Star Trek: 10 MORE Greatest Time Travel Episodes

8. Yesteryear

High in TrekCulture's own Temporal Observatory, we've found an anomaly in our timeline. In December 2022, we placed Yesteryear at number 9 on our list of the '10 WORST Star Trek Time Travel Episodes'. Nearly four years is time enough for a correction.

Yesteryear thoroughly deserves the move to 'Greatest…,' and that not least for the writing of the incomparable D.C. Fontana. The Original Series, later Next Gen, alum effortlessly deploys a deceptively simple time travel device in service of a great story. The return of the Guardian of Forever is paired with an intriguing, if now slightly muddled, look at a group of Federation historians. Like in TOS, time travel was still more everyday.

Sure, 'Elder Spock's' lack of recollection and sudden recalls are a little convenient. The point, however, is to learn about the half-Vulcan's past as he learns more about it himself. Notably, we get to meet Spock's famous pet Sehlat (pronunciation may vary) in more tragic circumstances than the first time round. Those scenes never fail to inspire emotion, for I-Chaya really was a good boy.