My Top 10 Episodes of Star Trek TOS Season 2!
Added 2024-10-13 22:16:59 +0000 UTCIt's finally here! How does it compare to your top 10?
Honorable Mentions include: Obsession, The Trouble With Tribbles, Assignment: Earth, Who Mourns for Adonais?, and ANGELIQUE PETTYJOHN as Shahna!
Comments
Thanks for putting together your top ten with a good and imformative report. I am pretty much in alignment with your top ten, there are a few differences, but that is fine. We all have our unique points of view. You have a luxury that those of us who saw the episodes originally on NBC didn't have. We saw an episode once, and except if the network reran that episode during the summer, we never saw it again (at least not until syndication came along later). At that time, I don't think I could remember all the episodes, to have an order. Probably "Doomsday Machine" and "Mirror, Mirror" because they stuck out the most at the time, and "Assignment: Earth" because it was a good episode and the last one, so it was freshest in my mind. You get to see each episode on demand, and look at it again to put together a review. That also gives you and me a different perspective on watching all the episodes. I never would have dreamt, being able to own each episodes, or watch on demand. I really appreciate your fresh and open perspective. This is the first time I have watched each episode in order complete in a long time, sort of a slow motion weekly binge! Looking forward to watching the rest of Season 3 with you.
Dave Riley
2024-10-20 01:39:57 +0000 UTC...better choose some damn Amok Time as your season 2 favorite. Just for the music alone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guNfdqpk7bA
Carlos Stevens
2024-10-19 06:13:29 +0000 UTCI remembered that you said your name is April. So, I thought of Robert April. I won't spoil who he is.
Erwin Quiachon
2024-10-16 01:10:42 +0000 UTCHiya Bunny. This is a very nice top ten. My top three would be the same. I like the rest. Excellent ranking. I'm just glad you like the series. Metamorphosis , I just love to pieces. Being a guy, I don't shed tears, but if I did, it would be for this one. The sets, the colors, the story. Boy meets alien girl, alien girl falls in love with boy. How more Star Trek can you get? 😊.
timothy w moyer
2024-10-16 00:02:42 +0000 UTCAh excellent, though I’m not familiar with Interplay Trek, I used to play FASA’s Star Trek Roleplaying game, and before that Task Force games’ Starfleet Battles.
Trilogian
2024-10-15 20:55:09 +0000 UTCI was confused for a sec because my name is April 😅
bunnytails
2024-10-15 14:23:37 +0000 UTCYes, it was a good season review.
Mark Sulkowski
2024-10-15 05:15:16 +0000 UTCFor sure!!!
bunnytails
2024-10-15 05:09:43 +0000 UTCI am liking your top 3!
bunnytails
2024-10-15 05:09:26 +0000 UTCHope you liked it!
bunnytails
2024-10-15 05:07:48 +0000 UTCAssignment: Earth was in my top 10 in the early drafts, but it did end up getting bumped down. But it is excellent for sure!
bunnytails
2024-10-15 05:07:23 +0000 UTCAnything that makes me cry happy or sad tears will be a favorite in my book!
bunnytails
2024-10-15 05:06:29 +0000 UTCYup! Like Greg said, I will be doing the Animated Series and am quite excited for it!
bunnytails
2024-10-15 05:05:49 +0000 UTCA while back someone suggested a top 5 for season 3, but I believe I will easily be able to find 10 excellent episodes worthy, if not more.
bunnytails
2024-10-15 05:05:01 +0000 UTC"Who Mourns for Adonais?" was definitely in consideration for top 10. I really liked that one, too. Especially the ending.
bunnytails
2024-10-15 05:03:54 +0000 UTCHey John - I'm Dave zink (66 yr. old b boomer)- April Tatro was really pretty in assignment earth - next episode coming up "the empath" & "city on the edge of forever" best episodes- watched these episodes 100 times - Bunny makes it special again !
dave zink
2024-10-14 21:35:55 +0000 UTCI can't agree more about William Windom's performance in "The Doomsday Machine." I think it's the best performance by any guest star in any episode I've seen of any Trek series. Just completely gripping!
Derek H.
2024-10-14 14:06:13 +0000 UTCI'm only now realizing the Star Trek connection with April. The Animated Series is where we first meet Robert April.
