Enterprise Incidents with Scott & Steve

Our voyage through "The Animated Series" comes to a close, and as you will hear in our recap, "The Animated Series" was indeed worthy of the "Star Trek" name, and hopefully this otherwise underrated and overlooked series will be better appreciated as it celebrates its landmark 50th anniversary!

For our deep dive of the final episode of "Star Trek: The Animated Series," we're excited and honored to be joined by a very special guest: "John Culver," a.k.a. Fred Bronson, who not only wrote "The Counter-Clock Incident," but was also the studio publicist for "The Animated Series."

While pursuing an alien ship traveling at high warp speed, the Enterprise passes through the remnants of the Beta Niobe supernova, only to emerge in an alternate universe where everything works in reverse -- and the crew begins to age backwards. In order to return to their own universe, they must figure out a way to replicate the conditions that got them here, but they must do so before they become too young to be able to operate their own ship. Their only hope lies with their very special passenger: 75-year-old Commodore Robert April, the first captain of the Enterprise who was en route to the planet Babel for a retirement ceremony, but must now once again assume command as the only senior officer capable of saving the ship.

Even though "How Sharper than a Serpent's Tooth" was the episode that won "Star Trek" its Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program, you couldn't have asked for a better episode to close out "The Animated Series" than "The Counter-Clock Incident." In addition to being filled with suspense, excitement, humor and a lot of heart, it brings "Star Trek" full circle from its earliest origins, when Gene Roddenberry wrote his first treatment of "Star Trek" back in March of 1964. With the conclusion of "The Counter-Clock Incident," the first phase of "Star Trek" was now truly over -- but as we all know, the human adventure was just beginning.

The Enterprise follows a propulsion trail left behind by an alien space probe that scanned Earth, only to become trapped by an alien ship that takes the form of a massive winged serpent. The Enterprise helmsman, Ensign Walking Bear, recognizes the form as Kukulkan, a deity whose presence on Earth traces back to ancient Aztec and Mayan civilizations. After all this time, Kukulkan has returned and demands to be worshipped by the Enterprise crew. Of course, Captain Kirk isn't going to let that happen. With "The Animated Series" winding down, it went out on a high note with its penultimate episode, "How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth," which was the first "Star Trek" episode to feature a Native American as an Enterprise crew member. It also has the distinction of being the episode that won "Star Trek" its 1975 Emmy Award for Outstanding Entertainment: Children's Program (it also won the Peabody Award). No animated TV series could go out on a higher note than that.

Guest: John Rocha (Host: The Cine-Files, The Geek Buddies, The Hot Mic)

Following a successful mission to deliver medical supplies to a planet in the Dramian star system, Dr. McCoy is accused of causing a plague that wiped out the population of another planet where he performed a mass inoculation many years before. In an effort to investigate the charges, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock take the Enterprise to Dramia II, where they meet a plague survivor who turns out to be a key witness in McCoy's defense. But soon after they beam back to the Enterprise, the entire crew falls ill, except for the immune Mr. Spock, who now has to race against time to find a cure and save the crew. While rebounding significantly from "The Practical Joker," "Albatross" still falls short of the best of "The Animated Series" due to a flawed teleplay that's ripe with contrivances. But as always, it has its merits, and in true "Star Trek" fashion, "Albatross" is redeemed by the core relationship between Kirk, Spock and McCoy, in which two of them will do anything to save the other.

In an effort to evade an attack by three Romulan warships, the Enterprise passes through a mysterious energy cloud that causes ship's computer to develop a sentient consciousness and start playing practical jokes on it's crew. At first, the jokes seem harmless enough, but as the frequency increases, so does the danger to the crew, unless Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock can reverse the process. There's nothing like a good comedic episode of "Star Trek" to shake up the formula, like "The Trouble with Tribbles" and "A Piece of the Action" did with "The Original Series." Unfortunately, "The Animated Series" deserved better than "The Practical Joker," which falls short of its potential due to a weak teleplay that's full of plot contrivances. But the episode does have one redeeming grace: The first appearance of what later came to be known as the Holodeck, which would go on to be featured in many popular episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," including the series premiere.

We're excited to be joined on "Enterprise Incidents" by New York Times-bestselling author Howard Weinstein, who wrote "The Pirates of Orion" for "Star Trek: The Animated Series" when he was 19-year-old!

While en route to the planet Deneb V to attend a Federation conference, the Enterprise alters course to rendezvous with the S.S. Huron after Mr. Spock falls ill from a rare disease. The Huron is carrying the only known cure, but it is also carrying a sizable shipment of precious dilithuim. When an Orion ship attacks to seize both shipments, Captain Kirk must race against time to secure the counteragent for the disease, or Mr. Spock will die. "The Pirates of Orion" was the first episode of the otherwise brief second season of "The Animated Series" (running only six episodes), but it started the season on a strong note with an exciting story about the close relationship between Kirk, Spock and McCoy, making it feel like a vintage episode of "Star Trek."

