Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of 'Star Trek TOS' – My Favorite Guest Stars (Part One)

 

Like the great Batman series – please check out my posts from earlier this year celebrating its 60th anniversary – Star Trek: The Original Series had many of the top and some legendary actors chomping at the bit to have a guest appearance on the show.

Since there are too many to explore them all, I'm going to go with the ones who are my personal favorites. So, if I miss someone that you liked, I apologize in advance for not including them. 

Here is my list (Part One) in no apparent order, but I am starting with my favorite guest star from this group. 

1. Roger C. Carmel

Roger C. Carmel played Harcourt Fenton Mudd in two episodes – "Mudd's Women" (Season 1, Episode 6) and "I, Mudd" (Season 2, Episode 8). At six foot four inches tall and sporting a rather distinctive mustache, Harry Mudd was all bluster and full of lies, but oh what fun it was to watch him chew the scenery all the while he's on screen. 

I enjoyed his episodes because he was having a grand time playing the part, and even Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) seemed to be in on the joke, so these two episodes are probably the funniest – except for maybe "The Trouble with Tribbles" (Season 2, Episode 15) giving them a challenge.

Fun facts: Carmel is the only guest actor who played the same character in more than one episode. He also played Colonel Gumm on Batman. 

2. William Campbell

Campbell played two roles to perfection in the series, and they couldn't be more opposite. In "The Squire of Gothos" (Season 1, Episode 17) he played the spoiled, seemingly all powerful Trelane. For those fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation, he is similar to Q (John de Lancie) in his childish nature and petulance.     

Campbell also played the Klingon Koloth in "The Trouble With Tribbles." While this episode is a bit lighthearted due to our furry friends, Koloth is vicious in his pursuit of taking control of the planet below the space station where the Tribbles are first found. In both episodes Campbell comes off as likeable despite his actions that are more annoying than dangerous. 

Fun Fact: This episode is also notable for the bar brawl between the Klingons and the Enterprise's crew started by Scotty (James Doohan), who was defending the ship's honor. 

3. Sally Kellerman

Playing Dr. Elizabeth Dehner (a psychiatrist) in the second pilot "Where No Man Has Gone Before" that becomes (Season 1, Episode 3), Kellerman brought elegance and grace to the role. While she genuinely wants to help the crew stay mentally healthy, she gets sucked into a morass of trying to save Lt. Cmdr. Gary Mitchell (Gary Lockwood) who has been injured along with herself by a strange space barrier that attacks the ship.

Kellerman brought a sense of credibility and decency to the role, and as Gary gets powers and his eyes turn silver, she tries her best to do the right thing, but she also starts getting powers and her eyes change too. The episode is famous for its climax on an alien planet where Dehner has to choose between helping Kirk or starting a new world with Gary's god-like character. 

4. Michael Dunn

Dunn plays court jester Alexander in "Plato's Stepchildren" (Season 3, Episode 10), an episode more famous because of the interracial kiss between Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and Kirk – they were forced to kiss by the Platonians with their powerful psychic abilities. 

Alexander plays it like he goes along with his masters, but he is more powerful than they are. His good humored portrayal makes an impact on the plot, but the kiss seems to always overshadow everything else about this one.  

5. Mark Lenard and Jane Wyatt

Lenard is probably most famous for playing Spock's father Sarek, but in the first season he played a Romulan commander in one of the best Trek episodes ever. "Balance of Terror" (Season 1, Episode 14) features a battle of wits between the Romulan and Kirk that was inspired by the classic The Enemy Below, a movie about a battle between submarine captains. 

He first played Sarek in "Journey to Babel" (Season 2, Episode 10) where he is on a diplomatic mission with his wife Amanda (the legendary Jane Wyatt). This is one of my favorite episodes because we really get to know about Spock's origins in how he interacts with his parents. Lenard's performance is powerful, but Wyatt's subdued portrayal makes us understand the internal battle Spock faces every day.   

6. William Windom 

Windom plays Commodore Matt Decker like a train wreck that tries to undo itself in "The Doomsday Machine" (Season 2, Episode 6). As the commander of the U.S.S. Constitution that has been disabled by the titular alien device that killed his crew, to call Decker troubled is an understatement. 

