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Recap / Star Trek: The Next Generation S3E23 "Sarek"

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Original air date: May 14, 1990

The ship prepares for the arrival of Vulcan Ambassador Sarek, Spock's father, who will close out his illustrious career as a diplomat by hosting a historic first meeting between the Federation and the Legarans. Before Sarek arrives, however, two of his aides beam aboard and state that Sarek has become infirm in his old age and must not be disturbed for any formal meeting or event until the conference. Picard is dismayed that Sarek will miss out on the concert they have arranged for him, but agrees. When Sarek arrives with his wife, he seems perfectly normal and accuses his handlers of coddling him unnecessarily.

Soon after Sarek's arrival, the tempers of the crew begin to flare up irrationally. Wesley and Geordi get into a shouting match over whose dating life sucks more. Later, Sarek attends the concert against the advice of his handlers and begins to weep. Troi notes the uncharacteristic display of emotion from a Vulcan. Across the ship, random crew members become irrationally angry, and a massive brawl breaks out in Ten-Forward.

Picard wants to isolate Sarek to protect him from the disturbances, but Troi and Crusher suspect that he may be unintentionally responsible. Their theory is that he may be suffering from Bendii syndrome, a degenerative brain disease which affects elderly Vulcans. While in most cases Vulcans must physically touch others to use their telepathy, the brain damage caused by Bendii syndrome breaks down this limitation, so his fraying emotions are spilling out psychically into random crew members and could ruin the diplomatic meeting with the Legarans. Sarek denies the accusation, but his Vulcan assistant admits that he's been using his psychic powers to hold Sarek's mind together as much as possible.

Tropes featured in this episode include:

• Actor Allusion : While arguing with Wesley, Geordi tells him "You'd get more action out of a good book than you'll ever see on this date, I guarantee it!"
• Anguished Declaration of Love : After the mind-meld, an overwhelmed Picard tearfully speaks of Sarek's love for Perrin, Spock, and the late Amanda.
• The one-on-one confrontation with Sarek heats up when Picard cites him crying at the concert and asks, "Is it logical for a Vulcan to cry?"
• Earlier than that, Data confronts Sarek's personal assistant, Sakkath, and asks him "You must decide which is your greater obligation. Your loyalty to Sarek or your duty to the Federation? Can you accept the logic of continuing this mission?", which leads him to admit that Sarek is not well.
• Aside Glance : Picard gives one when Sarek insists upon seeing the conference room after arriving aboard the Enterprise .
• Bar Brawl : Fueled not by alcohol but by Sarek inadvertently projecting his anger telepathically onto others.
• Big "NO!" : Picard screams this just after the mind meld. Picard: NOOOO! It is... it is... wrong ! It is WRONG !
• Sarek telling Perrin that his inability to meditate is "of no consequence".
• Ki Mendrossen assuring Picard that Sarek is in perfect health.
• Riker mentions Sarek's involvement with the Coridan admission to the Federation . As in that episode, Sarek's health becomes an important part of the story.
• When Geordi insults Wesley's way with the ladies, Wesley snipes back that at least he doesn't find his in the holodeck .
• Sarek introduces his current wife Perrin as "she who is my wife", which was also how he introduced his then-wife Amanda in TOS's "Journey To Babel".
• Damned by Faint Praise : Inverted. When Perrin tells Picard that Sarek considers his service record "satisfactory", Picard recognizes that, coming from a Vulcan (especially one of Sarek's reputation), that IS high praise.
• Does This Remind You of Anything? : Bendii Syndrome is clearly an analogue to Alzheimer's/dementia.
• Denial: For the first half of the episode, nobody will admit that Sarek is beginning to lose his mind. Ki Mendrosan in particular lies his butt off to Picard.
• Anger: Despite the denials, Sarek is unusually testy, but most of the anger comes out in the form of violence throughout the Enterprise . His confrontation with Picard is basically angry denial.
• Bargaining: Once the truth comes out, Perrin pleads with Picard to undertake the mind-meld and allow Sarek to complete his final mission.
• Depression: While channeling Sarek's emotions, Picard expresses both anger and regret over Sarek not telling his loved ones how he feels about them.
• Acceptance: Sarek returns to Vulcan accepting his fate.
• Mendrossen comments early on that Sarek needs to rest and avoid stress, hinting that he's more aware of Sarek's failing health than he later pretends to be.
• The fact that Sarek has an onset of Bendii Syndrome is hinted at in the first act, as he is increasingly concerned about the decor in the conference room, with unnatural intensity in his voice.
• Sarek's assistant show interest in Troi's telepathic ability, but sounds almost disappointed she's only an empath and not a true telepath like a full-blooded Betazoid. This foreshadows how he's been using his own telepathic talents to stabilize Sarek. Clearly his hope was that if Troi had been a Telepath she would've been able to help him do this.
• After being instructed to give Sarek privacy during the mission, Picard remarks to Riker with some disappointment that he had hoped to spend more time with the ambassador, "sharing his thoughts, memories, his unique understanding of the history he's made". He ends up doing exactly that, in a far more literal way than he had expected.
• While discussing Sarek's condition with Ki Mendrossen, Picard notes that hundreds of people aboard the Enterprise haven't been affected by Sarek's Bendii Syndrome, including himself. Not only is Picard (and Riker) affected later in the episode, but Picard bears the weight of Sarek's chaotic emotions for the climax, making him the person most affected by Sarek's condition.
• Functional Genre Savvy : Troi and Crusher theorize that Sarek has something to do with the ship's sudden onset of violence and animosity aboard the ship.
• We never see the Lagerans. All we know is that it's taken then decades to agree to meet with the Federation, and they live in pools of foul-smelling muck.
• Wesley goes on a date with a girl we never see.
• Good Wears White : Sarek wears white robes all throughout his visit to the Enterprise , and is considered a hero of the Federation.
• Gut Feeling : Despite being an emotionless android, Data clearly gets one when Sakkath starts asking about Picard's diplomatic abilities.
• Ham-to-Ham Combat : Picard and Riker go a round on the bridge until Data gets them to stop.
• Hate Plague : Bendii Syndrome causes Sarek to lose control of both his emotions and his telepathic abilities, transmitting powerful anger randomly around the Enterprise , which causes a number of arguments, much verbal sniping and one massive Bar Brawl .
• Heroic Willpower : Picard's mind-meld with Sarek allows the latter to make use of Picard's own impressive self-discipline, which proves to be enough for Sarek to carry himself through the negotiations successfully. In addition, despite Sarek's warning that the intensity of Vulcan emotions could kill a human, Picard manages to survive the experience intact.
• Hope Spot : In Ten Forward, Chief O'Brien is getting into an argument with a Blue-Shirt who seemingly took his table, looking a lot like the set-up to Geordi and Wesley's argument, when Geordi intervenes to defuse the situation. All looks well as we go to Riker and Worf who are heading to Ten Forward themselves and discover that a Bar Brawl has erupted by that time.
• Thanks to Star Trek: Discovery , this now also applies to his foster daughter Michael Burnham . Seriously, he shared his katra with her and everything!
• Inelegant Blubbering : Picard lapses into this several times during the mind-meld, most notably when taking about Amanda Grayson, Spock, and Perrin.
• Instantly Proven Wrong : Worf and Riker are headed to Ten Forward, discussing an ensign challenging Worf. Riker: Is it my imagination, or have tempers become a little frayed on the ship lately? Worf: I hadn't noticed. [they enter Ten Forward to find a full-scale brawl going on] Worf: I see what you mean.
• Internal Homage : Sarek's mind-meld with Picard was shot in direct homage to the mind-meld scene in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock .
• Picard and Riker comment on the elderly Sarek's vigor despite Mendrossen's claims of the ambassador's frailty, with Picard dryly hoping to be so "frail" at the age of 202.
• Sarek reflects on being accused of many things in his time, but never once of having excessive emotions.
• The Knights Who Say "Squee!" : While a bit restrained, Picard still can't hide how thrilled he is to host Sarek on his ship.
• Large Ham : Picard really goes to town after the mind-meld.
• Laughing Mad : As a consequence of the mind-meld, Picard, experiencing all of Sarek's suppressed emotions, briefly starts laughing between bouts of furious shouting and anguished sobbing.
• Living Legend : At this point in his life and career, Sarek is rightfully considered a living legend within the Federation, with the episode beginning with Picard and Riker talking about his many accomplishments. Picard regards Sarek as someone who "shaped the Federation", and Ki Mendrossen referrs to him as "the greatest man of his time."
• Locked Out of the Loop : Perrin, Sakkath, and Ki Mendrossen all know the truth, but they're keeping it from Sarek so he can complete his last mission and end his career on a high note.
• MacGuffin : The Legarans and the treaty with them. Their only importance is that Sarek has been working on said treaty for many, many years, which will bring great unspecified benefits to the Federation, and now there is a desperate need for him to finish this one last great accomplishment before old age catches up to him and he cannot work anymore, even with assistance.
• Madness Mantra : "ILLOGICAL! ILLOGICAL!"
• Mood-Swinger : Under the crushing weight of Sarek's emotions, Picard swings back and forth between rage, sorrow, Dissonant Laughter , and regret.
• Mood Whiplash : After the Mind Meld , we get a quick scene of Sarek being suddenly back to his old self, to Riker's surprise, and heading down to the negotiations. An innocuous scene, right before immediately cutting to Picard flipping the hell out.
• My God, What Have I Done? : Beverly after slapping Wesley.
• My Skull Runneth Over : Sarek's illness causes his impulses to project onto others around him, leading to the crew of the Enterprise to become testy, if not outright violent, with each other.
• The Only One : Thoroughly deconstructed. Sarek insists he's the only one the Legarans trust to negotiate for them on the Federation's behalf, but at his advanced age and grappling with Bendii Syndrome, he is forced to confront the possibility that he can't be the only one to do his duties anymore. Thankfully, he and Picard come to a solution that would allow him to do his duties one last time.
• Sarek's unusually testy behavior is revealed to be the onset of Bendii Syndrome.
• Similarly, Beverly slapping Wesley, Geordi and Wesley sniping at each other, and then Picard and Riker having a massive blowup on the bridge as a result of Sarek losing his emotional control.
• Personality Swap : Sarek transfers his negative emotions to Picard through a mind-meld, giving the aging Vulcan his emotional strength, while Picard receives the consequences of Sarek's breakdown. Sarek even temporarily adopts Picard's habit of addressing Riker as "Number One".
• Right Behind Me : Sarek walks in behind Perrin when she tries to stop Picard from confronting him about his Bendii Syndrome. Perrin: Please, you mustn't do this to him. Sarek: Must not do what, my wife?
• Sanity Slippage : Sarek is inadvertently projecting his emotions thanks to Bendii Syndrome, a rare ailment among elderly (200+ years) Vulcans.
• Serious Business : Sarek makes sure to impart upon Picard the dangers of long-term mind-melding. He makes clear that Vulcans suppress their emotions because they're so intense, and that the full brunt of them could potentially kill a normal human.
• Single Tear : Just shedding a tear is Serious Business for a Vulcan.
• Shout-Out : During the argument, Wesley says that Geordi's more likely to spend his evenings with a book than with a woman.
• Something Only They Would Say : A variant. After melding with Picard, Sarek starts calling Riker "Number One."
• Starfish Aliens : We don't get to see them, but the Legarans are implied to be this. The wading pool of boiling sludge Geordi and Wes set up for them certainly suggests it.
• Story-Breaker Power : The only officers who don't get affected by Sarek's condition are Data, who is an android and thus lacks emotions, and Troi, who is an empath and knows how to handle emotions. The only other officer we don't see getting affected was Worf, but it's possible that his incident involving Ensign D'Amato's insubordination was affected by it.
• Picard and Riker arguing on the bridge. Riker: I don't understand this. Everyone is protecting Sarek. His wife, Mendrosan, even you! Picard: What would you have me do? March right down there and destroy the man? Riker: The mission with the Legarans cannot be carried out with Sarek in this condition! Picard: I know that! Riker: THEN TELL HIM THAT THERE IS NO WAY! Picard: DON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO! Data: Captain...Commander...
• Sarek, when Picard forces him to face his loss of emotional control. Picard: Sarek of Vulcan would never be afraid of looking straight at something he did not want to see. Sarek: I warn you, your efforts to discredit me will not succeed! Picard: Sarek of Vulcan never confused what he wanted with the truth. Sarek: I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO IN THIS MANNER! Picard: Do I hear anger in your voice? Sarek: It would be illogical for a Vulcan to show ANGER! It would be ILLOGICAL! ILLOGICAL! ILLOGICAL! ILLOGICAL!
• Talking to the Dead : Under the influence of Sarek's emotions, Picard briefly speaks to Sarek's late first wife, Amanda Grayson.
• Tender Tears : During their logical argument of the situation, Picard cites seeing Sarek cry during the concert as proof of him being emotionally affected.
• There Is No Cure : It's revealed that Sarek is contracting Bendii Syndrome, a rare age-related Vulcan disease which degrades their control of their emotions, and which Mendrossen states cannot be reversed.
• Wham Shot : Sarek shedding a tear at the concert, something a Vulcan would never do in public.
• What Happened to the Mouse? : Picard mentions in passing that he once met Sarek briefly at his son's wedding. This is the only on-screen mention of "Mrs. Spock" (although there's plenty of fan fiction covering it, and according to the Expanded Universe , it's Saavik ).
• Whole-Plot Reference : Sarek visits the Enterprise for his last diplomatic mission that is compromised by an illness hidden from his human wife . The first line of dialogue even reveals the fate of Coridan, which was left hanging in the original TOS episode. (Unsurprisingly, Sarek convinced the other Ambassadors to vote in favor of admission.)
• Wrestler in All of Us : O'Brien hurls the Blue-Shirt he was arguing with about allegedly taking his table over his shoulder into another table, shattering its glass top.

Video Example(s):

Is It Logical...?

In "Sarek" from "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Sarek is suffering from Bendii Syndrome, the Vulcan equivalent of Alzheimer's. Picard has the unenviable task of confronting him with this. When Sarek tries to refute his claims of being emotionally affected, Picard points out that Sarek was crying at the ship's concert, that he saw the tears. Sarek tries to rationalize this away as there having been only one tear, but Picard has a simple question which cuts to the heart of the matter: "Is it logical for a Vulcan to cry?"

