Even as I watch Emissary after all these years, it still gets me emotionally seeing Sisko torn apart from Jennifer's death. To have the pilot episode show our hero going through such a raw display of emotion was a revelation. Having the Prophet confront him with his existence being anchored to past trauma was outstanding script writing, direction and acting. All of the other pilots dealt with Federation ideals, DS9 deal with people making their way through their lives in what Bashir says "the frontier".
Personally, I think they should've referenced that she jumped into action and crash landed it with NO fatalities. It's kind of an insult that they didn't. GOOD POINT!@@tparadox88
I would actually really enjoy that video, though. The whole "space navy" thing with starships in Trek does tend to leave actual piloting as kind of an afterthought.
Another thing about Emissary that I like, though it's a more subtle thing, is that it wasn't afraid to show Sisko's dislike for Picard. It didn't make excuses, it didn't explain one way or the other, it just showed a man who lost his wife and went through trauma, having to report to the man responsible for said trauma. And while Picard wasn't really to blame for that, and we know that on some level Sisko understands that, it was still because of him that it happened, and Sisko was allowed to have those feelings whether it was logical and correct or not. EDIT: And also, one more thing on that, this show came out concurrently with TNG, right near the end of that series, imagine watching this along side that show, or nowadays right after it, and having this beloved character in Picard who we've all grown to love. Only to have DS9 come on and its Captain character practically look at the camera and tell the audience "Nah, Picard sucks. I don't like this guy." That's a pretty brave way to start off your show, it really sets a specific tone that this is going to be a different sort of Star Trek than we've seen before.
DS9 ruled in so many ways! It was Trek stripped down to its emotional roots. The points you made about Sisko's feeling towards Picard is so true. And right out of the block, you see the rawness of Sisko's emotion from a refreshing viewpoint of the Wolf 359 battle. Having served in the military for 39+ years, to see PTSD etched onto the characters of Sisko and Kira was a revelation also. And even in a way, you see the effects on Quark, as he sees no future on the station going forward. DS9 was as real as Trek could be!
Personally, I liked Bashir's initial arrogance, especially as it was a reversal of expectations (the person of color rarely has a turn at "white Privilege"based assumptions of the Other...)
IMO it might be because at this point the show runners were planning to write up Bashir as a gay character. I could picked some vibes about it both in 'Emissary' and 'Past Prologue' - esp. in his scenes with Garak in the latter episode. Of course they dropped this planned plot later.
As a person who served in the military for 39+ years, it gave us another view when fighting a battle in another person's country. What we call the frontier wilderness, they call home. We, the audience, get a dose of cold water thrown in our face when Kira tells that to Bashir. The Federation isn't riding in on a tall steed to save the day in this one, there's respect to be built from an entire race that has occupation PTSD. Like TOS, Kirk, McCoy and Spock has their viewpoints; and every character on DS9 had theirs. What a concept!
Thanks for the love shown to "Enterprise": I think the cast was wonderful, the concept interesting, and that it just never really got off the ground and in a sustainable direction. But I have always liked it.
I still feel that there is a major script that needs to be written for the Enterprise cast. A story that places them 20 years in the future. Just slightly before the introduction of the NCC- Constitution class vessels. By the way, in my imagined story, Trip didn't die, it was a holographic story version of what actually happened. LONG LIVE TRIP! After all, how can they get to Charles Tucker the 4th if he died?!
Every time I watch the DS9 pilot, I am so impressed with how well it meshes with the rest of the series. To have Sisko, a character we don't know yet, to be openly pissed off and borderline disrespectful to Picard, a character we already knew and loved, was such a BOLD move.
But Groppler Zorn! Nothing can compare to the glory of Groppler Zorn! I don't know if I want to be with him or be him! He is iconic, truly the greatest of all Star Trek villains.
Emissary is my favorite as well. My mom passed away after a long battle with breast cancer when I was 8 years old so it has a special place in my heart. I love the message of having purpose and not giving up after suffering a great loss.
I'm sorry to hear about your story. Not as traumatic as yours, although I met with tragedy in my life. And having a Trek character battling with his heart and mind, as the memory of his late wife tears him apart, is such great writing and acting. Moving forward is a hard thing to do. It's like life has attached an anchor to your heart and memories.
Emissary is actually my favorite pilot as well. My little brother died when I was really young so I didn't understand it, but now I am older and I struggle with knowing he is gone. I keep reliving the same day over in my head. Just like Sisko does with Jennifer's death. So the episode speaks to me.
I'm sorry to hear about your story. Not as traumatic as yours, although I met with tragedy in my life. And having a Trek character battling with his heart and mind, as the memory of his late wife tears him apart, is such great writing and acting. We feel the effect of his loss . . . we feel Sisko's broken heart.
Yeah, after the comment at the beginning about including stuff thst often wasn't, I assumed we'd be seeing Operation: Annihilate. And maybe a Disco season 2 episode as a "backdoor pilot" for SNW.
11:58 The best thing about 'The Cage' is that we got to see a young Majel Barrett showing her talent playing a strong by-the-book first officer. It showed her potential as a future Trek cast member - one we saw more often when she played Lwaxana Troi in TNG.
To give the writers of DS9 great credit, the scripts and writing for Barrett's Lwaxana Troi was solid and respectful. Here character was given so much depth and compassion, as they moved her w=away from being just a spoiled rich immature woman.
Archer: "You have no idea how much I'm restraining myself from knocking you on your ass." Uh. Archer? Vulcans are three times stronger than humans and twice as fast. She'll kick your ass.
I recently has a friend watch DS9, as he had not watched it in his life. I recommended it to him, that he watch the pilot Emissary over again when he completed his binge watching. Just for the impact of how great the series really was. This truly was Sisko's journey . . . prophecy fulfilled!
To me ST has mostly bland first seasons and meh to decent pilots. Emissary is my favorite, then again DS9 is one of my favorite TV show of all time. You should do a video on last episodes, I wonder which one is the worst ... probably Enterprise.
@@cryofpaine Absolutely, it was bad but it's not really the ending of a show or even a season finale. No, it's just a random episode they put at the end. On a side note sometimes I find Shatner's performance on TOS so weird I laughed instead of whatever was expected of me.
@@amortlepsg I probably put TOS at the lowest of that list just because, like you said, it wasn't even an ending, it was just so random. At least ENT can say they TRIED to end it, even if it wasn't good.
To build upon your correct analysis, enterprise had a terrible finale, although a great finale season of stories. When Manny Coto was elevated to showrunner, Enterprise took on a whole new attitude. And as a reverse of that, Roddenberry was pretty much not a part of TOS final season, as he had much disagreements with the studio. And the friction had him virtually removed from any of control over the series. @@cryofpaine
The ‘Emissary is the best one. It tells a great story. Sisko is trying to teach the worm hole aliens and in the end they really teach him. “It is not linear”.
I'm from the TOS generation and for me the Cage/ No Man will always figure highly but of the later classic Treks DS9 is head an shoulders above the other three and the recent movies.
The other Trek pilots were ambitious, creative and imaginative . . . the Emissary was real! It went to the core of our emotions. We could identify with the characters.
I actually really liked early Bashir, especially on the rewatch when you know where he's going from there, but I liked him the first time, too. Maybe I kinda related to his very limited social skills that make him come across the way he does. I definitely like that he doesn't let his awkwardness isolate him, but he keeps trying to reach out to people, even if sometimes he makes an idiot of himself. He's cool and I would definitely hang out with him, despite the way he comes across.
It's great that the writers made him an awkward child who wasn't developing with his peers group. So after his augmentation, he literally becomes a different person altogether. We can see the awkward moments, and see the heroic ones also.
I don’t disagree a lot here. Emissary gave us also one of the best statements about the human condition which also sums up what Star Trek is all about imo: „It is the unknown that defines us. We‘re constantly searching. Not just for answers to our questions, but for new questions. We explore our lives, day by day.“
Although DS9 is my favorite of all series, I find myself rewatching Broken Bow often. Something so fresh about that one. T'Pol is such an interesting character and Blalock is a phenomenal performer.
For me, the Enterprise pilot is the most inspiring in the Trek Canon despite its flaws in S1 and S2. Still feel the show had legs for more seasons. DS9 was more conflicting for me, as I am a big JM Straczynski fan and devotee of B5, especially with the intergalactic spiritual aspects. Love your work Jessie 💕👽🖖
Like you, I like both DS9 and B5. It's sad that they were mired in controversy of stealing the idea and capitalizing on its format. Although over the years, I found a way to see both as separately unique series, that were ambitious in their own ways.
