Kor; smart and savvy, smiling a lot. You could say that Koloth was almost like a template for Chancellor Gowron. At times, they seem to be of a similar personality. Even so, I really enjoyed Gerrold's treatment of the circumstances, whether dramatic or comedic. Of course, this episode holds the iconic scene of Kirk buried up to his shoulders in Tribble, as they fell from the quadrotriticale hatch.

Future ramficiations: Tribbles would continue to be seen in various places until The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, when it was explained that all the Tribbles were wiped out by the Klingons in the Great Tribble Hunt! Of course, DS9 revisits the events of this episode in "Trials and Tribble-ations."

Behind-the-scenes: David Gerrold wrote more episodes for The Animated Series than he did for TOS. He would eventually go on to serve as Story Editor for The Next Generation until his script "Blood and Fire" was rejected outright by Gene Roddenberry and Maurice Hurley. "Blood" would eventually be produced in the fan-film series Star Trek: Phase Two. Great blooper from this episode is located here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZAkGfJY05k, forward to 28 seconds). Ed Reimers (Admiral Fitzpatrick) was the spokesperson for Allstate at the time.

#2: "Balance of Terror," written by Paul Schneider. Episode 1x08

The TL;DR Summary: Enterprise faces off with a Romulan ship that has been destroying Federation outposts near the Neutral Zone.

Why this episode ruled: Simply put, this is the film The Enemy Below and Run Silent, Run Deep done in the style of Star Trek. Most writers might have focused entirely upon the crew of Enterprise during this incident. They certainly spent enough time with the crew wedding in the very beginning of the episode to set up the climax in auxiliary control. What was fascinating about this story was equal-time given to the Romulan side of the conflict, where we learned a great deal about this faction in the galaxy. Mark Lenard turns in an amazing performance (prior to his appearance as Spock's father, Sarek, in "Journey to Babel") as the Romulan Commander. John Warburton was masterful as his loyal centurion, and Lawrence Montaigne also did very well in those scenes, as Decius, the local asshat. Additionally, the interplay of Spock and Lieutenant Stiles (no relation to Captain Styles of the USS Excelsior from Star Trek III), in playing off the physical characteristics of Vulcans and Romulans, reminded me of the decision in WW2 to inter the Japanese population in the United States. Amazing to see those types of prejudices in the 23rd century. The tense scenes of cat-and-mouse between Enterprise and the Romulan vessel were very well done, and I especially thought the death of Tomlinson was poignant when Kirk is talking to his widow, Lieutenant Martine. This is a must-see episode of TOS.

Future ramifications: This episode marked the first appearance of the Romulans and the Romulan Star Empire. They would make up the Big Three (Federation, Klingons, Romulans) in Star Trek, when it came to longtime adversaries. Kirk's wedding speech is repeated nearly word-for-word in TNG, during the wedding of Chief O'Brien and Keiko.

Behind-the-scenes: Paul Schneider went on to write "The Squire of Gothos" for TOS. He would go on to write for Eight is Enough and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. TOS episodes are the only use of the Romulan helmets. The reason? It helped to cut down on the budget for crafting more pointed ears.

#1: "The City on the Edge of Forever," written by Harlan Ellison. Episode 1x28

The TL;DR Summary: McCoy accidentally injects himself with a psychotropic drug and beams down to the Guardian of Forever. While in the past, McCoy basically destroys the timeline. Kirk and Spock go back to undo the damage... but at a personal cost for Kirk.

Why this episode ruled: What about this episode didn't rule? If you're ever going to watch only one episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, this should be it. Like many of the other episodes on this list, I felt that this one really defines the Kirk-Spock-McCoy dynamic the best. All of their strengths are showcased here, but none more than their tight bond with one another. Kirk's leadership and compassion, Spock's brilliance and reason, McCoy's passion and humanity... they all are front and center and pieced together to tell a story where they're all pretty much changed forever by the events. Being near the end of the first season, though, had you watched all of the episodes leading up to this one, I think the ending has far more dramatic impact than had you not. All the same, I thought that this episode really captured the essence and soul of TOS.

Future ramifications: It's a pity we never get to see the Guardian of Forever in Star Trek ever again. It always seemed to me a waste of a great plot device, to have a portal that anyone could use to go anywhere in time and space... kind of like an immobile TARDIS.

Behind-the-scenes: Harlan Ellison is considered, by me, to be one of the giants of science-fiction still living (along with Ray Bradbury). Ellison is probably more (in)famous for his treatment of Trek after Gene Roddenberry and he parted company. He served as a consultant to J. Michael Strazcynski during Babylon 5. He's won eight Hugos, and four Outstanding Teleplay awards from the WGA, the most ever.

Honorable Mentions: Otherwise known as episodes that were initially on my top ten list and got bumped for other, more awesome episodes: "Tomorrow is Yesterday," "Wolf in the Fold," "Amok Time," "Arena," "A Piece of the Action," and "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield."

Next time on The Kyuu Continuum: We move on to Star Trek: The Next Generation's Top Ten List. Post your suggestions below!

Until then,