The most important episodes of TOS?

[Saddlefall]

Hi, new here I was just wondering what episodes you guys would say is the most significant, most important episodes in the original series. Episodes with important character moments and the like. Does any of them tie into the Star Trek movies?

 

[johcomp]

Amok Time, The Enemy Within, Obsession, This Side of Paradise, Galileo 7 - to name the episodes that I consider to be important for character development

 

[Trekwatcher]

For me it would be:
1) The City of the Edge of Forever
2) Amok Time
3) Balance of Terror
4) The Doomsday Machine
5) The Menagerie Parts 1 and 2

 

[Jeri]

...Does any of them tie into the Star Trek movies?

Christopher Pike is included in the upcoming new movie. For background, see the original pilot ("The Cage") -- which was made into a two-parter later ("The Menagerie, Pts. 1 & 2").

There was a TrekToday news item posted 10/23, entitled Greenwood on Pike in ST XI.

 

[T'Aerwynd]

I'd go with:
1. City on the Edge of Forever
2. Amok Time
3. The Immunity Syndrome
4. The Enemy Within
5. The Galileo Seven
6. The Tholian Web
7. Bread and Circuses
8. The Enterprise Incident
9. Let That Be Your Last Battlefield

All of those, to me, had very important moments for character development, for revealing more of the relationship between Kirk, Spock and McCoy, or for having a very profound message.

Does any of them tie into the Star Trek movies?

Space Seed (Season 1) tied directly into Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

 

[BillJ]

Thematic elements of The Changeling are used in The Motion Picture... so much so that it is sometimes called Where Nomad Has Gone Before.

Important episodes:

The Cage (1st Pilot)
Where No Man Has Gone Before (2nd Pilot)
The Naked Time
City on the Edge of Forever
Amok Time
Mirror, Mirror (which I'm watching right now)
Journey to Babel
Paradise Syndrome
All Our Yesterdays


There are definitely some I'm missing. But, I feel these are essential.

 

[Jarrott2]

if we are talking about tie in to the new movie then I would consider the following:

Turn About Intruder- Kirk is attacked by his former lover Janice Lester who was turned down for a captains chair. So a tie in to the academy days.

Shore Leave- Kirks academy nemesis Finnigan and his other love interest Ruth.
Journey to Babel- foundation for Spocks character.
The Way to Eden - refers to Chekov's girlfriend who left the academy to follow Dr. Sevrin.
The Mantrap- Dr. Nancy Crater, McCoy's former lover.
Conscience of the King- the storyline involving Kirk and Kevin Riley and their having witnessed the execution of thousands by Kodos the executioner.
Obsession-Ensign Kirks first post academy assignment and having lost his captain to the strange gaseous creature dichoronium.

 

[Jarrott2]

Let That Be Your Last Battlefield may be a definite tie-in to the new movie.
One of the pix revealed last week showed the outline of a large ape-like creature with claws. Looks like it was cut out of pic for the blue screen imaging process.
As we know young Kirk visits a planet in his early days and tells McCoy about the Mugato creature.

 

[Orac]

The Mugato creature is from A Private Little War not Let That Be Your Last Battlefield

 

[TheLonelySquire]

Hi, new here I was just wondering what episodes you guys would say is the most significant, most important episodes in the original series. Episodes with important character moments and the like. Does any of them tie into the Star Trek movies?

Good question and welcome aboard.

I think City, BoT, WNMHGB, The Cage, etc were some of the most important.

What do you think?

 

[Johnhead99]

I vote for Trouble with Tribbles................

 

[Saddlefall]

Thanks for all the good answers. The reason I ask is that I haven't seen any episodes of TOS, it's a little dated for me I'm afraid Also have limited time and was thinking of catching a few details here and there in preparation for the movies, including the new one. I'm in the process of watching TNG right now, just started season 4

 

[T'Aerwynd]

Thanks for all the good answers. The reason I ask is that I haven't seen any episodes of TOS, it's a little dated for me I'm afraid

Fear not! Hit up CBS.com, mouse over "shows" and click on Star Trek: The Original Series on the right hand side. You can watch all three seasons (the remastered versions anyhow) for free. I love CBS for making those available online.

 

[Markas]

My top eps would be:

Balance of Terror (We meet the Romulans for the first time and they are not entirely what we expect.)
Amok Time (We see Vulcan for the first time.)
The Menagerie
Space Seed (Khan is a must see.)
The Doomsday Machine
Journey to Babel (ties in to the films as we meet Spock's parents)
The Trouble With Tribbles (Trek at its funniest.)
The Ultimate Computer
The Enterprise Incident (slipping into the Romulan Neutral Zone gets interesting.)

Metamorphosis ties in to ST First Contact, as Zephram Cochran is the main guest character. I have it separate just because I didn't love this episode but we meet an important character from a future film.

 

[Saddlefall]

Cool, got a few eps to watch now. Thanks again.

 

[maryh]

I divided the important episodes into 2 categories. Those that influenced Trek in general - spilling over into the movies and spinoffs, and those that defined the characters the most.

Star Trek in general definers:

1. Errand of Mercy - defines the relationship between Feds & Kilingons
2. Balance of Terror - same as above for Romulans and adds defense to Enterprise's mission.
3. Journey to Babel - Brings diplomacy & politics into Trek, adds Spock's parents, Andorians and Tellarite's, introduces "needs of the many outweigh needs of the one" philosophy.
4. Mirror, Mirror - added a whole other "alternative universe" idea to Trek that repeats in spin-offs, and novels. This new movie borrows the idea.
5. Enterprise Incident - added that the Federation as not always perfect, and can do some questionable things.


Character definers
1. The Naked Time
2. Shore Leave
3. This Side of Paradise
4. Trouble with Tribbles (defined the minor characters a little)
5. Amok Time
6. The Savage Curtain (I hate this one but it does define)
7. Tholian Web
8. Court Martial (I hate the Kirk deification but it does define)

 

[darkwing_duck1]

Let us not forget "Season 4" (aka TAS), though only one ep IMO rises to the level of "important" and that is "Yesteryear", by DC Fontanna.