Author: Greg Chaffins

If you are reading this blog then you probably either have or know someone that has watched Star Trek: The Original Series more than once.  While this television show has withstood the test of time and continues to be popular, there are certain plot elements that were used more than once.  While this is not uncommon in a television series, it is entertaining to see the statistics of the plot usage. Kudos to ex-astris-scientia.org for getting these interesting plot counts together. So, without further ado:

Rank in total usage/series usage count 

• 10. A Federation official influences the development of an alien planet: 4
• 9. Kirk argues a computer to death: 4
• 8. An enormous machine/being has to be destroyed to save the galaxy: 5
• 7. Being a Vulcan, Spock is immune to an infection/injury/radiation: 5
• 6. A whole planet is under computer control: 7
• 5. A scientist or Federation official goes insane: 8
• 4. A superior being/race holds our heroes hostage for their enjoyment: 8
• 3. McCoy finds the cure for a previously unknown disease in a matter of hours: 10
• 2. Kirk’s womanizing qualities help solve a critical situation: 12
• 1. Kirk engages in a brawl and/or has his shirt torn: 25
   

I personally am surprised the number of times Kirk engages in a brawl was not higher, but that number (25) is getting close enough to half of the episodes to sound about right.  That is one thing I loved about the original series, it really lived up to Roddenberry’s “Wagon train to the stars” concept.

Aloha from the Beach,
greg

source:ex-astris-scientia.org