Five Times That Star Trek Poked Fun at Itself

Star Trek has always been a mixed bag of action, drama, suspense, and even comedy. With more than a half-century of live-action television, animation, and feature length motion pictures, there are always things that become in-jokes among the fans. Whether it is the doomed fate of unnamed crewman in the away team (usually wearing red shirts), the never-ending supply of shuttles on Voyager’s seven-year Delta Quadrant mission, or the yearly situation where Chief O’Brien found himself being tortured, there were always these trends that we as fans just loved to have fun with. Over the years, the producers and writers on Star Trek have not shied away poking fun at themselves. I thought it would be fun to look at how the writers gave us the proverbial nod and wink to the inside jokes that we have come to love. Oh, and a “Spoilers Warning” will be in effect for at least one of these, so be warned.

1. What Is It With Kirk, Anyways? Captain James T. Kirk never seemed to have much difficulty in wooing the ladies. The number of beautiful women that Kirk kissed is a lengthy one. Fast forward to Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, which was the final swan song for the original cast and crew. As Kirk and McCoy find themselves in yet another dire situation, this time on the Klingon penal colony Rura Penthe. Martia, a mysterious and attractive female prisoner, proposes that Kirk and McCoy help her escape. She seals the deal with the expected lip-lock with our Captain Kirk. McCoy, witnessing this union, rolled his eyes, the way that many of us were doing. Then, as if he was channeling what many of us had been thinking for twenty-five years, he asks “What is it with you, anyway?”. I was in a theatre for the premier of this in my city, and the place was full of Trekkies. The cheers for that line were awesome.

2. Episodic Feel. Star Trek Beyond opens with a fun scene in which Kirk botches up a treaty negotiation, and then proceeds to give his Captain’s Log. In the log, he describes the how for the past three years, the Enterprise’s mission has become to feel episodic. He also mentioned that the Enterprise was on day 966 of its mission. This log is full of inside jokes/homages to the original series. The day 966 is in reference to the month and year that Star Trek premiered (September 1966). The three-year point in their mission pays tribute to the three seasons that Star Trek ran for. As for the feeling of life becoming episodic, well, that shouldn’t have to be explained to even the most casual of fans.

3. Ship in a Bottle. “Ship in a Bottle” picks up the tale of the self-aware holographic character Professor James Moriarty. In Season 2 he was created as a competent challenger for Data, who was portraying Sherlock Holmes. In this episode, he manages to trick Picard, Data, and Lieutenant Barclay into believing that he was able to leave the holodeck. In actuality, he had created a holodeck program within a holodeck program. As the story plays out, the crew create a similar ruse to trick the holographic criminal mastermind. As they take the device that contains Moriarty living his created reality, Picard begins to wonder if perhaps they themselves are living in a reality where their adventures are running inside a device sitting on someone’s table somewhere. Barclay, in a moment of self-doubt, asks the possible computer to end program. Of course, this is all a subtle wink to the television viewing audience at home.

4. Someone Finally Says It. In “Star Trek: First Contact”, which premiered 30 years after Star Trek first hit the airwaves, Picard and his crew travel back in time and encounter legendary warp drive innovator Zephram Cochrane. Eventually, they make the decision to tell him his future place in history. As they explain their overall mission, Cochrane responds with “…and you are all astronauts, on some sort of star trek”. In three decades of film and television, nobody had ever said “star trek”. The closest we ever came was Q mentioning Picard’s “trek among the stars”. Now the father of warp drive gave us the title of our franchise in dialogue. Finally.

5. It’s a Private Matter. For years, fans had wondered why the Klingons had smooth foreheads in the Original series, and yet once the movies came out they suddenly had forehead ridges. This would lead to a distinct and iconic look for the Klingons, and a lot of fan questions at conventions. The standard answer that writers and producers gave us was that the advancements in makeup technology and increased budgets gave the Klingons a more alien look. While many of us accepted and understood that explanation, we always wondered how it could be addressed in canon. While Enterprise provided a great storyline explanation for the discrepancies, it was first addressed in the classic DS9 episode “Trials and Tribbleations”. As the DS9 characters are spliced into the 1967 episode “The Trouble with Tribbles”, Worf and some of the other characters find themselves in the bar surrounded by Klingons that definitely did not look like the Klingons of their era. When they questioned Worf about it, he replied that they were indeed Klingons, and that it was a long story. As Odo, Bashir, and O’Brien pushed for more information, Worf finally ended the discussion by stating that it was a private matter, and one not discussed with outsiders. For almost a decade, that was as close to an explanation as we fans were going to get. Oh, and we’re still waiting for a legit reason for the further change to Klingons in Discovery. Guess that is also something not spoken about with outsiders.

