Star Trek’s 15 Best Time Travel Episodes, Ranked

One of the most important recurring tropes in “Star Trek” is using time journey, one thing that is existed for the reason that earliest days of the franchise. Through the technological developments accessible sooner or later, the primary characters have traveled into the previous, future, and alternate realities and timelines in various capacities. The franchise has inventively used this narrative mechanic through the years, creating among the largest plot twists that we by no means noticed coming. In many circumstances among the greatest “Star Trek” tales of all time closely contain using time journey.

Simply put, we adore it when “Star Trek” bends the principles of space-time, with its fan-favorite characters touring by way of the timestream. This can contain extra standard time journey or the characters being caught in temporal loops and anomalies as they discover the cosmos. While we actually love “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” and “Star Trek: First Contact,” we’re sticking with the franchise’s time journey tales on tv. 

With that in thoughts, listed below are “Star Trek’s” 15 greatest time journey episodes, ranked and prepared for followers to take a look at.

The greatest “Star Trek: Enterprise” episode ever is the third season installment “Twilight,” set on the top of the Xindi War. While rescuing T’Pol (Jolene Blalock) from a spatial anomaly, Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) endures a grievous damage and is contaminated by mysterious parasites. These parasites severely inhibit Archer’s long-term reminiscences, forcing him to be relieved from his command, paving the best way for the Xindi to conquer humanity. But 12 years later, Doctor Phlox (John Billingsley) discovers a remedy for Archer’s situation, which can retroactively right the timeline and forestall Earth’s defeat from happening.

“Twilight” captures the hazard and darkness that “Enterprise” grew to become recognized for in its later seasons, delving into humanity’s precarious early interactions with new worlds and new civilizations. The episode not solely highlights how vital Archer’s well being is to the integrity of the timeline, however affords an creative strategy to avert historical past from being irrevocably altered. A time-bending story of how the devotion that Archer evokes from his crew saves the day, “Twilight” is “Enterprise” at its greatest.

The collection finale for “Star Trek: Voyager,” the two-parter “Endgame,” revolves solely round using time journey. The episode opens with the surviving members of the USS Voyager celebrating their return to Earth 10 years prior, regardless of struggling grave private losses and a 23-year trek. Determined to vary the destiny of her crew, an older Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) travels again in time with superior expertise to assist her youthful self lead Voyager residence sooner. This includes the Voyager touring by way of a area dominated by the Borg Collective, culminating within the time-traveling Janeway confronting the Borg Queen (Alice Krige).

“Endgame” gives an exhilarating, cinematic ending for “Star Trek: Voyager” and a cheerful ending from the jaws of sure tragedy. The Borg had already established themselves as a serious presence in “Voyager” and had been additionally no strangers to time journey tales. This all coalesces into an epic finale, with Admiral Janeway impressed by her previous crew on one final journey. A becoming finale for “Voyager” and its arduous journey, “Endgame” affords a satisfying story facilitated by a time-traveling Janeway.

“Star Trek: The Next Generation” featured loads of memorable episodes coping with temporal shenanigans throughout its seven-season run, together with the sixth season installment “Timescape.” While returning to the Enterprise in a runabout, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and a small touchdown social gathering discover the starship and a Romulan warbird frozen in time. Developing makeshift gadgets to forestall themselves from being affected by the temporal disruptions, the group investigates what is going on occurring to the 2 vessels. More than only a potential hazard to each ships and their respective crews, Picard and his unaffected associates notice there’s something extra sinister at work.

With its frozen in time visuals and the story’s overarching sense of thriller, “Timescape” is an efficient, problem-solving oriented story. In phrases of time journey mechanics, the timestream across the Enterprise is not simply frozen however advances and resets at varied factors of the story. This creates some surprises as the story unfolds whereas enjoying with the visible results that assist the episode stand out. An important “Next Generation” episode that everybody ought to watch, “Timespace” blends sci-fi spectacle with a charming thriller of the unknown.

