10 Best Entry Points For Star Trek Newcomers
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- Time and again we're asked - where's the best place for someone to start Star Trek?
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And then there's me, who started with enterprise's broken bow and watched *everything* after that.
I have not regretted it one bit.
Ah, someone who took the long road.... I was introduced to Star Trek back in the 80s before TNG. But I always start my franchise rewatches with Enterprise nowadays.
It's been a long road! But well done getting from there to here!
DS9 "The Way of the Warrior", almost a second pilot for the series; explains everything and also has an action-packed story
Oh that's good
Totally agree, a great place to start
imo skipping the first three seasons is a massive disservice to the series
@@Cdr2002 Yes, but if you have to start from a different place than Emissary, Way of the Warrior is a good second place. I'd rank the episode above Duet overall, even though I think Duet has a better concept and better performances.
@ Duet is fantastic, and it IS a thematic microcosm of everything DS9 is, but it’s not a pilot. As you said, Way of the Warrior is a reintroduction. As a second place to Emissary, I would totally agree with you
I introduced my gf to Star Trek via The Best of Both Worlds, immediately followed by Star Trek First Contact. She had a lot of fun. A few months later, I showed her Regeneration (ENT). After the episode she said: "That was cool, but could we see something without the Borg next time?". I said: "Spoken like a true Star Trek fan 😅"
The introduction I chose for my 12 year old son was first TOS's Trouble with Tribbles followed by DS9's Trials and Tribblelations. He had a blast and now proudly wears a Command Dept TOS delta on his shirt.
For me, DS9's 'Duet' was like TNG's 'Sins of the Father' in that SOOOO much happened in just ONE episode.
My dad is an original series fan from the beginning in the 60s. He knows Next-Gen, but hasn't really seen much past it. We have watched DS9, and like many episodes. This past year, we lost my mom, and had a lot of extra time together. I introduced him to Voyager, and it is one of our favorite things to see together. He is blown away by the charm and good acting. He recognizes that some episodes weren't written very well, but overall, he really loves it.
I too watched the original series in the '60s, and then I watched TNG when it came out. But DS9 just didn't do it for me . . . But then, as my own son approached middle age, he told me that he and his wife enjoyed DS9 more than anything else. So I started from the beginning, and I've now come to the conclusion that DS9 is the best Trek ever. I hope you and your dad can discover it together.
I’m astonished Enterprise didn’t make your list! I always tell everyone to start with Enterprise first! That’s unquestionably the best place for anyone to start!
Agreed. It's modern enough to not seem retro and it starts the story right at the beginning.
Im so confused HOW its not even on the list, imo it should even be #1, simply because the characters are LITERALLY learning along side the viewer about all these aliens and Star Trek tech, like beaming, warp drive, ... !
Like how is Enterprise not on the list, but a popcorn flick like 2009 is very random imo!
@ yeah I agree, I feel like starting with Enterprise should be THE method for newbies. Unfortunately, I think many fans still see Enterprise as having a stigma, and being the show that “killed Star Trek.” And all that stuff should be long since passed now.
TNG, Best of Both Worlds. I got hooked with that cliffhanger as I finished kindergarten.
My sibling has asked me this several times and each time I feel like I have a different answer. I'll definitely send them this video.
Yeah, i have to agree, Discovery Season 2 Episode 1 is a great starting point, as I hadn't seen any of Season 1 when I came across Season 2 in a charity shop for a few pounds, it didn't hurt at all that I hadn't seen Season 1 when I started watching that DVD set.
Love Discovery season 2!
I was aware of the basics of the Star Trek Universe and grew up watching the final (and best) season of Enterprise so when I finally decided to watch all the shows and films in depth I started with Enterprise and then watched the rest in the order they were made since they were the next ones in the chronological timeline
Prodigy Season 3! Come on, let's get on it!
I would add one more option, start with broken bow and watch all of the series in chronological order by setting, not chronological order by release date.
That's how I often re-watch all of Star Trek that I have on physical media, minus the Star Trek reboot series.
I started with Enterprise, officially. I watched some of TOS and TNG when it was on TV late at night, but wasn't able to get into Trek until Enterprise came on the air. I might not necessarily start someone off with it, but it was my intro into all of it.
I started my kids out with Star Trek Prodigy.
❤
Likewise! They've also loved Subspace Rhapsody and bits of TNG S3 that they've watched
Just last weekend I convinced a friend of mine to start watching the franchise. Perfect timing for this video!
My introduction to Trek was Voyager. I can't remember the episode but it was second/third season. I can't remember what particularly 'hooked' me, but from that point I went back to TNG when Voyager encountered the Borg in 'unity' and flowed right into Enterprise after Voyager ended. DS9 came later and somehow I'm grateful for that; the darker tones of the show make certain thing being more appreciated as an adult as opposed to a child. Now I'm hooked for life. May not like everything, but every Trek will have a special place in my life
Voyager was my first star trek show I watched seriously and its a great starting point in my opinion because the show is fun and adventurous. Then deep space 9 is definitely the best star trek show but should be watched after the others.
