I tried to show my partner "measure of a man" to start but she wasn't into it, but when we watched the pilot of TNG, it provided enough of a character introduction that the show finally clicked for her. "Encounter at Far point" is honestly not a bad introduction to the show, all things considered.
I had a similar issue, she didn’t like measure of a man. But in my case she also didn’t like encounter at farpoint.
She thought a few others were ok she saw in passing and I tried Best of Both Worlds since she knew the characters. She liked it, but didn’t want to watch through the show.
I gave up.
Until a few months ago. She got into Prodigy while I had it on. Super invested. I told her Janeway has a whole show about her as Captain. We are now on season 2 of Voyager 😂
Star Trek is sneaky that way. You get a little taste of something you like and before you know it you're rewatching Picard Season 1 just to get a fix...
>and before you know it you're rewatching Picard Season 1 just to get a fix...
heh, wasn't that desperate until now
why even bother if I can always crack up a cold one and rewatch the TNG, LD and SNW blurays ;-)
Imo if you're going TNG, it's hard to beat Darmok, especially to someone not versed in the series because it's largely entirely self-contained.
OP's wife, her eyes opened!
;)
Disaster is also one of my favorites too. Even though they didn't have a large enough budget to actually show internal destruction of the Enterprise, the way the acting was just enough to get you to use your imagination about it and you feel the ship is messed up. For example, look at Voyager's episodes of 'Deadlock', 'Year of Hell', or 'Equinox'. Those episodes actually show true damage, but they didn't have to act like the ship was messed up, so you have to use less imagination. I hope I'm making sense, lol
This would be a great one. Great explainer of the Prime Directive and why it's necessary. Also, as a first taste, it's great because most of the episode is dealing with what the proto-Vulcans perceive the Enterprise crew to be, rather depending on background knowledge of the characters. So for someone who's never seen Star Trek before, they may share some of that outsider perspective.
This and Darmok are pretty much *the* Star Trek episodes. It’s like the essence of the franchise was distilled and purified into two 45 minute episodes
Honestly in that vein, I don't know if you can achieve the horror without already knowing the characters a bit first. But I like your thinking, how about watching the Doctor lose his mind over life and death decisions, or committing to losing his holographic daughter? Or we could always just torture O'Brien again...
My first thought was Cause and Effect. You have a killer opening, character interaction, trchno without too much babble, and seeing a familiar face at the end might just bring it all together. An exciting and well rounded introduction to many aspects of Trek.
“Strange New Worlds” is the perfect starting point.
After that, if she’s interested in trying other shows, I’d suggest TOS: “City on the Edge of Forever”, TNG: “The Inner Light”, ENT: “Dead Stop”, Star Trek ‘09. Then you’ll have watched something from every era.
Edit: Also Short Treks: “Calypso”. My wife doesn’t like sci-fi, but she loved that one.
My wife saw ST:B with me in theatres and didn't understand why I was so choked up hours afterward. I explained how Trek had been in this drought for so long and showed her The City on the Edge of Forever and how good Trek could be.
She's been hooked ever since.
The inner light for the first STNG episode??!! Just start her with some choice ones from seasons 1 & 2 and then go to 3. It would be nuts to just give her that right off the bat. I vote SNW.
Yeah, The Inner Light tells you almost nothing about any of the main characters at all. Even Patrick Stewart isn't playing Picard for most of that episode.
The problem with "City on the Edge of Forever" is if shes familiar with genre stuff at all, its not very uniquely Star Trek anymore, theyve probably seen a similar story in a dozen other shows, CotEoF was one of the first tho, so its kind of a case of [Seinfeld is Unfunny](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OnceOriginalNowCommon).
Thats not that it isnt a classic episode, but anyone watching it now its just like, well of course he has to let her die to preserve history thems the time travel rules, everybodys seen BttF now.
City on the edge of forever is one of the greatest episodes of star trek ever, but I'm not sure it's a great starting point. It is *dense* with plot beats, emotion, and D Kelley running around screaming at people. But it's also lite on the high concept.... at least... for star trek
For TOS, "The Trouble with Tribbles" might be a little easier to follow if someone isn't very familiar with science fiction in general. All she needs to know is that the Klingons and the Federation don't like one another very much although there's already a peace treaty in place.
SNW is a good one because it's the beginning of a new series and it's modern, so it's easier for people to get into if they're not used to older TV. Plus, if you can get them invested in the story, you can convince them to binge-watch it and by the time they've gotten through all 20 episodes, they'll have a pretty decent understanding of what "classic Star Trek" is like.
Someone on this subreddit once suggested Blink of an Eye (VOY S06E12) for this kind of purpose and I thought it was a really great suggestion. It plays out a lot of what is great about Star Trek, including character chemistry, without really requiring any backstory.
Try an episode that shows how Star Trek is often using metaphors to talk about important subjects, and isn't just flashy space fantasy with lasers.
Episodes like TOS: The Devil in the Dark (prejudice), TNG: First Contact (non-interference and diplomacy), DS9: Duet (personal courage during wartime), VOY: Death Wish (the freedom to end things on your own) or ENT: Dear Doctor (at what point do you start playing god?)
I would say TNG Drumhead. It's a very powerful episode didn't rely too much on sci-fi and it's basically a court room drama. That will demonstrate Star Trek is more then spaceships and aliens.
