Series: Star Trek (The Original Series)
Episode: 1.28 The City on the Edge of Forever (4-6-67)
Rating: 5/5
Redshirt Status: 0/23
Notable Guest Stars:
Joan Collins – Sister Edith Keeler. Joan Collins is a popular actress during the 60s and 70s.
Review:
This is one of the more well-known episodes of Star Trek. Its often included in select episode sets and lists.
The Enterprise comes across the Guardian of Forever, a being-device that allows you to see time pass, or to visit the past. McCoy, overdosing on a cardiac stimulant ends up rushing through. Kirk and Spock follow, arriving days before McCoy does.
Kirk and Spock a few months trying to fit in with the 1930s they find themselves in. They get jobs, become roommates. Kirk ends up falling in love with Edith Keeler, a woman who manages the local mission. Unfortunately for both Edith and Kirk, Edith is meant to die, and McCoy can’t save her or change history.
It’s a tragic story, and probably one of the reasons people love it so much. It’s a good tragic story. It appears there were several versions of the script. I wonder if the original by Harlan Ellison is available anywhere.
Interesting Notes:
- Directed by Joseph Pevney
- Written by Harlan Ellison (plus a bunch of others who rewrote it)
- Reading the production story of this episode is a trip all in itself.
- Won several awards including the Hugo award for Best Dramatic Presentation
- This episode has several Trek novels based around it
- They had to fight to include the last line of the show.
Pros:
- Character development for the main three characters
- The story is well written
Cons:
- I love George Takei, but he overacted in some of this episode.
- In Voyager there is a Jefferies tube access to the bridge. I have to wonder if there is any access on this ship.
Sokorra Lewis 