If you've only got one Star Trek episode to hook a new fan, these are the best episodes from each Star Trek show to show someone new.
SUMMARY
- Star Trek fans can use this guide to introduce new fans to the franchise by starting with one key episode from each series.
- The selected episodes are self-contained stories with broad appeal, encompassing the metaphorical Trek values, and not experimental exceptions.
- By choosing a series that aligns with the potential fan's existing preferences, it is easier than ever to hook them on Star Trek and introduce its timeless ideals.
For Star Trek fans who want to hook new fans, this is your guide to the best episode from each series to introduce people to Star Trek. If you're already a fan, you might have someone in your life who's interested in this whole Star Trek thing, but has agreed to watch only one episode. With the Star Trek timeline comprising 850 episodes, and something to love about most of them, how do you get someone into Star Trek with just one episode? This list seeks to do the impossible, by selecting just one episode from each series, not as the best episode of the series, but for your consideration as the best entry to hook a new fan.
Why not the actual best episodes of Star Trek? Too often, the episodes frequently lauded as the best are also those removed from well-worn tropes. The goal is to help your friend understand why Star Trek is worth watching, so whenever possible, these are self-contained stories with broad appeal that tick all the metaphorical Trek boxes, and not experimental (but beautiful) exceptions. If your potential fan is already on board, you can help them find the best Star Trek to start with, but if they still need a little nudging, you may have luck with one of these episodes.
Star Trek: Picard - "The Next Generation"
For brand-new fans, Star Trek: Picard may not actually be the best place to start with Star Trek, due to its direct connection to Star Trek: The Next Generation in lead character Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) but its themes of aging, legacy, and responsibility may resonate well with viewers of a certain age. Each season is its own story, so if you do start with Picard, you can start with season 3. Not only is it the best season of the three, but if your potential Star Trek fan likes it, they'll already know everyone in The Next Generation and might want to know more.
Star Trek: Enterprise - "Detained"
Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and Ensign Travis Mayweather (Anthony Montgomery) are the only two humans held in an alien prison that's populated mostly by Suliban. Context for Archer's history with the Suliban is provided, so the story that sees him confront his own prejudices about them as a people is nicely self-contained. It's a classic Star Trek message wrapped up in relevant commentary on greater institutional injustices. As an added bonus, fans of the original Quantum Leap will like that this episode reunites Bakula with his old co-star, Dean Stockwell.
Star Trek: Discovery - "Context Is For Kings"
If your friend is unsure about Star Trek because they think its optimism is unrealistic, their best match might be early Star Trek: Discovery. Its prestige-style storytelling of plot-driven, season-long arcs requires starting near the beginning to be effective, so introduce your potential fan to former Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) with her first steps onto Discovery in Discovery season 1, episode 3, "Context is for Kings", which puts into motion both the mystery of the season and Discovery's journey from darkness to light.
Star Trek: Voyager - "Blink Of An Eye"
Star Trek: Voyager is home to some of the more off-the-wall ideas in Star Trek, and sometimes they pay off. In season 6, episode 12 "Blink of an Eye", Voyager encounters planet where time moves incredibly fast relative to normal. In a matter of weeks, the people of the planet strive forward for generations, with religion, art, and science inspired by "the Skyship," their name for Voyager. The whole Voyager crew showcases their individual competence and teamwork to solve the problem, and the story echoes the ways that Star Trek inspires real world technology.
Star Trek: Lower Decks - "Second Contact"
Star Trek: Lower Decks appeals to those familiar with Star Trek and its tropes, but prior knowledge isn't required to enjoy it, because Lower Decks has an earnest approach to storytelling independent of its references. If your potential fan already likes animated sitcoms, the premiere episode of Lower Decks, "Second Contact" is a great place to start. In addition to establishing the USS Cerritos and its main characters, the story sees Ensign Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) helping others despite the rules, showing a very Star Trek ethos.
Star Trek: Prodigy - "Time Amok"
The target audience of Star Trek: Prodigy is kids, and if your potential fan is a kid, it's best to start with the beginning of the series. If your goal is to show an adult viewer why Prodigy is Star Trek that's well worth watching, however, "Time Amok" ranks among the very best episodes. It's quintessential Star Trek from start to finish, with its sci-fi premise of time moving differently for each character, the teamwork the kids on the Protostar need to do to save themselves, and the emotional gut punch of Rok-Tahk's (Rylee Alazraqui) experiences in the slowest moving timeline.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - "Duet"
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 1, episode 19 "Duet", is an early entry with the tone that Deep Space Nine embraces in later seasons, with the political discourse and heavy themes that characterize the Dominion War arc, while being an amazing stand-alone story in its own right. Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) confronts alleged war criminal Aamin Marritza (Harris Yulin) about his responsibility (or lack thereof) in the Cardassian occupation of Bajor, which also introduces viewers to the political tension that underscores the series as a whole.
Star Trek: The Original Series - "The Trouble With Tribbles"
There's a reason that "The Trouble with Tribbles" is an enduring classic: it showcases all the things that make Star Trek: The Original Series a joy to watch, even today. It's a great balance of solid comedic storytelling and drama in Starfleet's relations with the Klingons, which comes to a head in some good old-fashioned brawling before the political intrigue is unveiled. While the Klingons don't like Tribbles much, the massively multiplying menaces still hold up from a visual standpoint, lending to a lot of this episode's appeal.
Star Trek: The Next Generation - "The Measure Of A Man"
Widely regarded as the first truly great episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 2, episode 9 "The Measure of a Man" centers the debate over whether Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) is considered a person and entitled to all the rights thereof, or property of Starfleet because he's an android. This episode asks viewers to engage in the question as Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) are tasked with arguing for and against Data's personal rights, respectively, and the outcome establishes the Star Trek tenet of respect for all life, regardless of what form it takes.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds -"Strange New Worlds"
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is the most popular new Star Trek series and its pilot is the best episode to introduce a new fan to Star Trek. There's fast-paced action and emotional drama in a self-contained, character-focused story that centers the importance of care and empathy, and modern production values mean new audiences won't be put off by dated-looking sets or effects. Best of all, the speech made by Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) near the end perfectly encapsulates exactly what Star Trek's philosophy is, and makes it relatable by incorporating real-world issues, just like Star Trek has done from the beginning.
If you find yourself in the position of introducing Star Trek to someone who will only watch one episode, choose the series that best matches something they already like. Every series has something different to offer, from the cinematic experience of Star Trek: Discovery to the classic storytelling of Star Trek: The Original Series, the low-stakes comedy of Star Trek: Lower Decks to the dramatic intensity of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It's easier than ever to hook a new fan on Star Trek because there's bound to be something for everyone, and so many ways to introduce the ideals that have made people fans of Star Trek for decades.
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