Star Trek: The Animated Series S1E02 – Yesteryear

So here we are, only two episodes in, and Star Trek: The Animated Series is already going for the emotional jugular with Yesteryear. If the first episode was a warm-up, this is the episode that lets us know The Animated Series means business. Written by the legendary D C Fontana, it takes us right into Spock’s awkward teenage phase, complete with parental tension and, oh yeah, some casual timeline manipulation. No biggie.

We start off with Kirk and Spock on a routine mission to observe history via the Guardian of Forever—yes, the very same time portal from the classic The City on the Edge of Forever. And while the Guardian once forced Kirk to make one of the most heart-wrenching decisions of his life, this time it’s Spock whose personal history takes centre stage. Of course, things don’t go as planned (do they ever with time travel?), and Spock’s existence gets erased from the timeline. Turns out, Spock’s timeline got scrambled, and it’s up to our favourite half-Vulcan to go back and fix things by… saving his younger self. Yup, Spock has to become his own childhood hero. Talk about high-stakes babysitting.

From a storytelling perspective, Yesteryear is pure Star Trek gold. Not only do we get a deep dive into Spock’s past—cue teenage angst and Vulcan awkwardness—but we also get an episode that could easily have slotted into the live-action series without missing a beat. It’s packed with themes of identity, sacrifice, and family drama, all wrapped up in a neat little time-travel paradox bow. Plus, we meet Spock’s adorable pet sehlat, I-Chaya, who, let’s be honest, could’ve been a merchandising goldmine.

But while the story soars, the animation… well, struggles for take off. Filmation had a distinctly frugal approach to animation that makes Hanna Barbera look positively lavish so don’t expect them to splash the budget on making Vulcan look like the harsh, arid planet we know and love. Instead, we get some pretty basic, flat backdrops and stiff character movements that make even the most heartfelt moments feel like they’re happening in a slideshow. Spock’s emotional journey? It’s all there in the voice acting—because it sure isn’t in the character animation, which has the expressive range of a particularly stoic plank of wood, even by Vulcan standards.

That said, the voice work is on point. Leonard Nimoy brings his A-game, as always, making Spock’s internal struggle feel real, even if the animation can’t quite keep up. And let’s not forget Mark Lenard as Sarek, nailing the gruff yet loving father vibe. The performances here really do all the heavy lifting, making you forget (or at least forgive) the clunky visuals.

Despite the cheap animation, Yesteryear proves that Star Trek doesn’t need flashy effects to hit you right in the feels. This episode packs more emotional punch than some of live-action episodes manage in an hour, all while giving us one of the most essential pieces of Spock lore. It’s classic Trek through and through, reminding us that great storytelling can outshine even the most perfunctory animation.