The 5 most overrated episodes of TOS

1. Managerie-Certainly a solid effort, but its often one of the most highly rated episodes and I don't feel its in the top tier.

2. Enterprise Incident-Again, not a bad episode overall, but there are so many dramatic and conceptual problems with it that I can't rate it as highly as some others.

3. A Piece of the Action-Ultimately too silly.

4. The Cage-A pretty good pilot but not as good as WNMHGB, and it's also really rough around the edges.

5. Space Seed- I really DO like the episode, but the story hinges on the betrayal of her comrades of a rather pathetic female officer...somewhat lessening it's impact.

 

I'd agree with numbers 2 and 3.

"The Trouble With Tribbles" is overrated, IMAO, to the extent that it apparently often shows up as "best episode of TOS" in polls about the show. I wouldn't argue with any list that put it in the top five, simply because there's no accounting for taste, but as number one? Fuggedaboudit.

 

5.) Wolf in the Fold - It's really good to have Scotty at the forefront for a change. But, it's ultimately silly and unsatisfying.

4.) The Ultimate Computer - Full of cliches.

3.) The Menagerie, Parts I and II - There's some good potential here, but it's ultimately boring.

2.) And the Children Shall Lead - There actually are people out there who like it (or at least prefer it to Spock's Brain) and therefore it is over-rated.

1.) The City on the Edge of Forever - Easily in the top five, or at least in the top six or seven. But the best? I don't think so.

 

"City" is the best, not only of TOS but of Star Trek, period.

 

IMHO "City" is an overrated tear-jerker, as is "The Paradise Syndrome". I also think "A Piece of the Action" is so over-the-top as to be nearly unwatchable.

 

Well, of course this is all highly subjective... There have been some "hurt/heal" threads run that reveal how much TBBS members like the episodes. I found myself in agreement with a good many, but not all.

If you judge TOS episodes against the later Star Trek series, you're penalizing it unfairly. The late 1960's was a very different time, in terms of episodic TV maturity and availability of technology. When stacking up TOS to what was out in its day, it really shines. Unfortunately, there are some dismal episodes. Some need to be taken as a kind of farce or comedy in order to be enjoyed, but some can't even be saved with that... I find "And The Children Shall Lead" a contemptible episode fraught with just ridiculous premises and bad acting.


"The Menagerie" had some slow parts to it, but I wouldn't call it boring at all. I found it very imaginative how "The Cage" was reused. Of course, the whole misleading behavior of Spock was so out of character, that it was hard to believe. Plus, making Commodore Mendez an illusion was unnecessary, as well as peculiar (maybe they just wanted to make it seem like less was real). But overall, the story worked really well. It's not in my top 5, but it's in the top 10 for me.

I think "City On The Edge of Forever" was ingeniously crafted, despite the myriad of changes from the original story and the inherent issues with time travel. A very colorful departure from what Star Trek normally produced. If you hate 1930's sets, I could see how you'd find it dull as much of the episode is like an old time movie.

The Enterprise Incident certainly had some conceptual problems, but I liked what they were trying to do with it. It was really great seeing the Romulans again. It's in my top 10.

"A Piece of the Action" was half-comedy. Yeah, it had its silly moments, but overall it touched on an entertaining idea and I definitely wouldn't say it's "unwwatchable." True, I think the Iotians being as intelligent as they are would learn from "the book" but not copy it outright. The behavior harkened back to a very primitive time in American culture, something I'd expect the Iotians to improve upon. However, given what they did with the technology at hand, I'm surprised Spock would even suggest that they'd be capable of figuring out the key transtator mechanism, being "the basis for every important piece of equipment that we have".

"Space Seed" in of itself was not very interesting to me, once we got past the first 20 minutes. Khan's take-over of the ship wasn't very well planned, given his "superior intellect". Also, there wasn't enough time for his crew to get educated on Federation technology to make them useful outside of just brute force. Ideally, it should have been a 2 part episode. In the 2nd half, Khan exercises a cleverly crafted plan to take over the Enterprise, utilizing much more inventive ways to secure the ship. It would have been great to see a scene with a huge number of the crew crammed into the shuttle bay. Anyway, they missed an opportunity in the remastering to insert a brief scene of Chekov, to help clear up the mistake in TWOK. This episode is not in my top 5, but what makes it enjoyable is how TWOK was built upon it.

 

"spock's brain"-why folks consider this to be a masterpiece of hard sci-fi and a highlight of season 3 combined with all the over-the-top praise of Nimoy's performance as "brainless, remote-controlled Spock" never fails to amaze me.

 

For those who don't agree with the conventional wisdom that "City" is the best episode, I'm curious as to what you think better deserves that distinction.

(Not that I'm looking for an argument, we all have our own tastes. Just curious.)

 

"Space Seed" has Ricardo Montalban, and led to the superior Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, but overall it's not one of my favorite episodes. I don't like how easily McGivers betrays her shipmates, for one thing. Top 25 of the series, maybe, but definitely not top 10 or 5.

 

I almost put it on that list, but I think most fans take it as a fun as episode, and in the vein it was meant.

RAMA

 

I don't know...McGivers is annoying and frustrating, but the writing in Space Seed was better than STII. Kahn's movie role in particular was underwritten, and only rescued with a great performance by Montalban.

 

Ah. A joke. It must be a joke. You are joking, right?

Well, I suppose it's possible someone, somewhere has that view...

 

There ARE people who don't like "City.." too!

 

yes, that was a joke, sorry. I think adding smileys kind of ruins the effect, plus I figured it was obvious.

On a serious note, I guess I'd go with "Charlie X" if that actually counts as well regarded.

 

My top episodes are....

1.) Journey to Babel
2.) The Conscience of the King
3.) Amok Time
4.) Devil in the Dark
5.) Arena
6.) The City on the Edge of Forever

I had planned to do a TOS review thread this last January, but real life kept getting in the way. If I ever get off my ass and do it, those might change.

 

I agree, they are overrated, even though they are both excellent episodes. There are other episodes that are just as good that don't get the same recognition or praise just because Harlan Ellison didn't have anything to do with them or there wasn't a movie sequel.

Please do! I love threads like that. They always bring great discussion.

 

1.Let that be your Last Battlefield: Great message, but ultimately silly. Half black\Half white VS half white\half black make up looks just like....make up. And they have magical powers (how else can science explain it) that take over the ship?

2. The Trouble with Tribbles: Too much comedy. Come one, dust bunnies are the scourge of the Klingon empire?

3. Errand of Mercy: The only thing good about it is pre-Dahar Master Kor.

4. A Taste of Armageddon: Basically Death ....by playing a game of Battle ship?

5.Plato's stepchildren: One of the most absurd TOS episodes. It only gets love because of the Kirk\Uhura force-kiss

 

It seems to me that most fans seem to hate that episode so I wouldn't really call it overrated.

 

Yeah, that scene is the most overrated in all of Trek, the episode though is foolish.