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Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2 Review

The second season of Star Trek: The Original Series is more of the same. It has some very strong episodes, but most are weak and dated.

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“Insults are effective only where emotion is present“

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Amok Time is one of the best episodes of this season as it deals with the world of Vulcan in an enlightening way, and rarely has Spock been better used than in this complex, intriguing episode. Who Mourns for Adonais? is one of those annoying episodes set in the Earth’s past.

The Changeling is a solid episode with a good premise and entertaining execution. Mirror, Mirror is solid, but overall its premise needed much better execution. The Apple is one dangerous machine episode too many as it’s so forgettable whereas The Doomsday Machine is one of the most fun episodes which is far from great, but at least it’s satisfactory in that area.

Catspaw is more of the same. It is not great, but it’s extremely entertaining and memorable overall. I, Mudd is the same old con man episode which has nothing new to offer to the proceedings. Metamorphosis is the same, but dealing with a mysterious outcast instead. Journey to Babel has its strong thriller elements, but overall it lacked sophistication.

Friday’s Child is one of those dated tribal episodes which lack nuance to them whereas The Deadly Years has nothing to say about aging and is instead just a gimmick episode. Obsession is a solid Kirk episode, but too action-heavy. Wolf in the Fold is one of those courtroom dramas, and far from the best one. The Trouble with Tribbles is silly, but incredibly memorable in the titular cute creatures, overall quite funny and decidedly lightweight.

The Gamesters of Triskelion is a silly gambling installment, A Piece of the Action happens in the 20s on Earth and is obviously just meant to save the show some production money. These types of episodes are very lazy. The Immunity Syndrome is fun, but again lacking in intelligence. A Private Little War deals with the question of helping primitive people and is thus very strong. Return to Tomorrow is also pretty good, and mostly very engaging to watch and even thrilling.

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Patterns of Force is a lazy, ridiculous Nazi episode, but By Any Other Name is one of the most purely fantastical and thus most interesting episodes of the bunch. The Omega Glory is utterly forgettable, The Ultimate Computer is an intense, very good computer installment while Bread and Circuses is one gladiatorial episode too many. Assignment: Earth is a weaker finale.

Overall, this season has some admittedly very interesting, very well done episodes, but most are utterly forgettable, dated and more of the same. It’s repetitive for sure.

Worst Episodes: Who Mourns for Adonais?, A Piece of the Action and Patterns of Force.

Best Episodes: Amok Time, Catspaw, The Trouble with Tribbles, A Private Little War and The Ultimate Computer.