Voyager is my personal favourite too😅
I had not known until watching this that TOS was aired so much out of production order, and now I'm going back to see it that way, so thanks. They really should've started the run with 'Where No Man Has Gone Before'.
I started with “Encounter at Farpoint”, back when TNG finally reached U.K. shores in 1990. I was only 8 years old, so the more-campy, TOS-redux vibe of that first season was both enjoyable and easy to follow. As the show went on and grew up, so did I and so I know I gradually dipped in and out of previous Treks, either on VHS or TV.
The movie Star Trek: First Contact is a great entry point and I'm shocked it didn't make your cut!
When I was a kid, I'd seen a few episodes of The Animated Series back when Nickelodeon used to air it as part of a Sunday block, so I was at least aware of Star Trek, but wasn't yet hooked.
Years later, one of my cousins spent the summer with us. Early in the season, she sat me down and we watched her tape of The Voyage Home. That was the point of no return for me, and I'm so happy it made it into this list.
I can see the rationale for a lot of these, the one I can’t agree with is The Voyage Home. It may be a quirky time travel episode by itself but it’s a big part of a larger story where characters have evolved through the previous movies. It’s akin to watching Back To The Future Part III first.
If you’re starting your Star Trek journey with an TMP movie, I’d personally recommend watching TOS Space Seed as a primer and go into Star Trek 2-4.
_It’s akin to watching Back To The Future Part III first_
🎯💯
I appreciate the mention of Balance of Terror as that was my first introduction to Star Trek when I was still knee-high to a grasshopper. I would also consider (for some people) that Measure of a Man would be a good intro as well; a classic example of Star Trek moral storytelling.
Discovery is so maligned, but S2 is one my favourite of the entire franchise
My choice would be Star Trek: First Contact… a movie with modern production values but not a Marvel-style action movie, engaging current-day cast, talented and renowned guest stars, an Earth-based story, a built-in Star Trek nativity story, and a relatable and relevant plot that brings out the hopeful message and philosophy of Star Trek.
That's a good choice.
My father was quite fond of The Original Series. In high school, I had a friend who was MASSIVELY into TNG and DS9. However, it took me a while to find myself getting absorbed by the Trek fandom.
For me, my entry was The Voyage Home, so I'm so thrilled to see it on this list.
Beyond that, what was the first *episode* of Star Trek I ever watched? TNG's "Genesis" with the Barclay spider. ...and it didn't deter me, I just watched more and more. I eventually watched almost all of TNG within the span of a year or so, but completely out of order. Thanks rerun syndication. But now I'm totally immersed. I've kinda let Discovery and Prodigy slip past me, so I gotta look into getting caught up on those, but I ADORED Lower Decks and am greatly enjoying Strange New Worlds. ...and, also, The Orville.
Two other TOS episodes worked for me to introduce people to TREK... Amok Time and The Doomsday Machine - and to a more romantic/tradegy sense: City on the edge of Forever
I can remember the 1st episode of star trek I watched, TNG S5E14 Conundrum. I'll be honest seeing the Enterprise take out the enemy ship and those other craft was what made me think maybe Star Trek isn't so boring after all! The way the crew was interacting with each other as they had no memory of each other or themselves made it great as I didn't even know them! Being completely new to the series made the twist even better at the end! If I knew who any of them where I would have see it coming from the start.
But this got me into TNG and it wasn't long after that I brought my first VHS.....it was the best of both worlds part 2 and family. I only chose part 2 because I couldn't afford to buy both and the cover was cooler. FYI this was before the internet was in schools or home.
Honorable mention to the first episode of Enterprise, it was written specifically for introducing Star Trek to a new audience while providing a prequel for a long time fan.
Star Trek 2009 is one of my favourite movies.
Absolute masterpiece. Probably the best Trek film, even if it's my third favourite overall.
Off topic, love the shirt!
It is a 173/10 shirt
I don't know a harder franchise to onboard new viewers than Star Trek. I've been there since the beginning and still never had a good way to approach this. I think this is a fantastic list. Whether people agree with each pick or not, I respect the attempt. 🖖
My first Trek experience was a TV rerun of The Voyage Home. Has worked perfectly for me, haven’t left the franchise and the fandom since.
As a lifelong “Trekkie”, watching from day 1 in 1966, I can see how hard it would be for a newcomer to get into Trek. Especially since some of the latest entries have been so terrible (Section 31 & Discovery & JJ Movies).
My picks
ST:IV 🐳🐳 my personal jumping on point (though I had seen some of TOS as reruns)
Encounter at Farpoint Pt.1 since it introduces the TNG crew and what is IMO the most beautiful ship. And Q.
TAS Yesteryear. The animation may not be the best but the story is short and sweet and thoughtful.
ST:First Contact. Character and action and an excellent story.
