https://variety.com/lists/best-star-trek-episodes/

The Top 57 Episodes of ‘Star Trek,’ Ranked From Great to Perfect

First, let’s be clear: Ranking the best “Star Trek” episodes is a silly
thing to do. To date, the longest-running American TV franchise has aired a
gargantuan 890 episodes and counting, starting with the original series in
1966. Since then, at least one “Star Trek” TV show has aired (or streamed)
every decade, totaling 11 so far (with more on the way). Choosing the best
episodes within such a boundless, occasionally contradictory storytelling
galaxy seems about as wise as cheating when playing poker with a Klingon.

On the other hand, there may be no more time-honored tradition among “Star
Trek” fans than a vigorous debate over what constitutes the best of the
franchise. (Best series? Best captains? Best starships? Best aliens? Best
uniforms? They’ve all been ranked multiple times!)

In that spirit — and to commemorate the 57th anniversary of “Star Trek” on
Sept. 8 — Variety’s resident “Trek” geeks have ranked the top 57 episodes
of all time, across the franchise.

Creating our list required some deep-dish nerdiness in its own right: We
compiled a long list of episodes from each series that we felt deserved to
be on the final ranking. Then we created our own individual rankings — and
promptly realized our taste was quite divergent. To reconcile our lists, we
adopted the approach of the great movie ranking podcast, Screen Drafts: We
took alternating turns placing a pick from 57 to 1, and we each had two
opportunities to veto the other’s pick (which in every case was to ensure
it was placed higher on the list).

Other than the short-lived “Star Trek: The Animated Series” (1973-1974),
this list reflects every other iteration of “Trek” on TV: “Star Trek: The
Original Series” (1966-1969); “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (1987-1994);
“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” (1993-1999); “Star Trek: Voyager” (1995-2001);
“Star Trek: Enterprise” (2001-2005); “Star Trek: Discovery” (2017-2024);
“Star Trek: Picard” (2020-2023); “Star Trek: Prodigy” (2021-2022); and the
ongoing “Star Trek: Lower Decks” (2020-present) and “Star Trek: Strange New
Worlds” (2022-present).

57
The Way to Eden
STAR TREK, Leonard Nimoy (far left), Season 3, Episode 20, 'The Way to
Eden' aired February 21, 1969, 1966-1969. © Paramount Television/ Courtesy:
Everett Collection
Photo : ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
“The Original Series” — Season 3, Episode 20

Look, this episode gets a lot of hate. But the fact is “TOS” is known (by
today’s standards) for being very campy, and there is no episode campier
than this one. A group of space hippies board the Enterprise on their
journey to a mythical planet called Eden, where they can live happily
forever. The episode memorably features Charles Napier (who would go on to
a long career playing tough guys, villains, cops and the like) breaking out
into song a bunch of times, including a jam session with Spock (Leonard
Nimoy). —Joe Otterson

Original airdate: Feb. 21, 1969

56
Terra Prime
ENTERPRISE, (aka STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE), Jolene Blalock, Peter Weller,
Connor Trinneer, (Season 4) Ep. 'Terra Prime', May 13, 2005. 2001 - 2005,
Photo: Ron Tom. (c) Paramount Pictures/ Courtesy: Everett Collection.
Photo : ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection
“Enterprise” — Season 4, Episode 21

More than any other episode of “Enterprise,” “Terra Prime” made the most of
the show’s mission to dramatize the beginnings of Starfleet, 100 years
before the events of “TOS.” Just as a newfound coalition of planets begins
to form on Earth (a precursor to the Federation), Captain Archer (Scott
Bakula) and his crew must stop a xenophobic terrorist (played to the hilt
by future “Star Trek Into Darkness” villain Peter Weller) bent on forcing
all aliens to leave Earth. Subtle, it ain’t, but the story feels more
relevant today than it did 20 years ago, and everyone in the cast gets a
moment to shine. Alas, it came too late: “Enterprise” had been canceled
before this episode even went into production. —Adam B. Vary

Original airdate: May 13, 2005

55
Kobayashi

Photo : Paramount+
“Prodigy” — Season 1, Episode 6

The animated “Prodigy” was the first “Star Trek” series geared toward kids,
but that doesn’t mean there weren’t things for older “Trek” fans to enjoy.
In particular, “Kobayashi” perfectly embodies what makes this show a worthy
entry in “Trek” canon. Dal (Brett Gray) and Jankom Pog (Jason Mantzoukas)
discover the holodeck aboard the Protostar, where they decide to go through
the Kobayashi Maru, a.k.a. the “no-win scenario” that Capt. Kirk
successfully beat during his time at the Academy. He gets help along the
way from legendary characters like Spock, Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) and
Odo (René Auberjonois). —J.O.

