“A Piece of the Action” (Season 2, Episode 20)
What It’s About: The Enterprise shows up at a planet visited a century ago by the USS Horizon — before the Federation’s policy of non-interference — and discovers a culture modeled closely on the Chicago mobs of the 1920s.
Why It’s Good: “A Piece of the Action” probably isn’t the best episode of the Original Series, but it’s unquestionably the most fun. For a galaxy-spanning show set in the far future, Star Trek is really fond of playing around in Earth’s past, and there’s no episode that does it better than this self-consciously silly love-letter to pulp gangsters.
It’s a brilliant example of an episode that plays to the actors’ strengths: “A Piece of the Action” is basically built around William Shatner’s talent for chewing scenery, and boy howdy, does the man deliver, hamming it up in a brilliant parody of hard-boiled gangster posturing.
“A Piece of the Action” is also a terrific showcase for how funny Leonard Nimoy can be when he gets the chance: while Kirk channels a fast-talking mob boss, spouting slang and lecturing an unwilling audience of gangsters from atop a pool table, his first officer’s dry, mannered humor steals more than its share of scenes.
Why It’s Trek: For a galaxy-hopping sci-fi show set in the far future, Star Trek loved nothing more than pulling out the period Earth costumes. “A Piece of the Action” is a clever twist on that motif. It’s also an interesting exploration of the evolution of the Federation, and the ramifications and roots of its relatively recent non-interference policy.
Definitive Scene: Kirk improvises his way out of a tight spot by inventing Fizzbin, a Calvinball-esque card game. (No, it’s not actually playable.)
