Favorite TV Shows: Star Trek
My dad was a huge sci-fi fan. Isaac Asimov was his favorite author. We saw every iteration of Star Wars that hit the theatre. I can't describe how amazing it was to see A New Hope on the big screen for the first time. Even the times Lucas fiddled with it don't bother me. Nothing will ever dampen your first love.
We also loved Star Trek. I honestly never thought of them as belonging to two separate camps. They were just two stories I loved, two sides of the same geeky coin. I know the arguments that one is science based and the other is more faith based, for lack of a better term. People have put these two works of entertainment up as icons in the ever-going battle between science and religion. If that's so, perhaps I am of a third group, a group that doesn't find science and religion so incompatible. Maybe I'm a minority.
My dad and I would gather around the TV set to watch the re-runs every week. It was one of the few fond memories I have with my dad. A lull in the fear and anxiety I sometimes felt that maybe overshadow my memories of him now. But oh, when Star Trek came on....
Star Trek was pretty groundbreaking. It was one of the first television shows with a multiracial cast. It helped advance both civil and women's rights. It addressed social issues like slavery and war. And it has impacted our modern technology. Despite the cheesy costumes and the obviously fake sets, it may well be one of the most influential shows ever.
So here's a list of some of my favorite episodes
THE MENAGERIE I & II: Season 1 Episodes 11 & 12
This episode incorporates the original pilot The Cage which was never aired. In it, Spock kidnaps the former captain of the Enterprise, Christopher Pike. He takes over control of the ship and directs it to the planet Talos IV, then submits himself for court martial on the charge of mutiny. Pike is severely injured, burned over most of his body and unable to speak except through a translator in his wheelchair, and even that is minimal. Spock's testimony for his actions are tapes of what happened years ago when the crew first visited Talos IV looking for survivors of a survey ship. Among them they found a beautiful blonde girl named Vina who was born right after the crash. She pulls Pike aside to show him how they have managed to survive this long, only for a couple of Talosians to capture. She had been the only survivor of the crash, and now they had Pike.
BALANCE OF TERROR: Season 1 Episode 14
This episode introduces both the Romulans and the cloaking device they and the Klingons use. The Enterprise and a Romulan bird of prey go to battle. Kirk proves to be the cannier adversary (natch), earning the respect of his opponent before the Romulan destroys his ship, ensuring the Federation won't get their hands on the cloaking device (yet).
ARENA: Season 1 Episode 18
I'll admit, this is one of the cheesier episodes. The Gorn is so obviously just wearing a pair of pants that have been, it looks like, heavily spray-painted. It's funny, but I love it in spite of that. A Fedeation outpost is destroyed by an unknown assailant. The Enterprise chases the ship into uncharted territory where both ships become disabled. They are then contacted by aliens called the Metrons who transport both captains to an uninhabited desert planet where they are forced to battle for the lives of themselves and their crews. The Gorn relies on brute strength, but Kirk relies on his intelligence and strategy. Kirk eventually prevails, but instead of killing his enemy, he realizes it may have been a misunderstanding and shows mercy. The Metrons consider this a sign of hope and let both crews survive.
SPACE SEED: Season 1 Episode 22
This episode introduces Khan into the Star Trek universe. The Enterprise comes across the remains of the Botany Bay and discovers 72 humans still alive in suspended animation after 200 years. They beam the leader, Khan, aboard and discover they are the products of an experiment to create superhumans. They had started the Eugenics Wars and tried to take over earth before escaping. Khan attempts to thane over the Enterprise but is thwarted by Kirk. They exile Khan, his crew and the Enterprise crewmember who assisted them to Ceti Alpha V.
AMOK TIME: Season 2 Episode 1
Spock begins acting weird and, against orders, redirects the ship to Vulcan. He reveals he's undergoing pon farr and has to return there to marry his betrothed T'Pring. Unfortunately she has found someone else and forced Spock and Kirk to fight to the death. McCoy manages to end the battle by injecting Kirk with a neuroparalyzer and pronounces him dead. Spock says, "Bye, Felicia" to T'Pring and the crew goes on their merry way.
THE TROUBLE WITH TRIBBLES: Season 2 Episode 15
I mean c'mon, tribbles are awesome! The ship is tasked with transporting a load of grain called quadrotriticale from the space station to Sherman's Planet. While there, Uhura obtains a tribble, which she bring on board the ship, which immediately begin reproducing like bunnies. They eat all the grain, but it actually starts killing them. McCoy and Spock realize the grain had been sabotaged and would have killed everyone on the planet. The tribbles help Kirk find the Klingon spy on board that had poisoned the grain.
IS THERE IN TRUTH NO BEAUTY: Season 3 Episode 5
The Enterprise is transporting a Medusan ambassador and his telepathic translator to a trade negotiation. The Medusan has to be confined to a specially constructed box because anybody who sees it is driven mad. One of the entourage sees him and tries to take the ship over. Spock mind melds with the Medusan to save the ship, but accidentally sees the Medusan in the process and loses it. The telepath and the Medusan eventually merge to save Spock.
PLATO'S STEPCHILDREN: Season 3 Episode 10
The crew encounter a group of aliens who model their civilization on Classical Greek culture. They use their telekinesis to force the crew into doing things they normally wouldn't. This episode is credited as being the first on American television with an inter-racial kiss. Eventually the crew figure out how to escape and leave one of the aliens that hadn't had telekinesis to be an emissary to the Federation.
