I, Mudd

When this is done I hope to have a list of essential Star Trek episodes, in addition to good ones. I am kind of surprised to find "I, Mudd" makes the list on both counts. Harcourt Fenton Mudd, the recurring character in this episode, had little appeal in his previous episode apart from his awesome name, and I very nearly skipped this episode when I saw he'd be making a second appearance.

However, this episode is deliberately light, and unlike previous attempts, it actually succeeds at being funny. Young Shatner, whose acting I believed to be pretty much beyond repair at this time, actually nails comic timing. Pretty much the entire cast gets a line or two of character development and a moment of crowning glory.

And then they all go insane. Literally every character of importance on the Enterprise, of their own free will, acts like a ninny for a full twenty minutes for LEGITIMATE STORY PURPOSES. It's glorious.

They do, however, abandon Harry Mudd on a planet to fend for himself at the end, similar to the events in Space Seed. So where's Star Trek XII: The Wrath of Mudd?