The “Voyager” episode that’s the most time-travel intensive, when it comes to temporal mechanics, is the fifth season installment “Relativity.” Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) is plucked from the timestream by a twenty ninth century Starfleet vessel moments earlier than Voyager is destroyed by a bomb, inflicting a time paradox. Seven is distributed to totally different factors of Voyager’s existence, together with earlier than it was misplaced within the Delta Quadrant as a part of her investigation. Teaming up with Janeway throughout her visits, Seven identifies the offender and stops the ship’s destruction to rectify the timeline.

With a very pronounced time-bending premise, “Relativity” is an episode that asks its viewers’ full consideration to observe alongside. Jeri Ryan and Kate Mulgrew do an excellent job of enjoying totally different variations of their characters at totally different factors within the timeline, highlighting their rapport. The episode itself performs out like a cosmic homicide thriller, with a stunning offender in its last twist. A strong time journey story that makes nice use of Ryan’s Seven, “Relativity” has enjoyable with its premise, even when its wider implications do not make that a lot sense.

Of your entire “Deep Space Nine” major solid, Miles O’Brien (Colm Meaney) stood because the crew’s unassuming everyman. The third season episode “Visionary” thrust O’Brien in the midst of a time journey journey involving his personal doable demise. Suffering from radiation publicity, O’Brien quickly beneficial properties the power to glimpse 5 hours into the longer term at a time. When it turns into clear that your entire house station is in peril, the O’Brien of 1 timeline sacrifices himself to warn his future self about what’s coming.

With steadily mounting stakes throughout every subsequent look into the longer term, “Visionary” affords an excellent showcase for Meaney. O’Brien was all the time one thing of an unsung hero for the collection, not less than till “Lower Decks” made him an important man in “Star Trek” historical past. “Visionary” is prime proof about why that distinction is well-earned, albeit in a extra understated approach than most explosive “DS9” episodes. An important character-centric story for Miles O’Brien, “Visionary” is a largely underrated episode within the collection.

Though maybe higher recognized for Kelsey Grammer’s “Star Trek” cameo, the “Next Generation” episode “Cause and Effect” is without doubt one of the collection’ greatest. The Enterprise is caught in a temporal loop with the USS Bozeman, a Starfleet vessel lacking for over 90 years, leading to each ships’ destruction. With time resetting after each destruction, the crew begins to develop a heightened sense of déjà vu whereas Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) detects audio indicators from previous loops. Using his distinctive positronic mind, Data (Brent Spiner) applications a clue into himself in a future loop for the right way to avert the ships from repeating their collision.

With its temporal loop mechanics extra successfully staged than realized, “Cause and Effect” had TV stations flooded with confused calls from viewers. Kicking off issues with an explosion, the episode actually captures the viewers’s consideration from soar earlier than steadily constructing out its thriller. That sense of repetition that the crew begins to steadily expertise spreads to the viewers, fueling a common unease earlier than an answer is found. A solidly crafted looping narrative, “Cause and Effect” showcases “TNG” firing on all cylinders.

One of essentially the most memorable tales in “Voyager” was the fourth season two-parter “Year of Hell.” After taking a shortcut by way of hostile territory, Voyager is severely broken by a temporal disruption, making them targets of enemies within the area. The episode chronicles the starship persevering with their journey for the next 12 months, struggling additional damages and heavy casualties alongside the best way. During this grueling trek, the ship encounters a mysterious time-traveling vessel linked to the temporal disruptions.

Early on, “Year of Hell” was thought of to final for a complete season of “Star Trek: Voyager” earlier than it was condensed into two episodes. The determination to streamline the story works for the perfect, offering simply sufficient time for the Voyager to endure its disastrous detour earlier than revealing its time-traveling stakes. This additionally helps the conclusion of the story have a powerful payoff, with its completely happy ending a aid given the harrowing highway to succeed in that time. Easily one of many best “Voyager” episodes, “Year of Hell” encapsulates the determined tone when the present was at its greatest.