Example of: Armor-Piercing Question

I See What You ...

• Star Trek: The Next Generation S3E22 "The Most Toys"
• Recap/Star Trek: The Next Generation
• Star Trek: The Next Generation S3E24 "Ménage à Troi"

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Star Trek: TNG's 'Sarek' Is Required Viewing Before Discovery

We look back on one of Star Trek: The Next Generation's finest episodes that saw the return of Mark Lenard as Spock's Vulcan ambassador father, Sarek.

Spock's father Sarek plays a major role in CBS's television revival Star Trek: Discovery . Set 10 years before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series , Discovery's strongest link to the classic TV show is through Sarek, a recurring character on the 1966-1969 classic. Not merely appearing in cameo, Sarek will play an integral role as the adoptive father of lead character Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green). So, if you want to dig a little deeper into Sarek's background to get a sense of the Vulcan ambassador before the series debuts, you'll definitely want to check out a standout episode from the third season of Star Trek: The Next Generation , titled simply "Sarek."

RELATED: Every Star Trek TV Pilot, Ranked

Debuting May 14, 1990, TNG's "Sarek" was written by one-time Trek TV scribe Peter S. Beagle and directed by franchise veteran Les Landau. The episode was hugely significant for boasting, as the title suggests, an appearance from Sarek actually played by Mark Lenard , the actor who originated the role of Spock's father. It was of major importance because, early in TNG's run, it was a part of the doctrine that the show couldn't reference The Original Series too often. So to have an actual former TOS actor appear as a character he previously portrayed was -- as former Vice President Joe Biden would put it -- a big f-ing deal. And boy, did it ever deliver with one heck of a TOS reference (which we'll get to later ...)

The episode sees Lenard's Sarek (and his second wife, Perrin) beam aboard the Enterprise to carry out mission that specifically requires his participation as a highly skilled, and highly respected, diplomat. However, there are soon signs that, in contrast with the stoic, logical Vulcan the United Federation of Planets has come to expect, Sarek is no longer in control of his emotions. He displays moments of irrational anger, and, in a wonderfully directed sequence, unusually depressing behaviour as he tears up during a performance of classical music.

But beyond that, Sarek's presents aboard the Enterprise is causing the crew to act out, leading to several disputes. In one of the most memorable moments of the series, young Wesley Crusher calls out Geordi La Forge for only being able to get women on the Holodeck (sick burn, Wesley). Connecting the dots, Picard realizes Sarek's presence is what's causing the emotional disturbance of his crew. Confronting Sarek, the Vulcan ambassador at first refuses to accept he's causing any harm, until it's revealed that one of his Vulcan aides is using his own psychic ability to contain Sarek's emotional outbursts. As a result, Sarek and Picard agree to mind-meld so the captain can carry out the diplomatic mission.

The mind-meld results in a powerful sequence in which Picard experience more than a century of the emotional turmoil Sarek has endured over the course of his life. Wonderfully acted by Patrick Stewart, Picard reacts in extreme anger, sadness and joy at the life of Sarek. And, in a glorious unprecedented moment, Picard utters the word "Spock," likely referring to an emotional moment between the Vulcan legend and his father. It wasn't until the Season 5 episode "Unification" that we actually see Spock on TNG (which was admittedly disappointing), but this little moment in "Sarek" was cool as hell.

RELATED: Star Trek: Discovery Will Push Boundaries, Drop F-Bombs When Necessary

Sarek's initial refusal to accept any emotional flaws on his part is a wonderful allegory for the rejection -- and denial -- of aging. It plays almost like a metaphor for Alzheimer's as Sarek is unable to comprehend the degeneration of his mind, until he has to come to terms with the fact that his mental capacity can no longer handle the tasks he was once able to do. It's a powerful message about growing old, and serves as one of Star Trek's greatest statements on the subject since 1982's Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan .

"Sarek" stands out as one of TNG's best episodes, and holds up damn well after all these years. It's definitely worth a revisit in light of Sarek's role on Discovery , and just because it's a masterful piece of science-fiction television that offers an introspective statement on the pains of aging. While it says a lot about Sarek's importance in the franchise as a character for new Trek fans and serves as great fan-service for longtime Trek viewers, it's also a good entry point for newcomers to the franchise who might want a taste of the series at its finest.

In the United States, Star Trek: Discovery debuts Sunday, September 24 on CBS, before moving to the CBS All Access streaming service for follow-up weekly installments. In Canada, the series debuts on CTV and Space at 8:30 pm ET, with its second episode set to air immediately after on Space — subsequent episodes will air Sundays through November 5. Internationally, the series will stream on Netflix.

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

A friendly reminder regarding spoilers ! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy , the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG , Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online , as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant . Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{ spoiler }}, {{ spoilers }} OR {{ majorspoiler }} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

Sarek (episode)

• View history

• 1.1 Characters
• 1.2 Starships and vehicles
• 1.3 Locations
• 1.4 Races and cultures
• 1.5 States and organizations
• 1.6 Other references
• 2.1 Related media
• 2.2 Timeline
• 2.4 External link

References [ ]

Characters [ ], starships and vehicles [ ], locations [ ], races and cultures [ ], states and organizations [ ], other references [ ], appendices [ ], related media [ ].

• Away Team ( Star Trek video game )
• Unification ( TNG episode )

Timeline [ ]

External link [ ].

• Sarek (episode) article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• 1 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)
• 3 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Cast & Crew

Mark Lenard

Ambassador Sarek

Joanna Miles

William Denis

Ki Aloysius Mendrossen

Rocco Sisto

Colm Meaney

Chief Miles O'Brien

Information

© 2013 CBS Corp. All Rights Reserved.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season 3, Episode 23

Where to watch, star trek: the next generation — season 3, episode 23.

Watch Star Trek: The Next Generation — Season 3, Episode 23 with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

More Like This

Cast & crew.

Patrick Stewart

Capt. Jean-Luc Picard

Jonathan Frakes

Cmdr. William Riker

LeVar Burton

Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge

Michael Dorn

Gates McFadden

Dr. Beverly Crusher

Marina Sirtis

Counselor Deanna Troi

Episode Info

The Top 57 Episodes of ‘Star Trek,’ Ranked From Great to Perfect

First, let’s be clear: Ranking the best “Star Trek” episodes is a silly thing to do. To date, the longest-running American TV franchise has aired a gargantuan 890 episodes and counting, starting with the original series in 1966. Since then, at least one “Star Trek” TV show has aired (or streamed) every decade, totaling 11 so far (with more on the way ). Choosing the best episodes within such a boundless, occasionally contradictory storytelling galaxy seems about as wise as cheating when playing poker with a Klingon.

On the other hand, there may be no more time-honored tradition among “Star Trek” fans than a vigorous debate over what constitutes the best of the franchise. (Best series ? Best captains ? Best starships ? Best aliens ? Best uniforms ? They’ve all been ranked multiple times !)

In that spirit — and to commemorate the 57th anniversary of “Star Trek” on Sept. 8 —  Variety ’s resident “Trek” geeks have ranked the top 57 episodes of all time, across the franchise.

Creating our list required some deep-dish nerdiness in its own right: We compiled a long list of episodes from each series that we felt deserved to be on the final ranking. Then we created our own individual rankings — and promptly realized our taste was quite divergent. To reconcile our lists, we adopted the approach of the great movie ranking podcast, Screen Drafts : We took alternating turns placing a pick from 57 to 1, and we each had two opportunities to veto the other’s pick (which in every case was to ensure it was placed higher on the list).

Other than the short-lived “Star Trek: The Animated Series” (1973-1974), this list reflects every other iteration of “Trek” on TV: “Star Trek: The Original Series” (1966-1969); “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (1987-1994); “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” (1993-1999); “Star Trek: Voyager” (1995-2001); “Star Trek: Enterprise” (2001-2005); “Star Trek: Discovery” (2017-2024); “Star Trek: Picard” (2020-2023); “Star Trek: Prodigy” (2021-2022); and the ongoing “Star Trek: Lower Decks” (2020-present) and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” (2022-present).

The Way to Eden

“The Original Series” — Season 3, Episode 20

Look, this episode gets a lot of hate. But the fact is “TOS” is known (by today’s standards) for being very campy, and there is no episode campier than this one. A group of space hippies board the Enterprise on their journey to a mythical planet called Eden, where they can live happily forever. The episode memorably features Charles Napier (who would go on to a long career playing tough guys, villains, cops and the like) breaking out into song a bunch of times, including a jam session with Spock (Leonard Nimoy). —Joe Otterson Original airdate: Feb. 21, 1969

Terra Prime

“Enterprise” — Season 4, Episode 21 More than any other episode of “Enterprise,” “Terra Prime” made the most of the show’s mission to dramatize the beginnings of Starfleet, 100 years before the events of “TOS.” Just as a newfound coalition of planets begins to form on Earth (a precursor to the Federation), Captain Archer (Scott Bakula) and his crew must stop a xenophobic terrorist (played to the hilt by future “Star Trek Into Darkness” villain Peter Weller) bent on forcing all aliens to leave Earth. Subtle, it ain’t, but the story feels more relevant today than it did 20 years ago, and everyone in the cast gets a moment to shine. Alas, it came too late: “Enterprise” had been canceled before this episode even went into production. —Adam B. Vary Original airdate: May 13, 2005

“Prodigy” — Season 1, Episode 6

The animated “Prodigy” was the first “Star Trek” series geared toward kids, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t things for older “Trek” fans to enjoy. In particular, “Kobayashi” perfectly embodies what makes this show a worthy entry in “Trek” canon. Dal (Brett Gray) and Jankom Pog (Jason Mantzoukas) discover the holodeck aboard the Protostar, where they decide to go through the Kobayashi Maru, a.k.a. the “no-win scenario” that Capt. Kirk successfully beat during his time at the Academy. He gets help along the way from legendary characters like Spock, Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) and Odo (René Auberjonois). —J.O.

Original airdate: Jan. 6, 2022

Stormy Weather

“Discovery” — Season 4, Episode 6

On a mission to discover the origins of a cataclysmic gravitational anomaly, the U.S.S. Discovery enters a subspace rift and finds itself trapped inside a lethal black void that threatens to collapse in on the ship. The result is a classic race-against-time thriller (directed by “Trek” mainstay Jonathan Frakes), but what makes “Stormy Weather” stand out amid the heavily serialized episodes of “Discovery” is its emotionally resonant use of the ship’s sentient A.I. computer, Zora (Annabelle Wallis), who has to learn how to calm her mind from overwhelming stimuli in order to guide the ship out of danger. —A.B.V.

Original airdate: Dec. 23, 2021

Seventeen Seconds

“Picard” — Season 3, Episode 3

“Picard” didn’t find itself until Season 3, which reunited the core cast of “The Next Generation” — and it was really Episode 3 that sealed the deal. Riker (Frakes) is forced to take command of the Titan as Vadic (Amanda Plummer) and the Shrike hunt them. Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Dr. Crusher get an all-time great scene together as she reveals why she never told him about their son, Jack (Ed Speleers). Worf (Michael Dorn) makes his big return. We learn the Changelings are still intent on attacking the Federation. Riker and Picard end up at odds in a way we’ve never seen before. In short, epic. —J.O.

Original airdate: March 2, 2023

The Enemy Within

“The Original Series” — Season 1, Episode 5

The transporter — the cause of, and solution to, so many “Star Trek” problems — accidentally splits Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) into two people: Good Kirk, who is wracked with indecision, and evil Kirk, who is a histrionic asshole. Come for a meditation on the darkness that lies tucked inside everyone’s psyche, stay for some of William Shatner’s most deliciously hammy acting — and this was just the fifth episode of the series! —A.B.V.

Original airdate: Oct. 6, 1966

Family Business

“Deep Space Nine” — Season 3, Episode 23

The Ferengi episodes of “DS9” are always great comic relief, with this episode giving fans their first view of the home planet of Ferenginar and Ferengi culture in general. Quark (Armin Shimerman) and Rom (Max Grodénchik) must return home when their mother, Ishka (Andrea Martin), is accused of acquiring profit (gasp!), something Ferengi females are forbidden to do. Shimerman and Martin shine as they play out Quark and Ishka’s relationship, while Grodénchik really gets to put his comedic chops on display. This episode is also notable as the first appearance of Brunt (Jeffrey Combs) from the Ferengi Commerce Authority, as well as Kasidy Yates (Penny Johnson Jerald), frequent love interest of Cmdr. Sisko (Avery Brooks). —J.O.

Original airdate: May 15, 1995

Blink of an Eye

“Voyager” — Season 6, Episode 12

The Voyager gets stuck in orbit around a planet where time passes far more rapidly than in the rest of space, as the episode alternates between the bemused curiosity of Capt. Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and her crew and the awestruck preoccupation of the expeditiously progressing populace on the planet below, for whom Voyager is a sparkling, fixed constant in the night sky. At one point, the Doctor (Robert Picard) beams down to the planet to investigate, and a delay of only a few minutes on Voyager means he spends three years on its surface. He even adopts a son! One of the great, wild what if? episodes of “Star Trek.” —A.B.V.

Original airdate: Jan. 19, 2000

“The Next Generation” — Season 3, Episode 23

Mark Lenard absolutely crushed the role of Spock’s father, Sarek, in multiple episodes across multiple “Star Trek” series and movies, but this episode is perhaps his finest performance as the character. Sarek comes to the Enterprise-D on what is meant to be his final mission, only for the crew to learn he is suffering from Bendii Syndrome. The condition leaves him prone to uncharacteristic emotional outbursts while also causing him to telepathically influence the emotions of those around him. Picard saves the day by mind melding with Sarek, allowing him to finish his mission with dignity — and provide Stewart with the chance for some powerhouse acting as he channels Sarek’s volcanic emotions. —J.O.