So, did I miss your favourite? Let me know in the comment section about the best times that Star Trek poked fun at itself.

Episode Review - The Tholian Web (Original Series, Season 3)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here.

Overview – The Enterprise discovers the missing USS Defiant in unknown space, its crew dead from apparent madness. As Kirk and the away team continue to search the ship, they discover that the ship is phasing out of time and space. With limited power, Scotty can only beam aboard all but one of the away team at once. Kirk chooses to stay behind, and after the others return to the Enterprise, the Defiant disappears. Spock, believing that he can still rescue the captain, chooses to remain. Symptoms of the madness that killed the crew of the Defiant begin to manifest in the Enterprise crew. While McCoy and Spock clash over command, a new threat in the form of the mysterious and dangerous Tholians arrives. As they begin to weave a deadly web around the Enterprise,Spock must make the decision to risk the ship for her captain or abandon his friend for the safety of all.

Score: 9/10 – This is a favourite among fans, and for good reason. In a third season that had a fair number of duds, this one shines brightly. We see a new and different alien threat in the Tholians, and the web weapon they employ is refreshing and original. There is mystery and suspense as we wonder if and how the crew can rescue Kirk. We get conflict not just from the Tholians, but between Spock and McCoy. The two to clash like they have never before, showing how much of a balance Kirk was to his two friends. Indeed, it is a touching final message in a recording Kirk made in the event of his death that brings the two together. We get to see all the main characters in this episode, which includes what is affectionately referred to as the token Chekov scream scene. The acting is good,and the special effects are good for the era (although check out the remastered version). I also enjoyed the ending where Spock and McCoy play a joke on Kirk. It ended the episode with just the right amount of levity, especially after the two had come into conflict during this episode. A very solid and entertaining episode.

Relevance – 2 points. One point is scored for these events being referenced by Kirk (in Janice Lester’s body) in “Turnabout Intruder” as he tries to convince Spock that he is truly Kirk. A second point, and a big one at that, for the Enterprise two-part adventure “In a Mirror Darkly”, which also acts as a prequel to “Mirror, Mirror”.

Continuity – 3 points. The character continuity is good here, as McCoy and Spock both come to words as Spock takes command in Kirk’s absence and possible demise. Spock uses logic, McCoy runs on emotion, and together find a way to make it work. Story continuity is maintained, as is universe continuity. Full points in this category.

Character Development – 3 points. This is definitely a Spock-McCoy episode. The two having to come to terms with Kirk’s death, and it leads to contention between the two reaching higher levels. I like how Kirk, via a recorded message, is able to bring balance to the two yet again. Spock has difficult choices to make, as this is possibly the first time that he believes he may actually have to replace his friend. McCoy, meanwhile, becomes very belligerent towards Spock, and seriously oversteps his bounds. He has to adjust to having the only person on the ship that was arguably equal in authority now be in command. It was easy at the beginning of this to berate Spock over his actions as he was accustomed to it, but as Spock continued to exercise his authority, McCoy had to learn to lay off a bit. It was a great learning experience for the two officers.

Social Commentary – 2 points. When someone important in your life is suddenly gone, it is often difficult to come together and move on. This is the big take home message from this episode for me. Spock does so with calmness and cool logic. McCoy has a more emotional reaction and needs to be brought down to Earth a bit. Still, as Kirk reminds his friends, it is imperative that we do our best to unite instead of pulling apart.

Cool Stuff – 2 points. A point is definitely scored for the Tholians. Their look, their ship, their web weapon, everything. I liked how the writers and producers gave the Tholians a distinct look. Yes, the Tholian was simply a mask, but it gave us a memorable visual. I also score a point for the effects used with the ship and Kirk phasing in and out.

Rank – Admiral (21 points). Hey, they call these episodes “classics” for good reason. Seriously, if this episode is not in your Top 10 of Original Series, then it better have just missed the cut.

If you would like to read other reviews from the Original Series, click on the link here.

If you would like to read an episode review from any of the Trek series, click the following link to get to the series catalog. If the episode you want reviewed has not been done yet, then feel free to request it in the comments and I will see what I can do.

