Review of The City on the Edge of Forever

It's somehow fitting that the best episode of 'Star Trek' should have taken longer, cost more, and had more controversy attached to it than any other regular season show. There are a number of things one can point to in 'The City on the Edge of Forever' as reasons it should be considered the best, primarily the quality of the writing. Harlan Ellison's original script was not used for several reasons and yet clearly much of what he wrote survived into the final version and it deservedly won a 1968 Hugo Award. The episode seems so much more than just that... it really feels at times as though you're watching a very good motion picture. The eerie beginning, the near-hopelessness of the situation, the interplay between the characters, and that heart-pounding next to last scene where Edith Keeler dies all combine to make 'City on the Edge of Forever' something very special, many times better than the average episode. And just as amazing, it is still 'Star Trek.' There is so much packed into the fifty-minute show and yet it doesn't seem rushed or forced. We actually sit through the opening and first act before Kirk and Spock even arrive in Earth's past. The pivotal character of Edith Keeler is played by Joan Collins (long before 'Dynasty') and it is a perfect bit of casting. The dialogue throughout is sharp and to the point. At one point in the 21st Street Mission where the two officers find themselves portraying homeless men, Spock says, "I'll finish with the furnace." And Keeler promptly adds, "Captain? Even when he doesn't say it, he does." There are many wonderful touches like that throughout the episode. I wouldn't want to take sides in any Ellison/Roddenberry dispute over 'City on the Edge of Forever,' because they both have good reason to feel proud of it. Ellison not only for the original concept and written version, but also for the literacy and magical sense of wonder he imbues the story with, and Roddenberry for bringing it to life within the constraints of a one-hour network television episode, and doing so with the rest of the 'Star Trek' cast and crew masterfully. 'The City on the Edge of Forever' stands apart from other installments in the series, and is a rare achievement.