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Newbie here, I watched these episodes to get a grounding for other series, am I good to move on?

Well, okay. You can watch "The Doomsday Machine." But if you don't love the show after that, I give up.

Try The Next Generation. And if you really want to stick to the decent stuff, start TNG at Season 3. That's when they really got their act together.
I'll make sure to add that! Thank you!

I already love the show, I'm just wanting to get a good grounding of Star Trek for TNG, VOY, etc. without having to sit through all of TOS.
Doomsday Machine definitely and most of season two you're backing a winner!
JB
Thanks Johnny! :beer:
 
A Piece of the Action is a fun one form S2. Bread and Circuses is also a "should watch" b/c of the McCoy/Spock scene in the jail cell. Really good stuff.
 
...The other episode that stands out as missing to me is "The Devil in the Dark" from Season 1...a good "what Trek is all about" episode.

Plus it contains the famous: "I am a doctor, not a brick layer" line.

"Catspaw" is a good episode too, IMO

I'd avoid "Spock's Brain" though if I were you.
 
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Personally I also like "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky" and "The Cloud Minders" from Season 3 because of their classic sci-fi themes. Ah, who am I kidding, I find all TOS amazing! Why can't you watch all episodes of TOS?

The Cloud Minders is such an underrated episode.

Also, to the OP, add "The Devil in the Dark" to your list. One of the best episodes. The Changeling is also fantastic -- classic Kirk mind-fu.
 
I think you're going to get a lot of people's personal favourites being recommended to you, nothing wrong with that as TOS is great, but I agree with most that the only 'essential' you're missing is The Doomsday Machine.

Having said that, I just wanted to throw you a couple of my recommendations for Season 3 as I noticed you're a bit light on episodes from that season and while it's true it's the weakest one, there are still some good episodes in there. So in addition to what you already have, I'd suggest Whom Gods Destroy, The Empath and Elaan of Troyius (just some personal favourites, wouldn't say they're essential). Oh, and Spock's Brain (joke!).
 
I think he SHOULD watch Spock's Brain so he knows why everyone thinks it's so terrible.
Agree the OP should watch "Spock's Brain" to understand what people mean. However, I'll be a dissenting voice in the din by saying I actually didn't hate Spock's Brain. I mean, yeah the story is bonkers, the dialogue is sometimes unintentionally funny ("Brain and brain! What is brain?") But honestly, I think it's just campy, silly, nutty sci-fi fun. It's entertaining, and not in a so-bad-it's-good way, but in a so-weird-it's-fun way. I certainly like it more than "Assignment: Earth" which can barely call itself an episode of Star Trek.
 
Definitely watch "The Doomsday Machine" and "The Ultimate Computer" (both Season 2). They are unmissable. Personally I also like "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky" and "The Cloud Minders" from Season 3 because of their classic sci-fi themes.
The Cloud Minders is such an underrated episode.

I agree 100%. And so do others apparently. I think Neill Blomkamp's "Elysium" movie (starring Matt Damon) is a thinly-veiled remake of "The Cloud Minders". Or at the very least it shares the same premise, only 44 years after.
 
I think everybody knows that line.:D
True, but I didn't see that it had already been mentioned in this thread.

I actually rewatched Spock's Brain off the back of this thread last night, just to see if it was as bad as I remembered. It was worse. I think I'd blocked a lot of it out. The bit where Kirk is rolling around on the floor while remote controlling Spock's body to grab the control device is cringe worthy.
 
True, but I didn't see that it had already been mentioned in this thread.

I actually rewatched Spock's Brain off the back of this thread last night, just to see if it was as bad as I remembered. It was worse. I think I'd blocked a lot of it out. The bit where Kirk is rolling around on the floor while remote controlling Spock's body to grab the control device is cringe worthy.

Yes, it's very bad and strangely memorable.
 
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