Favorite Third Season Episodes?

[plynch]

I consider "The Paradise Syndrome" to be a bookend episode to "This Side of Paradise."

Nice thought.

After reading/responding here, I've had the music running through my head.

 

[WisTrekFan]

Two of my favorite TOS episodes are third season shows - The Tholian Web and The Enterprise Incident. I think these two episodes would have worked well in either season one or season two.

 

[JustKate]

If you don't get the vibe "We'll always have Paris", how about "For one brief shining moment that was known As Camelot". Any vibes yet?

"Naked Time" revealed that Kirk secretly longs for a beach to walk on, a lady to share it with, and to be free of all his responsibilities. "Paradise Syndrome" gave Kirk this then quickly snatched it from him. If you are a Kirk fan, you would be emotionally invested in him enough to enjoy the melodramatic "Paradise Lost" scenario it presents. If you are not, it is going to be what you see as forced, cliched, maudlin, ridiculous and stereotyped. Agreed that it is full of cheap plot devices - amnesia, death of a pregnant wife in his arms (a cheapo devise repeated in nuTrek), the jealous lover, the alleged idyllic life of American Indians.

Those who like it probably do so because of their emotional investment in Kirk. It is similar to the emotional response you can't help but feeling, when Spock says "It's the first time I was happy". Cheesy, but there is a guilty pleasure in the emotional catharsis.

You may be on to something here, because no, I am not a big Kirk fan - I've always been a Spock girl, and I have not become any fonder of Kirk over the years. I mean, he has his moments, but...well, "The Paradise Syndrome" is whole lotta Kirkishness for someone not terribly fond of Kirk, not to mention how he was portrayed by Shatner. Yes, Kirk has his moments, but for me, this episode isn't one of them. To me, it's Kirk at his worst...but I can see (well, sort of see) why somebody who likes him more than I do might feel very differently.

 

[Gary7]

What makes me enjoy a Star Trek episode:

1. Very interesting story, captivating flow, and enjoyable acting.
2. Interesting episode due to certain intriguing moments for Star Trek lore, key aspects to character building, capturing a very "period" feeling with characters/scenes, or having the "strong potential" of a good story that just wasn't fully realized.
3. An episode with a humorous take that has to be seen as "tongue in cheek" to be appreciated.

An episode that turns me off usually has:

• Weak story idea, implausible overall premise, or decent idea terribly executed.
• Sub-par acting/directing, compared to episodes that I like.
• Boring screenplay that just doesn't manage to hold enough interest.

The 3rd season has plenty of episodes that fall into these categories for me... and although it is generally considered the worst season for Star Trek, it has some the best episodes of the series. This is my list, in order of preference:

Great
All Our Yesterdays
Whom Gods Destroy
The Empath
The Enterprise Incident
The Savage Curtain
Day Of The Dove
The Way To Eden
(^ Yes, I thought it was such a great earmark for the 60's counter culture)

Pretty Good
Requiem For Methuselah
Spectre Of the Gun
For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky
The Cloud Minders
Elaan of Troyius
Wink Of An Eye
Is There No Truth In Beauty?
The Lights of Zetar
The Tholian Web
Let That Be Your Last Battlefield
The Paradise Syndrome

Just Funny
Plato's Stepchildren
Spock's Brain

Awful
That Which Survives
The Mark of Gideon
Turnabout Intruder
And The Children Shall Lead