POOB HAS IT FOR YOU: Top five Season 1 Episodes of Star Trek: Eridani you HAVE to Watch!
The must-watch episodes of the 1994-1995 season!
By: POOB editorial staff
Thanks to POOB, the digitally remastered version of Star Trek: Eridani is finally available for everyone to watch, and with all four seasons to binge, we are looking back at the top five best episodes (in our humble opinion) of the first season of Eridani!
Of course, given that we are lucky enough to now have the entirety of Star Trek: Eridani available on our streaming service, we at POOB encourage you to give all of it a shot, but here are some highlights:
“What’s in a Name?” (1x3)
A fan-favourite ever since its original syndicated airing, and for good reason. Featuring guest star DeForest Kelley, reprising his role of Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy from The Original Series, this episode is a profound story about family and the conflicts that can take root when you spread your wings, while also featuring tense moments due to a warp core misalignment and an injured ship, as well as comedic instances giving the supporting cast a chance to shine.
With its relatable subject and heartfelt climax and resolution, it showed one of Star Trek’s favourite characters in a whole new light, while allowing Eridani’s audience to understand Dr. Joanna McCoy (Susan Gibney) a little more.
Without giving too much away, this one definitely deserves its place on the list for both its humour and emotional parts.
“The Merchant” (1x6)
To the most devoted fans of Captain Saavik, this episode is a no-brainer on our list, as it features a lesser known character from her past. While the Eridani is sent to negotiate with a planet’s government about a mineral the Federation wishes to import, a Romulan smuggler Saavik encountered as a cadet makes the talks increasingly difficult.
The character of the smuggler, Achernar (Jude Ciccolella), originates from the 1990’s book The Pandora Principle (Carolyn Clowes), and adds a lot of zest to the episode along with Saavik (Robin Curtis)— no longer a 16 years-old cadet, but a Starfleet Captain— and able to confront the seedy Romulan on his business methods.
An overall lighter episode, marked by sincere and often humorous banter, yet it delves into Saavik’s own internal conflict surrounding her origins, which Achernar’s presence threatens to reveal to the crew by his mere presence.
“Under Thy Skin” (1x10)
With a classic sci-fi premise of a body-swap between two characters, this episode managed to artfully delve not only into the tension and the conflict between Science Officer David Marcus (Merritt Butrick) and First Officer Kyral Ry’Anauk (Matthew Lawrence), but also to explore many deeper elements of both of these characters, while maintaining a lighter tone by moments as the pair tries to cover-up their “freaky friday” mishaps.
This episode tackles issues about disabilities and how they can affect one’s life— namely David— as well as mental health and the stigma surrounding it, as seen through Kyral’s appointment with ship psychologist Malachi Cohen (Charles Schneider).
A great episode to dive deep into the personal issues of David Marcus and Commander Kyral, and while the ending doesn’t see them as new best friends, they walk out of this hardship with a greater understanding of one another, much like the audience will of their characters.
“Does the Abyss Stare Back?” (1x17)
Another episode centering David Marcus, “Does the Abyss Stare Back?” is a powerful exploration about the meaning and weight of death, as the scientist is confronted with his unnatural resurrection, while also denouncing the dangerous aspects of corrupt religious groups on people’s lives, harshly criticizing certain harmful drifts that have been seen among real-life organizations.
In this episode, the crew of the Eridani not only face this very concrete darkness on the planet Thanatos, but David himself has to face the inner abyss, reflecting on what it meant for him to be back to life after his death on Genesis, the ethics of his return and the brevity of life.
“By Star Benign I & II” (1x19-20)
This two-parter finale is an all-around hit for many reasons. With Captain Saavik accused of being an undercover Romulan agent, she is put on trial on her own ship, a tried–and–true Star Trek format since the days of The Original Series.
In addition to that, this episode allows for a dive into Saavik’s past, once again largely inspired by Clowes’ 1990 novel The Pandora Principle, revealing to her crew and the audience her childhood on the Romulan colony Hellguard, as well as her rescue by Star Trek fan favourite character Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and the following destruction of it in her first year as a cadet.
Just when you think the first episode has given you all that it can, it brings in Ambassador Spock himself as a witness to the trial, who arrives just in time to help defend his protégée in the second episode. Nimoy delivers another stellar performance in the role of Spock, helping not only Saavik in the trial, but also the crew as they uncover the reason behind the accusation directed at Saavik in the first place.
Full of mysteries, revelations, guest stars and incredible character moments, this finale is sure to leave you on the edge of your seat.
On that note, don’t hesitate to beam into this amazing series, and thank you for using POOB streaming services.
