7 ‘Star Trek’ Episodes That Could Make For Incredible Movies

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Some of the strongest Star Trek films expand on ideas first explored in the original TV series episodes. The Wrath of Khan is a great example – it continued the story from the episode “Space Seed,” bringing back Khan as Captain Kirk’s greatest enemy in an epic space battle. Similarly, First Contact built on Captain Picard’s earlier experiences with the Borg, creating a thrilling Trek story centered on overcoming past trauma and seeking revenge.

Since those films are so beloved, it makes sense to revisit classic Star Trek episodes. Focusing on the shows that originally made the franchise popular would be a great way to satisfy longtime fans and attract new viewers to the best of Star Trek.

‘Subspace Rhapsody’

‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 2, Episode 9


Paramount

As its name suggests, Strange New Worlds took Star Trek in a surprising direction with the musical episode “Subspace Rhapsody.” When the Enterprise crew flies into a bizarre quantum field, everyone suddenly breaks into song. This affects both Federation and Klingon communications, leaving everyone unable to speak without bursting into musical numbers. The only solution? A big, show-stopping finale. The episode is full of songs and also moves forward existing storylines, including a musical breakup between Chapel and Spock.

The recent episode feels like it could easily be adapted into a stage musical, and that’s something people are still discussing. A musical version of Star Trek would be a lively departure from what fans are used to. While a singing and dancing space adventure is new territory for the Trek television series, it would be even more unusual for a Star Trek movie. It would be entertaining to see different Trek groups and characters use song and dance to escape a tricky situation, perhaps using the quantum probability field again. Just imagining what kind of musical performance the Borg would put on is a fun thought!

‘Crisis Point’

‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Season 1, Episode 9


Paramount

“Crisis Point” feels like a full-fledged Star Trek movie, and it plays like one too. When Mariner deals with her issues with her mother, she uses the holodeck to try therapy – specifically, she creates a wildly over-the-top adventure that mirrors the action and danger you’d expect from a Star Trek film, complete with dramatic fights and the threat of losing crew members.

I thought the idea behind “Crisis Point” was fantastic! It really focused on Mariner’s development while playfully poking fun at classic Star Trek movie tropes. Honestly, a full-length Lower Decks movie building on that could be an amazing parody of everything Star Trek fans (and even people who aren’t fans!) expect from a big screen adventure. The holodeck setting opens up so many possibilities, even more than the animation usually allows. Beyond just giving us tons of nostalgic callbacks, Lower Decks‘ smart, funny writing could deliver the Star Trek comedy movie we never knew we needed. Plus, Lower Decks is such a great show for anyone just getting into Star Trek, so it could bring in a whole new audience!

‘City on the Edge of Forever’

‘Star Trek: The Original Series’ Season 1, Episode 28


Paramount

Many Star Trek episodes explored time travel, but “City on the Edge of Forever” stands out as particularly impactful and dramatic. When a confused McCoy accidentally travels through time, Kirk and Spock journey to 1930s New York City to find him. Their mission quickly becomes entangled with a tragic love story, and someone must make the ultimate sacrifice to protect the timeline.

Many fans consider this one of the strongest episodes of the original Star Trek. It’s a powerful story about the difficult choice to save a timeline, even if it means someone must sacrifice their life. While Spock might logically accept that loss, Kirk struggles with the idea, especially knowing the stakes – preventing a Nazi victory in World War II. After the lighthearted time travel of The Voyage Home, it would be interesting to explore a more serious and emotionally impactful story, delving into a darker period of history.

‘Chain of Command’

‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ Season 6, Episodes 10 and 11


Paramount

In the Star Trek episode “Chain of Command,” Captain Picard confronts the brutal Cardassian regime. While on a secret mission investigating biological weapons, he’s captured and subjected to intense torture by Gul Madred, who wants to break Picard’s spirit. The torture involves various methods, most famously a psychological torment where Picard is made to suffer unless he confesses to seeing five lights when only four exist.

The Next Generation episode “Chain of Command” is a standout, not just because of David Warner’s excellent performance as Gul Madred, but also for its powerful exploration of power and control. The episode brilliantly reveals the core of aggressive authoritarianism through Picard’s experience with torture. The writing is particularly strong, highlighted by Picard’s observation that when children are taught to disregard the value of others, they lose empathy for everyone, even their own families. It’s a deeply moving episode, and the Star Trek films could benefit from more stories with this kind of political depth, rather than focusing solely on action and spectacle.

‘The Doomsday Machine’

‘Star Trek: The Original Series’ Season 2, Episode 6


Paramount

In the Star Trek episode “The Doomsday Machine,” the Enterprise crew confronted a terrifying enemy: a colossal, ancient weapon capable of destroying entire planets. This machine, resembling a giant mechanical sandworm from the novel Dune, threatened all life in the galaxy. While the Enterprise managed to inflict damage by sacrificing a ship, the unsettling thought remained that other Doomsday Machines might still be out there.

The Doomsday Machine was a truly enormous and terrifying enemy, and it’s surprising it hasn’t been featured in a movie yet. This massive weapon, big enough to swallow the Enterprise, would be visually stunning on the big screen. Its incredible power would also fit perfectly into action-packed Star Trek films like Star Trek Into Darkness. You can’t get a more dangerous threat than one that could destroy an entire galaxy, and it would be thrilling to watch a new Federation crew try to stop it.

‘In the Pale Moonlight’

‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’ Season 6, Episode 19


Paramount

The Dominion War storyline was a high point of Star Trek, and especially Deep Space Nine. The episode “In the Pale Moonlight” is often considered the most gripping of the series. As the Federation struggles against the Dominion, Captain Sisko desperately needs to bring the Romulans into the war on their side. To do this, he needs to convince the Romulans that the Dominion plans to attack them. Garak, a Cardassian operative, attempts to find evidence of this, but when he comes up empty, he suggests creating false evidence instead. Sisko wrestles with the ethical implications of this plan, but ultimately follows Garak’s advice, leaving him troubled by his decision even after it’s carried out.

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“In the Pale Moonlight” explores a difficult moral question – whether it’s justified to manipulate an enemy, even to prevent war. The story is a complex web of deceit, involving forgery, sabotage, and even murder, all done to protect the Alpha Quadrant. While it feels more like a political thriller than a typical science fiction story, it demonstrates that Star Trek can tackle mature themes and offer more depth than just space battles and alien encounters. It’s a reminder of the franchise’s ability to explore the difficult choices leading up to conflict.

‘Year of Hell’

‘Star Trek: Voyager’ Season 4, Episodes 8 and 9


Paramount

In the Star Trek: Voyager storyline “Year of Hell,” the starship Voyager faced a powerful enemy capable of changing time itself – the Krenim. Led by Kurtwood Smith’s character, the Krenim were attempting to save their civilization by rewriting history with a special timeship. When Voyager tried to stop them, it led to a prolonged and devastating conflict lasting months. The crew endured constant attacks and significant damage as they fought a war fought across time, where the only path to victory demanded a great sacrifice.

The two-part episode “Year of Hell” had so much content, the writers briefly thought about turning it into a full season, largely thanks to Kate Mulgrew’s outstanding performance. Expanding on the Kremin’s struggle for survival and the universe-altering stakes would make a thrilling movie. The relentless war with the pursuing Kremin was harsh and truly dangerous, leaving the crew physically and emotionally scarred by the constant fighting. “Year of Hell” would be a fantastic film, pushing the Voyager crew and ship to their breaking point while exploring the impact on different species and timelines.

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2025-12-22 03:40