The Best Moments on the Final Frontier

November 30th, 2004

Filed under: General, TV

The recent issue of TV Guide lists the “100 Greatest Moments in TV History.” I was pleased to see that Star Trek made the list twice. First, Star Trek: The Next Generation was on there for The Best of Both Worlds, where Picard is revealed to have been turned into a Borg. The original Star Trek shows up a little later on the list for the famous Kirk/Uhura kiss. I assume this is on the list because it was television’s first interracial kiss. It certainly wasn’t because of the episode which was one of the worst.

That got me to thinking. Looking at each Star Trek series individually, what is the single best moment from that series? What moment sums up the series the best for you?

Here are my picks for the best moments from the original three series. I bailed out of both Voyager and Enterprise early, so I can’t honestly make an informed choice in those series.

Star Trek (the original series): Devil in the Dark, where Spock mind-melds with the rock creature that is killing all of the miners.

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Reunion, where Worf buries his Bat’leth into Duras’s chest.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Defiant. This is the episode where Tom Riker steals the Defiant and flies deep into Cardassian space. The best moment occurs when Sisko and Gul Dukat are in the Cardassian War Room talking about their children’s birthdays.

Any other suggestions?

3 Responses to “ The Best Moments on the Final Frontier ”

  1. Tom Bondurant
    November 30th, 2004 at 4:50 pm

    Original Trek: Kirk’s “Risk is our business!” speech from “Return To Tomorrow.” If we count the movies, “I don’t like to lose” from Wrath of Khan.

    Next Generation: “Best of Both Worlds,” sure, but what about Worf taking care of Data’s cat?

    DS9: The montage from “What You Leave Behind.” I bawled like my birthday had been cancelled.

    Voyager: I can’t remember the name of the episode, but it was a first-season deal where the Aliens Of The Week offered Voyager their instant-transgalactic-teleporter doohickey in exchange for the replicator (right?). Because it would violate the Prime Directive, Janeway turned it down — but then Tuvok, Torres, and Seska disobeyed her. That summed up what should have been a central theme of the series for me. Probably “Timeless,” which incorporated time travel, the trip home, and breaking the Federation’s rules, is a better example of the show as it actually was.

    Enterprise: The launch of Enterprise in “Broken Bow,” with the Zephram Cochrane “to go boldly” speech, probably sums up the series as good as anything.

  2. Bill Doughty
    November 30th, 2004 at 9:46 pm

    What’s the TNG episode where Picard is captured and tortured by the Cardassians?

    “There… are… FOUR LIGHTS!!!!!”

    I like it because just before he gets released, the Cardassian torture guy nearly suceeds in breaking Picard down. The heroes of these types of shows are never shown being so vulnerable and outright human.

  3. Gordon
    December 2nd, 2004 at 11:44 am

    Here are my choices:

    Star Trek: The Original Series – “City on the Edge of Forever”, where Kirk sees Edith Keeler die. It was a classic “what must be vs. what I want”, and I think the look on Shatner’s face conveys oh-so much.

    Star Trek: The Next Generation – the final scene from “All Good Things”, wehn Picard finally joins his crew in a poker game, and is told, “You were welcome all along.”

    Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – although I agree with Tom, my personal favorite scene has to be the end of the 3rd (?) season, when Sisko gravely announces (if memory serves well) “There is a changeling…on the Klingon High Council.” Great shift of tone from mere spin-off to epic.

    Star Trek: Voyager – “Future’s End”, when Janeway realizes that the Ed Begley Jr. character, by using future technology, has actually impacted Earth’s development. (Never really watched too much Voyager, so I don’t really qualify”

    Enterprise – Don’t remember the episode title, but it involved providing medical assistance to a planet where, in effect, the Enterprise would be choosing who received treatment. Both Phlox and Archer are at arms, and Archer tells Phlox, “We’re being put in a position to play God, and until there’s some…directive that says otherwise, I won’t start today.” Both foreshadowing and great writing, working together.

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