This episode guide contains a list of every episode from Season 1 of Star Trek’s Original Series.  Also included is an excerpt from each episode’s review.  For season one image galleries, please follow this link.  For a quick reference table of Season 1 episodes, please follow this link.

1.01 – The Man Trap: C+

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.  Full review »

1.02 – Charlie X: A-

“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.  Full review »

1.03 – Where No Man Has Gone Before: B

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.  Full review »

1.04 – The Naked Time: C+

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.  Full review »

1.05 – The Enemy Within:  B+

“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.  Full review »

1.06 – Mudd’s Women:  C-

“Mudd’s Women” is about self-confidence and beauty being more than skin deep. But it doesn’t accomplish its goal particularly well. The message itself is a worthy one. And I like that a television show had the courage to approach such a topic. But at odds with the episode’s intended message is a worldview about women that is stuck in the 1960s mindset. Add to it the caricatures of “Mudd’s women,” and Mudd’s character himself, and you have an episode that is almost as shallow as the skin-deep beauty it purports to criticize.  Full review »

1.07 – What Are Little Girls Made Of?:  B-

“What Are Little Girls Made Of?” is another episode dedicated primarily to the exploration of the human condition. There is the typical sci-fi fare of androids and mad scientists, but these are merely the window dressings framing a view of emotion and individuality. In some respects, this episode is a combination of themes explored in episodes such as “The Enemy Within” and “The Naked Time” – a study in how we deal with the full measure of emotions, and how our identity is a culmination of not just our thoughts, but our feelings as well.  Full review »

1.08 – Miri:  D-

“Miri” is an episode that is a severe let down. It begins, intriguingly enough. And the first few sequences almost effortlessly establish a mystery and mood that are utterly compelling. Deep in the far reaches of the galaxy, the Enterprise finds an exact replica of Earth, circa 1960, that appears to be completely uninhabited. It’s a great idea but, unfortunately, shortly following this success, the episode presents a premise that is so completely ridiculous that you have to scratch your head in bewilderment. Worse yet, the episode completely ignores any thematic benefits that could have been raised by having a duplicate Earth as its setting.  Full review »

1.09 – Dagger of the Mind: B

“Dagger of the Mind” is Star Trek’s foray into the psychological-horror subgenre. A great effort is made to emphasize themes of violation, power and dominance. And as far as the characters and performances are concerned, the episode does a fine job establishing the context, mood and dread that is necessary for stories of this kind. But where the episode falls short is in what it doesn’t do – namely draw a clear enough connection between the violation and the loneliness and emptiness that can occur as the result of such a violation, as well as the motivations behind such acts of dominance. This concept can be inferred from the narrative, but a clearer connection would have driven home the true “horror” of the episode with greater conviction.  Full review »

1.10 – The Corbomite Maneuver:  C+

“The Corbomite Maneuver” is an episode about testing the limits (and strengths) of humanity. In essence, the crew of the Enterprise play the role of a rat in a maze. And the various conflicts they face test the limits of their patience and aggressiveness. And in that sense, it’s an enjoyable episode to watch. But it isn’t a flawless episode. The “test” is presented a bit too obscurely to become a real focus in the episode. And the transition from the opening tension to the later stratagem of bluff and counterbluff is not handled particularly well. In a fifty-minute episode, that can spell disaster. Fortunately, there is enough momentum from the opening sequences to get us through to the final twist which, at the very least, is unexpected and intriguing.  Full review »

1.11 – The Menagerie, Part I:  B+

“The Menagerie, Part I” is the only two-part episode in the entire run of the original series. The fact that it spans two episodes is due to incorporating footage from the original Star Trek pilot – the one in which Captain James T. Kirk did not appear, when Spock and the Enterprise were commanded by Captain Christopher Pike. In order to include this footage in conjunction with the current cast and crew, the show had to contrive a plausible enough reason. Surprisingly the strategy, while a bit unconventional, works. The result is an episode that successfully establishes a compelling mystery and conflict, built around the characters of Spock and Captain Pike, and their shared mission to the mysterious planet, Talos IV.  Full review »

1.12 – The Menagerie, Part II:  B-

“The Menagerie, Part II” represents a subtle shift in focus from its predecessor. Whereas “Part I” had an overall story in which the footage from “The Cage” was added, “Part II” is the opposite with footage from “The Cage” making up the lion’s share of screen time. In one sense, the benefit is positive, allowing us to be pulled further into this secondary story line. But on the other hand, the transitions become all the more awkward, particularly with the characters of Spock and Kirk and Mendez commenting on the footage – almost as if they were some strange incarnation of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Even so, the episode manages to be compelling, particularly in the exploration of captivity.  Full review »

1.13 – The Conscience of the King:  B-

“The Conscience of the King” is an ambitious and entertaining episode. It makes a deliberate effort to merge stage and screen performances, Shakespeare and science fiction, tragedy and comedy, morality and mystery. And, for the most part, the episode succeeds. There’s a palpable sense of danger looming over the episode’s central suspect, an actor named Anton Karidian (Arnold Moss). Along with his daughter Lenore (Barbara Anderson) the episode greatly benefits from its supporting roles. Unfortunately, the whole endeavor is threatened by the episode’s final scenes which are thoroughly implausible, and objectionable.  Full review »