“Star Trek: The Animated Series” is without doubt one of the most underrated exhibits within the franchise or, on the very least, is a forgotten spin-off value revisiting. Among the highlights from the two-season collection is the episode “Yesteryear,” inserting Spock (Leonard Nimoy) on an journey into his personal historical past. While present process temporal analysis by way of the Guardian of Forever, Spock’s place within the timeline is inadvertently threatened. This forces Spock to return to Vulcan throughout his personal childhood to make sure that his future can be restored and preserved.

“Yesteryear” is without doubt one of the greatest “Star Trek” Spock episodes no matter collection or period for the franchise. The story gives invaluable perception on Spock’s background, together with the unhappier parts of his upbringing on Vulcan. The episode additionally exemplifies what “TAS” was all about, utilizing the chances of animation to ship thought-provoking tales on par with “The Original Series.” If there’s any single episode of “Star Trek: The Animated Series” to look at, “Yesteryear” stands out because the strongest contender.

The “Voyager” episode “Blink of an Eye” does not take care of standard time journey a lot as revolve its whole story round time dilation. The Voyager turns into trapped within the magnetic area of a planet enveloped in a tachyon area that impacts how time passes on its floor. While the crew develops a strategy to proceed their journey, time on the planet passes 58 days for each minute on the ship. With the ship seen from the planet’s floor, the indigenous inhabitants tries to contact or destroy the ship to cease its dangerous results to their surroundings.

“Blink of an Eye” affords a novel tackle “Star Trek” characters inadvertently contaminating native cultures with their presence. The time dilation mechanics present an intriguing instructions for the story, particularly as soon as the Voyager crew realizes the implications of their influence on the planet. The episode additionally incorporates a memorable guest-starring look from Daniel Dae Kim as an astronaut from the planet who endures a go to to the Voyager, unpacking the story’s penalties. A strong sci-fi story with an fascinating idea at its core, “Blink of an Eye” weaves a time-bending story as solely “Star Trek” can.

Not all of “Deep Space Nine” is doom and gloom ensuing from the tense Dominion War storyline dominating its later seasons. One of the perfect “Deep Space Nine” episodes veers closely into time-traveling comedy, with the fifth season’s “Trials and Tribble-ations.” A celebration of the franchise’s thirtieth anniversary, the episode has the DS9 crew journey again in time to the occasions of the “TOS” story “The Trouble with Tribbles.” Sisko and his crew forestall a time-traveling Arne Darvin (Charlie Brill) from assassinating Captain Kirk and altering historical past.

“Trials and Tribble-ations” lets the “DS9” solid showcase their comedic chops and they don’t disappoint in that regard. The crossover retains all of the comical enchantment of its “TOS” supply materials whereas including a recent time journey twist to the story. Seeing the characters attempt to match into this basic period by no means outstays its welcome proper all the way down to its closing scene. “Trials and Tribble-ations” is a powerful reminder that not each time journey story, or “DS9” episode, needs to be so self-serious on a regular basis.

Another efficient intra-franchise crossover is “Those Old Scientists,” bringing collectively “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” and “Star Trek: Lower Decks.” While investigating an historical portal, Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) and Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) are by chance transported again to the twenty third century. Picked up by the Enterprise whereas it is captained by Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), Boimler and Mariner are stunned by how the crew seems in comparison with historical past. The two characters seek for a strategy to return to their very own time whereas attempting to not contaminate the timeline and cope with a hostile Orion vessel.

“Those Old Scientists” is a wonderful and hilarious tribute to “Star Trek” fandom delivered to life by two fan-favorite casts. Quaid and Newsome make the transition to live-action with their animated characters seamlessly, with “Lower Decks'” model of humor becoming into “Strange New Worlds.” Moreover, the time journey story bringing each exhibits collectively feels natural to the broader “SNW” story being instructed in its second season. A spotlight within the “Star Trek” resurgence on Paramount+, “Those Old Scientists” celebrates the franchise because it charts a brand new future.

