29. The City on the Edge of ForeverWHY WE LIKE IT: Though Harlan Ellison claims his story was butchered to better fit the show, it still manages to be the best Star Trek was to produce during its original run. Great dialogue, a great time travel story, and a truly moving, tragic ending.
WHY WE DON'T: People laughing at the fans because there's a giant donut in the "best episode".
REVIEW: Where to begin? After the wretchedness of The Alternative Factor, we get the best the series has to offer. The time travel jeopardy makes more sense than most, with history being erased and our heroes going back in time to fix things. At first, there's amusement to be had with the fish out-of-water elements, but once it is revealed that Edith Keeler may have to die, the episode moves with the inexorable pace of a tragedy. Her every scene after that, even if joyous, is tinged by her coming death.
She's a little naive in her proposals for the future, but her uncanny intuition makes her immediately endearing, and we can see why Kirk would fall in love with her. She does a particularly good job of grasping Kirk and Spock's relationship. I particularly love her finishing Spock's line: "'Captain.' Even when he doesn't say it, he does." And that's only one of many great lines throughout the episode. There are too many to name, but some that come to mind include the whole "stone knives and bear skins" speech, McCoy's speech about sewing people up like garments, "Captain's log, no stardate", and "I don't believe in you either".
The centerpiece of the story is of course the final tragedy. The street is way too wide, creating a strange stageing for the accident, but the moment is undeniably powerful ("He knows, Doctor. He knows.") as is the return to the Guardian's planet. The crew immediately sees that something is terribly wrong, and despite the Guardian's invitation, Kirk's last lines are heart-breaking. We're right there with him on that one. Great words, great acting (McCoy's dementia should not go without mention either), and action coming from the characters, not because the plot demands it. The creators even chipped in for a new planet effect, probably knowing they had something special here.
LESSON: It takes a lot of effort to destroy Harlan Ellison's work.
REWATCHABILITY - High: I could literally watch this one two times in a row, and it would still bring a tear to my eye each time. The best episode of the entire original series, and quite possibly, in all of Star Trek.
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