Which episode of each series do you think captures it the most?

[Lord Garth]

On Discovery, I think "Point of Light" is the most Discovery-esque episode to date. It was completely, totally, and utterly DSC being DSC. If you like the show, it's a good thing. And if you don't, then it's not. But that's not where I want to go with this.

Here's where I want to go...

What episodes do you think of each series are best representative of the series being that series? This is NOT the same as "Which episode is the best?" It's: which episode of TOS is the most TOS being TOS? Which is the most TNG being TNG? And so on.

It doesn't even necessarily have to capture the series' best qualities either. It can be: when you think of X show, which episode is the most like it? "This is such an episode of TOS it has every TOS cliche in the book!". On the other end, you can have: "This is an episode that could've only been done on DS9!" or "This episode shows what TOS was all about!"

 

[Greg Cox]

I get what you're saying. "City on the Edge of Forever" and "The Inner Light" and "Far Beyond the Stars" are great episodes, but hardly typical of their respective series and not what you'd want to show newcomers to give them a taste of each series is like.

TOS: "The Corbomite Maneuver" is possibly the archetypal TOS ep. It's set aboard the Enterprise,Kirk and Spock and McCoy are all in fine form, there's tension, suspense, humor, and a twist ending that ends things on an optimistic, idealistic note.

I'll leave the latter-day shows to others.

 

[Mysterion]

For TOS I agree with Mr. Cox that The Corbomite Maneuver is probably the best choice.
TNG: The Measure of a Man
DSN: Duet
VGR: Threshold - yes, that's exactly what I mean.
ENT: I got nothing here it was all over the map
DSC: too early

 

[at Quark's]

ENT: perhaps Broken bow. Ultimately this series was simply about the first Starfleet crew to really venture into deep space and learning how to deal with other cultures... which is exactly what this episode gave us.

TNG: Darmok. Fundamental questions of what makes us, "us", and how we are rooted in our own history, shows off the culturedness of Picard, diplomatic search, brains over brawl, but some action too. Ultimately, species learning to work together.

Still have to think about the other series.

 

[Lance]

VOY: "The Void" kind of encapsulated the best concepts of Star Trek: Voyager. The ship and crew are stuck in unknown territory, dealing with unknown and unfriendly races, and by attempting to bring these disparate groups together so they can all find an escape path, it's a very Star Trekk-y idea to boot.

 

[SpocksOddSocks]

Actually, I would not go with Combomite manouvre for TOS. I'd say Errand of Mercy. First, it's planet-side with a seemingly primative culture (even though they turn out to be god-like beings, which, themselves are another common TOS feature), Kirk and Spock in disguise, and it has Klingons.

I'll have a think about the others.

 

[Tenacity]

ENT: I got nothing here it was all over the map

Dear Doctor?

Complex situation that is revealed in pieces, Archer gets advise from his officers, ponders all sides and ultimately makes the wrong decision.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

If we're talking about episodes right down the middle, I'd pick:

TOS: "Friday's Child"
TAS: "The Eye of the Beholder"
TNG: "Timescape"
DS9: "Who Mourns For Morn?"
VOY: "The 37's"
ENT: "Dead Stop"

 

[SpocksOddSocks]

TNG, I think I'll say Data's Day.

Like much of TNG, it was character based than adventure based, with a minor plot (this time involving Romulans) taking place in the background (the action is so often the subplot in TNG). As commonly happens, Data is seeking help and advice from people about social situations, which in this case is a wedding. The wedding also plays into the fact that TNG often has a family element.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

TOS: The Corbomite Maneuver
TNG: Elementary, Dear Data
DS9: Rocks and Shoals
VOY: Eye of The Needle
The other two I've not seen episodes more than once so can't remember well enough to say.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

The Circle trilogy was designed to make a statement about what made DS9 distinct from its predecessors: the mix of politics and religion, the decentered narrative, the discourse on the meaning of heroism.

 

[Greg Cox]

For TOS, you can also make a case for "The Devil in the Dark." Kirk, Spock, and McCoy all have great moments, Scotty is pulling off engineering miracles, there's a Vulcan mind-mind, one of the best "I'm a doctor, not a . . . " moments, and an encounter with a strange new life-form that is not what it seems.

 

[Kilana2]

Voyager Learning Curve: Tuvok helps some former Maquis members to integrate into the crew. DS9 and TNG considered Maquis members first and foremost as enemies. So this episode was something unique for Voyager.

 

[Nyotarules]

TOS - Balance of terror (the two sides of humanity, Styles showing humans can be still racist assholes, Kirk showing humans can be better than their Styles counterpart, and it treats the Romulans with respect)
TNG - The Neutral Zone (again the two sides of humanity, Picard/Riker showing, yes humans have risen above their earthly local prejudices but can still learn a thing or two from their ancestors, and it brings back the Romulans)
DS9 - In the pale moonlight (humans can be as devious as the next species, take that Picard!)
VOY - (no idea cannot remember a thing)
ENT - Broken Bow - North American humans first time out in space exploring and they almost screw it up. (as arrogant as their ancestors were/are).
DISC - Magic to make the sanest man go mad (entertaining with a strange ending, sums up Season 1)

 

[SpocksOddSocks]

For TOS, you can also make a case for "The Devil in the Dark." Kirk, Spock, and McCoy all have great moments, Scotty is pulling off engineering miracles, there's a Vulcan mind-mind, one of the best "I'm a doctor, not a . . . " moments, and an encounter with a strange new life-form that is not what it seems.