Original airdate: May 14, 1990

“Enterprise” — Season 3, Episode 10

“Trek” loves a moral dilemma, and this one’s a doozy: After Cmdr. Tucker (Connor Trinneer) is critically injured while the Enterprise is on a deep space mission, Dr. Phlox (John Billingsley) suggests growing a “mimetic symbiote” of Trip — effectively, a clone with a built-in two-week lifespan — in order to create the brain tissue needed to save Trip’s life. But that means the Enterprise crew must endure watching Trip’s clone rapidly age from a precocious kid to an adult man (played by Trinneer with eerie self-possession), who then pleads for his own right to live. Creepy and heartbreaking in equal measure. —A.B.V.

Original airdate: Nov. 19, 2003

Trials and Tribble-ations

“Deep Space Nine” — Season 5, Episode 6

This episode is a love letter to the original series, with the Defiant’s crew transported back in time to the events of “The Trouble With Tribbles.” A Klingon agent is planning to use a booby-trapped tribble to assassinate James T. Kirk. Thanks to digital editing, the crew is able to interact with the original Enterprise crew and keep the timeline intact. —J.O.

Original airdate: Nov. 4, 1996

“Deep Space Nine” — Season 2, Episode 23

Mirror universe episodes of “Star Trek” are (almost) always fun, if ultimately a little silly. But this one — in which Kira (Nana Visitor) and Dr. Bashir (Alexander Siddig) find themselves in an alternate reality in which Bajor, Cardassians and Klingons subjugate humans as slaves — comes closest to matching the spark of discovery in the original “TOS” episode. It’s especially fun to watch Visitor devour the role of Kira’s deliciously wicked mirror counterpart, the Intendant. —A.B.V.

Original airdate: May 16, 1994

Memento Mori

“Strange New Worlds” — Season 1, Episode 4

This episode proved “Strange New Worlds” — the newest “Star Trek” series — could be as action-packed as the very best of “Star Trek.” The Enterprise crew find themselves on the run from the Gorn, a savage enemy (first introduced on “TOS” and largely ignored in “Trek” canon) about which they know virtually nothing. They are forced to use every resource at their disposal to outwit and outrun the Gorn, including tapping into the subconscious of La’an (Christina Chong), the only crew member who has encountered the aliens and survived. —J.O.

Original airdate: May 26, 2022

Counterpoint

“Voyager” — Season 5, Episode 10

The main story is a tense, WWII allegory: Capt. Janeway and her crew hide telepathic refugees while passing through the space of the Devore, who have outlawed telepaths. But the real story is the relationship Janeway forms with the lead Devore inspector, Kashyk (Mark Harelik), who suddenly shows up alone and announces he’s defecting. As Kashyk aids Janeway in finding safe harbor for the refugees, she realizes how much he’s her intellectual equal, and she finds herself drawn to him — in spite of (or perhaps spurred on by) her continued suspicion of his motives. A great, subtle performance by Mulgrew captures both Janeway’s steely wits and her private yearning. —A.B.V.

Original airdate: Dec. 16, 1998

The Drumhead

“The Next Generation” — Season 4, Episode 21

“Star Trek” has done a number of courtroom episodes, and this is one of the best. Rear admiral Norah Satie (Jean Simmons) is sent to investigate suspected sabotage aboard the Enterprise. The investigation quickly spirals into paranoia and accusations of treachery against a crew member who is revealed to have Romulan lineage. It is an excellent reminder of what can happen when persecution is dressed up as an attempt at greater security, with Picard using Satie’s father’s teachings to bring about her downfall. —J.O.

Original airdate: April 29, 1991

“The Next Generation” — Season 7, Episode 8

More thwarted romance! The seasons-long will-they/won’t-they between Picard and Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) gets its best showcase, when the pair are captured by isolationist aliens and given implants that allow them to read each other’s thoughts. You get the feeling Stewart and especially McFadden had been dying to play out this dynamic on the show, so they both bring years of sublimated longing to the episode. —A.B.V.

Original airdate: Nov. 8, 1993

In the Hands of the Prophets

“Deep Space Nine” — Season 1, Episode 20

Louise Fletcher’s performance as Vedek Winn (later Kai Winn) ranks among the best “Star Trek” villains of all time. Deeply religious to the point of fanaticism, Winn protests Keiko O’Brien (Rosalind Chao) teaching children on Deep Space Nine that the wormhole aliens are not deities, as many Bajorans believe. Winn’s words whip Bajorans on the station into a frenzy; Keiko’s school is bombed. But what Winn really desires is power, to the point she tries to get one of her followers to kill a fellow Vedek she sees as a threat. The episode sets up Winn’s role as a major antagonist throughout the series to great effect. —J.O.

Original airdate: June 21, 1993

The Trouble With Tribbles

“The Original Series” — Season 2, Episode 15

If you’ve seen any episode of “TOS,” chances are it’s this one. While on shore leave at a space station, the Enterprise comes upon an adorably furry alien creature called a tribble, which are born pregnant, multiply exponentially, consume enormous quantities of food and react with alarm when in the presence of a Klingon. Fizzy and funny and, to this day, one of the best-known episodes of “Trek” ever. —A.B.V.

Original airdate: Dec. 29, 1967

Balance of Terror

“The Original Series” — Season 1, Episode 14

Introducing the Romulans alone makes this episode worthy of being on the list. But it’s also an epic cat-and-mouse game between Kirk and a Romulan commander played by none other than Mark Lenard, who would go on to play Sarek starting in Season 2. Kirk successfully lures the Romulan ship into a trap, leading to Lenard delivering the iconic line, “You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could have called you friend.” —J.O.

Original airdate: Dec. 15, 1966

“The Next Generation” — Season 4, Episode 20

John de Lancie never disappoints when he plays Q, but this episode offered a wonderful twist on his usual appearances. Following the events of “Deja Q,” Q returns to the Enterprise saying he owes Picard a debt. Picard repeatedly tells Q he wants nothing from him, but Q notices Picard has eyes for Vash (Jennifer Hetrick), the mercenary archeologist Picard first met on Risa. Being Q, he naturally transports Picard, Vash, and the bridge crew to a Robin Hood fantasy in which Picard must rescue Vash from the evil Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Clive Frevill). Added bonus: Worf, in scarlet tights, exclaiming in protest, “I am not a merry man!” —J.O.

Original airdate: April 22, 1991

“The Original Series” — Season 1, Episode 18

The classic “trial by combat” episode that pitted Kirk against a Gorn captain on a barren, rocky planet (i.e. the storied filming location Vasquez Rocks ). Few images from “Star Trek” have become more iconic than the original Gorn costume, which was essentially an actor dressed as a large lizard. The ending is also an all-timer, with Kirk choosing to spare the Gorn, proving to the all-powerful Metrons that set up the trial by combat that humans are capable of more than just random violence. —J.O.

Original airdate: Jan. 19, 1967

A Mathematically Perfect Redemption

“Lower Decks” — Season 3, Episode 7

“Star Trek’s” first pure comedy (and second animated series) often plays as a twisted love letter to the entire “Trek” franchise — like when Peanut Hamper (Kether Donohue), one of the sentient Exocomp robots first introduced on “The Next Generation,” abandons the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos in a time of need. This episode tracks Peanut Hamper’s journey to redemption afterwards, which involves her encountering a seemingly primitive species called the Areore. To say anything more would spoil the fun; suffice it to say, “Trek” has rarely provoked gasps of deep laughter like this episode does. —A.B.V.

Original airdate: Oct. 6, 2022

Bar Association

“Deep Space Nine” — Season 4, Episode 15

What better episode of “Star Trek” to talk about after Hollywood’s hot labor summer? Fed up with the unfair conditions at Quark’s bar, Rom talks the other workers into forming a union and going on strike. Max Grodénchik truly shines in this episode as the would-be union leader. Once Rom successfully gets Quark to agree to all the workers’ demands, he outright quits and goes to work as a repair technician for the station, setting up some of Rom’s best moments in the episodes to come. —J.O.

Original airdate: Feb. 19, 1996

“Voyager” — Season 5, Episode 26 & Season 6, Episode 1

The Voyager swoops to the rescue of the Equinox, another Federation starship stranded in the Gamma Quadrant — only this one, led by Capt. Ransom (John Savage), is a smaller ship not meant for deep space travel. With their crew whittled down to just 12 people, Ransom has resorted to murdering alien creatures to use their bio-matter to boost the Equinox’s engines — a horrific violation of everything Starfleet stands for. The discovery pushes Janeway to her own limits, as she obsessively pursues the Equinox despite the cost to her own crew and her morality. The two-parter is one of the darkest episodes of “Star Trek,” a chilling reminder of how easily good people can find themselves slipping into disgrace. —A.B.V.

Original airdates: May 26, 1999 & Sept. 22, 1999

Who Mourns for Morn?

“Deep Space Nine” — Season 6, Episode 12

Morn (Mark Allen Shepherd) was a “Deep Space Nine” fixture, always at Quark’s bar, but never actually speaking onscreen. But in this episode, with Morn apparently dead in an accident, everyone reveals the offscreen times they spent with him, including the revelation that he “never shuts up.” Quark inherits all of Morn’s property, which Odo relishes revealing is ultimately nothing. But as it turns out, Morn had a much more adventurous life before his time on “DS9” than anyone knew, leading his former comrades to seek him out to get a hold of the money they believed he still possessed. —J.O.

Original airdate: Feb. 4, 1998

Species Ten-C

“Discovery” — Season 4, Episode 12

Other than the Gorn, almost all of the aliens on “Star Trek” are, essentially, humans with slightly different forehead ridges. But in its most recent season, “Discovery” embraced “Trek’s” prime directive (seeking out new life, bolding going where no one’s gone, etc.) by crafting a species that is truly alien: the Ten-C. Throughout the season, the Ten-C are presented as both a total mystery and an existential threat; when Capt. Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the crew of the Discovery finally reach them — outside the barrier of the Milky Way galaxy — they are unlike anything the show has ever encountered. Rarely has “Trek” applied more intellectual and emotional rigor to what it might actually be like to attempt first contact with extra-terrestrials, and rarely has it been this compelling. —A.B.V.

Original airdate: March 10, 2022

A Man Alone

“Deep Space Nine” — Season 1, Episode 4

Odo is one of the best characters in “DS9” — and in the “Star Trek” universe — in general, and this is the first episode to really establish him as a standout . A known criminal returns to the station only to die shortly after, and Odo is accused of his murder. Odo’s status as an outsider, but ultimately someone to be respected, is made crystal clear in this episode, with even his archenemy Quark acknowledging that Odo is not the type to murder someone in cold blood. —J.O.

Original airdate: Jan. 17, 1993

Mirror, Mirror

“The Original Series” — Season 2, Episode 4

The transporter strikes again, this time accidentally zapping Kirk, Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Scotty (James Doohan) and Bones (DeForest Kelley) from their reality into a parallel universe in which the benevolent Federation has been replaced by the bloodthirsty Terran Empire, governed by brute force and fascistic exploitation — and Spock has a goatee! More silly than serious (and no less fun for it), the episode effectively spawned an entire sub-genre of parallel universe episodes of TV (from “Supernatural” to “Friends”) and gave generations of actors a chance to play wildly against type. —A.B.V.

Original airdate: Oct. 6, 1967

“The Next Generation” — Season 4, Episode 2

People rave about “The Best of Both Worlds” and Picard’s assimilation by the Borg, but fewer remember this incredible follow-up episode. Picard returns to his family vineyard to put the Borg incident behind him, even briefly thinking that he will leave Starfleet. Jeremy Kemp crushes it as Picard’s brother Robert, with the two sharing a memorable (and muddy) scene in which Picard breaks down and admits how much his assimilation has shaken him. The episode is also memorable for the appearance of Worf’s adoptive parents, who come to the Enterprise to be with him following his discommendation. —J.O.

Original airdate: Oct. 1, 1990

Living Witness

“Voyager” — Season 4, Episode 23

For several minutes, “Living Witness” seems like a mirror universe episode, as a ruthless Janeway, captain of the “warship” Voyager, agrees to aid the Vaskans against the insurgent Kyrians by unleashing a biological weapon upon millions and executing the Kyrian leader. But then we realize that we’ve just witnessed a recreation at a Kyrian museum 700 years in the future, at which point a copy of the Doctor enters the story and learns, to his horror, how much the Kyrians have gotten wrong. What could have been a Rashomon-style caper instead becomes fascinating meditation on how the telling of history can be weaponized, even inadvertently, to maintain old wounds rather than heal them. —A.B.V.

Original airdate: April 29, 1998

Unification

“The Next Generation” — Season 5, Episode 7 & 8

Spock appeared on “The Next Generation” a month before the release of 1991’s “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” — but this time, at least, crass cross-promotion prompted some sublimely entertaining TV, as Picard and Data (Brent Spiner) aid Spock in his effort to reunify the Romulan and Vulcan peoples. [Stefon voice]: This two-parter has everything : Klingon warbirds, rude Ferengis, Tasha’s evil Romulan daughter Sela (Denise Crosby), Data and Spock philosophizing on their twin pursuits of logic and emotion, the death of Sarek, Worf singing Klingon opera with a four-armed bar pianist, and Picard and Spock mind-melding! —A.B.V.

Original airdates: Nov. 4 & 11, 1991

“Deep Space Nine” — Season 7, Episode 9

Gul Dukat is the best villain in “Star Trek.” Yes, you read that right. The writers and actor Marc Alaimo created an incredibly nuanced character that goes through a remarkable arc over the course of the series. This episode, near the end of “DS9’s” run, reminds fans that Dukat sees himself as a savior, but is ultimately a force for evil. He establishes a cult dedicated to the Pah wraiths on Empok Nor, luring a number of Bajorans to his side. But of course, he also sleeps with his female followers and tries to trick them into a mass suicide. Amazing stuff. —J.O.

Original airdate: Nov. 23, 1998

The Last Generation

“Picard” — Season 3, Episode 10

The cast of “TNG” infamously never got their swan song, after 2002’s “Star Trek: Nemesis” bombed in theaters, so this series finale serves as a gift both to them and to “TNG” fans. Every character gets their spotlight, including the resurrected Enterprise-D, as Picard, Riker, Dr. Crusher, Data, Worf, LaForge (LeVar Burton) and Troi (Marina Sirtis) all help to take down the Borg once and for all. The final scene — everyone sitting around a poker table, laughing and reminiscing — is as pure and satisfying an expression of fan service as anything “Trek” has ever done. —A.B.V.

