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Star Trek TOS Episode Titles

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  • sprytel
    Talkative Member
    • Jun 26, 2009
    • 6539

    Star Trek TOS Episode Titles

    Has anyone ever seen an explanation of the naming process for Star Trek TOS episodes? I get that some are literally quotes/allusions... but many have a tangential (at best) relationship to the actual plot of the story. Were they aiming to be intentionally obtuse, or was it the result of editing changing the episode? "The Omega Glory" is the title that got me thinking of it... but there are plenty of examples.
  • Earth 2 Chris
    Verbose Member
    • Mar 7, 2004
    • 32498

    #2
    ^I think Star Trek was just far more literate than most TV shows then...and now honestly. They really tried to lure in all the big sci-fi writers of the time, and the titles matched a lot of their works.

    Chris
    sigpic

    Comment

    • PNGwynne
      Master of Fowl Play
      • Jun 5, 2008
      • 19445

      #3
      Yes, I think the titles are purposefully sometimes poetic or allusive. It was never off=putting to me that they weren't more literal. For example, I think "Who Mourns for Adonais?" and "Is There in Truth No Beauty" are beautiful, evocative titles.

      On the flip side, there's Mudd's Women, The Corbomite Effect, Gamesters of Triskelion, Spock's Brain--bluntly descriptive. I wouldn't hold up The Omega Glory as an example of "good" Trek, title or otherwise.
      WANTED: Dick Grayson SI trousers; gray AJ Mustang horse; vintage RC Batman (Bruce Wayne) head; minty Wolfman tights; mint Black Knight sword; minty Launcelot boots; Lion Rock (pale) Dracula & Mummy heads; Lion Rock Franky squared boots; Wayne Foundation blue furniture; Flash Gordon/Ming (10") unbroken holsters; CHiPs gloved arms; POTA T2 tan body; CTVT/vintage Friar Tuck robes, BBP TZ Burgess Meredith glasses.

      Comment

      • MysteryWho
        Persistent Member
        • Dec 16, 2008
        • 1046

        #4
        I think it was partly what Earth 2 Chris said, many of the writers were professional science fiction writers. Some of the titles come across as bizarre and grandiloquent until you think of the source of the script, such as City on the Edge of Forever. One of Ellison's famous books is called "The Beast that Shouted love at the heart of the world." That title also makes sense when you read the story, but he is also trying to be poetic, as with the Star Trek title. I see what you mean about Omega Glory. I think that was a Roddenberry script. I always thought it had to do with glory coming from the discovery of immortality that is derived from end. There had been an apocalypse of some sort and the reward was the extended life the population had, although they didn't even realize it was unusual. Tracey is seeking to exploit this for power and glory. I guess, maybe. Probably Roddenberry trying to sound like a professional science fiction writer.

        Comment

        • Mikey
          Verbose Member
          • Aug 9, 2001
          • 47242

          #5
          Regardless of what they call the episodes I call them ……

          The one with Apollo
          The one with the giant log
          The one with Joan Collins
          The one with the city in the clouds
          The one where Lee Meriwether says "I must touch you"
          The one where Spock hangs upside down in the tree
          The one with the OK Coral

          etc

          Comment

          • Megotastrophe
            Permanent Member
            • Jun 29, 2018
            • 2695

            #6
            So you went with Friends style nomenclature...

            Comment

            • enyawd72
              Maker of Monsters!
              • Oct 1, 2009
              • 7904

              #7
              I always felt Star Trek, more than any other series, had episode titles that were kind of deep. Not all, or course, but a lot of them.

              Just for the heck of it I'm gonna see how many I can remember off the top of my head.