Original airdate: Jan. 6, 2022

54
Stormy Weather
Pictured: David Ajala as Book, Grudge the cat and Sonequa Martin Green as
Burnham of the Paramount+ original series STAR TREK: DISCOVERY. Photo Cr:
Michael Gibson/Paramount+ © 2021 CBS Interactive. All Rights Reserved.
Photo : CBS
“Discovery” — Season 4, Episode 6

On a mission to discover the origins of a cataclysmic gravitational
anomaly, the U.S.S. Discovery enters a subspace rift and finds itself
trapped inside a lethal black void that threatens to collapse in on the
ship. The result is a classic race-against-time thriller (directed by
“Trek” mainstay Jonathan Frakes), but what makes “Stormy Weather” stand out
amid the heavily serialized episodes of “Discovery” is its emotionally
resonant use of the ship’s sentient A.I. computer, Zora (Annabelle Wallis),
who has to learn how to calm her mind from overwhelming stimuli in order to
guide the ship out of danger. —A.B.V.

Original airdate: Dec. 23, 2021

53
Seventeen Seconds
Patrick Steward as Picard, Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher and Ed
Speelers as Jack Crusher in "Seventeen Seconds" Episode 303, Star Trek:
Picard on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Monty Brinton/Paramount+. ©2021
Viacom, International Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Photo : Paramount+
“Picard” — Season 3, Episode 3

“Picard” didn’t find itself until Season 3, which reunited the core cast of
“The Next Generation” — and it was really Episode 3 that sealed the deal.
Riker (Frakes) is forced to take command of the Titan as Vadic (Amanda
Plummer) and the Shrike hunt them. Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Dr. Crusher
get an all-time great scene together as she reveals why she never told him
about their son, Jack (Ed Speleers). Worf (Michael Dorn) makes his big
return. We learn the Changelings are still intent on attacking the
Federation. Riker and Picard end up at odds in a way we’ve never seen
before. In short, epic. —J.O.

Original airdate: March 2, 2023

52
The Enemy Within

Photo : Paramount+
“The Original Series” — Season 1, Episode 5

The transporter — the cause of, and solution to, so many “Star Trek”
problems — accidentally splits Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) into two
people: Good Kirk, who is wracked with indecision, and evil Kirk, who is a
histrionic asshole. Come for a meditation on the darkness that lies tucked
inside everyone’s psyche, stay for some of William Shatner’s most
deliciously hammy acting — and this was just the fifth episode of the
series! —A.B.V.

Original airdate: Oct. 6, 1966

51
Family Business

Photo : Paramount+
“Deep Space Nine” — Season 3, Episode 23

The Ferengi episodes of “DS9” are always great comic relief, with this
episode giving fans their first view of the home planet of Ferenginar and
Ferengi culture in general. Quark (Armin Shimerman) and Rom (Max
Grodénchik) must return home when their mother, Ishka (Andrea Martin), is
accused of acquiring profit (gasp!), something Ferengi females are
forbidden to do. Shimerman and Martin shine as they play out Quark and
Ishka’s relationship, while Grodénchik really gets to put his comedic chops
on display. This episode is also notable as the first appearance of Brunt
(Jeffrey Combs) from the Ferengi Commerce Authority, as well as Kasidy
Yates (Penny Johnson Jerald), frequent love interest of Cmdr. Sisko (Avery
Brooks). —J.O.

Original airdate: May 15, 1995

50
Blink of an Eye

Photo : Paramount+
“Voyager” — Season 6, Episode 12

The Voyager gets stuck in orbit around a planet where time passes far more
rapidly than in the rest of space, as the episode alternates between the
bemused curiosity of Capt. Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and her crew and the
awestruck preoccupation of the expeditiously progressing populace on the
planet below, for whom Voyager is a sparkling, fixed constant in the night
sky. At one point, the Doctor (Robert Picard) beams down to the planet to
investigate, and a delay of only a few minutes on Voyager means he spends
three years on its surface. He even adopts a son! One of the great, wild
what if? episodes of “Star Trek.” —A.B.V.