11:07 Jeffrey Hunter's Pike is too handsome, hunky, and macho for a character who's supposed to be one of the best Starfleet captain ever. I think Anson Mount channels Pike's persona much better.
I credit Discovery's writers for giving Jeffrey Hunter's Pike a reason to feel how he does and say the things he does to his CMO. Until Discovery, we were left to assume to infer what made Pike tired of being Captain. Was it a war? Bureaucracy? Stress of space exploration? But Discovery season 2, especially the last few episodes and the Klingon time crystal encounter specifically, clear that up. I really hope Strange New Worlds doesn't forget that internal struggle Pike is supposed to contend with between Discovery's departure and The Cage.
Discovery's opening twofer would have troubled me a lot less than it did if it wasn't made in this time of Trump. The characterization of Klingons as people it's pointless or outright suicidal to talk to ... As intriguing a dilemma as that might be for our sci-fi explorers, it felt like the worst possible concept to be popularizing and legitimizing at this moment of history.
Well whether we liked it or not, Trek has always thrown political viewpoints in our face, and at times it was blatant. TOS did it by throwing Nazi Germany, the Roman Empire and upfront racism. As the undertones were expressed by the writers for what they were experiencing in real life at those times. I know that I'm stating the obvious about Trek, but it made their unique statements about humanity.
"Broken Bow" came at a point where Voyager really dampened my enthusiasm for Trek. It did not grab me and aside from tuning in for an episode or two, I was done with Trek TV. The DS9 novels kept my interest in Trek going over the years until the '09 got me excited about Star Trek again.
Part of the problem for me when I look at pilots is that I am a fan that will stick through a show despite the pilot. I am into a series for the long haul. As a result I think the quality of a pilot is more important to someone who has never seen or has very limited experience with Trek. I am not sure how many people are like that. What I like about all of the Trek shows is that even with Picard, it’s not incumbent on you to have watched any of the previous shows to enjoy the new shows.
I KNEW it, I don't know how but as soon as I figured out this wasn't about _ship_ pilots but rather first episodes of shows (lol), I just KNEW which one was gonna be top of your list! :) I have a happy little side-memory associated with that episode myself...my cat randomly decided to jump on my lap and stayed there the entire two hours. So, a bit of fluffy adorableness with your Trek. Hee.
This was great... thank you. I went back and re-watched Emissary because of this Video. I know you can not do this with all of the Treks, but a Ranking of final episodes would be a great watch as well.
The first few minutes of Emissary changed what I thought parenthood should be. It ended up being a gift that no other Star Trek pilot achieved. And then we get all the lessons about how loss can affect the individual. It's amazing television.
Just imagine if Paramount spent the money to "enhance" Emissary for today's screening. Widescreen, new special effects (but not gaudy), etc . . . it would be epic. They did it for many of TNG episodes, although they never gave DS9 that treatment and respect. It could be epic!
I have nothing to argue with in your list order, or your rationale. As you say, it is very easy to slide the order of things around a bit without much emotional pain. :) Nicely done!
Follow-up comment: You NAILED everything about your evaluation, except ... 'bow' is pronounce as you would in the phrase 'bow and arrow' because the name of that Oklahoma town refers to the history of Native Americans, not to ships.
Spock's cold-blooded recommendation to kill Mitchell while it was still possible goes against the pacifist Spock we see in the great majority of the other episodes. However, the writers occasionally surprised us by showing us other cold-blooded Spock moments. The most surprising moment was in Balance of Terror where Kirk calls a meeting of his officers for opinions on a course of action. Earlier, we learn that Lt. Stiles is a racist. Kirk says to Stiles: "..leave any bigotry in your quarters. There's no room for it on the Bridge." And then later in the officers' meeting Stiles argues passionately for an attack. So who agrees with racist Stiles? Spock's response to Stiles: "I agree. Attack." Everyone can hardly believe what they just heard. The writers made it clear that Spock's pacifism had its limits. So the pilot did set the precedent for "killer" Spock on occasion. Well done.
I kinda agree with the ranking, I would have trouble placing the top tier as well. Broken Bow was a strong episode with just enough fan service to give is some umph. Now that we have two new series coming up, you will have to revise this list by this time next year.
I love how you put Emissary at the top, however, the reasons you give aren't why I would stick it up there. It's all Major Kira for me. She sets the tone for how Bajor is and how Starfleet is to treat Bajor and Bajorans both on the station and in the Federation. And then we have her bluff to Gul Jasad, "You're right, Josad. And if you were dealing with a Starfleet officer, they'd probably admit we have a hopeless cause here. But I'm just a Bajoran, and I've been fighting hopeless causes all my life. So if you want a fight, I'LL GIVE YOU ONE." *goosebumps*
I liked your list and I agree that Emissary is definitely the strongest pilot of a Star Trek series. My only complaint for this video is the mispronunciation of Broken Bow. It’s not bow, like the bow of a ship. It’s bow as in bow and arrow. The title comes from the city in Oklahoma of the same name that becomes the site of first contact with the Klingons according to the episode. As an Oklahoman I was thrilled to see some place from state get used finally (we’ve notably had Iowa, Indiana, Alaska of course). Interestingly, the state of Oklahoma also has a city named Broken Arrow. Broken Bow is the Choctaw Nation area of the state whereas Broken Arrow is in the Creek Nation area of the state, so it wasn’t planned that there’d be two cities referring to the usual twinned items of a bow and arrow with the adjective broken assigned to them.
I have never and will never understood how so many people missed one of the major themes of Enterprise, especially since it's one of Star Treks main themes. We see the Vulcans, humans and even the Andorans as less because that's the entire point of Star Trek. They get better through working together. If everyone who joined the federation started out the same as they were after hundreds of years of working together then the federation would have been a failure. It set that up great in the pilot and honestly did a pretty good job throughout the entire series, though clearly it needed to explain that better to a portion of its audience.
1. I'm really glad to see that Trekkies can collecitvely acknowledge that "Encounter At Farpoint" isn't great. 2. Your outfit in this episode is great. ^_^ 3. I think my biggest grievance with "The Vulcan Hello" is how much I wanted a Captain Georgiou series. The same way people feel about Christopher Pike and Strange New Worlds is how I felt about Phillipa Georgiou and Michael Burnham. It left me wanting, but I felt it was outstanding. Same for T'Kuvma as a villain. He was gone far too soon, in my opinion. We got so many good things that were taken so quickly. Terrific video, Jessie.
DM: " how much I wanted a Captain Georgiou series" Me too. Still waiting for Section 31 (the concept of which I hate, but to see her character again, it's worth it.
Am late to the party, but largely agree with your list. Love your stuff, Jesse. I lost my beloved wife not long before Emissary aired, and it became a conduit for my grief for many years. Extraordinary television, in my opinion.
Totally agree! DS9's Emissary was far above any other pilot in Trek. When watching it later, I thought to myself that if I were in Sisko' shoes, how would I explain linear time to being that exist without it . . . the pressure that may come with that. And as I suffered a traumatic situation in my life, I understood about existing somewhere in time, and finding it difficult to move on. So as Sisko explains linear time, the Prophet reads his thought, and sees that his heart hasn't moved on. So he actually is selling them on the basis of human existence, yet they wonder if he's deceiving them. Because his existence doesn't reflect it. DS9 was an emotional and heartfelt journey into Trek!
I'm gonna leave the same comment I leave on every video that mentions TAS: Put it on headphones and do some chores. It works SO WELL as an audio drama if you're distracted by the animation.
Good take on pilots. I just want to point out is that pilots are to show the network exec'ts the show is worth keeping. Remember, with "where no man has gone before it was to impress them on what we can do with out characters as they already hated star trek coming in and Roddenberry and his staff was scrambling to do better to impress them.
Your list is actually exactly how I would have it. As much as I give crap to Picard, the pilot was great. I'm not a huge fan of Discovery, but I enjoyed the pilot as well. DS9 pilot is fantastic. I really liked it. Another gem of a video, Jessie! :)
You're right that it's poorly executed -- much too obvious -- yet I will always love the space jellyfish of Farpoint, and the fact that the whole crux of the story turns out, as you said, helping them to fly off together and bone. Star Trek's aliens all too often aren't alien enough. All the same, the mystery coulda/shoulda been dressed up better, making it genuinely mysterious. Blew my mind in the fifth grade, though, when this first aired. It is solipsistic of me, but the series seemed to mature with me back in those days. It got a little wiser and more nuanced each season, and I like to think my own consciousness and conscience was developing at the same time. TNG assisted that process, clumsy as it often was along the way.
