By Any Other Name (Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS), S2 E22) was recommended by Toledo (toe-LEE-dough), he/him, who said: I first encountered this episode, as I did many TOS episodes, in elementary school while I read collections of James Blish's novelizations from the 70s. Even in text, there were elements I found to be genuinely horrifying: super-powerful aliens that apparently are normally giant, tentacled Lovecraftian creatures; they're coming to conquer the galaxy; machines give them the power to immobilize people and to transform them into helpless, easily- and callously-destroyed polyhedra.

It give us a rare example of intergalactic travel in Star Trek: the Kelvans are from Andromeda, arrived in a generation ship, and wish to return.

It offers a very clever narrative use of aliens looking exactly human: it's a necessary shapeshifting adaptation for the Kelvans to use the Enterprise, but it's also the key to their demise.

I think this episode offers some early vocal callbacks to previous episodes, demonstrating how TOS sometimes handled continuity -- and foreshadowing later Trek. Examples include callouts to "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (galactic barrier) and "A Taste of Armageddon" _Vulcan mind tricks).

Tons of genuine silliness: the Kelvans' reactions to humans, Scotty's iconic "it is green."

By Any Other Name first aired on February 9, 1968, written by story by Jerome Bixby, teleplay by D. C. Fontana and Jerome Bixby, and directed by Marc Daniels

Telepathic aliens take control of Kirk and Spock's bodies with the intention to build new, mechanized bodies for themselves. After receiving a distress signal from a planet deep in the galaxy and far from the last charted area, the Enterprise is contacted by a life form of pure energy that wishes Kirk, Spock, Dr. Mulhall and Bones to beam down. They meet Sargon, a conscious mind trapped in a machine. Sargon explains that their civilization travelled space just like Kirk centuries ago and left people in various star systems to colonize. But this planet suffered a war where all but a few people destroyed themselves. Sargon, his wife and another remain alive like this and wish to take control of Kirk, Spock and Dr. Mulhall's bodies to make android bodies for themselves. The Enterprise accepts their offer after deliberation and Sargon begins work. To allow the body to sustain this transformation, Henock, the third alien, makes a potion to help but has other plans. Sargon devizes a plan to destroy him, apologizes to the Enterprise and accepts their fate thereby ceasing to exist.[2]

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"Nyota’s Wish" by Daxs10thHost, can be found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/49312207

"“Okay,” Mariner says, slamming her glass down so hard its contents slosh onto the bar. “I think we should have a slumber party. Like now.”"

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The Wounded (Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG), S4 E12) was recommended by Crimson (he/him), who said:

This is another watershed episode: We get Cardassians for the first time! Furthermore, we have Marc Alaimo playing a Cardassian, though not the one we're used to (he still chews it up nicely here...though those mutton chops, woof). It's also a great episode for giving Colm Meany a chance to stretch his legs, especially as he and Rosalind Chao carry the B plot. I love that this episode digs into war trauma and the prejudices it can breed that you don't even notice, as well as the difficulty when you move on from something and someone you respect doesn't. Plus we get some quite nice singing -- Minstrel Boy is one of my favorite tunes, though I first recall hearing it from Black Hawk Down. (And as an aside, Minstrel Boy is a prime example of how the Irish and Klingons might find a lot in common. Who else has an upbeat song about dying gloriously in righteous battle?)

The Wounded first aired on January 28, 1991, written by story by Stuart Charno & Sara Charno & Cy Chermak, teleplay by Jeri Taylor, and directed by Chip Chalmers

A rogue Starfleet Captain (Bob Gunton) jeopardizes the Cardassian peace treaty.

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"Distant Origin - Painful Truth" by GrayRainbow173, can be found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/40365432

"The Captain and her First Officer are being debriefed about their encounter with the Voth.

Takes place several years after the episode "Distant Origin" (S03E23)."

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That Hope Is You, Part 1 (Star Trek: Discovery, S3 E1) was recommended by Lauren Alexis Rivers She/Her, who said:

The first episode when Discovery arrives in the future, it introduces one of Discovery's most complex characters, Cleveland Booker, aka Book. A courier, he is our guide to one of the furthest points in the future we have ever seen. The episode largely features Burnham alone in a strange land, much like the Alice in Wonderland she had once quoted. It introduces the new world and a galaxy very different from the one we know.

I always liked this episode because rebooting a series, soft or otherwise, is very hard to do. Most shows never manage to successfully transition their characters to a new setting. But Discovery not only does it well, but they also create a unique story in star trek where for the first time we see a broken Federation and a hurting universe, and these hopeful kids are going to do what they can to make the galaxy better.

That Hope Is You, Part 1 first aired on October 15, 2020, written by Michelle Paradise & Jenny Lumet & Alex Kurtzman, and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi

Arriving 930 years in the future, Burnham navigates a galaxy she no longer recognizes while searching for the rest of the U.S.S. Discovery crew.

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"The missing 5 hours" by Miss_Inquisitive_Sci_fi, can be found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/40112271

"A missing scene where the crew catchup for dinner at the Captain's and discuss strange anomalies after the missing 5 hours."

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Critical Care (Star Trek: Voyager, S7 E5) was recommended by Marky See He/Him, who said: Hi Folks,

I am loving the show. Growing up, my Dad and I weren't very close, he was much more inclined to sports where I am cut from a much nerdier cloth. We do however share a love of Sci Fi and I remember vividly sitting down together to watch Voyager when it came out.

Inspired by the Joy of Trek, I set out to rewatch Voyager as I haven't watched an episode since the early 00s.

As a teen, I loved Voyager for the danger, action and adventure, but on the rewatch I have really enjoyed the study of humanity portrayed by characters like Seven and The Doctor.

I love this episode as it adds to the numerous other discussions and the theme of whether or not The Doctor is a sentient being or just a piece of very smart technology. Building on his morals being overwritten in Equinox so he could experiment on Seven, his memory being erased in latent image so he could keep functioning and now in climax Critical Care, choosing a path of action that could actually cause harm to a patient in a tiered system of health care that sadly is not unfamiliar to us 23 years after it was aired.

Critical Care first aired on November 1, 2000, written by story by Kenneth Biller and Robert Doherty, teleplay by James Kahn, and directed by Terry Windell

The Doctor's program is stolen and he is forced to work in an alien hospital, where he skillfully manipulates the system to provide ethical medical care.

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"When on Risa..." by SeemaG, can be found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/19760191

"Worf and Dax discover one of the hidden delights of Risa."

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