              Arena
              The Alternative Factor
              Squire of Gothos
              The Enemy Within
              Corbomite Maneuver
              The Apple
              The Way to Eden
              The Immunity Syndrome
              Friday's Child
              Who Mourns for Adonais
              Spectre of the Gun
              Catspaw
              Space Seed
              Galileo Seven
              Return of the Archons
              Miri
              All Our Yesterdays
              The Cloud Minders
              A Private Little War
              A Piece of the Action
              Operation Annihilate
              Amok Time
              Spock's Brain
              What Are Little Girls Made Of?
              City on the Edge of Forever
              The Trouble With Tribbles
              The Man Trap
              Charlie X
              Mudd's Women
              I, Mudd
              Taste of Armageddon
              Shore Leave
              Wink of an Eye
              For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky
              The Deadly Years
              The Naked Time
              The Enterprise Incident
              Court Martial
              Is There No Truth In Beauty?
              The Omega Glory
              This Side of Paradise
              Requiem For Methuselah
              Day of the Dove
              Let That Be Your Last Battlefield
              Wolf In the Fold
              Bread and Circuses
              Gamesters of Triskelion
              Plato's Stepchildren
              That Which Survives
              The Lights of Zetar
              Metamorphosis
              And the Children Shall Lead
              The Tholian Web
              The Ultimate Computer
              The Changeling
              Where No Man Has Gone Before
              Devil In the Dark
              The Empath
              The Conscience of the King

              And...that's all I can remember. I can remember the other episodes but not the titles...space Lincoln...the one where Kirk body swaps with a woman. Gary Seven...

              Just remembered a few more...

              The Cage
              Errand of Mercy
              Dagger of the Mind
              The Menagerie
              Balance of Terror

              That's it...that's all I got. That space Lincoln episode is driving me crazy. Cannot think of it for the life of me and it's one of my favorites.
              Last edited by enyawd72; Jun 3, '20, 1:05 AM.

              Comment

              • KLAATU
                Museum Patron
                • Feb 3, 2009
                • 102

                #8
                "The Savage Curtain"?

                Comment

                • Nostalgiabuff
                  Muddling through
                  • Oct 4, 2008
                  • 11290

                  #9
                  that's the one. space Lincoln and rock people

                  Comment

                  • phil
                    Persistent Member
                    • May 11, 2007
                    • 2078

                    #10
                    I think some of it was to show that it was a serious Science Fiction series. Balance of Terror is a much more serious title than calling it something like Battle in Space even though it's accurate.

                    Comment

                    • Mikey
                      Verbose Member
                      • Aug 9, 2001
                      • 47242

                      #11
                      Originally posted by phil
                      I think some of it was to show that it was a serious Science Fiction series. Balance of Terror is a much more serious title than calling it something like Battle in Space even though it's accurate.
                      Balance of Terror is a nice title but doesn't go with the events of the episode, imo

                      Poking the Bear or Testing the Waters might be a better title

                      Comment

                      • sprytel
                        Talkative Member
                        • Jun 26, 2009
                        • 6539

                        #12
                        Originally posted by KLAATU
                        "The Savage Curtain"?
                        "Savage Curtain" is another good example of a name that kinda makes sense if you really think about it, but still feels pretty random.

                        Don't get me wrong. I love the titles of the episodes and agree they give things a literary quality. It actually is one of the best Easter eggs in Discovery:

                        Discover topics like startrekdiscovery, startrek, and the magic of the internet at Imgur, a community powered entertainment destination. Lift your spirits with funny jokes, trending memes, entertaining gifs, inspiring stories, viral videos, and so much more from users like macewinduosu3.


                        I may be wrong, but I'm guessing this was a holdover from Bryan Fuller.

                        Comment

                        • sprytel
                          Talkative Member
                          • Jun 26, 2009
                          • 6539

                          #13
                          Originally posted by Mikey
                          Balance of Terror is a nice title but doesn't go with the events of the episode, imo

                          Poking the Bear or Testing the Waters might be a better title
                          Or... "Wait... maybe the racist is right. The Romulan Commander is Spock's dad!"

                          Comment

                          • enyawd72
                            Maker of Monsters!
                            • Oct 1, 2009
                            • 7904

                            #14
                            Originally posted by KLAATU
                            "The Savage Curtain"?
                            Yes! Thank you. That was bugging the crap out of me.

                            Comment

                            • Allie Fox
                              Veteran Member
                              • Jun 1, 2009
                              • 297

                              #15
                              How many folks called it Who Mourns for ADONIS rather than Adonias?

                              [raises hand]
                              If I had only spent a tenth of the time studying Physics that I spent learning Star Wars and Baseball trivia, I would have won the Nobel Prize.

                              Comment

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