An absolute yes to Prodigy. The stories have an but also work as episodes and like TAS they are short. The series does take a few episodes to get off the ground though.
Galaxy Quest. Fun winks and nods to the franchise and fans.
I’ve said similar about Prodigy!
I started with Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, aka The One With The Whales when it was released in cinemas back in 1986. I was 14 at the time, and I was hooked. What I also found cool was the GMC New Look T6H-5305 transit bus from the late 60s in the movie. So I got the best of both worlds (see what I did there?) in that movie, because I'm also a bus fan.
My entry point was Wrath of Khan. A friend of mine had it on VHS. I really do not know how often he have watched it.
My introduction was Star Trek First Contact
TNG Symbiosis was my introduction, as most of the clips in the Reading Rainbow episode “The Bionic Bunny Show” came from that episode. I would say TOS, Trouble with Tribbles is a great starting point with the light hearted humor that eases you into the headier episodes, like Balance of Terror and The Cage.
Those are some very good choices!
I would say some other strong ones are: Space Seed, Trouble with Tribbles, Measure of a Man, Way of the Warrior, Death Wish, I am sure there are others, but I think those are some solid episodes that don't really require any prior knowledge, and you get the gist of what the show is pretty quickly.
Duet was an incredible episode, although I would vote for an alternative ending. The Bajoran still stabs him, and nearly kills him, but Bashir is barely able to save his life, and then he becomes an unexpected ally to Starfleet and the Bajorans, although still has to have security with him at all times especially during busy periods where there are many more Bjørn civilians on the station who had previously been in the resistance, because they are still a threat to him. Ultimately he would still give his life somewhere down the line, but in a noble way to where the majority of the Bajoran people recognize the value of his contributions.
I think ur confusing him with garrick, cause he dies in this episode.
There’s always fanfic for that 🤷🏻♀️💫
The episode is a stunning political drama. It also happens to be a Star Trek episode.
I think your ending, Amanda, while creative, lacks the poignancy that makes "Duet" one of the most powerful episodes ever.
In Germany Star Trek (TOS) came on screen in 1972 when I was five years old. Only half of the episodes available were shown and in random order. The first episode was "Tomorrow ist Yesterday". I think it may also be a good starting point.
For a friend needing an entry point, I showed them Caretaker and Scorpion Part 1. Worked a treat.
Picking Prodigy as your #1 was a bold ... and correct choice.
TOS is like the seed that grows into a giant sequoia: If you've already seen the tree, the seed it grew from is going to undewhelm, but without the seed and all the potential it carries, the tree isn't even possible. It's important, it's worth knowing something about, but I'm not sure it's a good place to start your studies. Prodigy, having been designed from the get-go as a story for people who are too young to assume they have a strong background in the universe, is a much better introduction. Obviously, TOS is similar in that there was no pre-existing background, but the writing is pretty cheesy. It was a product of it's time, so I can't fault the writers too much, but it definitely matured in later iterations.
I thought the 2009 film did a excellent job of telling a new version of the story, not tying themselves so tightly to what had gone before that they were constrained, but balancing that with a plausible (in universe) explanation for how it came about and why it was a true successor of what came before. You certainly don't want to alienate the legacy fans (if you can help it *ahem* Discovery) since they are famously anal about lore and canon, but if you show that you are aware of and respect that you are building on the legacy, people will forgive a lot. I'm still not happy with open flames in Pike's quarters in SNW, but I'm willing to look past that. That said, I do think the Discovery team managed the backlash pretty well. I think, overall their main mistake was insisting that the show was set before TOS and in the Prime timeline. I bet they could have avoided a lot of trouble if they had either set the show in the far future in the first place, or at least been willing to accept a different alternate timeline, but once that ship sailed, "Revenge of the Sith"ing their way back to the starting point worked. Well, worked well enough for me.
Yeah, I like the 2009 films. It's not precisely the TOS crew, but by setting it up as an alternate timeline, it makes room for new stories and new takes without destroying canon. I know there are people who dislike it for the differences, but considering the task, I think they took the right approach and I appreciate the 2009 Trilogy for what it is.
I would not make a recommendation for watching Discovery as an entry point. It's just lacking in so many areas when it comes to what Trek is. At the moment, I'm praying they push it out into an alternate timeline, which seems to be where people are going with it.
Balance of terror is indeed a great episode, I don't remember having seeing it younger. Thanks !
DS9 is my favorite Trek series! I’ve said for years that there is no way season one should’ve had an episode as good as “Duet”! 🖖
Funny enough the thing that got me into Star Trek was during quarantine era I came across clips of Little Green Men of Quark Rom and Nog and found the concept of an episode that explained the Roswell events very interesting. Went and watched it on Netflix and was instantly hooked from there, made me want to start DS9 from the beginning and I did
I would absolutely use SNW to introduce my eldest nephew to Star Trek today as it gives a pure taste of what makes Star Trek so enjoyable.
