The Savage Curtain (Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS), S3 E22) was recommended by Kaleb, he/him, who said: So, other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the deathmatch?

This is always a good episode to sit down with a friend and just take the absolute piss out of; it's an episode that has a strangely high amount of warp cores given how much I like it.

The awful Lincoln makeup, mischaracterizing my favorite historical war criminal, and the comment to Uhura (which I know was trying to Make A Point, but kinda just makes me go “oh god Uhura, darling, if you wanna start punching I'm behind you all the way”).

Relatedly, though, I actually really like how Lincoln is characterized- it might just be because I'm from the same area, but I've always had a soft spot for the guy. In this episode, he has both admirable qualities and also prompts my above warp core, as would most guys from the 1800s.

I think the aliens are really cool looking, kinda like the Horta where their biology is so different from humans, especially given that they're filling the “advanced culture fucking with us for philosophical reasons” role usually given to disembodied beings or some beautiful twink.

It's ridiculous and stupid and I love it so much.

The Savage Curtain first aired on March 7, 1969, written by story by Gene Roddenberry, teleplay by Gene Roddenberry and Arthur Heinemann, and directed by Herschel Daugherty

Aliens force Kirk and Spock to battle illusionary villains in a test of good versus evil.[2]

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"The Good, The Bad, And The Lovely" by tinynerdlet, can be found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/8034478

"Deanna Troi, Worf, and Alexander ended up trapped on the holodeck in a program based around the Ancient West. All of the villains take on Data's appearance, though none of them seem to act like Data. During the final shoot out, another familiar face appears. This one says more about Data than any of the others do, and it raises questions that Deanna really wants answered."

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The House of Quark (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9), S3 E3) was recommended by Marky See He/Him, who said: I love that DS9 wasn't afraid to move beyond the stereotypes set out in earlier series, Ferengi are more than gold hungry goblins, Klingons aren't just space vikings.

When this first aired in the UK, I missed all but the conclusion of this episode so on my rewatch of DS9 I was excited to see how Quark ended up married to Klingon!

This episode delivers a glimpse into the not so simple world of Klingon probate whilst Quark does his best to keep his business afloat and his head on his shoulders amid shotgun weddings and quickie divorces.

The House of Quark first aired on October 10, 1994, written by story by Tom Benko, teleplay by Ronald D. Moore, and directed by Les Landau

Quark brags falsely about killing a Klingon, Kozak, and is then forced to marry the widow, Grilka, founding his own 'House of Quark'.

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"Pomp and Circumstance" by Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Rynegade), can be found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/4323495

"She approaches the Academy's large auditorium and when she enters, she’s caught up in the memory of her own experience here. It seems like a lifetime ago; so much has happened since she was here last and the sudden nostalgia makes her breath catch in her throat. She’s only given a moment to reminisce, though, before she’s recognized."

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Data's Day (Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG), S4 E11) was recommended by He/Him, who said: Speaking as someone with higher functioning autism with ADHD as a cherry on top, I've always found a kinship with characters like Spock, Data and Seven. Data more so as his efforts to become more human tended to mirror my own struggles to understand social norms that made little sense to me. Half the time I was completely clueless that I ever did anything wrong in the first place.

Having an entire episode dedicated to seeing things through his eyes was very relatable to me. From completely failing to read the room with relaying Keiko's wedding cancellation to his attempts to use friendly insults. His analytical mindset also resonated with me as my ADHD basically puts my brain into turbo mode, analyzing anything and everything without stopping. Good for brainstorming and creativity, not so good when you need to shut out the nastiness of the world and center yourself.

While my life experience is not a one to one with his, there is enough there that an episode dedicated to him is a welcome addition.

Data's Day first aired on January 7, 1991, written by story by Harold Apter, teleplay by Harold Apter & Ronald D. Moore, and directed by Robert Wiemer

Data gets dancing lessons from Dr. Crusher in preparation of Chief O'Brien's wedding as the Enterprise brings Ambassador T'Pel to the Romulans for negotiations.

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"drifting" by letek, can be found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/27252973

"Sometimes when Quark was feeling particularly masochistic, he would walk by the security station and glance inside, foolishly hoping to see a person he knew wouldn’t be there."

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Course: Oblivion (Star Trek: Voyager, S5 E18) was recommended by Pascal Farful, He/Him, who said: I have been watching Voyager alongside TNG and DS9 in date-of-release order. Voyager has somewhat nested in as my third place of three. Last is a disservice, but my expectations for Voyager are... less. The writing clunks more often than it slices. As a viewer, I feel that VOY challenges me the least of the three.

"Course: Oblivion" is an episode about death. About integrity. About despair and about the meaning of self. It's an episode which does what I want most from art, takes a large, vulgar risk and commits to it. Unlike almost all the Voy episodes I've seen thus far, where the show feels like it's trying to serve me up The Star Trek I Ordered From The Menu, "Course: Oblivion" doesn't care what I want, and I get the distinct impression that it doesn't care if I like it. But I do like it. A lot.

It is true that, for all plot related purposes, "Course: Oblivion" doesn't matter. The crew are synthetic copies of the real thing. They explode meaninglessly into nothing, oblivious to (nearly) everyone. But what "Course: Oblivion" does is ask the viewer "if you accomplish nothing, nobody remembers you and you're not even who you think you are, does it matter if you act honourably and with integrity? Do your sins leave scars if no flesh is left to bare them?"

Jayneway could have destroyed the mining ship, to have a chance to save what was left of the crew. But it would have been murder, so she doesn't. Jayneway, she of Tuvix, decides that her integrity matters more than her life. Kim consoles Paris over the loss of Torres even though these three people are not those people. But duplicate Kim believes in the principles of the real Kim. So he honours those principles regardless of the reality of self. What is the difference between duplicate Kim and "real" Kim if both honour the same principles and integrities? Are you who you are or are you *what you do*?

Yes, the ship explodes. No, nobody will remember them. Yes, if you want to look at it purely in terms of 'getting these people to earth', this is pointless. But the value of these people is not in their home, their destination, and in their intent, but in their dignity and their principles. And Course: Oblivion teaches us that the point of following your principles and having integrity is not to be remembered or to be "the true, definitive self", it's because, even in the bleakest and most hopeless of times, honouring your principles and your integrity matters and is honourable. Even if nobody is around to see it.

Course: Oblivion first aired on March 3, 1999, written by story by Bryan Fuller and Nick Sagan, teleplay by Nick Sagan, and directed by Anson Williams

After Torres and Paris get married, subspace radiation causes the crew and their ship to disintegrate.

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on sparkling and lavender tea by Ericine, can be found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/50858563

"There are a lot of things that factor into success when one is growing up as an Illyrian trying to pass as a human, and Una has internalized all of them."

Una offers a glimpse beneath her mask."

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