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Prior to William Shatner donning the Captain James T. Kirk uniform and Leonard Nimoy taking on the role of Mr. Spock, exploring the final frontier in “Star Trek,” the duo actually appeared in a legendary spy series. Just two years earlier, in 1964, Shatner and Nimoy had parts in the spy series “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” specifically in an episode named “The Project Strigas Affair.”
In the episode, both performers portray minor roles, amidst a plot that is nearly absurdly intricate. As a diplomatic figure strives to escalate tensions between East and West — a trope often seen — U.N.C.L.E. aims to thwart it and subdue the diplomat without martyring him. The agents devise an outrageous scheme by establishing a phony project, Project Strigas, to entice the engineer and fulfill their objective.
This episode holds an IMDb score of 8.6 out of 10, accumulated from over 330 reviews, marking it as the second highest-rated of the series — the top spot is held by “The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair,” which also features a thrillingly chaotic storyline, rated at 8.7 out of 10. Despite that, “The Project Strigas Affair,” is recognized as one of the most reviewed episodes of the series, especially since many others have received around 200 reviews or fewer. The participation of Shatner and Nimoy likely contributes to that statistic.