ST2009 was decent, but I took issue with the pacing and feel it deserves a "Director's Cut" release.
I am rewatching DS9 soon once I get through Babylon 5. Thanks for reminding me of this amazing episode.
While I say I'm a TNG fanboy, it's only because it's the only Trek series I got to see as each episode released for the first time until modern Trek. That said, I think VOY turned out to be my #2 Trek after TNG being my #1 for a good reason. Consequently, SNW has become my new #2 series.
Discovery is officially my most hated series, and I would not let my young nephew watch the series, and I never recommend it to others or even consider it "Star Trek" in my eyes.
PDY is an amazing series of beautiful Star Trek that I'd gladly recommend to my young nephew.
My adult niece, I never seen Star Trek. I chose duet.
I had a few introductions to Star Trek, the first being the TNG novel 'The Devil's Heart', then followed by I'm pretty sure Into Darkness in the week leading up to seeing Beyond (I was reminded that Anton had passed, and fell headfirst), but it was really the TOS episode 'The Trouble With Tribbles' and Beyond (specifically the first Yorktown scene) that solidified my adoration of Star Trek, I HIGHLY recommend anyone who just wants to experience the silliness that Trek has to offer (alongside everything else, of course) start with that episode
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan did exactly this. It was a hit, with long lineups outside of theatres. TMP barely made money, but WoK brought a new non-Trekkie audience of all ages in to our world.
Just wanted to say, thank you for the shirt.
In such a difficult time, all allies are truly appreciated x
Nothing beats chronological release order. I started my teen kids, who were reveling in the height of MCU with the last Avengers movies, on TOS in its ORIGINAL UNALTERED FORM and they fell in love with it, more than MCU. When they watched TMP (theatrical), it became one of their favorite movies of all time. My kids are readers and writers and artists and performers (one now in college for film production ), and after TNG season 3 when I showed them previews and various scenes of all the various 2009-current Trek, they were disgusted and laughed it off. It’s all about good writing, good acting, good direction, and a consistent vision. 2009-current Trek has little to none of these key ingredients, and even modern kids can see it. (Which is why they don’t watch it). I could show someone any number of brilliant short moments from TOS/TNG/DS9…. Kirk Khan Spock at the dinner table… Picard seated at the Drumhead…. any of Sisko’s monologues in Pale Moonlight…You don’t get moments like these in Kurtzman Trek that might actually draw people in. Can’t wait for Skydance or other potential buyer to scrap all the current projects and free the mangled corpse of Star Trek from Kurtzman
Hey Sean, could you do a Top 10 of Star Trek Online missions? There are so many great references and new ideas, that build on what we know from the movies and series.
I literally have no memory of being introduced to Star Trek. I’ve just always been a fan.
Personally my introduction to Star Trek was TOS, though I can't remember which episode. But when I started really getting into it, I began with Enterprise, hoping that being a prequel it would retroactively lay a lot of groundwork for the rest of the shows, and it did to a point
I've had a good friend who is a MAJOR ride-or-die Star Wars fan who got sucked in with SNW, disco, and is working his way through some TNG
Cheers for everyone's work on this. Lovely video at a time when things outside aren't so great.
Definitely agree with all of these, especially with the love for Prodigy. A couple of other possibilities I'd throw into the mix:
Voyager, Eye of the Needle. I've got a soft spot for this episode, I think it's really underrated and it does a great job of setting the stakes for Voyager as well as giving a decent introduction to the Romulans and their relationship with the Federation.
DS9, Way of the Warrior. Bit of a relaunch of DS9 and the start of the most consistent run of outstanding episodes in all of Trek. Plus it has Dax flirting with Worf and that's always worth seeing.
I still maintain Encounter at farpoint is the best place to start. TNG is alot easier to get into then TOS. Within the first 4-5 episodes you can pretty easily tell if its a show you like or not. Anytime Ive ever tried to get a friend into Trek that is where I tell them to start. If you cant get into TNG you arent going to like the rest most likely.
Encounter at Farpoint is a great place to start. But I wouldn't recommend too many people go straight from that to Naked Now & then Code of Honor. I imagine those two episodes have soured a lot of people on watching further Trek. Instead, I'd recommend picking 2 or 3 random 1st season episodes from the 10th onward as a better way to introduce them to the world of Star Trek. If they like it, then go back and watch them all.
_TNG is alot easier to get into then TOS_
Couldn't disagree more. If I wanted someone I cared about to get into ST, I'd have them skip the entire first season of TNG when getting started. If I had not been a devotee of Trek for over 20 years when TNG came out, I would have definitely not made it past half of the first season's dreck.
@@BS-vx8dg Considering the emphasis everyone places on CGI and graphics in general nowadays.....yeah I do think its ALOT harder to get someone into it. Try showing most people nowadays a show from the 60s and they will usually laugh at you. And while yeah....season 1 of TNG definately has some awful episodes, try telling me it wasworse then Kirk or Mccoy casually slapping women around, or even saying that women arent allowed to be captains. As much as I love TOS, the average person isnt going to watch it and be able to get past alot of causal sexism and misogyny. Thats why I usually let people ease in with TNG and once they are used to the universe and what not, then I show them TOS.
