My Top 10 Episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series

For those of you who have been paying attention, you may wonder, Amy, why are you talking about the original series while watching Deep Space Nine and Voyager? Didn’t you already share your favorite episodes? 

As Ezri Dax would say, these are all very good questions.

My husband and I were talking startrek.com’s recent poll results of fans’ favorite top 10 episodes of all of Star Trek. Of course I disagreed with some of the episodes and definitely the order. So my husband suggested I create a top 10 list favorite of each series, and then at the end of our rewatch do my own top 10 of all the series. Let me tell you, I anticipate that will be quite the task.

But I’m taking this one series at a time at the moment, going back to TOS. I’ll share TNG soon, and then will go through the others after I finish the entire series again and have already done my Top 5 episodes of the last season. In descending order…

10. Space Seed

My feelings for this episode are complicated, but it’s an important one in Star Trek lore.

9. The Menagerie

Even though I prefer the original TOS pilot The Cage which features the same story line, this is what we get as part of the official series and the concept is so interesting.

8. The Cloud Miners

The commentary about division of classes in this one makes it a worthwhile watch.

7. The Enterprise Incident

Sneaky spy stuff + a different side to Spock makes this a really solid TOS episode.

6. Mirror, Mirror

The only mirror episode in all of Star Trek that I really like because it was just fun and didn’t get rehashed into weirdness (looking at you DS9 mirror universe).

5. The Naked Time

A fun early episode in which even Spock loses his cool.

4. All Our Yesterdays

A poignant time travel episode.

3. A Piece of the Action

The Star Trek crew get to be gangsters for a day. Just fun.

2. The City on the Edge of Forever

An even MORE poignant time travel story that confronts the idea of letting history run its course no matter the cost.

1. The Trouble with Tribbles

I mean, you know how much I love tribbles. 🙂

What are your top episodes of all three seasons of Star Trek’s original series?

5 Responses to My Top 10 Episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series

  1. Ooh this one is so hard to decide! I love the idea of making a top 10 of all of Star Trek though – I hope I remember to do this, once I finish Enterprise. I love your list though – it’s a great overview of all of TOS. I’m looking forward to seeing the rest of your top 10!

  2. The Trouble with Tribbles is probably my favorite too, because… well, tribbles. They’re awesome. And then Mirror, Mirror because I love that version of Spock (and Sulu too, I must say). The Cloud Minders was always an episode I liked, not even sure why. And A Piece of the Action is great just to hear Spock talk like a wiseguy.

    I like Balance of Terror a lot too.

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