10 Most Unique Star Trek Episodes

Assignment: Earth serves as the season finale for The Original Series' second year, while also trying to serve as a backdoor pilot for a new spin-off series that Gene Roddenberry was thinking of. Robert Lansing's Gary Seven may never again have appeared on our screens, despite the certainty of Kirk and Spock, but the episode is a fun romp all the same.

That is to say, it was fun from this side of the viewing experience. Actor Teri Garr had such an unpleasant time, thanks primarily to Roddenberry's hyper-focus on the length of her skirt, that she swore off ever returning to Star Trek, and generally doesn't enjoy discussing it at conventions.

Though this has somewhat tainted the episode's legacy, the guardians saw a return in Star Trek: Picard's second season. Talinn, an agent stationed on Earth, listened to Picard talk to her about Gary Seven's adventure, confirming that he was, in fact, part of her organisation. That may be the most that Trek will see of Seven, and of course the iconic Isis, but for a stand-alone show that effectively had very little to do with the Federation, Assignment: Earth rises above its environment.