In case you missed it theaters on April 19, 2023, here’s the full IMAX Live Q&A for the series finale of "Star Trek: Picard" moderated by "Enterprise Incidents" co-host Scott Mantz -- Listen to the entire conversation with Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Michael Dorn, Jeri Ryan, showrunner Terry Matalas and executive producer Alex Kurtzman!

Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock are summoned by the Vedalans, the oldest known spacefaring race, to recover a stolen religious artifact called the Soul of Skarr, the theft of which must be kept secret in order to prevent a holy war from enveloping the galaxy. In order to carry out their mission across a volatile and dangerous planetary terrain, Kirk and Spock are teamed with members of other alien races that are experts in their field, but soon after the expedition gets under way, they begin to suspect that there is a traitor in their midst. Written by Stephen Kandell — who wrote “Mudd’s Women” and “I, Mudd” for “The Original Series,” as well as “Mudd’s Passion” for “The Animated Series” — “The Jihad” is an entertaining and exciting adventure that plays to the many strengths that fully defined the very best of “Star Trek," and it brought the first season of “The Animated Series” to an effective and satisfying close.

Guest: Aaron Harvey (co-author, “Star Trek: The Official Guide to The Animated Series”)

While searching for the missing crew of a Federation science vessel, Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy are captured and held captive by an intellectually advanced alien race called the Lactrans. Their only hope for escape lies in convincing the Lactrans that they too are intelligent beings and part of an evolving culture, or they will be trapped as zoo specimens for the rest of their lives. Written by David P. Harmon -- who wrote "The Deadly Years" and co-wrote "A Piece of the Action" from "The Original Series" -- "The Eye of the Beholder" falls short of being a great episode of "The Animated Series," but is nevertheless a good one, thanks to the enduring "Star Trek" messages about communication, appreciating inner beauty and embracing that which we do not initially understand.

We're excited to welcome back award-winning author Alan Dean Foster for our deep dive of "The Slaver Weapon," which Foster adapted -- and greatly expanded upon -- for his 10th and final installment of his landmark "Star Trek Log" book series.

Aboard the shuttlecraft Copernicus, Mr. Spock, Lt. Sulu and Lt. Uhura are en route to Starbase 25 with very previous cargo: a stasis box, which was constructed by a long-dead civilization known as the Slaver Empire. When the box they are carrying emits the presence of a second stasis box nearby, Mr. Spock alters his course to the frozen world of Beta Lyrae to retrieve it, only to be captured by the Kzinti, a race of catlike predators who will stop at nothing to keep the content of the stasis box for themselves. Adapted from Larry Niven's own short story "The Soft Weapon," "The Slaver Weapon" is not only a perfect fit for "Star Trek," but is also one of the most ambitious episodes of "The Animated Series," not to mention the most unique, for it is the only original or animated "Star Trek" episode in which Captain Kirk does not appear (not including "The Cage").

We interrupt our regularly schedule deep dive discussions of "Star Trek: The Animated Series" to bring you our very special review of the excellent series finale of "Star Trek: Picard" from "The Geek Buddies," where we were honored to join hosts John Rocha and Michael Vogel -- we hope you enjoy this fun, passionate and revealing discussion as we enjoyed having it.

You can listen to The Geek Buddies (Including all their "spoiler reviews") right here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-geek-buddies-with-john-rocha-michael-vogel/id1462472251

Or see their lovely faces and everything else John Rocha is doing on The Outlaw Nation Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRochaSays

In an effort to help save another planet that will soon be transformed by violent seismic activity, the Enterprise is on a mission to collect information about the planet Argo, which is almost completely submerged after enduring similar seismic activity in its distant past. But soon after their arrival, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock are abducted and transformed into water-breathers by the Aquans, the underwater inhabitants of Argo who fear that the air-breathers are a threat to their society. Kirk and Spock try to appeal to the Aquans that they mean them no harm, so that they can be transformed back in time to complete their mission before a massive new seaquake wipes out the underwater city for good. There are certain episodes of "The Animated Series" that would have been impossible to film as live-action episodes, and "The Ambergris Element" is definitely one of them. But once you get past the perceived silliness of the gimmick, "The Ambergris Element" proves to be a stellar episode of "The Animated Series" that features action, excitement and the time-honored "Star Trek" traditions of communication, mutual understanding and embracing cultures that we do not understand.

For our 100th episode of "Enterprise Incidents," we are honored to be joined for "The Time Trap" by Bob Kline, the Storyboard Artist for "Star Trek: The Animated Series!"

