3. “All Our Yesterdays”
While the final episode of Star Trek, “Turnabout Intruder,” has its share of flaws and clumsy writing, the penultimate episode of the series is a gem. In “All Our Yesterdays,” which was written by Jean Lisette Aroeste and directed by Marvin J. Chomsky (credited as Marvin Chomsky), Spock and McCoy are separated from Kirk by centuries as they are all forced into the past of the dying planet, Sarpeidon.
The bulk of the episode focuses on Sarpeidon’s ice age, where Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy encounter a woman, named Zarabeth, who had been sent to that time as a punishment. By contrast, other residents from the planet’s future had voluntarily fled to the past to avoid the Sarpeidon’s imminent doom, as we learn in the Puritan-style era in which Kirk lands.
Kirk’s story is absolutely the B plot of the episode, so we get to focus on a burgeoning romance between Spock and Zarabeth (much to McCoy’s annoyance). Romantic episodes for Spock are often very good, because they let us explore how Spock navigates his emotions, and how he will occasionally attempt to balance his feelings with his commitment to stoic Vulcan logic.
Although Spock claims in the episode that being flung to the past is what makes him more emotional, there is a distinct possibility that he actively chooses to embrace his emotionality here. This sets it apart from “This Side of Paradise,” where Spock is forced into an emotional state by plant spores. It also leads one to question how much of Vulcans’ emotional suppression is rooted in conformity.
Personally, what I enjoy about this episode, like many others in this season, is the focus on the characters. There are more episodes where Spock and McCoy are paired up without Kirk being around, which helps to strengthen their bond as characters who can work together (sometimes) without simply being accessories to the captain.
Additionally, I must give this episode credit for having one of my all-time favorite puns, with Mr. Atoz, the librarian on Sarpeidon, literally being Mr. “A-to-Z.” It isn’t highlighted or commented upon in the episode, but it is just a subtle joke that makes me chuckle.