Original airdate: Jan. 19, 2000

49
Sarek

In article
<1558424193.715901720.849129.anim8rfsk-cox.net@news.easynews.com>,
anim8rfsk <anim8rfsk@cox.net> wrote:

> Other than the short-lived ³Star Trek: The Animated Series² (1973-1974)

Sure, why would you include that? Just because it was written and
performed by the originals doesn't mean a thing. Instead, let's focus
on some 21st-century cartoons.

Morons.

In article
<1558424193.715901720.849129.anim8rfsk-cox.net@news.easynews.com>,
anim8rfsk <anim8rfsk@cox.net> wrote:

> https://variety.com/lists/best-star-trek-episodes/
>
>
> The Top 57 Episodes of STAR TREK, Ranked from Great to Perfect

> 57
> The Way to Eden
> STAR TREK, Leonard Nimoy (far left), Season 3, Episode 20, 'The Way to
> Eden' aired February 21, 1969, 1966-1969. © Paramount Television/ Courtesy:
> Everett Collection
> Photo : ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
> "The Original Series"-- Season 3, Episode 20
>
> Look, this episode gets a lot of hate. But the fact is TOS is known (by
> today’s standards) for being very campy, and there is no episode campier
> than this one. A group of space hippies board the Enterprise on their
> journey to a mythical planet called Eden, where they can live happily
> forever. The episode memorably features Charles Napier (who would go on to
> a long career playing tough guys, villains, cops and the like) breaking out
> into song a bunch of times, including a jam session with Spock (Leonard
> Nimoy). —Joe Otterson

Well, crack my knuckles and jump for joy, I got a clean bill of health
from Dr. McCoy!

BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com> wrote:

>>. . .

>Well, crack my knuckles and jump for joy, I got a clean bill of health
>from Dr. McCoy!

If you'd been sick, he'd have merely given you stimulants.

On 9/8/2023 8:28 PM, anim8rfsk wrote:
> https://variety.com/lists/best-star-trek-episodes/
>
>
> The Top 57 Episodes of ‘Star Trek,’ Ranked From Great to Perfect
>
> First, let’s be clear: Ranking the best “Star Trek” episodes is a silly
> thing to do. To date, the longest-running American TV franchise has aired a
> gargantuan 890 episodes and counting, starting with the original series in
> 1966. Since then, at least one “Star Trek” TV show has aired (or streamed)
> every decade, totaling 11 so far (with more on the way). Choosing the best
> episodes within such a boundless, occasionally contradictory storytelling
> galaxy seems about as wise as cheating when playing poker with a Klingon.
>
> On the other hand, there may be no more time-honored tradition among “Star
> Trek” fans than a vigorous debate over what constitutes the best of the
> franchise. (Best series? Best captains? Best starships? Best aliens? Best
> uniforms? They’ve all been ranked multiple times!)
>
> In that spirit — and to commemorate the 57th anniversary of “Star Trek” on
> Sept. 8 — Variety’s resident “Trek” geeks have ranked the top 57 episodes
> of all time, across the franchise.
>
> Creating our list required some deep-dish nerdiness in its own right: We
> compiled a long list of episodes from each series that we felt deserved to
> be on the final ranking. Then we created our own individual rankings — and
> promptly realized our taste was quite divergent. To reconcile our lists, we
> adopted the approach of the great movie ranking podcast, Screen Drafts: We
> took alternating turns placing a pick from 57 to 1, and we each had two
> opportunities to veto the other’s pick (which in every case was to ensure
> it was placed higher on the list).
>
> Other than the short-lived “Star Trek: The Animated Series” (1973-1974),
> this list reflects every other iteration of “Trek” on TV: “Star Trek: The
> Original Series” (1966-1969); “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (1987-1994);
> “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” (1993-1999); “Star Trek: Voyager” (1995-2001);
> “Star Trek: Enterprise” (2001-2005); “Star Trek: Discovery” (2017-2024);
> “Star Trek: Picard” (2020-2023); “Star Trek: Prodigy” (2021-2022); and the
> ongoing “Star Trek: Lower Decks” (2020-present) and “Star Trek: Strange New
> Worlds” (2022-present).
>
> 57
> The Way to Eden
> STAR TREK, Leonard Nimoy (far left), Season 3, Episode 20, 'The Way to
> Eden' aired February 21, 1969, 1966-1969. © Paramount Television/ Courtesy:
> Everett Collection
> Photo : ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
> “The Original Series” — Season 3, Episode 20
>
> Look, this episode gets a lot of hate. But the fact is “TOS” is known (by
> today’s standards) for being very campy, and there is no episode campier
> than this one. A group of space hippies board the Enterprise on their
> journey to a mythical planet called Eden, where they can live happily
> forever. The episode memorably features Charles Napier (who would go on to
> a long career playing tough guys, villains, cops and the like) breaking out
> into song a bunch of times, including a jam session with Spock (Leonard
> Nimoy). —Joe Otterson
>
> Original airdate: Feb. 21, 1969
>
> 56
> Terra Prime
> ENTERPRISE, (aka STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE)

