10 Star Trek Episodes That Are Beyond Words

10. Pitch Perfect Uhura

No, we're not talking about that musical episode.

Children of the Comet sees Cadet Uhura weaving the musical magic we know she'll serenade the crew with in years to come. Trapped on a comet by a mysterious forcefield, Uhura's away team is running out of time to rescue the planet in its path. The problem is, they have no way to interact with the ancient technology that's holding them hostage.

Until Uhura starts to hum while decoding markings on the biggest Fabergé egg you've ever seen. It finally provokes a reaction, and as Uhura sings a little more, it's clear the machinery is responding to the music.

We've always used music as a form of communication. You learn it, read it, play it and repeat it. The way a composer orchestrates a phrase tells a story. The way instruments and dynamics are used stirs emotion. So to see it used as a form of language in this story is really quite beautiful.

As Spock and Uhura unite their voices in harmony, the ancient mechanism chirps and chimes a delicate melody of its own. When Uhura sings it back, the forcefield is finally lowered, and the away team is rescued. There's something oddly poetic about Uhura and the comet needing to be in tune to finally understand each other.

In a fitting coda, Uhura translates the music into coordinates and becomes convinced that the comet was trying to assure them it had no intention of hitting the planet. It quite literally was sending a song of peace.