16 Classic 'Star Trek' Episodes You Must Watch in Honor of Leonard Nimoy's Birthday
by Phil Pirrello
"Star Trek" may never be as cool as "Star Wars," sure, but the latter wouldn't exist without the former. 50 years ago, on Sept. 8, 1966, the first episode of "Trek" aired -- which gave us Vulcans, phasers, and all the Kirk impersonations. Celebrate the anniversary with these classic episodes.
'Where No Man Has Gone Before' (9/22/66)
Then, it was unprecedented for a network to order a brand-new pilot after the series' first effort misfired. Thankfully, NBC greenlit this action-packed, emotionally-driven second chance that was a vast improvement on "The Cage" in terms of establishing core, week-to-week elements. After encountering a spacial anomaly (the first of many), Kirk's officer and best friend turns into a god-like being with powerful ESP. Our captain is then faced with a classic "needs of the many vs. the one" dilemma: If he wants to save his crew, then Kirk must kill his friend.
'The Man Trap' (9/8/66)
While not the series' pilot or the second pilot, "The Man Trap" was the first "Star Trek" episode to air on television. It set the tone for the series with a story involving an alien creature/salt-craving vampire that takes on the form of Dr. McCoy's former crush. It drains a few of Kirk's crew -- and almost Kirk himself! -- before getting attacked by a slap-happy Spock. The ep concludes with one of the series' most tragic climaxes, where a conflicted McCoy is forced to phaser the woman he loved-turned-creature.
'Charlie X' (9/15/66)
Look, when a space orphan is forced upon your starship by others, you should probably be more insistent on asking why. Especially before said space brat blows up his previous caretakers with his mind. "Star Trek's" take on a very "Twilight Zone" premise, this episode laid the groundwork for future series' explorations of the havoc an all-powerful man-child can wreak among the Enterprise crew.
'The Naked Time' (9/29/66)
What looks like sentient ketchup is really an alien virus, which infects the Enterprise crew with a serious case of "Go home, you're drunk!" Famous for this shot of a shirtless, fencing Sulu, "The Naked Time" forces the crew to release their inhibitions, as William Shatner dramatizes Kirk's tortured attempt to keep his at bay just long enough to (all together now) save his ship.
'The Enemy Within' (10/6/66)
"I'm Captain Kirk!" So screams Kirk's "evil" doppelgänger, the result of (naturally) a transporter accident. Full of raw emotion, Kirk's double violently wreaks havoc (and an attempted rape!) while the good captain's more rational self struggles to solve a crisis involving crew members stranded on a freezing planet. When Kirk realizes that half a man can't live, and he begs his friends to help him make a command decision which he lacks the faculty to, the Kirk-Spock-McCoy dynamic is forged. Spock, half-human, half-Vulcan, constantly at war with himself, offers a logic-based perspective to Kirk's dilemma, as McCoy passionately argues the other side of it -- with a literally torn Kirk caught in the middle. Many subsequent episodes would do their spin on having a double, but none have done it better than the original.
'The Corbomite Maneuver (11/10/66)
This slow-burn ep gave us our first glimpse of Kirk as the great tactician, when he implements the titular (and total BS) strategy to save the Enterprise from a curious alien. The twist at the end regarding the alien's true identity is poignant and well earned.
'Balance of Terror' (12/15/66)
Our first look at the Romulans goes full "Run Silent, Run Deep" as Enterprise engages in submarine-like combat with the enemy's cloaked Bird of Prey. The tension reaches "white knuckle" levels as Kirk matches wits with his Romulan counterpart. Best scene? Kirk comforting a recently-widowed officer hours after he officiated her on-ship wedding.
'Shore Leave' (12/29/66)
Some R & R for the Enterprise crew results in a few DOAs, when Kirk and Co. realize they have taken shore leave on an alien world that can make thoughts -- good or bad -- a reality. Famous for a cameo from "Alice In Wonderland's" White Rabbit, the "death" of McCoy, and an uh-mah-zing fist fight between Kirk and his Starfleet Academy rival, Finnegan, this episode (minus a few plot holes) is worth revisiting.
'The Galileo Seven' (1/5/67)
When his shuttle is forced to set down an alien world full of very fuzzy, very murderous-y creatures armed with spears, Spock must take command and find a way to save his shipmates. His cold logic clashes with the others' very human reactions as the situation gets increasingly dire. With a helpless Kirk searching space for his missing shuttle, as his first officer struggles with command, this episode yields great conflict -- and sparks the "stranded on an alien world" trope that future series would copy in subsequent episodes.
'Arena' (1/19/67)
Shatner vs. a very rubbery Gorn is an iconic (albeit dated) visual from "Arena," which -- like so many great episodes -- uses a sci-fi premise (man vs. alien monster) to smuggle a thematically rich hour of drama. Stranded on a barren planet, "Arena" forces Kirk to use his wits and what little his environment provides to survive combat against the Gorn. During the fight, Kirk proves that he is immune to defeat but not to compassion. He spares the Gorn's life, satisfying the will of the cosmic entity that pit the two against each other in the first place. It's not Shakespeare, but only "Trek" could get significant mileage out of reminding us that men -- even those captaining starships -- don't have the right to play God.
'Space Seed' (2/16/67)
"KHAAAAN!" started here, as Kirk thaws a genetically-engineered mad titan from his cryogenic freeze. Khan repays Kirk's hospitality by trying to steal his ship and murder him. Anyone who has seen "Wrath of Khan" knows how this great drama plays out.
'This Side of Paradise' (3/2/67)
Beware of really rubbery-looking plants spraying spores! Too bad the alien world Kirk and crew visit didn't have that warning posted everywhere, or else our captain could have avoided losing his crew to the very-susceptible, pleasure-giving plants. The spores get the better of Spock -- who smiles, laughs, AND falls in love -- all before Kirk dukes it out with his first officer to regain control of Enterprise. Kirk eventually saves his crew from paradise, but we're left to wonder if that rescue was such a good thing...
'City on the Edge of Forever' (4/6/67)
"Forever" is one of the best time-travel stories in the history of things. Kirk and Spock chase a deranged McCoy back in time, where Kirk falls in love with a woman that must die in the past in order ensure the future. Kirk can either save his friend or this woman, and Shatner's performance when he realizes he can't do both is a gut-punch. Even better? His reaction before beaming up at the end of the episode is an all-timer for the franchise.
'The Doomsday Machine' (10/20/67)
Yep, that's a giant space funnel thing trying to swallow a starship. While the classic episode's effects don't hold up, the story of an obsessed, crazed Starfleet officer -- one hellbent on revenge for the loss of his crew at the maw of that giant funnel -- really does. Its ticking-clock tension and clever script (lots of great Kirk lines) make it an all-timer.
'Mirror, Mirror' (10/6/67)
This Season 2 classic introduced the Mirror Universe to the world of "Trek," a popular alternate reality that fans would revisit almost 30 years later in several "Deep Space Nine" episodes. "Mirror, Mirror" also made it a sci-fi rule that the best way to distinguish your evil counterpart is with a goatee.
'The Trouble With Tribbles' (12/29/67)
Chances are good you've seen this picture once or twice via Google image search. But if you have never seen the episode, fix that. Seriously, it's great. Also great? The "DS9" episode inspired by it, "Trials and Tribblelations."
