The Best Star Trek Episodes that Define the Phenomenon
In 1969, after a fan letter-writing campaign convinced NBC to give the series a third season, Star Trek came to an end. And yet, more than forty years later, Star Trek goes boldly on, with five series releasing new episodes in 2023 alone.
How can a show that faced cancelation several times before airing even a first episode in 1966 become one of the most diverse and long-running franchises in pop culture history? The answer is simple: good episodes.
The best Star Trek episodes feature philosophical debates, sci-fi adventures, and more than a little humor. This combination has allowed Star Trek to evolve and develop far beyond what even franchise creator Gene Roddenberry could have imagined.
1. “Best of Both Worlds” – Star Trek: The Next Generation (1990)
“Fire.” With that single word, a command given by Commander Will Riker of the USS Enterprise, Star Trek: The Next Generation’s third and, by that point, best season came to a close. Riker gave the order to destroy a ship operated by the all-consuming cyborg race the Borg, even though they’ve captured and assimilated the Enterprise’s beloved Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
Written by Michael Piller and directed by Cliff Bole, the two-part story closed out the show’s third season and opened the fourth by showing the stakes of the Enterprise’s continuing mission, leaving Picard with scars that will never heal.
2. “City on the Edge of Forever” – Star Trek (1967)
In the original series, Captain James Kirk relied on advice from the passionate ship’s doctor, Leonard “Bones” McCoy, and his logical first officer, Mr. Spock. That triumvirate represented the conflict inside of every person between one’s emotions and ability to reason, a struggle that comes to the fore in the season one episode “City on the Edge of Forever,” written by Harlan Ellison (who hated the finished product) and directed by Joseph Pevney.
When McCoy, driven mad by a medical mishap, goes back to New York during the Great Depression, Kirk and Spock follow. There, they meet the social activist Edith Keeler (Joan Collins), whose principles win Kirk’s heart. However, when Spock discovers the global effects of Keeler’s fate, Kirk must decide between his head and his heart. 50 years later, it remains one of the defining Star Trek episodes.
3. “In the Pale Moonlight” – Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1998)
The second spinoff, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, took a more pragmatic and often darker look at the franchise’s core themes. That includes introducing moral ambiguity to Star Trek episodes.
Set on the titular space station, under the command of conflicted Captain Benjamin Sisko, Deep Space Nine explored the complexities in Trek’s future utopia, even more so when a mighty empire called the Dominion threatens to overtake the entire Alpha Quadrant.
Written by Peter Allan Fields and Michael Taylor and directed by Victor Lobl, “In the Pale Moonlight” captures the show’s central tensions. Told in the form of a Captain’s Log, the episode follows the various compromises Sisko makes to convince the Romulan Star Empire to join Starfleet and the Klingon Empire in the battle against the Dominion. Grounded by an outstanding performance from Avery Brooks as Sisko, “In the Pale Moonlight” builds to a chilling conclusion, while still insisting upon the importance of Starfleet ideals.
4. “Balance of Terror” – Star Trek (1966)
Star Trek shows do not often have impressive budgets, which limits their ability to create new alien races. The season one episode “Balance of Terror” uses those limitations well to tell a story about racism and the rush to war.
Written by Paul Schneider and directed by Vincent McEveety, “Balance of Terror” finds the Enterprise facing off with a ship from the Romulan Star Empire, a violent race that no one in Starfleet has ever seen. When the Romulan Commander (played by Mark Lenard, who will go on to portray Spock’s father Sarek) reveals himself and his pointy ears, some members of the Enterprise crew suspect Spock as a traitor.
With unceasing tension and compelling arguments, “Balance of Terror” illustrates the best aspects of Star Trek, demonstrating how bigotry and fear impede discovery.
5. “The Inner Light” – Star Trek: The Next Generation (1992)
While Captains Kirk and Picard have little in common, they share one quality: their total devotion to exploration and adventure. The depth of Picard’s desire comes through in the season five episode “The Inner Light,” directed by Peter Lauritson and written by Morgan Gendel and Peter Allan Fields.
After a beam from a probe strikes Picard, he awakens on the primitive planet Kataan, where he has no memory of his past life. He learns his name is Kamin, an iron-weaver with a wife and a child. As Kamin, Picard lives for four decades, even though just minutes pass for the Enterprise crew. The incident gives Picard a taste of another life, one that has its value but cannot quench his thirst for exploration.
