58 Years Ago, Star Trek: The Original Series Did The Same Episode Twice In A Month

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Classic science fiction TV shows, like Star Trek and Doctor Who, frequently used familiar patterns for their episodes. Common examples include stories where the spaceship is under attack, the crew saves an alien world, or a crew member turns against the others. Star Trek particularly enjoyed a type of episode, starting in the 1960s and continuing since, that involved time travel to historical Earth, placing the crew and ship in the past.

The show’s unique approach resulted in one of its most beloved episodes, “The City on the Edge of Forever.” Taking place in the 1930s, the episode features the Enterprise crew encountering Edith Keeler and struggling with the dilemma of whether or not to change history. While many episodes have since tried to recreate its success, “The City on the Edge of Forever” remains unsurpassed.

This idea became incredibly widespread, and it happened even on Star Trek: The Original Series. In just a few weeks, the show aired two episodes set in the past that had strikingly similar plots.

These Two Star Trek: The Original Series Episodes Have A Lot In Common

Okay, so as a classic sci-fi fan, I have to admit a couple of Star Trek: The Original Series episodes haven’t aged well. Specifically, “A Piece of the Action” and “Patterns of Force” from season two – they originally aired on January 12th and February 16th, 1968 – are a little problematic when I rewatch them.

Not only are both historicals, each episode’s narrative follows a remarkably similar course.

In the Star Trek episode “A Piece of the Action,” the Enterprise investigates a planet where communication was lost years after first contact. Captain Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy beam down to find the planet’s inhabitants have built their entire society around information left behind by a previous Starfleet crew – specifically, a detailed history of 1920s Chicago gangsters. The away team finds themselves in a remarkably accurate recreation of that era and must fix the situation without violating Starfleet’s rules about interfering with other cultures.

Kirk and Spock go undercover, meeting with the planet’s leaders to persuade them to choose peace over violence and intimidation.

Just five weeks after, the episode “Patterns of Force” followed a very similar storyline. Starfleet sent a historian to a new planet, but communication was lost, prompting the Enterprise to investigate. Like before, Kirk and Spock beam down to the surface (with McCoy joining them shortly after) and find the planet has become strikingly similar to 1940s Germany. It’s revealed that the first Starfleet visitor shared Earth history with the planet’s inhabitants, allowing them to perfectly recreate that era.

The heroes swiftly disguised themselves to look like ordinary citizens, and then focused on locating the planet’s ruler. They hoped to guide them towards a better future, one that wouldn’t repeat the mistakes of the past.

As a big fan of both shows, I’ve noticed something really interesting. It’s more than just the usual Star Trek formula of time travel and fixing things. Both episodes have this setup where Kirk and his crew are cleaning up messes made by the Federation in the past, and the alien cultures are cleverly based on different periods of Earth’s history. You’ve got the classic Kirk and Spock escaping, going undercover, and the constant struggle with the Prime Directive. But beyond that, they both really hammer home the idea of learning from history and show how important it is to have leaders who believe in democracy. It’s a surprisingly strong common thread!

“A Piece Of The Action” Vs. “Patterns Of Force” – Which Star Trek Episode Is Better?

As a longtime Trek fan, I have to say the season 2 scheduling of Star Trek: The Original Series feels a bit off. It’s generally a good practice to space out episodes with very similar themes or plots – putting them at the beginning and end of the season just begs for direct comparisons, and I think that was a mistake.

It’s interesting to compare the episodes “A Piece of the Action” and “Patterns of Force” to see which one handles Star Trek’s historical storytelling format more effectively.

Answering whether an episode works often depends on its tone. “A Piece of the Action” succeeds because its silliness doesn’t try to be profound – even a ridiculous line like “Spocko” or Kirk’s explanation of fizzbin still lands as genuinely funny. However, “Patterns of Force” tackles a serious topic, and its weak premise becomes glaringly obvious, ultimately hurting the episode.

While both episodes have their strengths, “Patterns of Force” arguably tells a more engaging story. Its combination of a rebel group and a surprising villain reveal make for a powerful narrative. “A Piece of the Action,” however, stretches its comedic premise too far, with Kirk and Spock repeating the same scenario until the humor fades.

Both episodes are well-made, but they don’t quite reach the legendary status of “The City on the Edge of Forever,” which is considered one of the best time-travel stories in Star Trek history.

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2026-03-09 22:09