KEEP TREKKING: The Five Best And Five Worst Episodes Of The Second Season of Star Trek
by Jason Luna
It must have been pretty exciting in 1967. Star Trek (AKA “The Original Series”) launched its second season.
The heavy lifting of building a show was over, CBS had a stable hit. Just do another season.
And much like season 1 (famously chronicled here), season 2 has some great episodes that are still iconic, and some episodes that are bad and maybe just forgettable.
In general, I will say there was ambition to a lot of episodes this season. So let’s celebrate trying hard and succeeding, and let’s celebrate trying and failing miserabl-…hey, no matter what, you made an episode of Star Trek, so that’s good.
(Before we begin, a spoiler alert for a show more than fifty years old. And it’s set in the distant future! Wild! But you had time to watch it!)
BEST
5. “The Journey Of Babel”
Why It’s Good: We meet both of Spock’s parents, the Vulcan father Sarek (played with surprising emotional depth and nuance by Mark Lenard) and his human mother, Amanda (Jane Wyatt).
These characters expand the character of Spock, who is revealed to be half human. Both Spock, and to an extent, Sarek, deal with Vulcan hyper-rational thoughts mixing with human compassion/conflict.
And they even cleverly tie these mixed emotions into the story. Sarek is having a hard time as a Vulcan diplomat, and his issues are heightened by an assassination plot. This story holds up emotionally and in exciting story.
Highlight: I’ve already talked about Sarek, so I’ll go with the debut of Andorians. Even a casual fan is aware of those bright blue aliens with curved horns on their head. Later shows expanded on them, but generally they’re just a cool visual addition to the Trek canon, very futuristic.
NOT BEST
5. “I, Mudd”
Why It’s Bad: In my previous list, I was a little mean to Harry Mudd, the chubby bald outlaw who acts like a theme park pirate. And this episode has less mail order bride awkwardness than “Mudd’s Women” (Season One). This is just a comedic episode that did not make me laugh very much.
Harry Mudd escapes from prison and ends up on a planet run by female androids. Mudd helps the androids steal the Enterprise so he can and his lady droids can escape. It’s a fine plot, a little random and not exciting nor memorable. It was kind of weird, at the prospect of being stranded on a planet of androids, Chekhov is interested in the concept of “living with compliant female androids.” #CancelChekov?
Lowlight: In the big confrontation with the master android, the Enterprise crew gets really clever and uses a…logical fallacy to destroy the android’s brain? Maybe Star Trek invented the cliche, but it certainly feels lame now.
And I feel like this is a real insult to android intelligence. They run a whole planet, can operate a starship, and talk to humans intelligently. But they can be outsmarted by a riddle?
Kirk: “You…have us cornered, androids. But let me ask you this (music tightens)…How much wood, would a Woodchuck….chuck”…?
BEST
4. “Mirror Mirror”
Why It’s Good: The mirror universe is just so cool. An entire universe built upon the opposite mission of our Enterprise: not a mission of peace, but a mission of conquest. So many great set pieces to pay off how crazy this world is. Mirror Chekhov trying to kill Kirk, that’s different. No wonder so many future shows revisited the Mirror-verse (it’s practically the setting of the first season of Star Trek: Discovery).
Plus the logo of the Mirror Federation is awesome, it looks like a dagger has stabbed the Earth. I’d join a lot of bad clubs to get that on a jacket.
Highlight: Mirror Spock is a cold calculating villain, but for evil. That’s well written and thought provoking. But he also has a SWEET goatee. That bit of scruff has brought so many casual fans to the Trek. Maybe that’s why William Riker grew his beard (see you in a later list).
NOT BEST
4. “Deadly Years”
Why It’s Bad: The Star Trek universe in general does a fair amount of “disease” episodes, where it seems like the crew of whatever starship is going to die, and they don’t know how to treat it. Very redundant and forgettable each time they do it. This is another one. Investigating a planet gives our Star Gang some radiation that causes them to age rapidly.
And we’re mostly watching our cast wear old age makeup, worried they may die. I don’t know what the best payoff for this kind of story, but solving it completely at the end of the hour is pretty lame.
And the old age makeup is just uncomfortable to look at. Very dusty.
Lowlight: Spoiler, but they waste a pretty good and borderline unrelated ending on this episode. At the very end, a not old Kirk avoids conflict with the Romulans by pretending to have a “corbomite device”, a non-existent bomb that will kill everyone. Easily the highlight of the episode.
We could’ve had a complex Romulan conflict like Season One classic “Balance Of Terror”, instead of “The Terrors Of Old Age.”
BEST
3. “The Trouble With Tribbles”
Why It’s Good: It has such retro charm, and whether you find it funny or campy, it’s very memorable. Odd touches, like sitcom dad William Schallert (The Patty Duke Show) as an undersecretary in charge of grain. And the character of Cyrano Jones, a cartoonishly pompous schemer.
And of course the Tribbles themselves, weird cute muppet balls with hypnotic powers, who vaguely screech constantly. A very colorful episode with a lot going on, it’s hard to be bored. And it’s so famous, it’s a must watch anyway.
Highlight: Spock maintaining his stern logician persona while simultaneously declaring his love for Tribbles. Leonard Nimoy doesn’t even try to make sense of it. It’s so bad it’s good, or, to paraphrase Scotty, watching this show is “no Tribble at all.”
NOT BEST
3. “Who Mourns For Adonais?”
Why It’s Bad: It’s a tough task for any actor to play an actual Greek God (or in this convoluted case, “a powerful nomadic alien who visited Ancient Greece and was treated as a God”), and to play the part with an air of believability.
