Star Trek First Generation Companion
eAn episode-by-episode, movie-by-movie guide to the original Star Trek productions encompassing Star Trek TOS and movies I through VI. Watching only the episodes and films listed as Recommended or Strongly Recommended will cut TOS down to 39 episodes and 4 out of the 6 movies. As a whole, this equates to roughly 40.5 hours viewing time as opposed to an unfiltered 81 hours, a 50% reduction.
Bear in mind that this list is pretty much useless to most people. Just about the only thing that Trekkies have in common is that they disagree on what makes for a good Star Trek episode. This is just one voice in a chorus of many, many differing opinions.
First and foremost, I do not consider myself a traditional Trekkie. I do not hold bad episodes of Star Trek above most other TV shows. I'll watch a particularly juicy episode of a trashy reality TV show over The Way to Eden any day of the week. I'm a fan of good drama, and imaginative, daring sci-fi. Star Trek as a whole delivers on these qualities every now and then, but mostly flirts with them. I suspect there aren't many people out there that view BSG and Babylon 5 as superior to Star Trek, but also view TOS as being equal if not better than TNG or any modern Trek. So yeah, enjoy, for what it's worth!
Bear in mind that this list is pretty much useless to most people. Just about the only thing that Trekkies have in common is that they disagree on what makes for a good Star Trek episode. This is just one voice in a chorus of many, many differing opinions.
First and foremost, I do not consider myself a traditional Trekkie. I do not hold bad episodes of Star Trek above most other TV shows. I'll watch a particularly juicy episode of a trashy reality TV show over The Way to Eden any day of the week. I'm a fan of good drama, and imaginative, daring sci-fi. Star Trek as a whole delivers on these qualities every now and then, but mostly flirts with them. I suspect there aren't many people out there that view BSG and Babylon 5 as superior to Star Trek, but also view TOS as being equal if not better than TNG or any modern Trek. So yeah, enjoy, for what it's worth!
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- CreatorGene RoddenberryStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyDeForest KelleyIn the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets.Here's a quick-reference Skip List for those who don't want to scroll through all the episodes below.
R+ = Strong Recommendation
R = Recommendation
S = Skip It
* = Caution
Following this is my own personal score, which is out of 100. Note that some episodes noted as R+ may have lower scores than those rated R. This is purely due to Significance ratings, which determine whether the episode is essential viewing in terms of characterization or universe-building details important to appreciating later stories.
Season 1
---
1 The Man Trap (R+* 67)
2 Charlie X (R 76)
3 Where No Man Has Gone Before (S 42)
4 The Naked Time (R+ 81)
5 The Enemy Within (R 71)
6 Mudd's Women (S 43)
7 What Are Little Girls Made Of? (R+ 80)
8 Miri (R* 76)
9 Dagger of the Mind (R+ 92)
10 The Corbomite Maneuver (S* 65)
11 The Menagerie: Part I (R+ 68)
12 The Menagerie: Part II (R+ 71)
13 The Conscience of the King (R+ 87)
14 Balance of Terror (R+ 94)
15 Shore Leave (R* 51)
16 The Galileo Seven (R+ 90)
17 The Squire of Gothos (S* 67)
18 Arena (S* 41)
19 Tomorrow Is Yesterday (R 70)
20 Court Martial (R+ 86)
21 The Return of the Archons (S 63)
22 Space Seed (R+ 82)
23 A Taste of Armageddon (R 87)
24 This Side of Paradise (R 71)
25 The Devil in the Dark (R 75)
26 Errand of Mercy (R+ 70)
27 The Alternative Factor (S 23)
28 The City on the Edge of Forever (R+ 92)
29 Operation - Annihilate! (S* 63)
Season 2
---
1 Amok Time (R+ 97)
2 Who Mourns for Adonais? (S 32)
3 The Changeling (R 69)
4 Mirror, Mirror (R+ 82)
5 The Apple (S 31)
6 The Doomsday Machine (R+ 100)
7 Catspaw (S 33)
8 I, Mudd (S* 50)
9 Metamorphosis (R+ 82)
10 Journey to Babel (R+ 91)
11 Friday's Child (S 31)
12 The Deadly Years (R* 70)
13 Obsession (R+ 80)
14 Wolf in the Fold (S 56)
15 The Trouble with Tribbles (R+ 96)
16 The Gamesters of Triskelion (S 27)
17 A Piece of the Action (S* 65)
18 The Immunity Syndrome (R+ 90)
19 A Private Little War (S* 55)
20 Return to Tomorrow (R 72)
21 Patterns of Force (S 42)
22 By Any Other Name (R 71)
23 The Omega Glory (S 24)
24 The Ultimate Computer (R 72)
25 Bread and Circuses (S 53)
26 Assignment: Earth (S 10)
Season 3
---
1 Spock's Brain (S 50)
2 The Enterprise Incident (R 79)
3 The Paradise Syndrome (S 41)
4 And the Children Shall Lead (S 17)
5 Is There in Truth No Beauty? (S 63)
6 Spectre of the Gun (S* 48)
7 Day of the Dove (S* 28)
8 For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky (S* 65)
9 The Tholian Web (R+ 87)
10 Plato's Stepchildren (S 48)
11 Wink of an Eye (S* 51)
12 The Empath (S 53)
13 Elaan of Troyius (S* 45)
14 Whom Gods Destroy (S 44)
15 Let That Be Your Last Battlefield (R 74)
16 The Mark of Gideon (S 41)