Having watched TNG first, I might have been inclined to recommend Encounter at Farpoint as the starting point but many rewatches later, I would say start with the Cage. Always!
I write this comment before i watched the video, so i am very interested in what you are going to say. My father used to watch Star Trek back in his day, especially TNG. So when we saw a add of Star Trek Discovery I wanted to watch that with him. I knew not all series were chronological so i looked up the timeline and found out about Star Trek Enterprise, and i have to say it was a great way to be introduced into the Star Trek universe. Loved every series after that, although TOS was a bit rough to sit through sometimes ❤
Star Trek 2009 was my entry point, followed by the other Kelvin-verse movies, and finally Discovery. My entry point to the 90s series was ST Picard, I just wanted to know more about Picard and started watching TNG, then DS9 and ultimately Voyager.
Although I vaguely remember the older trek(TNG,VOY) my introduction into ST was the 2009 Abram’s movie. It wasn’t until maybe a couple years later I realized there was 2 separate universe 😂😂
I was a bit disappointed that ENT didn’t get a mention it being my favorite series but I did understand why
Do you guys have any content other than lists?
(much like Star Wars) i grew up with star trek because of my dad. So, i cant say i really know what i started with. However, i remember when it just "clicked" for me, and it was the 2009 movie. I was 9 years old, and it looked cool. It's as simple as that. I then basically said "i like this. I want more." Then my dad, as he always did (and still does to this day 😂) said "ok!" And we started TNG from the beginning, and i just fell in love with it. It was cool. It was funny, at times ("I PROTEST! I AM NOT A MERRY MAN!" 😂). And as i grew up and watched it on my own, i loved it even more for its themes. So, hate on the 2009 movie (and its sequels) all you want, but it did what it set out to do by attracting a new generation of fans. ❤
And for those wondering, my favorite has got to be Voyager, in part because Captain Janeway has ALWAYS reminded me of my mom ❤
Good choice on the thumbnail. I’m a big believer in captain Robeau being a major underrated Starfleet badass
I started with the next generation and I loved it. Now I am watching deep space 9
I'm glad star trek 2009 because is where I truly fell in love with the franchisa
Sean, I love love that 'Friend of Dax' shirt! 🏳⚧ I need that shirt!
Yesterday’s enterprise hooked me into TNG, and I have never looked back since 1996
15:13 if you look up "clusterf***" in the dictionary, you'll find a picture of Prodigy's "where-to-watch" timeline.
Went into this list demanding "Lost and Found" and was not disappointed.
Back in the late 1990s I had a friend who had watched _TOS_ reruns growing up and had seen a couple of movies (inevitably including "the whales one") but had never bothered with _TNG, DS9_ or _Voyager,_ feeling that there was already too much "new" _Star Trek_ to know where to start and that it was probably all a bit cheesy. She knew some of the TNG characters, but little else.
I started her off with the TV movie cut of _The Best Of Both Worlds*._
Instantly hooked.
This was followed by _Family_ and _The Emissary_ for obvious crossover reasons and to give her a taste of what DS9 was about, and the franchise had a new fan. Her biggest love was _Voyager._ I think she liked that show even more than I did.
_*when I explained that Riker's "Fire!" was originally a cliffhanger and that nobody was even sure Patrick Stewart would be returning for Season 4, she was even more impressed._
I got my friend watching lower decks cause i talke about it and we watched some of the episodes, he decided to watch the series. So lower decks definitely a good one to introduce older newcomers to the franchise.
The first Trek I watched was awrath Of Khan. My dad said I would like it. He told me about the series that came before it, and like fate bbc2 showed TOS a few weeks later. I was hooked from then on
While I knew of Star Trek TOS and the first few films, my introduction was Encounter at Farpoint. I’m not sure if I’d recommend that as a starting point to anyone, though.
Get TNG's "Conundrum" in there early - not because it's an especially good episode, but because it has a twist that only works if you don't already know the show.
This is a hard one. I began with TNG, simply because it was on TV everyday and I got to watch it from when it first aired. I am not old enough however to say the same about TOS. Simply due to Bias, you start in TOS. As it was aired. Im always a believer in "As it Aired"
I never even started with the cage.... nor TOS. I started with TNG, found out there was TOS, then the movies... then series.... etc etc
Same. And the great thing is, I think, that you can do it in almost any order, like this list demonstrates.
TOS stands for Thise Old Scientists
@@ToucanSonofSam333 really? what a revelation! you are such an oracle!
@ true. that what i like about Star Trek, they have a great expanse of periods they can explore.
My first memory was watching Generations with my dad. It took me a while to get that some people hadn't seen any Star Trek. But, I'm surprised that Lower Decks and Wrath of Khan didn't make this list.
