The 2nd highest rated episode of the original series, both follow the same story trope

Star Trek: The Original Series Dealing with everything from rogue scientists to godlike entities, it’s interesting that the show’s two highest-rated episodes both stem from the same core concept. The adventures of Captain Kirk’s Enterprise crew are the stuff of legend nearly 60 years later, as Star Trek: The Original Series is packed with stone-cold classics that still resonate strongly among the ever-expanding multimedia behemoth Star Trek has become

Two of the most popular Star Trek: The Original Series episodes, and the two highest-ranked on IMDbare “The City on the Edge of Forever” from season 1 and “Mirror, Mirror” from season 2. Both remain highly enjoyable from a modern perspective, and both have spawned a legacy in subsequent projects, with the latter spanning an entire section of The Franchise: Star Treks mirror universe episodes. Although both efforts share iconic status, they actually share much more, and the similarities underscore a deeper truth about Star Treks capacity for storytelling.

Star Trek’s “The City on the Edge of Forever” and “Mirror, Mirror” are both “What if…?” Stories

The same basic idea is applied very differently

in their heart, Star Treks “The City on the Edge of Eternity” and “Mirror, Mirror” are both rooted in alternate histories. – The idea that by changing a small part of the timeline, an entirely new reality can follow. “The City on the Edge of Forever” explores the past, as a wild Dr. McCoy accidentally reverses a vital moment in the development of the Earth, creating a ripple effect that culminates with the disappearance of the enterprise itself.

“Mirror, Mirror” debuted Star Treks Mirror Universe, revealing a parallel universe in which the Federation took the form of an evil empire rather than a (mostly) benevolent coalition. From Spock’s beard to Kirk’s wickedness, almost every aspect of Star Treks world has been rewritten.

While the twin concepts of time travel and alternate realities are integral parts of Star Trek Canon, they are never the bread and butter of The original series. The standard weekly format saw the Enterprise land on a planet, solve whatever issue was going on, and move on to the next adventure. “The City on the Edge of Forever” and “Mirror, Mirror” both, in essence, represent a step away from the norm for Star Trek: The Original Series. That deviation from the standard formula may partly explain why both episodes became so popular, although the excellent stories and imaginative concepts certainly helped.

Why Star Trek’s Format Is Perfect For What If…? Stories and Alternative Histories

This is Star Trek, Jim, but not as we know it

Since The original serieseven more”What if…?“Stories have been told about the various Star Trek TV shows and movies, from 2009’s big screen reboot altering history to create the Kelvin timeline to Star Trek: Discovery Took an extended dip into the Mirror Universe. According to the standard set by The original seriesThe episodes have generally enjoyed positive reactions. Star Trek: Discovery Season 1’s two-part Mirror Universe adventure and Star Trek: The Next Generations “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” for example, are both considered among the best Star Trek Episodes.

Perhaps the biggest reason Star Trek Thrives When Told”What if…?” Stories is because they break the only real rule the franchise has. Star TrekThe space-faring premise allows for almost endless possibilities. Any planet or alien species the viewer can imagine may appear. even so, Star Trek Remains bound both with its own in-universe history, and with the real-world history that should take place before. Episodes like “A City on the Edge of Forever” and “Mirror, Mirror” break that one final frontier by blurring the lines of reality, throwing history to the wind, and really allowing anything to be possible in the Star Trek Universe.

Another key reason for the success of Star Treks”what if…“Episodes is the moral ambiguity invited by such stories. Star Trek is at its best when it tests the audience’s ethical valuesAnd stories that have evil versions of good characters or alternate timelines are perfect for generating these conversations. The dilemmas of whether Edith Keeler should die or whether one twist of fate could turn Captain Kirk evil are among the most tantalizing questions in Star Trek History.

Sources: IMDb