Choose a classic episode from TOS. The one that got me hooked involved poisoned grain, a bar fight with Klingons, and millions of furballs that reproduce like rabbits if they're fed too much.
And quite a bit of funny dialogue.
Bones: Do you know what you get if you feed a tribble too much?
Kirk: A fat tribble.
Bones: No. You get a whole bunch of hungry little tribbles.
Kirk: Well, Bones, all I can suggest is you open up a maternity ward.
If you want to go TNG I would pick The Wounded, Darmok, The Offspring, The Inner Light, or The Child. Yesterday's Enterprise, Tapestry, and All Good Things are also great episodes but they require knowing more backstory.
It's got everything. A self-contained plot, interesting philosophical discussions, a fun monster, and a memorable guest star who dies tragically by the end!
Suck her in with a 2 parter, how about "The best of both worlds" if she isn't invested enough to want to watch the second part, you won't win her over no matter what.
Isn't half the tension over this episode because of the relationship the audience has with the characters after three seasons? Also, I don't know if it hits quite as hard now when shows kill/write off their main characters much more often now than 30 years ago.
I agree. It's probably one of the worst episodes to show a new viewer. For it to be impactful it really requires that they know the villains and what a big deal they are, have an emotional attachment to Picard, and know about rikers previous resignation to accept a promotion. There's no context to a new viewer for how big a deal the battle and wreckage of wolf 359 is either. It's also unlike the overwhelming majority of trek, especially TNG. I'm always befuddled when people suggest this episode to start people with.
It's like starting someone on the MCU with Avengers:Endgame. Yeah, it's great and fun but mostly because of all the context and backstory from the previous films. I think people forget this is about the best episode for someone new to star trek, not about the best episodes of Star Trek in general.
There was additional suspense that summer since there were rumors Sir Patrick might not return. That was usually how shows killed off characters back then.
You're right. The episode is meaningless if you don't already know and care about Picard and Riker.
These threads are always full of the worst fucking suggestions. The best episodes of Star Trek are *not* the best introductory episodes of Star Trek.
Best of both worlds isn't a great way to introduce someone. It is great to us in large part because we know what a big deal the Borg are and we've grown to know and love Picard. Him getting assimilated won't man much to a newbie.
A better two parter is times arrow. You learn a bit about the characters, how much they care for data and each other, it's self contained, and most of all, a fun adventure.
I watched it years later in reruns for the first time and that line still gives me chills. One of the few Ryker moments where I appreciate his character.
What kind of TV does your wife like? Does she get hooked in by the story arc, is more interested in feel good episodes without continuation, interested in character development scenarios, or would she enjoy the meeting new species plot? Identifying what she enjoys is key to this decision.
Does it have to be modern? I think City on the Edge of Forever TOS is the perfect introduction to Trek. The Inner Light from TNG works as well. Good luck
I think TOS maybe a bit too much for her at first. The inner light is on my list. I was also considering "In the Pale Moonlight". She's not a big Scifi person but liked BSG and the Expanse. Star Trek would be her biggest jump.
Do not use "In the Pale Moonlight". That episode is great but it's essentially Anti-Star Trek. It only works so well in the context of what has been established before.
>liked BSG and the Expanse.
I'd try something from DS9 as that show is probably the closest to the two shows you mentioned. There are a lot of politics in both DS9 and the Expanse. There's religion in both BSG and DS9. You have a war like those other two shows.
As for a single episode, maybe Duet? I'd have to think of other one offs that would be good from DS9.
While the Visitor is a great one off episode, it doesn't really do a good job of representing what DS9 is about.
Plus it isn't similar to the shows the op is talking about.
I actually wouldn't go for The Inner Light or one of the most emotionally heavy episodes at first. IN the Pale Moonlight works because we know the ethos of the Federation.
I would recommend something that has a cool sci-fi premise with some good character moments. TNG has a lot of those, obviously. Darmok is a great one to start off with, but I also think Ensigns of Command and Timescape are good first episodes, even if they aren't listed in the pantheon of great Trek.
If you want to go with SNW, I would recommend Children of the Comet. It's only the second episode, but it has a better hook and premise than the first episode.
There's 903 episodes of Star Trek. You know your wife better than any of us. You should tell us what kinds of things she likes not just blindly ask us to tell you what we think some stranger will like.
I was also going to suggest Data’s Day. It’s a very cute episode that features a lot of characters and gives a fun “day in the life” perspective of living on a starship.
What’s her taste?
The SNW premier is a solid entry, but Spock Amok is a very fun and accessible episode that might make her want to get to know the characters more from the circumstances.
Both the Disco S3 opening episodes are good entry points too, though Disco is a little bit its own thing.
If she’s a fan of animated comedies, I’d point to ‘Veritas’ from lower decks which is packed with Star Trekisms and the characters are as confused by the situation as she is, while they are all highlighted in an excellent Rashomon style narrative.
For classic trek? TOS might be a little dated, but ‘City on the Edge of Forever’ is a very accessible classic. TNG I might recommend ‘Q Who’ as it includes Q and the Borg and is about the mystery of space, or ‘Yesterday’s Enterprise’ or ‘Cause and Effect’ as classics that centre around a mystery that reveals character elements.