First off I do love the shirt. One of the first episodes I watched was Conundrum in Season 5 of TNG and while I wouldn't recommend it being someone's first episode from a story point of view it does make the episode more interesting I think.
I started with TOS reruns but i really got into it with TNG
I started with The Man Trap when I was a kid, got scared, and had to watch all of TNG before I would dare to return to TOS. No idea why TNG was less scary but it just was when I was little
Whao, yes, Balance of Terror was my entry Point 1988 :-) Works well!
I started with Voyager’s 2nd season banger - Cold Fire! 🤓
It is offensive that this wasn’t on the list!
I started with space seed because it was randomly on tv one day. I kinda knew who khan and kirk were anyway but was a great start.
I started watching reruns of tos, but it was very random and often the same handful of episodes
the first series that I actually watched fully was lower decks and then Prodigy
now I have started a full watch through starting from tos onward in release order (I am on Tng season 2)
Thought of 'Scorpian: Part 1' Immediately. Great inclusion!
I love your shirt sm
Dax isnt trans. It makes no sense. I am trans. I am a Trekkie. I dont like it.
@drunkweebmarine9492
As I, & in context of the show, yes they absolutely are trans
They feel dysphoria & discomfort when they switch body's that take time for the symbiot to accept, & they go through gender transition (mentally & physically)
+ who should you critize people for finding comfort & connection in a character like Dac in relation to their personal experiences
@@drunkweebmarine9492 The concept of the Trill being able to any gender and any person, and despite that the memory remains of who they have been and while they live life as who they are now is an allegory to the existence of trans and 2 spirit and others, while maybe not the original intent it definitely applies to this era.
My personal take:
10) The Cage. Yep, beginning at the beginning is best. And this is the beginning if that's where you want to start. You are also correct that the 1960s more pulpy/preachy dialogue may not hold up for some modern viewers. And I'll add in that 1960s Star Trek, despite Roddenberry's efforts for a more egalitarian world view, also have some highly sexist episodes if you go hard into TOS. This doesn't make me dislike TOS. I am a woman, I was raised on TOS in reruns before there was any other Trek, and TOS has some really great episodes that you shouldn't miss. It's just sometimes ... .well, it's a little disappointing in that aspect, you know?
9) Strange New Worlds. NO. Stop right there. You do NOT want to start with Strange New Worlds. And I'm not meaning this as any kind of complaint against the series (though I do have some). The problem with SNW is that it requires prior knowledge of 1) Pike's fate, 2) Khan, 3) Star Trek: Discovery (because Michael. I hate Michael), 4) Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (because Sybok).
8) Balance of Terror. Oh, this is a classic must-see episode. I'd prefer The Cage if you're going to start in the 1960s and move forward, and everything I said about 1960s TOS in 10 obviously also applies here. But if you want an episode that needs tension and to make an intellectual point at the same time because you think the person you're trying to persuade will find that more compelling, then this is a great episode to show.
7) Star Trek (2009). Yes. If you want Trek with a more modern sensibility, but you want to see the classic characters, this is a great place to start. And from there, you can decide if you want to go back and see 1960s Trek or move into Next Generation. I would totally support this as a starting point, and it has the advantage of just being a film (or series of three films) so might be an easier sell to people you're trying to get into the franchise. The only codicil here is that it's an alternate timeline from everything else. But it's not so alternate that the characters are different, so, again, I would support this as a starting point. (Oh, I forgot the Lens Flare. If you are prone to seizures because of lights, this movie doesn't carry an official warning, but I'd be hesitant. And if visuals are important to you, you will be fighting to see what's going on. It's the one thing about this movie that I hate with a passion and find extremely frustrating. The lens flares are really, really, really awful.)
6) Duet. Okay. I really would pick Emissary over any other starting point if you want to star with DS9. Unlike TOS and TNG, which either don't need to be watched in order or had some bumps in the beginning, DS9 is, overall, a smoother product from beginning to end, so I don't see a reason not to start at the beginning. But I'll agree Duet is a must-see episode. And I don't see an issue with starting at DS9. If "space opera" is really your genre, it probably does it best out of all of Star Trek. And has overarching plots with characters because it stays in one place. It was written during the break up of the Soviet Union and the Communist Bloc, and that's sort of the sensibility of the times behind it, which Duet shows off well as a product of its time. But I'd pick Emissary before Duet.
5) Scorpion, Part 1. No. I would NEVER start with Voyager. Not because of any personal feelings about the series but because starting with Voyager 1) Puts you outside of the Federation, which is the foundation of the idealism of Trek, 2) It doesn't spend time establishing the standard Trek aliens because there's all new ones in the Delta Quadrant that it has to establish instead. 3) It requires understanding the Maquee, 4) It requires understanding the Cardassians. And Scorpion itself is going to leapfrog over explaining tons of things about what Voyager is doing in the first place and all the arguments about it up until then. Scorpion is a good two-parter, and a must-see Voyager episode, but I would never start with Voyager in the first place, let alone in the middle of Voyager, skipping all the background and character development, such as it is. Nope. Strange New Worlds is a better starting point than this, and I wouldn't start there either.
4) Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Eh ... maybe if you're over 40. And somehow haven't watched Trek previously. Which is weird. But okay. I mean, I LOVE the Voyage Home. The Voyage Home is my childhood. And it has some great character bits from all the classic characters. The beginning is rough because you don't understand why everyone is pissed off at the crew. But the rest of it ... I think I'm just skeptical of how much a modern viewer will enjoy the 1980s time travel and how that will hit. Maybe it will work. Maybe it won't. I just don't have a perspective to judge this one, I think. I can tell you it's a very enjoyable comedy if you're into time travel or environmentalism.
3) Yesterday's Enterprise. Mmm ... okay. I think I agree with picking somewhere other than Far Point and watching season 1 of TNG to start just because it's rough. There's some good stuff in there, but it's just rough. However, I think I'd want an earlier starting point than Yesterday's Enterprise to begin from to lead up to it. Because it's a good episode, but you ultimately end up spending most of your time with characters who don't matter terribly much. Yes, it sets up some later Crosby episodes. Just not enough focus on the actual TNG crew.
2) Brother. Heck NO. Do not start with Discovery. Discovery is just a no go all the way around. It is the worst of Trek to the point they're trying to de-canonize it. Do not start yourself off on a lame duck that is not at all representative of Star Trek. Stay away from this headache until you've decided if you like Star Trek or not.
1) Lost and Found. Mmmm... Never seen it. Never had the desire to see it. Never seen anyone say anything particularly persuasive that made me want to see it. Never seen anything horrible said about it. It looks like it would be a good starting point for kids, so I won't argue that point, and I'm willing to go along with you even though you've mentioned a couple of really bad starting points mixed in with the good.
Me, I don't remember which episodes are where in the canon off the top of my head, but if you want to start in the 1960s, I'd go for The Cage because that is the very beginning. If you prefer the Balance of Terror, I wouldn't discourage you. 1960s Trek can be picked up almost anywhere, and it's really a matter of quality of the episodes.
If you want more modern Trek, I'd say TNG or DS9 based on your sensibilities. I'm a little surprised that no episode of Enterprise was mentioned despite that being near the beginning of the Federation. Enterprise has issues as a series, but it did have good episodes, too. So if you wanted to start out Trek, I'd start with either TOS, TNG, DS9, or Enterprise. I'll accept the suggestion of Prodigy as a good kids' starting point. Although if you're going to so 1990s Trek, I'd rather Enterprise as having the most bumps outside of TNG getting off the ground. So I'd rather my other three recommended series higher.
Places not to start:
Voyager requires a 1990's Star Trek background of DS9 to really appreciate.
The Start Trek Animated series is dated, and you probably wanted to start with 1960s Trek before venturing into the Animated Series even if it does have some good episodes. Quality is lower as is the animation budget.
The TOS movies: I'd really recommend the 2009 series over the original movies in terms of being a starting point. The TOS movies are better for TOS fans (obviously). And Trek movies are notorious for the odd movies being bad and the even movies being good. (Plunk the TNG movies at the end of the TOS movies and stick Galaxy Quest in there chronologically despite not being an official Trek movie, and it goes bad to good to bad to good.) If you want to watch Voyage Home, it is extremely good. But I'd not recommend starting there.
Discovery is a lame duck and often misses both the spirit and the canon of Trek. Just don't.
Picard is better for TNG fans, and it has issues in the first few seasons anyway.
Strange New Worlds is good. You can probably pick it up after TOS if you wanted to. It's a little wonky because it also has some reliance on Discovery. Probably the key episodes of TOS to watch are The Cage and Space Seed. And Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan. And then you have to understand that Pike in SNW knows his eventual fate.
Lower Decks: I LOVE Lower Decks. Strong recommendation for the series. But Lower Decks is a Trek nerd's love letter to Trek. You'd really be happier getting through TOS, TNG, DS9, and Voyager at a minimum before tackling Lower Decks.
Can you point to a specific quote where TPTB say they're trying to de-canonize Discovery? I keep hearing this and have no evidence that it's the case.
Yes, the Disco Klingons were shown in one of the alternate universes... but so was T'Pol, but no one's talking about how this wipes Enterprise out of canon. Do the TNG Klingons make the TOS Klingons non-canon? No.
@@petertrudelljr This is mainly whispers and background chatter. There's not enough officially said other than by the guy behind Lower Decks who indicated in an interview that he deliberately used the Disco Klingons as a way of slowly starting that push. But that doesn't mean the powers that be will decide to back him.
So far as I can tell, there's largely feelers out there to see what the fan reaction to such a thing will be before they do it.
