Good Star Trek Episodes/Movies around Christmastime

Around Halloween some of us here usually post about some of our Halloween/scary type Star Trek episodes that are good to watch around Halloween. And there are quite a few, some maybe with only a loose scary or spooky quality but at least in the family.

I was curious to see what people might think would be a good episode or movie to watch around the holidays. There are only two overt mentions of Christmas I can think of. One, of course, is Star Trek: Generations which depicts a Christmastime scene. The other was a mention of a Christmas party in the episode "Dagger of the Mind". But that really doesn't qualify because it's just mentioned, there's pretty much zero theming beyond that. Voyager's "11:59" is another potential possibility, though that's more of a New Years story. But it has that Hallmark or Lifetime Holiday movie feel about it so why not?

So this isn't really so much about Christmas directly. But are there any that might qualify in the sense of a feel-good story? Or a good-will toward man type of story? An episode that captures the best parts of this time of year of giving, generosity, that sort of thing.

One for me that might come to mind is the season finale of Discovery season 2, "Such Sweet Sorrow." Why? Because the crew of Discovery make a sacrifice to remain with Burnham. They decide to make a self sacrifice so she will not be alone. And Hugh decides to stay on as well, that he couldn't leave Stamets forever. And Spock and Burham make amends. While obviously not a Christmas episode in any strict sense, it captures the spirit of the season in a number of indirect ways. People giving of themselves to help or show their love.

Any others that come to mind?

 

Well, there's VOY's "Deathwish", which features Voyager at one point being transformed into a literal Hallmark ornament. While it's not really otherwise Christmas-oriented, I feel it's somewhat thematically appropriate for the season.

 

In "What Are Little Girls Made Of?", we have a woman who visits a winter wonderland where she is reunited with her lost love after 5 years. Sounds like a Hallmark Christmas movie in the making.

 

Unfortunately, the episode itself was a dog turd.

 

Ha-ha. I hadn't thought of that. I suppose you could put a red angel on the top of your tree and then say the red angel itself fits a Christmas theme.

Hmm, speaking of winter wonderlands I guess you could include Rura Penthe in Star Trek VI and Delta Vega in Star Trek (2009). Or maybe the planet breaking up in "The Naked Time". Oh, and the Sarpeidon ice age in "All Our Yesterdays". DS9's "The Ascent" is another possibility in that vein, and it even has Quark helping Odo a bit (as an aside I always liked then end in sickbay when they both reaffirm their hate for one another). Enterprise's "Broken Bow" features a snow storm--as does "TATV" (ugh, as awful as that episode was).

Ok-I admit I'm grasping.

 

Or "TIMELESS".

Voyager crashing on an ice world and being left to freeze solid for 15 years. Those scenes were pretty wintery.

And if we want to stretch it, "I Borg". They found Hugh on an icy planet. And now that I think about it, giving him a name and helping him be an individual is a great gift.

 

Don't mince words, "King Bob!"; what do you really think?

 

Shore Leave ( Original) and Once Upon A Planet (animated) Also The Trouble With Tribbles ones. They are just fun.

 

How about the spectacular TNG episode "Angel One"? It's got snowballs flung out of the holodeck with care, lots of angels with hair so big it makes Christmas Trees dwarfed by comparison (even the dude wearing that hideously beige/silver getup), ditto for shoulder pads that could holster a ton of tinsel, and I'm sure the crew wasn't smelling the virus but the brand new scent of all that hairspray used to keep every last strand of hair (and dandruff!) in monumentally perfect place...

 

Fortunately, it doesn't exist according to the official record.

 

Body Parts from DS9. Quark learns he's going to die and gets his affairs his order. He later discovers it's actually a trick by the Grinch, I mean Brunt (FCA) instead, and he's going to live ... but only if he breaks a Ferengi contract which will cost him his bar. He ultimately decides to do so and loses everything of material value. But in one of the happiest endings of DS9 all of his friends and customers gift him drinks, glasses, bar stools and so on to restore his bar in short order.

“Look at them, brother. And you thought you had no assets.”

Rumor has it Quark's ears grew three sizes that day.

 

Star Trek Generations has a pretty cool holiday scene and accompanying music. It's about as close as you get I'd say.

 

I don't want to watch Captain Kirk get killed at any time of the year.

 

"Family Business" from DS9 season 3 is a good one i think,
there is cooking, family reunion, love and, well not snow, but lots of rain. Granted, it's going a bit out of hand on Ferenginar but it all work out in the end, just like a true christmas story.

 

"Tapestry," with Picard and Q, is arguably a variation on both "A Christmas Carol" and "It's a Wonderful Life."

Supernatural guide takes mortal on tour of his past, showing him how it might have played out differently. Etc..

 

I was going to suggest maybe Dagger of the Mind mainly because a Christmas party was mentioned and we met Dr. Helen Noel. Maybe not entirely Christmas related, but we know they celebrate the day in the 23rd century.

 

Yeah I forgot to chime in on this pre-Christmas, but I was going to add the VOY episode "Prophecy" - Klingons come from afar, led by prophecy, and pay homage to their savior who is just a baby.

 

This weekend is the Epiphany so you're right on time.

 

Ah that's right! Happy Epiphany!