After engaging in combat, the U.S.S. Enterprise and the I.K.S. Klothos, a Klingon warship, disappear into the Delta Triangle, a mysterious region of space where starships have been disappearing for centuries. Despite repeated warnings by the region's council that attempts to escape will be futile, Captain Kirk and Commander Kor form an uneasy alliance in an effort to combine the power of their starships and break free from the Delta Triangle, or they will be trapped there forever. "The Time Trap" has always stood out as one of the finer episodes of "Star Trek: The Animated Series," thanks to a well-written screenplay, brisk pacing, action, excitement and a particularly important message about the importance of looking past the differences of your adversaries to achieve the impossible.

While investigating a mysterious signal emanating from a lone planet in the Cepheus System, the Enterprise is bombarded by an energy beam that temporarily immobilizes the crew and damages the ship's dilithium crystals. That turns out to be the beginning of a much bigger problem when the Enterprise crew begins to shrink, and it is only a matter of time before they become too small to operate their own ship. "The Terratin Incident" is a fun episode to be sure, but in this case, the problem is far more enticing than the solution. The greatest danger facing the shrinking Enterprise crew turns out to be the Enterprise itself, but the episode falls apart with a convoluted resolve that doesn't make sense. Regardless, when "The Terratin Incident" works, it really works, and who can resist the image of a tiny Captain Kirk trying to use a giant Communicator?

Captain Kirk pursues his biggest nuisance to a planet in the Arcadian system, where, sure enough, he finds Harry Mudd peddling his latest drug -- a so-called love potion -- to the miners working there. Turns out this love potion actually works and soon makes its way through the crew of the Enterprise, starting with Mr. Spock, much to the initial delight of Nurse Chapel. Completing a trilogy of sorts that started with "Mudd's Women" (one of the first "Star Trek" episodes ever produced) Stephen Kandell returned to write "Mudd's Passion" for "The Animated Series," which, fortunately, also saw Roger C. Carmel reprising his role as Harry Mudd. (Sorry, but there's no way James Doohan could have pulled that one off!) While far from being the crowning achievement of "The Animated Series," "Mudd's Passion" is an enjoyable-enough episode for "Star Trek" fans that saw the return of a beloved character.

With the crew exhausted and in need of rest and relaxation, the Enterprise travels back to the so-called "Shore Leave" planet, the site of a nearly disastrous encounter earlier in its five-year mission. But now that they know how the planet works, they should be able to relax and enjoy themselves this time around. But once again, that doesn't turn out to be the case, since the Keeper has long since died, allowing the planetary computer to take over and run amok. With Lt. Uhura being held captive and power being drained from the Enterprise, Captain Kirk must (once again) reason with a computer to release his ship and set his crew free. For fans of "The Original Series" episode "Shore Leave," "The Animated Series" provided them with another direct sequel to a beloved classic, albeit one that feels like too much of a retread. But "Once Upon a Planet" still has its merits, and like the episode that inspired it, it's a lot of fun.

While on a scientific mission to explore the core of the galaxy, the Enterprise crew meets an enthusiastic satyr-like figure named Lucien, who offers to show them the magical world of his planet, Megas-Tu. But the celebratory mood takes an ominous turn when Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy encounter a powerful race of beings who put humanity on trial while also attempting to expose Lucien for being none other than the Devil himself. Up to this point, "The Animated Series" successfully packed a lot into its 24-minute running times while still feeling like vintage episodes of "Star Trek." But with "The Magicks of Megas-Tu," the producers and writer Larry Brody may have bitten off more than they could chew. The premise is ambitious and imaginative, but it's all over the place with too many ideas that are never fully explored. After all, how could they be in just 24 minutes? But in spite of itself, "The Magicks of Megas-Tu" manages to stick the landing in true Captain Kirk fashion with a message that ultimately feels like classic "Star Trek" after all. So, it doesn't always work, but when it does, it does so splendidly.

While exploring a strange new world on the outer reaches of the galaxy, the landing party from the Enterprise discovers the planet to be inhabited by an intelligent race of plants led by the giant clone of Dr. Stavos Keniclius, a scientist who hails from the era of the Eugenics Wars on Earth. But soon after being lured into his lair, his true motives become clear: to clone a giant version of Mr. Spock and lead a master race that will act as a peace-keeping force throughout the galaxy. Just like Dr. Tristan Adams from "Dagger of the Mind" and Dr. Roger Korby from "What Are Little Girls Made Of?," Dr. Stavos Keniclius continues the "Star Trek" tradition of featuring a mad scientist who is acting with noble intentions. But "The Infinite Vulcan" -- written by Walter Koenig (who played Chekov in "The Original Series") -- was also ahead of its time for featuring a story on cloning many years before scientists first accomplished that feat. The result is an episode that, just like every episode of "The Animated Series" up to this point, lives up to the standards established by "The Original Series" and feels like a vintage episode of "Star Trek."

