Summary
Star Trekwas a show ahead of its time in several ways. It’s safe to say that Gene Roddenberry and DC Fontana created several news genres in addition to defining modern science fiction. Every episode ofStar Trekis sci-fi, but the plot lines also includ crime dramas, adventure, horror, and dark fantasy.
The mission that boldly takes the Enterprise where no one has gone before is filled with dangerous beings and unknown powers. Most of the stories inThe Original Serieswere about discovery and courage in the face of mystery, but inan era of experimental andsubversive television, some riddles were too difficult for even Spock to solve.
6The Cage
A Psychological Thriller
Executives rejected this pilot because they thought it was “too cerebral,” which is another way of saying it was too far ahead of its time. “The Cage” wouldn’t officially be released until 1988, although footage appeared in the two-part episode “The Menagerie” in 1966.
Captain Christopher Pike isalready feeling depressed and jaded about his career, which sets him up for a psychological drama. The dreams, hallucinations, and “environments” created by the Keepers are taken from the deepest recesses of their captives' minds, and even though Pike recognizes them from his past, they’re exaggerated in certain ways. He finally understands that this dark fantasy is designed to induce him to stay on the planet as part of the Keeper’s menagerie.
5Mirror, Mirror
A Dark Plot Twist
This was the first time that the Mirror Universe appeared as part of theStar Trekfranchise, and the trope of a malfunctioning transporter beam is still one of the few known ways to get there. The title is a reference to Alice and her adventures inThrough The Looking Glass,and considering the evil nature of the Mirror Universe, this fantasy is a dark one.
It’s not only the characters of “Mirror, Mirror” that are evil, but the nature of the universe in which they live. Instead of Earth being home to the benevolent United Federation of Planets, the fearsome Terran Empire has raised a flag over everything it can conquer and rules it with an iron fist. Officers move up in rank by killing their subordinates, ensuring that every captain or admiral leaves a trail of bodies in their wake.
4The Doomsday Machine
It Wasn’t Really A Machine
It’s told in a modern setting, but this is a classic story about a mysterious, devastating monster and the unhinged madman who has a personal vendetta to destroy it, even at the cost of his own life. This episode also begins on a chilling note, starting with a ghost ship, or the discovery of the USS Constellation floating in space with no power or crew except for the Captain, now alone on the bridge.
The “monster” is revealed to be an ancient machine that likely destroyed whatever race built it. Circumstancesput Kirk on the bridgeof the dead Constellation, and Decker, the captain of the now-disabled ship, in charge of the Enterprise. Spock has to play a mental game of cat-and-mouse to remove the disturbed captain before he gets them killed.
3Charlie X
The Changeling Child
The old story about the Changeling Child appears most predominately in Irish mythology. A fairy takes the place of a small child and replaces that child on Earth, while the human goes off to live in the Fey.Charlie Xis a modern and tragic interpretation of that old legend.
Charlie seems like a normal teenager at first, but the difference is that he was stranded on an alien planet when his ship crashed. Being only four years old at the time, it’s a mystery how he survived on his own for ten years. After strange and horrible things start to happen that go well beyond card tricks and lost voices, Charlie comes clean about his devastating mental powers and his intention to take over the Enterprise.
2Who Mourns for Adonais?
The Fate Of The Ancient Gods
The current trend incontemporary interpretations of ancient godscan be traced back to shows likeStar Trek,which used the concept of different planets and otherworldly beings to explain some of humanity’s more cryptic ancient beliefs. In this episode, the Enterprise is detained by none other than the god Apollo, who uses his mysterious powers to keep them prisoner. His godlike powers include a gigantic version of Mage Hand and, of course, lightning.
Bones, Kirk, and Scotti eventually figure out that the “gods” were actually a race of superior beings without rules like the Prime Directive. They target Apollo’s power source, and rather than a triumphant ending that thwarts the big bad in the end, the old god simply fades into quiet oblivion.
1Plato’s Stepchildren
Villains With Incredible Power
Anyone who plays RPGs knows that a character with high intelligence, but low wisdom, is going to be lacking in empathy. Perhaps they will even be wholly evil, despite any magical powers they could possess. The same idea drives the plot of “Plato’s Stepchildren,” which includes a race ofbeings with great mental powersattempting to force Bones to stay on their planet to be their private physician. If he refuses, they threaten to use their psychic abilities to torture his friends.
Their fatal weakness, however, is their almost complete lack of any immune system thanks to being mostly sedentary for thousands of years. All it takes is one small injury to bring them near death. The fear of succumbing to a nasty infection is what ultimately saves the Enterprise crew from a lifetime of playing out dark fantasies for their host’s amusement.