Original airdate: April 20, 2023

“The Next Generation” — Season 3, Episode 13

Until this episode, Q was an enjoyably malevolent force within “TNG,” an omnipotent being who’d gleefully pop up now and again to play with the lives of the Enterprise-D crew. But here, when Q suddenly appears on the bridge, he’s been stripped of all his powers (and all of his clothes) and begs Picard for safe harbor. At first, no one believes him — even after Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) stabs him with a fork — which only fuels John de Lancie’s sparkling performance, as Q confronts life as ( shudder ) a mortal human. —A.B.V.

Original airdate: Feb. 3, 1990

An Embarrassment of Dooplers

“Lower Decks” — Season 2, Episode 5

The title refers to an alien called a Doopler, who duplicate themselves whenever they get embarrassed — which, naturally, becomes an issue the moment one steps foot on the Cerritos. But really, this episode is one of those deeply enjoyable “Trek” episodes that is less about story than it is about the vibes , as the characters spend their downtime winningly contending with the central premise of the show: The bittersweet contentment of life at the bottom of the ladder. —A.B.V.

Original airdate: Sept. 9, 2021

“Deep Space Nine” — Season 2, Episode 19    

The lives of the past hosts of the Dax symbiont are a recurring plot device on “DS9,” and no episode does it better than this one. A group of Klingons who knew Curzon Dax arrive at the station and enlist Jadzia’s (Terry Ferrell) help in killing their sworn enemy, a criminal known as The Albino who killed the three Klingons’ first-born sons. Jadzia ultimately honors the blood oath, as the episode explores the meaning of honor and solidarity. —J.O.

Original airdate: March 28, 1994

Where No Man Has Gone Before

“The Original Series” — Season 1, Episode 3

The famed second pilot episode of “Star Trek” (which introduced William Shatner as Capt. Kirk) is a strange artifact today: Bones and Uhura aren’t aboard yet, Sulu (George Takei) isn’t at the helm, the Enterprise has a psychiatrist (played by Sally Kellerman), and the uniforms and sets look a bit off. But the central story — Kirk’s best friend, Gary Mitchell (Gary Lockwood), is zapped by an energy blast at the edge of the galaxy, and begins to exhibit extraordinary psychokinetic powers — is vintage “Trek”: Brainy, brawny, and just the right side of uncanny. And it’s fascinating now to see how well-established Kirk and Spock’s dynamic of emotion vs. logic was from the very start. —A.B.V.

Original airdate: Sept. 22, 1966

The Measure of a Man

“The Next Generation” — Season 2, Episode 9

Data’s quest for humanity is at the very core of “TNG,” and this stirring episode literally puts that quest on trial — and establishes the show’s voice for the rest of its run. A Starfleet scientist wants to dismantle Data in order to create more androids, but Data refuses, setting up an intense courtroom drama — is Data merely a machine and the property of Starfleet? — with Picard representing Data while Riker is forced to represent the scientist. —J.O.

Original airdate: Feb. 13, 1989

“The Next Generation” — Season 4, Episode 26 & Season 5, Episode 1

The Klingons started on “Trek” as a not-that-thinly-veiled metaphor for the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War, but over the decades, they’ve developed their own richly detailed mythology. This two-parter (which aired just before the fall of the USSR) depicts a civil war within the Klingon Empire that leads to Worf’s decision to leave the Enterprise and join the fight. For a series that was episodic by design, this is the closest “TNG” ever got to serialized storytelling, incorporating events from several previous episodes — including the shocking introduction of Tasha’s Romulan daughter, Sela. —A.B.V.

Original airdates: June 17, 1991 & Sept. 23, 1991

“Deep Space Nine” — Season 1, Episode 11

It is endlessly entertaining to see Quark get what he wants as he then  learns that it’s way more trouble than he realized. This episode sums that idea up nicely, while also featuring the first of many wonderful appearances by Wallace Shawn as Ferengi leader Grand Nagus Zek. Zek unexpectedly names Quark his successor, only for Zek to die shortly after. Quark is thrilled at first, before he realizes being the Nagus puts a massive target on his back. This episode also helps build the friendship between Nog (Aron Eisenbeg) and Jake (Cirroc Lofton), with Jake secretly teaching Nog how to read. —J.O.

Original airdate: March 22, 1993

Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy

“Voyager” — Season 6, Episode 4

Yearning to grow past his programming, the Doctor allows himself the ability to daydream, in one of the flat-out funniest episodes of “Trek” ever. It opens with Robert Picardo singing opera as Tuvok (Tim Russ) undergoes pon farr (i.e. the madness to mate that consumes Vulcan males) and just gets wilder from there, up to the moment when the Doctor, who’d fantasized about taking over command of Voyager in an emergency, does it for real. —A.B.V.

Original airdate: Oct. 13, 1999

“The Original Series” — Season 2, Episode 1

Speaking of pon farr, this is the “TOS” episode that first establishes it — as well as the planet Vulcan, several Vulcan customs and traditions, and the now legendary Vulcan salute (honorable mention: Spock actually smiles!). Wracked with pon farr, Spock asks for leave back on his home planet, and eventually reveals that he must meet his betrothed, T’Pring (Arlene Martel). Naturally, Kirk and Spock end up in a fight to the death in one of the most iconic battles in “Star Trek” history. —J.O.

Original airdate: Sept. 15, 1967

Year of Hell

“Voyager” — Season 4, Episode 8 & 9

The most lasting criticism of “Voyager” is that every week, no matter what happened in the previous episode, the ship and crew emerged unscathed and ready for a new adventure. As if in response, this two-parter tracks a year in which the Voyager is ravaged to the point of near ruin by repeated encounters with an aggressive alien species called the Krenim. Unbeknownst to the crew, they’re actually the victims of a Krenim scientist, Annorax (Kurtwood Smith), who developed a technology to alter the fabric of time by erasing entire species from ever existing. This is as harrowing and merciless as “Trek’s” ever been, but it’s not quite the best episode of “Voyager” due to the irony of its ending: Janeway crashes the husk of the Voyager into Annorax’s timeship — which resets the timeline completely, as if nothing that we’d seen had ever happened. —A.B.V.

Original airdates: Nov. 5 & 12, 1997

“Deep Space Nine” — Season 3, Episodes 11 & 12

“Star Trek” often addresses timely societal issues, but this episode put them firmly in a 21st century context. Sisko, Bashir, and Dax accidentally wind up in San Francisco circa 2024, where poverty and oppression of the disadvantaged are running rampant (crazy how that remains timely, huh?). When a man meant to serve an important purpose in an historic riot is accidentally killed too soon, Sisko is forced to take his place. —J.O.

Original airdate: Jan. 2, 1995 & Jan. 9, 1995

Those Old Scientists

“Strange New Worlds” — Season 2, Episode 7

In one of the rare “Trek” crossover episodes, Ens. Boimler (Jack Quaid) and Ens. Mariner (Tawny Newsome) from “Lower Decks” find themselves zapped back to the era when Capt. Pike (Anson Mount) captained the Enterprise. Marshalled by Jonathan Frakes’ steady hand as a director , the disparate tones of “Lower Decks” and “Strange New World” somehow mesh perfectly, and hilariously, together. Packed with guffaw-worthy laughs, “Those Old Scientists” also becomes a deeply poignant expression of the impact “Trek” has had on generations of fans. Maybe it’s controversial to place one of the most recent “Trek” episodes so high on this list, but this one more than earns its spot. —A.B.V.

Original airdate: July 22, 2023

The Best of Both Worlds

“The Next Generation” — Season 3, Episode 26 & Season 4, Episode 1

This two-parter is frequently cited as the best “Next Generation” storyline of all time, mostly because it features one of the most iconic cliffhangers in all of television. The Borg attack the Federation, leading to a showdown with the Enterprise. Picard is captured and assimilated, revealing himself to his crew as Locutus of Borg. If we’re splitting Borg nano-probes, the second half doesn’t quite live up to the first, which is why, for us, it doesn’t quite rank into the Top 10. Special shoutout to this episode for setting up the incredible “Star Trek” film “First Contact.” —J.O.

Original airdate: June 18, 1990 & Sept. 24, 1990

“Deep Space Nine” — Season 1, Episode 19

When a Cardassian named Marritza (Harris Yulin) arrives on Deep Space Nine, Kira realizes he must have worked at one of the most notorious labor camps during Cardassia’s occupation of Bajor, and she arrests him as a war criminal. What follows is effectively a two-hander, as Kira’s interrogation of Marritza leads to a series of revelations that unmoor her hard-won fury at the atrocities inflicted upon her people. The conventional wisdom is that “DS9” didn’t get cooking until the Dominion War, but this early episode proves that this show was providing great, searing drama from the start. —A.B.V.

Original airdate: June 14, 1993

“The Original Series” — Season 1, Episode 22

Ricardo Montalbán makes his debut as Khan Noonien Singh, a genetically superior dictator from Earth’s Eugenics Wars. Khan and his people have been in suspended animation for 200 years and are looking to dominate humanity once again. Naturally, Kirk is able to beat Khan in a riveting confrontation, but rather than send him and his people to a penal colony, he agrees to let them settle on the wild planet, Ceti Alpha V. The episode proved to be so good, it led to the 1982 film “Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan,” arguably the best “Trek” movie of all time. —J.O.

Original airdate: Feb. 16, 1967

“Voyager” — Season 5, Episode 6

There’s something about time travel — and the twisty narrative paradoxes it can cause — that has engendered some of the best episodes of “Trek” ever made. That certainly includes this stunning “Voyager” episode, which opens with Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) and Chakotay (Robert Beltran), 15 years in the future, discovering the frozen husk of the Voyager buried inside a glacier on a barren ice planet. It turns out Kim made a critical mistake that caused the catastrophic accident, from which only he and Chakotay survived. Their unyielding fixation to right that wrong — and erase the previous 15 years from history — makes for a gripping nail-biter about regret and devotion. Not only did LeVar Burton direct, but he cameos as Capt. Geordi La Forge! —A.B.V.

Original airdate: Nov. 18, 1998

The Defector

“The Next Generation” — Season 3, Episode 10

Did a Romulan admiral really defect to the Federation, or are the Romulans perpetrating an elaborate hoax on Picard and the Enterprise crew? This wonderful episode sees the admiral in question (played by James Sloyan) claiming the Romulans are building a secret base within the Neutral Zone, forcing Picard to consider whether or not he should investigate and thus risk starting a war. It also features the excellent opening in which Picard tries to teach Data about humanity by having him act out scenes from Shakespeare’s “Henry V.” —J.O.

Original airdate: Jan. 1, 1990

Chain of Command

“The Next Generation” — Season 6, Episode 10 & 11

Lured into Cardassian territory under false pretenses, Picard is captured and systematically tortured by a ruthless interrogator, Gul Madred, in a chilling performance by David Warner. Their disturbing tête-à-tête — Picard is stripped naked and nearly broken by the end — would be enough for one of the all-time best “Trek” episodes. But this two-parter also boasts Ronny Cox as Capt. Jellico, Picard’s replacement on the Enterprise, whose prickly and demanding leadership style creates all kinds of thrilling friction among the crew. —A.B.V.

Original airdates: Dec. 14 & 21, 1992

In the Pale Moonlight

“Deep Space Nine” — Season 6, Episode 19

In this fantastic episode, Sisko grapples with the ethics of doing whatever it takes to get the Romulans to join the Dominion War on the Federation-Klingon side. This includes falsifying evidence and freeing a known criminal from Klingon prison with the help of master spy Garak (played by the always wonderful Andrew Robinson). Sisko (while recording a personal log) delivers a series of powerful monologues direct to camera about why he did what he did, ultimately deciding it was worth it in the end. —J.O.

Original airdate: April 13, 1998

The City on the Edge of Forever

“The Original Series” — Season 1, Episode 28

Accidentally hopped up on stimulants, a crazed Bones leaps through a time portal on an alien planet and winds up changing history so drastically that the Enterprise disappears. Kirk and Spock travel back to stop him, and land in New York City during the Great Depression, where they learn that Bones saved the life of Sister Edith Keeler (Joan Collins), a pacifist whose message resonates so strongly that the U.S. stays out of WWII, allowing the Nazis to conquer Europe. Alas, Kirk falls deeply in love with Keeler, establishing a classic “Trek” moral dilemma: How does one suppress their most profound personal feelings for the greater good? An all-timer that still resonates today. —A.B.V.

Original airdate: April 6, 1967

Far Beyond the Stars

“Deep Space Nine” — Season 6, Episode 13

In this Avery Brooks-directed episode, Sisko envisions himself as a Black science fiction writer in 1950s New York named Benny Russell. Russell dreams up a story about the crew of a space station led by a Black captain, but his publisher refuses to run it. This episode is memorable for many reasons, the biggest of which being its handling of racism, but it also allows the show’s main cast gets to appear without any prosthetics or makeup, as completely different characters, to great effect. —J.O.

Original airdate: Feb. 9, 1998

Yesterday’s Enterprise

“The Next Generation” — Season 3, Episode 15

The Enterprise-C, believed to have been destroyed over 20 years earlier, emerges from a temporal anomaly and resets history into a decades-long war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Tasha — killed off in Season 1 (after Denise Crosby wanted to leave the show) — is brought back to life, and falls for the Enterprise-C’s helmsman (Christopher McDonald), while Guinan implores Picard that something is desperately wrong with history and he must send the Enterprise-C back to certain doom. Somehow, this episode crams a movie’s worth of story into a nimble and rousing 44 minutes. Not a second is wasted. Outrageously great. —A.B.V.

Original airdate: Feb. 19, 1990

The Inner Light

“The Next Generation” — Season 5, Episode 25

When the Enterprise comes upon a mysterious probe, Picard is suddenly hit with a signal that plunges him into a different man’s life on a dying planet. There, Picard experiences half a lifetime, with a wife, children and grandchildren, all in the space of 25 minutes. When Picard realizes this was all meant as a time capsule — a way to preserve the stories of the people of the planet, which was destroyed 1,000 years earlier by an exploding star — the revelation that he lived the life he’d long forsaken as a Starfleet captain, only to have it ripped away, is almost more than he can bear. But hoo boy, does it make for stunning, deeply moving television. In fact, almost no episode of “Trek” is better. Almost. —A.B.V.