11. TAS's Beyond the Farthest Star 10. TOS's Where No Man Has Gone Before 9. ST's Runaway 8. TNG's Encounter at Farpoint 7. PIC's Remembrance 6. TOS's The Cage 5. DIS's The Vulcan Hello 4. LD's Second Contact 3. DS9's Emissary 2. ENT's Broken Bow 1. VOY's Caretaker
1. Emissary 2. Remembrance 3. The Vulcan Hello 4. Broken Bow 5. Where No Man Has Gone Before 6. Beyond The Farthest Star 7. The Cage 8. Caretaker 9. Encounter At Farpoint Not counting Short Treks or Lower Decks, as I don’t count the former as a TV series, and I haven’t seen the latter yet.
Great list and very great Insight enjoyed it. I absolutely agree with your picks for 1 and 2. And I love Star Trek discovery's pilot episode. And Picard's was amazing also. With the older shows I tried to account for technology and things of the time I didn't love encounter at farpoint but it still was enough to keep me coming back and see all the great episodes it would come later on TNG. And I didn't particularly love the caretaker although it was the first one so I agree when your ranking the first pilot the characters rougher because you really didn't know them and sometimes looking at the pilot later like you did then when they first aired as I did you learn to appreciate them a lot more because you know where a lot of those characters eventually ended up.
Encounter at Far Point was indeed a weak pilot and I was glad I missed it when it premiered. A new, Captain, crew and timeline was enough to swallow without a dull plot. As an OG Star Trek fan who watched reruns with my Dad, I was so excited that Star Trek was returning to TV. I was in college when the series aired at got to watch after the pilot aired. Q held my interest because I wondered if he had any connection to Trelain, an omnipotent trouble maker from the original series. I don’t think a reference was ever made to the Federation’s first contact with omnipotent beings in any, of the new series.
After rewatching DS9 pilot recently I've decided that Lower Decks actually has my favorite 1st episode. I've also rewatched LD a bunch if times, so, it was kind of a foregone conclusion, but I had to double check, as I had first watched The Emissary a couple years back, so it wasn't as clear in my memories when I tried to decide on my fave Trek pilot. I'm very Indecisive about tier lists in general, so I went for just Number One for this one.
The best thing about the pilot for TNG IMO was just before the Star Drive section of the Enterprise docked with the Saucer section and Picard said that Commander Ricker would be performing a manual docking, and when the order was questioned, Picard said something to the effect of, "You have reported on board haven't you, You are Qualified." "Then proceed." Whereupon my Brother-in-Law who was an Air Force Veteran of several years (I forget exactly how long he was in but was at least an E4 or E5 before his time was up) stated: "Now that's a real Officer, he's an Asshole." As time went on Picard became a bit less rigid, and more what civilians typically think of as Command level Commissioned Officers. I tended to agree, though his experience in the Air Force differed somewhat from mine in the 2nd largest Nuclear Navy, and I know there were at least a few Air Force Colonels that he held in high regard, especially when he got stuck teaching an Electronics class of junior officers who had to be reminded that though he was an Airman 1st Class at the time, as the teacher he outranked everyone in the room, and was backed up by a highly respected Colonel walking by the class when he waved him to come in for a minute, and didn't have any major problems with the class after that
The thing is, I do think I would rank Encounter at Farpoint much higher. But I do think you are right putting it where you did. It's really not a great episode. SO much to criticize. But I have to rank it higher because of nostalgia and its impact on me. I was 10 years old when TNG premiered, so I was young enough for it to be monumentally impacting but also old enough that I clearly remember it to this day. I remember where I sat on the floor, which toys I was playing with before and after the show started/ended, and how my parents' reaction was different than mine. My dad reacted like my generation watching Disco. I love Disco, but so many people my age are of the "not real Trek" crowd, which is literally exactly what my dad said. Encounter at Farpoint's first airing was one of the key turning points in my life and the development of who I would go on to become.
How I would rank them: (from worst to best) 9. ENT - Broken Bow 8. TAS - Beyond the Furthest Star 7. TOS - Where No Man has Gone Before 6. TNG - Encounter at Farpoint 5. DSC - The Vulcan Hello / Battle at the Binary Stars 4. TOS - The Cage 3. DS9 - Emissary 2. VOY - Caretaker 1. Picard - Remembrance And I kind of have a different opinion than you, as you said almost all the pilots are great, where as I think most of the pilots are not very good. In my list I don't think the pilots are good until my #4 and above. And although I rank Picard at #1 because I think that pilot is great and the best one Trek ever did, the rest of the season goes down hill, and I think Picard season 1 as a whole is a bit of a mess, but the pilot remains great.
My favourites from first to last (not including Short Treks because I haven't seen them) Caretaker (Voyager is my favourite series, so probably a bit of bias here, but the whole point of having a favourite is that you have a bias towards it 😂) Emissary (Very strong, but some of the stuff with Sisko in the Wormhole began to drag a bit for me) Encounter at Farpoint (very camp and rough around the edges, but that adds to the nostalgia and enjoyment) The Broken Bow (nice introduction to show the tensions between humans and Vulcans in this series) The Cage (really strong pilot except for the 'choose your mate' scene) The Vulcan Hello (I'm not really a fan of Discovery overall, but I love Georgiou) Remembrance (long awaited and excited to see, but mostly just set up) Where No Man Has Gone Before (good episode, but it doesn't feel like a pilot in the same way as the others did, especially since The Cage was meant to be the Pilot and then Manhunt ended up airing first)
Ohhh, I didn't even think about that. That's a cool thought. Not sure what to make of it though. Maybe it's because noncorporial entities generally require less characterization, so the focus of the pilots can remain on characterizing our new characters instead of a villain or alien race?
@@JessieGender1 I think that they are all more or less following a model based on The Motion Picture; the first episode is based on an encounter with a being that must be discovered. Each series, though, takes a different tact on what happens thereafter.
What an interesting observation . . . can't believe it's never occurred to me before. Might have something to do with demonstrating to us (with the new series) how little we really understand about the universe that the new show is going to present to us? Really great catch, William.
Being that the comments are at 150+ and TH-cam is not really set up for discussions, I'll apologize if it's been said, but I believe it was Steve Shives who asked, "What's the best Star Trek pilot and why is it 'The Emissary'?” In addition to the quality of the pilot on its own, my personal rankings include considerations such as what they set up and how interested they got me in the series. Things like Bashir's characterization is an irritation, but it did set his character on an arc where we actually see him mature. So I wouldn't change that one bit. 1. "The Emissary" still holds up and provides many great moments that resonate throughout the series. If I have a gripe, I think they didn't quite do right by Picard, since he was a foil for Sisko. In my opinion as someone with no experience, I think they could have done a little more with Picard. He kind of seems like a version of Necheyv for Sisko, than himself. 2. "The Vulcan Hello"/ "Battle of the Binary Stars" blew me away. I wasn't sure how to feel about Discovery, but I was hooked. There was a part of me watching the first hour on my local CBS station kind of hoping it wasn't for me, so I wouldn't have to deal with CBS All-Access, but sure enough, I was signing up during a commercial break. 3. "The Cage" always felt like a treat, like something I shouldn't have been able to watch because it was unaired. I believe it was an anniversary special in the early 90's that showed it with the proper "previously unseen" fan-fare. Of course, knowing it was deemed "too cerebral" was a thrill to a geeky middle schooler at the time, who loved it. 4. "Encounter at Farpoint" ranks high, again, due to nostalgia and it being what made me a fan. I saw "The Voyage Home" in theaters, enjoyed it, but didn't feel the need to immerse myself in Trek. TNG changed that and made a lifelong fan. 5. "Remembrance" I'll still not sure of my feelings about Picard as a series. It doesn't grab me, on the whole, as much as "Discovery" does. But it is very enjoyable and hit all the right notes. I think season 2 will be the test for me. But it was so great seeing Jean-Luc again and the Laris/Zhaban duo were just great. I wish we'd seen more of them through the entire season. 6/7 "Beyond the Furthest Star"/ "Runaways" both fit a similar role, a continuation in a shorter, different form than their predecessors. There was nothing to set up, as in a typical pilot, and they really relied on a familiarity with the parent series. So, for me, they're tied. 8. "Where No Man Has Gone Before" is an oddity. "The Cage" was made relevant with "The Menagerie," but this episode kind of feels like the rest of Trek wants us to forget it. Sulu is not the navigator, but rather some kind of mathematician. And without Bones it just seems wrong. Still, it's classic Trek, with the whole "power corrupts" morality to it. Still, I can't help thinking of how" The Ensign's Log" points out Kirk straight up murders Mitchell and no one bats an eye. 9. "The Caretaker" had the unenviable job of setting up the most daring idea for a series, to date. The problem is they took the premise and fumbled it right from the start. Prior to Voyager, getting stranded decades (or more) from the Alpha Quadrant was something easily solved by the end of the episode. I feel like the destruction of the Caretaker's array seemed to go the way it did for plot reasons, not because of anything else. I can't help watching it and thinking, "Kirk, Picard, or Sisko would have found a way to destroy the array, protect the Ocampa, and gotten their crew home, safely." I won't even get into the wasted potential of the series as many of the interesting plot points in this pilot are squandered thought the rest of the series. 10. "Broken Bow" tried to do so much that it failed, for me, on all accounts and lost my interest in the show. The start of Startfleet, a first contact with Klingons, a side adventure, and the temporal cold war. Any of those points could have been done alone, but they're all shoe-horned in. The Temporal Cold War seemed less like an interesting plot point than a convienent, "Oh, we screwed up canon? Uh, it was a result of the Temporal Cold War, nothing to see here!” This is compunded by a huge "What If" with the idea that they originally wanted the first season to be solely on Earth. That could have set up some good world building, something Enterprise tried, but in my opinion failed at.