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While patrolling near the Romulan Neutral Zone, the Enterprise encounters a one-man ship belonging to a noted Federation philanthropist named Carter Winston, who has been missing in space for nearly five years. No one is happier to see Winston alive and well more than Lt. Anne Nored, Winston's one-time fiancee, but almost as soon as he beams aboard the Enterprise, Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy start to notice something strange about him. Their suspicions are soon confirmed when Winston's true identity is revealed to be that of a Vendorian, an alien from a race of shape-shifters who is operating under Romulan orders to sabotage the Enterprise. As with every other episode of "The Animated Series," "The Survivor" packs a lot into its 24-minute running time. In addition to being an exciting action-adventure and a race against time to save the Enterprise, "The Survivor" is also a beautifully-realized love story about compassion, empathy and purpose. It's pretty far-out stuff for a what was then a Saturday morning cartoon, but for anyone looking for a vintage episode of "Star Trek," "The Survivor" was par for the course in all the right ways.

While on an emergency mission to escort two automated cargo ships to Sherman's Planet, the Enterprise alters its course to engage a Klingon battle cruiser that's in hot pursuit of a one-man scout ship. Just moments before that ship is destroyed, the lone pilot is beamed aboard the Enterprise, and Captain Kirk is once again reunited with an old nuisance: Cyrano Jones, and of course, he as Tribbles with him. Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the rest of the Enterprise crew literally and figuratively have their hands full with a whole new batch of ever-growing Tribbles, but they also have to contend with a powerful new Klingon weapon that poses a new threat to the Federation. Writer David Gerrold returns to "Star Trek" with "More Tribbles, More Troubles," his "Animated Series" follow up to "The Trouble with Tribbles" from "The Original Series." And just like its predecessor, "More Tribbles, More Troubles" is a delightful entry that captures the fun, the heart and the humor that made "The Trouble with Tribbles" one of "Star Trek's" most beloved and popular episodes.

Guest: Ryan Britt (Author, "Phasers on Stun! How the Making (and Remaking) of Star Trek Changed the World")

If you're an OG "Star Trek" fan or a member of the Syndication Generation, you know the name Alan Dean Foster. In addition to writing the story for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," he also wrote the 10-volume "Star Trek Log" book series back in the 70s, which adapted (and expanded upon) every episode of "The Animated Series." We're excited and honored to have Foster join us as a special guest for our deep dive of "One of Our Planets is Missing."

While exploring the outer fringes of the galaxy, the Enterprise encounters a giant cloud that has the ability to consume everything in its path. Next on that path is the planet Mantilles, the most remote world in Federation space and inhabited by 82 million people. Compounding the issue is Mr. Spock's discovery that the cloud is an intelligent life form, and destroying it would be a crime against science. With time running out (and in more ways than one), the Enterprise crew must figure out a way to communicate with the cloud and stop its path of destruction, or Captain Kirk will be forced to destroy it. Written by veteran "Star Trek" director Marc Daniels, "One of Our Planets is Missing" is a quintessential "Star Trek" adventure that lives up to the high standards established by "The Original Series." In addition to being a race against time to stop a massive destructive force from posing a threat to the galaxy (like "The Doomsday Machine"), the episode also explores the burden of command on Captain Kirk (like "Balance of Terror") and the importance of communication with a misunderstood antagonist (like "The Devil in the Dark"). And it does all of this in just 24 minutes (and that's with the opening and closing credits). If there's any episode of "The Animated Series" that says what "Star Trek" is all about, it's this one.

We're very excited to welcome special guest William "Billy" Simpson, who played "Young Spock" in "Yesteryear."

After a trip back in time through the Guardian of Forever to observe the history of the Orion civilization, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock return to the present to discover that not only is Spock no longer the First Officer of the Enterprise, but he has been completely erased from the current timeline. After a thorough investigation, Spock concludes that in order to restore the timeline and save his very existence, he must go back in time to save his younger self from dying during the Vulcan right-of-passage ritual known as "Kahs-Wan." If there's any episode of "The Animated Series" that truly deserves to stand alongside the very best of "The Original Series," it has to be "Yesteryear." Written by Dorothy "D.C." Fontana (who wrote some of "Star Trek's" most revered classics, including "This Side of Paradise" and "Journey to Babel"), "Yesteryear" is, quite simply, as good as "The Animated Series" ever got, thanks to a brilliant, mature and deeply moving story that dives deeper into the world-building of Vulcan culture. Oh, what an amazing live-action episode this would have been!

While exploring the outer reaches of the galaxy, the Enterprise encounters a derelict alien starship that's more than 300 million years old. It's completely lifeless, save for one alien entity that hijacks the Enterprise in an effort to take it back to a more populated sector of the galaxy. "Beyond the Farthest Star" earned its place in "Star Trek" history by being the first episode of "The Animated Series," which premiered on September 8, 1973 (seven years to the day after the original "Star Trek" series made its network TV debut). This new show may look different and be only half as long, but it was still very much a true "Star Trek" series that featured smart writing, a worthy new theme song and, of course, the voices of William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley and almost everyone else from "The Original Series."