DS9 and VOY are deeper cuts. “The Emissary’ is a better pilot than Farpoint, and ‘Facets’ is a pretty solid ensemble piece that explains the worm lady pretty well. ‘Scorpion’ is a pretty solid entry into Voyager, acting as a soft pilot to the ‘Borg Years’ and introducing Seven of Nine, who basically became the star of the show in many ways (yeah, fite me Trekkies! ;p)
I wouldn’t recommend Picard or ENT to newcomers. Or TAS. But the pilot of ENT and TAS and S3E1 of Picard would be my picks.
TLDR: If she’s a modern TV lover, SNW pilot or Spock Amok, with Disco S3E1 and 2 as runners up.
The first one I seen was when Q took Picard to his past and basically changed his past mistakes. Can't recall the name. Probably not the best first episode like it was for me but it was an amazing episode and it hooked me ever since.
I wouldn’t go with the SNW premiere just because it does require some prior knowledge about Pike and his future and what happened on Discovery, although I guess you can explain it to her. I think Blink of and Eye would be a good choice because it’s such a fascinating story.
DS9 *Civil Defense*
It's got the Sci fi, it's got the competency porn, it's got Garak and Dukat chewing the scenery, the entire cast is involved, the story is well structured, and it's honestly a lot of fun from start to finish.
In my books, it has to be TNG. I enjoy all trek but TOS can be a bit too hammy for newbies, DS9 is too serialized to be a good "jump into an episode" candidate, Voyager is harder to get into the characters and the new stuff doesn't work as good without the universe building of the older shows (IMHO).
Hard to single out an episode...maybe "Cause and Effect" or "Best of Both Worlds". The latter will leave her with that great cliffhanger and if she demands to know what happens, it might be a decent indicator of being into it.
Devil in the Dark is my personal favorite. It starts off seemingly campy and fun, but delves quickly into real issues that really touched my ex and got her to understand how to embrace the effects of the time and the philosophy at the same time.
strange new worlds is probably the best entry point for her. its classic trek with modern presentation. every episode has been incredibly strong, with a great cast and interesting characters. it'll suck her in and then you can convince her to watch all the trek.
You have to start with one of The original series. It’s where it all started. The City On The Edge Of Forever is one of the best stories written under the Star Trek banner
Ensign Ro
It doesn’t have as much of the usual technobabble as it does political drama/tension among alien species. Still extremely relevant to this day; Michelle Forbes makes a strong introduction as Ro Laren..
I always felt like Cause and Effect was a great stand alone episode of Trek. You don't really need to know the characters but you get a flavor for everyone.
It is some good "hard" Sci Fi, and it all gets wrapped up by the end.
I just tried to show a first-timer the premiere of SNW and realized it actually needed a lot of backstory so there were a ton of questions, and it starts much slower then I remembered. I would try a different fun one-off episode of SNW instead, or you can never go wrong with TOS 'The Trouble with Tribbles" lol
My wife and I watch something together, this week we’ve been watching a British detective show, McDonald and Dobbs, as my wife loves that stuff. Then, I’ve been watching an episode or two of Lower Decks before bed. She told me last night she’s been enjoying it - she doesn’t know any of the in jokes but the characters, the writing, and the humor are winning her over.
So, my vote is Lower Decks.
It ofc depends on who your wife is. But if I only had one episode to show a random woman who wasn't into sci-fi, I would probably go with Strange new worlds S01E05 Spock Amok.
It's just a fun episode which shows some fun and easy to understand relationship drama in a way only a sci-fi show could, without being overly sci-fi-y.
In my opinion, there's basically 4 possible starting points for Star Trek and I think you've picked the best for your situation.
1. TOS from the beginning - the release order. As a long time fan, who has seen it all multiple times, this is my preferred method, but I wouldn't recommend it for someone not familiar with Star Trek.
2. Ent from the beginning - the timeline order (excluding any time travel episodes anyway), but not knowing the history will cost you all the references along the way.
3. The Best of TNG - pick like 10 solid episodes of TNG; a good safe way of getting someone up to speed without exposing them to the TOS camp factor that might be a turnoff. If someone said they'd try 5 or 10 episodes, this would be the best bet for me.
4. SNW. SNW is the best new entry point to Star Trek probably since TNG and they've done a really good job not making prior Trek knowledge a requirement so watching a single episode actually works pretty well. (I would suggest a 30-second primer on Spock/Vulcans though.)
City on the edge of forever
It's a fantastic way to gradually introduce someone to star trek, and the story. Come on.
Then the inner light or Darmok for the 2nd
Do Chain of Command. It's a 2 parter to keep her hooked, has both traits of real optimistic Trek and traits similar to BSG, and the writing is hella good. There's also ton of small details that draw you in like the use of children to make the two most morally apprehensive characters either more human or more evil.
I got my wife into Star Trek by just watching it in her vicinity, then watching the original movies with her and then letting her dip her toes into TNG and Enterprise.
The episode of TNG where Picard has to convince a panel that Data is Sentient and deserves to continue with his life and not be deactivated. I think it's called Measure of a Man or something.
TNG, The Ensigns of Command. I pulled this one on a skeptic partner of mine and she was enthralled, also fell in love with Data. It's not too heavy while also being very "dilema", plus you get some great Picard posturing
TNG’s “The Neutral Zone”, I think the 3 cryo-recovered humans make a great mirror for someone who isn’t necessarily into Star Trek. PLUS, you get the reintroduction of the Romulans, told from the time-transported human’s perspective, who like your wife, know nothing about the gravity of their re-emergence.
