Star Trek 2x20 "Return to Tomorrow"

rating: **

Memory Alpha summary

Callbacks I can think of: Next Generation's "Power Play," Deep Space Nine's "The Passenger," Voyager's "Vis a Vis" and "Demon" (with its sequel "Course: Oblivion"), and Enterprise's "Observer Effect."

The idea of body-hopping, borrowing someone else's body.  That's what "Return to Tomorrow" is all about.  It's pretty interesting in this original incarnation.  There's even a prototype for Kirk's "Risk is part of the game" quote from Generations.

via Trek Caps. Not a young Dr. Pulaski.  But the same actress.

A fun episode.  I'm bumping the rating up by one star from what I originally gave it, just because it's a good representation of the series and a clear predecessor for something that franchise did in abundance (clearly not all classics, but they were all interesting).  At its core Star Trek, and certainly its original incarnation, is about visiting different sci-fi concepts every week.  Sometimes the execution is better than other times.

And sure, it must be noted that the title is hardly a memorable, descriptive, or even evocative one, poetic in a very roundabout way.  So that'll be one reason you probably don't remember it.  But all told, you probably should.

four quarter analysis
franchise * series * essential * character

notable quest-stars:
Diana Muldaur
Majel Roddenberry