6. 'Mudd's Women'
The legendary con artist Harcourt Fenton Mudd made his first appearance in “Mudd’s Women,” an October 13, 1966, story about mail-order brides, beauty medicines, and lies.
It feels like one of the more old-fashioned hours of 1960s TV, full of preconceptions about gender and appeal. But there’s a very earnest statement about self-worth and the illusion of perfection buried under the camp and awkward framing.
Seen 60 years later, the episode serves most as a time capsule and as the beginning of a character that will recur throughout the franchise. Harry Mudd’s roguish energy gives the series a distinct texture, and the writing at least suggests that inner power and self-assurance are more important than outward glitz.
It’s not the most comfortable rewatch, but “Mudd’s Women” still might inspire some interesting discussion about the way science fiction reflects its time when viewed through a critical lens and with an eye to how far the franchise has come.
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