Original airdate: June 1, 1992

The Visitor

“Deep Space Nine” — Season 4, Episode 2

Don’t watch this one without tissues handy. This emotionally devastating episode gets right to the heart of what made “DS9” so special — the relationship between Sisko and his son, Jake. Told in flashbacks by an elderly Jake (Tony Todd), the episode recounts how Sisko became unstuck in time, briefly revisiting Jake over the course of his life, and how Jake is determined to bring him back. In brief, fleeting moments, Sisko tells Jake not to worry about him and to live his life to the fullest. But Jake cannot bear the thought of losing his father forever, ultimately sacrificing his own life to restore the normal flow of time. —J.O.

Original airdate: Oct. 9, 1995

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Mark Lenard

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Mark Lenard ( 15 October 1924 – 22 November 1996 ; age 72) was an American actor best known for his role as Sarek in the Star Trek: The Original Series second season episode " Journey to Babel ", Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and the Star Trek: The Next Generation third and fifth season episodes " Sarek " and " Unification I ". He also voiced the role in the Star Trek: The Animated Series first season episode " Yesteryear ".

Before he was cast as Sarek, Lenard played the first major Romulan character seen on Star Trek , the Romulan commander in the TOS first season episode " Balance of Terror ". As such, Lenard is often credited as being the first ever Romulan to appear in Star Trek ; however, by strict order of screen appearance, that honor falls to Lawrence Montaigne as Decius , who appeared seconds before Lenard but was wearing a helmet covering his Romulan ears. Lenard was the first Romulan to be fully seen with Vulcan-type ears.

Lenard filmed his scenes for "Balance of Terror" on Wednesday 27 July 1966 and Thursday 28 July 1966 at Desilu Stage 9 . He filmed his scenes for "Journey to Babel" between Monday 25 September 1967 and Thursday 28 September 1967 at Stage 9.

Lenard and Montaigne were at one point considered as a replacement for Spock had Leonard Nimoy not returned for the second season of Star Trek: The Original Series if contract negotiations had fallen through. [1] [2] Lenard was also the first choice to portray Abraham Lincoln in " The Savage Curtain ", but was unavailable due to a regular role on the series Here Come the Brides . [3]

Lenard on set

Lenard also became the first actor to play a Klingon with forehead ridges (and the first to speak the Klingon language ) when he appeared as the Klingon Captain of the IKS Amar in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . Lenard had actually requested to reprise his role as Sarek for this film, but when his request was declined, he was offered the role of the Klingon captain instead.

In 1991 Lenard appeared for the last time as Sarek in the Star Trek: The Next Generation fifth season episode " Unification I ". He arrived on Monday 23 September 1991 in Los Angeles and the transportation department picked him up at the airport. On the next day, Tuesday 24 September 1991 , he had a wardrobe fitting at 9:00 am and was picked up at his hotel at 8:30 am Lenard finally filmed his scenes on Wednesday 25 September 1991 at Paramount Stage 16 , was picked up at the hotel at 5:15 am, had a make up call at 5:30 am and a set call at 8:30 am.

Lenard worked with Ken Penders to write a comic story titles "The Lessons of Life" that was to be published by DC Comics as a prestige hardcover graphic novel tied in with the release of the Sarek novel from Pocket Books . This project died, but led to Lenard writing " Blood & Honor ", a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine comic released in 1995, where the son of his Romulan character from "Balance of Terror" met a descendant of James T. Kirk 's on Deep Space 9 . [4]

• 1 Early life and stage career
• 2 Early television career
• 3 Los Angeles: 1966-1970
• 4 Post- Brides : 1971-1981
• 5 Later life and career
• 6 Illness and death
• 7.1 Appearances as Sarek
• 7.2 Voice acting credits
• 7.3 Star Trek interviews
• 8 External links

Early life and stage career [ ]

Lenard was born Leonard Rosenson in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from high school in 1941, when he was only 16 years old. He then enrolled in the University of Michigan as a literature major. He was a veteran of the Second World War, joining the US Army in 1943 and becoming a paratrooper in Europe. He rose rapidly through the enlisted ranks until he was discharged as a technical sergeant in 1946.

During his military service, Lenard was chosen for a lead role in an Army presentation of Volpone to tour throughout Europe. This was his first acting experience. After being discharged, Lenard traveled Europe and considered joining the foreign service. Ultimately, however, he moved to New York and attended the New School in the hopes of becoming a writer.

While in New York, Lenard accepted the lead role in an off-Broadway production of James Joyce's play Exiles . Afterward, he decided to become an actor. He returned to the University of Michigan and received a Master's Degree in Theatre and Speech. He then returned to New York to pursue a career as a Broadway actor.

He made his Broadway debut in 1957 as an understudy for actors Philip Abbott and William Smithers in Carson McCullers' play The Square Root of Wonderful . He returned to the Broadway stage in 1959 for a production of William Shakespeare 's Much Ado About Nothing . Graham Jarvis was also a part of this production.

In 1962, he was performing in a play called We Take the Town , but this production closed before it could make it to Broadway. Lenard also performed in plays from such noted authors as Henrik Ibsen and Anton Chekhov and earned several awards for his work.

Lenard met his future wife, Ann Amouri, in an acting class. They later toured together in a road company production of A Far Country , in which Lenard portrayed Dr. Sigmund Freud . Lenard and Amouri married in 1960, ultimately having two children, daughters Roberta and Catherine. [5]

Early television career [ ]

In 1959, while still in New York, Lenard began taking on television roles. He became a main cast member on the CBS soap opera Search for Tomorrow , taking over the role of Nathan Walsh. This role had previously been played by four other actors, including Richard Derr and Frank Overton .

After his part on Search for Tomorrow came to an end in 1960, Lenard portrayed Rochefort in a TV movie version of The Three Musketeers , also airing on CBS. One of his co-stars in this production was fellow Star Trek alum John Colicos , who played Porthos.

In 1961, Lenard acted with Christopher Plummer in The DuPont Show of the Month production of The Prisoner of Zenda . This was followed by appearances on such shows as The Defenders , Lamp Unto My Feet , and The Nurses . During the 1964-65 television season, he became a regular on the NBC soap opera Another World , portraying Dr. Ernest Gregory.

Los Angeles: 1966-1970 [ ]

Lenard traveled to Los Angeles, California, to seek more acting opportunities. He made his feature film debut in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), in which he played Balthazar. Nehemiah Persoff also had a role in this film.

In 1966, Lenard and his family permanently moved to Los Angeles. A month later, Lenard was cast as the Romulan Commander in the Star Trek episode "Balance of Terror". The director of that episode, Vincent McEveety , subsequently directed Lenard in episodes of the western shows Gunsmoke and Cimarron Strip .

Between 1966 and 1970, Lenard guest-starred in four episodes of Mission: Impossible . Like Star Trek , this series was produced by Desilu . Incidentally, one of the episodes Lenard appeared in was called "Trek." Among the performers he worked with on Mission: Impossible were Percy Rodriguez and Lenard's on-screen Star Trek son, Leonard Nimoy .

Lenard also managed to acquire roles on such television series as Jericho (with Malachi Throne ), The Iron Horse (with Don Keefer ), Felony Squad (with Victor Tayback ), The Wild Wild West (directed by Marvin Chomsky ), Judd for the Defense (with Perry Lopez ), It Takes a Thief (with Peter Brocco and Malachi Throne), and Insight (with Diana Muldaur ). In addition, he appeared in his second film, Hang 'Em High (1968, with Jonathan Lippe , Paul Sorensen , and Bill Zuckert .

From 1968 through 1970, Lenard was a regular on Here Come the Brides . On this series, Lenard portrayed sawmill owner Aaron Stempel, the business rival of the show's protagonists, the three Bolt brothers. Two of the Bolt brothers were played by fellow Star Trek guest actors Robert Brown and David Soul .

Post- Brides : 1971-1981 [ ]

In the decade that followed his role on Here Come the Brides , Lenard guest-starred on such series as Search (directed by Russ Mayberry ), Mannix (with James B. Sikking and Kenneth Tobey ), The Magician (with Ian Wolfe and Anthony Zerbe ), How the West Was Won (with Kim Cattrall , Fionnula Flanagan , Rex Holman , and Roy Jenson and directed by Joseph Pevney ), and The Incredible Hulk (with Stanley Kamel ). He also appeared in three episodes of Hawaii Five-O (having previously appeared on the show in 1969), including two episodes directed by Michael O'Herlihy . (One episode featured Malachi Throne and Nehemiah Persoff .)

Lenard portrayed General Urko, the head of the gorilla military class, in the short-lived Planet of the Apes television series which aired on CBS from September through December 1974. His character on this show took orders from Dr. Zaius, who was played by Booth Colman . John Hoyt , Morgan Woodward , Harry Townes , Percy Rodriguez , Jon Lormer , Michael Strong , George D. Wallace , John McLiam , Ron Soble and Lee Delano guest starred on the series. The series was photographed by Jerry Finnerman and included directors Ralph Senensky , John Meredyth Lucas , and Don McDougall . In 1979, Lenard played the evil Emperor Thorval in NBC's science fiction/western serial Cliffhangers: The Secret Empire . Thorval's aide, Hator, was played by fellow Star Trek alum David Opatoshu .

Lenard had supporting roles in the made-for-television movies Outrage (1973) and Getting Married (1978). Aforementioned Star Trek alumni James B. Sikking and Nehemiah Persoff as well as Don Stark and Jason Wingreen also had roles in the former production, while Christopher McDonald and Victor Tayback were seen in the latter. In addition, Lenard played the lead role in the 1975 film Noon Sunday and had a small role in Annie Hall (1977, featuring John Glover , Tracey Walter and Carol Kane .

In 1981, Lenard guest-starred on the popular science fiction series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century as Ambassador Duvoe in the episodes "Journey to Oasis: Part 1" and "Part 2". Felix Silla also appeared in these episodes as Odee-x; Paul Carr was a regular on the series at the time, playing Lieutenant Devlin.

Later life and career [ ]

Outside of his appearances in the Star Trek films and on Star Trek: The Next Generation , Lenard did little else in film and television during the 1980s and 1990s. He spent much of his time teaching acting in New York City, commuting back and forth between the east and west coasts.

For the most part, Lenard had moved on to voice-over work. He was well known as the spokesman for the Saab automobile company in the 1980s. He recorded numerous radio commercials for the company, most of which were taped in New York. When his contract with Saab ended in the early 1990s, Lenard became the national spokesman for Zenith watches. He also lent his voice to local and national commercials for many other companies, in addition to supplying narration and commentary for such television networks as PBS , The Learning Channel, and the Discovery Channel.

Lenard did continue making occasional acting appearances, however. He guest-starred in an episode of the short-lived science fiction series Otherworld in 1985, directed by Richard Compton . Jonathan Banks was a regular on this series. Lenard also had a supporting role in the 1990 film The Radicals , which was filmed in Europe (primarily France) and which co-starred Christopher Neame . This film's music was composed by Tim Simonec .

During the early 1990s, Lenard toured throughout the country with Star Trek regular Walter Koenig in the two-man play The Boys of Autumn . In this play, Lenard and Koenig portrayed Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, respectively, who meet for the first time in fifty years as old men. Lenard and Koenig also worked together in the short play Actors .

Lenard made his final screen appearance on the television drama series In the Heat of the Night in the 1993 episode "Legacy". In this episode, Lenard played Horace Sloan, Jr., a wealthy man who intends on giving his estate to Candace Sloan, the descendant of a black sharecropper who worked on the land decades before. This plan does not sit well with Horace Sloan's greedy son, Lamar, the heir to the family estate. Candace was played by Next Generation guest star Renée Jones , while Star Trek: Deep Space Nine guest actor Edward Laurence Albert played Lamar. TNG/DS9 guest star Katherine Moffat played Horace's daughter and Lamar's sister, Amy.

Illness and death [ ]

In October 1995, Lenard, then living in Manhattan, complained of a pain in his ribs, but an X-ray revealed nothing of consequence. In December of that year, Lenard began experiencing fatigue and chronic back pain. After a series of medical tests and examinations, it was discovered that Lenard was anemic. Following a bone marrow biopsy, Lenard was diagnosed with multiple myeloma .

Lenard was initially given a prognosis of at least several years with plasmapheresis and chemotherapy, despite the fact that his disease was already at Stage III. By March 1996, however, Lenard's prognosis had worsened. He had continual bouts of pneumonia and became malnourished and, ultimately, the disease attacked his liver and kidneys. Lenard died of kidney failure at the New York University Hospital in Manhattan on 22 November 1996 (the same day Star Trek: First Contact opened in the US) at the age of 72. He was survived by Ann, his wife of 36 years, and their two daughters. [6] [7]

Star Trek appearances [ ]

Appearances as Sarek [ ]

• TOS : " Journey to Babel "
• TAS : " Yesteryear "
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
• " Unification I "

Voice acting credits [ ]

• Sarek (audiobook) – Narrator
• Federation (audiobook) – Narrator
• Star Trek Omnipedia – Narrator

Star Trek interviews [ ]

• "Sarek Speaks", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 14 , p. 28, interviewed by David McDonnell

External links [ ]

• Mark Lenard at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Mark Lenard at the Internet Movie Database
• Mark Lenard at Wikipedia
• Mark Lenard biography
• 2 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

A Famous Star Trek Hero Committed Michael Burnham's Crime With a Twist

• Michael Burnham's mutiny in Star Trek: Discovery mirrors Spock's rebellious acts in previous series, showing they both act against orders for the greater good.
• Burnham's journey to captaincy in the series broke the mold by focusing on a first officer's arc rather than the traditional captain's leadership role.
• While some fans criticized Burnham's mutiny, it exemplifies her commitment to Starfleet ideals, similar to other iconic Star Trek heroes like Spock.

