The 1960s Star Trek episode was so good, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy both called it a favorite

William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy both called this Star Trek: The Original Series Episode one of the show’s best. Over his three seasons, TOS Produced some truly great television episodes, many of which have withstood the test of time. William Shatner’s Captain James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy’s Mr. Spock, along with DeForest Kelly’s Dr. McCoy, have since been Some of the most beloved and recognizable characters in science fiction. Despite being a product of the 1960s, TOS remains enjoyable today thanks to its wonderful characters and compelling storylines.

Many iconic television moments came out Star Trek: The Original Series, From Captain Kirk’s fight with the Gorns in “Arena” to the goatee-sporting Spock in “Mirror, Mirror.” Beyond the classic stories, some episodes remain underrated, falling near the end or just short of many best-of lists. William Shatner cited the beloved “The City on the Edge of Forever” as one of his favorite episodes, But he also mentioned another Season 1 story as a favorite. TOS Season 1, Episode 25, “The Devil in the Dark” remains an underrated classic with a quintessential Star Trek History.

William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy both named “The Devil in the Dark” among their favorite Star Trek episodes

“The Devil in the Dark” is a Star Trek classic

William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy both praised “The Devil in the Dark” as one of the Star Trek: The Original Series Finest offerings. The first Star Trek Episode to open with a scene not set on the USS Enterprise, “The Devil in the Dark” centers on a mining colony plagued by a mysterious and deadly monster. When the Enterprise arrives to investigate, Kirk, Spock and McCoy begin searching for the creature. When the creature responds intelligently, Spock initiates a mind meld with it, learning that it is called the Horta.

The miners disturbed the Horta’s home and unknowingly killed its eggs, which lead the creature to react defensively. In the end, Kirk convinces the miners to work with the Horta, because it and his young can help dig more tunnels throughout the mine. In his 1993 book, star trek memories, William Shatner talked about “The Devil in the Dark,” Revealing that his father died during filming, and the cast and crew helped him get through it. Leonard Nimoy brought this episode into the 50 years of Star Trek Documentary, praised the themes of overcoming fear of the unknown.

“The Devil in the Dark” is still overlooked as a classic Star Trek: The Original Series episode

“The Devil in the Dark” exemplifies Star Trek’s optimistic message of finding common ground

Although “the devil in the dark” regularly pops up on lists of the best Star Trek episodes, it often gets overshadowed by more famous stories. Although it may not be as memorable as some episodes, “The Devil in the Dark” tells a classic Star Trek Moral tale with a relatively happy ending. The miners learn that the creature they have come to fear is not actually a monster, But only a parent protecting his young. The Horta also learns that the miners did not destroy its eggs on purpose, because they have no idea what they are.

In the end, the miners and the Horta learn to coexist in the cave system, with the Horta even helping to create new tunnels. With its solid storytelling and memorable moments, like Spock’s mind announcing, “The Devil in the Dark” has more than earned its place Among episodes like “The City on the Edge of Forever”, “Arena”, “Amok Time” and “Mirror, Mirror”. William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy have different reasons for citing “The Devil in the Dark” as a favorite, but both agree that it is among the best stories that Star Trek: The Original Series has to offer.