I think the only change I would make is swapping the animated pilot & the Short Trek one. I don't remember the animated series at all, but I did lile the interaction between Tilly & Poe. Other than that, I completely agree, even with how close you said certain ones were for you.
Cool video, Jessie! Strange that you would pick the pilot for "Deep Space Nine" as your favorite. I love this episode! I've been binge watching the entire series. I'm up to Season 4 now. I'm not at all familiar with "Discovery." I need to check out that series.
What an incredible list. I 100% agree with Emissary as #1, and I say that as someone who actually did not like it when it first aired. And Encounter at Farpoint? I *tried* to like it when it aired; I mean, I was one of millions who had watched ST:TOS as it aired originally, and after 20 years, *dammit I wanted to love its return!* But yeah, even then I knew I was forcing myself. My one minor disagreement with you (and it's about your thumbs up, not really about your ranking) might be about Caretaker. My quibble with the otherwise fine pilot was that I felt it was completely unnecessary for Janeway to take the steps that she took, that is, I felt that her dilemma between either violating the Prime Directive or getting the crew back home was actually quite solvable, and that the writers forced her into an unnecessary situation. I think stranding them in the Delta Quadrant could have been done easily without that. I just discovered your channel the day before yesterday, and this is like the fifth of your videos I've watched, and I'm really impressed. I don't like subscribing to anything, so I rarely do, but if you keep this up, I may have to.
I know that Encounter at Farpoint has issues objectively, but I watched it when it was originally broadcast and, as such, I just can't look at it now without seeing it through my nostalgia glasses. I think your ranking is pretty fair overall, though.
To me the biggest damn problem with that Discovery pilot is that they killed T’kuvma. He swiftly became one of my favorite Star Trek villains and got replaced by villains so SO much less interesting than him.
I've been kind of of the mind that either only TOS and TNG had actual pilots and the rest are first episodes of fully realized series, especially the All Access era shows. But then thinking about it, very little really got rethought between Farpoint and The rest of TNG S1. My only complaint about Vulcan Hello/Binary Stars is that it's so removed from the rest of that season. I'm sure it was deliberate that they started with an exceptionally traditional Star Trek setup and then completely blowing it up.
As always, another reason to be worried that I peaked too early by starting my journey with DS9. Looking forward to starting TNG later this month regardless!
Considering that I saw TNG, DS9, VOY, ENT only when they first aired, and I did see the color/b&w reconstruction version of "The Cage" in 1988(?)(though again recently, my comments already on my own channel), I can go by which I remember most strongly. TNG was such an even in my house, all 12 of us gathered about the tv and cheering that it holds the big place in my heart, and all of it sticks with me. ENT annoyed me straight off with a horrible, horrible song that wasn't even written for Star Trek, but it won me back. Barely remember Voyager's. As much as I love DS9 the most out of all those, I don't remember the pilot at all, even with the clips. Current stuff. Gave up on Disco pilot partway through (start of the prison ship scene), and didn't watch until maybe 6 months later, and I got it where I hadn't at first. Picard I couldn't separate from everything else Picard-related, and there was so much I didn't see of TNG that I lost a lot of what was going on.
I find your ranking of "The Cage" and WNMHG interesting as a recently rewatched them both and have the opposite view. IDIC, my fellow Trekkies! 😊 What places WNHGB higher for me is that Kirk's character is much better established and he gets to play off the other characters throughout the episode, plus his relationship with Gary means he has a real personal stake in the events of the episode. Compare that to Pike who starts of stoic, then morose, then confrontational, investigative etc etc. These are interesting developments in an established character but the story never really lets us get to know the "real" Pike first. He does finally letting his true self out a little in the picnic scene, but that's along way into the episode. Plus, who can resist a Kirkspeech combined with a fistfight AND a ripped shirt? 😂
I largely agree with your ranking here except for the first episode of Picard. While I really loved the first season of Picard overall, I think the first episode was kind of a mess. Way too much ground is covered in a single episode, with establishing Picard's life since we last saw him, establishing the synth ban, seeing Picard speak out against the Federation, him meeting Dahj and Dahj exploding. I felt like I had whiplash by the end
Love your top 3. Personnally I would have put Discovery lower cuz we don't get to see the starship Discovery in the 2 parts pilots of Discovery and those awfully long dialogues in Klingon (and I actually know a bit of klingon...just not enough to enjoy 10 minutes of it).The delta on the sand I found it nice althought non-sensical. Also nice way to figure out wich TOS should be considered as the pilot because of the order they play the 2 first "officials" episode (not counting the cage) don't make it easy.
I don't even really know why, but if you're counting Where No Man Has Gone Before as a pilot, i have to put it top. That episode has ALWAYS stuck with me. And Picard & Discovery, as always for me rank just below the bottom, behind the fridge, in the basement :D otherwie i agree with the rest.
I think Emissary is a really good episode, regardless of whether it's a pilot. Sisko reliving Jennifer's death is so powerful
Having the pilot of DS9 not only introduce the characters but address what trauma means for those who have suffered it is a very courageous choice.
Absolutely! It's an astounding piece of writing and acting, one for the ages.
Avery Brooks did a great job in that scene, as well as the start of P1 when she's killed in the Battle @ Wolf 359
Even as I watch Emissary after all these years, it still gets me emotionally seeing Sisko torn apart from Jennifer's death. To have the pilot episode show our hero going through such a raw display of emotion was a revelation.
Having the Prophet confront him with his existence being anchored to past trauma was outstanding script writing, direction and acting.
All of the other pilots dealt with Federation ideals, DS9 deal with people making their way through their lives in what Bashir says "the frontier".
Worst one definitely Troi: she took the helm once and immediately crashed the ship into a pla-
Oh. Not that kind of pilot.
DID YOU MEAN: executed an emergency landing with no fatalities?
@@tparadox88 PREACH!
When i met Marina Sirtis at a convention i joked about Troi being a stereotypical woman driver lol.
@@jonbolton3376 I'm jealous. Got to meet her and never thought of that.
Personally, I think they should've referenced that she jumped into action and crash landed it with NO fatalities. It's kind of an insult that they didn't.
GOOD POINT!@@tparadox88
It took me longer than I want to say to realise that this wasn’t about the ship pilots :P
Same.
Same. That could be the next one. Who pulled off the coolest maneuvers.
I would actually really enjoy that video, though. The whole "space navy" thing with starships in Trek does tend to leave actual piloting as kind of an afterthought.
Me as well lol we think so literally 😂😂😂
You're not the only one. :P
Another thing about Emissary that I like, though it's a more subtle thing, is that it wasn't afraid to show Sisko's dislike for Picard. It didn't make excuses, it didn't explain one way or the other, it just showed a man who lost his wife and went through trauma, having to report to the man responsible for said trauma. And while Picard wasn't really to blame for that, and we know that on some level Sisko understands that, it was still because of him that it happened, and Sisko was allowed to have those feelings whether it was logical and correct or not.
EDIT: And also, one more thing on that, this show came out concurrently with TNG, right near the end of that series, imagine watching this along side that show, or nowadays right after it, and having this beloved character in Picard who we've all grown to love. Only to have DS9 come on and its Captain character practically look at the camera and tell the audience "Nah, Picard sucks. I don't like this guy." That's a pretty brave way to start off your show, it really sets a specific tone that this is going to be a different sort of Star Trek than we've seen before.
DS9 ruled in so many ways!
It was Trek stripped down to its emotional roots.
The points you made about Sisko's feeling towards Picard is so true. And right out of the block, you see the rawness of Sisko's emotion from a refreshing viewpoint of the Wolf 359 battle.
