TOS Episode Tier List Season 3

Star Trek TOS Episode Tier List

Season 1

56 Spectre of the Gun

Kirk and co. make first contact with the noncorporeal xenophobic Melkotians, who test the crew by forcing them into a recreation of the gunfight at the OK Corral.  This one is ok, not special, the buildings in the Tombstone AZ illusion being jus facades works as part of the story while also being exhibit A of the seasons practically non-existent budget.  C tier.

 

57 Elaan of Troyius

In a scifi retelling of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” Kirk has to deal with the bratty self-centered Dohlman of Elas (whom the Enterprise is transporting to Troyius for an arranged marriage) while also dealing with Klingons who try to destroy the Enterprise to claim the Tellun systems dilithium and a Klingon spy/saboteur in the Troyan delegating planting a bomb on the ship.  Fun episode, also the first appearance of the Klingon D7 battlecruiser model.  C

 

58 The Paradise Syndrome

While investigating a planet with Earth native flora and a civilization of relocated Native Americans, the away team discovers an ancient alien obelisk.  Kirk is injured after falling through a trap door into the and loses his memory and believes his name is Kirok.  The natives believe Kirok is a god, and while the Enterprise deals with an asteroid on a collision course with the planet Kirok marries the local priestess Miramanee and fathers her child.  Yet another twist on parallel Earths, with the Preservers and the obelisk being a take on “ancient aliens”.  Interesting episode overall.  Notably this is the only episode with location filming in this season (obviously budget restraints at play).  C tier.

 

59 The Enterprise Incident

A seemingly overstressed Kirk takes the Enterprise into the Romulan Neutral Zone on a classified mission to steal a cloaking device.  The series other really good Romulan episode (after “Balance of Terror”).  The idea of an espionage mission to steal a cloaking device, Kirk playing the part of overstressed, defensive, mentally on edge and Spock being the counter to that to buy Kirk time to steal the cloak is fun and great story writing.  Guest stars Joanne Linville (Romulan Commander) and Jack Donner (Tau) shine.  A tier episode.

 

60 And the Children Shall Lead

On a mission to follow up on a survey expedition the Enterprise finds all of the adults from the expedition dead and only their children remaining.  Beaming them up to the Enterprise it becomes apparent that the children are more than they seem, being given powers by a noncorporeal being called Gorgan.  Uggh.  This episode.  Boring, unbelievable, with bad writing, the children just coming off as annoying and some of the worst, most wooden acting from guest star lawyer (!) Marvin Belli (who got cast because his son played one of the children).  F tier. 

 

61 Spock’s Brain

An alien woman beams aboard the enterprise from her highly suggestive looking ship, incapacitates the crew and steals Spock’s Brain from his body to be her societies controller.  The search for the missing brain lead the Enterprise to a planet with intelligent, technologically advanced women and neanderthal-esque men.  Spock end up helping McCoy reconnect his own brain to his body.  “Brain and Brain!  What is Brain!?”  There’s a reason this episode was long considered the worst of the entire franchise.  The campiness and silliness are off the charts with this one.  F tier, no contest.

 

62 Is There in Truth No Beauty?

The Enterprise transports Kollos, the Medusan ambassador back to his home planet, along with Dr. Miranda Jones, a human expert on Medusans and Lawrance Marvick, one of the engineers who designed the Enterprise.  Marvick, jealous of Dr. Jones’ closeness with Kollos tries to murder Kollos but is driven insane when exposed to the Medusan.  Marvick takes over engineering and flies the ship through the galactic barrier at high warp and into a pocket dimension.  The only way back involves a risky mind meld between Spock and Kollos.  This one was interesting.  Diana Muldaur shines as Dr. Jones.  The reveal that Dr. Jones is blind is a fun twist.  B tier

 

63 The Empath

Sent to evacuate the research station on Minara II due to an imminent solar flare Kirk, Spock and McCoy find the station abandoned and are then captured by the Vians.  In an underground cavern they encounter a mute female with empathic abilities whom McCoy dubs “Gem”.  This one was interesting, and definitely something made with nothing.  Despite the empty black sets the episode completely works on the character moments.  Also despite having no lines Kathryn Hays really sells her performance as Gem.  C tier.

 

64 The Tholian Web

Searching for the missing USS Defiant the Enterprise finds the ship adrift, its crew having gone mad and killed each other.  Kirk is trapped on the Defiant when it disappeared into interphase, the ship is attacked by the Tholians who begin building an energy web around the Enterprise and the madness that killed the Defiant crew spreads on the Enterprise.  This was a good one.  The effects were quite good for the time, the idea of the Defiant slipping into the rift in the fabric of space (and Kirk with it) builds high stakes and the Spock/McCoy scenes without Kirk really build some good character between the two.  A tier

  

65 For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky

Investigating an asteroid on a collision course for an inhabited planet the Enterprise discovers that the asteroid is actually a generational ship.  Meanwhile McCoy has been diagnosed with an incurable disease and has a year to live.  An interesting, fresh premise.  The visuals of the Enterprise in front of Yonada are cool and new for the series.  Thes stakes are high in this one, the asteroid on course for the planet, the prime directive questions and McCoy’s condition.  B tier

 

66 Day of the Dove

The Enterprise captures a group of Klingons under captain Kang, Kang and his men then seize the Enterprise.  The two crews are then pitted against each other by a noncorporeal entity that feeds on violent emotions.  The idea of Klingons and Starfleet working together to defeat a common enemy plants a seed that will eventually lead to peace between the two powers.  Michael Ansara gives a memorable performance as Kang.  B tier.

