Really Dumb Favorites

Written by Dan Carlson • @minutiaeman@tenforward.social

Published July 6, 2009

So I was randomly browsing the iTunes Store this evening, and I happened across a special collection: The Best of The Original Series. Curious, I took a look at what episodes they decided to include.

I’ll keep it simple: who the hell thinks “Patterns of Force” is a good episode?

I can easily forgive the inclusion of “Spock’s Brain”—after all, that is the epitome of TOS camp, and well worth including for the laugh factor. But how can a silly treatment of alien Nazis (the original ones, not the Alien Nazi Space Vampires) be considered one of the best episodes?

What happened to “Journey to Babel” or “A Private Little War”? Instead there’s “The Savage Curtain” and “Who the Hell is Mourns for Adonais?”

I know everyone has their own personal list of favorites. That’s not the point. The point is that some episodes are just undeniably bad, and have no business whatsoever on a “Best Of” list. “Spock’s Brain” gets a pass, but if you make too many exceptions, then there’s no point in having a “Best Of” list, right?