Having served in the military for 39+ years, to see PTSD etched onto the characters of Sisko and Kira was a revelation also. And even in a way, you see the effects on Quark, as he sees no future on the station going forward.
DS9 was as real as Trek could be!
Personally, I liked Bashir's initial arrogance, especially as it was a reversal of expectations (the person of color rarely has a turn at "white Privilege"based assumptions of the Other...)
if I recall, Alexander siddig felt the same way as you about that
IMO it might be because at this point the show runners were planning to write up Bashir as a gay character. I could picked some vibes about it both in 'Emissary' and 'Past Prologue' - esp. in his scenes with Garak in the latter episode. Of course they dropped this planned plot later.
@@LGranthamsHeir Because Rick Berman fucking hates gay people.
As a person who served in the military for 39+ years, it gave us another view when fighting a battle in another person's country.
What we call the frontier wilderness, they call home.
We, the audience, get a dose of cold water thrown in our face when Kira tells that to Bashir. The Federation isn't riding in on a tall steed to save the day in this one, there's respect to be built from an entire race that has occupation PTSD.
Like TOS, Kirk, McCoy and Spock has their viewpoints; and every character on DS9 had theirs.
What a concept!
Thanks for the love shown to "Enterprise": I think the cast was wonderful, the concept interesting, and that it just never really got off the ground and in a sustainable direction. But I have always liked it.
I still feel that there is a major script that needs to be written for the Enterprise cast. A story that places them 20 years in the future. Just slightly before the introduction of the NCC- Constitution class vessels.
By the way, in my imagined story, Trip didn't die, it was a holographic story version of what actually happened.
LONG LIVE TRIP! After all, how can they get to Charles Tucker the 4th if he died?!
TNG is still my favorite Trek, due largely to nostalgia, but I'll readily admit it's pilot deserves its place on this list.
Now I'm thinking about Movie Nights' review of Farpoint... which is a video that's perfect in every way.
Not if you like jellyfish sex. Then it would be #1 on your list.
Every time I watch the DS9 pilot, I am so impressed with how well it meshes with the rest of the series. To have Sisko, a character we don't know yet, to be openly pissed off and borderline disrespectful to Picard, a character we already knew and loved, was such a BOLD move.
To utilize your word, DS9 did what Roddenberry wanted Trek to do, "to go boldly where no man/one has gone before".
But Groppler Zorn! Nothing can compare to the glory of Groppler Zorn! I don't know if I want to be with him or be him! He is iconic, truly the greatest of all Star Trek villains.
Emissary is my favorite as well. My mom passed away after a long battle with breast cancer when I was 8 years old so it has a special place in my heart. I love the message of having purpose and not giving up after suffering a great loss.
I'm sorry to hear about your story.
Not as traumatic as yours, although I met with tragedy in my life. And having a Trek character battling with his heart and mind, as the memory of his late wife tears him apart, is such great writing and acting.
Moving forward is a hard thing to do. It's like life has attached an anchor to your heart and memories.
Emissary is actually my favorite pilot as well. My little brother died when I was really young so I didn't understand it, but now I am older and I struggle with knowing he is gone. I keep reliving the same day over in my head. Just like Sisko does with Jennifer's death. So the episode speaks to me.
I'm sorry to hear about your story.
Not as traumatic as yours, although I met with tragedy in my life. And having a Trek character battling with his heart and mind, as the memory of his late wife tears him apart, is such great writing and acting.
We feel the effect of his loss . . . we feel Sisko's broken heart.
The episode with Gary Seven was a “backdoor pilot” so maybe that’s why you thought of his name first 🙃
Yeah, after the comment at the beginning about including stuff thst often wasn't, I assumed we'd be seeing Operation: Annihilate. And maybe a Disco season 2 episode as a "backdoor pilot" for SNW.
11:58 The best thing about 'The Cage' is that we got to see a young Majel Barrett showing her talent playing a strong by-the-book first officer. It showed her potential as a future Trek cast member - one we saw more often when she played Lwaxana Troi in TNG.
To give the writers of DS9 great credit, the scripts and writing for Barrett's Lwaxana Troi was solid and respectful. Here character was given so much depth and compassion, as they moved her w=away from being just a spoiled rich immature woman.
Does The Cage count as the pilot for Strange New Worlds now?
Edit: and then I actually watched the video...
Archer: "You have no idea how much I'm restraining myself from knocking you on your ass."
Uh. Archer? Vulcans are three times stronger than humans and twice as fast. She'll kick your ass.
You know she'd just dodge every punch until she got an opening to nerve pinch him, then walk away.
@@Corbomite_Meatballs That is the most logical course of action.
Recently re-watched Emmisary and I completely agree it’s the best.
It has a depth & complexity that you see throughout DS9.
I recently has a friend watch DS9, as he had not watched it in his life.
I recommended it to him, that he watch the pilot Emissary over again when he completed his binge watching. Just for the impact of how great the series really was.
This truly was Sisko's journey . . . prophecy fulfilled!
To me ST has mostly bland first seasons and meh to decent pilots. Emissary is my favorite, then again DS9 is one of my favorite TV show of all time. You should do a video on last episodes, I wonder which one is the worst ... probably Enterprise.
Enterprise was bad, but the TOS ending may be worse. The themes they explored, and Shatner trying to play a woman.... [insert facepalm here]
@@cryofpaine Absolutely, it was bad but it's not really the ending of a show or even a season finale. No, it's just a random episode they put at the end. On a side note sometimes I find Shatner's performance on TOS so weird I laughed instead of whatever was expected of me.
@@amortlepsg I probably put TOS at the lowest of that list just because, like you said, it wasn't even an ending, it was just so random. At least ENT can say they TRIED to end it, even if it wasn't good.
To build upon your correct analysis, enterprise had a terrible finale, although a great finale season of stories. When Manny Coto was elevated to showrunner, Enterprise took on a whole new attitude.
And as a reverse of that, Roddenberry was pretty much not a part of TOS final season, as he had much disagreements with the studio. And the friction had him virtually removed from any of control over the series. @@cryofpaine
Emissary absolutely slaps! It's such a great intro to characters like Sisko and Kira. So good
The ‘Emissary is the best one. It tells a great story. Sisko is trying to teach the worm hole aliens and in the end they really teach him. “It is not linear”.
I'm from the TOS generation and for me the Cage/ No Man will always figure highly but of the later classic Treks DS9 is head an shoulders above the other three and the recent movies.
The other Trek pilots were ambitious, creative and imaginative . . . the Emissary was real! It went to the core of our emotions. We could identify with the characters.
I'm so impressed that you read the comments, even on older posts. I think you're great. You've been good company during this very lonely time.
I actually really liked early Bashir, especially on the rewatch when you know where he's going from there, but I liked him the first time, too. Maybe I kinda related to his very limited social skills that make him come across the way he does. I definitely like that he doesn't let his awkwardness isolate him, but he keeps trying to reach out to people, even if sometimes he makes an idiot of himself. He's cool and I would definitely hang out with him, despite the way he comes across.
It's great that the writers made him an awkward child who wasn't developing with his peers group. So after his augmentation, he literally becomes a different person altogether. We can see the awkward moments, and see the heroic ones also.
"Farpoint Station, even the name sounds mysterious."
I don’t disagree a lot here. Emissary gave us also one of the best statements about the human condition which also sums up what Star Trek is all about imo: „It is the unknown that defines us. We‘re constantly searching. Not just for answers to our questions, but for new questions. We explore our lives, day by day.“
Although DS9 is my favorite of all series, I find myself rewatching Broken Bow often. Something so fresh about that one. T'Pol is such an interesting character and Blalock is a phenomenal performer.
For me, the Enterprise pilot is the most inspiring in the Trek Canon despite its flaws in S1 and S2. Still feel the show had legs for more seasons. DS9 was more conflicting for me, as I am a big JM Straczynski fan and devotee of B5, especially with the intergalactic spiritual aspects. Love your work Jessie 💕👽🖖
Like you, I like both DS9 and B5. It's sad that they were mired in controversy of stealing the idea and capitalizing on its format.
Although over the years, I found a way to see both as separately unique series, that were ambitious in their own ways.
👍 = "I thought we were going to rank the characters who fly starships."
Haha
Emissary is definitely my favorite too. I regularly rewatch it and several DS9 episodes.
I am fascinated by “Number One”. I was from the first time I saw her! She was marvelous and I wanted to know way more about her.
11:07 Jeffrey Hunter's Pike is too handsome, hunky, and macho for a character who's supposed to be one of the best Starfleet captain ever. I think Anson Mount channels Pike's persona much better.
