Star Trek fans love to roast season 3, but for Thanksgiving, it is worth pausing to appreciate how much heart, imagination, and sheer weirdness those late‑run episodes still bring to the table. And these five episodes are perfect dishes for a Trek Thanksgiving feast, each serving up a different flavor of gratitude.
5. "The Enterprise Incident"
“The Enterprise Incident” opens with Kirk seemingly coming apart at the seams, driving the Enterprise across the Romulan Neutral Zone and into the jaws of three enemy vessels. What looks like a breakdown is really a tightly wound heist: a secret mission to steal the Romulans’ cloaking device, executed through fake court‑martials, identity swaps, and one of Spock’s most delicately played seductions.
At Thanksgiving, this is the episode that embodies being thankful for a captain who is willing to look foolish for the greater good, and a crew willing to trust the plan even when it makes no sense. Kirk lets Starfleet paint him as unstable, risks his ship, and then literally walks out of sickbay with pointed ears because the mission demands it.
The Romulan Commander adds another layer: a formidable woman who recognizes Spock’s brilliance and almost tempts him away, reminding viewers that respect can grow even across hostile borders. In a season with plenty of corners cut, “The Enterprise Incident” feels lavishly plotted, and fans can be grateful that TOS still had the ambition for twisty political thrillers this late in the run.