6. “Blink of an Eye” – Star Trek: Voyager (2000)
In its best moments, Star Trek: Voyager continued the Next Generation concept with stand-alone episodes that explored interesting premises in new locations. “The Blink of an Eye” provides a perfect example, in which Voyager gets trapped in the orbit of a planet within a Tachyon field. Sending the holographic Doctor down to investigate, Captain Janeway learns that time passes at a much higher speed on the planet’s surface than it does in orbit.
Through the Doctor’s visits, the crew witnesses the evolution of the planet’s people from primitive superstition to another star-traveling species ready to seek out new life and new civilizations. The story by Michael Taylor, teleplay by Scott Miller and Joe Menosky, and direction by Gabrielle Beaumont make a knotty sci-fi concept legible and inspiring.
7. “The Visitor” – Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1995)
In addition to his leadership and passion, Benjamin Sisko stands out above other Trek captains because he is a widower and single father to his son Jake. Sisko’s tenderness toward Jake makes for the show’s best moments, especially the season four episode “The Visitor,” written by Michael Taylor and directed by David Livingston.
When an accident sends Sisko hurling through the timestream, Jake devotes himself to rescuing his father. Sisko manifests and shows himself at intervals of several years, forced to watch from a distance as his son grows to manhood. “The Visitor” highlights Trek’s ability to weave genuine emotion into complex concepts, anchored by outstanding performances from Brooks and B-movie icon Tony Todd as the adult Jake.
8. “The Measure of a Man” – Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989)
Even the biggest Trekkie will admit that Star Trek: The Next Generation started out on the wrong foot, taking three seasons to become a masterpiece.
However, the second season did point to better things to come with the episode “The Measure of a Man,” written by Melinda M. Snodgrass and directed by Robert Scheerer. When a Starfleet scientist arrives on the Enterprise with an order to dismantle and study the android Data, Captain Picard must argue in favor of his crewman’s rights as a sentient being.
The relationship between humans and machines has long offered fertile ground in science fiction, but Picard’s arguments in “The Measure of Man” warn against judging anyone different as somehow unworthy of love or respect.
9. “Those Old Scientists” – Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2023)
Crossover episodes have always been part of the expanding Star Trek universe, ever since DeForest Kelly donned lots of make-up to play a wizened old Bones in the Next Generation premiere. But few crossovers have been as delightful, or as unusual, than the Strange New Worlds season two episode “Those Old Scientists,” directed by Jonathan Frakes and written by Kathryn Lyn and Bill Wolkoff.
When a time portal brings Brad Boimler and Beckett Mariner (portrayed in live action by the characters’ voice actors Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome) of Star Trek: Lower Decks from the 24th century to the 23rd, they have the chance to meet their heroes on the USS Enterprise. Not only does Frakes balance the tones between the rapid-fire humor of Lower Decks and the more respectful Strange New Worlds, but he and his writers tell a story about loving Star Trek in all its forms.
10. “The Last Generation” – Star Trek: Picard (2023)
Although he had his reasons, Patrick Stewart’s refusal to revisit too many aspects of The Next Generation made the first two seasons of Star Trek: Picard a bit of a slog. To the credit of showrunner Terry Matalas, Picard’s third and final season went beyond nostalgia by introducing interesting new characters and reflecting on the future of Starfleet.
That said, when the show embraced nostalgia for its final episode, it felt very good. Matalas puts Picard and his crew back on the Enterprise one last time, while still making room for their changed dynamics. The episode invites Trekkies to celebrate their favorite characters while still letting them age and grow.
11. “wej Duj” – Star Trek: Lower Decks (2021)
On the surface, the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks plays like a good-natured parody of Star Trek and all its excesses. However, past its first season, Lower Decks has developed into a proper sci-fi series in its own right, without sacrificing its sense of humor.
That personality best comes through in the season two episode “wej Duj,” written by Kathryn Lyn and directed by Bob Suarez. The episode expands its perspective beyond the lesser Starfleet vessel the USS Cerritos to peak in on lower deckers on other ships, including those on Klingon and Romulan starships. In time, these overlooked crewpeople become the heroes to stop an attack from the Pakleds, themselves bitter about being overlooked.
The episode has all the deep-cut in-jokes one wants from Lower Decks, while still telling a story about the Federation's little people and neighbors.
12. “Space Seed” – Star Trek (1967)
Anyone who knows Star Trek just through the movies might have a skewed idea about “Space Seed,” the season one episode that featured Ricardo Montalbán as Khan Noonien Singh. Where Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan depicted the character as a tireless warrior, Montalbán plays him as a smoother, more seductive figure in “Space Seed.”