We also loved Star Trek. I honestly never thought of them as belonging to two separate camps. They were just two stories I loved, two sides of the same geeky coin. I know the arguments that one is science based and the other is more faith based, for lack of a better term. People have put these two works of entertainment up as icons in the ever-going battle between science and religion. If that's so, perhaps I am of a third group, a group that doesn't find science and religion so incompatible. Maybe I'm a minority.
My dad and I would gather around the TV set to watch the re-runs every week. It was one of the few fond memories I have with my dad. A lull in the fear and anxiety I sometimes felt that maybe overshadow my memories of him now. But oh, when Star Trek came on....
Star Trek was pretty groundbreaking. It was one of the first television shows with a multiracial cast. It helped advance both civil and women's rights. It addressed social issues like slavery and war. And it has impacted our modern technology. Despite the cheesy costumes and the obviously fake sets, it may well be one of the most influential shows ever.
So here's a list of some of my favorite episodes
THE MENAGERIE I & II: Season 1 Episodes 11 & 12
This episode incorporates the original pilot The Cage which was never aired. In it, Spock kidnaps the former captain of the Enterprise, Christopher Pike. He takes over control of the ship and directs it to the planet Talos IV, then submits himself for court martial on the charge of mutiny. Pike is severely injured, burned over most of his body and unable to speak except through a translator in his wheelchair, and even that is minimal. Spock's testimony for his actions are tapes of what happened years ago when the crew first visited Talos IV looking for survivors of a survey ship. Among them they found a beautiful blonde girl named Vina who was born right after the crash. She pulls Pike aside to show him how they have managed to survive this long, only for a couple of Talosians to capture. She had been the only survivor of the crash, and now they had Pike.
BALANCE OF TERROR: Season 1 Episode 14
This episode introduces both the Romulans and the cloaking device they and the Klingons use. The Enterprise and a Romulan bird of prey go to battle. Kirk proves to be the cannier adversary (natch), earning the respect of his opponent before the Romulan destroys his ship, ensuring the Federation won't get their hands on the cloaking device (yet).
ARENA: Season 1 Episode 18
I'll admit, this is one of the cheesier episodes. The Gorn is so obviously just wearing a pair of pants that have been, it looks like, heavily spray-painted. It's funny, but I love it in spite of that. A Fedeation outpost is destroyed by an unknown assailant. The Enterprise chases the ship into uncharted territory where both ships become disabled. They are then contacted by aliens called the Metrons who transport both captains to an uninhabited desert planet where they are forced to battle for the lives of themselves and their crews. The Gorn relies on brute strength, but Kirk relies on his intelligence and strategy. Kirk eventually prevails, but instead of killing his enemy, he realizes it may have been a misunderstanding and shows mercy. The Metrons consider this a sign of hope and let both crews survive.
SPACE SEED: Season 1 Episode 22
This episode introduces Khan into the Star Trek universe. The Enterprise comes across the remains of the Botany Bay and discovers 72 humans still alive in suspended animation after 200 years. They beam the leader, Khan, aboard and discover they are the products of an experiment to create superhumans. They had started the Eugenics Wars and tried to take over earth before escaping. Khan attempts to thane over the Enterprise but is thwarted by Kirk. They exile Khan, his crew and the Enterprise crewmember who assisted them to Ceti Alpha V.
AMOK TIME: Season 2 Episode 1
Spock begins acting weird and, against orders, redirects the ship to Vulcan. He reveals he's undergoing pon farr and has to return there to marry his betrothed T'Pring. Unfortunately she has found someone else and forced Spock and Kirk to fight to the death. McCoy manages to end the battle by injecting Kirk with a neuroparalyzer and pronounces him dead. Spock says, "Bye, Felicia" to T'Pring and the crew goes on their merry way.
THE TROUBLE WITH TRIBBLES: Season 2 Episode 15
I mean c'mon, tribbles are awesome! The ship is tasked with transporting a load of grain called quadrotriticale from the space station to Sherman's Planet. While there, Uhura obtains a tribble, which she bring on board the ship, which immediately begin reproducing like bunnies. They eat all the grain, but it actually starts killing them. McCoy and Spock realize the grain had been sabotaged and would have killed everyone on the planet. The tribbles help Kirk find the Klingon spy on board that had poisoned the grain.
IS THERE IN TRUTH NO BEAUTY: Season 3 Episode 5
The Enterprise is transporting a Medusan ambassador and his telepathic translator to a trade negotiation. The Medusan has to be confined to a specially constructed box because anybody who sees it is driven mad. One of the entourage sees him and tries to take the ship over. Spock mind melds with the Medusan to save the ship, but accidentally sees the Medusan in the process and loses it. The telepath and the Medusan eventually merge to save Spock.
PLATO'S STEPCHILDREN: Season 3 Episode 10
The crew encounter a group of aliens who model their civilization on Classical Greek culture. They use their telekinesis to force the crew into doing things they normally wouldn't. This episode is credited as being the first on American television with an inter-racial kiss. Eventually the crew figure out how to escape and leave one of the aliens that hadn't had telekinesis to be an emissary to the Federation.
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