I credit Discovery's writers for giving Jeffrey Hunter's Pike a reason to feel how he does and say the things he does to his CMO. Until Discovery, we were left to assume to infer what made Pike tired of being Captain. Was it a war? Bureaucracy? Stress of space exploration? But Discovery season 2, especially the last few episodes and the Klingon time crystal encounter specifically, clear that up. I really hope Strange New Worlds doesn't forget that internal struggle Pike is supposed to contend with between Discovery's departure and The Cage.
As someone that recently started Star Trek TNG, you're 100% correct. The pilot is paced weirdly and weird as hell lol
18:03 My first reaction seeing this scene: WTH are they? They're not Klingons!! (and Mr Worf would've agreed with me)
Discovery's opening twofer would have troubled me a lot less than it did if it wasn't made in this time of Trump. The characterization of Klingons as people it's pointless or outright suicidal to talk to ... As intriguing a dilemma as that might be for our sci-fi explorers, it felt like the worst possible concept to be popularizing and legitimizing at this moment of history.
It's notable that they claimed the Klingons represented Trump's America. "Remain Klingon" is their version of "Make American Great Again."
Well whether we liked it or not, Trek has always thrown political viewpoints in our face, and at times it was blatant.
TOS did it by throwing Nazi Germany, the Roman Empire and upfront racism. As the undertones were expressed by the writers for what they were experiencing in real life at those times.
I know that I'm stating the obvious about Trek, but it made their unique statements about humanity.
"Broken Bow" came at a point where Voyager really dampened my enthusiasm for Trek. It did not grab me and aside from tuning in for an episode or two, I was done with Trek TV. The DS9 novels kept my interest in Trek going over the years until the '09 got me excited about Star Trek again.
Part of the problem for me when I look at pilots is that I am a fan that will stick through a show despite the pilot. I am into a series for the long haul. As a result I think the quality of a pilot is more important to someone who has never seen or has very limited experience with Trek. I am not sure how many people are like that. What I like about all of the Trek shows is that even with Picard, it’s not incumbent on you to have watched any of the previous shows to enjoy the new shows.
This is gonna be an interesting video. Thanks Jessie!
I KNEW it, I don't know how but as soon as I figured out this wasn't about _ship_ pilots but rather first episodes of shows (lol), I just KNEW which one was gonna be top of your list! :)
I have a happy little side-memory associated with that episode myself...my cat randomly decided to jump on my lap and stayed there the entire two hours. So, a bit of fluffy adorableness with your Trek. Hee.
If it helps any, as soon as I saw ol' Glowy Eyes, I thought 'Gary Seven' too :p
Each show’s theme song softly in the background... nice touch.
This was great... thank you. I went back and re-watched Emissary because of this Video. I know you can not do this with all of the Treks, but a Ranking of final episodes would be a great watch as well.
Oh. Pilots as in, the 1st episode of a series, not the person flying the spacecraft. Your idea was better 🤷🏻♂️
OMG ...love your channel ...form one Trekkie to another ...keep making more
The first few minutes of Emissary changed what I thought parenthood should be. It ended up being a gift that no other Star Trek pilot achieved. And then we get all the lessons about how loss can affect the individual. It's amazing television.
Just imagine if Paramount spent the money to "enhance" Emissary for today's screening. Widescreen, new special effects (but not gaudy), etc . . . it would be epic. They did it for many of TNG episodes, although they never gave DS9 that treatment and respect.
It could be epic!
I have nothing to argue with in your list order, or your rationale. As you say, it is very easy to slide the order of things around a bit without much emotional pain. :) Nicely done!
You NAILED your evaluation of "Encounter at Farpoint"!
5:55 How dare you! I will not hear a bad word said against the fabulous Groppler Zorn! mmmmhhhhhh Groppler Zorn _drools_
Follow-up comment: You NAILED everything about your evaluation, except ... 'bow' is pronounce as you would in the phrase 'bow and arrow' because the name of that Oklahoma town refers to the history of Native Americans, not to ships.
I honestly thought the ep`s name was a reference to Archer`s name.......
This
Spock's cold-blooded recommendation to kill Mitchell while it was still possible goes against the pacifist Spock we see in the great majority of the other episodes.
However, the writers occasionally surprised us by showing us other cold-blooded Spock moments.
The most surprising moment was in Balance of Terror where Kirk calls a meeting of his officers for opinions on a course of action. Earlier, we learn that Lt. Stiles is a racist. Kirk says to Stiles: "..leave any bigotry in your quarters. There's no room for it on the Bridge." And then later in the officers' meeting Stiles argues passionately for an attack.
So who agrees with racist Stiles? Spock's response to Stiles: "I agree. Attack." Everyone can hardly believe what they just heard.
The writers made it clear that Spock's pacifism had its limits. So the pilot did set the precedent for "killer" Spock on occasion. Well done.
When logic dictate killing.
@@progKansas the Vulcan Hello!
@@kaitlyn__L More like the Vulcan Upside-Your-Damn-Fool-Head.
I kinda agree with the ranking, I would have trouble placing the top tier as well. Broken Bow was a strong episode with just enough fan service to give is some umph.
Now that we have two new series coming up, you will have to revise this list by this time next year.
I love how you put Emissary at the top, however, the reasons you give aren't why I would stick it up there. It's all Major Kira for me. She sets the tone for how Bajor is and how Starfleet is to treat Bajor and Bajorans both on the station and in the Federation. And then we have her bluff to Gul Jasad, "You're right, Josad. And if you were dealing with a Starfleet officer, they'd probably admit we have a hopeless cause here. But I'm just a Bajoran, and I've been fighting hopeless causes all my life. So if you want a fight, I'LL GIVE YOU ONE." *goosebumps*
I liked your list and I agree that Emissary is definitely the strongest pilot of a Star Trek series. My only complaint for this video is the mispronunciation of Broken Bow. It’s not bow, like the bow of a ship. It’s bow as in bow and arrow. The title comes from the city in Oklahoma of the same name that becomes the site of first contact with the Klingons according to the episode. As an Oklahoman I was thrilled to see some place from state get used finally (we’ve notably had Iowa, Indiana, Alaska of course). Interestingly, the state of Oklahoma also has a city named Broken Arrow. Broken Bow is the Choctaw Nation area of the state whereas Broken Arrow is in the Creek Nation area of the state, so it wasn’t planned that there’d be two cities referring to the usual twinned items of a bow and arrow with the adjective broken assigned to them.
I have never and will never understood how so many people missed one of the major themes of Enterprise, especially since it's one of Star Treks main themes. We see the Vulcans, humans and even the Andorans as less because that's the entire point of Star Trek. They get better through working together.
If everyone who joined the federation started out the same as they were after hundreds of years of working together then the federation would have been a failure. It set that up great in the pilot and honestly did a pretty good job throughout the entire series, though clearly it needed to explain that better to a portion of its audience.
Oh, please do those Enterprise Videos! :D I love that Show as well. :D
1. I'm really glad to see that Trekkies can collecitvely acknowledge that "Encounter At Farpoint" isn't great.
2. Your outfit in this episode is great. ^_^
3. I think my biggest grievance with "The Vulcan Hello" is how much I wanted a Captain Georgiou series. The same way people feel about Christopher Pike and Strange New Worlds is how I felt about Phillipa Georgiou and Michael Burnham. It left me wanting, but I felt it was outstanding. Same for T'Kuvma as a villain. He was gone far too soon, in my opinion. We got so many good things that were taken so quickly.
Terrific video, Jessie.
DM: " how much I wanted a Captain Georgiou series"
Me too. Still waiting for Section 31 (the concept of which I hate, but to see her character again, it's worth it.
Am late to the party, but largely agree with your list. Love your stuff, Jesse. I lost my beloved wife not long before Emissary aired, and it became a conduit for my grief for many years. Extraordinary television, in my opinion.
Totally agree! DS9's Emissary was far above any other pilot in Trek.
When watching it later, I thought to myself that if I were in Sisko' shoes, how would I explain linear time to being that exist without it . . . the pressure that may come with that.
And as I suffered a traumatic situation in my life, I understood about existing somewhere in time, and finding it difficult to move on.
So as Sisko explains linear time, the Prophet reads his thought, and sees that his heart hasn't moved on. So he actually is selling them on the basis of human existence, yet they wonder if he's deceiving them. Because his existence doesn't reflect it.
DS9 was an emotional and heartfelt journey into Trek!
I'm gonna leave the same comment I leave on every video that mentions TAS: Put it on headphones and do some chores. It works SO WELL as an audio drama if you're distracted by the animation.
Good take on pilots. I just want to point out is that pilots are to show the network exec'ts the show is worth keeping. Remember, with "where no man has gone before it was to impress them on what we can do with out characters as they already hated star trek coming in and Roddenberry and his staff was scrambling to do better to impress them.