Writers Carey Wilber and Gene L. Coon and director Marc Daniels use Khan as the major player in a classic Trek premise. When the Enterprise releases Khan, a genetically engineered despot who has been in cryosleep for more than two centuries, they must decide how to handle him in a humane manner. The episode ends with an interesting solution, but not a perfect one, giving Star Trek its own supervillain.
13. “Year of Hell” – Star Trek: Voyager (1997)
Star Trek: Voyager sometimes frustrates viewers because it introduces amazing concepts but does not always explore them to their full potential. For certain, “Year of Hell” could have been stronger as a season-long arc, as producers first intended. However, it still works in its finished form as a two-part episode from the show’s fourth season.
Written by Brannon Braga and Joe Menosky and directed by Allan Kroeker (part one) and Mike Vejar (part two), “Year of Hell” covers the year-long period in which Voyager and her crew battle the imperial Kremin, who use a temporal weapon to dismantle their enemies. The episode benefits from a standout performance from Trek regular Kirkwood Smith as complex villain Annorax, giving pathos to a crazy story about time travel and stasis.
14. “Take Me Out to the Holosuite” – Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1998)
As dark as Deep Space Nine could get, it never forgot to include light-hearted episodes, which play with the dynamics among its compelling cast. The best example occurs in the season seven episode “Take Me Out to the Holosuite,” in which Captain Sisko takes a break from fighting in to Dominion War to play against Vulcans in a baseball game.
The low stakes all writer Ronald D. Moore and director Chip Chalmers emphasize the absurdities of their crew, including moments in which Worf calls for “death to the opposition” and the Ferengi Rom finding his place on the team. It may not be the richest episode in Star Trek history, but it reminds viewers that Trek is about the characters first.
15. “Ad Astra per Aspera” – Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2023)
Roddenberry may have pitched Star Trek as “Wagon Train to the Stars,” but with Next Generation, the franchise learned to draw from legal thrillers as much as it did frontier stories. In its second season, Strange New Worlds continues that tradition with “Ad Astra per Aspera,” written by Dana Horgan and directed by Valerie Weiss.
When the Enterprise’s First Officer Una Chin-Riley is revealed as an Illyrian, a race that participates in genetic modification, she faces court martial for violating Starfleet’s ban on modifications. She gets help from an Illyrian lawyer (played by guest star Yetide Badaki), who makes a compelling case for accepting cultural differences, something that should be at the heart of the Federation’s vision of cooperation and diversity.
16. “Similitude” – Star Trek: Enterprise (2003)
Some may argue that the prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise never got the chance to come into its own, getting canceled after just four seasons. However, the series did find its most compelling character in short order, with Connor Trinneer’s Trip Tucker becoming a fast favorite.
The season three episode “Similitude,” written by Manny Coto and directed by LaForge himself, LeVar Burton, puts Tucker’s no-nonsense attitude and natural charisma to good use. When Trip gets injured, Doctor Phlox proposes a radical treatment: growing a clone of Trip to supply needed organs. The episode features a great Star Trek moral debate and gives Trinneer a chance to play a double role.
17. “Scorpion” – Star Trek: Voyager (1997)
Like every other Trek series of its era, Star Trek: Voyager took a few seasons to settle into a groove. The show started its peak run with the two-parter “Scorpion,” which served as the season three finale and the season four premiere.
Written by Brannon Braga and Joe Menosky and directed by David Livingston (part one) and Winrich Kolbe (part two), “Scorpion” introduces Jerri Ryan as Seven of Nine, a Borg drone freed from the Collective, who will become one of the best characters in Trek history. However, it also tells a thrilling story about the difficult alliances one must make when in a desperate situation.
18. “Kobayashi” – Star Trek: Prodigy (2022)
During its first season, Star Trek: Prodigy played with Trek concepts from afar, following the adventures of a group of kids in the Delta Quadrant escaping their oppressor via an abandoned Starfleet ship the USS Protostar. As the kids travel, they learn about Starfleet ideals and try to recreate them as best as they can.
Written by Aaron J. Waltke and directed by Alan Wan, the episode “Kobayashi” best captures the series’ remix approach to Trek lore. Hoping to become a better captain, the kids’ leader Dal uses the Protostar’s training holograms to run through scenarios, including the infamous Kobayashi Maru. More than the titular no-win scenario, the episode includes holographic versions of casts from series gone by, including appearances by Odo from Deep Space Nine, Uhura from the original series, and Dr. Crusher from Next Generation.
Even if Dal doesn’t quite succeed in his goal, “Kobayashi” places Prodigy within the larger Star Trek canon.
