Star Trek TOS Season 3: Why It's Better Than You Remember

We discuss our least favorite episodes of Star Trek TOS on our Patreon ——> patreon.com/targetaudience

Season 3 has some gems, and the Spock-McCoy friendship really cements.

I have to be honest, I haven't watched some of the season 3 episodes in years. Seeing them through the TA filter had me rethink some of my opinions.

In no particular order, here are my favorites from Season 3: Is There in Truth No Beauty? Let That Be Your Last Battlefield. The Savage Curtain. All Our Yesterdays.

Tholian Web is one of my favorite episodes. I was surprised when you guys didnt like it that much. It's dark, it's mysterious, there's several plot threads, Shatner's gone for most of it. The whole episode feels like the crew is really in peril and Spock is so focused on trying to save it all he's more like a machine than ever. Just a really tense and exciting episode. Also has an interesting "science fiction" element to the story. The idea of parallel universes was new and Star Trek went headfirst into it with this episode and Mirror, Mirror. A well they would dip from for decades to come.

My Top 5 of Season 3, in chronological order so I don't have to figure out how I'd rank them: • The Enterprise Incident • Day of the Dove • The Tholian Web • Wink of an Eye • The Cloud Minders

Alex: "the endings where I'm happy and they aren't are my favorite." Boy, you are going to love Deep Space Nine.

Back in the '80s i corresponded with Ian Wolfe, who played Mr Atoz in "All Our Yesterdays". Such a nice man. He sent me notes, postcards, autographed photos including one as Mr Atoz, and a book of poetry that he had co-authored "Somewhere, Sunrise". He had climbed quite a few mountains and was an expert in comparative religions. Fabulous actor and a wonderful man.

TOS was trying to be a high concept scifi show while also being a serialized action-adventure story about exploration complete with romance & swashbuckling heros. For those of us who watched it as it aired back in the 60s there is a deep nostalgic affection for TOS as well as a "you had to be there" understanding of the cultural significance. It was very much a product of its time as are most pop culture artforms.

5. Spectre of the Gun 4. Is There In Truth No Beauty 3. The Enterprise Incident 2. All Our Yesterdays 1. Day of the Dove

I've never before watched this show and thought about it in the context of 'seasons'. When I was watching these in reruns as a kid, they'd just be random episodes. I certainly never knew nor cared about what season it was in, just if I liked the episode or not. So it's kind of weird to me now that fans seem to place so much importance about what season an episode is in. I'd rather judge each ep on its individual merit.

I am really looking forward the animated series. For a Saturday morning cartoon it was really good.

I really appreciate you guys....Im one of those kids from the "70's...that inadvertently memorized every line of this show.....it great to see it through fresh eyes

Agreed. Season three is good. It has some of the weirdest episodes and those are the most memorable to me.

Season 3 overall is much better than it’s given credit for.

Let me see if I can summarize everything I love about you guys and the show. First, I love that you guys are open minded about a lot of the things some other audiences might find cheesy or outdated or even outmoded. The fact that you guys can kinda look past all of that and focus in on the story, the characters and 'the things that matter' (as subjective as that might sound). Also, and I've probably said this a number of times already, but the enthusiasm you guys bring. There's always joy that's infectious and super fun to watch. Also, I love it that you guys don't necessarily like everything I like and vice versa (though there is a large overlap) b/c it gives me a chance to see someone else's perspective on what it is they like about something I'm meh on. Similarly, I like hearing criticisms of the things I do like. All of it gives me a chance at seeing what it is others are seeing that I may not be. I also don't get why people have this overriding compulsion to hate on someone else's likes. I mean, I may feel a bit defensive if someone starts tearing into my favorite things... but, I don't take glee or joy in going after someone else's preferences. It's like arguing that b/c I like apple pie, I'm going to take a poop on someone who prefers cherry pie... I... don't get it. Anyway, thanks for this s3 review and looking forward to more!

I’m in the middle of season 3 right now. Love the tholians. Whoever thought those up was insane.

Even bad Trek has good within it thanks to the hard work of the cast and crew. This is true of all series of Trek, and movies (even Star Trek V & Nemesis). Great reactions, looking forward to more.

Nice insight to Turnabout Intruder working as a callback to earlier episodes.

I'm an old Star Trek fan, and I wouldn't say that S3 was the worst. I don't think there is a worst season, just episodes that you may not like. For instance, while the first season lacks a lot of the chemistry and continuity we see in the later seasons, its rawness leads to less predictability, even in the cast. And MANY of the iconic episodes that I think of when I think of Star Trek occur in S3. As for the rest of the Star Trek world, I like the OG movies as an encore of the original series because I like the cast. I don't like any of the other Star Trek properties, even though Next Generation had some very well-written scripts around the middle years. None of the other groups of characters captured my attention like the original cast. It's not even close. 🖖 If I was trying to introduce someone to Star Trek, to give them a sense of it in one episode, "Spectre of the Gun" is the one I'd choose. And yes, you guys should watch "Tombstone." Not only is it a great movie, but it helps people who thought they didn't like westerns realize that the genre has appeal. I'm not saying that as advocate of westerns. It's more like introducing a friend to a new cuisine. If you know a restaurant that does a great job of it, and a special few dishes to try, that's where you want to take your friend. Definitely "Tombstone" as the first western. And if you develop a taste, I'd suggest "Unforgiven" as the next course.