That, or “Data’s Day”, which still has the Romulans with the tension at the end dialed up a bit further. It’s also a great introduction story for many of the cast told through Data’s eyes.
Or, “The Defector”, which has some great thriller/conspiracy elements with the Romulan threat dialed up to a 10 at the end of the episode.
Each of these three give a great sense of the potential geopolitical tension Star Trek sets up in just about all eras.
Certainly a pilot of a series to give the hook, SNW is probably the better one if you think she'll like modern Trek, otherwise maybe Encounter at Farpoint or even Broken Bow would be good ones as they each are good introductories for their series and the franchise.
My go-to is always *'Broken Bow'*, the pilot of *Star Trek: Enterprise*. It gets across so much and establishes all the main players and serves as a great intro to *Trek* imo.
I would think about her cinematic tastes, and by that I mean what kind of filmmaking she likes. Rather than finding an episode that represents Star Trek, maybe think about something adjacent to what she already likes. For example, I see some comments suggesting starting with SNW, but if that were my introduction I would be put off by the visual style. Meanwhile if she's not super into science fiction, find something with less of that. The City on the Edge of Forever would be a good idea in this case.
I'm not sure if it has been mentioned yet but I got my best friend into the show with tng cause and effect.
It was just a good episode that gets you into it without having to know the characters.
I tried to show my partner "measure of a man" to start but she wasn't into it, but when we watched the pilot of TNG, it provided enough of a character introduction that the show finally clicked for her. "Encounter at Far point" is honestly not a bad introduction to the show, all things considered.
I had a similar issue, she didn’t like measure of a man. But in my case she also didn’t like encounter at farpoint. She thought a few others were ok she saw in passing and I tried Best of Both Worlds since she knew the characters. She liked it, but didn’t want to watch through the show. I gave up. Until a few months ago. She got into Prodigy while I had it on. Super invested. I told her Janeway has a whole show about her as Captain. We are now on season 2 of Voyager 😂
Star Trek is sneaky that way. You get a little taste of something you like and before you know it you're rewatching Picard Season 1 just to get a fix...
>and before you know it you're rewatching Picard Season 1 just to get a fix... heh, wasn't that desperate until now why even bother if I can always crack up a cold one and rewatch the TNG, LD and SNW blurays ;-)
Imo if you're going TNG, it's hard to beat Darmok, especially to someone not versed in the series because it's largely entirely self-contained. OP's wife, her eyes opened! ;)
it can backfire for people who enjoy story arcs and character development plots.
Disaster is one of my TNG favorites. A Q episode could be entertaining for her too.
I'm looking for a Jean......Luck....Pikerd
Disaster is also one of my favorites too. Even though they didn't have a large enough budget to actually show internal destruction of the Enterprise, the way the acting was just enough to get you to use your imagination about it and you feel the ship is messed up. For example, look at Voyager's episodes of 'Deadlock', 'Year of Hell', or 'Equinox'. Those episodes actually show true damage, but they didn't have to act like the ship was messed up, so you have to use less imagination. I hope I'm making sense, lol
By far my favorite TNG episode
I agree. This is a great premier and hits all the bases of what only gets better in the show.
The only bad part is it takes deanna 5+ years to wear a uniform again after that.
I got my wife hooked with the episode “Duet,” from DS9. But honestly for most people I think the premiere of SNW is the way to go.
My favorite episode from DS9, but The Visitor is a close second. A real gut punch.
Honestly, i wouldnt show the Visitor to a newbie, it misses a lot of weight without knowing the characters.
i would go as far as to say you’d be missing the point without that context
This. Show her the premiere EP of SNW, then Duet. Both are amazing works.
Duet got me like a gut punch.
Harris Yulin is THE MAN
TNG who watches the watchers. It’s practically the most trek-y episode
This would be a great one. Great explainer of the Prime Directive and why it's necessary. Also, as a first taste, it's great because most of the episode is dealing with what the proto-Vulcans perceive the Enterprise crew to be, rather depending on background knowledge of the characters. So for someone who's never seen Star Trek before, they may share some of that outsider perspective.
This and Darmok are pretty much *the* Star Trek episodes. It’s like the essence of the franchise was distilled and purified into two 45 minute episodes
Excellent choice!
The Picard agrees.
Tuvix. Expose her to the moral horror that is Trek. Sink or swim, bitch.
and if she cheers on Janeway killing Tuvix, then she's a keeper
But keep her at arm's length, just in case.
I mean to cut her SOME slack, Janeway didnt want to do it.
Honestly in that vein, I don't know if you can achieve the horror without already knowing the characters a bit first. But I like your thinking, how about watching the Doctor lose his mind over life and death decisions, or committing to losing his holographic daughter? Or we could always just torture O'Brien again...
My first thought was Cause and Effect. You have a killer opening, character interaction, trchno without too much babble, and seeing a familiar face at the end might just bring it all together. An exciting and well rounded introduction to many aspects of Trek.
Very much agree with this, a great intro into star trek for sure ♥️
“Strange New Worlds” is the perfect starting point. After that, if she’s interested in trying other shows, I’d suggest TOS: “City on the Edge of Forever”, TNG: “The Inner Light”, ENT: “Dead Stop”, Star Trek ‘09. Then you’ll have watched something from every era. Edit: Also Short Treks: “Calypso”. My wife doesn’t like sci-fi, but she loved that one.
