“Errand of Mercy” is notable for its introduction of the Klingon Empire, as well as the battle of wits between Kirk and the Klingon commander, Kor, played with wonderful relish by John Colicos (later known for his role as Baltar, in Battlestar Galactica – 1978). Unfortunately, the episode is sabotaged by poor writing, and acting, with respect to Kirk. His performance is strictly caricature, pushing William Shatner’s trademark hesitating diction to the limit. The result is that the episode’s commentary about war and adversaries is diminished.

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“The Devil In The Dark” is a good episode for showcasing the ideals which Star Trek strives to embody. There are some interesting “Jaws” like moments when, before we see the episode’s monster, we’re subjected to a more psychological kind of horror by way of everyone’s reactions surrounding the dozens of murders. But the episode is clumsy in terms of plausibility, and it stumbles with its pacing and preaching as it reaches its conclusion. The result is to make “The Devil In The Dark” a memorable, and yet less than average episode – one whose value diminishes with repeat viewings.

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“This Side of Paradise” is a close look at the potential benefits of a purely peaceful, sedentary life. At the center of the episode’s thematic conflict is Kirk’s assertion that humanity needs challenges and conflict in order to grow and evolve – to be human, in other words. And that life in paradise robs humanity of its vital need to improve itself through industry and hard work to overcome the obstacles which provide the motivation for our growth. Unfortunately, these issues are more or less buried in an episode that seems more concerned with the “wow” factor of Spock climbing trees and falling in love than it does with staying on message.

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“A Taste of Armageddon” features a singularly intriguing concept, an outlandish plot, and some very interesting commentary on war and “civilized” cultures. For the most part, the episode is successful and conveying its message, despite some obvious distractions such as an implausible premise and a slightly overwrought plot. The fact is, this episode epitomizes the campy, “over-the-top” approach for which Star Trek is often stereotyped. And here’s the interesting part: it’s still a very good episode to watch, enjoy, and think about.

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“Space Seed” benefits from its story being used as source material for the second Star Trek motion picture. But even before the film was made, this episode could be considered a classic, thanks to one of the most compelling villains ever conceived for the small screen: Khan. More than just about any other Star Trek episode to date, this one hardly feels overly long. Indeed, its pace is so naturally swift that by the time that the episode ends, viewers are left gasping for breath as much as the Enterprise bridge crew. That isn’t to say that this is a perfect episode. There are a few issues with characterization and motivations, and the climactic confrontation between Kirk and Khan is just a bit too anti-climactic. But otherwise, this is one of the finest episodes of not just Season One, but also the entire series.

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“The Return of the Archons” is a surprisingly good episode – if you can get past a few glaring faults. There’s some solid commentary about humanity, compelling performances from both Kirk and Spock, and a sufficiently captivating mystery. But there is, of course, a very jarring, and almost inexplicable setting and a sloppy, uneven narrative. They are enough to lose viewers before they give the episode a chance. And perhaps the most intriguing plot device is simply left hanging, begging for further exploration. The result is an episode with a lot of very strong fundamental elements that simply cannot manage to form into a cohesive story.

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“Court Martial” is another one of those Star Trek episodes that is moderately successful at presenting an important commentary but is otherwise a victim of poor pacing and unfortunately contrived circumstances. In a sense, this episode is a precursor to TNG’s landmark episode “The Measure of a Man” but unlike TNG, this particular episode fails to plausibly establish the danger to its main character – in this case, Captain James T. Kirk. It certainly makes sense that there ought to be some accountability for the deaths of crewmembers. But let’s face it … crew members die in almost every episode. Why is this one the only one in which a formal investigation takes place? Imagine Kirk having to account for the deaths of every red shirt in the series. At any rate, as the title indicates, this is episode is a courtroom drama. But it just isn’t very good.

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“Tomorrow Is Yesterday” is one of those classic episodes that is propelled to fandom greatness by way of nostalgia. There’s certainly no denying the overall impact that this episode has on Star Trek fandom. Many consider it to be a top-tier episode of the Original Series. But the truth is, as episodes go, it’s just slightly better than average, offering a rather entertaining, but ultimately empty story. By no means is it my wish to rain on anyone’s parade – any who may dearly love this episode – however, objectively speaking, there isn’t much to this particular installment that will appeal to anyone who isn’t a die-hard Trekkie to begin with. Add in the necessarily esoteric nature of a time travel story and the result is an episode that isn’t quite as good as most either remember or want it to be.

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“Arena” is, by all accounts, a classic episode of Star Trek. It’s a wonderfully paced, purposeful story that also manages to actually be about something worthwhile – knowing when, and under what pretenses, fighting is necessary. The episode also has its full measure of Star Trek cliché which, depending on your tastes, may be a liability. But if we’re suspending disbelief enough to accept most of the bad effects for aliens and so forth, why not cut this episode a bit of a break and enjoy the ride? If you can manage to do so, you’ll find a great deal about this episode that is worthy of praise.

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“The Squire of Gothos” is a relentlessly annoying episode whose only real value is derived from a similarity to a memorable recurring character from The Next Generation. That isn’t to say that the episode is a total loss, however, it is, almost entirely, a pointless exercise in absurdity – much like “Shore Leave.” In fact, it is episodes like this one which are responsible for a lot of the derision which the series often receives from detractors. The ludicrous plot might have been forgivable had it served a true character arc, or exploration of the human equation. As it is, there is only a token attempt to view humanity as a kind of predatory species, but considering the entire focal point of the episode is the Squire of Gothos himself, such an attempt is meaningless.

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