“The Enemy Within” has an exceptionally strong premise. In this episode, Captain Kirk must literally come face to face with his darker, more evil self. It’s a an important mythic archetype which is competently explored within the episode. With a few scenes skirting the edges of camp, the performances and dialogue are distinctly memorable. There are some technical issues in terms of the surface layer story. But with the primary focus being Captain Kirk, the episode is well worth watching.

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One of the problems with having an episode like “The Naked Time” – an episode in which the characters act out of character – occur so early in a series is that we haven’t seen the characters often enough to clearly establish who they are. And, as a result, changing the character doesn’t exactly matter as much as it might otherwise have done. Not only that, the “out of character” actions are cringeworthy. The pacing of this particular episode is also problematic, taking far too long to get to the few scenes that provide true character revelations.

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Even though it was the third episode that was aired, “Where No Man Has Gone Before” is the “second” pilot episode for the original Star Trek series (the first never aired). As such, it features a number of elements that are incongruous with the two episodes that preceded it (there’s no Dr. McCoy and the chess game between Spock and Kirk is an exact repeat of the previous episode). Nonetheless, it is a strong outing – much better than “The Man Trap” but not quite as good “Charlie X.” The episode features two strong guest characters, as well as some fairly plausible special effects – even for 40+ years ago.

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“Charlie X” is a very strong episode, particularly considering that it is only the second one of the series. It’s very well written, paced, and even acted. Even the musical accompaniment is very strong. The episode benefits from a very focused, very human, plotline. And though it does drag a little bit at around the 40-minute mark, it is otherwise very successful.

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To say that “The Man Trap” is a dubious outing for the first ever aired episode of Star Trek, is entirely valid. The fact is, the story is pedestrian, slow to develop, and though the final moments are suspenseful, the episode is ultimately unsatisfying. There are some strengths, however. The performances of the triumvirate of Captain James T. Kirk, Doctor Leonard (Bones) McCoy, and Spock are very solid, and hint at a camaraderie that will develop soon after. Additionally, the overall introductions of the crew are handled quite well.

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Star Trek Reviews has updated its “Essential Season” list for Star Trek: The Next Generation. Click below to view the second half of the season:

Star Trek: TNG – Essential Season, Part 2

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Having finally reviewed every last moment of Star Trek: The Next Generation, from the series pilot, Encounter At Farpoint, to the final frame of Nemesis, I began to reflect on the best moments of the series. My initial intention was to compile a “Top Ten” list of episodes. The episodes that represent the pinnacle of TNG.

But that’s been done before.

So what I’ve decided to do is to condense the entire run of TNG into a single season, and a single film. In other words, if you wanted to fast-forward through the series, and spend the equivalent of a single season doing so, which episodes are “must see”? The result is the Star Trek: The Next Generation Essential Season – a compilation of 26 episodes that cover the finest moments of TNG. I tried to select entries that reflect the main character and story arcs of the series, as well as a few of the most prominent “standalone” installments.

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Star Trek Reviews has just completed a major redesign of the entire site. This was done for a couple of reasons. First, I wanted to finish standardizing the look of DauntlessMedia.net, so the redesign was built around the same structure as the other sites. Also, Star Trek Reviews will soon be launching into a full episode-by-episode exploration of the Original Star Trek series. To that end, a whole new section of the site will be open in the near future to accommodate the new reviews.

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I remember, long before Star Trek Nemesis was to be released, I read somewhere that the film’s screenwriter was using Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan as his inspiration for the film. Considering that The Wrath of Khan was the best Trek film ever made, even surpassing First Contact, this was good news. After a period of time passed, I heard that the script was leaked online. I read it, and immediately concluded that the whole thing was a hoax. It had to be. The entire premise, from the villain to the finale, were some of the absolute worst ideas I had ever heard of for a film – let alone for a film from a well-established, highly successful franchise. And as promotional materials began to appear, I continued to hold out hope that, somewhere along the line, someone had made drastic script changes and, somehow, had managed to salvage a respectable outing.

Sadly, such salvation was not to be had.

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