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"Balance of Terror" (Dec. 15, 1966) Old TV Guide synopsis: 'Kirk must make a decision that could trigger a galactic war. An alien flagship is testing the earth's defenses, and Kirk's only alternative is a counterattack.' To produce what many consider the best STAR TREK episode of all so early on must be considered no mean feat, an attempt to depict an actual battle between enemy starships in deep space by adapting the 1957 submarine war picture "The Enemy Below." For the villains, screenwriter Paul Schneider (who also wrote "The Squire of Gothos") introduced the Romulans, similar to the later Klingons (though used more sparingly) in their hostility and devotion to duty, their ship a 'Bird of Prey' that cannot be seen due to a mysterious cloaking device; only when they fire their weapons do they appear visible. Spock details the previous conflict that resulted in a peace treaty and seven outposts guarding the Neutral Zone from the Federation side. Several of these outposts have been pulverized by an 'enveloping energy plasma' of tremendous power, but Kirk has to weigh all options before deciding to attack. Mark Lenard makes for a splendid Romulan Commander, weary of battle and eager to return home, whose revealing pointed ears have Enterprise helmsman Stiles (Paul Comi) wondering if there are Romulan spies aboard. The game of cat and mouse plays out in a magnificent 50 minutes of suspense filled television, each commander outguessing his opponent's next move until the finale, where the enemy respectfully acknowledges his fellow tactician before blowing up his ship (Lenard would be back next season to play Spock's father in "Journey to Babel").

"Charlie X" (Sept. 15, 1966) Old TV Guide synopsis: 'Spock is suspicious of a space orphan who claims he was the only survivor of a spaceship crash - and managed on his own for 14 years.' Robert Walker (named for his lookalike father) easily passes for a 17 year old adolescent despite being 25 at the time, the awkwardness of Charlie Evans ringing true in this initial script by D. C. Fontana. With Kirk resigned to the role of reluctant father figure, and Yeoman Janice Rand the object of Charlie's desire, it's a gradual buildup to just how dangerous a child with limitless power can be, yet at no time does the viewer ever feel that the boy is evil. Empathy, coupled with the terrible consequences of Charlie's actions, makes this one of the strongest early entries, and a rare showcase for Nichelle Nichols to display her singing to the playing of Spock's harp (much better than the scripted idea of her performing as a mime).

"The Naked Time" (Sept. 29, 1966) Old TV Guide synopsis: 'McCoy searches for an antidote to a strange disease that seems to be driving the crew members insane.' D. C. Fontana's favorite character was Spock, and this John D. F. Black episode was the first to delineate his mostly submerged human side, due to a disease that spreads like alcohol through perspiration, lowering the inhibitions of all those infected. The science officer has no answers as to why a team of scientists on the planet Psi 2000 died under curious circumstances, as if they simply didn't care about being frozen alive. Stewart Moss as Lt. Joe Tormolen is the unlucky carrier, foolishly removing his insulated glove to scratch an itch, gradually losing the will to live while passing the affliction on to Sulu and Lt. Kevin Riley (Bruce Hyde, one return appearance in the same role for "The Conscience of the King"). Sulu's love for the rapier finds him joyously playing swordsman on the bridge (this was George Takei's favorite episode), as Riley locks himself away in engineering to sing Irish folk songs. Majel Barrett debuts as Christine Chapel, the blonde nurse admitting her love for the unresponsive Spock, who uncharacteristically apologizes before finding a secure place to lament having to hide his feelings for his human mother (this amazing scene saw director Marc Daniels whirling his camera around Leonard Nimoy for a single, prolonged take that had the crew bursting out in applause). The climactic resolution involves going back in time for all of three days, and what would have been the second half of this two part storyline later evolved into "Tomorrow is Yesterday," time travel featuring most famously in the 1986 feature film "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home."