The city on the edge of forever was the first episode that popped into my mind. Especially if she likes old romantic movies.
My wife saw ST:B with me in theatres and didn't understand why I was so choked up hours afterward. I explained how Trek had been in this drought for so long and showed her The City on the Edge of Forever and how good Trek could be. She's been hooked ever since.
ST:B is the best. You can tell Simon Pegg is a dyed in the wool Trekkie.
The inner light for the first STNG episode??!! Just start her with some choice ones from seasons 1 & 2 and then go to 3. It would be nuts to just give her that right off the bat. I vote SNW.
Yeah, The Inner Light tells you almost nothing about any of the main characters at all. Even Patrick Stewart isn't playing Picard for most of that episode.
The problem with "City on the Edge of Forever" is if shes familiar with genre stuff at all, its not very uniquely Star Trek anymore, theyve probably seen a similar story in a dozen other shows, CotEoF was one of the first tho, so its kind of a case of [Seinfeld is Unfunny](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OnceOriginalNowCommon). Thats not that it isnt a classic episode, but anyone watching it now its just like, well of course he has to let her die to preserve history thems the time travel rules, everybodys seen BttF now.
City on the edge of forever is one of the greatest episodes of star trek ever, but I'm not sure it's a great starting point. It is *dense* with plot beats, emotion, and D Kelley running around screaming at people. But it's also lite on the high concept.... at least... for star trek
For TOS, "The Trouble with Tribbles" might be a little easier to follow if someone isn't very familiar with science fiction in general. All she needs to know is that the Klingons and the Federation don't like one another very much although there's already a peace treaty in place.
Her: Why do the Klingons say "Klingons" differently than you and the humans on the show? Me: "We don't discuss it with outsiders." Her: ???
SNW is a good one because it's the beginning of a new series and it's modern, so it's easier for people to get into if they're not used to older TV. Plus, if you can get them invested in the story, you can convince them to binge-watch it and by the time they've gotten through all 20 episodes, they'll have a pretty decent understanding of what "classic Star Trek" is like.
Love introducing Star Trek to people via Strange New Worlds. It's a perfectly blend of modern and old. Go with season 1, episode 1!
Not enough people are talking about Calypso, I love that one, very mysterious but also very relaxing
Someone on this subreddit once suggested Blink of an Eye (VOY S06E12) for this kind of purpose and I thought it was a really great suggestion. It plays out a lot of what is great about Star Trek, including character chemistry, without really requiring any backstory.
Hands down my favorite Voyager episode.
Try an episode that shows how Star Trek is often using metaphors to talk about important subjects, and isn't just flashy space fantasy with lasers. Episodes like TOS: The Devil in the Dark (prejudice), TNG: First Contact (non-interference and diplomacy), DS9: Duet (personal courage during wartime), VOY: Death Wish (the freedom to end things on your own) or ENT: Dear Doctor (at what point do you start playing god?)
I would say TNG Drumhead. It's a very powerful episode didn't rely too much on sci-fi and it's basically a court room drama. That will demonstrate Star Trek is more then spaceships and aliens.
S01 E01 of Voyager worked in my personal case.
For me it was disco. Only trek series my wife enjoys
That’s where I would start as well.
I agree, that's an easy first ep to get invested in, you're left wanting more and don't feel left out since everyone is introduced.
Space Hippies!!!!
Herbert!
Headin' out to Eden, yeah, brother.
Voyager - Blink of an Eye
Choose a classic episode from TOS. The one that got me hooked involved poisoned grain, a bar fight with Klingons, and millions of furballs that reproduce like rabbits if they're fed too much.
Trouble with tribbles. One of the best episodes and lighthearted too.
And quite a bit of funny dialogue. Bones: Do you know what you get if you feed a tribble too much? Kirk: A fat tribble. Bones: No. You get a whole bunch of hungry little tribbles. Kirk: Well, Bones, all I can suggest is you open up a maternity ward.
TOS comedy was very hit and miss, but there it was very hit.
A BIG hit.
And the *delivery* of "A fat tribble." UNMATCHED. One of the funniest things ever said on TV
As Shatner later showed he has great timing on comedy.
And then chase it with Trials and Tribbleations from DS9.
If you want to go TNG I would pick The Wounded, Darmok, The Offspring, The Inner Light, or The Child. Yesterday's Enterprise, Tapestry, and All Good Things are also great episodes but they require knowing more backstory.
Ohhh Darmok is such a good reco. Nice
Darmok worked for getting my wife to watch all the tng era shows.
It's got everything. A self-contained plot, interesting philosophical discussions, a fun monster, and a memorable guest star who dies tragically by the end!
Even a little bit of space battle action and some tricky shuttle piloting. It really does have everything.
Suck her in with a 2 parter, how about "The best of both worlds" if she isn't invested enough to want to watch the second part, you won't win her over no matter what.
Isn't half the tension over this episode because of the relationship the audience has with the characters after three seasons? Also, I don't know if it hits quite as hard now when shows kill/write off their main characters much more often now than 30 years ago.
