“Phantasms” (7×06)
This is a weird mishmash of an episode. The A-story is a horror story, complete with nightmarish visions, slasher sequences, and invisible vampires. The B-story,...
“Sarek” (3×23)
Usually when legacy characters make an appearance, it feels like being wrapped in a warm blanket that is well-loved and associated with fond memories. It...
“Firstborn” (7×21)
This is a much smaller story than “Sins of the Father” and the “Redemption” two-parter, but there was a lot I really liked about it....
“Redemption” (4×26) & “Redemption II” (5×01)
“Redemption” Despite the nearly twenty intervening episodes, this two-parter picks up more or less where “Renunion” left off. With Worf having killed Duras, Gowron’s claim...
“Reunion” (4×07)
“Sins of the Father” ended with the various Klingon characters making an uncharacteristically pragmatic choice to preserve the stability of the empire at a cost...
“Sins of The Father” (3×17)
This was a game changer, and a real showcase for Michael Dorn’s charisma and star power. It’s strong right from the first act, when Tony...
“Interface” (7×03)
This one has a number of compelling ideas, but they don’t come together into a satisfying and cohesive whole. The cold open in strong: We...
“The Bonding” (3×05)
It’s the nature of life in Starfleet, operating on the galactic frontier, constantly encountering the unknown, that fatalities are inevitable. In the Kirk era, when...
“Symbiosis” (1×22)
This episode was both a wacky, outrageous science fiction story and a very evocative artifact of the Reagan era of America’s War on Drugs. I...
“The First Duty” (5×19)
This episode is a departure in a number of ways. It’s entirely character-driven, our series regulars are relegated to supporting roles, and it has nothing...