The most original/unexpected star trek stories?

[DodgerFan]

Trek writers were definitely some of the most creative writers on tv but what episodes do you think of and just wonder how on earth someone even came up with the concept for the story?
And I don't necessarily mean episodes that were just stupid, I mean concepts that were actually amazingly original, unique and sometimes really wacky and outside of the box.

Some of the standouts for me

Phantasms- I think its debateable as to how successful this episode was but overall I think the originality and the visuals make it very interesting. This was very distinctly Braga trek and I do think he is very creative at thinking up ideas if not the best candidate for a show runner (EVER!).

Eye of the Beholder - I genuinely think this episode is criminally underrated and it typifies for me the very solid high concept trek that late TNG did very well. The whole idea of psychic imprints, murders, suicides all combining the way it did was really great and I think it takes a talented person to think this story up and carry it through.

Whispers: Don't you just love Star Trek? Having the episode follow a clone of one of the main characters, this episode was completely mindbending.

Course: Oblivion - Another very underrated episode in my opinion. Picking an event of a previous random (and truly terrible episode) and then bringing us its sequel in the most unexpected and intriguing way was genius. I loved the macabre ending and the fake outs at the beginning. I definitely remembered scratching my head at Tom and B'Ellana getting married when the episode originally aired.

Muse: A crewmember crashes into an alien version of Ancient Greece and they act as a muse to a playwright hoping to stop his country going to war. Joe Menosky was damned talented and so great at coming up with totally out there story concepts. This is an example of one that doesn't go crazy on the sci-fi but it still extremely weird and wacky but in a great way.

 

[Art Vandelay]

I second Whispers and Course: Oblivion, those are really great. (I don't really know why the latter gets so much hate, or why its predecessor Demon is so despised as well. Demon was a genuinely creepy episode with cool sets, an unexpected denouement, a near-perfect closing shot and a terrific score by David Bell.)

But you were asking for original and unexpected story ideas, so here goes...

The City on the Edge of Forever & Yesterday's Enterprise - By today's standards, the "our timeline has changed, we have to let something tragic happen to make sure history unfolds the way it should" plot is nothing to write home about, for sadly it has been done to death. But back in the day!

Who Watches the Watchers - The story did not shy away from anything, it was and still is sociologically very relevant. All other attempts of Star Trek to pose really deep philosophical questions are watered down or fall short - but not this one.

First Contact (the episode, not the movie) - The entire story is not only very cool, but also told strictly from the aliens' POV. But what am I saying, in this story the Enterprise crew are the aliens!

so much of TNG season 7: Phantasms, Parallels, Thine Own Self, Masks, Eye of the Beholder & Emergence: Truly mind-bending. Many people hate this season, I myself call it "Braga Goes Bonkers!" - but to me it's weird in a good and creepy Twilight Zone way.

Far Beyond the Stars - need I say more? I think not.

His Way and Someone to Watch Over Me - I did not expect Star Trek to successfully pull off romantic comedy.

It's Only a Paper Moon - Having an episode centre entirely on two supporting characters and their personal drama took cojones. And a fine episode it is.

11:59 & Carbon Creek - Taking us into the 20th century without using time travel - introspective and elegiac. Wonderful episodes.

In a Mirror, Darkly - It's quite ingenious and mind-bending how this is at the same time a sequel to third-season The Tholian Web and a prequel to second-season Mirror, Mirror.

 

[Pauln6]

I was really impressed by the Cage. It was a bit too high concept at the time which why it morphed into TOS but as a consequence I think it has dated really well. Vina is an admirable heroine even by modern standards. I'm one of those who really liked Demon. Inner Light was pretty cool too.

 

[ToddKent]

Star Trek IV - now that's an original premise for a movie.

I also agree with: It's Only a Paper Moon & Whispers

 

[sbk1234]

Not one of my favorite episodes by any stretch, but the one that focuses on Janeway's ancestor and the Millenium Gate was very different for Trek. Also, I was very surprised by the story telling style in the DS9 episode where Worf is on trial.

And for its day, how about The Cage? Thoughtful sci-fi with a woman second in command and an alien officer. 45 years ago, that was new.

 

[Gary7]

The Cage was immensely great story telling for its time. And I really like how it was reused for The Menagerie episodes. I can imagine how first time watchers must have thought wow--an historic Enterprise voyage with an earlier captain, major differences in cast, sets, wardrobe, and props--serious investment in production!

On a side note, it's interesting to see the notable differences in production aspects and acting going through the course of episodes starting with The Cage, to WNMHGB, then Corbomite Maneuver up through Charlie X, then Balance of Terror (BoT). From that point on, the show pretty much retains its form for the rest of the series run.

Inner Light from TNG was really unexpected for me. Fantastically rich story telling. It was also an important milestone for Picard... he ends up with a "virtual" family. In essence, he has the memories of having children and raising them. That was an incredible gift. I also liked how the writers carried forward Picard's flute playing into a subsequent episode.

Conundrum was a rather unusual story as well. We suddenly see this "MacDuff" as XO, and see the other characters consider him like a regular. The confusion of rank was terrific as well... especially seeing Worf assume he's the top commander. The overall story was decent, but the fresh juxtaposition of things made it rather notable. I enjoyed the exploration of Riker's interests in Ro and Deanna.

There are many others... just can't think of them right now.

 

[Greg Cox]

"Far Beyond the Stars" was the first title that popped into my brain.

Talk about thinking outside the box . . .

 

[Bad Atom]

First episode that came to mind for me was "Cause & Effect". Truly original.

 

[Anji]

My vote goes to TNG: "Darmok." Gosh, the way Picard has to figure out what that alien is trying to tell him.

I've been a writer all my life and if somebody sent me home with the premise of that story and asked me to flush out a script from it...damn, I could not do it. The writing was frickin' brilliant.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

"Flesh out." I wouldn't play Grammar Nazi except you said you were a writer and I assume wouldn't want to keep making that mistake.

I found DS9's Empok Nor to be pretty surprising, casting a near-lead character in such a scary and villanous light.

 

[Paradon]

How about the Borg? That is one of my favorite bad guys.

 

[Yevetha]

Voy Survival Instinct.

 

[Gojira]

Tuvix from Voyager. I think good science fiction looks at moral dilemmas and I think that was a good one. I had some friends watch it the other night and see what their reaction to was.

They think Janeway did the right thing. I think so too but I am not too sure. What if it had been 10 years before they had figured out how to separate Tuvok and Neelix? Would it still have been the right thing to do?

Good episode. It makes me think!

 

[Caesar753]

My vote goes to TNG: "Darmok." Gosh, the way Picard has to figure out what that alien is trying to tell him.

I've been a writer all my life and if somebody sent me home with the premise of that story and asked me to flush out a script from it...damn, I could not do it. The writing was frickin' brilliant.

Agreed. That is one of the best TNG episodes, if not one of the best Star Trek episodes period.