When Star Trek: Discovery first debuted in 2017, it ended a 12-year drought for Gene Roddenberry's franchise on television. Fans hoping to see a modern take on the hopeful, aspirational world of the second-wave Star Trek series were disappointed at first. Discovery protagonist Michael Burnham committed a massive crime against Starfleet, but what she did to protect her ship and captain is what another popular Star Trek hero would've done if he was human.

There were many ways that Discovery was different from previous Star Trek installments, but Michael Burnham broke a franchise mold . Until her series, the Star Trek shows typically set up the ship's captain as the series' lead character. Burnham, however, started out as the first officer of the USS Shenzhou under the command of Captain Philippa Georgiou. Her path to the captain's chair was the overall arc of the series. Yet, when she committed mutiny in the pilot episode, some stringent fans felt this was an unforgivable sin. However, what she did was something Spock had done in the past, just with a very human twist.

How Star Trek: Discovery Stood Apart From Previous Series

Star trek: discovery's callum keith rennie shows a new side of starfleet.

When Gene Roddenberry was tapped by Paramount to create a new series in the Star Trek universe, he took an approach mirrored by Discovery . Simply put, Roddenberry wanted The Next Generation to be as different from The Original Series as possible. While it was visually distinct, the new series mirrored the previous one in a number of ways. However, Captain Picard didn't break Starfleet rules as often as Captain Kirk did, even though the USS Enterprise leader was always right to do so. In fact, when any of the series' lead captains disobeys Starfleet orders, it almost always ends up working out.

Discovery avoided Star Trek staples in design and other areas, providing viewers with an almost too distinct looking world. From ship nacelles to the uniforms worn by the central characters, it didn't look like the Starfleet of the past it was supposed to be. The biggest point of contention with fans when it came to design was the new look of the Klingons. While they spoke the language created by Marc Okrand for the 1980s films with extreme accuracy, the new look was a massive departure. Even their vessels, from the Birds of Prey to the massive Sarcophagus Ship, were unfamiliar. Still, like any good Klingon, these characters were hungry for war.

The war between the Federation and Klingons, while canonical, darkened the tone of the series. Also, Discovery's Season 1 twist with Captain Lorca being from the Mirror Universe, also showed audiences a very different kind of Starfleet. This actually allowed Burnham to be a representative of Starfleet's ideals, up to and including ending the war in a more peaceful way than Starfleet intended. Still, because Michael Burnham committed mutiny, some uncharitable fans blame everything on her. But, it's just what Spock might have done.

Michael Burnham's Mutiny Was What Spock Would've Done If He Was Human

Star trek: discovery's alex kurtzman & michelle paradise talk final season.

The first episode of Star Trek: Discovery is called "The Vulcan Hello," and that title is important. The episode introduced Georgiou, Saru, Burnham and her relationship to Sarek and Spock. In fact, Burnham seems more Vulcan than human in those early episodes, which is a Star Trek commentary on nature versus nurture. While Spock has his Vulcan physiology to help him control his emotions, for the fully human Burnham she's simply suppressing her emotions . Thus, when faced with the Klingons lying in wait, she approached the problem while denying her fear and panic.

Right before the fateful act of mutiny, Burnham turned to the only father available to her: Sarek. He's the one who told her about Vulcans' early contact with Klingons. Despite being almost a captain herself by this point, Georgiou gets angry when Michael contradicts her on the bridge. Still, Burnham was, ostensibly, right; the Klingons saw Starfleet as weak. Her suggestion to open diplomatic relations by firing first on the ship would've at least undermined T'Kuvma's argument about Starfleet and their commitment to peace. When Georgiou, also rightly, calls Burnham out for being emotional, her Number One incapacitates her with a Vulcan nerve pinch .

While Burnham was correct about the approach towards the Klingons and that this was a trap to start a war, she did make one mistake. The plan to capture T'Kuvma and weaken his standing with the Great Houses failed because of her. After T'Kuvma killed Georgiou, Burnham killed him in anger. She was so used to suppressing her emotions that the rage she felt at that moment overcame her logical judgment. Yet, her mutiny and even killing T'Kuvma could not have prevented the war. Rather than an example of how she's a terrible Starfleet officer, this showed just how very similar she actually was to her foster-brother Spock

Spock Committed Mutiny In One of Star Trek: TOS's Most Famous Episodes

Star trek: discovery actors doug jones & david ajala prepare for their last adventure.

While some fans lambast Michael Burnham for disobeying orders, it's a long-held Starfleet tradition, and it's not just the captains. On series like Star Trek: The Next Generation or Star Trek: Voyager , crew members disobey orders all the time. The only difference between them and Burnham, however, is it usually works out for the best. However, in one of the most famous episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series , Spock also commits mutiny and is far more successful than his sister . The first two-part episode, "The Menagerie" was a way for producers to reuse the failed first Star Trek pilot in the series. It introduced the injured Captain Pike and established that Spock was his loyal science officer and friend.

Spock created a false message to get the USS Enterprise to Pike's location. He then uses a Vulcan nerve pinch to incapacitate Chief Humbolt in order to ensure no one can stop the ship from reaching Talos IV. He takes command of the bridge and tells the crew that he's under secret orders to take the wheelchair-bound Captain Pike to the planet. Eventually Kirk and supposedly Commodore Mendez arrive at the ship, and Spock turns himself in just as Burnham does when Georgiou recovers. When Mendez is revealed to be a psychic projection from the Talosians, only Kirk is left to render a verdict. He lets Spock off-the-hook.

This wasn't the only time Spock disobeyed orders . He nerve-pinches a crewmate in Star Trek: The Motion Picture before his unauthorized mind-meld with V'Ger. In Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country , he repeatedly defies Starfleet orders in order to conduct his investigation and rescue Kirk. Yet, while he has the power of cool Vulcan logic on his side, Burnham was a mess of human emotions. She was desperate and acted rashly, assaulting Georgiou in a munity plan destined to fail. In fact, it's a lot like how Spock stole the Enterprise in Strange New Worlds' Season 2 premiere .

Michael Burnham's Mutiny Was Discovery's Way of Showing She's Just Like Spock

Star trek: discovery's sonequa martin-green embarks on one final voyage.

In Season 1, Michael Burnham carried herself like a Vulcan, which makes sense given how she was raised. Yet, she wasn't just like any Vulcan, but rather she was like Spock in a lot of ways. He was often depicted as a Vulcan who was resentful of his human half, slowly embracing it through his friendship with Kirk and McCoy. The first time he smiled, after all, was when he discovered he hadn't killed Kirk in "Amok Time." Burnham, on the other hand, almost denies her human side.

Both Burnham and Spock are incredibly smart and capable officers, and they know they are smarter than the others around them . This is why both characters will sometimes take action that may not be regulation or protocol. Spock and Burnham are deeply committed to Starfleet's larger ideals and know that sometimes doing something "wrong" is the right way to uphold them. Burnham disobeys orders again in the Season 1 finale, giving L'Rell control of the hydrobomb Starfleet wanted to deploy to destroy Qo'noS.

While some fans may think Michael Burnham's mutiny is unforgivable, it's precisely what Spock would've done, especially if he were fully human . Throughout Season 1 she is committed to Starfleet's ideals to preserve life, from Ripper the "Tardigrade" to her desire to help Saru protect the Pahvans from the war. While her mutiny and assault against Captain Georgiou was the wrong thing to do, like every Star Trek hero before her, she did it for the right reasons.

Star Trek: Discovery debuts new episodes of its final season Thursdays on Paramount+ .

Star Trek: Discovery

Release Date September 24, 2017

Cast Oyin Oladejo, Emily Coutts, Anthony Rapp, Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Mary Wiseman

Main Genre Sci-Fi

Genres Drama, Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure

Rating TV-14

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Journey to Babel

• Episode aired Nov 17, 1967

The Enterprise hosts a number of quarrelling diplomats, including Spock's father, but someone on board has murder in mind. The Enterprise hosts a number of quarrelling diplomats, including Spock's father, but someone on board has murder in mind. The Enterprise hosts a number of quarrelling diplomats, including Spock's father, but someone on board has murder in mind.

• Joseph Pevney
• Gene Roddenberry
• D.C. Fontana
• William Shatner
• Leonard Nimoy
• DeForest Kelley
• 28 User reviews
• 13 Critic reviews

• Captain James Tiberius 'Jim' Kirk

• Mister Spock

• (as Miss Jane Wyatt)

• Nurse Chapel

• Lieutenant Hadley
• (uncredited)
• Babel Conference Attendee

• Small Copper-Skinned Ambassador
• Vulcan Aide
• Purple-Skinned Delegate
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia For two weeks after the airing of this episode, Mark Lenard received more fan mail than Leonard Nimoy .
• Goofs Kirk is attacked and clearly stabbed in the lower back. McCoy later reports that the knife narrowly missed Kirk's heart and Kirk is bandaged across the upper chest, nowhere near where the knife wound occurred.

McCoy : Spock, I've always suspected you were a little more human than you let on. Mrs. Sarek, I know about the rigorous training of the Vulcan youth, but tell me, did he ever run and play like the human children, even in secret?

Amanda : Well, he, uh, he did have a pet Sehlat he was very fond of.

McCoy : Sehlat?

Amanda : It's sort of a... a fat teddy bear.

McCoy : [grinning] A teddy bear?

Sarek : Excuse me, Doctor. It has been a rather long day for my wife. Captain.

Captain James T. Kirk : Ambassador.

McCoy : [needlingly Spock after Sarek and Amada have gone] "A teddy bear."

Spock : Not precisely, Doctor. On Vulcan the "teddy bears" are alive, and they have 6-inch fangs

• Alternate versions Special Enhanced version Digitally Remastered with new exterior shots and remade opening theme song
• Connections Edited from Star Trek: The Galileo Seven (1967)
• Soundtracks Theme Music credited to Alexander Courage Sung by Loulie Jean Norman

User reviews 28

• planktonrules
• Dec 7, 2006
• November 17, 1967 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook
• Desilu Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
• Desilu Productions
• Norway Corporation
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 50 minutes

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Published Nov 20, 2023

Star Trek Episodes That Have Us Thankful

After all, family has always been a core theme of Star Trek.

StarTrek.com

While Starfleet doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, many episodes have three important Thanksgiving mainstays — big meals, family reunions, and awkward family moments.

This year, we thought you might enjoy these 11 episodes, which have families making up after a long dispute, showing how meals can help bring people closer, and exploring found families and the lengths people will go to to protect their loved ones.

“ Journey to Babel ,” The Original Series

"Journey to Babel"

Spock’s parents, Sarek and Amanda Grayson, come aboard the Enterprise as delegates to the planet Coridan. Kirk notices the tension between father and son and tries to mend it by praising Spock, though Amanda tells him it might be hopeless.

After a tense reception among delegates, one of the ambassadors is found murdered, and it appears a Vulcan is to blame. After Kirk, McCoy, and Spock question Sarek, he reveals that he has a heart defect and couldn’t have murdered anyone. Moreover, he needs surgery, and Spock must be a blood donor for the surgery to be successful.

This tense episode ends happily as father and son share a joke. Hopefully, your Thanksgiving meal isn’t as tense as their initial reception!

“ Family ,” The Next Generation

"Family"

This heartfelt episode perfect for Thanksgiving explores three familial relationships. After his Borg assimilation, Picard takes a much-needed leave with his brother, sister-in-law, and nephew at their vineyard in La Barre, France. At first, the brothers’ relationship is strained, but the two find common ground in their shared memories as the episode progresses.

Meanwhile, aboard the Enterprise , Worf welcomes his foster parents in a surprise visit. As he gives them a tour of the ship, his parents tell the crew embarrassing family memories that show how much they love Worf. Dr. Crusher also has a surprise for Wesley — a holo-message from his father recorded when Wesley was 10 weeks old.

“ Cost of Living ,” The Next Generation

"Cost of Living"

Many Thanksgiving family reunions have awkward moments with that relative (or relatives).

For Deanna, that relative is her mother. In “Cost of Living,” Lwaxana Troi surprises Deanna by arriving unannounced on the Enterprise with her fiancé, whom Deanna has never met. Lwaxana decides her wedding must take place aboard the Enterprise , much to Deanna’s distress. Meanwhile, Deanna is mediating Worf and his son Alexander’s troubled relationship. Always the busybody, Lwaxana decides to help Alexander too and takes him to the holodeck for a mud bath.

The episode ends with the wedding going awry when Lwaxana arrives nude, followed by a well-deserved group mud bath for Lwaxana, Deanna, Worf, and Alexander. If only all family gatherings ended in a group mud bath or scratch that, maybe not.

“ The Abandoned ,” Deep Space Nine

"The Abandoned"

A family meal subplot makes “The Abandoned” a cozy Thanksgiving watch.

Benjamin Sisko invites his son Jake’s new girlfriend — Dabo girl Mardah — to dinner to learn more about her. Ben cooks a spicy meal for them, and Mardah reveals how Jakes writes poetry and excels at dom-jot , which Sisko didn’t know. While Sisko was hoping to dissuade Jake from dating the older Mardah, the dinner helps him realize that Jake can make his own decisions and Ben should instead be learning more about his son.

Meanwhile, Quark finds a Jem'Hadar infant in a salvaged ship he’d purchased. The infant grows quickly, and Odo vows to mind him in the hopes that he can help the Jem’Hadar find his independence. Both plots explore the distance between adults and children and how/if that distance can be bridged.

“ Take Me Out to the Holosuite ,” Deep Space Nine

"Take Me Out to the Holosuite"

This episode is one of the most feel-good episodes of the entire Star Trek franchise.

Captain Solok challenges Sisko — a former classmate and rival — to a friendly game of baseball between Starfleet crews. Most of the crew doesn’t know how to play baseball or even what it is. Dubbed the Niners, after their first practice round, many of the team wind up in the infirmary. But their practice brings them closer together, and when it comes game time, a surprising turn of events has them celebrating.

While Thanksgiving is typically a football holiday, this baseball episode still gives that combination of camaraderie and competition Star Trek and sports fans alike enjoy.

“ Homestead ,” Voyager

"Homestead"

“Homestead” opens with Neelix hosting a party celebrating First Contact Day with platters of non-replicated food and a jukebox playing Earth classics. Everyone is having a blast even though Neelix can’t get Tuvok to dance with him.

