Deep Space Nine 4x8 "Little Green Men"

rating: ****

the story: Quark, Rom, and Nog end up in Roswell, NM, and become the source of the persistent rumors of...

what it's all about: In the spirit of classic franchise romps like "The Trouble with Tribbles" (fans tend to overlook that it's the "grim" Deep Space Nine that brought back this tradition, other than Next Generation's aberrant "Fistful of Datas"), "Little Green Men" is the best of the "Ferengi episodes," pulling the series' trio of that species into the past and generally lampooning the mid-20th century, making the aliens the most relatable characters in the story. 

Is there really much more that needs to be said?  By now you've seen what I thought about the fourth season's attempt to reboot the appeal of Deep Space Nine, and the various ways already attempted to appeal to a broader selection of viewers.  "Green Men" brings outright comedy into the equation, and like "The Visitor" before it as a standout experience it ranks among the best selling points the series was ever going to achieve.  You don't particularly need to worry about knowing anything else to enjoy it, and this is a good thing where other times it was a drag on an overall experience that generally benefited from commitment to the mythos.  Fans will appreciate the significance of Nog's journey to Earth for formal admittance to Starfleet Academy, as well as the various levels of support he receives from Quark (his uncle) and Rom (his father).  Casual viewers will probably get a kick out of a late-episode addition to the familiar faces running around a story that otherwise avoids the station and most of the regulars, one of the better uses of an element of Deep Space Nine from the very start.  (I'd really like to spoil it here, but it's such a great surprise!)

Bottom line, a goofy and hugely endearing experience.

criteria analysis:

• franchise - A welcome return to the idea of the Star Trek farce.
• series - It somehow remains grounded in Deep Space Nine lore at the same time.
• character - A remarkable spotlight for the Ferengi trio of Quark, Rom, and Nog.
• essential - It's a classic, easily.

notable guest-stars:
Aron Eisenberg (Nog)
Max Grodenchik (Rom)
Charles Napier
Megan Gallagher

Star Trek 3x20 "The Way to Eden"

rating: ***

Memory Alpha summary

Most often contended to be the "hippie episode" (although the earlier "This Side of Paradise" more accurately represents that description; perhaps the benefit of hindsight holds the difference, where one depicts how they're remembered now while the other how they considered themselves at the time), "The Way to Eden" is something of the Charles Manson story in space.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier later paralleled much of the same story, while Deep Space Nine explored the back-to-nature idea in "Paradise," and there's Star Trek: Insurrection to consider as well, plus similarities to "Fusion" (the start of a whole character arc) in Enterprise.  That adds up to something of a considerable legacy for the episode.

via Pinterest

It's also a Chekov episode, continuing the third season trend of coming up with stories for the supporting cast a little more frequently.  It's his lady friend (in the original version it was actually McCoy's daughter, and the other half of the equation was Kirk...which would certainly have made things far more interesting...!) who's caught up in the would-be Manson's plot to rediscover Eden (in this case, the title of the episode is actually pretty straightforward for a change).  Eventually Chekov's spotlight gives way to Spock, and has the benefit of giving new insights into both characters, contrasting with what we previously thought we knew. 

All that adds up to plenty going on in the episode.  "Way to Eden" is one of those episodes that's probably better now then it seemed at the time.

four quarter analysis
franchise * series * essential * character

notable guest-stars 
Majel Roddenberry
Charles Napier