The Quinessential Trek Episode

[PointyHairedJedi]

Because there is only one Star Trek (yes, just sometimes I'm a terrible pedant), I'd have to say 'The Devil in the Dark'. It really does have everything - it's good science fiction (I just love those stories anyway that require a sudden and shocking shift in perspective); it's well played out and entertaining to watch; it encapsulates the essense of what the UFP is supposed to stand for, namely advancement through cooperation; and last but not least, it has redshirts going "GAK!" right left and centre.

As with this, all the very best episodes of all the series are ones that are apreciable in their own right as being good stories, and it seems to me that we're losing some of that to an overeliance on 'character development' to carry things through (I'm looking at you, George Lucas). A lot more episodes like 'Vox Sola' and a lot less like 'Judgement' and 'Precious Cargo' would have made the first two season of ENT a hell of a lot more watchable, but B&B got lazy and in the end it's the fans that paid the price.

As for what I'd tell someone new to the Trek franchise not to watch, I'd say season seven of Voyager. Some of the worst episodes of VOY were in that season, including the finale, which for me is one of the biggest "just what the feck were they thinking?" moments in television SF (along with Fox's decision to cancel Futurama).