17 That Which Survives (S 34)
18 The Lights of Zetar (S 49)
19 Requiem for Methuselah (S 61)
20 The Way to Eden (S 5)
21 The Cloud Minders (R 70)
22 The Savage Curtain (S 18)
23 All Our Yesterdays (R 78)
24 Turnabout Intruder (R 78)
The Feature Films
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1 The Motion Picture (R 72)
2 The Wrath of Khan (R+ 81)
3 The Search for Spock (R+ 81)
4 The Voyage Home (R+ 77)
5 The Final Frontier (S 51)
6 The Undiscovered Country (S* 33) - DirectorMarc DanielsStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyJeanne BalDr. McCoy discovers his old flame is not what she seems after crew members begin dying from a sudden lack of salt in their bodies.Strongly Recommended (with caution)
My rating: Good (+1)
Trekkie consensus: Poor (-1)
Balance: Neutral (0)
Significance: Major
Notes: It's the first broadcast episode of the show, and it actually does a decent job of introducing the characters and themes you'll be encountering from here on in. It will also break you in to the show's pace which is far slower than modern TV shows. You might get restless, but stay with it! - DirectorLawrence DobkinStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyRobert Walker Jr.Captain Kirk must learn the limits to the power of a 17-year-old boy with the psionic ability to create anything and destroy anyone.Recommended
My rating: Good (+1)
Trekkie consensus: Average (0)
Balance: Positive (+1)
Significance: None
Notes: An episode that gets better the more you see it. Especially impressive if you trudge through season three's factory-line productions and revisit the show's earlier, more experimental days. - DirectorJames GoldstoneStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyGary LockwoodThe flight recorder of the 200-year-old U.S.S. Valiant relays a tale of terror--a magnetic storm at the edge of the galaxy.Skip It
My rating: Poor (-1)
Trekkie consensus: Average (0)
Balance: Negative (-1)
Significance: None
Notes: The first episode produced for the series after being green-lit. Characters are malformed, performances are largely obtuse, and it's burdened with a gruesomely slow pace. Come back to it just for kicks at some other point, if you must. - DirectorMarc DanielsStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyStewart MossThe crew is infected with a mysterious disease that removes people's emotional inhibitions to a dangerous degree.Strongly Recommended
My rating: Good (+1)
Trekkie consensus: Average (0)
Balance: Positive (+1)
Significance: Major
Notes: Lots of characterization present here, and it's a lot of fun to boot. Like Charlie X, it gets better with time and a stronger familiarity with the crew. - DirectorLeo PennStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyDeForest KelleyA transporter malfunction splits Captain Kirk into two halves: one meek and indecisive, the other violent and ill tempered. The remaining crew members stranded on the planet cannot be beamed up to the ship until a problem is fixed.Recommended
My rating: Good (+1)
Trekkie consensus: Average (0)
Balance: Positive (+1)
Significance: None
Notes: Your enjoyment of this one largely depends on how much you like Shatner as Kirk. If you've found yourself cringing at his style rather than delighting in its bravado, you might just want to skip this one. - DirectorHarvey HartStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyRoger C. CarmelThe Enterprise picks up untrustworthy entrepreneur Harry Mudd accompanied by three beautiful women who immediately put a spell on all the male crew members.Skip It
My rating: Poor (-1)
Trekkie consensus: Abysmal (-2)
Balance: Highly Negative (-3)
Significance: Minimal
Notes: Introduces Harry Mudd, who will show up a few more times, as well as being referenced here and there throughout the franchise. His character's most recent appearance in 2017's Discovery is the only reason I'm listing the significance of this as minimal, as none of his episodes in TOS or TAS are really worth the time. - DirectorJames GoldstoneStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyMichael StrongNurse Chapel is reunited with her fiancé; but his new obsession leads him to make an android duplicate of Captain Kirk.Strongly Recommended
My rating: Good (+1)
Trekkie consensus: Average (0)
Balance: Positive (+1)
Significance: None
Notes: Rather hokey and silly, but I'm a sucker for cloning/android plots. The love triangle aspect is fun too, and Andrea is, well, easy on the eye, we'll say. - DirectorVincent McEveetyStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyKim DarbyThe Enterprise discovers a planet exactly like Earth, but the only inhabitants are children who contract a fatal disease upon entering puberty.Recommended (with caution)
My rating: Good (+1)
Trekkie consensus: Poor (-1)
Balance: Neutral (0)
Significance: None