When Voyager discovers a colony of Talaxians living on an asteroid, Neelix reunites with his people. After being hurt in a mining blast, a fellow Talaxian brings him to her home and heals him. Neelix meets her son and begins to develop deeper feelings for mother and child. At the end of the episode, Neelix decides to stay with the colony and leave Voyager . Tuvok dances as a farewell.

This episode celebrates two families: the found family Neelix had with his crewmates on Voyager and the new family he becomes a part of when he departs Voyager .

“ Silent Enemy ,” Enterprise

"Silent Enemy"

Archer speaks with Reed’s parents and learns that Reed’s birthday is coming up. He decides they will throw him a party, but Reed’s parents don’t know what his favorite meal is. Archer orders Sato, who enjoys cooking, to find out Reed’s favorite food and make him a meal. After interviewing the chef and many of the crew, Sato discovers what Reed’s favorite food — pineapple — and makes him a delicious pineapple cake. This is a fun and sweet episode to watch for Thanksgiving.

" Nepenthe ," Picard

"Nepenthe"

Picard brings Soji to the planet Nepenthe, where Riker and Troi have made a home with their daughter, Kestra. Riker cooks a woodstove pizza, and the friends catch up over dinner. Soji learns more about her father — Data — while also developing a trust for Picard as she watches him interact with his former crew. She also befriends Kestra.

This glimpse into an idyllic home life gives Soji and Picard a moment of respite from the traumatic events that brought them together. Reuniting over a home cooked meal and relaxing with family and friends is exactly what Thanksgiving is all about.

" Perpetual Infinity ," Discovery

"Perpetual Infinity"

This intense family reunion episode opens when Burnham is 10-years-old, and the Klingons attack the colony where she and her parents live. Her mother Gabrielle successfully hides Burnham while the Klingons kill her father, and Gabrielle flees in the Daedelus suit.

In the present, while Gabrielle is unconscious, Burnham relives that time as she scans her mother’s memory logs, which are all addressed to her. When Gabrielle awakens, she tells Georgiou to take care of Burnham, knowing that she will not be remaining with Discovery and that Georgiou, despite her protests, loves Burnham like a daughter.

This is the most action-packed episode on this list and shows how family reunions can bring up painful memories while also providing closure.

" The Sound of Thunder ," Discovery

"The Sound of Thunder"

Saru reunites with his sister Siranna when the Red Angel’s signal appears over his home planet of Kaminar, and Discovery goes to investigate.

Saru escaped Kaminar 18 years earlier to join Starfleet and explains to the crew that Kelpiens, like him, are the prey to the Ba’ul, another species on the planet. Siranna isn’t exactly happy to see Saru, who she claims abandoned her and their father. Discovery ’s presence threatens to overturn the predator-prey balance on the planet.

By the end of the episode, the two siblings have made up, and Siranna tells Saru he’s always welcome to come home and visit.

“ Forget Me Not ,” Discovery

"Forget Me Not"

The crew feels depressed as the realization that they’ll never see family and friends again sinks in. The computer suggests a dinner for the officers and a day off for the crew to bring everyone closer together. Saru hosts a Thanksgiving-style feast for the officers, but things go awry when Detmer tells an insulting joke, and she and Stamets argue.

Meanwhile, Burnham takes Adira to the Trill homeworld to help recover their memories, but the Trill are resistant to the idea of a human host. But, as one of the Trill points out, Adira poses a possible future for the Trill. The recovery of Adira’s memories, though painful, brings peace to Adira, and they and Burnham become closer.

The episode ends with the crew laughing at Buster Keaton and Detmer and Stamets sharing a hug. This found family episode is one of the most beautiful Discovery episodes yet.

Star Trek Episodes That Give Us Thanksgiving Feels

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This article was originally published on November 17, 2020.

Margaret Kingsbury (she/her) is a contributing writer at Book Riot, where she raves about the SFF books she loves. She writes about children's books at Baby Librarians, a website she co-founded, and you can find her on Twitter @areaderlymom and on Instagram @babylibrarians.

In addition to streaming on Paramount+ , Star Trek: Picard also streams on Prime Video outside of the U.S. and Canada, and in Canada can be seen on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave. Star Trek: Picard is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4 are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Seasons 2 and 3 also are available on the Pluto TV “Star Trek” channel in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The series streams on Super Drama in Japan, TVNZ in New Zealand, and SkyShowtime in Spain, Portugal, Poland, The Nordics, The Netherlands, and Central and Eastern Europe and also airs on Cosmote TV in Greece. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Screen Rant

Picard never appeared in star trek’s mirror universe but his doppelganger was just as evil.

TNG never visited the Mirror Universe, but Star Trek: Picard revealed that the Confederation of Earth's Jean-Luc was just as evil as any Terran.

• General Picard's reign of terror in the Confederate Earth was just as brutal as the Mirror Universe's Terran Empire.
• Star Trek: The Next Generation never visited the Mirror Universe due to a cooler, scientific approach by the producers.
• Fans had to wait until Star Trek: Picard to meet General Picard's evil alternate, as TNG rejected the idea.

Audiences never met the Mirror Universe version of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), but Star Trek: Picard revealed that he had an evil doppelgänger who was just as evil as anyone in the Terran Empire. In Picard season 2, the machinations of Q (John de Lancie) created an alternate timeline in which the United Federation of Planets becomes the Confederation of Earth. This brutal regime was the antithesis of Star Trek's Federation, drawing comparisons between the Confederation and the Terran Empire .

Both the Confederation and the Terran Empire placed humanity above all other species in the galaxy, leading to a bloody and brutal subjugation of other alien races. As Star Trek: TNG didn't visit the Mirror Universe , General Picard was the closest that fans got to seeing his evil counterpart. Just like the Mirror Universe version of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), the Confederation's General Picard was a cruel despot who had conquered countless worlds and killed scores of enemies .

Worf Ruled The Mirror Universe In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (No, Really)

General picard of confederation of earth was as evil as mirror universe.

Of the many reveals about Star Trek: Picard 's Confederation , the information about General Picard and his reign of terror was the most chilling. General Picard annihilated the Klingon home world Qo'noS, much like the Mirror Universe's Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) did in Star Trek: Discovery . Rather than command the USS Enterprise-D, Picard was in command of the CSS World Razer, a fearsome looking starship of which an oil painting was hung in the General's study . General Picard's study was also decorated with the skulls of some notable Star Trek figures, including:

• Borg Sentinel One of Two
• Grand Nagus Zek (Wallace Shawn)
• Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo)
• General Martok (J.G. Hertzler)
• Director Sarek (Mark Lenard)

Like his Prime Universe counterpart, General Picard also had a synthetic body, which he had acquired following a battle with Gul Dukat . The General's chateau was staffed by both Romulan and synthetic slaves, who maintained his home while he was on important business for the Confederation Corps. When Prime Picard arrives in the Confederation reality in Star Trek: Picard season 2, it's on the eve of Eradication Day, in which the General is scheduled to publicly execute the Borg Queen (Annie Wersching). The Borg Queen's skull would have joined the others in Picard's trophy room if Jean-Luc and the La Ceritos crew hadn't saved her.

Why Star Trek: The Next Generation Never Went To The Mirror Universe

The notion of a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode set in the Mirror Universe existed from as early as 1987, when David Gerrold joked about a sequel to "Mirror, Mirror" in Starlog magazine which would have featured Edith Keeler (Joan Collins) and dangerous, carniverous Tribbles . Jerome Bixby, who wrote the original Mirror Universe episode of Star Trek: The Original Series pitched a sequel for TNG that would have featured older versions of the TOS characters . However, this idea was rejected by Paramount, who didn't want to feature them so heavily in TNG .

Of the many Mirror Universe episodes pitched to Star Trek: The Next Generation , hardly any of the failed pitches have become public knowledge.

A.J. Black's book Lost Federations: The Unofficial Unmade History of Star Trek suggests that the pulpy idea of a darkest timeline didn't sit well with " The Next Generation's cooler, scientific approach to Star Trek, particularly in the Piller era. " Black's assumption is largely correct, backed up by Michael Piller himself. Piller explained that he " wasn't interested " in revisiting the Mirror Universe during TNG , despite the multiple "Mirror, Mirror" sequels that were pitched to him . While Piller would eventually acquiesce and produce a "Mirror, Mirror" sequel on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , fans would have to wait until Star Trek: Picard to meet Jean-Luc's evil alternate.

All episodes of Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: The Next Generation are available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Picard

*Availability in US

Not available

After starring in Star Trek: The Next Generation for seven seasons and various other Star Trek projects, Patrick Stewart is back as Jean-Luc Picard. Star Trek: Picard focuses on a retired Picard who is living on his family vineyard as he struggles to cope with the death of Data and the destruction of Romulus. But before too long, Picard is pulled back into the action. The series also brings back fan-favorite characters from the Star Trek franchise, such as Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Worf (Michael Dorn), and William Riker (Jonathan Frakes).

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise and follows the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Set around one hundred years after the original series, Picard and his crew travel through the galaxy in largely self-contained episodes exploring the crew dynamics and their own political discourse. The series also had several overarching plots that would develop over the course of the isolated episodes, with four films released in tandem with the series to further some of these story elements.

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Interview: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Writer Carlos Cisco On Unmasking The Breen And Revisiting The ISS Enterprise

| April 28, 2024 | By: Anthony Pascale 38 comments so far

The fifth episode (“ Mirrors “) of season 5 of Star Trek: Discovery was co-written by Carlos Cisco, working with Johanna Lee. Cisco joined Discovery in season 3 as a writers’ assistant, moved up to staff writer during season 4, and is now a writer and story editor in season 5.

In our SPOILERS interview, TrekMovie had a chance to talk to Cisco about getting a chance to expand on some big pieces of Trek lore in “Mirrors” and more.

Can you give a bit of background on your fandom and how you came to work on Discovery ?

I am a huge fan now, but I wasn’t always that way because I didn’t have TV growing up in the ’90s. I had seen some of the original movies, a handful of Next Gen episodes and the J.J. Abrams movies before coming onto Discovery . It was intimidating because didn’t know the franchise really well but I love sci-fi and genre. Once I started on season 3, I began to watch Next Gen episodes and when it became clear we were dealing with Andorians and Orions, our then-staff writer Brandon Schultz suggested I watch Enterprise because that is when they were the most featured and I really came to appreciate it. I had been a huge fan of Jeffrey Combs before any knowledge of Trek, and to find how deep he was in Trek was a delightful surprise. So I watched Enterprise all the way through, I watched all of Next Gen , DS9, TOS, I got up to season 4 of Voyager …

So you did an almost complete binge of the franchise during your first year as a writers’ assistant?

Yeah, I was watching like two to four episodes a day. It was a lot. I am an extremely online person and understand how fandoms work and understand that Trek is the fandom that created the sort of framework for all modern fandom. I also love researching things. I love fake histories of and diving into the lore of something. So yeah, I went through all of it and eventually finished up Voyager during the pandemic and kept on, I am current with all the Trek shows.

Was this just extra obsessiveness because it was your job, or because you were you getting into it?

I really enjoyed Next Generation . Deep Space Nine is among my favorite TV series of all time and the one I go back and rewatch the most because it’s just that good, I love it. I will go back to other ones like if we are referencing it in the room.

Carlos Cisco beamed to the set of Star Trek: Discovery

So having watched it all so recently, did you find yourself as one of the quasi-experts in the room?

Yeah. I would have upper level writers texting me asking like, “What’s something I can inject in here?” Yeah, I became one of the experts in the room. I feel like the most passionate people about a religion are the recent converts, and that became one of my positions in the room. So I was always trying to push how could we recontextualize Trek canon for the 32nd century? How can we better worldbuild each season? That was something that was important to me.

For an episode like “Mirrors,” it must occur to you that you are about to double the page on Memory Alpha for the Breen and also the Kelleruns and even the Mirror Universe. Do you find that exciting or terrifying?

Both. Trek fans, they know their shit. It’s a really terrifying and great responsibility to get to be that additive to canon. The Breen were one of my strongest pushes for the season. Early on a couple of us who were really into the lore were asked for ideas on the season big bads and [staff writer] Eric [Robbins] was pushing for the Vidiians and I was like we should do the Breen.” Because, A: They’re not going to have horrible makeup, and B: We can just put a bunch of big guys in suits and they don’t need to talk. Being mindful of the COVID protocols, the suits and masks would be really great. And then there were all the possibilities for the Breen because in every season Discovery is trying to do something we have never seen before. And getting to unmask the Breen was a really big privilege.

“Mirrors” showed how there was more to just unmasking them with the two faces. Can you talk about the look and inspiration behind that?

I don’t remember where in the process we landed on “gelatinous” but when we hit the art team with that they came back to us with deep sea fish like the Barreleye Fish with a see-through head. We got really excited about that. So we started talking about what is this species? Why do they wear the suits? So, the thing we landed on is they have this soft gelatinous form and also a hardened form. Our thinking was that the Breen came up on a very harsh planet with a harsh environment. So they developed a way to protect themselves which was hardening their outer shell into basically a skin, but that takes an immense amount of concentration and energy, making them slower, more sluggish, less intelligent, basically. Over time, they compensated for that by creating the refrigeration suits. Then culturally, it became anathema for them to display that solid face, especially to outsiders, because it was essentially a sign of weakness.

L’ak in his gelatinous state

This idea of a taboo reminded me of episodes like “The Outcast.” So L’ak is part of a segment of Breen society that chose to go against this norm?

Yeah, I think that the Breen that would do that would be outcasts in their society. We still wanted to leave a lot of mystery with the Breen. One of the most appealing parts of being a writer in Trek, is you can see something that was mentioned once in Trek and go, “I’m going to build a whole episode about this, or a whole character arc that explores this.” The Breen started as a single line in TNG and then got one of the most important arcs in DS9. Getting to build and expand off that of that was really cool.

One quick question: Is this the same Breen ship we saw next to the destroyed Federation HQ in the future in the time travel episode?

