“Wink of an Eye” is a marginally entertaining episode – if you can put your brain into hibernation for an hour or so, that is. It’s not often that Star Trek makes an episode that is completely mindless and hollow, but this is one example. Even the supposed “science fiction” of the episode is so badly mangled that unless you completely ignore it, the entire production comes crashing into ruin. For the most part, the episode is a mystery, opening with a bit of a supernatural feel. But once the science comes into play, it is, simply, pedestrian.

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Tucked into the abomination that is “Plato’s Stepchildren” are a few worthwhile themes and ideas. But they are presented so embarrassingly that the episode is almost entirely worthless. The reality is that, while there are some worthwhile commentaries being made, the presentation obliterates any sense of respectability. It’s a bit like the President of the United States giving a State of the Union speech in his pajamas and slippers. No matter what the content of the speech may be, there’s no way you could take him (or her) seriously.

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“The Tholian Web” is an example of classic Trek. Indeed, this is an episode in which Trekkies ought to find many memorable and compelling moments. It certainly is entertaining and briskly paced, with an approach not often seen in the series – namely a distinct lack of focus on Captain Kirk – and a mood, inspired by tales of ghost ships on the high seas, that is thoroughly captivating. But in spite of all its strengths, there just isn’t enough to this episode to elevate it into something truly exceptional.

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“For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky” is a surprisingly effective episode about blind faith in rules and dogma, as well as a touching love story. It is unfortunate, then, that the both the episode’s beginning and conclusion are more than a little contrived to allow for the episodic nature of the series. Otherwise, this could easily have been one of the better episodes in the Original Series, despite its overly long title.

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“Day of the Dove” is a strong episode that present a typical Trekkian theme of non-violence. But the episode’s success isn’t as a result of innovation or revelation, rather it does an admirable job of showing the audience its message, with a minimal amount of preaching or pontification. This “show-not-tell” approach is the difference.

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Believe it or not, “Spectre of the Gun” is a classic episode, one of the most memorable and enjoyable of the series – if you can accept its primary conceit. The problem is, the premise is likely to prove insurmountably abstract to many viewers, especially those who may only have a casual interest in Star Trek. But if you can indeed get past the episode’s inherent weirdness, then you’ll be in for a real treat.

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“Is There In Truth No Beauty?” is an episode which just cannot muster any real drama or suspense. And what’s worse is that the episode manages to take a fairly compelling concept and turn it into an embarrassment of a production. To be fair, this isn’t the worst that Star Trek has to offer, but it is an episode which is indicative of the bad writing, acting and directing which ultimately made the series the subject of a great deal of ridicule. Indeed, this episode is, by definition, ridiculous in its presentation.

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