And I don’t know Michael Forest from the Michael Trees, but his portrayal of Apollo is desperately hammy. When he’s telling Kirk “you have to stay here and worship me forever”, I thought two things 1) No one would agree to that, but also 2) this guy is not a Greek god, the twist is he’s some needy alien faker. And when you find out that nope, that’s supposed to be a God, it’s just uncomfortable and kind of sad.
I do not mourn for Adonais, if I’m reading that question correctly. Thank you for asking, Star Trek.
Lowlight: Apollo kidnaps Lt. Carolyn Palamas from the landing party to be his consort. And to help the Enterprise overcome him, she rejects Apollo’s advances. But they play it like she actually loves him, and we’re supposed to be sad for the both of them.
This is a Greek God/alien she JUST met, AND he just kidnapped her and is holding her captive, and this is true love? It’s uncomfortable to watch, so at least it fits Michael Forest’s acting.
Maybe we could explore Lt. Palamas’ motivations if she was ever on the show again. Nope. Great way to treat the female lead of the story.
BEST
2. “Amok Time”
Why It’s Good: The first episode of the season started with a bang, literally in terms of Vulcan biological needs (I’ll stop…but also Spock needs to bang!). This episode gave us so much insight into the complexities of the logical Vulcans. It is a touchstone in the complexity of the Star Trek Universe as a whole.
Spock is having physiological problems, making him act irrationally. It turns out he’s going through pon farr, a Vulcan need to mate every once in a while. They go to Vulcan to meet his fiancee, T’Pring, but she’s in love with another guy. Things go crazy.
We see real depth from Spock, the extremes of his personality, and Leonard Nimoy gives it real gravity, dealing with Vulcan sexual politics while also dealing with Captain Kirk and others seeing behind his facade for the first time ever.
It’s an absolute classic, if you haven’t seen it, you should.
Highlight: If you’re a TOS fan, close your eyes. What do you hear? Probably tribbles screeching, but in this case, two words: “fight music”. That’s right, I believe the debut of that manic orchestral thing they’d play during any fight scene, here at its peak. Very 60’s, very awesome. Kirk is tricked into accepting a fight with Spock, they both have American Gladiators sticks, trying to kill each other, it’s awesome.
NOT BEST
2. “Catspaw”
Why It’s Bad: This episode is supposed to be scary, with a menacing witch and a script by Psycho novelist Robert Bloch. I mostly found it confusing. There’s this barren planet with no life signs. That also has a witch. And a cat, which we assume is the witch and that’s important? Scotty and a B-team away team have already disappeared. And then there’s a guy in a medieval castle, still no life signs. He has magical powers, they’re in a scepter. Gotta get his scepter.
I get they were going for distress on the viewer, not knowing what’s going on. But a reviewer trying to piece together the plot should not have the most distress.
Lowlight: All of it. Convolution can sometimes fire up your imagination, make you curious, but here I was just overwhelmed into boredom. It would’ve been better if the show could’ve explored more stories like this, went into the backstory, but nope, story over, leave the planet and never come back. It’s like the episode never happened. Magic…
BEST
- “Patterns Of Force”
Why It’s Good: A definitive statement against Nazis and Nazi culture. In today’s era of racial violence, conservative vitriol, and the rise of racism/actual neo-Nazis in the media, it’s comforting to see our crew unequivocally say no.
A Federation historian wants to help a lawless planet, so he institutes a fascist regime. Not a great idea to begin with, but one of his alien assistants sedates him and turns it into Nazis. Swastikas, attempts to racially cleanse the planet of another alien group. The complete deal.
Star Trek is usually under the veneer of pacifism, with an Earth that is past strife and economics, and the Prime Directive that prevents interfering in pre-warp drive travel cultures. It’s good to know these artificial rules do not tolerate legitimate evil, and they say it out loud.
Highlight: To drive home the reality of the story, the propaganda films the Nazi aliens show are actually lifted from actual Nazi propaganda films made by the German director Leni Riefenstahl. Makes the story feel real.
NOT BEST
- “Assignment: Earth”
Why It’s Bad: Is this the worst episode of season two? No. But it is very memorable, so a good choice for the top spot. Most of the episodes I considered for worst have a pretty forgettable “Kirk fights some bad guy” storyline.
What this episode is “good at being bad” at is kind of not being a Star Trek episode. You see, Gene Roddenberry was riding high on getting two whole seasons of a show made, and pitched a spinoff/backdoor pilot for the season finale. And it’s not exactly clear what the show would be. Gary Seven is a heroic spy in the 20th Century with futuristic technology, who may or may not be an alien, and he recruits secretary Teri Garr to hang out with him as he saves the day, because he can? It’ll get your attention, but not my entertainment.
I’m not sure if “Gary’s Adventures” is supposed to funny, action packed, sci-fi, or what? I’d describe it as a whimsical spy story that takes itself less seriously than it should, especially in the first episode.
All I know is at the end Gary Seven is talking to Kirk about what happens in the future, and Kirk is like “I don’t know, but you and Teri Garr have an interesting future…” If he meant being mentioned as a failed spin-off of Star Trek in the footnotes of web articles, he’s correct.
Lowlight: Teri Garr is a funny actress, but her character is a meek and generic secretary not given enough to do. They imply she could be ditzy or a 60’s mildly wild child, but they avoid an actual character choice.
Bonus lowlight: Gary Seven has a cat which turns into a woman, and I don’t know what it does other than make him more unique. It was distracting, which I guess keeps you interested, but this feels like “Catspaw” all over again.
Gary Seven’s character was all “look at all the objects I have, I myself am not charismatic.”
******
So that concludes this breakdown of Season Two. It was a great ride, ambitious in successes and failures.
Looking ahead to Season Three…I probably should’ve been kinder to some of these episodes. What do you think?