Notes: People hate this one mostly because of the kids who, yes, can be grating, but there's some fantastic performances here from the central cast and the two main guest stars, plus some tense scenes of internal conflict that you won't see very often on Trek. Some of the romantic undertones are a bit weird to begin with, sure, but it ends up being quite sweet and affecting. - DirectorVincent McEveetyStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyJames GregoryKirk and psychiatrist Helen Noel are trapped on a maximum security penal colony that experiments with mind control and Spock must use the Vulcan mind-meld to find a way to save them.Strongly Recommended
My rating: Great (+2)
Trekkie consensus: Poor (-1)
Balance: Positive (+1)
Significance: None
Notes: This one's a bit of a slow-burner, but it's a fascinating psychological thriller all the same. I don't really understand the indifference it tends to get. Oh, and Helen Noel. Come on. - DirectorJoseph SargentStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyAnthony D. CallAfter the Enterprise is forced to destroy a dangerous marker buoy, a gigantic alien ship arrives to capture and condemn the crew as trespassers.Skip It (with caution)
My rating: Good (+1)
Trekkie consensus: Average (0)
Balance: Positive (+1)
Significance: None
Notes: Some psychological warfare makes this one sporadically engrossing, but I can't stand the conclusion. It's a gimmick that gets worse the more you see it. Still, this is considered something of a classic, so you might want to watch it just so you know. - DirectorMarc DanielsRobert ButlerStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyJeffrey HunterSpock kidnaps the disabled Capt. Pike, hijacks the Enterprise, and then surrenders for court martial.Strongly Recommended
My rating: Good (+1)
Trekkie consensus: Good (+1)
Balance: Positive (+2)
Significance: Major
Notes: TOS's only two-part story is not only rich in backstory for Spock and the Enterprise, but it serves up some solid characterization and an intriguing plot to boot. This is why I consider the actual pilot, The Cage, to be superfluous to any viewing. It's all in here and framed in such a manner that makes it more interesting and connected to the actual series. - DirectorRobert ButlerMarc DanielsStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyJeffrey HunterAt Spock's court martial, he explains himself with mysterious footage about when Capt. Pike was kidnapped by powerful illusion casting aliens.Strongly Recommended
My rating: Good (+1)
Trekkie consensus: Average (0)
Balance: Positive (+1)
Significance: Major
Notes: See above. - DirectorGerd OswaldStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyArnold MossWhile Captain Kirk investigates whether an actor is actually a presumed dead mass murderer, a mysterious assailant is killing the people who could identify the fugitive.Strongly Recommended
My rating: Great (+2)
Trekkie consensus: Average (0)
Balance: Positive (+2)
Significance: None
Notes: A unique story with some brilliantly written and performed scenes with rich dialogue. Some might say it's slow-paced and rather insignificant, but I enjoy it thoroughly and think it's one of Trek's finest hours. Ronald D. Moore once noted it as his favorite episode of TOS for a reason. - DirectorVincent McEveetyStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyMark LenardThe Enterprise must decide on its response when a Romulan ship makes a destructively hostile armed probe of Federation territory.Strongly Recommended
My rating: Great (+2)
Trekkie consensus: Great (+2)
Balance: Highly Positive (+4)
Significance: Major
Notes: Introduces one of the franchise's most popular and time-tested villains, the Romulans. It's basically a much better version of the Corbomite Maneuver in terms of its psychological warfare plot, but also has the added benefit of being significant and full of rich characterization, all of which is performed brilliantly. Definitely a highlight of the series. - DirectorRobert SparrStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyEmily BanksThe past months have left the crew exhausted and in desperate need of a break, but does this explain McCoy's encounter with a human-sized white rabbit or Kirk crossing paths with the prankster who plagued his days at Starfleet Academy?Skit It (with caution)
My rating: Average (0)
Trekkie consensus: Good (+1)
Balance: Positive (+1)
Significance: None
Notes: Many people love this episode for its light-hearted charm, but I just find it be a rather hit-and-miss absurdist comedy that never really goes anywhere interesting. Fret not, however, there are much better examples of Star Trek letting its hair down to come. - DirectorRobert GistStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyDon MarshallThe Galileo, under Spock's command, crash-lands on a hostile planet. As the Enterprise races against time to find the shuttlecraft, Spock's strictly logical leadership clashes with the fear and resentment of his crew.Strongly Recommended
My rating: Great (+2)
Trekkie consensus: Good (+1)
Balance: Highly Positive (+3)
Significance: Minimal
