The Better Episode #1

[RobertScorpio]

In this thread we will pit two episodes of Star Trek(s) up against each other, and try to find out which one was.....THE BETTER EPISODE....


First Battle...

AMOK TIME vs YESTERDAY'S ENTERPRISE

This is a heavy weight battle of epic design. Each is considered one of the better episodes from its respective show, but now, they must do battle here..

AMOK TIME
We all know the fight scene, heck, even the music of the fight scene by heart. We find out about Pon-Far, and much about Vulcan culture. Kirk shows how far he willing to go for his friend, and we see how far Spock is willing to go (killing Kirk) to fullfill his primal needs. Though, at the end, Killing Kirk does the opposite. One of TOS's best scenes comes in sickbay when Spock finds out Kirk is yet, still alive.

YESTERDAY'S ENTERPRISE
TNG did a few time travel episodes, and this one is one of the better ones. The Enterprise-C comes from the past into TNG's present. This alters the time line, and now the Feds and Klingons are at war. Guinan knows whats going on and convinces Picard to send that ship back. Tasha, who is dead in the real timeline, is allowed to go back so she can die a better death (and have a kid too). Great character moments with both Picard and the doomed captain Rachel Garret.

So....you decide. Which was the better episode. By the way, polls are okay. But I like threads like this where you need to explain yourself. True, not as many people participate, but I favor quality over quantity.

Robert Scorpio

 

[Michael]

Apples and oranges.

 

[RobertScorpio]

Oh, I agree. But so are Citizen Kane, The Godfather and Star Wars. All three of which are considered for 'best movie of all time'. At least these two choices are in the Star Trek universe. I know...I know, it's hard to make a choice. They are both so good. But if you were stranded on the desert island, and you could only watch one of them for the rest of your life...which would it be???

Rob

 

[HoundDog]

^
You're really someone who likes enforcing tough decisions, aren't you?
Even if I was threatened to be shot, I would't be able to decide which of these episodes is better.

 

[RobertScorpio]

Yep...I didn't say it would be easy. But deep inside you do prefer one over the other. The problem comes when making the point and risking backlash. But movie reviewers go through that all the time when they list movies.

And by the way, we have no problem listing our favorite TREK movies, and they are a mixed bag as well. How many times a year are we asked to rank the movies, and we do, and hardly we agree there as well.

So..bite the bullet...stick up your chin....unsheath your blade, and rush in and battle like there is no tomorrow!!!

Rob

 

[idreamedmusic]

Wow, this is tough - especially since it's from my two fav Trek shows and two rather different types of eps. Damn you.

But okay, if I were forced to make a decision, I'd say "Amok Time". Mainly because I've always preferred personal drama and character moments over everything else, and it doesn't get better than Kirk vs Spock.
I'm not even gonna start on Vulcan sex.

The one weakness of "Yesterday's Enterprise" to me is the fact that I've never liked Tasha Yar all that much, so the focus on her character's the thing that made me pick "Amok Time". Otherwise awesome ep as well and the closest we got to a TNG Mirror Universe ep.

And my choice has absolutely nothing to do with Kirk's ripped shirt. Na ah. Not at all.

 

[Anwar]

I have to side with YE on this one, especially for the amount of detail put into the episode and the appearance of the alternate ship. Everytime I watch it I notice a new little detail I didn't before that enriched the experience to me, and I really liked the Riker/Picard relationship in the war-timeline.

 

[HoundDog]

Well, finally thought it over and guess I'll go with "Amok Time" on this one. "Amok Time" just adds more to the franchise (the whole vulcan sex/vulcan culture stuff), while "Yesterday's Enterprise" is basically just a stand-alone-ep - although it adds Sela, it wouldn't hurt if it had never happened.

 

[RobertScorpio]

I agree with your reasoning. Yesterday's Enterprise is a great episode, to be sure. It is one of TNG's finest. But AMOK TIME defines the vulcans, and the interplay between the big three, Kirk/Spock/McCoy, really comes to the front in this one. The only problem I have, and it is never gone into, is why his parents, who both show up just a few episodes later, weren't there. Was it politcs? Was it their way of saying they were not for the union? Perhaps they knew about her 'slutting' nature and decided not to come?

AMOK TIME wins it...but it is a photo finish!!!

Robert

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Amok Time

 

[TrekNut87]

Damn, this is a tough one. Two of my favorite episodes and I'm forced to choose one... I'm going to go with Amok Time because it gives a backstory to Vulcan culture and really loved the final scene at the end of the ep. between The Big 3.

Yesterday's Enterprise was a very good episode indeed , but it was really nothing more than just a fun stand-alone episode.

 

[Kirkman1987]

Amok Time, partially because I prefer TOS

but also because it introduced a great deal to Vulcans,and is one of the best "Big three" episodes. The fight at the end is classic but I think the build up is great too. The woman who plays T'pau is great with "de air is de air, what can be done".

oh yes, and one of the coolest Trek props ever, The Lirpa!!!!!
btw, did we ever see the lirpa again in Star Trek? I don't recall.......


Nothing aganist Yesterday's Enterprise, it's an exellent episode, I just think Amok Time is more entertaining

 

[Michael]

btw, did we ever see the lirpa again in Star Trek? I don't recall.......

 

[Garth Rockett]

Amok Time. While I love Yesterday's Enterprise, it loses points because the adventure is wiped from the minds of the E-D's crew once the timeline is reset. The events of Amok Time stick with Kirk's crew. Also, Spock's farewell to T'Pau and the revelation that Kirk still lives are two of my favorite scenes in all of Trek. It's a close one, but Amok Time gets the nod from me.

 

[Kirkman1987]

ok, thanks, but I do feel like an idiot now. for some reason, I've never noticed that's what the statue was holding. cool

didn't watch much of ENT, but I've seen TMP uncountable times.

 

[EnsignRicky]

Yesterday's Enterprise. And for extra credit, The Godfather.

 

[EnsignJulka]

Amok Time gets my vote!

 

[HoundDog]

I agree with your reasoning. Yesterday's Enterprise is a great episode, to be sure. It is one of TNG's finest. But AMOK TIME defines the vulcans, and the interplay between the big three, Kirk/Spock/McCoy, really comes to the front in this one. The only problem I have, and it is never gone into, is why his parents, who both show up just a few episodes later, weren't there. Was it politcs? Was it their way of saying they were not for the union? Perhaps they knew about her 'slutting' nature and decided not to come?

AMOK TIME wins it...but it is a photo finish!!!

Robert

Did you know that when "Amok Time" first aired in Germany (back in the 70's) that it was heavily butchered due to the fact that the german TV-bosses thought Trek was a children's show and Spock's sexual motivated behaviour was nothing children should be confronted with? They edited the episode, so that it looked like he had some kind of space-sickness. The original version of this ep was first released here on VHS in the 90's, I believe - I don't know if it ever aired on TV in Germany(I have the DVDs, so I don't watch much Trek on TV anymore).

 

[chancellorjake]

I'll be different and say that Yesterday's Enterprise is far superior to Amok Time.
Amok Time is very good, but Yesterday's Enterprise is an incredible piece of storytelling that had lasting consequences in the form of Sela.

 

[greenmystik]

I think I would have to go with YE only because I'm biased towards TNG. I remember my jawing thumping to the ground when I first saw Tasha back on the bridge and remembered thinking, excitedly, if they were going to bring her back.