Favorite Third Season Episodes?

[GabeHimself]

"The Tholian Web" and "Spectre of the Gun" are probably the only two episodes in the third season that qualify as classics.

I don't think people consider Spectre of the Gun a classic.

I think in terms of pop culture Spock's Brain, The Paradise Syndrome, Plato's Stepchildren, The Way To Eden and Let That Be Your Last Battlefield are more well known and considered classics -- whether you or I like that a lot and with no care given to quality. You could dispute that, but these episodes have been spoofed and have entered pop culture. Spectre of the Gun hasn't.

 

[Commodore_Rook]

Favorites:
Tholian Web (A true classic!)
Day of the Dove (Kang! 'Nuff said!)
Spectre of the Gun (LOVE this one!!! My all-time fav! That actor playing Wyatt Erpp is PERFECT!)
Lights of Zetar (Creepy episode when she is "talking")

 

[Warped9]

The thing about 3rd Season is that I can find something I like in every episode, even some of the cringe inducing ones. Candidly it can be a challenge to define the blurry line between some of the good and not-so-good episodes. And I think if these stories had been given some more finesse as the first two seasons then we'd likely have had more gold to cherish. As is...

* * * * * For me these episodes rose above the limitations of the third season. I doubt they could really have been much better if produced earlier.
"The Enterprise Incident"
"Day Of The Dove"
"The Tholian Web"
"Spectre Of The Gun"

* * * * These don't miss the mark by much. In each case I think just a little tweaking might have been welcome.
"Is There In Truth No Beauty"
"Plato's Stepchildren"
"Elaan Of Troyius"
"That Which Survives"
"The Empath"
"Requiem For Methuselah"
"The Way To Eden"
"The Cloud Minders"

* * * What irks me here is that it's a matter of execution. More finesse and forethought could have gone a long way.
"Spock's Brain"
"The Paradise Syndrome"
"For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky"
"Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"
"The Savage Curtain"
"All Our Yesterdays"
"Turnabout Intruder"

* * There's still some entertainment value here, but in each case (idea and/or execution) really went off the rails.
"Whom Gods Destroy"
"Wink Of An Eye"
"The Mark Of Gideon"
"The Lights Of Zetar"

* There's still a valid story idea in this, but as is it's just so sad to see it played through. Should never have happened
"And The Children Shall Lead"

 

[Noname Given]

For me:
--------
- The Tholian Web
- Elan of Troyius (First Star Trek episode I saw first run on NBC at the age of 6)
- Day Of The Dove
- The Enterprise Incident

are the best the 3rd season has to offer

 

[WendyNotsid]

Is There In Truth No Beauty? While the fact that Dr. Jones couldn't make a mind leak after working with the medusan for so long and Spock being able to immediately seemed a little implausible, it was a brilliantly written episode in my opinion that examined a really interesting style of human prejudice.

The Cloud Minders--- The Spock/Droxine thing was not good at all but it was another great episode in the way it looked at class and the fact that it explored how a seemingly utopian society usually does exist thanks to the suffering of others. I thought it actually served as an allegory for the slavery-era south. Also, I really liked the Vanna character. Yeah, she did some things that were really sucky, but you kind of sympathized with her and understood her motivations. And she was a bad-ass. In my mind she served as a perfect anti-hero.

Actually, now that I think about it, the issue of social class popped up quite a bit in the third season, which I think was its saving grace.

Plato's Stepchildren: There was a lot of dramatic tension there. They did it really, really well if you ask me. And it explored class relations in a more subdued way.

Let That Be Your Last Battlefield: Once again, interesting analysis of social problems.

The Savage Curtain: A great exploration of ethics.

Day of the Dove: Your basic demon-possession plot, but in space. I think it translated really well.

 

[Warped9]

^^ My impression has always been that Miranda Jones hadn't yet tried to make a full mind-link with the Medusan. I think that was part of her jealousy---she wanted to be first.

 

[Harvey]

I don't think people consider Spectre of the Gun a classic.

Most reviewers I'm familiar with rate the episode pretty highly. Recently, Dayton Ward and David Mack scored the episode 5/6 and 6/6, respectively, on the TOR blog. Mark Altman and Edward Gross both score it 3/4 in their review book, Trek Navigator.

Of course, I think the atmosphere is just sublime, and generally count it as one of my favorite episodes of the series. The set designs are also the smartest adaptation to budget cuts in the third year of the series (not bad, considering it was the first script produced that year).

