Screenwriter and story editor Dorothy “D.C.” Fontana wrote or co-wrote ten episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series and her Star Trek legacy cannot be overstated. Aside from creator Gene Roddenberry, very few writers had as much influence on Star Trek as D.C. Fontana. Dorothy went from being Roddenberry’s secretary to one of the few women writers working in Hollywood at the time, and Fontana eventually became one of the youngest story editors in television. Fontana helped craft some of Star Trek’s most influential characters and storylines, including several elements of Vulcan culture.

D.C. Fontana’s first official Star Trek script was for “Charlie X,” based upon a story proposed by Gene Roddenberry. After Fontana proved herself to be a strong writer, she began to develop her own ideas into stories, gaining more freedom as a screenwriter. Notably, Fontana came up with the idea for “Journey to Babel,” which introduced Spock’s parents, Ambassador Sarek (Mark Lenard) and Amanda Grayson (Jane Wyatt). Although Fontana left Star Trek’s production team before the show’s third season, she continued to pen scripts on a freelance basis. Here are D.C. Fontana’s 10 Star Trek episodes ranked worst to best.

10

“The Way To Eden” (Story With Arthur Heinemann, Teleplay By Arthur Heinemann)

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 3, Episode 20

When the USS Enterprise rescues a group of travelers from a stolen shuttle, the newcomers take over the ship in pursuit of the mythical planet of Eden. Led by a man named Dr. Sevrin (Skip Homeier), the members of this group have rejected modern society and embraced a nomadic lifestyle as they search for Eden. Oddly, Spock (Leonard Nimoy) understands these space hippies, despite their seemingly illogical views.

At the end of Star Trek‘s “The Way to Eden,” Sevrin and his followers steal a shuttlecraft and travel to Eden, only to find the planet to be dangerous. Although the planet looks beautiful, the plants secrete powerful acids and grow poisonous fruit. D.C. Fontana is credited under the pseudonym Michael Richards, as she was unhappy with the many changes made to the script. Her original teleplay, entitled “Joanna,” featured the daughter of Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley).

9

“That Which Survives” (Story, Teleplay By John Meredyth Lucas)

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 3, Episode 17

When Captain Kirk and a landing party are stranded on a strange planet, a mysterious woman named Losira (Lee Meriwether) attacks both the landing party and the crew aboard the Enterprise. In command of the Enterprise, Spock works to get back to Kirk and the landing party, while a version of Losira wreaks havoc on the ship’s systems. Another version of Losira kills one of the landing party members and injures Lt. Sulu (George Takei).

On the planet, the landing party eventually finds and destroys a large computer, which had been powering the various Losiras as a security measure for the planet. A disease had previously wiped out the planet’s inhabitants, leaving their security system defending an empty planet. D.C. Fontana was apparently frustrated by the way her original story was changed, and she used the pseudonym of Michael Richards for her story credit.

8

“Friday’s Child” (Story & Teleplay)

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 11

When the Starship Enterprise visits Capella IV to negotiate a mining contract, they discover that the Klingons have already made an offer. Although the Capellan leader, Akaar (Ben Gage), initially sides with the Federation, another Capellan challenges him and they begin fighting amongst themselves. After Akaar is killed in the fighting, Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Spock, and Dr. McCoy help his pregnant wife, Eleen (Julie Newmar), escape into the nearby hills.

Dr. McCoy helps Eleen deliver her baby, and she returns to her people, eventually becoming her son’s regent and allying with the Federation. D.C. Fontana came up with the storyline of “Friday’s Child” because she wanted to explore a story about a strong female character who did not necessarily want children. The final version of the story remains very similar to the idea Fontana pitched, although the Klingon presence was added later.

7

“By Any Other Name” (Teleplay With Jerome Bixby, Story By Jerome Bixby)

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 22

In Star Trek’s “By Any Other Name,” Captain Kirk and his crew encounter Rojan (Warren Stevens) and Kelinda (Barbara Bouchet) of the Kelvan Empire, who immediately take control of the Enterprise. Non-humanoid beings who have temporarily taken human form, the Kelvans threaten Kirk and his crew by turning some of the crew members into blocks of chalk. To combat the Kelvans, Kirk begins appealing to their new human emotions, eventually causing them to question their purpose.

When Kirk points out that Rojan and his descendants will be far more human than his ancestors, Rojan returns control of the Enterprise to Kirk. When writer Jerome Bixby’s original script was deemed too dark, D.C. Fontana helped lighten the tone, and the result is a perfectly fine episode that relies a bit too much on tropes Star Trek has visited numerous times before.

6

“Charlie X” (Teleplay, Story By Gene Roddenberry)

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1, Episode 2

Based on one of Gene Roddenberry’s original pitches for Star Trek as a series, “Charlie X” follows an unstable 17-year-old boy with extraordinary powers. The USS Enterprise picks up Charlie Evans (Robert Walker), a teenage boy who had survived alone on the planet Thasus after his ship crashed there years before. With no knowledge of social interactions, Charlie quickly gets under the skin of the Enterprise crew.

