With that, yes, these are great episodes. Even if you hold a certain place in your heart for more recent Star Trek series such as The Next Generation, you might have found yourself having trouble going back to the original series. The giant foam props, the ridiculous rubber masks, the corny dialogue, the miles of rick-rack sacrificed for no greater good: there were many reasons to yawn and change the channel when reruns came up. This pick of episodes, however, avoids most of those traits, or at least seems to minimize their presence.
There's no question that these are some of the best for other reasons as well. "The City on the Edge of Forever" is your classic time-travel episode, but it has been said that it plays on Cold War tensions that the audience would have picked up on at the time. "The Trouble with Tribbles" is a genuinely funny episode that brings out some of the best in William Shatner's interaction with his fellow cast. "Balance of Terror" is simply some great edge-of-your-seat stuff, although it seems to incorporate the tactics of submarine warfare more than space warfare. And "Amok Time" contains one of the most iconic fight scenes of the entire series.
Another factor that helps tremendously is the fact that these are remastered episodes. The picture is noticeable more clear and vibrant and the special effects are improved to the point where they are no longer such an eyesore. Just a look at the opening credits is enough to show the difference. Normally, I'd be one to say the classics should not be tampered with, but after watching these 4 episodes, it's amazing how much of a distraction has been lifted. You can realize that the vision of the Star Trek series has been relatively consistent, at its core.
In edition to the lack of episodes, this DVD is also short on extra content. What it does have are teasers for the Blu-Ray edition. That edition boasts access to the original or the remastered content, as well as home movies taken on the set. So your bonus here is basically a big "now look what you have to buy, ya poor schmuck!" Oh and there's an ad for Charmed. So if you're looking for content, you may want to wait. But if you just need a quick dose of some good Star Trek, this will do the job.