DS9 is my fav currently going through my first watch and I'm in love!
Your list is actually exactly how I would have it. As much as I give crap to Picard, the pilot was great. I'm not a huge fan of Discovery, but I enjoyed the pilot as well. DS9 pilot is fantastic. I really liked it. Another gem of a video, Jessie! :)
You're right that it's poorly executed -- much too obvious -- yet I will always love the space jellyfish of Farpoint, and the fact that the whole crux of the story turns out, as you said, helping them to fly off together and bone. Star Trek's aliens all too often aren't alien enough. All the same, the mystery coulda/shoulda been dressed up better, making it genuinely mysterious. Blew my mind in the fifth grade, though, when this first aired. It is solipsistic of me, but the series seemed to mature with me back in those days. It got a little wiser and more nuanced each season, and I like to think my own consciousness and conscience was developing at the same time. TNG assisted that process, clumsy as it often was along the way.
11. TAS's Beyond the Farthest Star
10. TOS's Where No Man Has Gone Before
9. ST's Runaway
8. TNG's Encounter at Farpoint
7. PIC's Remembrance
6. TOS's The Cage
5. DIS's The Vulcan Hello
4. LD's Second Contact
3. DS9's Emissary
2. ENT's Broken Bow
1. VOY's Caretaker
Broken Bow... as in the thing you shoot arrows with, not the front of a ship. It's the name of a town in Oklahoma where the first scene takes place.
Agree 100% regarding Farpoint and the introduction of Q...John Delancie (spelling?) serving trickster god realness!
You know that Tilly’s mother is Flo from the Progressive commercials.
1. Emissary
2. Remembrance
3. The Vulcan Hello
4. Broken Bow
5. Where No Man Has Gone Before
6. Beyond The Farthest Star
7. The Cage
8. Caretaker
9. Encounter At Farpoint
Not counting Short Treks or Lower Decks, as I don’t count the former as a TV series, and I haven’t seen the latter yet.
Great list and very great Insight enjoyed it. I absolutely agree with your picks for 1 and 2. And I love Star Trek discovery's pilot episode. And Picard's was amazing also. With the older shows I tried to account for technology and things of the time I didn't love encounter at farpoint but it still was enough to keep me coming back and see all the great episodes it would come later on TNG. And I didn't particularly love the caretaker although it was the first one so I agree when your ranking the first pilot the characters rougher because you really didn't know them and sometimes looking at the pilot later like you did then when they first aired as I did you learn to appreciate them a lot more because you know where a lot of those characters eventually ended up.
I am hella dumb because in my head I was trying to figure out where I would rank Tom Paris, Detmer, Data and the other pilots :/
Encounter at Far Point was indeed a weak pilot and I was glad I missed it when it premiered. A new, Captain, crew and timeline was enough to swallow without a dull plot. As an OG Star Trek fan who watched reruns with my Dad, I was so excited that Star Trek was returning to TV. I was in college when the series aired at got to watch after the pilot aired.
Q held my interest because I wondered if he had any connection to Trelain, an omnipotent trouble maker from the original series. I don’t think a reference was ever made to the Federation’s first contact with omnipotent beings in any, of the new series.
I agree it was a very weak pilot. I'm actually surprised it survived long enough to become the legend it is today.
Ahha thanks for reminding me why I love DS9 ! just went watch the DS9 emissary pilot again :)
After rewatching DS9 pilot recently I've decided that Lower Decks actually has my favorite 1st episode. I've also rewatched LD a bunch if times, so, it was kind of a foregone conclusion, but I had to double check, as I had first watched The Emissary a couple years back, so it wasn't as clear in my memories when I tried to decide on my fave Trek pilot. I'm very Indecisive about tier lists in general, so I went for just Number One for this one.
The animated pilot was basically TNG's 'where silence has lease' which special effects aside is one of the best TNG episodes for my money.
The best thing about the pilot for TNG IMO was just before the Star Drive section of the Enterprise docked with the Saucer section and Picard said that Commander Ricker would be performing a manual docking, and when the order was questioned, Picard said something to the effect of, "You have reported on board haven't you, You are Qualified." "Then proceed." Whereupon my Brother-in-Law who was an Air Force Veteran of several years (I forget exactly how long he was in but was at least an E4 or E5 before his time was up) stated: "Now that's a real Officer, he's an Asshole." As time went on Picard became a bit less rigid, and more what civilians typically think of as Command level Commissioned Officers. I tended to agree, though his experience in the Air Force differed somewhat from mine in the 2nd largest Nuclear Navy, and I know there were at least a few Air Force Colonels that he held in high regard, especially when he got stuck teaching an Electronics class of junior officers who had to be reminded that though he was an Airman 1st Class at the time, as the teacher he outranked everyone in the room, and was backed up by a highly respected Colonel walking by the class when he waved him to come in for a minute, and didn't have any major problems with the class after that
The thing is, I do think I would rank Encounter at Farpoint much higher. But I do think you are right putting it where you did. It's really not a great episode. SO much to criticize. But I have to rank it higher because of nostalgia and its impact on me. I was 10 years old when TNG premiered, so I was young enough for it to be monumentally impacting but also old enough that I clearly remember it to this day. I remember where I sat on the floor, which toys I was playing with before and after the show started/ended, and how my parents' reaction was different than mine. My dad reacted like my generation watching Disco. I love Disco, but so many people my age are of the "not real Trek" crowd, which is literally exactly what my dad said. Encounter at Farpoint's first airing was one of the key turning points in my life and the development of who I would go on to become.
How I would rank them: (from worst to best)
9. ENT - Broken Bow
8. TAS - Beyond the Furthest Star
7. TOS - Where No Man has Gone Before
6. TNG - Encounter at Farpoint
5. DSC - The Vulcan Hello / Battle at the Binary Stars
4. TOS - The Cage
3. DS9 - Emissary
2. VOY - Caretaker
1. Picard - Remembrance
And I kind of have a different opinion than you, as you said almost all the pilots are great, where as I think most of the pilots are not very good. In my list I don't think the pilots are good until my #4 and above. And although I rank Picard at #1 because I think that pilot is great and the best one Trek ever did, the rest of the season goes down hill, and I think Picard season 1 as a whole is a bit of a mess, but the pilot remains great.
My favourites from first to last (not including Short Treks because I haven't seen them)
Caretaker (Voyager is my favourite series, so probably a bit of bias here, but the whole point of having a favourite is that you have a bias towards it 😂)
Emissary (Very strong, but some of the stuff with Sisko in the Wormhole began to drag a bit for me)
Encounter at Farpoint (very camp and rough around the edges, but that adds to the nostalgia and enjoyment)
The Broken Bow (nice introduction to show the tensions between humans and Vulcans in this series)
The Cage (really strong pilot except for the 'choose your mate' scene)
The Vulcan Hello (I'm not really a fan of Discovery overall, but I love Georgiou)
Remembrance (long awaited and excited to see, but mostly just set up)
Where No Man Has Gone Before (good episode, but it doesn't feel like a pilot in the same way as the others did, especially since The Cage was meant to be the Pilot and then Manhunt ended up airing first)
What do you make of the observation that Encounter at Farpoint, Emissary, and Caretaker all involve noncorporeal/hyper advanced aliens?
Ohhh, I didn't even think about that. That's a cool thought. Not sure what to make of it though. Maybe it's because noncorporial entities generally require less characterization, so the focus of the pilots can remain on characterizing our new characters instead of a villain or alien race?
@@JessieGender1 I think that they are all more or less following a model based on The Motion Picture; the first episode is based on an encounter with a being that must be discovered. Each series, though, takes a different tact on what happens thereafter.
What an interesting observation . . . can't believe it's never occurred to me before. Might have something to do with demonstrating to us (with the new series) how little we really understand about the universe that the new show is going to present to us?
Really great catch, William.
Being that the comments are at 150+ and TH-cam is not really set up for discussions, I'll apologize if it's been said, but I believe it was Steve Shives who asked, "What's the best Star Trek pilot and why is it 'The Emissary'?”
In addition to the quality of the pilot on its own, my personal rankings include considerations such as what they set up and how interested they got me in the series. Things like Bashir's characterization is an irritation, but it did set his character on an arc where we actually see him mature. So I wouldn't change that one bit.
1. "The Emissary" still holds up and provides many great moments that resonate throughout the series. If I have a gripe, I think they didn't quite do right by Picard, since he was a foil for Sisko. In my opinion as someone with no experience, I think they could have done a little more with Picard. He kind of seems like a version of Necheyv for Sisko, than himself.
