Star Trek: the Perfect Episode

[Shat Happens]

A Taste of Armageddon *

It may not be the best episode according to (loose) consensus and much-replicated lists (like City at the Edge of Forever, Inner Light etc) but it definitely has everything that made Star Trek great and a franchise lasting over 60 years with fans older still.

Anan 7, who is an enemy but he has pure motivation, he's not a simple moustache-twirling bad Romugon or Klingulan (both of whom I adore too but yeah).

Scotty badass in command fully charged phaser bank is the best diplomat.

Ambassador Fox wants to take command and do the wrong thing but also meaning well.

Anan decides to fire on the Enterprise. Kirk calls General Order 24. Well, that escalated quickly.

Kirk has a drink in the middle of it all (They say Sherlock Holmes in an ancestor of Spock's. James Bond must be one of Kirk's).

(my favorite scene) Spock calmly walks into a room full of enemies, tells one of them "sir there is an arthropod creature on your shoulder", FSNP's him, calmly take his gun, calmly walks away. Nobody even chirps.

(Also Spock) learns Fox was captured. Rescues him in 5 minutes or less.

(ALSO SPOCK) proceeds to rescue Kirk, finds he already Kirk-fu-ed himself into control of the entire planet. (Anyone surprised? Even Spock is)

The very VERY satisfactory super Star Trek-y ending. Kirk catalyzes everything that was wrong with two planets for 500 years, destroys the bad computers, smiles like only Shatner can, makes Anan happy, Fox happy, beam us up Scotty's and warps away on Fred Steiner's music. I am happy.

(ALSO SPOCK ordered a yeoman to literally knock down, if necessary, the Star Trek Babe of the week)

* -imho.

 

[1001001]

I don’t see a question for discussion here. Are you asking people what their Perfect Episode is? Or are you just talking about this episode (if so it’s in the wrong forum).

 

[Oddish]

It would be a worthy topic regardless... especially since most of my favorite Trek episodes have minor but very real flaws. Finding one that literally had no weaknesses, like Dr. Smolder Bravestone, would be an interesting challenge.

 

[Snowdrop82]

I would love an episode that focuses deep into ideologies and how they destroy civilizations.

 

[Shat Happens]

Are you asking people what their Perfect Episode is?

Yes. Sorry I wasn't clear. I brought dishonor to my House

Or are you just talking about this episode

also yes

(if so it’s in the wrong forum).

I think not. I meant perfect episode of all series.

 

[Oddish]

I brought dishonor to my House

Very well. We'll forego the mandatory ritual suicide with a dahk'tag.

Might jab you with a pain stick a couple of times, though.

 

[Farscape One]

I really love "A TASTE OF ARMAGEDDON", too. The topic is an interesting one. I suspect that the episodes that may not be the more popular ones will end up falling in this category.

I'll have to think on this one.

 

[StarCruiser]

The episode in question does emphasize a lot of what's right about the original series.

It tackles a variation on the cold war. People ARE dying, even though there are no bombs destroying "civilization" itself. This mirrors what was going on in Vietnam - and elsewhere - during the period of the 1960's. Proxy wars...

The US and it's allies were -usually- indirectly confronting the Soviet Union and it's allies in Asia, African and all over the world and those wars were taking many lives every year.

Neither nation nor, for the most part, their allies suffered any direct damage other that maybe a few spies and soldiers sent to aid in those efforts. Vietnam was one of the most direct interventions and cost the US and Australia (mainly) a fair number of casualties.

Eminiar and Vendikar were 'fighting' a never-ending conflict where neither side dropped any bombs on the other but, there were people dying every day... They had taken it to the ultimate expression of such a confrontation.

 

[Oddish]

Perfect episodes are kind of hard to find. A lot of my favorite episodes are enjoyable, but eminently flawed. "The Best of Both Worlds" takes Riker on a magnificent arc, but ultimately goes nowhere (plus it has Shelby). "The Inner Light" has some inconsistency issues. And there are some episodes that don't have anything bad about them, but they're not awesome, either.

I guess a couple I can state as perfect or near perfect are the dramatic tour de force that is "The Visitor", and the incredible debut episode of "Strange New Worlds".

 

[FredH]

I’d go all the way back to “The Cage” and/or “The Menagerie”.

 

[Farscape One]

How about DS9's "IN THE CARDS"?

There's almost no stakes, except to make sure a young man is able to give his father a gift. That's the entire premise... it couldn't really be simpler. But it works, and very effectively.

It's completely a character episode. We get little glimpses at what makes everyone happy... kayaking, a teddy bear, Klingon opera, etc. And everyone walks away happier than when the episode started... even Weyoun, who gets to learn about a new theory on 'creative genetics'.

And despite there being no real stakes at the start, we get some high stakes in the background with the Dominion wanting to sign a non-aggression pact with Bajor. So we have the politics of the region still playing a big part of the show.

It's a fantastic example of small scale storytelling being at the forefront with large scale storytelling happening on the side, something DS9 did very well.