As a kid I got ticked off when Decker took command of the Enterprise from Spock, who has more things to worry about because the device could destroy the ship with Decker in command like an out of control Ahab, and Kirk is stuck on the disabled Constitution. Windom's acting is amazing, but it's Nimoy's quiet determination as Spock countering him that makes this one of my favorite episodes. 

7. Joan Collins

Joan Collins portrayed Edith Keeler in "City on the Edge of Forever" (Season 1, Episode 28) with so much warmth and passion, that Kirk couldn't help falling in love with her (and so did we). 

Kirk and Spock are forced to go back in time through a portal on an alien world because a drugged McCoy has gone through the portal first and changed history. They find themselves in Depression era New York City, and Keeler runs a soup kitchen there. 

This is often cited as fans' favorite episode, and it is certainly one of my favorites. The love story that develops between Kirk and Keeler is unforced and beautiful to watch, but the truth of what has to happen to set history right is a heartbreaker.  

8. Michael Ansara

Ansara's portrayal as Klingon Commander Kang "Day of the Dove" (Season 3, Episode 7) is memorable because he leads his men and interacts with Kirk and his crew on a planet where an unseen entity has lured them. The creature feeds on hatred, so Kang and Kirk have to forget about fighting one another in order to survive. 

I like this episode because Ansara took a Klingon in a different direction instead of just being another wild-eyed warrior. There was a lot to fear in this one but also a thin line of humor that even leads to Kang playfully slapping Kirk on the back like an old buddy. 

9. William Marshall

Theater legend Marshall's Dr. Richard Daystrom appears in "The Ultimate Computer" (Season 2, Episode 24) as the brilliant inventor of M-5. As the title tells us, Daystrom believes his computer will make human space explorers unnecessary. Of course, this makes Kirk and company a little uneasy. 

After Daystrom installs M-5 on the Enterprise, what we suspect will happen does, and then Daystom is challenged – like a Dr. Frankenstein of the future – by his own creation. Marshall was a Shakespearean actor who played Othello on stage and many other roles, so it makes all of this seem exceedingly tragic, and his performance is worthy of watching this one more than once. 

Series creator Gene Roddenberry – who liked to send messages with his show – made this episode a warning about being careful what you wish for in regards to relying on technology. 60 years later with us living in a tech crazy world, the message still is valid even if you are reading this on a phone held in your hand.   

10. Yvonne Craig 

As she was busy playing Batgirl in Batman over on that other channel, Yvonne Craig took out time to play Marta, an Orion slave girl in "Whom Gods Destroy" (Season 3, Episode 14). Her image will make true Trek fans recall Susan Oliver who played an Orion slave girl in one of Captain Christopher Pike's (Jeffrey Hunter) fantasy sequences in the first pilot "The Cage." 

In keeping with that tradition, Marta performs a risqué dance for Kirk and others present, but her goal is more pernicious. She desires to not only dance for Kirk but to get into bed with him too. Certainly I didn't understand this as a kid, but now, when I looked at the episode again, I realized she was trying to lure Kirk to sleep with her because – as with all her conquests –she wants to stab him to death. 

Craig gave this part her all and comes off as fragile, enticing, and dangerous. I hope she got off all that green paint before she went back to the Batman set. 

What's Next?

So, what did you think of my favorite guest stars list? In my next post, I will take a look at my ten more of my favorites. I hope they will be some of your favorites too.

Until next time, Live Long and Prosper!

Please check out this video of Marta's dance in "Whom Gods Destroy."

Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of 'Star Trek TOS' – Recurring Crew Members

 

If you were a true fan of Star Trek: The Original Series, you know all of the main crew members well; however, the U.S.S. Enterprise had many crew members – 430 to be precise – and they helped run the ship in every department from engineering to sick bay.  

While some of them made more of an impression than others, the key thing was that the ship needed to be run by more people than the main characters. These were crew members you saw sitting on the bridge, in the background in the lounge, and includes the Redshirts who beamed down on away missions, and many of them never returned to the ship. 

