Quick Star Trek introductory course for beginner

Cafe Society
21

Firstly, there was The Roddenberry.

And the Roddenberry did speak The Word.
And The Word was “Warp Speed”.
And we saw that TOS was good.

22

It’s this kind of thinking that really makes me question the idea of just showing the top tier episodes as an intro to a newbie. I can pick up any season of any Trek series and I can find wonderful shows and I can find drek.

Honestly, IMHO, the best way to introduce someone to Trek is to start them on TNG, episode one of season three and have them watch as long as their interest holds. By this time, the production staff were really beginning to hit their stride with good production values and solid writing. Yes they will stumble but on balance, these are very good shows, consistently, episode after episode. If they can’t find it in themselves to find value in the imperfect then I’m not sure what they expect to find.

23

Braaaaaaains!

24

My essential list:

  1. Amok Time (TOS)

  2. Trouble with Tribbles (TOS)

  3. Mirror, Mirror (TOS)

4 & 5. Best of Both Worlds (TNG)

  1. I, Borg (TNG)

  2. Emissary (DS9)

  3. Trials and Tribble-ations (DS9)

  4. In the Pale Moonlight (DS9)

I tried to pick episodes that were not only superlative, but storylines that built on each other. (Eg “Best of Both Worlds” continues into “Emmisary.”)

25

You ninja’ed me. I would also add “Devil in the Dark.”

26

On blush 1 to n I’d take Tribbles off the list. I know it’s a fan favorite, but it’s camp and humor, which later trek did more of, but that episode is not representative of Star Trek IMHO. Since it all started with TOS I’d go with:

  1. Balance of Terror
  2. The City on the Edge of Forever
  3. Devil in the Dark
  4. Mirror, Mirror

Depending on the time, you could add Space Seed and finish with Khan.

27

Stay away from that stinker re-boot movie that came out a while back. God, that was awful!

28

You know, the Episode ‘Little Green Men’ from DS9 is actually a pretty good intro to the Ferengi. It’s the one where Quark and company end up back on Earth in the 1950s. It’s a good comedic idea-piece episode examining who we are and where we’ve come from. That’s what a good Star Trek episode should be about.