While transferring a ship full of volatile Federation ambassadors to a crucial interplanetary conference, the Enterprise is pursued by a mysterious alien vessel with unknown motives. That increases tension among the passengers, which include Spock’s human mother, Amanda, and his Vulcan father, Ambassador Sarek, with whom he has been estranged for years. When Sarek falls ill and Captain Kirk is attacked and seriously wounded by one of the alien passengers, Spock insists on taking command of the Enterprise, which leaves him unwilling to perform the vital blood transfusion needed to save his father’s life. It’s hard to imagine another “Star Trek” episode that has more going on in it than “Journey to Babel,” but it all comes together seamlessly, thanks to a brilliant teleplay by Dorothy Fontana, the always-proficient direction of Joseph Pevney and stellar performances from the entire cast. “Journey to Babel” is a beloved “Star Trek” classic that literally has it all — action, suspense, heart and even a little bit of humor — which is why it still has the last word and holds up to this very day.

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