Episode Review – The Immunity Syndrome (Original Series, Season 2)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here

Overview – As the Enterprise heads towards a shore leave destination, they are contacted by Starbase 6 with respect to the starship Intrepid, manned by an all-Vulcan crew. Soon after receiving the distress call, Spock experiences a telepathic communication with the Intrepid’s crew, indicating that they were all suddenly killed. As they approach the last known location of the Intrepid, Kirk and the crew begin to experience various symptoms if illness and fatigue. As they discover the source of their problems, a large, cell-like space creature that feeds on energy, Kirk must decide which of his two closest friends, Spock or McCoy, he must sacrifice to save the ship.

Score: 8/10 – While the pacing in this episode is often a bit slow, there is a great story to be told in this episode. While on the surface it looks like an adventure to save the galaxy from an entity that seems to feed off of all energy, it is actually a fairly well done study of the relationship between the original series trifecta of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. As the crew try to stave off this “destroyer of worlds” (the latest in a long string of such adversaries), we examine this friendship in much greater depth. Not only does Kirk play the balance to Spock’s cool logic and McCoy’s fiery emotions, he must choose between them to save the ship, likely at the cost of his friend’s life. It is a decision that Kirk does not enjoy, but in his typical fashion he makes the tough call. The science behind the solution to the problem may be a little farfetched (hey, it is called science fiction for a reason), but the dramatic buildup mostly works.

Relevance - 0 points. Sadly, there is nothing in this episode that connects it with other episodes in Star Trek. Having a recurring theme of threats to the galaxy notwithstanding, it would have been humorous to hear someone, such as McCoy, mention that the crew have been facing off against a lot of galaxy-level threats recently. If you miss this episode, it is no big deal (except for the fact that this is a great episode).

Continuity - 3 points. Everything checks out here. All-Vulcan crew starships should not be a big surprise (we see them in DS9 as well), and nothing contradicts any storylines. Most importantly is the Character continuity. With the focus being on Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, these three act exactly the way we expect and love them to. There has always been great chemistry between the three, and this is the showcase.

Character Development – 3 points. Again, showcasing the great on-screen chemistry between not only the three central characters but the three actors as well, this episode does a fine job in pushing all three along their development. Kirk has to deal with the choice of which of his closest friends he should send on what is most likely going to be a suicide mission. Both Spock and McCoy are willing to go to keep the other one safe. The genuine care that each has for the others is strongly shown in this episode. Yes, McCoy and Spock argue. A lot. For two individuals that are so fundamentally different, that is to be expected. Yet when push comes to shove, they are there for each other. There is no greater example of this than when they are attempting to rescue Spock, who suggests that they conserve their energy. McCoy shouts out “Shut up Spock, we’re rescuing you!” to which Spock replies with his ever cool quip “Why thank you…Captain McCoy”. Great writing helps flesh out the great friendship these characters had.

Social Commentary – 2 points. Making the tough call. Which friend do you sacrifice? For a guy that does not like the no-win scenario, Kirk has a doozy of one here. Still, he makes the best call that he can, and then does everything he can to cheat the system and emerge the winner. While we may not have decide between friends in life-or-death situations on a regular basis, we often have to make tough choices that we would rather not make at all. All we can do is make the best choice we can and hope it all works out for the best.

Cool Stuff – 1 point. One point scored for the space amoeba. Cool creature, both in the 60s and with the re-mastered edition. While realistically I doubt such a creature could exist, I did appreciate the imagination that was put into its development.

Rank – Captain (17 points). This is an enjoyable episode that highlights one of the Original Series best qualities, the dynamic of Kirk, Spock, and Bones. It is an adventure story that does a lot to build this dynamic. While missing it might not take away from the overall picture, it is a great story that you should not miss.

If you would like to read other reviews from the Original Series, click on the link here.

If you would like to read an episode review from any of the Trek series, click the following link to get to the series catalog. If the episode you want reviewed has not been done yet, then feel free to request it in the comments and I will see what I can do.

Episode Review - Friday's Child (Original Series, Season 2)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here

Overview – Kirk leads an away team to Capella IV, where Doctor McCoy had previous experience with the local population. Upon arrival, they encounter a Klingon that has begun his own negotiations with the Capellans for their mineral rights to topaline. Before long, Kirk and his team are drawn into a power struggle over the leadership of the Capellans. While McCoy tries to save the life of Eleen, the wife of the former teer, and that of her soon to be born child, Kirk and Spock must outwit the Klinogon and his Capellan allies long enough to survive.

Score: 7/10 – I have a hard time rating this episode. There are definitely some good moments with lots of action. The pace is a bit slow at times, however, and the Capellan outfits are just plain goofy looking. I find it hard to believe that a strict, warrior-class society would wear such bright colors and silly hats. It is interesting to see how McCoy stands up to Eleen, showing his deep understanding of Capellan culture. Indeed, the good Doctor gets a lot of attention as a diplomat and cultural expert in this episode. Speaking of Eleen, we get a great performance from a legendary actress, Julie Mewmar (likely best known for playing Catwoman in the old Batman series). I also quite enjoyed how Scotty commands the Enterprise, using wisdom and courage to support his captain.

