What makes a truly great episode of Star Trek?

My personal list of the ten best ever episodes of Star Trek - not just one individual show, but the whole 60-
year franchise - just gained a new addition courtesy of Strange New Worlds this summer. But I can't help noticing that my list has a certain theme to it - it's full of extremely dramatic, often out-of-the-ordinary stories. Are these really the best episodes of the franchise overall, or do I just have a penchant for the epic?

Spoiler warning! There will be spoilers for the episodes I talk about here, including an episode from Strange New Worlds season 4.

Sense8: Just Turn the Wheel and the Future Changes

"Van Damme always comes back."

For a show as complicated and experimental as Sense8 I expected nothing less than the banger of a penultimate episode. This one was not a disappointment.

Unabomber

Mr. C: I mean, seriously, where do you get these ideas?
Ted Kaczynski: They fall from the sky.

Alas, this Netflix offering, which is supposed to give us some insight into the Unabomber, also feels as if it fell from the sky – and without a parachute, crashing to the ground and disintegrating into pieces instead of making a coherent story.

Doux Reviews... The Marvel Cinematic Universe

Do you need more Marvel? Most of us Doux too. We voted for the best and boldest, and came up with a list that might enthuse both new viewers and audiences of old. Check out the rankings of the Agents of Doux, and share your own favorites, with a gentle click to enter The Fold....

Lanterns: Dirt and Stars

“Don’t be afraid to be afraid.”

We started the season with the question “Are you afraid?” We end it with the acknowledgement that the answer doesn’t necessarily matter nearly as much as how you act despite your fear.

Lanterns: The Jordan Boys' Legacy

“Can’t hold on to it forever.”
“Why not?”

We had another quiet, meditative hour for our penultimate episode. I'm going to miss Hal. He had a very, very good episode.

Mini Movie Reviews: Box Office Bombs

Today's theme is money losers featuring films by Andrew Dominik, Michael Lehmann, Luc Besson, Michael Cimino, Francis Ford Coppola, John McTiernan, and Peter Yates.

Star Trek Strange New Worlds: Tomorrow's Enterprise

La'an: "You know what's not in the book? Time travel is heartbreaking. The only day we have is today."

This was Uhura's episode, and Celia Rose Gooding did it justice. In certain scenes, I could swear she was channeling Nichelle Nichols in the best possible way. Uhura has changed a lot since she joined the crew of the Enterprise, and this episode took her in a whole new direction that was great for her character.

Star Trek Voyager: Year of Hell, Part 2

"Time's up!"

Things just get worse and worse for Voyager's senior officers until Janeway, once again, reaches something of a breaking point.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Series Review

"I’d just like to say I am happy to be here with my family. My super weird family with two black dads, and two Latina daughters, and two white sons, and… Gina."

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a mostly comfort-food comedy about where a new captain arrives with a mission of bringing order to a NYPD precinct.

Lanterns: Bad Optics

“You didn’t take the fall. You fell.”

Well, I guess that he really is dead. You don’t have a funeral like that if you were planning on walking it back.

House of the Dragon: The Dragon in Winter

“Yes. Yes, cowards. You might well retreat. For now you see me as I truly am! Dreadful in vengeance! Righteous and glorious!”

This show is what I imagine it’s like watching a car pileup in slow motion. You can see the bad trajectory everyone’s heading in, and maybe notice a few of them desperately trying to course-correct, but it’s still too late. They’re gonna crash, and it’s gonna get messy.