2. "The Vulcan Hello"/ "Battle of the Binary Stars" blew me away. I wasn't sure how to feel about Discovery, but I was hooked. There was a part of me watching the first hour on my local CBS station kind of hoping it wasn't for me, so I wouldn't have to deal with CBS All-Access, but sure enough, I was signing up during a commercial break.
3. "The Cage" always felt like a treat, like something I shouldn't have been able to watch because it was unaired. I believe it was an anniversary special in the early 90's that showed it with the proper "previously unseen" fan-fare. Of course, knowing it was deemed "too cerebral" was a thrill to a geeky middle schooler at the time, who loved it.
4. "Encounter at Farpoint" ranks high, again, due to nostalgia and it being what made me a fan. I saw "The Voyage Home" in theaters, enjoyed it, but didn't feel the need to immerse myself in Trek. TNG changed that and made a lifelong fan.
5. "Remembrance" I'll still not sure of my feelings about Picard as a series. It doesn't grab me, on the whole, as much as "Discovery" does. But it is very enjoyable and hit all the right notes. I think season 2 will be the test for me. But it was so great seeing Jean-Luc again and the Laris/Zhaban duo were just great. I wish we'd seen more of them through the entire season.
6/7 "Beyond the Furthest Star"/ "Runaways" both fit a similar role, a continuation in a shorter, different form than their predecessors. There was nothing to set up, as in a typical pilot, and they really relied on a familiarity with the parent series. So, for me, they're tied.
8. "Where No Man Has Gone Before" is an oddity. "The Cage" was made relevant with "The Menagerie," but this episode kind of feels like the rest of Trek wants us to forget it. Sulu is not the navigator, but rather some kind of mathematician. And without Bones it just seems wrong. Still, it's classic Trek, with the whole "power corrupts" morality to it. Still, I can't help thinking of how" The Ensign's Log" points out Kirk straight up murders Mitchell and no one bats an eye.
9. "The Caretaker" had the unenviable job of setting up the most daring idea for a series, to date. The problem is they took the premise and fumbled it right from the start. Prior to Voyager, getting stranded decades (or more) from the Alpha Quadrant was something easily solved by the end of the episode. I feel like the destruction of the Caretaker's array seemed to go the way it did for plot reasons, not because of anything else. I can't help watching it and thinking, "Kirk, Picard, or Sisko would have found a way to destroy the array, protect the Ocampa, and gotten their crew home, safely." I won't even get into the wasted potential of the series as many of the interesting plot points in this pilot are squandered thought the rest of the series.
10. "Broken Bow" tried to do so much that it failed, for me, on all accounts and lost my interest in the show. The start of Startfleet, a first contact with Klingons, a side adventure, and the temporal cold war. Any of those points could have been done alone, but they're all shoe-horned in. The Temporal Cold War seemed less like an interesting plot point than a convienent, "Oh, we screwed up canon? Uh, it was a result of the Temporal Cold War, nothing to see here!” This is compunded by a huge "What If" with the idea that they originally wanted the first season to be solely on Earth. That could have set up some good world building, something Enterprise tried, but in my opinion failed at.
i actually watched the cage before where no man has gone before without realizing so i was super confused when watching charlie x
I think the only change I would make is swapping the animated pilot & the Short Trek one. I don't remember the animated series at all, but I did lile the interaction between Tilly & Poe. Other than that, I completely agree, even with how close you said certain ones were for you.
Cool video, Jessie! Strange that you would pick the pilot for "Deep Space Nine" as your favorite. I love this episode! I've been binge watching the entire series. I'm up to Season 4 now. I'm not at all familiar with "Discovery." I need to check out that series.
Great list! Emissary is my favorite also!
Emissary was my favourite pilot despite the shaky special effects during the Borg Battle. It had everything.
What an incredible list. I 100% agree with Emissary as #1, and I say that as someone who actually did not like it when it first aired. And Encounter at Farpoint? I *tried* to like it when it aired; I mean, I was one of millions who had watched ST:TOS as it aired originally, and after 20 years, *dammit I wanted to love its return!* But yeah, even then I knew I was forcing myself. My one minor disagreement with you (and it's about your thumbs up, not really about your ranking) might be about Caretaker. My quibble with the otherwise fine pilot was that I felt it was completely unnecessary for Janeway to take the steps that she took, that is, I felt that her dilemma between either violating the Prime Directive or getting the crew back home was actually quite solvable, and that the writers forced her into an unnecessary situation. I think stranding them in the Delta Quadrant could have been done easily without that.
I just discovered your channel the day before yesterday, and this is like the fifth of your videos I've watched, and I'm really impressed. I don't like subscribing to anything, so I rarely do, but if you keep this up, I may have to.
Great genderswap cosplay! Although, not a fan of the JJ-Verse uniforms, but you still killed it! Great observations of Trek!
I know that Encounter at Farpoint has issues objectively, but I watched it when it was originally broadcast and, as such, I just can't look at it now without seeing it through my nostalgia glasses.
I think your ranking is pretty fair overall, though.
Comment of THANK YOU - cuz I needed something just fun and this fills that need
To me the biggest damn problem with that Discovery pilot is that they killed T’kuvma. He swiftly became one of my favorite Star Trek villains and got replaced by villains so SO much less interesting than him.
I've been kind of of the mind that either only TOS and TNG had actual pilots and the rest are first episodes of fully realized series, especially the All Access era shows. But then thinking about it, very little really got rethought between Farpoint and The rest of TNG S1.
My only complaint about Vulcan Hello/Binary Stars is that it's so removed from the rest of that season. I'm sure it was deliberate that they started with an exceptionally traditional Star Trek setup and then completely blowing it up.
getting jellyfish to bone is not a phrase I ever thought I would hear in any context...
Encounter at Farpoint was great on a recent re-watch because I mistook Groppler Zorn's actor for a young Mark Rylance.
I always thought the title was Broken Bow (the projectile weapon) as a reference to a time of peace.
As always, another reason to be worried that I peaked too early by starting my journey with DS9. Looking forward to starting TNG later this month regardless!
Considering that I saw TNG, DS9, VOY, ENT only when they first aired, and I did see the color/b&w reconstruction version of "The Cage" in 1988(?)(though again recently, my comments already on my own channel), I can go by which I remember most strongly. TNG was such an even in my house, all 12 of us gathered about the tv and cheering that it holds the big place in my heart, and all of it sticks with me. ENT annoyed me straight off with a horrible, horrible song that wasn't even written for Star Trek, but it won me back. Barely remember Voyager's. As much as I love DS9 the most out of all those, I don't remember the pilot at all, even with the clips. Current stuff. Gave up on Disco pilot partway through (start of the prison ship scene), and didn't watch until maybe 6 months later, and I got it where I hadn't at first. Picard I couldn't separate from everything else Picard-related, and there was so much I didn't see of TNG that I lost a lot of what was going on.
I find your ranking of "The Cage" and WNMHG interesting as a recently rewatched them both and have the opposite view. IDIC, my fellow Trekkies! 😊
What places WNHGB higher for me is that Kirk's character is much better established and he gets to play off the other characters throughout the episode, plus his relationship with Gary means he has a real personal stake in the events of the episode.
Compare that to Pike who starts of stoic, then morose, then confrontational, investigative etc etc. These are interesting developments in an established character but the story never really lets us get to know the "real" Pike first. He does finally letting his true self out a little in the picnic scene, but that's along way into the episode.
Plus, who can resist a Kirkspeech combined with a fistfight AND a ripped shirt? 😂
I'm glad we got some Voyager love in this
Individual Voyager episodes were pretty good, the primary criticism of the series was that it was the same episode some 150 times.
I largely agree with your ranking here except for the first episode of Picard. While I really loved the first season of Picard overall, I think the first episode was kind of a mess. Way too much ground is covered in a single episode, with establishing Picard's life since we last saw him, establishing the synth ban, seeing Picard speak out against the Federation, him meeting Dahj and Dahj exploding. I felt like I had whiplash by the end
Love your top 3. Personnally I would have put Discovery lower cuz we don't get to see the starship Discovery in the 2 parts pilots of Discovery and those awfully long dialogues in Klingon (and I actually know a bit of klingon...just not enough to enjoy 10 minutes of it).The delta on the sand I found it nice althought non-sensical.
Also nice way to figure out wich TOS should be considered as the pilot because of the order they play the 2 first "officials" episode (not counting the cage) don't make it easy.
I don't even really know why, but if you're counting Where No Man Has Gone Before as a pilot, i have to put it top. That episode has ALWAYS stuck with me. And Picard & Discovery, as always for me rank just below the bottom, behind the fridge, in the basement :D otherwie i agree with the rest.