Welcome back aboard the continuing voyages of "Enterprise Incidents," which officially gets under way with our preview of "Star Trek: The Animated Series." We're excited to be joined for this very special podcast episode by Aaron Harvey and Rich Schepis, authors of the detailed and lavishly-illustrated book "Star Trek: The Official Guide to the Animated Series." Among the many questions that we'll have answered: What were the events that led to the creation of "The Animated Series?" How did the syndication of "The Original Series" and the very first "Star Trek" conventions play a part in that? How did most of the original cast members sign on to reprise their iconic roles? Which producers and writers from "The Original Series" also came back for "The Animated Series?" How did "The Animated Series" grease the rails for "The Motion Picture" and, basically, every other "Star Trek" series that followed? And perhaps the biggest and most loaded question of all: Is "The Animated Series" officially considered part of "Star Trek" canon (and should it be)? Since the early 1970s were such a crucial time period that set the stage for the continued existence and evolution of "Star Trek," this is one episode of "Enterprise Incidents" you won't want to miss!

Scott and Steve went live on "Enterprise Incidents" for the first time to count down their top ten favorite episodes of "Star Trek: The Original Series!"

And if you want to actually watch the discussion instead of just listening to it, you can see it right HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLgR9WfkSec

In case you missed it during our deep dive conversation of "All Our Yesterdays," here's our exclusive interview with William Shatner! We're so proud of our enlightening voyage through the original "Star Trek" series on "Enterprise Incidents," and we're grateful for your support! Keep going boldly!

As our wrap-up of the third season of "Star Trek" on "Enterprise Incidents" brings this landmark series to a close, we look back on the high points...and the low points. But is the third season as bad as history has made it out to be? What were the highlights? Which episodes were improved after our deep dive conversations (and which ones went down in our estimates)? Producer Fred Freiberger has always gotten a bad rap for the deteriorating quality of the third season, but what were the changes he made that actually improved the series? What did the third season get right about "Star Trek?" And what were the best episodes? Listen to us break it all down, and thank you for boldly going with us on our voyage through the greatest "Star Trek" series of them all.

While responding to a distress call from the science team exploring the planet Camus II, Captain Kirk comes face-to-face with Dr. Janice Lester, a scorned woman from his past. Using a transference device she discovered on the planet, Lester traps Kirk, switches bodies with him and proceeds to impersonate him in her calculated efforts to take over the Enterprise. The ruse works for a little while, until the Enterprise crew becomes concerned about Kirk's erratic behavior since returning from the planet. Meanwhile, the real Kirk has to convince Mr. Spock that he's the real deal while he is trapped inside Janice Lester's body, and he must do so before Lester (in Kirk's body) kills his life force and completes the transference once and for all. The notorious "Turnabout Intruder" was hardly the episode that "Star Trek" deserved to close out its otherwise stellar three-year run, but as flawed and dated as it is, it also features one of William Shatner's finest performances in the entire series. Despite coming down with the flu, Shatner pulled out all the stops and really sold it with a go-for-broke performance, and that alone makes "Turnabout Intruder" far more entertaining than it probably deserves to be.

As our journey through the original "Star Trek" comes to a penultimate close, we're thrilled to be joined for our deep dive of "All Our Yesterdays" by returning guest Adam Nimoy, followed by our exclusive interview with the man himself: William Shatner!

While investigating the disappearance of an entire civilization on a planet whose star is about to explode, Kirk, Spock and McCoy accidentally go back in time and become trapped in that planet's past. Captain Kirk finds himself accused of witchcraft while stuck in a time period resembling old England, while Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy are transported back to the planet's Ice Age and are given shelter by a lonely woman. With less than a few hours to go before the planet's star goes nova, Kirk must find his way back through the time portal to save Spock and McCoy, but the effects of the time period may have affected Spock to the point where he doesn't want to be saved. With the run of the original series coming to a close, "Star Trek" had one final creative burst of greatness with "All Our Yesterdays," a deeply engaging and entertaining episode that's filled with high stakes, gripping intensity, a touching romance and stellar performances (especially from guest star Mariette Hartley). But the high points are undoubtedly the scenes between Spock & McCoy, for after years of simmering tensions between them, their relationship came to a dramatic boil -- and Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley played these scenes perfectly.

