Today is Star Trek’s 50th anniversary: Treat Yourself to These Episodes

LOS ANGELES – DECEMBER 15: Seen here from left, Mark Lenard as Romulan Commander and John Warburton as The Centurion (a Romulan) in the STAR TREK episode, ‘Balance of Terror.’ Original airdate, December 15, 1966, season 1, episode 14. Image is a screen grab. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)

1.) Balance of Terror (Original Series)

The Enterprise encounters a cloaked Romulan ship, attacking remote outposts past the Neutral Zone. This is the first time viewers saw Romulans who, in universe, were a mysterious alien force that had launched devastating attacks on Earth before retreating to their home space. The Romulans have returned to wreak havoc in Federation space and exact their revenge.

The episode wasn’t quite so simple, however. After a tense series of encounters, both Kirk and the unnamed Romulan commander grow to respect each other, despite their increasingly desperate attempts to escape and destroy each other. At one point, the crew finally gets a good look at the Romulans who, surprisingly, look a lot like Vulcans. Most everyone awkwardly pretends not to look at the Vulcan Mr. Spock, though crew member Stiles descends into outright racism.

At the end of the episode, facing his own destruction, the Romulan commander speaks directly to Captain Kirk: “You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could have called you friend.” He then triggers his ship’s self-destruct system, preventing Romulan technology from falling into Federation hands.

The part of the Romulan commander was played by Mark Lenard, who would go on to play Sarek, Spock’s father. Casting trivia aside, this is a thought-provoking episode that manages to confront racism and xenophobia while playing out the psychological tension of a submarine movie.

Next: The Corbomite Maneuver