Erwin Quiachon
2024-10-14 06:25:56 +0000 UTCBunny, I must commend you on compiling a top ten list for what is, in my humble opinion, the best season of Star Trek in its entire history. The closest thing to a clunker for me is "A Private Little War," and that's only because its attempt at a Vietnam allegory is a bit too on-the-nose... and I suppose "Catspaw" is trying a little too hard to be a Halloween episode in a show that really shouldn't have had one. I can't whittle this season down to my top ten, but I can name my top three: 1. "Mirror, Mirror" 2. "The Doomsday Machine" 3. "Amok Time" While I do enjoy "The Trouble with Tribbles," there are times when it seems as though Kirk and Spock are aware they're in a comedy episode, Spock especially. He says things here that he would never say anywhere else, but because the show is leaning so hard into the humor, I think it gets away with it. And, if I'm being honest, I kinda enjoy seeing Spock crack wise. He has my favorite line in "A Piece of the Action:" "I'd advise youse to keep dialin', Oxmyx!"
Lee
2024-10-14 05:28:58 +0000 UTCInteresting list. It's not possible to agree or disagree with your list because it's so difficult to rank the episodes of S2 due to their consistently high quality. It can go so many different ways, even in my mind when I'm trying to rank them. It's interesting to see your ranking and why you do.
Mark Sulkowski
2024-10-14 05:03:48 +0000 UTCThis one bunny will truly appreciate--Best dress ever-Teri Garr in Assignment Earth
John Zelinka
2024-10-14 03:09:32 +0000 UTCAssignment Earth--best episode overall. Amok Time--best music (score) ever.
John Zelinka
2024-10-14 03:06:08 +0000 UTC#1... Of course, I knew it would be Amok Time. Now I have to watch it again, because...yes there is so much, and it's my #1 too. "The air is the air...what can be done." I can't tell you how many times I've used variations on that line as a D&D DM.
Carlos Stevens
2024-10-14 03:00:05 +0000 UTCBunny, IMHO Season 2 of The Original Series was probably the best. You could pick any 10 as your favorite and you wouldn't be wrong. I think there were a lot of episodes where the trichotomy between Kirk, Spock and Bones really showed itself in sharp relief. I can see you really are partial to the episode that get a bit... emotive; I understand. I think you're really going to like The Next Generation for the same and for different reasons. And, for the record, my favorite Star Trek series, without a doubt is Deep Space Nine; prove me wrong.
Carlos Stevens
2024-10-14 02:50:28 +0000 UTCBunny did say she plans to do the Animated Series. I always considered the amazing Interplay Star Trek games 25th Anniversary and Judgement Rites as Season 4.
Greg Polander
2024-10-14 02:31:53 +0000 UTCStar Trek is Kirk, Spock, McCoy. Always will be. I can’t argue any of your picks, though some are surprising, just like your Season 1 Top Ten List. Interesting you have 2 episodes by Gene Coon in your top few: Devil in the Dark and Metamorphosis. I think he’s finally gotten posthumous kudos for his contributions to TOS, but for a long time he was eclipsed. I might argue Tribbles over A Piece of the Action, but I love both episodes. I always thought they missed a trick not bringing the Iotians back as a spacefaring planet of gangsters! When I was a kid and Trek would come on around 5 or 6pm each day, I always wanted it to be Doomsday Machine. Too many factoids about each episode you picked to get into here, but a great list and thanks for sharing it! Im curious to know if you’ll go into Star Trek Animated after Season 3. I consider it Season 4, myself. Same writers, same actors, and some stylish animation, but very different (maybe even primitive) compared to the anime you might have seen.