 

[Oddish]

How about DS9's "IN THE CARDS"?

That is a good one... another I like of that variety is "Shadowplay". It had three nice little stories interwoven together. A little plot advancement (Jake's decision to follow his own path), but mostly just low-stakes storytelling, from Dax and Odo's opening conversation to Odo's goodbye to Taya (who had no right being so cute). And as a bonus, it used all characters well.

 

[BillJ]

“A Taste of Armageddon” is definitely my personal favorite across the entirety of the franchise.

And, Kirk wasn’t bluffing.

 

[Oddish]

And, Kirk wasn’t bluffing.

That was clear. He was offering a choice. Real war, or no war.

 

[JesterFace]

I just watched STNG episode 'Who Watches The Watchers', I think this episode is one of the episodes that tells us what Star Trek is about.

 

[Shat Happens]

Kirk wasn’t bluffing.

He definitely wasn't, he shot the war computer. Blew it up.

But now I wonder, if Anan 7 had not capitulated, would Scotty have carried out Gen Order 24?

Imagine the Enterprise returning to Earth without Kirk, Spock, Fox and under Scott's command - "lads I blew up an entire planet full of people. The same planet you sent us to establish diplomatic relations with."

Mirror Universe Scotty would be proud.

 

[Henoch]

Imagine the Enterprise returning to Earth without Kirk, Spock, Fox and under Scott's command - "lads I blew up an entire planet full of people. The same planet you sent us to establish diplomatic relations with."

What is stated as the real mission:

FOX: Captain, in the past twenty years, thousands of lives have been lost in this quadrant. Lives that could have been saved if the Federation had a treaty port here. We mean to have that port and I'm here to get it.
KIRK: By disregarding code seven-ten, you might well involve us in an interplanetary war.
FOX: I'm quite prepared to take that risk.
KIRK: You are. I'm thinking about this ship, my crew.
FOX: I have my orders, Captain, and now you have yours. You will proceed on course. Achieve orbit status and just leave the rest to me. You're well aware that my mission gives me the power of command. I now exercise it. You will proceed on course. That's a direct order.

After twenty years, it seems that the Federation is just fed up with this star cluster; and its solution is to put a space port on their planet to stop the loss of lives in the quadrant. This star cluster is not under Order 1 about non-interference; since they are aware of alien races and have interplanetary space systems and flight, plus they are killing Federation citizens (remember the USS Valiant?). Invoking Order 24 was in response to sneak attacking the Federation's representatives while conducting diplomatic relations. That's an act of war against the Federation.

 

[Vger23]

It's not my "favorite" episode, but I think the "perfect" Star Trek episode is "The Corbomite Maneuver."

Despite the fact that most Star Trek episodes are rescue missions, colony check-ups, police actions, ferrying missions, intergalactic espionage, space wars, etc..."The Corbomite Maneuver" actually has THE premise that Star Trek is supposedly built around, and the actions / behaviors / attitudes of the characters, particularly Kirk, are highly representative of the show's foundational premise.

 

[ChrisPiiike]

In this perfect (for me) episode of Star Trek, the crew of the starship Enterprise embarks on a mission to mediate a conflict between two alien civilizations on the brink of war. The episode explores the core themes of Star Trek: diplomacy, understanding, and the pursuit of peace. The episode begins with the Enterprise receiving a distress call from a planet called Harmonia, whose inhabitants, the melodious Harmonians, are known for their extraordinary musical abilities. The crew arrives to find Harmonia on the brink of war with their neighboring planet, Discordia. Both civilizations blame each other for a recent act of aggression. Captain Picard and his team, including Counselor Troi and Ambassador Spock, beam down to Harmonia to mediate the conflict. They discover that the Harmonians communicate solely through music, and their harmonious melodies are the foundation of their society. Discordia, on the other hand, communicates through dissonant sounds and discordant music, leading to cultural clashes and misunderstandings.
The crew of the Enterprise, utilizing their diplomatic skills, seeks to bridge the gap between the two civilizations. They organize a grand musical concert, bringing together the finest musicians from both planets. Through the power of music, they aim to create a harmony that transcends the differences between the two cultures.
As the concert unfolds, tensions begin to ease, and the shared language of music brings the Harmonians and the Discordians closer together. The haunting melodies of the Harmonians blend with the challenging rhythms of the Discordians, creating a unique and beautiful symphony. Through this harmonious collaboration, the two civilizations begin to understand and appreciate each other's perspectives.

Meanwhile, the crew of the Enterprise works tirelessly to uncover the truth behind the recent aggression, revealing a third party manipulating events to ignite the conflict. With this revelation, the Harmonians and the Discordians unite against the common enemy, forging an alliance based on understanding and trust.

In the end, a peace treaty is signed, and the episode concludes with a joint performance by the Harmonians and the Discordians, symbolizing their newfound harmony and unity. The crew of the Enterprise departs, leaving behind a legacy of peace and cooperation.

 

[ChrisPiiike]

this is my favorite episode