Relevance - 1 point. Scoring a point for the first time that Chekov claims that something was invented in Russia. This time it was the “Fool me once…” saying that Scotty used, but it will happen several times after.

Continuity - 2 points. While character and story continuity all check out, I have to make a deduction for the universe continuity. In the footage that McCoy shows the staff in the briefing room, McCoy is seen in a blue tunic identical to the one he wears in this episode (although with a lower ranking insignia than he currently has). While the attention to the lower rank is nice, this previous visit to the Capellans happened before this style of uniform was used. McCoy should have been wearing a uniform that looked like what was worn to the pilot “Where No Man Has Gone Before”.

Character Development – 2 points. Definitely a McCoy episode here. He shows that he is much more than a phenomenal country doctor, but that he is a knowledgeable diplomat. He demonstrates his knowledge of Capellan culture (and his determination to help his patients) when he slaps Eleen as she tries to refuse his help. While this may have been seen as wrong, especially in today’s culture, it was definitely the Capellan way. Finally, we see his lighter side as he coddles and cuddles the newborn baby (giving us the “cootchie coo” line that confuses Spock). Also giving some credit in this category for Scotty, showing him to be an effective starship commander. When a distress call turns out to be a fake, he uses his wisdom to ignore another (likely) faked distress call to keep the Enterprise ready to assist the captain when needed. It was nice to see Scotty as such a good leader in this episode.

Social Commentary – 0 points. Some of these episodes are hard to find anything of particular relevance to society. They can just be a good action episode without saying too much about the world in which we live in. While some may find something to apply to their lives in this episode, I must admit that I can’t even find something that is a stretch. Oh well.

Cool Stuff – 2 points. One point scored for the “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me” line used by Scotty. It was a great line delivered perfectly by James Doohan. One point is also scored for the impressive looking Capellan weapon called a “kleegat”. It looks to be an impressive weapon that, among other victims, claimed yet another red shirt on the away mission.

Rank – Lieutenant (14 points). So this episode may not be a “must see”, but it does have some good moments. I would say if you love McCoy, watch this one. Otherwise, it is likely worth at least a single viewing.

If you would like to read other reviews from the Original Series, click on the link here.

If you would like to read an episode review from any of the Trek series, click the following link to get to the series catalog. If the episode you want reviewed has not been done yet, then feel free to request it in the comments and I will see what I can do.

Episode Review - Encounter at Farpoint (Next Generation, Season 1, Pilot)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here

Episode Overview – Captain Jean-Luc Picard takes command of the Federation flagship, the USS Enterprise and goes to Farpoint Station to pick up his first officer, William T. Riker, and the rest of his crew as they are about to embark on their exploration mission. Before arriving, the Enterprise encounters the mysterious omnipotent entity known as Q, who puts Picard and his crew on trial for the crimes of humanity.

Episode Score – 8/10. As far as history goes, this was the first Trek episode in almost twenty years. It was great, but because of that there are some weak points to it. Most of the weaknesses in this episode has to do with the notion of everything about the show (the acting, the pacing, they story) as trying to find itself. We can overlook much of that as we were just happy to see new Trek again.

The new crew

Relevance – 3 points. Hey, it’s the pilot episode! Of course it will be relevant. It introduces all major characters, including Q, who will be popping in and out on the Enterprise for the next seven years. We see the first appearance of Colm Meaney as Miles O’Brien. We have the first mention of the Ferengi as a potential enemy. If nothing else, a relevance point would be scored for the pilot and the series finale being the perfect bookends to the entire series.

Continuity – 3 points. Universe, character, and story continuity is all maintained in this episode. Another advantage for being the pilot is that a lot of what is shown is establishing the continuity.

Our introduction to the Chief

Character Development – 3 points. This is a gimme for almost any pilot episode as it introduces us to the new characters, most with a clean slate to work on. We see the diplomatic explorer Jean-Luc Picard who exudes confidence from the opening line. Riker is the up and coming first officer with a stellar record also has a past with the empathic ship’s counsellor, Deanna Troi. Troi shows she is not only in tune with her own emotions but with the emotions of everyone around her. We are introduced to Data, the android who would be human, Beverly Crusher, the devoted chief medical officer, and her genius son Wesley. Geordi gets a minimal treatment as we see more of the abilities of his Visor than much of a glimpse into who he is. Worf is almost an afterthought, but his character will get a fair bit of development in the upcoming seasons, but even in a two hour pilot there is only so much room for the nine main characters.