 

67 Plato’s Stepchildren

Responding to a distress call for medical help the Enterprise discovers a planet with a group of telekinetic aliens who visited Earth at the time of Plato and have modelled their society on the philosopher.  Their leader Parmen is dying from an infection.  After being treated for his infection Parmen imprisons Kirk, Spock and McCoy.  He uses his powers to control and humiliate the Enterprise officers, forcing them into a variety of hijinks including forcing Kirk to kiss Uhura.  A goofy episode, its claim to fame is, of course, TVs first black/white interracial kiss.  C tier at best.

 

68 Wink of an Eye

After investigating a recorded distress signal the Enterprise is taken over by a group of aliens who exist at a much faster rate of time than the Enterprise.  The aliens try to sabotage the ship and use the crew to reproduce, a process that will kill the crew.  The time element of this one is interesting, also we get some classic Kirk machismo as the captain uses his charms on Deela, the Scalosian queen.  Otherwise a bit dull.  C tier.

 

69 That Which Survives

While investigating a seemingly impossible planet the Enterprise is transported 1000 light years from the planet, leaving the away team stranded.  Both the away team and the crew are in danger from the image of a woman from the planet who can kill with a touch.  This one was interesting and had some good stakes.  Also guest star Lee Meriweather shined as Losira.  C

 

70 Let That Be Your Last Battlefield

En route to render aid to planet Arianus the Enterprise encounters a shuttlecraft stolen from Starbase 4, occupied by an alien with half black half white skin.  They are then approached by an alien ship which explodes after beaming another alien onto the bridge, this one also with half black half white skin.  This alien, Bele (Frank Gorshin) points out that he and the other alien, Loki, have reversed skin color, a source of extreme race prejudice on their planet Cheron.  Wow.  This one is a powerful message story, if blunt about racism and prejudice (things that were extremely relevant in later 1960s society).  Both guest stars shine in this episode, with Gorshin totally chewing the scenery as Bele.  Absolutely A tier.

 

71 Whom Gods Destroy

At an insane asylum one of the inmates (and a personal hero of Kirks), former Starfleet captain Garth of Izar, imprisons Kirk, takes over the asylum with the help of other inmates and tries to commandeer the Enterprise.  Garth of Izar is a fun character and a nice bit of world building.  The idea of an insane asylum and the notion that mental illness still exists in Star Treks’ future is good for realism.  C tier.

 

72 The Mark of Gideon

Beaming down to a planet applying for Federation membership Kirk finds himself in a empty duplicate of the Enterprise.  While the crew try to determine the captain’s whereabouts, Kirk meets a woman named Odona who it turns out is the ambassador’s daughter and who has been sent to get infected by a deadly disease which Kirk carries, the goal to infect the entire planet as a means of population control.  The idea of a planet that is so sterile and germfree that people are only born and do not die, causing massive overpopulation is actually kinda dystopian.  Overall an ok episode. C tier.

 

73 The Lights of Zetar

While ferrying Lt. Romaine to Memory Alpha the Enterprise encounters a storm-like phenomenon that enters the ship and takes over the body of Lt. Romaine.  Arriving at the planetoid they find the crew dead from brain damage caused by the storm phenomenon.  It turns out the storm is a group of noncorporeal beings, the hundred from the dead planet Zetar.  McCoy devises a way to drive out the Zetarian inhabiting Lt. Romaine.  For once (and the only time) Scotty gets the girl.  Noncorporeal entities taking over humanoid characters is a recurring trope of scifi and was not new to Star Trek.  C tier.

 

74 The Cloudminders

Beaming down to Ardana to obtain a rare mineral Kirk and Spock find a class separated society with the city dwellers living in comfort on the floating city of Stratos and the Troglyte miners toiling in dangerous conditions in the mines on the surface.  This was an interesting, I blunt take on classism and castes, with the cloud city dwellers literally being the upper class and the Troglyte miners being the lower class.  Quintessential message TV Star Trek.  B tier

 

75 The Way to Eden

Intercepting a stolen spaceship the Enterprise beams aboard its occupants a group of “space hippies” searching for the mythical planet “Eden”.  The space hippie episode.  Star Trek’s attempt to comment on the late 60s counterculture.  Campy as hell, overly silly and honestly not good.  On the upside we do get a little Chekov backstory.  Overall: D tier episode, yeah brother!

 

76 Requiem for Methuselah

Looking for a rare substance to synthesize a cure for Rigellian fever, the Enterprise encounters an immortal being who claims to have lived on Earth as a number of historical figures.  The idea of the Flint character is interesting, Kirk using his charms to cause the Rayna android to shut down is not the most original idea.  C tier

 

77 The Savage Curtain

After encountering Abraham Lincoln in space Kirk, Spock and Lincoln beam down to the planet Excaliba where the nonhumanoid Excalibans pit them and a recreation of Surak against recreations of Genghis Khan, Kahless and Philip Green from WWIII to learn about the concepts of good and evil.  Interesting concept, the execution is a bit campy.  Also the makeup for Genghis Khan and Kahless are kinda mehh.  D tier

 

78 All Our Yesterdays

On a planet whose sun is about to go supernova, Kirk Spock and McCoy are sent back in time to different points in the planets distant past.  Interesting, the time travel thing had been done several times throughout the series, so not the most original, but still a fun twist.  C tier.

 

79 Turnabout Intruder

On Camus II Kirk crosses paths with former flame Dr. Janice Lester.  Jealous because she believes that only men can command starships, she uses an ancient conscience transference device to steal Kirks body and strand Kirk’s conscience in her own.  As Kirk she tries to take over the Enterprise.  The final episode.  Even by 1969 the body swap trop was a tired one.  Also the idea that women can’t command starships is beyond nonsensical.  It’s surprising that Gene Roddenberry is credited for writing the script since the inherent sexism is antithetical to the concept of Star Trek (see Uhura and Number One).  F tier, the series went out with a whimper.