While wrapping up a routine mission around an unexplored planet, Captain Kirk encounters one of his greatest heroes, President Abraham Lincoln, who asks to come aboard the Enterprise. Kirk realizes there's no way that this can be the real Lincoln, but he cautiously takes him up on his offer to beam down with him to the planet's surface, where Mr. Spock comes face-to-face with one of his own heroes, Surak of Vulcan. They soon find out that this is all part of a plan by the citizens of Excalbia to stage the ultimate battle between good and evil, and the fate of the Enterprise hangs in the balance. For a variety of reasons, "The Savage Curtain" shouldn't work. Not only is it a rehash of better episodes, like "Arena" and "Spectre of the Gun" (not to mention "The Gamesters of Triskelion" and "Return to Tomorrow"), but the image of Lincoln floating through space towards the Enterprise starts the episode on a downright silly note. The fact that "The Savage Curtain" overcomes these flaws to emerge as a strong and entertaining episode is a testament to its strengths, the biggest of which is guest star Lee Bergere, who really sells it with his committed performance as Lincoln.

Guest: John Rocha (Host: The Cine-Files, Outlaw Nation, Geek Buddies)

With a deadly plague raging aboard the Enterprise, Kirk, Spock and McCoy beam down to an unexplored planet to obtain a rare material called Ryetalyn, which is the only known substance that can cure everyone aboard the ship. That's where they meet a mysterious man named Flynt who lives in a massive castle with his beautiful companion Rayna, with whom Captain Kirk immediately falls for. With less than four hours to go until the effects of the plague become irreversible, Kirk becomes so consumed by his affection for Rayna that he completely loses sight of the urgent mission at hand. As with many late-third season entries, "Requiem for Methuselah" is plagued itself with having a number of really good ideas that are poorly executed -- the biggest of which is how totally out of character Kirk behaves while everyone aboard the Enterprise is just hours away from dying. Unlike with past romances, Kirk's love for Rayna doesn't ring true for a moment, and without that, the whole episode falls apart.

When the Enterprise intercepts a stolen space cruiser, it beams aboard a group of rebellious space hippies that are searching for the mythical planet of Eden. What starts off as merely an annoyance to Captain Kirk turns downright dangerous when the hippies – led by the insane Dr. Sevrin – attempt to take over the Enterprise at all costs in an effort to fulfill their journey. Over the decades, “The Way to Eden” has become something of a veritable punching bag for “Star Trek” fans. And for many reasons (especially Spock’s jam session), it’s an easy one to punch. But credit must be given to “The Way to Eden” for taking a big swing and committing to its intentions, and it’s not nearly as bad as, say, “And the Children Shall Lead” or “The Alternative Factor.” Back in 1969, it was “real now,” and it still is – so don’t be a Herbert, and take it for the silly fun that it is.

The Enterprise is on a desperate mission to the planet Ardana to secure the consignment of a rare substance called Zenite, which is the only antidote to a botanical plaque that is threatening all life on the planet Merak II. But the promised delivery of the Zenite is delayed when Captain Kirk gets caught in the middle of a class struggle between the allegedly "inferior" cave-dwelling Troglyte miners and the so-called "superior" intellectual society that inhabits the cloud city of Stratos. With time running out, Captain Kirk takes matters into his own hands, which threatens to further the divide between the Troglytes and the Stratos city dwellers, which in effect will threaten to destroy all life on Merak II. "The Cloud Minders" may not represent "Star Trek" at its best, but at this point so late in the 3rd Season -- not to mention so close to the end of the series -- it comes close enough. It's an ambitious episode that features a strong message, notable production values and stellar performances, all of which make "The Cloud Minders" represent a return to form to the values and standards that made "Star Trek" so great in the first place.

Following our deep dive of "The Cloud Minders," we're honored to once again be joined for very special interview by writer David Gerrold! In addition to writing the story for "The Cloud Minders," he is perhaps best known in "Star Trek" history for writing its most popular episode, "The Trouble with Tribbles." Gerrold is also the recipient of the 2022 Robert A. Heinlein Award, honoring a lifetime of outstanding achievements in science fiction writing.

While en route to the Federation's galactic library stationed on Memory Alpha, the Enterprise encounters an unusual space anomaly that effects each of the crew members in different ways -- especially Lt. Mira Romaine, who passes out from the experience. That's of particular concern to Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott, who has become so smitten with her that he begins to neglect his responsibilities. Turns out these lights are the last remaining survivors of an ancient race, and they have chosen Lt. Romaine's body to live out the rest of their lives. At this point in its production, "Star Trek" was long past its peak, and with the series on its last legs after a noticeable drop in quality, one would be forgiven for grading these last few remaining episodes on a curve. To that extent, "The Lights of Zetar" represents something of a rebound after the one-two sucker-punch of "Whom Gods Destroy" and "The Mark of Gideon."  The pacing is relatively brisk, the visual effects still hold up after more than 5 decades, and James Doohan gives a commendable performance as love-struck Scotty. "The Lights of Zetar" may suffer from lapses in logic, but it's not all that bad and still qualifies as an entertaining-enough episode of "Star Trek."

