Netflix just made ever Star Trek series except DS9 (which will be available in October) available for instant streaming. So I finally find an opportunity to dive into one of the last major areas of internet nerdom I have yet to fully experience. The DVDs have always been so expensive, but with this development the price is finally just right.
Due to popular and nerd culture I have a basic familiarity with the crews of at least the first two series, I’ve even seen some of the movies. I particularly enjoyed the reboot a few years ago. But I’ve never crossed over into the “fan” territory so a lot of the mythos is still unknown to me.
I do intend to eventually watch it all sequentially since that’s generally how I like to do things, but hundreds of episodes spread across 5 series will realistically take a year or two to tackle, and I’m looking for a quicker introduction to the best this world has to offer.
So my question is this. Which are the most “must see” episodes for a Star Trek newbie? I’m really looking for the stories that can be understood and appreciated out of context.
Obviously since I’m looking to jump around a bit, I’m not TOO concerned about spoilers, but if any of the top tier episodes reveal so much of the mythology that you feel I’d be better served waiting to see it in my linear run then by all means feel free to un-recommend it.
I’m looking to make a queue of 10 eps or so to get me through the holiday weekend, do I have any helpers?
Balance of Terror
City on the Edge of Forever
Space Seed
This Side of Paradise (the spore planet one)
Spock’s Brain
The Trouble With Tribbles
Amok Time
I can’t watch a TV series without going through them episode through episode. If you start with TNG (I can only watch the Original Series if I’m with friends, constantly laughing at what a schlocky piece of crap it was), the first season carries on TOS’ schlock, and the show progressly changes its tone and style.
DS9 is, IMHO, the best one of the lot, so if you watch all of TNG over the summer, and get to learn about the Bajorans, Deep Space Nine becomes a great treat over the fall and winter.
I also loved Enterprise, and was crushed that it ended when it did, but I’m one of few Star Trek Nerds who was. I think you’re in for a treat!
Season One of TNG was mostly awful, but I would suggest one episode from the season. “Heart of Glory,” is actually a really good episode. It’s got Klingons, jail breaks, and phaser play. It’s considerably grittier than a lot of other Star Trek episodes.
“The Measure of a Man,” from season 2 is probably the best single episode of the series. It involves a legal and moral battle over whether or not Data has rights.
“Chain of Command,” a 2 parter from season 6, is a personal favorite of mine. Picard resists torture while his replacement captain, a fellow called Jellicho, makes bitch slapping Cardassians look easy.
I always liked the 2 parter “Time’s Arrow,” but I may be biased because I’m a Mark Twain fan.
“Redemption,” is another great 2 parter. It’s a Klingon Civil War in which the the two warring factions of the Empire are little more than pawns of the Federation and the Romulans.
Those were all suggestions from Star Trek TNG. I liked TNG and DS9 but I could never get into the other series. Voyager and Enterprise really aren’t very good, and the original series is VERY dated.
Some of the movies from the original series are worth watching. If you haven’t seen it yet, definitely watch Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. It’s easily the best of the Star Trek movies. There are lots of complex themes like revenge, obsession, growing older, power, duty, and acceptance of death. There are also lots of allusions to Paradise Lost and Moby Dick, which the nerd in me loved. The special effects hold up well and the acting and dialogue are better than average for the original series.
I’d say that the single best episode of TNG is “The Inner Light”, but I would not recommend it as one of the first to watch. It’s very different from most episodes, and won’t really work until you’re familiar with other episodes in general, and with Picard’s character specifically (though there isn’t anything specific it would spoil). Watch a dozen or two other episodes first, or just see it when it comes up in order.
Also, there were a few cast changes over the course of the series. You might want to find out which episodes those occurred in, and divide up the episodes you watch early that way (i.e., see all of the good episodes that happened before a change, then watch that episode, then watch ones after that change but before the next one, and so on). That way, you won’t be asking “Wait, who’s this person?”, or “Why don’t we see so-and-so here?”, or “Why is this person doing that job?”.
TNG isn’t as serial as DS9, but it does build upon itself as it goes. The Worf and Klingon episodes especially come to mind. The Klingon and Cardassian episodes lead directly into events that carry over to DS9 and Voyager, so it gives back story there too.