Most Numerous Appearances Recurring Crew Members

1. Hadley 

William Blackburn appeared in 60 episodes – that's more than Chekov (Walter Koenig - 36) and Sulu (George Takei - 52). He was the most frequently recurring crew member. Hadley was often seen as a helmsman or bridge officer. I can recall scenes where Chekov is sitting at the control panel, but in the next moment Hadley is seen sitting there from a different angle. Maybe Koenig needed a bathroom break!

2. Lt. Leslie

Played by Eddie Paskey, Leslie appeared in 57 episodes. While mostly seen in the background in these episodes, he was killed off in "Obsession" (Season 2, Episode 13). However, the actor continued to appear throughout the rest of the series. Did Leslie have a twin?

3. Brent 

Frank da Vinci's Brent appeared in 39 episodes, and can be seen in various parts of the ship presumably playing more than one character in different departments. 

4. Roger Lemli 

As played by Roger Holloway, Lemli appeared in 33 episodes as a security officer (AKA as a Red Shirt or disposable personnel).   

5. Harrison/Thule

Ron Veto appeared as Harrison/Thule in 21 episodes playing a crewman in various roles throughout the ship. 

Notable Recurring Crew Members

1. Nurse Christine Chapel

Appearing in 25 episodes, Majel Barrett's Chapel was head nurse and worked with Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) in Sick Bay. It was also commonly known that Chapel had an affection for Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) that was unrequited. Barrett would go on to appear in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. 

2. Lt. Kyle

As played by John Winston, Lt. Kyle was transport chief in 11 episodes. His most memorable scene was when he gave a captured Earth officer a bowl of chicken soup from the food synthesizer. 

3. Yeoman Janice Rand

Memorably played by Grace Lee Whitney, Rand was Captain James T. Kirk's (William Shatner) personal assistant in 8 episodes early in season one. She was written off the show without explanation, but one of the most popular ideas is that the producers didn't want Kirk to be in a relationship and free to be a swinger travelling across the galaxy. 

4. Lt. Galloway

Galloway (David Ross) was a security officer (AKA Red Shirt or disposable personnel) for 8 episodes. Like Lieutenant Leslie before him, he "died" but then returned for other episodes. 

5. Lt. DeSalle

As played by Michael Barrier in three episodes, LaSalle is most notable for a scene when he opposed Captain Kirk's handling of an alien incident.  

6. Lt. Angela Martine

As played by Barbara Baldavin in three episodes, she is notable for getting married in "Balance of Terror" (Season 1, Episode 14) as the Romulans attacked the ship, stopping the ceremony and killing her fiancé. 

7. Lt. Kelowitz

Grant Woods played Lt. Kelowitz in three episodes. He is memorable because he was the only character who was not one of the main characters who survived in the landing party in "Arena" (Season 1, Episode 19).   

8. Lt. Farrell

Lt. Farrell was played by Jim Goodwin in three episodes. He is notable because he appeared in "The Enemy Within" and was put in the command chair by Spock as he had to handle the Evil Kirk in that episode.  

9. Lt. Palmer

Elizabeth Rogers played Lt. Palmer for two episodes. She is notable because she filled in for Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) as communications officer.

10. Yeoman Mears

Yeoman Mears was played by Phyllis Douglas in two episodes. She is notable for appearing in the memorable episode "The Galileo Seven."

11. Lt. Kevin Riley

As played by Bruce Hyde, Riley is fondly remember for being in 2 episodes. In "The Naked Time" Riley succumbs to an alien substance that makes him seem drunk. He barricades himself in engineering and sings "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen" to a captive audience over the ship's intercom.  

12. Dr. M'Benga

Booker Bradshaw played Dr. M'Benga who ran the Sick Bay for two episodes when Dr. McCoy was not there (who apparently was attending a doctor's convention somewhere). He was noted as a specialist in Vulcan Medicine. The character is prominently featured as the Enterprise's Chief Medical Officer in the series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.  

The Strength of Recurring Crew Members

Looking back at these recurring characters played by faces that became familiar across three seasons, there was a sense of stability of a crew that supported the main characters in running of the Enterprise. The was the strength of casting with a subtle but successful purpose.

While we didn't get to know them deeply, their presence gave a semblance of a family on board the ship. When we look back on watching the show, these recurring characters provided someone to stop in the hallways as Kirk made an announcement or to fall onto the floor when the ship got hit by enemy weapons. 

