The 10 Best Episodes Of Star Trek: The Original Series

Journey To Babel

Star Trek takes a leaf out of Agatha Christie with this murder mystery in space. In “Journey to Babel,” the Enterprise is hosting a band of various diplomats for an important summit meeting when one of the ambassadors is killed. And it looks like Vulcan ambassador Sarek is to blame. That’s bad news for Spock, as Sarek’s his father.

As enjoyable as the mystery narrative is, however, what makes this a real standout episode is how it’s another great one for expanding Spock’s character. It’s illuminating to meet Spock’s parents – his human mother and Vulcan father – as it helps us think of the Enterprise crew as living, breathing people with a past and a life beyond the confines of Starfleet.

“Journey”‘s introduction of Sarek to the Star Trek mythos would prove to an important one, too, as Spock’s pa would return many times, with Mark Lenard playing him again in the movies, Ben Cross in the Kelvin timeline reboot and James Frain in Star Trek: Discovery.