REVERSE THRUSTERS!

Justin Lin’s three fave Original Series episodes

“The Cage”

“I was eight years old. I didn’t know they were reruns. So the one episode that always stuck with me was the original pilot with Pike. Because I’d watch it and be like, ‘Wait, what happened to Kirk?’ The scene with Bones and Kirk [in Star Trek Beyond] was inspired by the interaction of Pike and his doctor in that episode. That episode to me was always, ‘You can be an explorer, but at some point you’re gonna question yourself, if everything is so vast and endless.’”

“The Enterprise Incident”

“That last line between Spock and the Romulan Commander [‘It was the only choice possible. You would not respect any other.’]. I don’t think I truly understood it when I was young. But as you get older, you see it again, and you’re like, ‘Oh!’ That one I really love. Because there was so much humanity in the way Spock delivered that line.’”

“The City ON The edge Of Forever”

“Obviously everybody has this on their list, and I’ve got to put it in the top three for sure. You get older and hear the backstory for it. The idea that they were over budget. That to me is so awesome. People don’t know if you spend a dollar or $100m. It’s ultimately what’s on screen. There was a limitation in saying, ‘Hey, we have some props and wardrobe that you guys can use. Try to make it with this amount of money…’ And they ended up with a brilliant episode.”