TOS #14: Balance of Terror

First look at a Romulan:

It's fascinating that the introduction to the Romulans essentially makes them out to be Romans with a deathwish. I wish that all Earthlings spent more time learning classical Earth history. Our entire world is the future created by the Romans. We live in the New Roman Times.

This episode is also clearly the precursor to Star Trek 2. There's even a scene of the Romulan captain pulling wreckage off of his 1st officer (or Centurion, as the case may be):

TOS #2: Charlie X

This is another episode in which Kirk wears his alternate, Green uniform.


And Uhura sings improv:


And a crazy, alien boy terrorizes the ship. Don't mess with angry 17 yr olds-- they might kill you.

TOS #4: The Naked Time

This episode is basically about drunkenness. Much like many of the other episodes, it has a direct reference to the preceding episode.



Like in "The Enemy Within" Kirk has to use his awesome mind to overcome the intoxication, which it appears he may have done even had McCoy not synthesized an antidote and hyposprayed him minutes before the ship was almost destroyed.



Sometimes, after you do things while drunk, you wish you could just cause an anti-matter implosion, reverse time, and take it all back.

TOS #1: The Man Trap

This episode has a crazy, salt-craving shape-shifter and a very intelligent, very fake-looking, plant-pet of Sulu's.



Actually, plants and extinction come up several times in this episode.



This is also really the first "bro's before ho's" episode.

TOS #5: The Enemy Within

Yet another episode that I had not seen and therefore didn't realize was the basis of so many future Star Trek episodes...

Before Yeoman Rand's Mascara


After Yeoman Rand's Mascara


It is dangerous to separate the id from the ego. It is dangerous to pretend we are not part animal. To control the enemy within is not to ignore it or pretend it away.

"...his evil side, properly controlled and disciplined, is vital to his strength. Your negative side removed from you, the power of command begins to elude you."

TOS #6: Mudd's Women

Player's Club

I love how in this episode the only differences between the good and bad looking versions of the women are self-confidence and makeup.

TOS #10: The Corbomite Maneuver

"I vote we blast it."

"I'll keep that in mind Mr. Bailey... when this becomes a democracy."

I agree with Randy Pausch - Kirk's staff meetings are the ultimate example of how leadership works. I believe this is the first episode that DeForest Kelly is in, as well as the first episode in which the ship fires on anything.

The Nagilum episode of TNG is a very different take on the Corbomite Maneuver.

TOS #3: Where No Man Has Gone Before

This "first episode" is really the second episode, if you count the pilot. It has the prototypical Barkley character, lots of exploding bridge panels, a marooning, a mining colony, love stories, a discussion of Spock's human blood, and 3D-chess.

The episode is about absolute power corrupting absolutely, but the interesting twist is that it's also about monotheism. You could also argue maybe it's a feminist episode, because it's about how if men think they are more powerful than women, they die.