Notes: Develops the character of Spock extremely well and the recent HD remaster edition has one of the best action sequences in the series. Some aspects of it (the aliens) are notoriously bad, but there are just too many great moments here to let those get in the way of what is otherwise flawless TV. - DirectorDon McDougallStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyWilliam CampbellA being that controls matter and creates planets wants to play with the Enterprise crew.Skip It (with caution)
My rating: Average (0)
Trekkie consensus: Average (0)
Balance: Neutral (0)
Significance: None
Notes: William Campbell and his character are a blast here, but it's kind of one-note and leads to a conclusion that's more meh than wow, especially when you've seen it already. - DirectorJoseph PevneyStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyDeForest KelleyFor bringing hostility into their solar system, a superior alien race brings Captain Kirk into mortal combat against the reptilian captain of an alien ship he was pursuing.Skip It (with caution)
My rating: Poor (-1)
Trekkie consensus: Good (+1)
Balance: Neutral (0)
Significance: None
Notes: One of the most famous episodes of TOS, but it's really plodding and its alien of the week is laughably ineffectual. Again, the conclusion by now is trite and rote. You've seen it before and done better in more convincing episodes. I almost have to recommend it just because it's something of a cultural phenomenon, but honestly, you're better off saving 50 minutes of your time for something more worthwhile. - DirectorMichael O'HerlihyStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyRoger PerryThe Enterprise is thrown back in time to 1960s Earth.Recommended
My rating: Good (+1)
Trekkie consensus: Good (+1)
Balance: Positive (+2)
Significance: None
Notes: The first of many time-travel episodes. Good fun, as long as you suspend your disbelief in a standard orbit. - DirectorMarc DanielsStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyPercy RodriguesKirk draws a court martial in the negligent death of a crewman.Strongly Recommended
My rating: Great (+2)
Trekkie consensus: Average (0)
Balance: Positive (+2)
Significance: None
Notes: Star Trek court drama. Another first that will be repeated in some form or another quite a lot. Many fans consider this something of a bum-note and rather dry, but I find it well written, fascinating and Cogley is a breath of down-to-earth air. - DirectorJoseph PevneyStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyHarry TownesSeeking the answer to a century-old mystery, Kirk and crew encounter a vacantly peaceful society under a 6000-year autocratic rule that kills all those it can't absorb.Skip It
My rating: Average (0)
Trekkie consensus: Poor (-1)
Balance: Negative (-1)
Significance: None
Notes: I don't hate this one as much as most do, but yes, it is quite ridiculous in terms of its plot. A certain cliche pops up here at the end which you'll either love or hate, but will most certainly get tired of by the time season three comes around, if you watch them all. Most of my meager enjoyment here comes from McCoy who is my favorite of the TOS characters, but you should skip this one all the same. - DirectorMarc DanielsStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyRicardo MontalbanWhile on patrol in deep space, Captain Kirk and his crew find and revive a genetically-engineered world conqueror and his compatriots from Earth's Twentieth Century.Strongly Recommended
My rating: Good (+1)
Trekkie consensus: Great (+2)
Balance: Highly Positive (+3)
Significance: Major
Notes: Sets up the plot of the second film some 15 years later. Aside from that, it offers a gripping plot with some wonderful scenes of conflict. I'm not as crazy about Khan as most fans, but I can't deny that this episode is worth watching, regardless of its significance. - DirectorJoseph PevneyStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyDavid OpatoshuKirk and Spock must save their ship's crew when they are all declared killed in action in a bizarre computer simulated war where the actual deaths must nevertheless occur.Strongly Recommended
My rating: Great (+2)
Trekkie consensus: Good (+1)
Balance: Highly Positive (+3)
Significance: None
Notes: I love the plot in this one. It's a ridiculous but brilliant premise and thankfully is brought to fruition excellently. - DirectorRalph SenenskyStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyJill IrelandThe Enterprise investigates a planet whose colonists should be dead, but are not.Recommended
My rating: Good (+1)
Trekkie consensus: Average (0)
Balance: Positive (+1)
Significance: None
Notes: I consider this the much more palatable sibling of Shore Leave. Watching Spock break character and seeing Kirk alone on the Enterprise are just two of many reasons why I find this one a lot of fun. This adds to the characters and their relationships in ways Shore Leave tried but failed. The premise is dumb, but it leads to interesting and unique results.