Charlie soon displays telekinetic abilities, causing crew members to vanish when they upset him and eventually taking control of the Enterprise. The Thasians return to retrieve Charlie, forcing him to join their society of non-physical beings in a surprisingly dark ending for Star Trek. Although the concept for “Charlie X” came from Roddenberry, D.C. Fontana proved her skills as a writer in the execution, making the story frightening and memorable.

5

“The Ultimate Computer” (Teleplay, Story By Laurence N. Wolfe)

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 24

When Dr. Richard Daystrom (William Marshall) upgrades the computers on the USS Enterprise, the new M-5 Multitronic System takes over the ship’s controls. Initially, the M-5 system runs through tactical maneuvers, expertly defending the Enterprise against attack drills. Before long, however, the system begins initiating actual attacks on other Federation ships, and Daystrom cannot disable it.

Having failed to replicate his earlier successes and now having caused unnecessary deaths, Daystrom begins suffering a psychotic break. Captain Kirk eventually talks the M-5 system into disabling itself, saving the Enterprise from destruction. Laurence N. Wolfe’s initial concept focused even more on Daystrom and his computer, and D.C. Fontana did heavy rewrites to shift the focus more to Kirk and the Enterprise.

4

“Tomorrow Is Yesterday” (Story & Teleplay)

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1, Episode 19

When the USS Enterprise inadvertently travels back in time to the 1960s, Captain Kirk and his crew must ensure they do not disrupt the timeline. Upon arriving in the past, U.S. Air Force pilot Captain John Christopher (Roger Perry ) flies to intercept the Enterprise and is beamed on board. Kirk initially decides that Christopher must remain on the Enterprise, but later learns he must return to Earth due to the future importance of his son.

When Kirk is captured on Earth, Christopher helps Spock and the Enterprise crew rescue their Captain. Spock and Lt. Mongomery Scott (James Doohan) eventually devise a way for the Enterprise to travel back to the future and undo any changes they made to the timeline. Although D.C. Fontana had previously written the teleplay for “Charlie X” based on Gene Roddenberry’s idea, “Tomorrow is Yesterday” was the first Star Trek episode written solely by a woman.

3

“This Side Of Paradise” (Teleplay, Story With Nathan Butler)

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1, Episode 24

The Starship Enterprise arrives at Omicron Ceti III to find the people living a happy and healthy existence despite the dangerous Berthold rays bathing the planet. One of the colonists, Leila Kalomi (Jill Ireland), had previously been in love with Spock, although he had been unable to return her affections. When Leila shows Spock the plants that allow the colonists to thrive on the planet, he becomes affected by the plant’s spores.

Captain Kirk realizes negative emotions counteract the spores, and he uses this theory to free Spock and the rest of the colonists from their influence. The colonists then agree to be evacuated to a new planet, and Spock laments that he felt true happiness for the first time in his life. It was D.C. Fontana’s rewrite of “This Side of Paradise” that landed her a role as story editor in September 1966.

2

“The Enterprise Incident” (Story & Teleplay)

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 3, Episode 2

In Star Trek‘s classic “The Enterprise Incident,” Captain Kirk takes the USS Enterprise into Romulan space where Romulan ships quickly capture Kirk and Spock. Aboard the Romulan vessel, Spock declares that Kirk has gone insane, and he begins to ingratiate himself with the Romulan Commander (Joanne Linville). After Kirk is supposedly killed, he returns to the Romulan ship disguised as a Romulan in order to steal a cloaking device.

The Enterprise’s trip into Romulan space was planned from the beginning, and Spock aids Kirk in acquiring the cloaking device for the Federation. “The Enterprise Incident” ends with the Romulan Commander a prisoner on the Enterprise, as Spock acknowledges that not all of his feelings for her were feigned. “The Enterprise Incident” is the first Star Trek episode to feature a woman in command of a starship, and D.C. Fontana’s script makes the unnamed Romulan Commander a fascinating guest character.

1

“Journey To Babel” (Story & Teleplay)

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 10

In one of Star Trek: The Original Series’ most iconic episodes, several important dignitaries visit the USS Enterprise, including Spock’s father, Ambassador Sarek. When one of the delegates is murdered, suspicion falls on Sarek and the stress exacerbates his heart condition. Dr. McCoy determines that Sarek needs emergency surgery, and Spock must act as a blood donor. The situation grows more complicated when Kirk is attacked and Spock must take over command.

The injured Kirk relieves Spock on the bridge so he can assist with his father’s surgery, and Kirk uncovers that the Andorain delegate, Thelev (William O’Connell), was behind the attacks and was actually an Orion in disguise. After Sarek awakens from his successful surgery, he and Spock begin to reconcile their differences as Amanda lovingly expresses her exasperation with both of them. With insight into Spock’s backstory and a look at Federation politics, “Journey to Babel” remains one of the most important episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series and the best example of D.C. Fontana’s writing prowess.