They also became Redshirts for landing parties, and what would Gene Roddenberry have done if he didn't have these expendables to add to the body count on away missions? 

What's Next?

In my next post, I will be looking at some of the my favorite guest stars that appeared on the series over three seasons. Until next time, Live Long and Prosper!

Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of 'Star Trek TOS' – Romulans

 

When watching Star Trek: The Original Series as a kid, I was scared of many of the alien antagonists that were on the show; however, the ones who frightened me the most were the Romulans. There seemed to be something in their faces  – a stark unyielding belief in their superiority  – and that felt chilling.

Looking at the show as an adult, I can appreciate the purity of the Romulan character. While I would not describe them as outwardly evil, they are set on getting things done their way. If the innocent should be harmed on their unrelenting path toward victory, they would not think twice as they trampled them as they moved forward. 

TOS Romulans

Writer Paul Schneider created the Romulans – alluding to the legendary tale of the twins Romulus and Remus – creating them to be a Roman type of empire in space. They would have centurions and a senate.  

Romulus and Remus, whose father ordered them drowned in the Tiber River, were saved and nurtured by a she-wolf until humans found them.  They would later overthrow their father and founded a town on the site where they had been saved by the she-wolf, but Romulus subsequently killed his brother and named the place after himself. This would epitomize the seemingly ruthless way Romulans operate. 

Vulcan Connection

Romulans are related to the Vulcans – perhaps you can call them distant cousins – and that is a very intriguing aspect of these people. While Vulcans almost destroyed themselves by fighting amongst themselves, the Romulans broke away from the planet and found their own way, discarding the teachings of the Vulcan philosopher Surak.

Vulcans saved themselves by following the philosopher Surak. He advocated for a complete repression of emotions. The Vulcans abandoned the savagery of their warlike culture and embraced Surak's philosophy to the extreme. 

Romulans took emotion and steered it into a militaristic society that made them succeed with conquests that increase their power. This success can be attributed to harnessing emotion to make them a devious and unflinching opponent. Their ability to cloak their warships makes them a formidable enemy as well.

The Neutral Zone

The Federation and the Romulan Empire are separated by a Neutral Zone that was established by a treaty that ended the last war between the Federation and Romulans. 

Being that the series aired during the height of the Cold War, the idea of a neutral zone was already in the viewing public's minds with the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the Koreas and the Iron Curtain that separated Eastern and Western Europe. 

Romulan Biology/Technology

Since they are related to the Vulcans, Romulans have pointy ears, skewed eyebrows, and they have green, copper based blood. They also have smooth foreheads like the Vulcans seen in TOS. 

Romulans are genetically humanoid and are able to interbreed with humans, Klingons, and Vulcans. Despite sharing a common ancestor, they are different enough from the Vulcans and are not compatible to be blood or organ donors.  

The Romulans are a formidable enemy because their warbirds are at a similar level of technology as Federation starships. The game changer for them is that they have a cloaking device which allows their ships to become invisible. This would be an advantage in a battle with the U.S.S. Enterprise or any other Federation starship. 

Emotions/Abilities

Unlike like their Vulcan cousins, Romulans do not adhere to the teachings of Surak and do not suppress their emotions. Because of this, Romulan males do not experience pon farr – a seven year urge to mate due to the suppression of emotions.  

Unlike the Vulcans who have the mind meld technique, Romulans do not have telepathic ability to use that technique the way Spock does in TOS. 

Romulan Episodes

It's amazing that despite the resonance of the Romulans in the overall story of TOS, there were only three episodes in which the Romulans appeared. 

1. "Balance of Terror" (Season 1, Episode 14) This first appearance of Romulans is one of the best episodes of the series. It features a cat and mouse game between Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the Romulan Commander (played by the great Mark Lenard who would go on to play Spock's father Sarek). The Romulans are testing their cloaking device at the Neutral Zone, and Kirk is up to the challenge. 

2. "The Deadly Years" (Season 2, Episode 12)  This episode disappointingly uses some footage from "Balance Of Terror" for a space battle, but no Romulan characters appear on screen. 