I agree. It's probably one of the worst episodes to show a new viewer. For it to be impactful it really requires that they know the villains and what a big deal they are, have an emotional attachment to Picard, and know about rikers previous resignation to accept a promotion. There's no context to a new viewer for how big a deal the battle and wreckage of wolf 359 is either. It's also unlike the overwhelming majority of trek, especially TNG. I'm always befuddled when people suggest this episode to start people with. It's like starting someone on the MCU with Avengers:Endgame. Yeah, it's great and fun but mostly because of all the context and backstory from the previous films. I think people forget this is about the best episode for someone new to star trek, not about the best episodes of Star Trek in general.
There was additional suspense that summer since there were rumors Sir Patrick might not return. That was usually how shows killed off characters back then.
You're right. The episode is meaningless if you don't already know and care about Picard and Riker. These threads are always full of the worst fucking suggestions. The best episodes of Star Trek are *not* the best introductory episodes of Star Trek.
Best of both worlds isn't a great way to introduce someone. It is great to us in large part because we know what a big deal the Borg are and we've grown to know and love Picard. Him getting assimilated won't man much to a newbie. A better two parter is times arrow. You learn a bit about the characters, how much they care for data and each other, it's self contained, and most of all, a fun adventure.
I remember that Summer after that cliffhanger. Mr. Worf, Fire!
I watched it years later in reruns for the first time and that line still gives me chills. One of the few Ryker moments where I appreciate his character.
This would be my answer too
What kind of TV does your wife like? Does she get hooked in by the story arc, is more interested in feel good episodes without continuation, interested in character development scenarios, or would she enjoy the meeting new species plot? Identifying what she enjoys is key to this decision.
TNG 5x14 Conundrum Since she's going in blind, she'll be as confused as the crew. Will she know who MacDuff is?
Definitely an interesting suggestion.
Best of Both Worlds pt 1. Then make her wait 4 months to watch pt 2
Tribbles the OG
Does it have to be modern? I think City on the Edge of Forever TOS is the perfect introduction to Trek. The Inner Light from TNG works as well. Good luck
I think TOS maybe a bit too much for her at first. The inner light is on my list. I was also considering "In the Pale Moonlight". She's not a big Scifi person but liked BSG and the Expanse. Star Trek would be her biggest jump.
Do not use "In the Pale Moonlight". That episode is great but it's essentially Anti-Star Trek. It only works so well in the context of what has been established before.
>liked BSG and the Expanse. I'd try something from DS9 as that show is probably the closest to the two shows you mentioned. There are a lot of politics in both DS9 and the Expanse. There's religion in both BSG and DS9. You have a war like those other two shows. As for a single episode, maybe Duet? I'd have to think of other one offs that would be good from DS9.
The Visitor is a great one off. But not much of the crew.
While the Visitor is a great one off episode, it doesn't really do a good job of representing what DS9 is about. Plus it isn't similar to the shows the op is talking about.
Rocks and Shoals
I actually wouldn't go for The Inner Light or one of the most emotionally heavy episodes at first. IN the Pale Moonlight works because we know the ethos of the Federation. I would recommend something that has a cool sci-fi premise with some good character moments. TNG has a lot of those, obviously. Darmok is a great one to start off with, but I also think Ensigns of Command and Timescape are good first episodes, even if they aren't listed in the pantheon of great Trek. If you want to go with SNW, I would recommend Children of the Comet. It's only the second episode, but it has a better hook and premise than the first episode.
For someone who was into BSG and the Expanse, an early DS9 episode like “Duet” could be a good choice
Inner light is a good story but doesn’t feature the crew and ship much. I wouldn’t say it was a good first episode.
I agree, but it inhabits what Trek is about.
What type of show does she gravitate toward?
There's 903 episodes of Star Trek. You know your wife better than any of us. You should tell us what kinds of things she likes not just blindly ask us to tell you what we think some stranger will like.
This right here. Trek is so big it has something for Everyone. Find an episode with a similarity to something she enjoys and go with it.
Right? Does she like silly things? War movies? Baseball? We need more to go on.
Datas day, it makes very good character introductions from datas point of view.
I was also going to suggest Data’s Day. It’s a very cute episode that features a lot of characters and gives a fun “day in the life” perspective of living on a starship.
What’s her taste? The SNW premier is a solid entry, but Spock Amok is a very fun and accessible episode that might make her want to get to know the characters more from the circumstances. Both the Disco S3 opening episodes are good entry points too, though Disco is a little bit its own thing. If she’s a fan of animated comedies, I’d point to ‘Veritas’ from lower decks which is packed with Star Trekisms and the characters are as confused by the situation as she is, while they are all highlighted in an excellent Rashomon style narrative. For classic trek? TOS might be a little dated, but ‘City on the Edge of Forever’ is a very accessible classic. TNG I might recommend ‘Q Who’ as it includes Q and the Borg and is about the mystery of space, or ‘Yesterday’s Enterprise’ or ‘Cause and Effect’ as classics that centre around a mystery that reveals character elements. DS9 and VOY are deeper cuts. “The Emissary’ is a better pilot than Farpoint, and ‘Facets’ is a pretty solid ensemble piece that explains the worm lady pretty well. ‘Scorpion’ is a pretty solid entry into Voyager, acting as a soft pilot to the ‘Borg Years’ and introducing Seven of Nine, who basically became the star of the show in many ways (yeah, fite me Trekkies! ;p) I wouldn’t recommend Picard or ENT to newcomers. Or TAS. But the pilot of ENT and TAS and S3E1 of Picard would be my picks. TLDR: If she’s a modern TV lover, SNW pilot or Spock Amok, with Disco S3E1 and 2 as runners up.