Captain Kirk beams down to Gideon while on a diplomatic mission to allow the planet entry into the Federation, only to find himself back aboard a completely deserted version of the Enterprise, except for a beautiful woman named Odona who is wandering around the corridors. Back on the actual Enterprise, Mr. Spock is locked in a battle of wits with the leader of the Gideon council, who refuses to offer any assistance in the search for Captain Kirk. Turns out this is all a ruse for the Gideon council, which intends to use Kirk to infect the people of Gideon in an effort to reduce the planet's out of control population explosion. It was a bold and daring move for a TV series like "Star Trek" to take on the very real problem of overpopulation, but what's truly staggering is how completely dull the end result turns out to be, not to mention the totally preposterous notion that the Gideon people would be able to build an exact replica of the Enterprise that would be convincing enough to fool Captain Kirk. "The Mark of Gideon" takes a big swing, but it totally misses the "mark," and in a number of ways.

Following our deep dive discussion of "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield," we hope you will enjoy our special interview with Lou Antonio, who played "Lokai."

A 50,000-year chase through the galaxy comes to a head on the starship Enterprise, when Commissioner Bele of the planet Cheron finally catches up with his rebellious opponent, Lokai. That puts Captain Kirk in the middle of a heated battle between two warring factions, the outcome of which could lead to the destruction of the Enterprise by Kirk's own hand. Whenever "Star Trek" has been praised for exploring social issues, "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" is usually the first episode that's mentioned. Whether or not that makes it a great episode depends upon your appreciation for its heavy-handed approach, but a closer look actually reveals more subtleties and layers than it is often given credit for. It also features superb performances from guest stars Frank Gorshin (Bele) and Lou Antonio (Lokai), not to mention the standout scene where Kirk threatens to destroy the Enterprise. But without question, the most important aspect of "Battlefield" is its message about the absurdity of racism, which is just as timely and relevant now as it was in the late-1960s.

When the Enterprise is suddenly hurled 1,000 light years away from a planet it was exploring, Captain Kirk and his landing party are left stranded on its barren surface without food or water. Mr. Spock immediately sets the Enterprise back on course to its original position, but soon realizes that the starship is rigged to explode. In the meantime, Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy and Lt. Sulu must figure out a way to survive the elements while defending themselves against a mysterious woman whose touch means instant death. There's not much to say about "That Which Survives," except for how out of character Spock seems to be when it comes to his condescending treatment of the Bridge crew (the same can be said about Kirk's treatment of Sulu on the planet's surface). But regardless, "That Which Survives" overcomes these flaws to succeed as an entertaining-enough late-3rd Season episode, mostly thanks to the performance of guest star Lee Meriwether as the deadly planetary guard, Losira.

The Enterprise responds to a distress call from the planet Scalos, only to arrive and find that its inhabitants have died off with no survivors. But in fact, a few Scalosians have survived and are living at such a highly accelerated rate that they move “in the wink of an eye.” Their plan: to bring Captain Kirk up to their speed in an effort to help repopulate their species while leaving the Enterprise in a deep freeze until the rest of its crew can be called upon to do the same. “Wink of an Eye” may not make any sense on a scientific level, but if you shut off your mind and just go with it, it fits the bill as an entertaining- enough “Star Trek” episode, especially by late 3rd Season standards.

The Enterprise responds to a distress call from Platonius, a planet of telekinetically powerful people led by Parmen, who is dying from an infected leg. After being cured by Dr. McCoy, Parmen insists that the ship's surgeon stay behind on the planet permanently, which of course he refuses to do. That's when Parmen and his people -- who have fashioned themselves after the readings of Plato -- use their powers to force Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock into humiliating acts of torture, which will continue until Dr. McCoy succumbs to Parmen's wishes. For an episode that is generally (and justifiably) regarded as one of the worst of the series, "Plato's Stepchildren" certainly has its merits, the most significant of which is that it features what is often cited as the first high-profile interracial kiss on broadcast television. And then there are the scenes between Captain Kirk and kind-hearted Alexander, which speak to the ideals that represent what "Star Trek" is all about, and William Shatner and guest star Michael Dunn perform these scenes beautifully.

Guest: Dan Madsen (Former President: Official Star Trek Fan Club, Official Star Wars Fan Club)

Soon after Dr. McCoy is diagnosed with a rare disease that leaves him with one year to live, the Enterprise encounters Yonada, an asteroid that's on a collision course with an inhabited planet. But as Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock soon discover, Yonada is not an asteroid, but is in fact a spaceship designed to look like an asteroid -- the truth of which is being withheld from its own people. That's where McCoy meets Natira, the High Priestess of Yonada. They immediately become smitten with each other, leading him to make the decision to stay behind to live out the rest of his days with her. But if time is running out for McCoy, it is also running out for the people of Yonada. If Kirk and Spock cannot figure out a way to put the ship back on course, they will have to blow it out of the sky in order to save billions of people from annihilation. After 2 1/2 seasons on "Star Trek," DeForest Kelley finally gets to shine in a love story for Dr. McCoy, and he is terrific with guest star Katherine Woodville. But instead of making that a great episode, "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky" is merely a good episode and -- dare we say it? -- a "touching" one that reveals a little-seen side of our beloved ship's surgeon.