1.14 – Balance of Terror: B-

“Balance of Terror” is primarily notable for one thing: the introduction of Romulans. But there is much more to the episode, including: the duel between the Romulan ship and the Enterprise; the battle of wills between Kirk and the Romulan commander (played convincingly by Mark Lenard); and a few subplots including bigotry and pacifism. The primary problem, however, is that the episode provides no rationale (plausible or otherwise) for the conflict. As a result, much of the impact of the episode is diminished.  Full review »

1.15 – Shore Leave:  C-

The best that can be said about “Shore Leave” is that it is *almost* an allegory for lucid dreaming. But I have to question whether or not that was the actual intent of the episode, especially because there is very little explicit evidence to support such a conclusion. The problem for the episode is that, without any sort of underlying thematic foundation, the whole thing becomes a pointless, nonsensical, nearly never ending romp. I certainly don’t mind being led down the rabbit hole once in a while, but I’d very much like to find something other than dark, dirt and roots when I get there.  Full review »

1.16 – The Galileo Seven:  C-

“The Galileo Seven” is an intriguing look at “Spock’s first command.” And in that sense, watching Spock try and use his unrelenting logic to solve an irrational problem, the episode is quite valuable. But there are a number of issues – mostly in terms of pacing and the overall premise – which greatly diminish the overall episode. But even as the episode unfolds, it takes a very inconsistent approach toward Spock – both his character and the logic he uses. The result is an uneven episode that is only suspenseful because of a poorly contrived plot device.  Full review »

1.17 – The Squire of Gothos: D

“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.  Full review »

1.18 – Arena:  B+

“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.  Full review »

1.19 – Tomorrow Is Yesterday:   B-

“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.  Full review »

1.20 – Court Martial:  C

“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.  Full review »

1.21 – The Return of the Archons:  C+

“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.  Full review »

1.22 – Space Seed:  A-

“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.  Full review »

1.23 – A Taste of Armageddon:  B+

“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.  Full review »

1.24 – This Side of Paradise:  C

“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.  Full review »

1.25 – The Devil in the Dark:  C-

“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.  Full review »

1.26 – Errand of Mercy:  B-

“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.  Full review »

1.27 – The Alternative Factor: D

“The Alternative Factor” is a mess of an episode. Very little, from pacing, to acting to the very premise itself is worthwhile on any level. Indeed, this episode is just one small introspection away from complete and utter failure.  Full review »

1.28 – The City on the Edge of Forever:  A-

“The City on the Edge of Forever” is a classic episode of Star Trek, often considered to be one of its very finest episodes. There’s no question that it features a narrative that is briskly paced, epic, and heavily character-driven. And without question, there are some indelible on-screen moments for the main characters of Kirk Spock, and McCoy. But there’s an all-too-blatant contrivance to open the episode, and a contradiction in the episode’s premise which very nearly threaten to overwhelm the entire story. Fortunately, through the sheer power of the episode’s latter scenes, the result is a truly memorable installment of Star Trek, worthy of the praise it so often receives.  Full review »

1.29 – Operation — Annihilate!:  B

“Operation – Annihilate!” is a remarkably entertaining episode, despite some questionable props and a contrived element of “drama” toward the end of the episode. Written in the same vein as “The Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” the episode successfully creates fairly strong levels of tension and suspense as the crew seeks to uncover how and why civilization after civilization suddenly goes mad and destroys itself. The planet Deneva, home to Kirk’s brother and nephew is the next location of the madness, and the race is on for Kirk to not only save his family, to stop the madness from spreading to the rest of the galaxy.  Full review »

Quick Reference Table

Images	Reviews	Grades
	1.01 – The Man Trap:	C+
	1.02 – Charlie X	A-
	1.03 – Where No Man Has Gone Before	B
	1.04 – The Naked Time	C+
	1.05 – The Enemy Within	B+
	1.06 – Mudd’s Women	C-
	1.07 – What Are Little Girls Made Of?	B-
	1.08 – Miri	D-
	1.09 – Dagger of the Mind	B
	1.10 – The Corbomite Maneuver	C+
	1.11 – The Menagerie, Part I	B+
	1.12 – The Menagerie, Part II	B-
	1.13 – The Conscience of the King	B-
	1.14 – Balance of Terror	B-
	1.15 – Shore Leave	C-
	1.16 – The Galileo Seven	C-
	1.17 – The Squire of Gothos	D
	1.18 – Arena	B+
	1.19 – Tomorrow Is Yesterday	B-
	1.20 – Court Martial	C
	1.21 – The Return of the Archons	C+
	1.22 – Space Seed	A-
	1.23 – A Taste of Armageddon	B+
	1.24 – This Side of Paradise	C
	1.25 – The Devil in the Dark	C-
	1.26 – Errand of Mercy	B-
	1.27 – The Alternative Factor	D
	1.28 – The City on the Edge of Forever	A-
	1.29 – Operation — Annihilate!	B
	Season 1 Grade	???