The first season of the Original Series was groundbreaking in many ways. The show found its legs in the latter half of the production schedule and the series was, arguably, never better. Here we present some of our favorites from the rookie season, in time for the release of the complete Season 1 on DVD.
Balance of Terror
A first-look at Romulans and their deadly cloaking device. Once Star Trek was in regular production, the first episode to succeed on every level was "Balance of Terror." This was television at its finest pitting two worthy commanders, Kirk and his Romulan counterpart, against one another, building to a shuddering climax. Here, issues such as racism, the morality of war and sacrifice all merge with the intense performances of the lead characters, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and the Romulan Commander (Mark Lenard), not to mention Spock's (Leonard Nimoy) obvious conflict with his own heritage, being a distant descendant of the Romulan race, and the conflicted Lt. Stiles (Paul Comi), who lost relations to the Romulans.
Where No Man Has Gone Before
An extra-galactic journey has far reaching consequences. Another episode to be viewed in context — like "The Cage" — "Where No Man Has Gone Before" suffers from early teething problems. However, the issue of mankind achieving god-like powers, and being ultimately corrupted by them, remains a classic storyline in almost any sci-fi or fantasy drama. Here, Captain Kirk must choose between being loyal to a good friend, Gary Mitchell, or the safety of his crew. You can guess who wins. This episode provides a great template for the role of a captain and the life or death choices he is faced with on an everyday basis.
Tomorrow is Yesterday
Time travel, when seen for the first time on Star Trek, is actually pretty wondrous and sends the mind reeling as to its infinite possibilities and implications. In this episode, the Enterprise encounters a "black star" and finds itself back at Earth in the twentieth century. When the ship is observed by a U.S. Air Force pilot, who photographs them, his plane is accidentally destroyed the by the starship's tractor beam. The plane's captain, John Christopher is saved, but he is eventually returned to Earth when it is discovered that his son will eventually lead an important space mission. The conflict here is whether or not returning the pilot will alter history significantly. Once it is determined that Christopher must go back, the crew must figure out a way to make him not remember what he saw in the first place. In a nutshell, what sci-fi is all about.
Arena
This episode had a green lizard (Gorn) who walked upright; an iconic image that inspired countless nightmares and remains one of the more memorable aliens to be seen in Trek. Everyone remembers the first time they saw the Gorn captain battle Kirk. However, there's a lot more to "Arena" than meets the eye. Like several early episodes, this one embodies the spirit of Star Trek: a strange encounter with an unknown species, a bit of fighting, and, ultimately, a lesson that fighting is not something that rational, evolved beings should be getting up to. Seems simple enough, but how many times do we have to be shown this lesson! One of the great, timeless lessons that still resonates today more than ever.
Space Seed
A sleeper ship is revived and with it come some deadly implications. Another top-notch first season episode, "Space Seed" featured the notorious Khan — a villain so profound, he was resurrected from his exile to be Kirk's nemesis in the second movie, "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." At once evil, Khan is also one of the most alluring in a long line of evil doers and non-corporeal entities seen in Star Trek. As a test of strong-willed men, Khan's wrath is suitably piqued by his defeat at the hands of an inferior human who has not been genetically enhanced, as Khan has. This leads to his bitterness that would fulminate later in what is arguably the best of the motion pictures to date. As for memorable guest performances, Ricardo Montalban's character is so seductive in his quest for power, at the expense of the weak, that he almost wins the audience over. Almost.
A Taste of Armageddon
One of several episodes that would see Kirk and crew go up against the damnable logic of computers, "A Taste of Armageddon" added something to the mix: What do you do if people willingly go to their deaths in an illogical war? Kirk, of course, knows the answer to that one and in the end saves the Enterprise from destruction — a "hit" in the computer wars of Eminiar and Vendikar — and succeeds in destroying Eminiar's computers. If a war is to be fought, he reasons, it should be with actual casualties. Another classic Trek episode, "A Taste of Armageddon" also featured Federation Ambassador Fox, a stuffed shirt who highlights once again the idea that the real heroes of this era of space travel are the ones commanding or serving on a starship.
The Devil in the Dark
One of the best payoffs from the Original Series — a sentient lifeform that is not carbon based! Sensitive, provocative and exciting, "The Devil in the Dark" is another one of Star Trek's finest hours. The horta, once perceived as a mindless killer of pergium miners, turns out to be nothing more than a caring mother protecting her children. It must also be noted that during filming, William Shatner was notified of his father's passing. Rather than miss a day's shooting, the actor insisted on shooting his scenes and ended up providing some of his most heart-felt acting of the entire series.
Errand of Mercy
One word: Klingons. In what would be the starting point for perhaps the most significant non-Federation race to grace the Star Trek world, the Klingons made their debut in this first season morality tale involving two seemingly incompatible worlds, the Klingon empire and the United Federation of Planets. Acting as a sort of peacemaker, the Organians provide a theme that will recur throughout Star Trek; non-corporeal beings are what we can aspire to once we shed our physical selves. John Colicos provides a perfect template for early Klingons with his character, Kor.
The City on the Edge of Forever
When a delirious McCoy leaps through a living time machine, Kirk and Spock follow, and all three officers end up in Depression-era San Francisco. This classic hour neatly established Trek time travel-related ethics, proving the point that even the smallest of actions can affect the entire course of history. The episode also gave Kirk what is arguably his greatest love, the elegant, eloquent social worker Edith Keeler (memorable guest star Joan Collins). Of course, in a tragic twist of fate, he must allow her to die in order for the timeline to remain intact. The scene wherein an anguished Kirk must choose duty over the woman he loves is truly one of the defining moments of this series.
