This new Star Trek collection features the original run of the series. During it’s inaugural run, a the Enterprise is led by the charismatic Captain Kirk and his first mate Spuck, alongside classic Sci-Fi characters like Bones McCoy, Scottie, and others. This collection offers a glimpse at the series through four episodes, the heavy-handed The City on the Edge of Forever and Balance of Terror, and the more comedic The Trouble with Tribbles, as well as the confusing Amok Time, which features Spock returning to Vulcan to mate only to find himself in a cruelly set up dual with his best friend and captain, James T. Kirk.
As much as die hard fans will scoff at this, the main attraction here is the Trouble With Tribbles episode. Geared towards new fans, this is one of the few episodes of the original series that is light-hearted, fun, and requires very little (if any) prior knowledge of the series. Who wouldn’t love the rapidly breeding, pink, fluffy, Tribbles anyway?! The City on the Edge of Forever is also noteworthy as the crew are transported back to the 1930’s and end up looking like mobsters. The immortal Joan Collins also appears in the episode. The other two episodes are fine, with Amok Time being a fan favorite but requiring a great deal of knowledge about the characters to truly understand.
Die hard fans certainly already have these, so they are obviously not meant for Trekkies or Trekkers. If you enjoyed this series and love watching it reruns but would never buy it, then this is a very affordable collection that you can pop in anytime. New fans may want to check this out as well because this is where it all begins. And as we all know, the foundation is the most important part of any building.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