On the side that they won't do it, Michelle Yeoh in Section 31 is debuting. But on the other hand, the Section 31 could be in the same alternate timeline.
::Shrug:: Star Trek making a portal to alternate timelines canon is very interesting and has a lot of possibilities for stories being set in alternate universes.
Discovery was the flagship for Kurtzman-era Trek in the same way TNG was the flagship for Berman-era Trek. It spawned 3 direct spin-offs and Picard, Lower Decks and Prodigy almost certainly wouldn't have existed without its success.
You may not like it - that's grand, folk don't like things - but to deny its centrality to the current era of Trek, and therefore a good start point for Trek, is just plain wrong.
@@honestiago4738 It has ZERO necessity for Lower Decks. It also has no relevance that I can recall for Picard. It is tied to Strange New Worlds and Pike's arc and some really awkward comments from Spock.
Saying Discovery was a "success" is highly suspect given how much of it incited fan backlash and had to be rewritten. There's no indication that we couldn't have had a different, better show. And the fact that Picard and Lowere Decks have nothing to do with it indicate it's entirely unnecessary. The fact that Strange New Worlds, while it has ties to it, is written more like TOS updated for the modern viewer also indicates it's not particularly central to anything.
Probably the best metrics for "success" are popularity, longevity, quality, growth, and revenue.
It wasn't popular. If it were a broadcast show, it would have been canceled after season 1, and lots and lots and lots of fans heavily support de-canonizing it.
It's longevity largely has to do with trying to build a streaming service, and it was still episodes and seasons short of the standard Star Trek 7 set in the '90s.
Quality: It does have some good episodes. Unfortunately, as a whole, it's not very high quality storytelling in terms of violating some basics of Star Trek canon, having some main plot points that come off as Mary Sue fanfic (Spock's sister? Seriously? SERIOUSLY?), moving from an ensemble cast to stories focusing on said Mary Sue. The quality is just not there.
Growth: Modern Star Trek exists more in spite of it than because of it, and draws from the older shows than from it. Paramount has the Star Trek IP and wanted it to work for streaming. And again, the spin off of Discovery, Strange New Worlds, owes far more to 1960s Trek and a return to 1960s style than to Discovery. The only thing Discovery did was feature Pike, Number One, and Spock and notice that the fans were really, really excited at seeing these classic characters.
Revenue: Discovery was dropped by Netflix for not performing. It then went to CBS all access, where it did not perform. And now it's on Paramount +, which is not performing great and is merging with Showtime. Discovery did not bring in money.
If you like it, go ahead. But modern Trek is mostly springing from the '60s era and the '90s era.
And to be clear, I WANTED to like it when it debuted. It was the first new Trek in a long time and had Michelle Yeoh (yeah, that didn't last). I'm also not particularly inclined to point at things and yell Mary Sue all the time. But dude, Spock's SISTER? Who doesn't have to pay for her crimes and is a sole survivor? And is the central focus of the whole show? It is BAD.
And just to cover all of my bases so people don't decide to use social politics as a smoke screen, my favorite current Trek is Lower Decks, which has a black female captain and a bisexual black female largely central to the ensemble. The social politics are not my reason for disliking Discovery.
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My take would be to start with Best of Both Worlds, then go straight to First Contact and then Broken Bow. Why? Because it gives you one of the best TNG episodes that's easy enough to understand and sets you up to totally enjoy First Contact, which gives you the background for Enterprise.
This also makes two of Enterprise's episodes mean more. By that I mean Regeneration and In A Mirror Darkly.
It was Star Trek (2009) for me! Though I love the TNG-era the most!
Also, wow, Trek's longevity is iconic!
It's important to know the interests of the person when making a recommendation for entry points. When my friend, a Star Wars fan, asked how to get into Star Trek, I recommended watching the original series until Space Seed and then watch Wrath of Khan. He's a now a fan of Brave New Worlds, so there's hope he'll stick with the franchise. Star Trek (2009) would have been too similar to the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy for him, as he felt burned by The Last Jedi.
The first episode I showed my friend who had never seen an episode was The Neutral Zone after that I had him start it from the top.
TNG Season 3 is always my go to.
This was the order I showed my roommate
Disc: S1&2
SNW
TWOK
TSFS
TVH
TFF
TUC
Generations
First Contact
Nemesis
Pic: S1&3
Kelvin Trilogy
Yes we skipped most the shows and a couple movies. I did this because it’s easier for new viewers to jump from the production style of SNW to TWOK. He felt I linked well and really felt the emotional beats of the movies. He also went on to watch Lower Decks and some TOS (which he’s used the head-canon that the reason TOS looks different because it’s Kirk’s memory of it in the Nexus, but in “reality” it looked like SNW)
My wife isnt a big scifi person. Got her to watch Enterprise, so far we are about halfway through season 3 and actually really likes it. Really think Enterprise is the easiest series to jump into Star Trek
Star Trek 4 The Voyage Home was my entry point.