Defiance

Social Commentary – 3 points. A new twist on the classic judging-a-book-by-its-cover motif with the secret of Farpoint Station. There is also the idea of being put on trial for the crimes of people who you share a bond with (in this case, the entire human race).

Mystery solved

Cool Factor – 3 points. OK, so there is so much coolness shown in this episode. We have coolness in the technology with the holodeck and the first saucer separation of the Enterprise. We have cool character moments as Q is established as a great nemesis to the crew. Cool factor for having the first physically disabled bridge officer with the blind helmsman, Geordi LaForge. The true nature of the Farpoint station was cool. For me, the coolest part of the entire episode occurs at the halfway point as DeForest Kelley makes his final television appearance as “the Admiral” Leonard McCoy. What a perfect scene, and it serves as an essential bridge between the two generations of the crew. It established a great tradition of having a character from a previous incarnation appear in the pilot of the new series.

Two generations brought together.

Rank – Admiral (23 points). There is no denying that if you are going to watch TNG, you are going to have to watch the pilot. Good news is that it is a strong episode that introduces us to some of the greatest characters in the television history. 

Episode Review - Miri (Original Series, Season 1)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here

Miri

Episode Overview – Amazed to discover a planet that is identical to Earth, Kirk beams down with an away team. Shortly after they are attacked by a deranged man who shortly after dies. They soon meet Miri, a young girl on the verge of puberty, and learn that all the adults, or “grups” as they are called, have died, and that only children remain. It does not take long for Kirk and the away team to learn that they have contracted the virus that has wiped out the adults in the population, and it is soon a race against time for not only Kirk and his away team, but for the children, starting with Miri.

Kirk, Rand, McCoy, and Miri

Episode Score – 7/10. Not a bad episode. The children are a little “Lord of the Flies” on the creepy factor, but it is a nice story. My biggest criticism is that there is no apparent purpose for the planet to be virtually identical to Earth. No reason or connection is given as to how this planet on the other side of the galaxy is so similar to Earth. It is almost as if the budget didn’t allow them to create anything that would be foreign to our world.

The "grup" 

Relevance – 1 point. The blooming relationship between Kirk and Rand is touched on here. Other than that, nothing of note.

Arriving on the new planet

Continuity – 2 points. I give a point for story and universe continuity here, but I have to deduct a point for character continuity. Try as I might, I just do not buy into the flirtatious nature Kirk had with Miri. While he never crossed any lines, per se, it just seemed odd. Kirk was no stranger to flirting with the ladies he encountered, but this was out of place with him.

Jahn and Miri

Character Development – 1 point.  A point for Kirk and Janice Rand. Not much development here, other than Janice expressing that she had always tried to get the Captain’s attention. I thought about how McCoy had taken the vaccine without any verification in an act of desperation, but I am not sure if this further developed his character or was a result of a desperate situation combined with the symptoms of the virus affecting his state of mind.

McCoy knows how to take one for the team.

Social Commentary – 2 points. The reason the children are in the position that they are in is because their parents were trying to cheat death by slowing down the aging process. While the children had their aging slowed (about one month of aging occurring in 100 years), the adults became the dreaded “grups”, covered in bluish scabs and descending into violent insanity before succumbing to the effects of the virus. A classic tale of the unintended effects of the futile search for the Fountain of Youth. Star Trek will deal with that theme several times again. There is also a connection to the inevitability of growing up. In the case of Miri, it is a literal death of innocence that she and her fellow “Onlies” faced. 

You now are the ones with blood on your hands

Cool Factor – 1 point. Many of the children in this episode were children of some of the actors as well as Gene Roddenberry. They were Gene’s daughters (Darleen and Dawn), Grace Lee Whitney’s sons (Jon and Scott Dweck), and William Shatner’s daughters (Leslie and Lisabeth). The scene where Kirk enters carrying a little girl (Lisabeth) is just that much cooler knowing that it was father and daughter.

William Shatner and his daughter

Rank – Lieutenant (14 points). This is a fair episode. I really dislike the fact that the whole idea presented at the beginning where the planet is almost an exact duplicate of Earth is never touched on again. Despite that, I liked the story. Sadly, the actress who played Yeoman Rand would be fired shortly after the filming of this episode was completed. She would return for a walk-on scene in the next episode, but this was the end of the line for the character until the movies started.