The 50 Greatest Star Trek moments of all time
David Brown selects his personal highlights from a half century of the sci-fi franchise
30. Voyager returns home - Endgame
The soap opera elements of Voyager's seven-year quest to make it to the Alpha Quadrant come to the fore in the series finale as B'Elanna gives birth, Barclay is on hand to welcome the ship back and Alice Krige reprises the role of the Borg Queen. "Set a course...for home," says a triumphant Janeway, echoing the words she used at the start of the crew's journey. (PS: for those that want more, try the continuation novels by Christie Golden and Kirsten Beyer.)
29. The Enterprise is destroyed – Star Trek III: the Search for Spock
These days, it seems we can’t move for big-screen adventures in which the Enterprise blows up. But back in 1984, it really did seem like the unthinkable had happened when Kirk hit self-destruct in order to “turn death into a fighting chance to live”. As the hull splinters, shatters and disintegrates, it feels like a massive turning point in the lives of the original series crew. (Little did they know that Starfleet would seemingly hurry the Enterprise-A into production straight away.)
28. Tasha Yar is killed - Skin of Evil
In a universe where nameless red shirts are routinely bumped off by merciless enemies, it comes as a real shock when security officer Tasha Yar is killed by the tar-like Armus mid-way through TNG's first season. Usually, all of Trek's senior officers make it through each adventure in each piece (save for Spock in Wrath of Khan, of course). But actress Denise Crosby's disillusionment with the series ("I was miserable. I couldn't wait to get off that show. I was dying") gave show bosses the chance to make an impact with Tasha's murder.
27. Sisko erases his personal log - In the Pale Moonlight
Sisko give up his principles as he sets in motion a plan to draw the Romulans into the Dominion War and have them fight on the Federation's side. In a coda that would have been unthinkable in Gene Roddenberry's day, Sisko admits, "I lied. I cheated. I bribed men to cover the crimes of other men. I am an accessory to murder. But the most damning thing of all...I think I can live with it." And then he wipes his log! It's almost the exact opposite of how you'd predict a Star Trek episode would end, but is perfect for a show as morally complex as DS9.
26. Marritza dies - Duet
Yes, it's about as heavy and bleak as Trek gets. But for a pitch-perfect allegory on genocide and the Holocaust, you won't find much better than this season one DS9er. Universal themes of desperation and forgiveness are explored in a sci-fi setting - it's basically what the genre was invented for. And in the space of 45 minutes, you will definitely end up viewing the show's villains (the Cardassians) and its heroes (the Bajorans) in a completely new light.
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