Regardless, tastes very. I'm pretty shocked that anyone here would rate "The Paradise Syndrome" as their favorite episode of anything, even the dreaded third season.

 

[Botany Bay]

Answer your question?

Yes, and we'll have to agree to disagree on just about every point, but thanks for the comprehensive reply

You should definitely give it another watch sometime.

I agree with you on one thing, that looks a beautiful location they used. Next LA trip I'm going to visit it for a walk around that lake.

 

[JustKate]

Answer your question?

Yes, and we'll have to agree to disagree on just about every point, but thanks for the comprehensive reply

You should definitely give it another watch sometime.

I agree with you on one thing, that looks a beautiful location they used. Next LA trip I'm going to visit it for a walk around that lake.

Since you're so gracious about my disliking one of your favorite episodes, can you tell me what you like about it besides the scenery? I mean, do you like the dialog, think Kirk a fabulous romantic lead, find the pseudo-Indian tribe believable, think the Caucasian actress makes a credible CheroNavApache, don't find any of the stuff that I consider to be cliches to be hackneyed, and aren't bothered by the fact that Kirk loves and loses his wife and his child and we never hear about them again? I'm kidding, but only sort of. Really, what do you like about the episode? I'd really like to know.

I probably will watch it again, since we just got TOS on DVD. I don't think I'll suddenly find I like it, though. I mean, I've seen it maaaaaany times, and each time, I've liked it a little bit less.

 

[DevilEyes]

Is There In Truth No Beauty?
The Tholian Web
The Enterprise Incident
All Our Yesterdays (flawed, but I love it)
The Empath
Day of the Dove

Whom Gods Destroy, For the World is Hollow..., Requiem for Metuselah and Let That Be Your Last Battlefield aren't exactly good, but have their moments.

 

[Expo67]

That's a good question. Regretfully, that is a difficult one to answer. Most of the third season had some good episodes(i.e. Spectre Of The Gun, Day Of The Dove, The Tholian Web, The Paradise Syndrome, Wink Of An Eye, and Whom Gods Destroy among many).

However, just to make it easy, I can tell you what were definately NOT my favorites.

I think many fans will concur with my opinion concerning these episodic duds.

Turnabout Intruder
Platos Stepchildren*
Spocks Brain
And The Children Shall Lead

*The only good thing about this episode was that television history was made. The rest, less said, the better.

 

[Expo67]

Favorites:
Spectre of the Gun (LOVE this one!!! My all-time fav! That actor playing Wyatt Erpp is PERFECT!)

Ron Soble was definately the right actor for the role. It's a shame that he passed away some nine years past. Walter Koenig knew Ron before he worked on Star Trek, and spoke very highly of him.

Ron is terribly missed to this day.

Ron Soble(1932 to 2002).

 

[Shatnertage]

The Enterprise Incident
Whom Gods Destroy
Day of the Dove
The Tholian Web

 

[Red Ranger]

My top three are: The Tholian Web, The Day of the Dove, and The Enterprise Incident. Worst are still Spock's Brain and The Children Shall Lead.

 

[plynch]

I don't mind most of "And the Children," but I HATE the fact that the Gorgon (?) had to change to be physically ugly. Dumb.

 

[Shatnertage]

I find it impossible not to like "Spock's Brain."

On the other hand, I can't watch the minimalist "masterpieces" like "Spectre of the Gun" and "The Empath."

 

[Shatner_Fan]

Just wanted to chime in and say that watching The Tholian Web (along with Mirror Mirror) and the Enterprise 2-parter In A Mirror Darkly = 4 hours of pure Trek geek bliss!

 

[Borjis]

"Spock the Smart Ass Vulcan" aka "That which survives"

 

[Joanna McCoy-Kirk]

I can't stand "The Paradise Syndrome." It seems like a bad Western, not a Star Trek episode. My favorite 3rd-season episodes include "The Tholian Web", "The Empath", "The Enterprise Incident", "Is There in Truth No Beauty?", and "For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky." Guilty pleasures are "Turnabout Intruder" (for historical reasons) and "The Mark of Gideon" (Kirk and Odona make a cute couple IMO).

 

[CoveTom]

I don't think I'm braving any new territory here, but I'll go ahead and add my list:

Faves from Season Three
The Enterprise Incident
Day of the Dove
The Tholian Web

Ones I Like That Seem Generally Disliked By Others
Wink of an Eye
The Mark of Gideon