I don't consider these episodes the best. In fact I think they are all pretty mediocre. Trial and Tribbelations is the best of those, but only because of the truly amazing, seamless integration of old and new.
Yeh, that's me. At the time I was thinking how, in the real world, the producers always have to get the ratings to go up, so they tweak the production in order to (like the introduction of Troi's decotte costume in TNG or 7/9 in Voy). So they called DeForestKelley and James Doohan for TNG, Shatner for the movie, The Enterprise and the Tribbles for DS9, Takey for VOY, the Defiant for ENT. It's always TOS they run to for help with pleasing the fans (ratings). Now since the 2009 roboot, Star Trek is 23rd century again. By 'true' I meant classic, or timeless, highly creative (of course since it had no previous generation to succed. But I think I'm circling), things the other shows dont look to be so much. Maybe I should have used the word 'classic'. I did put the word 'true' between quotes. But since the various posters talked about canon issues I feel the thread went that way. It's alright, too. Fun read.
TOS was the first Trek. I don't think that makes it any "truer" than any other. Though I do like it more that the others. Kelley was used as a bridge from TOS to TNG, just as Stewart was used to bridge TNG and DS9. And they also used DS9 as launching point for Voyager. Takei and Tribbles were part of the anniversary, which had to acknowledge TOS. TNG has been used to "boost" the other shows. Worf coming to DS9 when it needed a "boost". Barclay appeared on Voyager several times. The Borg even showed up on Enterprise.
What, do you mean it's all fictional and subjective taste reigns? Madness, that other folks might like what I don't. No true Trek, next you'll be saying Battlestar Galactica would be better off without robot daggits.
The truth is that TAS is the only 'true' Star Trek. All those live-action things? Supplementary material to the unadulterated brilliance of TAS.
The Star Trek underpants are the only 'true' Star Trek. http://a.tgcdn.net/images/products/zoom/f029_star_trek_boxer_briefs.jpg Everything else is a lie.