That was actually one of the first episodes I thought of too, mostly for the bricklayer comment. Then decided it didn't have as many of the oft repeated tropes as errand of mercy. What it did, however, was provide groundwork for quite a trope that carried on into later series. The "monster turns out to be something innocuous in the end".

I'm struggling with DS9, despite it being the one I'm most familiar with. The series has so many repeated elements, but I can't think of a single one that fits everything in, and there are many that would have felt out of place in any other series. I might have to go with Cardassians because it features the quintessential Bajoran resentment towards Cardassians in general, and gives us our first indication of just how self-servingly underhandly ambitious Dukat really was.

Voyager: I think Eye of the Needle that Jirin mentioned is a good choice, but think, Hopes and Fears for the same reason, adding in the extra part of Seven being suspicious and resistant.

 

[SpocksOddSocks]

Voyager Learning Curve: Tuvok helps some former Maquis members to integrate into the crew. DS9 and TNG considered Maquis members first and foremost as enemies. So this episode was something unique for Voyager.

Get that cheese to sickbay...

 

[pfontaine2]

Perhaps for sentimental reasons the Star Trek episode that most resonates with me is "Spectre Of The Gun". Are there better episodes of Trek? Absolutely, especially during the first season which remains my favorite. However, "Spectre" is one of the first episodes of Trek I'd ever seen and the whole concept and execution of it makes it one of the best episodes of all the series for me personally.

This episode has everything, an alien race testing humanity, a seemingly impossible situation the characters can't think their way out of, a "death" of one of the characters, a mind meld, an all out brawl and eventually a peaceful resolution. The whole concept of the half-built western town and the way that Spock's mind-meld provides the crew with the ability to survive bullets (along with the really nicely executed special effect of the shots destroying the fence behind them) makes for an unforgettable episode.

I was raised watching Lost In Space and this episode was the gateway for all things Trek when I was a very impressionable young lad back in the late 1960's.

 

[XCV330]

ENT stumbled through the first two seasons, went one direction in season 3 then another in season 4. so its hard to say what's indicative of it. This is difficult. Discovery seems to be going with different moods for seasons, as well.

In chronological timeline order:

ENT: The Forge:
Earth is not perfect, but the dream is there, even if the dream's germination comes from the shadows of a bloody recent past. The Vulcans are far from perfect too, with their own deeper past and present leaving them with hard options. These two messed up species need each other.

DISCO: Context is For Kings
The road to redemption is not going to be a comfortable ride. It's going to involve a manipulative captain, a fungus obsessed inventor, the best Tilly in the multiverse, and a dimmer switch. But it's worth the trip.

TOS: The Corbomite Maneuver
Space battle, first contact, Kirk showing he'll be as crafty as Odysseus to keep his crew safe and the mission on track. Exotic space drinks. Weird aliens. A surprisingly peaceful resolution. If TWOK plot has been recycled many times for the big screen, Corbomite Maneuver has had at least as many trips to the replicator on the small screen. This is Star Trek.

TAS: Beyond The Farthest Star
It's not my favorite TAS episode (The Slaver Weapon, actually) but it's the beginning of TAS and it feels like TOS with good reason. Beaming aboard an ancient starship that has more to it than meets the eye is another plot that will be Xeroxed, cut and pasted back together a few more times over the decades. I'm normally kind of down on Hal Sutherland's art direction but it looks pretty good to me on this one, for some reason.

TNG: Darmok
It's an iconic episode, I think and it sums up the kind of careful decision making that worked so well in TNG. As with a lot of TNG, its best not to dwell on it logically too hard (how the hell can a species build a language entirely on collected legends and lore without having some means to first teach that lore to the young who will need to learn the language. Recursive error. Does not compute). But it's good. You can re-watch it as much as you like, its still entertaining. Paul Winfield and Patrick Stewart really acted well together.

DS9: In the Pale Moonlight
Hard decisions, devious actors, good intentions and half the galaxy's fate on the line. Sometimes there are no good options. It can be a polarizing episode for people, and that sums up the nature of DS9. Love it or hate it, it'ssss NOT A FAAAAKE!

Voyager: Year of Hell (1 and 2)
This is rough. There's a lot of Voyager I don't care too much for, so the bits I do care for might not be indicative. I'm going with Year of Hell anyway. This is what Voyager was supposed to be. If it wasn't this version of Voyager rarely, more the pity, but this is what it could have been.

 

[marsh8472]

I always thought Voyager episode "Shattered" did a good job representing the voyager series.

 

[Galileo7]

TOS "Day Of The Dove"