We are honored and excited to be joined for our deep dive of "The Tholian Web" by the co-writer of this excellent third season classic, Judy Burns.

While searching an area of uncharted space for the USS Defiant, the Enterprise finds its sister starship in a state of distress. In addition to not registering on the ship's sensors, Captain Kirk leads a landing party to board her, only to find that the entire crew is dead after apparently having killed each other. What could have caused this? Before they can find the answer, the Defiant starts to phase into another dimension, and Captain Kirk is trapped aboard her when she disappears for good. That leaves Mr. Spock in command, and he must decide how long to keep the Enterprise in harm's way until they can retrieve him. But time is running out: the captain's oxygen supply is dwindling, and Dr. McCoy must find an antidote to the ravages of the unstable space they're in before the entire crew falls prey to the same madness that infected the crew of the Defiant. As if the stakes weren't high enough, Mr. Spock must also contend with an alien race called the Tholians, who proceed to ensnare the invading Enterprise in an energy web that, when finished, will trap them there for good. The stakes are indeed high -- and they keep getting higher -- in "The Tholian Web," a landmark "Star Trek" classic that's brimming with gripping suspense, stellar performances and groundbreaking visual effects that still hold up to this day. Despite the unfortunate drama that went on behind the scenes, "The Tholian Web" ultimately prevailed as one of the finest episodes of the third season, if not the series as a whole.

On this special podcast episode of "Enterprise Incidents," we honor Nichelle Nichols by counting down her best moments as Uhura on "Star Trek."

During their attempt to rescue a research team from a soon-to-be-destroyed planet, Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy are abducted by an alien race called the Vians, who mercilessly use them as laboratory experiments for unknown purposes. Those purposes may have to do with the presence of a beautiful young mute woman they refer to as "Gem," who possesses the power to absorb pain from others. But before the true motive of the Vians can be revealed, Kirk, Spock and McCoy are faced with the threat of extreme torture, the likes of which they may not survive. If there was ever a love-it or hate-it episode of "Star Trek," it's "The Empath." Those who hate it are presumably turned off by the sadistic nature of the Vians, while those who love it are taken by the underlying themes of empathy and selflessness, not to mention the great display of compassion shown between our heroes. Count us among the latter, for despite all the pain and suffering, "The Empath" ultimately succeeds as a touching, powerful and uplifting episode that's marked by a beautiful score and magnificent performances from the entire cast.

After crossing paths with an alien vessel, a mysterious woman materializes on the Enterprise, only to knock the entire crew unconscious. When everyone comes to, they are horrified to discover the body of Mr. Spock clinging to life in Sickbay after having his brain removed with remarkable surgical precision. With very little to go on except a faint ion trail, Captain Kirk pursues the would-be culprit across the galaxy to an unexplored star system, where he must choose between three possible planets to find Spock's brain and have it restored in time to save his life. After mounting a trailblazing letter-writing campaign to save "Star Trek" from cancellation, fans were duly rewarded (or punished?) for their efforts when "Spock's Brain" was chosen to launch the third season on September 20, 1968. Since then, it has gained the notorious reputation as being the worst "Star Trek" episode of all time. But is it really that bad? Is it worse than, say, "And the Children Shall Lead" or "The Way to Eden?" The fact is, "Spock's Brain" starts off strong and features a stellar score composed by Fred Steiner. It isn't until the third act that it "jumps the shark," but one thing's for sure: "Spock's Brain" is never dull, so for that reason alone, maybe it's not so bad after all.

The Enterprise responds to a distress call from a Federation outpost on the planet Triacus, only to arrive and find that the entire research team is dead from apparent suicide. What could have caused this? Only the surviving children know for sure, but they're too wrapped up in playing "Ring Around the Rosie" to care about their dead parents. After beaming back to the Enterprise, Captain Kirk discovers that the children are acting as a conduit to spread an evil force across the galaxy, and that force has incapacitated the entire crew from doing anything stop it. And so it goes with "And the Children Shall Lead," which has been widely panned for decades as one of the worst episodes of the entire series. But after producing four strong episodes in a row, how could the third season have taken such a big nosedive, and so quickly? Turns out it was a perfect storm of having a first-time "Star Trek" writer and a first-time "Trek" director being overseen by a new producer who didn't really get what "Star Trek" was all about. And then there was the ill-advised casting of attorney Melvin Belli in the key role of the "friendly angel." Though other fine episodes would soon follow, "And the Children Shall Lead" deserve its notorious reputation as the nadir of "Star Trek," and it sadly marks the beginning of the end of a once-great series.