Sci-Fi Memes
or how about just an episode that presents serious ethical / philosophical / moral dilemmas that leave open ended interpretations, holds a mirror to our current society, provides personal introspection and generally just makes the viewer think critically of the world we all live in.
Nu Trek:
nut
SFX gets dated, but good writing and acting is timeless.
I think what people forget as in the nu trek writing staff is something Ronald D Moore said about writing for TNG. Star Trek was one of the few shows that where they could do all the genres in a single season. One day it would be a western the next it can be a medical drama. The next a courtroom drama.
Most of the new shows it's the same story every season. There is a MacGuffin, the crew does a scavenger hunt to find said MacGuffin and that MacGuffin saves the universe.
Or generally an episode where they just have some people talking a bunch so they can save on special effects. (DS9's Duet comes to mind.)
Want both?
Battlestar Galactica: Come for the battles, stay for the moral quandaries
Know your audience. I’m talking to you, new Trek shows.