22. The Menagerie
In retrospect, the first Star Trek pilot The Cage wasnt terrible; it was just a controversy waiting to happen during its time. A woman was in a command position and a creepy and nearly satanic looking alien later called a Vulcan was science officer. As tensions eased at NBC a couple of years later, in 1966, Star Trek premiered as it is known now. This classic two parter (the only one in the original series) integrated scenes from the original 1964 pilot to add to the story of Spocks court martial for hijacking the Enterprise to return Captain Pike (played in flashbacks by "The Searchers" star Jeffrey Hunter), now crippled from a plasma explosion, to a forbidden planet where illusion becomes reality and he may live out his days unhindered by his physical disabilities. The majority of "The Cage" is shown on the Enterprise viewscreen during the court proceedings to present Spock's case, and ultimately Spock is found not guilty and Pike is permitted to live out his days on the forbidden planet.
21. Where No Man Has Gone Before
In the second pilot episode of Star Trek for which I honestly hope the new movie Star Trek Into Darkness serves as a reboot (Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch would frankly be perfect as both Khan Noonien Singh and Gary Mitchell), the Captains best friend from the Academy, Gary Mitchell, is invaded by a demigod like being from within the Great Barrier at the edge of our galaxy. Mitchell begins to exhibit great powers of extra sensory perception (ESP) that eventually occupy that of Dr. Elizabeth Dehner as well. After a rather cheesy science fiction fight on a planet surface, Dehner is killed by Mitchell and Mitchell is ultimately defeated by James R. Kirk. Got to love pilot errors, huh?