Original Star Trek

[Panache]

One of the very fun things about being a Dad is the opportunity to share the things you loved as a child with your children.

The F-H.C.A.G. and I thought that our 7 ½ year old son was at the right age for the Original Star Trek. Though perhaps excluding a couple of episodes like “Wolf in the Fold” (the Jack the Ripper one). So we have started getting the series through NetFlix and he seems to be enjoying them. Watching them with him I realize that , though it is easy to mock the original Star Trek, it remains a great show. For being very entertaining there are a lot of very good lessons to be had for a child.

I thought I would offer up my top five favorite episodes of the original “Star Trek” and see if there are any other fans of the original series who might wish to share theirs. I would ask that we keep this to the original series, if you wish to talk about any of the others perhaps we could start another thread.

These are the episodes that I would be thrilled to see in the TV guide (back in the days before video tape and DVD players)

(5) “Devil in the Dark”

This episode seems to be a horror story but becomes great science fiction about the problems of making contact with an alien species. Notable for creeping you out and making you think.

(4) “The Squire of Gothos”

Just a fun episode. As for Trelane, antagonist? Or role model?

(3) “Balance of Terror”

A balance of exciting war story and a meditation on duty and the nature of the enemy.

(4) “Trouble with Tribbles”

No explanation required, pure fun.

(5) “The Doomsday Machine”

My favorite episode, a nail biter from start to finish. I still remember as a kid the start of the episode when the Enterprise comes across the crippled Constellation. The music in this episode is worthy of note. The leitmotifs of the bright sharp horns for valiant Enterprise, the relentless bass tones for the “Planet Killer”, and the haunting theme for the Constellation which somehow expresses a nobility and defiance in defeat.

Honorable Mention: “Arena” , “A Piece of the Action”, “Catspaw”


Cheers

Jamie