Arguably essentially the most emotionally devastating episodes from “Deep Space Nine,” the fourth season episode “The Visitor” facilities its deal with father and son. A subspace accident leaves Sisko drifting by way of time, periodically reuniting along with his son Jake (Cirroc Lofton) for temporary intervals. Jake turns into obsessive about discovering a strategy to rescue his father from his ethereal destiny, even at immense price to his private life. This culminates in a surprising sacrifice from an older Jake (Tony Todd) solely fueled by his deep love for his father.

“The Visitor” is so highly effective and has related with followers on such a profound degree that the “Deep Space Nine” episode modified Tony Todd’s life. After watching the episode, it is simple to see why, with its time-bending twist leaving viewers as shattered as Sisko. The entire story solely works if we imagine the lengths Jake will go to avoid wasting his father and each Lofton and Todd ship that high quality in full. An absolute heartbreaker with a novel time-travel hook, “The Visitor” stands because the saddest second within the “Star Trek” franchise.

One of essentially the most enigmatic figures in “The Next Generation” is Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg), who will get a serious position within the third season episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise.” The episode opens with the Enterprise-D, the collection’ major starship, encountering the long-lost Enterprise-C in a mysterious time rift. This adjustments the timeline radically, with solely Guinan conscious that actuality has been altered round her on the Enterprise-D. Working with the previously deceased bridge officer Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby), Guinan should persuade the Enterprise-C to return to its personal time and restore historical past.

With rewrites to the script and a good manufacturing schedule, “Yesterday’s Enterprise” was one of many collection’ hardest episodes to provide. There is so much that is occurring on this episode, from the reappearance of a misplaced starship to the sudden return of Tasha in a darker imaginative and prescient of the twenty fourth century. But the episode balances all these plot traces and parts nicely, whereas presenting probably the greatest time journey tales within the franchise. A time journey episode with penalties resurfacing later within the collection, “Yesterday’s Enterprise” demonstrates “The Next Generation” at its easiest.

Just as “The Next Generation” started with the all-powerful Q (John de Lancie) testing Picard to see whether or not humanity is worthy of existence, its finale continues this trial. In his newest problem to Picard, Q whisks the starship captain to 3 totally different factors in his life, together with his first day on the Enterprise and his twilight years. Picard should resolve the thriller tying all three temporal factors collectively in an effort to impress Q. The future timeline includes Picard having to reunite along with his previous crew, whilst they stand divided by circumstances since their time collectively on the Enterprise.

The greatest “Star Trek” collection finale up to now, “All Good Things…” celebrates the present’s historical past whereas peering into its doable future. The episode successfully recreates the aesthetics from the collection premiere whereas providing fascinating doable futures for its acquainted characters. In having Q function the engine for the story, the finale affords a wonderful parallel to the present’s very first episode. An ideal bookend tying collectively Q’s greatest moments throughout the franchise, “All Good Things..” offers “The Next Generation” the sendoff it deserves.

“Star Trek” followers most likely guessed that “The City on the Edge of Forever” was going to prime this record, and that is for good purpose. An episode that towers above the remainder of “The Original Series,” the story clearly establishes the emotional and ethical depths the franchise is able to. The episode has a quickly crazed Doctor McCoy (DeForest Kelley) journey again to America within the Thirties and by chance change historical past. Kirk and Spock pursue their time-displaced pal, with Kirk falling in love with native social employee Edith Keeler (Joan Collins) solely to comprehend the longer term rests in her grim destiny.

Given its vaunted status, it ought to go with out saying, however “The City on the Edge of Forever” is a vital “Original Series” episode everybody ought to watch not less than as soon as. Compared to the campier tales within the collection, the episode delivers a grounded story with real stakes and palpable emotional fallout. William Shatner was hardly ever in finer type along with his efficiency as a morally conflicted Kirk right here, evident proper all the way down to its somber ending scene. The story about sacrifices wanted for the higher good, particularly with the space-time continuum at stake, “The City on the Edge of Forever” is “Star Trek” at its easiest.