I'm surprised Anim didn't choke and pass out from apoplexy right here.

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:
> On 9/8/2023 8:28 PM, anim8rfsk wrote:
>> https://variety.com/lists/best-star-trek-episodes/
>>
>>
>> The Top 57 Episodes of ‘Star Trek,’ Ranked From Great to Perfect
>>
>> First, let’s be clear: Ranking the best “Star Trek” episodes is a silly
>> thing to do. To date, the longest-running American TV franchise has aired a
>> gargantuan 890 episodes and counting, starting with the original series in
>> 1966. Since then, at least one “Star Trek” TV show has aired (or streamed)
>> every decade, totaling 11 so far (with more on the way). Choosing the best
>> episodes within such a boundless, occasionally contradictory storytelling
>> galaxy seems about as wise as cheating when playing poker with a Klingon.
>>
>> On the other hand, there may be no more time-honored tradition among “Star
>> Trek” fans than a vigorous debate over what constitutes the best of the
>> franchise. (Best series? Best captains? Best starships? Best aliens? Best
>> uniforms? They’ve all been ranked multiple times!)
>>
>> In that spirit — and to commemorate the 57th anniversary of “Star Trek” on
>> Sept. 8 — Variety’s resident “Trek” geeks have ranked the top 57 episodes
>> of all time, across the franchise.
>>
>> Creating our list required some deep-dish nerdiness in its own right: We
>> compiled a long list of episodes from each series that we felt deserved to
>> be on the final ranking. Then we created our own individual rankings — and
>> promptly realized our taste was quite divergent. To reconcile our lists, we
>> adopted the approach of the great movie ranking podcast, Screen Drafts: We
>> took alternating turns placing a pick from 57 to 1, and we each had two
>> opportunities to veto the other’s pick (which in every case was to ensure
>> it was placed higher on the list).
>>
>> Other than the short-lived “Star Trek: The Animated Series” (1973-1974),
>> this list reflects every other iteration of “Trek” on TV: “Star Trek: The
>> Original Series” (1966-1969); “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (1987-1994);
>> “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” (1993-1999); “Star Trek: Voyager” (1995-2001);
>> “Star Trek: Enterprise” (2001-2005); “Star Trek: Discovery” (2017-2024);
>> “Star Trek: Picard” (2020-2023); “Star Trek: Prodigy” (2021-2022); and the
>> ongoing “Star Trek: Lower Decks” (2020-present) and “Star Trek: Strange New
>> Worlds” (2022-present).
>>
>> 57
>> The Way to Eden
>> STAR TREK, Leonard Nimoy (far left), Season 3, Episode 20, 'The Way to
>> Eden' aired February 21, 1969, 1966-1969. © Paramount Television/ Courtesy:
>> Everett Collection
>> Photo : ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
>> “The Original Series” — Season 3, Episode 20
>>
>> Look, this episode gets a lot of hate. But the fact is “TOS” is known (by
>> today’s standards) for being very campy, and there is no episode campier
>> than this one. A group of space hippies board the Enterprise on their
>> journey to a mythical planet called Eden, where they can live happily
>> forever. The episode memorably features Charles Napier (who would go on to
>> a long career playing tough guys, villains, cops and the like) breaking out
>> into song a bunch of times, including a jam session with Spock (Leonard
>> Nimoy). —Joe Otterson
>>
>> Original airdate: Feb. 21, 1969
>>
>> 56
>> Terra Prime
>> ENTERPRISE, (aka STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE)
>
> I'm surprised Anim didn't choke and pass out from apoplexy right here.
>

Their first entry being that amazingly stupid made it easier to get through
the rest.

--
The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.