I want to get into the Star Trek universe but dont know where to start. I have previously seen first three seasons of Disocvery and first season of picard. Picard was cool but disocvery didnt quite track, a little boring and not adventure focused enough. However loving lower decks now (just started season 4) and want to get into the more canon stuff.
I have access to TNG, DS9, Voyager, Enterprise and SNW. TOS i could probanly get access to if i want, but gotta admit that is not very enticing.
So where to start? TNG?
If it helps (and i dont get shunned for this), i am a stargate guy and love especially sg-1 and the adventure of the week format and the character ensemble
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FYI not to discourage others from commenting (because everyone has their own opinion) but there is a pretty comprehensive guide in the /c/StarTrek sidebar: https://wiki.startrek.website/books/cstartrek/page/the-cstartrek-where-should-i-start-guide
ah very nice, the sidebar is not visible by default on jerboa and i forgot to check this. great resource!
My main advice is: Don’t be afraid to skip an episode if you watch it and you don’t like it. Especially the early seasons of TNG, DS9 and Voyager have some episodes which can easily be skipped. You won’t lose any context.
Yea need to rewire my mindset there, but this is a recurring rec so i think it is one i definitely must heed!
There are several guides on what episode can / should / mustn’t be skipped.
Let’s watch Star Trek has it for every classic show: https://www.letswatchstartrek.com/tng-episode-guide/
But there are of course other guides and as they’re subjective ratings you might want to give episodes a chance even if others didn’t like them.
Start with the best episodic episodes of TNG and DS9. Most of us were introduced to Star Trek out of order, it isnt like modern TV. 90s TV and prior was focused on syndication.
My recommendations would be, TNG: Darmok, Tapestry, The Wounded, Inner Light, Cause and Effect, Lower Decks (The episode that inspired the show). For DS9: In The Pale Moonlight, Duet, Trials and Tribbleations, The Visitor (Rest in peace Tony Todd)
Thanks for the list! I think it will be either this or try to watch TNG from the start and follow the 90s shows. But SNW first is still a contender
Btw what do you mean by syndication?
Syndication is also called reruns, when the show is rerun out of order on TV at a standard Timeslot. Like for me TNG was on every night at 7pm M-F. It was shown in random order as far as I know with I believe them skipping less popular episodes, I honestly never noticed if they did hits for a bit then did a rerun through it or what.
The first season of TNG is considered weak as a heads up, similar for DS9 though DS9 has some bangers in S1, TNG is mostly weak. That said if you like it, you’ll LOVE the rest.
SNW is fantastic and I really recommend it, it is certainly New Trek but it’s a MUCH better successor to the legacy than Discovery.
I would start with TNG, then DS9, then it doesn’t really matter after that. All of the other shows pale in comparison IMO. Be aware that quality and entertainment value is significantly better after the first couple of seasons for both shows. It took me around 5 times to finally get into DS9, and I eventually just skipped season 1 and half of season 2.
Edit: TOS movies are pretty good. The evenly numbered ones are great, the odd numbered ones aren’t. But they’re almost all worth watching. The first one is a bit iffy. The second, 4th, and 6th movies are classic Trek and really fun.
Yea i am prepared for a slow start. Leaning towards trying to see it from start to finish and if that gets hard then check out some of the good episodes mentioned here.
Didnt know about TOS-movies, i guess that is a good way to check out that era! I saw three of the tng-films as a kid. I remember liking them, but i was like 12. Only remeber one being very borg-centered
Personally I think TOS movies are better than TNG movies, or at least the even numbered ones are. TNG movies are just okay, despite the fact that I love TNG.
Voyager’s got that family feel with the cast that you just enjoy being around.
TNG is best to start after season 1. Not saying season one is bad, but it might be harder to get into for a new comer.
Enterprise is good is you like your uniforms tight.
The original series is great to get a lot of the origin information. I guess it’s hard for new comers, but I grew up with it, so has a special accepting place in my heart.
Deep Space 9 is my personal favorite for political sci-fi. However, there is the occasional whatever episode. This is best to watch is order all the way through.
I still think that lower decks and strange new worlds can not be fully enjoyed without some other older trek shown under your belt, but it’s only a few episodes so you can finish them both quickly.
I abandoned Discovery after season 2 or 3 (I forget) I hear it got ok later on, but idk.
Picard, just watch season 3. I watched the others and then season 3 came out. I forgot about the others.
TNG is best to start after season 1. Not saying season one is bad, but it might be harder to get into for a new comer.
i think i am now prepared for what to come and will try to also watch season 1 but with the mindset that i can skip bad episodes.
I still think that lower decks and strange new worlds can not be fully enjoyed without some other older trek shown under your belt, but it’s only a few episodes so you can finish them both quickly.
getting much enjoyment out of lower decks now, but i can obviously tell there are many references i dont quite pick up on. If i end up watching it all, i will definitely go back and rewatch lower decks. Good point about few episodes, as i think i will try to squeeze in snw before i start tng-era.
