Favorite trek story ideas?

[You_Will_Fail]

The possibilities for creating story ideas in Trek is fascinating, and I enjoy trying to think up some myself (as you can see in my fan fiction thread).
Regardless of how well the idea was executed in the episode, what are your favorite story ideas/concepts seen in Trek?

Mine:

-Crew abducted in their sleep for experiments - "Schisms", TNG.
Creepy stuff!

-Data loses memory and wanders into pre-industrial village - "Thine Ownself", TNG
It was fantastic seeing Data in this setting and using his powers of deduction with all the primitive technology to sort out the problem

-O'Brien thinks everyone is conspiring against him, and it turns out he's a clone- "Whispers", DS9
Keeping the viewer in the dark makes this episode really work

-Temporal anomaly means crew meets their descendents- "Children of Time", DS9
The dilemma, the dilemma!

-Two people are merged in a transporter accident, "Tuvix", VOY
The ethical dilemma is fantastic and for once, there is no easy answer.

-Religious person dies and when they are brought back to life realizes there is no afterlife - "Mortal Coil", VOY
Ethan Phillips's performance elevates this episode to the straotosphere for me

-A reanimated dead crew member returns to Voyager "Ashes to Ashes", VOY
The scene where the previously dead crew member is eating dinner with Janeway and nearly appears to be blaming Janeway for her death COULD have been one of the best scenes in all of Trek, unfortunately they bungled it.

 

[Clare]

oooh am I the first person to post? =D yeah anyway, I agree there have been some pretty good ideas. I also like Schisms and I like Data's Day, Hollow Pursuits, When the Bough Breaks, Amok Time (TOS) etc.... I could go on for hours! Just last night I saw a really god TNG episode about a genetically engineered human colony but I forgot what it was called! Anyway, the idea was good and linked directly to ethics which I'm doing in A level R.S. I think that's what i like about episodes anyway, although it's set in the future many issues which are relevant now are discussed or turn up in a creative situation in Star Trek.

 

[Mr Radioactive]

The Best of Both Worlds. I think it was the most ominous episode in Star Trek, with Picard and his crew facing up to their deaths. In my opinion, there was never a more credible threat in Star Trek than the Borg at that time.
Picard is kidknapped and the individual he was becomes absorbed into the collective. This is a great example of how fundamental our individuality and our uniqueness is. It is what makes us different from everybody else - its what makes us what we are.
In the first part Riker is accused by Shelby of living in Picard's shadow. In the second part, Riker becomes the captain and he has to step out of Picard's shadow. You could say that Riker is asserting his individuality at the same time Picard has had his taken away from him.
It is their extreme interdependency which defeats the Borg.

 

[Galileo7]

TOS "Balance Of Terror" "Galileo Seven"
NG "Yesterday's Enterprise" "Timescape"

 

[C.E. Evans]

Mine:

-Life aboard a starship when the whole universe isn't in danger.

-An unlikely Starfleet officer chosen as a religious icon by an alien civilization.

-First contacts that go terribly wrong.

-Other Starfleet ships and crews.

-Godlike aliens.

-When heroes are forced to do something that might be morally questionable for the greater good.

-Aliens who view Humans from an outsider's perspective.

-A distinguished Starfleet officer kidnapped by hostile aliens and forced against his will to act against the Federation.

-Klingon women in charge.

-Some of the founding members of the Federation originally not liking each other very much.

-When the Federation's ideals are put to the test.

 

[You_Will_Fail]

I am looking for examples of specific episodes.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Then this thread should be titled "Favorite Trek episodes" rather than "Favorite Trek story ideas."

 

[Clare]

oh yes there's also Frame of Mind (TNG) it scared the hell outta me though!

 

[JiNX-01]

Not a complete list but here are a few of my favorites...

TOS:
City On the Edge of Forever: Kirk's Kobayashi Maru.
Journey to Babel: Introduces Spock's parents and the strained relationship between him and his father. We also get to see other species in the Federation.
Amok Time: Introduces Vulcan marriage practices and we get to see our first female Vulcans.
Devil in the Dark: Turns out humans are the bad guys.

TNG:
Q Who?: Resistance is Futile.
Yesterday's Enterprise: A time travel episode that didn't leave me wondering .
The Most Toys: Apparently, you can piss Data off.
The Best of Both Worlds: Good Borg story, with a nice coda in "Family."
Any episode that features Barclay. It's so nice to see a human being among all the androids.
The Inner Light: Picard lives a lifetime in less than an hour (and it stays with him).
Tapestry: Q gives Picard a chance to see an alternate version of his life.
The Pegasus: An interesting backstory about Riker (who apparently wasn't perfect back in the day).

DS9:
The Dominion War: The arc led to many terrific stories (especially in the last two seasons).


VOY:
Scorpion: Janeway makes a deal with the devil.
Anything featuring The Doctor.

ENT:
Dead Stop: Automated repair station meets Coma.
Cogenitor: A first contact goes awry when Trip helps a uneducated third-class citizen of Vissia to see its own potential.
Stratagem: Archer and crew pull a "Mission Impossible," tricking the chief Xindi weapon designer into revealing the location of the weapon.
In a Mirror Darkly I & II: No crew crossover, but an interesting look at the MU in the 22nd century and a cool tie-in to TOS episodes Tholian Web and Mirror, Mirror.

 

[Myasishchev]

-Two people are merged in a transporter accident, "Tuvix", VOY
The ethical dilemma is fantastic and for once, there is no easy answer.

Maybe I'm just thick, but it hit me hard the other day how much of an abortion allegory Tuvix was. Tuvix is a new life whose continued existence depends on the destruction of two others--that sounds a lot like parenthood to me. He also looked a lot like a fetus, although that might just be a coincidence.

Probably my favorite Trek story idea was the high concept of "The Savage Curtain," where unknowable alien intelligences team our heroes up with "good" historical personages and pit them against historical villains. That shit could probably be it's own show.

...Well, yeah, it is, but I don't think The Deadliest Warrior has had a fight between Cosmic Abraham Lincoln and Kahless the Unforgettable yet.

 

[sojourner]

Seven of Nine beams into my bedroom one night......