Posted By Dan Greenfield on Aug 28, 2016 | 2 comments

Life is just a game.

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Every day between now and 9/8 — the 50th anniversary of Star Trek’s debut — we’re counting down our TOP 13 EPISODES.

For the full STAR TREK Top 13 Episode Countdown INDEX — updated daily with new entries and other features — click here.

And bring on those comments — either here or in whichever social-media thread you found this. We want to hear your thoughts!

Now, to #12 …

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THE GAMESTERS OF TRISKELION

One of Juan Ortiz’s great episode posters

I imagine there will be plenty of you surprised by this choice. I’m kind of surprised I ended up choosing it myself.

But the thing is, Star Trek was often at its most entertaining when it was at its cheesiest and few episodes are cheesier than this one.

The premise is so simple: Kirk, Uhura and Chekov are transported to a world where they have to fight aliens in silly outfits to benefit gamblers who want to own them. Uhura and Chekov get more to do in this episode than in others, which makes for a nice change of pace, but it’s Kirk’s “relationship” with the tin-foil-wearing, unrelentingly dim Shahna (Angelique Pettyjohn) that steals the episode.

And for all its forward thinking, Star Trek proved that there was still plenty of political incorrectness to go around in the mid-’60s:

And then there’s this guy!

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NEXT: What Are Little Girls Made Of? Click here.

For the full STAR TREK Top 13 Episode Countdown INDEX — updated daily with new entries and other features — click here.