Trilogian
2024-10-14 01:55:59 +0000 UTCExcellent list, Bunny. Can’t disagree with any of them. Really hope that Season 3 gets a top ten list instead of a top five as I think there will be enough good episodes to warrant it. The music for the Metamorphosis was “made to order” for that episode primarily by George Duning who also composed the music for Return to Tomorrow, Is There In Truth No Beauty, and one more Season 3 episode that I’m really hoping you enjoy (no spoilers from me!). Thanks for the list, have really enjoyed this revisiting of TOS will you thus far : )
Skyman's Follies
2024-10-14 01:31:51 +0000 UTCThank you bunny for soldiering on with the impossible task of whittling the best season to ten episodes. Thumbnail shows you in a pensive mood, I hope it's nothing we said 🫥 I won't argue with any of your choices. Maybe A Piece of the Action, which I love but I have to concede the reason I rewatch it is the amazing guest stars mainly the bosses, but also the clothes the molls wear & the kid. Excellent top three: I will always remember seeing Metamorphosis on bunnytailsreacts and envisioning The Companion telling Ambassador Hedford to stay away from her man(!). A solid althist episode. Doomsday Machine is not my number one because of the characters making poor decisions, Decker for his crew and still wanting to fight the Machine, and also the designer of the Doomsday Machine with the glaring weakness of having the enemy able fly a bomb into the opening. Amok Time: classic scenes with Nurse Chapel who I love; the Machievellian T'Pring but so lovely; the shot were T'Pau looks over her shoulder briefly but so beautifully. You made the right choice. What would I have changed in the list? Maybe substitute I Mudd with Who Mourns for Adonais?-Mark Forest brings out the tragedy of Apollo finally driving him to madness and ultimately his doom. Yes Scotty isn't perfect in this which bugs me but these are tough choices.
William Terry
2024-10-13 23:43:13 +0000 UTCI know that's one of the episodes that sadly got spoiled for you (along with Journey to Babel and City on the Edge of Forever) so I can understand that. Tribbles to me is the perfect balance of humor, acting, plot, suspense, and story. The tribbles steel the show here. Star Trek doesn't do too many really 'very funny' episodes, so when it DOES happen it's a treat. Everyone gets to act out of character also (they do in other episodes, sure, but this has a comedic effect). Finally the scene with Kirk opening the vent and having thousands of tribbles rain on his head will always be burned into my brain and never fail to make me laugh. When the show was in syndication during the 1990's and 2000's I saw more then one TV station use that clip to advertise the show, with lines such as 'How about the first time that you saw this scene?' Of course, it plays on nostalgia that you wouldn't have for this, understandably, but like with old video games it always works with me. It's a 'comfort' episode for me due to that, and IMHO the funniest episode of the show.
Greg Polander
2024-10-13 23:05:30 +0000 UTCSadly the Tribbles ep was perhaps too overhyped for me by commenters. Solid and memorable episode with some good humor, but didn't linger in my mind after the credits rolled as much as the episodes I picked. What aspects of it bring it to your #2 spot?
bunnytails
2024-10-13 22:59:36 +0000 UTCBefore even watching the video, I'm just putting down my personal Top 10 from Season 2 (NOT in this order), then picked 5 episodes as honorable mentions, and will * the ones we agree on: 1) Amok Time (*) 2) The Ultimate Computer 3) Mirror, Mirror (*) 4) Patterns of Force 5) The Doomsday Machine (*) 6) I, Mudd (*) 7) Journey to Babel (*) 8) Obsession 9) The Trouble with Tribbles 10) The Immunity Syndrome (*) After watching: A Piece Of The Action is a strong episode, it gets honorable mention for me, so not quibbling here. Bread and Circuses was just moderate for me. A little too slow paced, and hard to separate my history degree from this episode. Return to Tomorrow was just alright to me. Great acting but confusing plot. Metamorphosis was just to slow paced for me. Perhaps it would connect better if I was married like you are. As for my included episodes not on your list: Ultimate Computer has always been a top one for me. Great acting, great struggle between man and machine, great foretelling of the issues we are going through now, and some great action. Patterns of Force is again a fav of mine due to my history background I realize Obsession may not be everyone's favorite, but the inner struggles Kirk goes through and how the crew reacts is very fascinating to me and I'm down for it. No Trouble with Tribbles? THAT is indeed a shock. That's my second favorite episode of the show (behind "City on the Edge of Forever"). More then anything else, that's the one that are going to get people to raise their eyebrow like Spock, LOL If you held a gun to my head and forced me to pick between Season 1 and Season 2 as my favorite, I'd have to go with Season 2, but it's VERY close. So many strong episodes here, there's only a few episodes I think that are on the weak side.
Greg Polander
2024-10-13 22:55:00 +0000 UTC
