3. “Turnabout Intruder”
Perhaps it’s obvious, but you probably shouldn’t start a series by watching its final episode. Unlike most TV series, however, the reason to avoid starting with the original Star Trek’s finale is not because it wraps things up. On the contrary, “Turnabout Intruder” shows how the original series completely unraveled at the end.
The messy production of Star Trek’s third and final season is well documented, and while there were some wonderful episodes in the season, like “Day of the Dove,” “All Our Yesterdays,” “The Empath,” or the aforementioned “Tholian Web,” there were also many episodes that strayed from the writing quality and underlying philosophies of Star Trek’s first two seasons.
One might be able to argue that the intentions of “Turnabout Intruder” were good, but what ends up on screen is not a great look. Characters behave out-of-character, and its attempts to comment on sexism and misogyny are muddled and confusing at best. Many of these are symptoms of the network and studio just not caring anymore, and if they don’t care, why should audiences care?
Don’t start with these episodes…but don’t avoid them forever
If you’re interested in watching the original Star Trek—or, if you want to get a friend or loved one into the series—I strongly recommend that you not start with these episodes. “And the Children Shall Lead” and “Turnabout Intruder” are arguably just bad episodes, while “The Cage” just isn’t related enough to the rest of the show to matter.
Once you’re into watching Star Trek, however, I still urge you to watch these episodes at some point. They are part of Star Trek, and as someone whose favorite TV show is the original series, I think it’s important to be aware and acknowledge that the show is imperfect.
Also, there is every possibility that these episodes could hook you in. After all, I made a point of leaving “Spock’s Brain” off of this list, because it may not be a fantastic episode by typical metrics, but there is a campy absurdity to it that tickles my brain just right. To paraphrase Pirates of the Caribbean, these lists are not so much rules as they are…guidelines!
Have fun watching Star Trek and find what works for you!