3. "The Enterprise Incident" (Season 3, Episode 2) The Romulans are involved in another incursion into the Neutral Zone testing their cloaking technology. It seems that the Romulans are possibly preparing for an attack on the Federation. Kirk and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) must deal with a deadly female Romulan commander (Joanne Linville), who matches wits with them. 

Romulan Impact on TOS

While the Klingons were created to be based on a Soviet Union style society, the Romulans – besides their obvious Roman connections – were meant to be more like Communist China as a closed, deceptive, and intelligent opponent. 

The fact that there were hints of the Klingons and Romulans forming an alliance – something reminiscent of the Soviets and Chinese collaborating – also resonated strongly throughout the TOS. 

Still, is there no more sympathetic character than the Romulan commander is in "Balance of Terror," who, while wanting to defeat Kirk, thinks of him as a worthy opponent and that they were two "of a kind." He ponders what another time would be like when they could be friends.

I think that is the lasting impact of the Romulans – they are scary, but they are also relatable in their methodology. Perhaps that helps us see something of ourselves in the enemy, which is the start of perhaps coming to something better for both parties. 

What's Next?

Now that I have completed looking at aliens and opponents, my next post will start looking at the crew of the Enterprise. Until next time, Live Long and Prosper!

Please watch this video about one of the greatest TOS episodes "Balance of Terror"

Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of 'Star Trek TOS' – Klingons

The Klingons were first introduced in Star Trek: The Original Series. They were humanoid antagonists that seemed rather war-like in nature. Klingons were depicted as the antithesis to the Federation policies that treated all new life and civilizations with decency. 

The Klingons main goal was conquest, and their spaceships were filled with basically battle ready soldiers seeking to take whatever they wanted from a planet – including the planet itself. Since the show took place during the height of the Cold War in the 1960s, comparisons of the Klingons with the Soviet Union were easily made. 

Klingons in TOS

Unlike the enhanced version of Klingons you will find in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the Klingons in TOS looked human – this was no doubt due to budget concerns. They had bushy, exaggerated eyebrows and sometimes facial hair, and they had bronze skin.

Commander Kor and Captain Kirk

They were brutal and merciless toward the people they encountered and conquered, and provided a worthy adversary to the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise and her Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner).

The Klingons were created by screenwriter and showrunner Gene L. Coon to deliberately represent an imperialist, brutal dictatorship like the Soviets. Series creator Gene Roddenberry named them after Lieutenant Wilbur Clingan with whom he worked in the LAPD. 

Klingon's Behavior

While they were initially to make one appearance in the series, Gene R. saw their value as antagonists and brought them back for a total of seven times.

Klingons in TOS exhibited brutal behavior. They were ruthless, aggressive, sneaky, and seemed to have no boundaries. They would also employ a device called a Mind Sifter to get information out of their prisoners. 

Klingon Appearance 

Mark Lenard as Klingon captain

In TOS Klingon's appearance was humanoid with bronze skin and various facial hair types. This changed in Star Trek: The Motion Picture; with an enhanced budget, there was a determination to make Klingons' appearance seem more hideous. Mark Lenard played the Klingon captain, thus giving him the distinction of being the first actor to play a Klingon, Vulcan, and Romulan in Star Trek. 

In Star Trek: Enterprise an explanation for the human looking Klingons was that their human appearance during TOS was due to scientists attempting genetic engineering that smoothed the natural forehead ridges. By the time of Star Trek: The Next Generation when we meet Worf (Michael Dorn), the forehead ridges are back with a vengeance. Worf claims Klingons don't discuss this matter with people of other races.     

Episodes with Klingon Antagonists

1. "Errand of Mercy" (Season 1, Episode 26) The first appearance of Klingons – although they have been mentioned before – introducing Commander Kor (John Colicos). 

2. "Friday's Child" (Season 2, Episode 11) Introducing Klingon Agent Kras (Ty Andrews) who is trying to influence a tribal struggle on a planet (against the Prime Directive).

William Campbell as Koloth

3. "The Trouble with Tribbles" (Season 2, Episode 15) Often hilarious episode introducing Captain Koloth (William Campbell). Besides the furry little lovable Tribbles this one features the barroom brawl started by Scotty in defense of the Enterprise's honor. 

4. "A Private Little War" (Season 2, Episode 19) The Klingons led by Krell (Ned Romero) introduced advanced weaponry to one side in a planetary war, prompting Captain Kirk's intervention. 