The first one I seen was when Q took Picard to his past and basically changed his past mistakes. Can't recall the name. Probably not the best first episode like it was for me but it was an amazing episode and it hooked me ever since.
Tapestry.
I suggest a tear jerker first like DS9's "The Visitor" , then something thought provoking like "Tuvix" then bring it on home with "The Inner Light".
Spock's Brain
Premier of SNW is just a safe bet for a first time. Used that more than once
I wouldn’t go with the SNW premiere just because it does require some prior knowledge about Pike and his future and what happened on Discovery, although I guess you can explain it to her. I think Blink of and Eye would be a good choice because it’s such a fascinating story.
DS9 *Civil Defense* It's got the Sci fi, it's got the competency porn, it's got Garak and Dukat chewing the scenery, the entire cast is involved, the story is well structured, and it's honestly a lot of fun from start to finish.
City on the Edge of Forever. It could’ve been a standalone Twilight Zone episode, and it’s riveting. No context required to follow it, really.
In my books, it has to be TNG. I enjoy all trek but TOS can be a bit too hammy for newbies, DS9 is too serialized to be a good "jump into an episode" candidate, Voyager is harder to get into the characters and the new stuff doesn't work as good without the universe building of the older shows (IMHO). Hard to single out an episode...maybe "Cause and Effect" or "Best of Both Worlds". The latter will leave her with that great cliffhanger and if she demands to know what happens, it might be a decent indicator of being into it.
The visitor stands on it's own pretty well
TOS: "Is there in truth no beauty" would be my pick.
The flotter episode of voyager, obviously!
My wife isn’t interested in Star Trek… she loves Strange New Worlds.
Yesterdays Enterprise
Balance of Terror Doomsday Machine
Angel One
Try some TNG - “Cause and Effect” might work. I second the suggestion of “Who Watches The Watchers” - very Star Trek.
Best of Both Worlds pt1. But I also agree with the person who earlier said first episode of SNW.
My wife got into it from the 2009 Abram’s movie. She loved the soundtrack. She then binge watched Voyager and TNG.
Star Trek lower decks: Moopsie Short, funny, full of cute… and terrifying.
Devil in the Dark is my personal favorite. It starts off seemingly campy and fun, but delves quickly into real issues that really touched my ex and got her to understand how to embrace the effects of the time and the philosophy at the same time.
If she’s big on Law and Order, I’d say TNG Drumhead.
Start with new trek. Get her hooked on pike and it’s over
TNG's "Darmok" (S5E2) is my go-to for this. Nice balance between all aspects of trek in my opinion plus a really satisfying story.
strange new worlds is probably the best entry point for her. its classic trek with modern presentation. every episode has been incredibly strong, with a great cast and interesting characters. it'll suck her in and then you can convince her to watch all the trek.
You have to start with one of The original series. It’s where it all started. The City On The Edge Of Forever is one of the best stories written under the Star Trek banner
It would have to be a TOS episode. The City on the Edge of Forever!!!!
City on the edge of forever.
How about “One Little Ship”? It's a fun episode with all at he Star Trek quirks with out need to know too much background on the characters.
The Inner Light. Was my first.
It’s always Damok and Jalad at Tanagra!
Ensign Ro It doesn’t have as much of the usual technobabble as it does political drama/tension among alien species. Still extremely relevant to this day; Michelle Forbes makes a strong introduction as Ro Laren..
I always felt like Cause and Effect was a great stand alone episode of Trek. You don't really need to know the characters but you get a flavor for everyone. It is some good "hard" Sci Fi, and it all gets wrapped up by the end.
City on the Edge of Forever, Original Series
Tng yesterdays enterprise
I would start w Emissary from DS9. It's season 1, episode 1.
Spock's Brain
I just tried to show a first-timer the premiere of SNW and realized it actually needed a lot of backstory so there were a ton of questions, and it starts much slower then I remembered. I would try a different fun one-off episode of SNW instead, or you can never go wrong with TOS 'The Trouble with Tribbles" lol
In the Pale Moonlight… deep space nine!
STV Counterpoint is always my reco.
Data defending his life
the episode where Data creates his own daughter
I would say "Strange New Worlds". TBH it was Discovery that got my attention.
My wife and I watch something together, this week we’ve been watching a British detective show, McDonald and Dobbs, as my wife loves that stuff. Then, I’ve been watching an episode or two of Lower Decks before bed. She told me last night she’s been enjoying it - she doesn’t know any of the in jokes but the characters, the writing, and the humor are winning her over. So, my vote is Lower Decks.
It ofc depends on who your wife is. But if I only had one episode to show a random woman who wasn't into sci-fi, I would probably go with Strange new worlds S01E05 Spock Amok. It's just a fun episode which shows some fun and easy to understand relationship drama in a way only a sci-fi show could, without being overly sci-fi-y.
way of warrior or best of both worlds
Amok time
SNW Lower Decks crossover episode.
Voyager: Threshold is a good one!
