Star Trek

If you read my comments on episodes of Star Trek you'll find I've put many points of critique in. Why still give it a 10 ? Because for what it stands for. The kind of future it predicted. And for what it started. Althought that point no one could foreseen, or would have believed, they are still here in whatever form of show.

And a lot of critique stems from the fact I'm writing this over 50 years after it aired. I'm putting on a form of measurement that probably isn't justified. I've watched this show many times before, always enjoyed it, and still do. Even if I don't like certain aspects I still like this show as a whole. And there are episodes that I like today that I didn't before.

And that's one reacurring trademark of Star Trek for me - it changes everytime I watch it.

It is simply wonderful!

TOS is one of my very first childhood memories. I grew up with Cpt. Kirk and his crew, the show, the characters, the legend has been with me all my life.

Sure, the series hasn't aged particularly well technically and from today's perspective, some would call it trash. But it's not - it's cult. And it is part of my life, part of me.

So good!

Just watching Spock's brain...Kirk says "Is he dead " Bones comes back with "He's worse than dead" what a line lol

I love these series, after getting absorbed into Star Trek after watching TNG, I thought it was time to start the Original Series. And that was a perfect decision. It's amazing, of course you have to place it in its time, effects and such are far outdated. But it still is an amazing serie to see.

It’s the one that started it all. Star Trek: The Original Series is the foundation upon which decades of sci-fi storytelling, world-building, and fandom have been built. Airing from 1966 to 1969, it didn’t enjoy major success during its original run, but its influence would eventually become enormous. The show introduced a galaxy of ideas—some bold, some strange, all imaginative—and set the standard for what smart, optimistic science fiction on television could look like.

At the heart of the series is the legendary trio: Captain James T. Kirk, Mr. Spock, and Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy. Their dynamic—logic, emotion, and action—formed the emotional and philosophical core of the show. William Shatner brought charisma and bravado to Kirk, Leonard Nimoy gave Spock iconic depth and restraint, and DeForest Kelley injected humor and heart into McCoy. Together, they anchored even the most bizarre episodes with chemistry and charm.

The show was ahead of its time in many ways. It pushed boundaries with its diverse cast, tackled complex social and political issues under the guise of sci-fi allegory, and introduced moral dilemmas that still resonate today. Episodes like “The City on the Edge of Forever,” “Balance of Terror,” and “The Devil in the Dark” remain classic examples of what genre storytelling can do when it blends philosophy with imagination.

Yes, it’s dated. The special effects are charmingly low-budget, the pacing is slower by modern standards, and some of the writing veers into camp. But there’s a sincerity to TOS that endures. It believed in the future. It believed that humanity could overcome its flaws. That spirit—bold, progressive, and hopeful—is still at the heart of Star Trek.

Not every episode is gold, but the show’s legacy is. For fans and newcomers alike, it’s essential viewing. The original, and still boldly going. 8/10.

The Original Series. So much a product of its time; a combination of the optimism of the mid-to-late 1960s and the overly rose-tinted vision of the future of its creator, Gene Roddenberry. Again, this is a series I watched in the UK in the early 1970s, as that optimism gradually faded into cynicism. The USA stopped travelling to the Moon and space no longer had the shine of Apollo 11's reflection.

Yes, it's dated and there are far too many polystyrene boulders. More than a few of the episodes are very poor, but they appeared that way when first watched and were the subject of much earnest discussion with fellow viewers. The 3rd season, in particular, suffers from massive reductions in budget, production values and the indifferent quality of the scripts.

To modern eyes, there could be said to be too much misogyny. Kirk almost always gets the attractive female; the mini-skirt as female Starfleet uniform.

If you are a fan of later Trek & so started with, for example, TNG or DS9, then I think you have to watch some of TOS.

I would particularly recommend the following episodes:

The Corbomite Manoeuvre (S01E10);
The Menagerie (S01E11 & E12) (contains footage from the original pilot, The Cage)
Balance of Terror (S01E14)
The Galileo Seven (S01E16)
Tomorrow is Yesterday (S01E19)
The Devil in the Dark (S01E25)
The Changeling (S02E03)
Mirror, Mirror (S02E04)
The Doomsday Machine (S02E06)
The Trouble with Tribbles (S02E15)
The Immunity Syndrome (S02E18)
The Ultimate Computer (S02E24)
Assignment: Earth (S02E26)
The Tholian Web (S03E09)

These will give both a flavour and clues about where plot lines in other series in the franchise came from.

I have rated it 8, with just a hint of nostalgia. :-)

RIP Leonard Nimoy (Spock) Live Long and Prosper.

"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP"
— Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) February 23, 2015

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