September 8th marks the long-awaited 50th anniversary of one of the most beloved science-fiction franchises of all time, Star Trek. Thanks to the visionary creator, Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek managed to create an entirely new species of television programming, which managed to transcend the traditional formula of space ships and aliens into something far more meaningful. Star Trek has seen multiple incarnations, films, series, etc. all of which give the world a unique outlook on society; one incapable of corruption of power or segregation of our fellow man.
Looking back on the last five decades of lore, we can reminisce on what the cultural powerhouse gave us, the lessons it taught us, and the lives it’s changed. These are the top ten most memorable moments across 50 years of Star Trek.
10) These Are the Voyages…
If you’re unfamiliar with the series ‘Enterprise’, it takes place a full century before the events of TOS, with Captain Archer and his crew aboard the first Enterprise prototype vessel, the NX-1. The finale wasn’t just the end of an era, but it managed to find an elegant reason to bring back some familiar faces: the final episode took place on the Holodeck of the Enterprise-D from The Next Generation, the entirety of the events being observed by Riker and Deanna themselves! We got to see characters from a long-ended series interacting with the newbies in a great final story. If you’re gonna go out, this was the way to do it.
9) Where No Fan Has Gone Before
While this was in no way an episode of Star Trek per se, it sure filled the void. This 2002 episode of FOX’s Futurama found the “brave” Planet Express crew meeting the original cast of ‘Star Trek’, all of whom have been taken prisoner by a gaseous telepathic entity. This was the only instance (albeit animated) that the entire living cast has been together again since the films and shows ended. The episode was full of subtle references and quotes, as well as a lot self-referential humor over which a lot of Trekkers out there couldn’t help but delight.
8) Star Trek (2009)
If anything has had the strongest hand in bringing Star Trek further into the mainstream, it was J.J. Abrams 2009 reboot of Star Trek. With an entirely new, younger cast, the movie was a smash it. Not only was it a version of Star Trek that perfectly meshed the heart of its predecessors, but managed to incorporate a fun, action-packed story that appealed to everyone, both newcomers and true-believers alike. Not to mention, it was the first time we got to see Leonard Nimoy reprise his role as the iconic Mr. Spock since 1991’s Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
7) Star Trek: The Animated Series
You might not be familiar if you aren’t a hardcore fan, but there was actually a Star Trek animated program which took place between the original series and the start of TNG. The third season of Star Trek was granted after a massive fan outcry forced the network to bring the show back after its cancellation following season two. Once the series had finally met its final frontier, the animated version was attempted and managed to keep the crew of the original series exploring the universe for an additional two seasons.
6) Unification
Star Trek: The Next Generation often paid tribute to its predecessor series by giving a few of the original crew some well-deserved cameos. While Scotty and McCoy made their triumphant returns, the most memorable of these was the return of Leonard Nimoy as Spock. What made this appearance so important was the beautifully executed philosophical discussion between himself and Data. Data, being an android, is always on a quest to understand humanity in the hopes of one day joining it. Spock, however, being half human, has a choice, but still chooses a Vulcan way of life. The conversation between the two was one of the most profoundly moving glimpses into the way the two perceive humans and what merits can be found in embracing an opposing lineage.
5) Q Who?
In an attempt to test Captain Picard and his crew on their wherewithal, the reality-bending Q drags the Enterprise across the universe and into uncharted terrain to show them “terrors to freeze your soul”. In this unexplored sector of the galaxy, they encounter one of the deadliest and terrifying enemies in Trek history, the Borg. Cybernetic zombie creatures, the Borg function by way of a hive mind and from this episode onward, bring nothing but pain and misery to the crew, including eventually turning Picard himself into one of their own, Locutus of Borg.
4) The Trouble with Tribbles
‘The Trouble with Tribbles’ was one of those classic, silly plots that never put anyone in any real harm, but was a fun story to play around with. Uhura purchases a small fuzz-ball creature called a Tribble while on shore leave. Bringing it aboard the Enterprise, she realizes how they are the only creatures in the universe that the likes of the Klingons fear because of the rate at which they multiply. Within a matter of hours, the ship is overrun by the adorable vermin. The oddball nature of the episode was even revisited in a crossover episode of Deep Space Nine, where the crew travel back in time and find themselves deep in the midst of the Tribble infestation.
3) Arena
One of the more iconic episodes from a visual standpoint was the original series’ 1967 episode, ‘Arena’. Why is it so iconic? Here’s a hint: you might know it better as “the one where Kirk fights the Lizard man” (called a Gorn). While a very simple plot in its own right, clips and images from this episode have been used in reference to ‘Star Trek’ more than any other. Movies like ‘Tropic Thunder’ and ‘Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey’ have all sampled clips from the episode and to this day, it’s still the go-to benchmark for a good, old-fashioned Trek reference.
2) Plato’s Stepchildren
This episode from the third season of Star Trek wasn’t just memorable as the first time Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura shared a kiss, but many may not know is that moment actually made a statement from a civil rights standpoint. William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols participated in what would forever be known as the first interracial kiss on television. Until that point, such a sight was unthinkable and there was a great deal of controversy surrounding the decision. Despite the backlash, the moment continues to be one of the most memorable in television history.
1) Space Seed/The Wrath of Khan
If you ask anyone, whether they’ve seen the series or not, to name a villain from the show, their answer will undoubtedly be Khan. No enemy has brought the crew of the Enterprise to its knees in quite the same way as Khan Noonien Singh. A genetically engineered tyrant, Khan is tactically intelligent, physically powerful, and savagely ruthless.
To this day, Khan remains the only main villain featured in an episode of the original series (“Space Seed”), which was then brought back as a villain in a movie (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)…twice (Star Trek: Into Darkness)!
