8. The City On The Edge Of Forever (Star Trek, Season 1)
The plot of this classic episode deals with a hallucinogen-fueled McCoy traveling back in time to 1930s America where he inadvertently alters history. Kirk and Spock have to follow in an attempt to correct the damage and while in the past Kirk meets and falls in love with a woman named Edith Keeler. Much to Kirks horror, Spock discovers that it was McCoy saving the life of Edith that changed history, meaning that in order to restore events, Edith must die. At the critical moment, in maybe the hardest decision of his life, Kirk stops McCoy from saving Edith, restoring history, but at a tremendous cost for the captain. What makes this episode so remarkable are the emotions embedded in the choice Kirk has to make. The viewer was fully aware that true love was not something that seemed destined for the captain. For Kirk to find it so unexpectedly and then have it torn away from him is heartbreaking. It showed the audience that Star Trek was at its strongest when it was exploring what draws people together and the pain one feels when those ties are ripped apart. The shot of Kirks face, eyes closed, clutching McCoy to him, remains gut-wrenching to watch. Yet it served as the final step in elevating this episode into the realm of truly great science fiction.
I've been a huge sci-fi fan ever since going to see "Star Wars" at the tender age of 3 (and yes I actually do remember it! I love pretty much any intelligent and entertaining film and television series (some of my all time favorites are 2001, Lawrence of Arabia, Battlestar Galactica [SyFy], and The West Wing). Must thank the stars above for such things as HBOGO and Netflix (Am thoroughly enjoying Ripper Street btw). I've also been an avid comic book collector since childhood. I earned a bachelor's degree in creative writing with a second emphasis in film studies from Florida State University (Go Noles!) and definitely enjoy sitting back and watching pretty much any sports. I wish I had a joke to end with, but I don't so I'll simply say "The End."
The plot of this classic episode deals with a hallucinogen-fueled McCoy traveling back in time to 1930s America where he inadvertently alters history. Kirk and Spock have to follow in an attempt to correct the damage and while in the past Kirk meets and falls in love with a woman named Edith Keeler. Much to Kirks horror, Spock discovers that it was McCoy saving the life of Edith that changed history, meaning that in order to restore events, Edith must die. At the critical moment, in maybe the hardest decision of his life, Kirk stops McCoy from saving Edith, restoring history, but at a tremendous cost for the captain. What makes this episode so remarkable are the emotions embedded in the choice Kirk has to make. The viewer was fully aware that true love was not something that seemed destined for the captain. For Kirk to find it so unexpectedly and then have it torn away from him is heartbreaking. It showed the audience that Star Trek was at its strongest when it was exploring what draws people together and the pain one feels when those ties are ripped apart. The shot of Kirks face, eyes closed, clutching McCoy to him, remains gut-wrenching to watch. Yet it served as the final step in elevating this episode into the realm of truly great science fiction.