Michael Ansara as Kang

5. "Day of the Dove" (Season 3, Episode 7) Features a battle between Kirk's crew and a Klingon crew commanded by Kang (Michael Ansara). The fighting is initiated by an alien that feeds on conflict. 

6. "Elaan of Troyius" (Season 3, Episode 13) A Klingon battlecruiser chases the Enterprise as it is on a diplomatic mission. 

Bob Herron as Kahless

7. "The Savage Curtain) (Season 3, Episode 22) This memorable episode involves Kahless the Unforgettable (Bob Herron) as a being created for a battle between good and evil. Kahless will figure prominently in Worf's storyline in Star Trek: The Next Generation. 

Importance

The Klingons' presence changed TOS for the better. Despite

other aliens in various episodes before they arrive, the Klingons' impact was that it was understood that the galaxy had an evil empire that could challenge the Federation. 

Overall, whether the Klingons were in an episode or not, their presence hung over the series. When they are mentioned it is understood that they always present a real danger for Kirk and his crew. 

In the next post, I will focus on the Romulans. Until then, Live Long and Prosper.

Please check out this video about the importance of the Klingons in TOS. 

Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of 'Star Trek TOS' – Vulcans

 

Star Trek: The Original Series creator Gene Roddenberry took the idea of a ship patrolling the Pacific Ocean with a multiracial crew –which was his first proposal for a TV series – and transformed it into a spaceship with a multiracial crew and one alien. That change created a shift in what a weekly series could be, and Leonard Nimoy's Mr. Spock was at the center of it all and became extremely popular among the fans of the show – leading to a kind of Spockmania.

Spock the Vulcan

Of course, Spock was a Vulcan, and it would not be that he was just standing out among the human crew. Gene wanted Spock to be an outsider who would view the human machinations on the ship in a different way. Spock originally was conceived as a Martian character with red skin who ate through a panel in his stomach, but writer Samuel A. Peeples suggested making Spock half-human to create an internal conflict in the character, which ended up working to Gene's advantage.

Spock became a Vulcan with pointy ears, but unlike Spock in the first pilot who smiled when he saw flowers on a planet, Gene borrowed characteristics from the first pilot's character Number One (Majel Barrett), making him calm and reserved. He would also be extremely logical, which became a major factor in the way Spock viewed humans and the galaxy they inhabited, and he would exhibit no emotions and never crack a smile. 

Vulcan People and Culture 

Once the decision was made to make Spock a Vulcan, Gene understood that would necessitate a whole other world to create. Spock would bring with him his culture and its traditions, so he was more than just the character who appeared in the two pilots with no back story.

Spock would come from the planet Vulcan (named after the Roman god of fire). Gene was worried about his initial idea about making him a Martian – he believed that humans would land on Mars sooner rather than later and that would ruin the mystique of the character. Now with a distant home planet chosen, they had to create a population that would live on that planet and possibly interact with Spock.

There was some worry about Spock's pointed ears looking Satanic – and Nimoy didn't like wearing them at first – but Gene insisted on Nimoy using them. Spock would be almost like a walking computer, be always logical, and quite stoic in how he viewed the things humans did. The rest of his brothers and sisters on Vulcan would be the same. 

Logic Over Emotions and More

The way Roddenberry developed the Vulcan society was that they were once an extremely violent people. They fought terrible wars that almost brought them to ruin. To save themselves from destruction, they turned to the teachings of the philosopher Surak – they basically had to suppress all emotions by embracing logic. This saved their civilization.

The species would also have to be different biologically. Gene decided that they would have green blood (with copper the main component). Leonard Nimoy gave suggestions for the nerve pinch (Vulcans wanted to avoid violence), the Vulcan salute "Live Long and Prosper" accompanied with a split-fingered hand gesture (from his Jewish faith), and the mind-meld technique. Thus, Nimoy had a significant contribution in helping to define the Vulcan race.

Appearances in TOS

Vulcans other than Spock appeared four times during the original series. 

1. "Amok Time" (Season 2, Episode 1) 

The second season premiere features an agitated Spock acting nothing like a Vulcan. Spock reveals to Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) that he's experiencing pon farr, a condition every male Vulcan experiences that means he must mate or die. 