Yep, that big honking thing next to Federation HQ is the Breen ship. It’s not a space station, it’s a ship. That was one of the things I was super proud of pitching. I had been looking at Breen ship designs, including the Star Trek Online ones, which were these colossal, city ships that could house entire armies and fleets inside of them. And again, talking about what haven’t we seen and what could we have as our adversary. Like, Osyraa’s ship was big in comparison to Discovery, but we wanted to do something – this thing was just a behemoth. Like a Discovery-sized ship could fly into its shuttle bay.

Using the ISS Enterprise was a way to sort of visit the Mirror Universe again. What came first: a creative way of using the available Strange New Worlds set in Toronto, or the decision to revisit the Mirror Universe?

We were given access the sets so we could pitch ideas that could take place on those sets, whether it is the Enterprise or not. There were a few pitches, like one with an old science vessel from the 23 rd century stuck inside a planet of liquid mercury. And one pitch was it was a Mirror Universe ship sort of trapped like a ship in a bottle, which became the pocket of dimensional space. We even considered fluidic space, trying to bring in one more little reference [laughs]. So once it was settled to do the Mirror ship, the opportunity to define what happened to the ISS Enterprise after the events of “Mirror, Mirror” was really cool.

Was there any talk about also bringing in some Mirror characters?

We had considered Ethan [Peck] as Mirror Spock early on but there might have been availability issues, I don’t know.

Burnham and Book on the ISS Enterprise bridge

So you say you are the lore guy, so how about a nitpick speed round? Starting with: The Breen aren’t supposed to bleed, right?

They don’t have a circulatory system, it’s just the jelly spilling out. I know they don’t bleed! Come on. [laughs]

The solution to open the wormhole was to replace the photon torpedoes with antimatter, but aren’t photon torpedoes anti-matter torpedoes?

I think they were adding more, okay? [laughs]

Final sort of nitpick: Owo and Detmer were tasked with taking the ship back to HQ, but the warp drive was disabled.  We don’t see it go to warp, so are they not going to show up at HQ for years?

In my headcanon, they are being met by a Federation tug, the 32 nd century version of the California-class like the Cerritos. They are heading off to meet them and it will tug them to spacedock. [laughs]

ISS Enterprise leaves for Starfleet HQ

We have talked a lot about lore, but season 3 was a way for the show to kind of jump past all of Star Trek canon. Now in season 5, it feels like the show is reembracing the lore, is that by design?

Yeah, I think the studio and Secret Hideout, [co-showrunners] Alex [Kurtzman] and Michelle [Paradise] all wanted this season to sort of connect Discovery back to the greater body of Trek a little more. That didn’t mean we had to really dig into canon, but there was a greater desire to see what we are familiar with from the past and what it looks like in 32 nd century and how it’s different or how it’s not different, and why. Obviously, this is a season that has focused on an episode from the 24 th century [TNG “The Chase”] and so naturally because of that, every episode focused on the clues is going to be focused on the whims of a 24th-century scientist. So that is naturally going to have more connections back to what people would consider classic Trek.

Discovery is ending and the writers room wrapped up a while ago. Are you hoping to return to the franchise? If there is a second season of Academy , are you hoping to get back to the 32 nd century?

I’d love to, if they’d have me. But if this is the last episode I get to write of Star Trek, I’m very proud that this is my final contribution. I’m hoping to pitch some games to the franchise and stuff like that as well down the line. I’m a game designer on the other side of my career. But yeah, I would love to come back and write for Trek, anytime. We’ll see if that happens.

Finally, last year you played a big part in organizing for the WGA strike, which included rallying Trek writers. Can you talk about that?

Yeah, one of the proudest things I’ve contributed to the franchise didn’t even take place while I was employed on Star Trek. Or [employed] at all. I was a lot coordinator and strike captain. Followers of the strike might remember we did theme days to boost morale and turnout. I, along with fellow captain and Strange New Worlds writer Bill Wolkoff was one of the architects of the Star Trek strike day in May. It was one of the first theme days, and we didn’t advertise. But the turnout from franchise was immense. We had actors, writers, and designers from every single Trek TV show attend. It was, as a fan and a writer, an immensely emotional day and an incredible few hours where folks who worked on the show could fan out on other folks whose shoulders we stand on. There were reunions that hadn’t happened in years and it was a really joyful celebration of the shows we all put our blood, sweat, and tears into.

Carlos Cisco (highlighted) at Star Trek-themed picket day in May 2023 (Photo: JW Hendricks)

The fifth and final season of Discovery debuted with two episodes on Thursday, April 4 exclusively on Paramount+  in the U.S., the UK, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, and Austria.  Discovery also premiered on April 4 on Paramount+ in Canada and will be broadcast on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel in Canada. The rest of the 10-episode final season is available to stream weekly on Thursdays. Season 5 debuted on SkyShowtime in select European countries on April 5.

Note: The interview has  been edited for brevity and clarity.  

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I’m not sure I like the reveal. To me, this is one of those things like the Klingon headridges where I think the mystery was more interesting than the answer they came up with. I so wish Enterprise had not explained the headridges and Worf’s “we don’t discuss it with outsiders” joke in DS9’s “Trials and Tribbleations” was the end-all be-all for it.

Also, the behind-the-scenes thinking and explanation for the Breen doesn’t fit with DS9.

Their idea that the Breen come from a harsh planet and harsh environment is directly conflicted in dialogue by Weyoun, who states the environment of the Breen homeworld is actually normal. In DS9, it gave the Breen a mysterious quality that I think made them stand out.

Good point. Pretty much everything about this episode was badly done.

Frankly, given what a disappointment Discovery seasons 3-5 have been, I truly hope Carlos Cisco and Johanna Lee are not invited back. They just aren’t good writers.

as all Disco writers are…

You dislike all the writers on all current trek shows. Not actually sure what you consider a “good” writer.

Just to be sure, it would be nice if we can put all Disco writers in one big box and ship them to Antartica.

DS9 built up a real mystique about the Breen. To find out that they are really green jello people was a bit anti-climatic.

In fairness, though, what would have been exciting enough as an answer to the mystery? Some things are better left unanswered. It brings to mind Steven Moffat teasing a reveal of The Doctor’s (as in Doctor Who) name, abut then admitting he never would. To parapgrase, he said, “What could it possibly turn out to be? Keith?”

In fairness, though, what would have been exciting enough as an answer to the mystery? 

I think you answered the question well in suggesting that maybe the Breen should have remained a mystery.

but on the other hand, who trusts anything Weyoun says?

The Typhon Pact books dug into the Breen in an interesting way, and this doesn’t stray too far from that (in some respects) which is refreshing to see.

Two unnecessary reveals in one episode.

Anyone who says DS9 is their favorite show is already alright in my book!

However I did have a lot of problems with this episode. The whole MU connection and it also being the Enterprise just felt beyond a stretch and very unnecessary. And he confirmed what I think a lot of us assumed and that they were able to use the Enterprise sets and just came up with a story around it instead of the opposite and came up with a story first that warranted it. I really wish it was just another Constitution class ship from the prime universe instead of the ham fisted stuff they came up with that added really nothing to the story.

As for the Breen I do like they are using them again since this is a species many fans wanted to see again. I’m torn with the head reveal but OK with it. But would’ve been fine if they didn’t show them.

I also like the idea of using the Vidians too although IIRC weren’t they already cured by the end of Voyager? But this is why it’s fun to go so forward in the future because now you can use species from any part of the galaxy.

And I suspect we will see a lot more of them in the Academy show.

Agreed on all fronts.

agree on everything ;)

Yep Jason Alexander cured the Phage.

Yeah, I don’t think every mystery or open question needs to be answered by our franchises. I don’t understand the compulsion to answer every open question from past series or movies.

Things like the Breen and Bobba Fett were cooler with less said.

yes. for sure. let the secrets be secrets, don’t explain them, create new ones!

The shame of it all, though, is that this just wasn’t a good episode. It was badly written, L’ak and Moll were really boring, and the Breen’s other face was cheesy-looking. This may have been the worst episode of DISCO since the ship left the 23rd century. What a disappointment this season has turned out to be; after two really fun opening episodes, it’s gone downhill fast and has turned into the same padded schlock that was seasons three and four.

You literally complained about the first two episodes when they aired and now you are saying that were great? And you’re making sweeping judgements about a season being disappointing even though you haven’t seen it all? There’s a word for this: trolling.

That’s nonsense, and you know it. I don’t know why you have a bug up your butt about me, but if you don’t like my posts, stop replying to them. I’m clearly not a troll. I’ve been an active member of this group for years.

Also, I just looked up my comments about the early episodes on this board.

Episode 1: “Now THAT was good.”

Episode 2: I made no comment at all.

Episode 3: “Oh, boy. After two stellar episodes, this was one of the worst in the show’s history. If this is setting the tone for the rest of the season, I’m frankly worried.”

So, M1701, when exactly did I “literally complain about the first two episodes when they aired?” It’s pretty clear which one of us is the troll. So get off my back. You don’t out-rank me and you don’t have pointed ears.

I don’t know. I thought it was a very good episode. The pacing was great. I like the added backstory to Moll and L’ak. I found it added depth and meaning to their characters. And I did love that the MU ship was the Enterprise. As a long-time fan of Trek and loving “Mirror, Mirror” – I often wondered what happened to the ISS-E. This was quite satisfying to me to know where she ended up. Being a writer myself (I wrote several episodes or ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK and other series from time to time), I quite enjoyed the story telling here and in this season. I work more in the technical field now but I still write from time to time. Funny enough, I did write a fan fiction years and years ago that find the ISS-E in the future with Mirror Spock at the helm.

Oh neat I used to watch AYOTD when I was a kid good show.

This awful story is what you get when you assign a novice to write this episode. No offense to Carlos Cisco, but the ‘Mirrors’ episode is a huge mess.

The ‘no offense’ made a huge difference indeed… LOL

What they should’ve done with the extra pages they got in the end (to wrap up the series) is go back and ‘fix’ certain things they would’ve done, had they known it was their last episode. Like bringing in Ethan for at least a cameo or recorded log scene and Lorca in the previous one. Would’ve fixed the ‘talk in stead of show’ issues.

Guess we can add the Breen to the list of things the First Splinter did better (a list that already includes the MU).

I still hate the 32rd century, the entire thing completely destroys world building in the Star Trek Universe to me.

If it was the late 25th century or early 26th century, just a difference in Number really, the jump in tech capabilities would be entirely reasonable and no more than from the late 23rd to the late 24th century. All of the things that happened in the meantime, the burn, the reunification of vulcan etc would have all been much more plausible in a shorter period of time and honestly opening the possibility for many more interesting stories to tell. Even the federation continuing on as a shadow of its former self, the way it is presented in the show, would make much more sense if the burn had been just, say, 30 years ago – and not over 100!

Look at how our real world changed just within the last 80 years since WW2, how a society such as Korea could evolve into two completely different cultures, how entire populations were displaced in Europe, yet that reality became totally normal now. In star trek, on the other hand, somehow progress and change completely ground to a crawl, apparently, following the 2400s.

Again, that baffling decision completely destroys world building and plausibility of the events in Disco for me. Such a minor thing as the number of the date has have such profound ramnifications towards the plausibility of the story (which was probably only chose because it was beyond ANY mentioned events in Canon) and it is just so disappointing that this decision has been apparently been made on a whim.

And now they are doubling down with SF Academy. Just leave it in peace and call it an “alternate Timeline/split timeline” or whatever.

This. I just can’t even bring myself to watch Disco anymore (stopped after season 2). Have seen every episode of every other series excluding Prodigy (am getting to that one), but Disco just doesn’t feel like the same universe, and I’m simply not interested.

This episode was damn fantastic and I find Trekmovie’s comments section for this article a bit more wearying than most.

Ah, thank you. The comments here are becoming grumpy central. I liked the episode and this interview was honest and fun.

I love the Trekmovie podcast and the news coverage, but nowadays I do kind of see the Trekmovie comments as obnoxious haters looking for shallow excuses to flex what they think is their creative writing muscle vs. the comments at Trekcore that are a little more down-to-earth and rational. The comments over there are also much more discussion-based as opposed to the reaction-based dramaticism of the jerks over here. I want to be clear, I’m just talking about the comments. Anthony and Laurie’s podcast and this site’s news coverage is one of the shining lights of the fandom in general. It’s just that the comments section make my eyes roll so hard they occasionally fall out.

A. It’s just people giving their opinions. I don’t think people are trying to be ‘haters’ just honest. Yes people are passionate.

B. It’s literally been like this here since 2009. It’s actually better today than a decade ago after STID came out. That was brutal lol.

I liked that TNG mostly didn’t revisit TOS aliens (but when it did, it overused them – see: Klingons — or made them lame – see: Vulcans and Romulans).

I wish Discovery had tried to do its own thing.

Honestly I think it is Enterprise that made the Vulcans lame. Outside of Spock and Sarek we didn’t really even get many Vulcans in TNG

I agree to an extent. That being said I’d rather use an established adversary than invent something new out of whole cloth.

I for one am happy to see the Breen back as they were one of my favorite parts of DS9. I wouldn’t have shown their faces but I like what we got. Im also glad we’re using and expanding on something established as opposed to inventing something brand new. I hope we see the Tholians too as they were name dropped earlier in the season.

Cisco is clearly a fan but it feels like the writers this season really want to be doing an early 24th/25th century show. The story and ideas do not feel they inspired by and coming organically from the shows characters and setting. The show is increasingly contrived as a grab bag of 24th/25th century ideas are brute-forced into Discovey at the expense of its own already weak characters.

They’ve fallen into a catch-22 where the show is entirely dependent of references/callbacks to keep you invested because of its own weak setting and characters…but they’re weak because their development has been sacrified in favor of more refences. The show started started off with training wheels and instead of letting it eventually ride on its own they just keep adding more training wheels.

It’s a shame because in a vaccum I actually think a lot of the Breen development is pretty neat. I hope Cisco, Lee, and others are new and better opportunities with the franchise in the future. But I’m increasingly worried that with Kurtzman in charge it’ll just be more of the same. Coming Soon: 32nd Starfleet Academy! Featuring such instructors as The Doctor, Guinan, Wesley Crusher, and a Soong Android!