You’ll be fine, a lot of the shows need to grow, but I think Voyager and DS9 from the gate is pretty solid. However, I agree that DS9 is actually better the more you rewatch. I didn’t care too just for it the first time, but on the second watch 💪
You dare defile Lower Decks by calling other stuff “More cannon”! Experience bij, petaQ! 😉
In all seriousness, though, I would say DS9. The first season is much better than TNG season 1 in my opinion - not perfect, but livable. It mostly gets better from there, though like VOY, be prepared for sudden urges for Rick Berman to “accidentally fall out an airlock”, if you know what I mean.
This might be tinted by DS9 being my favorite Trek series, although Lower Decks is putting up fierce competition for DS9’s top spot in my heart.
hehe i at least assumed the more comedic aspects does not fit into the true star trek lore :p I think i have settled on starting from TNG and moving onto DS9 from there. Still considering SNW first since its not that many episodes.
be prepared for sudden urges for Rick Berman to “accidentally fall out an airlock”, if you know what I mean.
not really but it sounds like some soviet putin stuff!
After watching other Star Trek shows, you’ll find the true beauty is the vast majority of Lower Decks completely fits into canon, as “the true Star Trek lore” contains some ridiculous stuff.
TNG season 1 is a good start its rough around the edges and if it starts to look like the movie “Coming to America” go ahead and skip that episode. Just watch knowing it’s going to get better like Park and Rec but it sets up a lot of storylines that will pay off later and some classic episodes that people forget are season 1 like “Datalore”.
If you remember enjoying Datalore I would advise you never watch it again. It definitely is important to watch from a lore (no pun intended) perspective, but it is actually extremely awkward lol
TNG season 3. The first two sessions are pretty rough. Start with 3. If you ever do a rewatch then try starting with season 1. Then try DS9.
TOS is good if you can handle the very low budget look.
TOS is very dated and can be hard to watch at times. You definitely have to be appreciative of the camp and low production.
TNG holds up a bit better. It’s not an adventure show though, and the first season has some real stinkers. I’d say it’s a good starting point to watch the first 3 or 4 episodes then go to season 2 weeks give that a shot. If you like how it’s going then go back and finish S1 and keep going.
DS9 is like tng but also has a bit more edge and does some good deconstruction of the pure optimism of tng. It is still optimistic but also has some cynicism I love it. I don’t think I’d like it as much without a good tng backbone though.
Overall 90s trek isn’t going to really give you a lot of adventure focus, unless you watch the movies. It’s strengths lie in the morality play and the collaborative problem solving, and the idea of a bright future. Picard kind of shits all over that idea of a brighter future but to each their own, I can see why some people would like it.
I think ill reserve TOS for if i become a trekkie! Hehe
I definitely need some of that brighter future-stuff right about now. I think what i mean with adventure of the week i mean problem of the week. It doesnt have to be jungles and temples and stuff. But i dont want that hbo-style “oh we are so dark and you have to pay attention for every fucking second of every episode or you will lose the thread because we are so intrcate and did i mention we are dark now fuck off and get depressed”
I’ll throw my hat in for starting with DS9. I’m just finishing the final season with my partner now - her first watch - and it’s really cemented why its my favourite Trek. It holds up incredibly well.
I recommend starting with the original series or Star Trek the next generation. Picard and Discovery are probably the worst places to start.
I think Discovery being modern and (mostly) a prequel is a good place to start. It also is a good into to SNW for obvious reasons.
Hehe yea, i can see that - never saw season 2 of Picard which i heard is completely bonkers? I think tos will be a little too old for me, but it seems i will probably check out tng first. Just gotta decide if i wanna jump around like some suggested or just force my way throguh the first seasons
Echoing move to SNW. It has a higher budget than older Trek and follows the current trend of “mini-series” storytelling. Older Trek follows older TV rules (wanted 26 eps to a season so a lot of filler to make it so). DS9 would be my other rec with a heavy caveat that if you’re not feeling an ep skip it and look it up on memory alpha later, particularly for the first season. As it goes on it gets more into the long form storytelling you’d expect with today’s shows, but first few seasons can be a bit rough and there can be a long time between plots being revisited (but when they are they make it count). TNG, Voyager and TOS are mainly monster/problem of the week (Voyager kind of weakly straddles longform and episodic leaning heavily towards episodic). Out of them I’d recommend TNG outside of the first two seasons (first season is TOS scifi tales encore, second season I actually like a lot and has some good eps, but general like is a minority opinion and cast gets retooled in third season anyway).
If you don’t mind kids shows also recommend Prodigy (kinda like a Trek ATLA imo).
I’d say VOY, ENT, TNG, DS9 & SNW, but keep in mind I’m a bit anti mainstream in terms of Trek recommendations.
