10 Stand-Alone Star Trek Episodes More Important Than You Realise

10. Mudd's Women

Mudd's Women is the sixth episode of the Original Series, though had in fact been considered as the pilot while Roddenberry was putting the series pitch together. It introduces the character of Harcourt Fenton Mudd, who would return again in both the Original and Animated Series, with Rainn Wilson taking over the character from Roger C. Carmel for Star Trek: Discovery and Short Treks.

The episode revolves around intergalactic pimp and criminal Mudd, rescued from his failing ship by the Enterprise. Three women - Eve, Magda, and Ruth - accompany him. It transpires they are to be sold to miners on Rigel XII as wives.

The episode is best remembered for the introduction of Mudd, though behind the scenes it was one of the more innovative episodes of the first season. The planetary backgrounds were updated and altered from their appearances in The Cage and Where No Man Has Gone Before so that audiences wouldn't simply expect the same backdrop every week.

It was also a crucial episode when it came to lighting and colouring. The show was broadcast on NBC in colour, so the production crew put more time and effort into showing off the various hues they could. The end result was a show about the performance that is inherent with beauty - both in the script, and the production.

The plot may have aged quite badly, though to be fair it was questioned at the time as well. However, it must be said that Mudd's Women became one of the most important early episodes of Star Trek overall.