19. “The Trouble With Edward” – Star Trek: Short Treks (2019)
Although the quality varied quite a bit, the two seasons of Star Trek: Short Treks did feature some compelling stories set within the franchise. Along with the horror story “Callypso,” the best Short Treks episode is “The Trouble With Edward,” written by Graham Wagner and directed by Daniel Gray Longino.
The fourteen-minute episode stars comedian H. Jon Benjamin as Edward Larkin, an egocentric and insecure Starfleet scientist whose experiments allow Tribbles to reproduce at a rapid pace. Even those who don’t know the trouble Tribbles will cause across the cosmos can enjoy “The Trouble With Edward,” a comedic reminder that not everyone in Starfleet has high ideals.
20. “… But to Connect” – Star Trek: Discovery (2021)
Star Trek: Discovery began production as an anthology series that would tell unusual stories from throughout Star Trek mythology, a longer version of what Short Treks would become. As such, it often took dramatic liberties with Trek lore.
By season four, Discovery had settled into its own identity, making protagonist Michael Burnham captain of the USS Discovery and sending the crew to the 32nd century. With its purpose and identity settled, Discovery could revisit classic Trek concepts, as it does in the fourth season episode “… But to Connect,” written by Terri Hughs Burton & Carlos Cisco and directed by Lee Rose.
The episode consists of two debates, one in which Burnham urges the Federation against attacking the mysterious Species 10-C and another in which the Discovery crew debates the rights of the ship’s AI, Zora.
21. “Mining the Mind’s Mines” – Star Trek: Lower Decks (2023)
Part of the season three episode “Mining the Mind’s Mines,” written by Brian D. Bradley and directed by Fill Marc Sagadraca, feels like business as usual for Lower Decks. The episode points out a goofy aspect of Star Trek — that a lot of episodes involve Starfleet crewmembers getting trapped in caves — and pokes fun at it.
However, the episode also operates like a Rashomon story, in which the characters retell events from multiple perspectives. As a result, the episode reminds viewers about the importance of understanding and cooperation, a key Star Trek moral in a key Star Trek setting.
22. “In a Mirror, Darkly” – Star Trek: Enterprise
Set around 100 years before James Kirk’s day, the prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise did not often get to play with big Star Trek concepts. However, season three let the show play around with one of the franchise’s most compelling ideas, the evil Mirror Universe.
Anyone who has seen “Mirror, Mirror” or any other Mirror Universe episode knows what to expect from the season four two-parter “In a Mirror, Darkly,” written by Mike Sussman and Manny Coto and directed by James L. Conway (part one) and Marvin V. Rush (part two). However, it does give some underused cast members a chance to shine, Travis Mayweather and Malcolm Reed in particular.
23. “The Hope That is You, Part 1” – Star Trek: Discovery
The best thing that Star Trek: Discovery ever did was go into the future. Where the first seasons of Discovery used its prequel setting, five years before the start of the original series, to add too many retcons to Trek canon, sending the crew to the 32nd century freed the show to blaze its own identity.
The season three premiere, “The Hope That is You, Part 1” catches up with Michael Burnham after she arrives in the future, separate from her career. Written by Michelle Paradise & Jenny Lumet & Alex Kurtzman and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, the episode serves to situate the viewer in this new timeframe and introduce new cast member Cleveland Booker. However, it also provides a platform for star Sonequa Martin-Green to show off her considerable comic chops, something she does not often do as Michael Burnham.
24. “Yesteryear” – Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973)
Star Trek: The Animated Series featured cheap TV animation and a truncated cast from Star Trek, cutting Walter Koenig from the proceedings (save for a script he wrote). That said, it included most of the original cast and episodes written by the original series staff, making for a more complex and heady series than one might expect.
Case in point, the Emmy-nominated season one episode “Yesteryear,” written by D.C. Fontana and directed by Hal Sutherland. “Yesteryear” fleshes out Spock’s backstory and the world of Vulcan when the Enterprise goes to an alternate timeline, in which the first officer dies at a young age. Posing as his father’s cousin, Spock visits this changed history in hopes of putting things right, revealing more about himself than viewers had heretofore known.
25. “Holiday Party” – Star Trek: Very Short Treks (2023)
As its name suggests, the series Star Trek: Very Short Treks intensifies the concept behind Short Treks, telling very short (no more than five minutes) humorous animated stories from throughout Trek canon.
Written by Claire Friedman and directed by Aaron Hawkins, “Holiday Party” features Spock trying to understand humor when hosting a Unification Day party on the Enterprise. In addition to great voice acting from Ethan Peck as Spock and Celia Rose Gooding as Uhura, “Holiday Party” reveals a dark sense of humor, without ever straying from Spock’s core principles as a character.