Kirk directs the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise to set course for the planet Vulcan (which we see for the first time). Under a blood red sky, we meet Spock's betrothed T'Pring (Arlene Martell), Stonn (Lawrence Montaigne), and Vulcan's legendary leader T'Pau (Celia Lovsky). With Kirk acting as best man, there will be a marriage ceremony, but with T'Pring wanting the full-blooded Stonn over Spock as a mate, things are not going as planned.

2. "Mirror, Mirror" (Season 2, Episode 4)

One of my favorite episodes, Kirk, McCoy, Mr. Scott (James Doohan), and Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) get switched with their evil counterparts from another universe during a transporter malfunction. It's a great episode, especially with the good Spock trying to deal with evil Kirk, and good Kirk dealing with a slightly evil Spock.

While technically, there are two Spocks in this episode, there is also another Vulcan who appears as a bodyguard (Russ Peek) for evil Kirk (who is actually our good Captain Kirk). It's a minor appearance, but it is memorable.

3.  "Journey to Babel" (Season 2, Episode 10)

The Enterprise has been chosen for a very important diplomatic mission bringing ambassadors to the planet of Babel for a peace conference. Two of the passengers happen to be Spock's parents – the Vulcan Sarek (Mark Lenard) and his human wife Amanda (Jane Wyatt). 

This episode highlights the strained relationship between Spock and his father, who didn't want him to join Starfleet. It also shows aspects of Sarek and Amanda's marriage and interaction with Spock and his mother. This episode and the first one of this season are crucial for a better understanding of Spock. It also gives us more information about how suppressing emotions is necessary for Vulcans. 

 4. "The Savage Curtain" (Season 3, Episode 22)

This episode is notable because Gene co-wrote it. Here we see Kirk and Spock working along with their personal heroes. For Kirk it is Abraham Lincoln (Lee Bergere) and for Spock it is the great Vulcan philosopher Surak (Barry Atwater) – they are not the actual historical people but facsimiles created using all available data about them. 

Their opponents are Earth villain Colonel Phillip Green (Phillip Pine), Klingon warload Kahless (Bob Herron), torturer of humans Zora (Carol Daniel DeMent), and Genghis Khan (Nathan Jung). It is a battle of good verses evil set up by the highly advanced rock people called Excalbians. While the episode has a lot of action, it also provides us with a chance to see how Kirk and Spock interact with their heroes. It is especially important to see how Spock works with Surak, whose philosophy basically saved the Vulcan race from self destructing. 

The Vulcans and First Contact

Vulcans were monitoring Earth – and other planets as well – in order to detect the level of technology on the planet. April 5, 2063, is called First Contact Day because that is when the Vulcans first came to Earth and revealed themselves.

This happened because Zefram Cochrane built and piloted a ship called the Phoenix, and during its first flight Cochrane broke the warp barrier, with his ship achieving warp speed (meaning faster than the speed of light). 

The crew of the Vulcan survey ship T'Plana-Hath monitored Cochrane's flight, and they believed that Cochrane's accomplishment qualified for first contact with Earthlings. The Vulcan ship landed in Boseman, Montana, after following the warp signature left by Cochrane's ship. 

Cochrane watched as the ship landed and a robed Vulcan departed the ship and greeted him with the split-fingered Vulcan salute. This was the first contact on Earth with people from outer space. This moment inextricably linked the people of Vulcan with Earth and opened the door for a whole new era of space exploration for humanity. 

Cochrane (Glenn Corbett) appears in Star Trek: TOS in "Metamorphosis" (Season 2, Episode 2) when Kirk, Spock, and McCoy find the long assumed dead Cochrane living on a planet after crashing there over 100 years before. A gaseous being called the Companion has helped him stay young all these years.

Cochrane can also be seen in Star Trek: First Contact which is a The Next Generation film that includes the scene when First Contact occurs (see the video below).

Klingons and Romulans

I had intended to include the Klingons and Romulans in this article, but I found myself writing so much about the Vulcans, so that I couldn't do them just here. I have decided to write about them in my next post.

Until next time, Live Long and Prosper! 

Please check out this video depicting the scene of First Contact!