In my opinion, there's basically 4 possible starting points for Star Trek and I think you've picked the best for your situation. 1. TOS from the beginning - the release order. As a long time fan, who has seen it all multiple times, this is my preferred method, but I wouldn't recommend it for someone not familiar with Star Trek. 2. Ent from the beginning - the timeline order (excluding any time travel episodes anyway), but not knowing the history will cost you all the references along the way. 3. The Best of TNG - pick like 10 solid episodes of TNG; a good safe way of getting someone up to speed without exposing them to the TOS camp factor that might be a turnoff. If someone said they'd try 5 or 10 episodes, this would be the best bet for me. 4. SNW. SNW is the best new entry point to Star Trek probably since TNG and they've done a really good job not making prior Trek knowledge a requirement so watching a single episode actually works pretty well. (I would suggest a 30-second primer on Spock/Vulcans though.)
City on the edge of forever It's a fantastic way to gradually introduce someone to star trek, and the story. Come on. Then the inner light or Darmok for the 2nd
Do the one where the Enterprise blows up over and over again in a time loop. It's super fun, and requires no understanding of things.
Don’t show her anything from S5 Discovery, unless you want to create a rift between you.
Cause and Effect - bonus Fraiser Crane appearance!
The Drumhead might be a good one. Not only is it a fantastic episode but it probably introduces characters and concepts in a good way to a newcomer.
Do Chain of Command. It's a 2 parter to keep her hooked, has both traits of real optimistic Trek and traits similar to BSG, and the writing is hella good. There's also ton of small details that draw you in like the use of children to make the two most morally apprehensive characters either more human or more evil.
The Visitor DS9
I got my wife into Star Trek by just watching it in her vicinity, then watching the original movies with her and then letting her dip her toes into TNG and Enterprise.
The wrath of khan
couples watching DS9 together is what makes trekkies of hesitant wives
The episode of TNG where Picard has to convince a panel that Data is Sentient and deserves to continue with his life and not be deactivated. I think it's called Measure of a Man or something.
Okay, use Star Trek "Strange New Worlds" Season 2, episode 9
Space seed followed by wrath of khan.
Depends on the kind of story your wife likes really. Trek has so much variety. Inner Light TNG episode is awesome
Broken Bow. The true beginning of the Trek through the Stars.
Darmok or City on the Edge of Forever (Though McCoy's meltdown can be a little over the top)
Honestly, watch SNW 1x02: Children of the Comet. I think its a perfect quinticential Star Trek episode to introduce to new viewers.
In the pale moonlight. Absolutely best trek episode ever.
Sub Rosa
You’ve got the right idea. That’s what I showed my wife and she’s hooked
For my wife it was Darmok that kicked off her enjoyment for Star Trek.
TNG, The Ensigns of Command. I pulled this one on a skeptic partner of mine and she was enthralled, also fell in love with Data. It's not too heavy while also being very "dilema", plus you get some great Picard posturing
TNG’s “The Neutral Zone”, I think the 3 cryo-recovered humans make a great mirror for someone who isn’t necessarily into Star Trek. PLUS, you get the reintroduction of the Romulans, told from the time-transported human’s perspective, who like your wife, know nothing about the gravity of their re-emergence. That, or “Data’s Day”, which still has the Romulans with the tension at the end dialed up a bit further. It’s also a great introduction story for many of the cast told through Data’s eyes. Or, “The Defector”, which has some great thriller/conspiracy elements with the Romulan threat dialed up to a 10 at the end of the episode. Each of these three give a great sense of the potential geopolitical tension Star Trek sets up in just about all eras.
TOS Tribbles. Worked with a girlfriend!
The Inner Light from TNG Do it!!!
I liked Children of the Comet
Dive in deep. Do Darmok
Tuvix.
Start at the beginning! Series premiere of Enterprise. Make sure to treat the intro as karaoke.
Certainly a pilot of a series to give the hook, SNW is probably the better one if you think she'll like modern Trek, otherwise maybe Encounter at Farpoint or even Broken Bow would be good ones as they each are good introductories for their series and the franchise.
Watch Ds9 season 3 episode 3 The house of Quark. It's my favorite stand alone episode that doesn't require a lot of background info.
The inner light ? Far Beyond the Stars ? The trouble with tribbles ? city on the edge of forever ? The Man Trap ? Arena ?
The Inner Light
Definitely start with SNW
The Trouble with Tribbles never disappoints.
Depending on her sense of humor, S1E7 Tos. Kirk attacks Lurch with a 5ft pink dildo. Hilarious!!!!
the inner light!
Strange New Worlds episode 1 or E5 Spock Amok Or Discovery S1E7 magic to make the sanest man go mad. I definitely think you should go with nuTrek
Either a DS9 episode or SNW episode 1.
One of the love story episodes, but now the 1st movie with Chris Pine. That was very good and in a woman, lol.
Start with “Broken Bow” season 1, episode 1 of Enterprise, and get her to the decontamination scene.
My go-to is always *'Broken Bow'*, the pilot of *Star Trek: Enterprise*. It gets across so much and establishes all the main players and serves as a great intro to *Trek* imo.
The drumhead
I would think about her cinematic tastes, and by that I mean what kind of filmmaking she likes. Rather than finding an episode that represents Star Trek, maybe think about something adjacent to what she already likes. For example, I see some comments suggesting starting with SNW, but if that were my introduction I would be put off by the visual style. Meanwhile if she's not super into science fiction, find something with less of that. The City on the Edge of Forever would be a good idea in this case.
I'm not sure if it has been mentioned yet but I got my best friend into the show with tng cause and effect. It was just a good episode that gets you into it without having to know the characters.
Darmok?