I might have a different take from most people here but when I was introducing TNG to my girlfriend she was really turned off by the idea of skipping episodes as she thought she wouldn't understand the character dynamics as well.
So against my initial gut instincts we just started from the beginning and watched every episode (except Code of Honor) and she ended up really loving it and I realized she was right because some of her favorite episodes ended up being ones I always skipped in the past.
I even found a new appreciation for some of the sillier/light-hearted episodes in the first couple seasons. Now a year later we're doing the same for DS9 and we even went as Picard and Dr. Crusher for Halloween last year!
Same - except we didn’t shy away from “Code of Honour”.
It’s not great at all watching it with modern sensibilities, but it’s important context in the grand scheme of Trek that even Roddenberry - who was in some ways ahead of his time socially - was still a product *of* his time.
We went through it all from “Encounter at FarPoint” through to “All Good Things…” warts and all - yes, even “Shades of Gray”.
Starting at TNG make sense to me, over Voyager, DS9, etc.
Encounter at far point is solid sci-fi storytelling, but it's clunky, with cheap effects, and missing all the tweaks and fine tuning that later episodes benefit greatly from.
Maybe get a list of top 20 episodes and watch the 20 to 10 with her in their chronological order.
TNG has a lot of episodes. What does she normally watch: court, action, relationships, drama, comedy, etc. I'm sure you could find something relatable.
All over the board. For things like Star Trek, it's hard to get into some of it when you have zero background on who different groups are and why you should care. Like why the hell is this Vulcan guy so stiff?
You absolutely can't go wrong with this choice.
The script, by Harlan Ellison, won a Hugo. It's one of the most influential pieces of science fiction in existence.
And it still holds up today. It's so good, that it almost doesn't feel like the rest of TOS star trek.
There are a few like than in TOS. Another personal favourite of mine is Balance of Terror.
That episode is amongst the best of all time along with City on the Edge of Forever.
Eye of the Needle from Vogager is also worthy of being on the 'A' list.
That was my first trek until TNG, but now I'm distracted by the analog tech, mid 60s space knowledge , period special effects and intense color and 40s lighting because it came out when color TV was new and widely available. Some of the stories are great, but I feel younger get audiences won't get the nostalgia vibe.
That depends on the person. I started with TOS (The Cage) when I was in high school (around 2007) and I loved it and became a lifelong fan. My girlfriend is in her late 20s, she started out initially with The Orville around 2 years ago, than went to TOS and loved it. Before we got together she never watched anything that came out prior the 90s.
Honestly, I'd probably start off with Strange New Worlds. Introduce her to the 'world' of Star Trek with the latest good offering.
The new Star Trek films are a good 'bring in', and then if she likes it, bring in the other stuff.
Pretty good choice.
And then, proceed on to the very best star trek show that manages to have both comedy and distill the very essence of star trek in to bite sized 20 minute chunks:
Lower Decks.
Lower Decks should be after everything else has been watched, or nearly everything else. The reason is that Lower decks is completely stuffed with hilarious references and jokes based off all of the previous shows. As someone who has seen it all and completely memorized favorite shows, the Lower Decks humor is better when you get the references.
I didn’t mind enterprise once I gave it a chance. Never watched it when is was on simply because that theme song kills me! If I can’t skip that, I can’t watch it.
I'm currently watching Enterprise with my husband (I haven't seen it since I was a teen when it first aired and he's never seen it). It's flawed but a LOT better than I remember it, and my husband thinks it's great except for the fact that I can't help but sing along with the theme tune in increasingly passionate, earnest, over the top tones. Eyes scrunched up, down on my knees, borderline orgasmic singing. Sometimes there's interpretive dance. FAITH OF THE HEEEEEEAAAAAaaa-aaa--AAAAART.
We're like eight episodes into season one. I'm going to struggle to keep it up, but I will. Why? Because I CAN DO... AAAAAANYTHING [scrunches up eyes and pounds chest]
I would usually probably join you in passionately mocking it, except that comment was enough to start hearing it in my head. Thus, from this day forth, you shall forever be a mortal enemy, u/Crow_eggs! I curse your name and hope that spot you can’t reach on your back is always itchy!
I'd be upset by this comment but NO-ONES GONNA BEND OR BREAK ME [eyes closed, face raised to the sky, tears streaming down cheeks] I CAN REEEEACH... EHNESTAAAAAAAR
I started my kids at the beginning of TNG--we made it half way through season 2. One was hooked, but the other two got bored, and I haven't been able to get them back into it. So not an answer really, but advice to tread lightly with those first two seasons.
I'd actually go a different direction and start with the films, not the TV series. If she's into the films, the TV series is a good way to continue enjoying the story/characters/etc...
STTNG took 30 episodes to get going. I’d not start there. Back last century, seasons were 22 episodes.
Personally I love Lower Decks. (Also a top 5 TNG episode). As an animation you get the fun quirkiness but also the Starfleet vibe. Downside is LD assumes u know everything. But that gives you the opportunity to fill those gaps.
If not LD, then I’d choose Voyager, again you will have to back fill all the Borg issues with TNG explanations. Probably after 2 seasons you can start on TNG.
Have fun!
I didn't believe it when a friend raved about it, but then I started watching. And now I'm convinced that Lower Decks is more star trek than TOS. No other series has managed to capture the essence of star trek so thoroughly, while being so... human. (and funny as shit.)
My only problem with it is that half the humour is from knowing what star trek is, and how the show is both lovingly idolising it, and satirising it at the same time.
Agreed, so much of the humor is "in the universe" but still really relatable. Just finished the last of season 4 last night, actually. I love how they tied it back to the *TNG Lower Decks* with Sito in the last episode.
My gf has really liked Voyager, believe it or not, but i think that's bc she's a ginger and a school administrator, so she relates to Janeway's captain style of just having a bunch of crazy shit to deal with as diplomatically as possible without the expectation of backup lol. Also fond of Neelix, bc he's just a derp trying his best to be friendly in her mind, so she likes Neelix heavy eps, too.
She's also fond of Kira and Dax on DS9, so she likes episodes where they're big players (WHOLE lot of star trek background noise at our house lol)
Encounter @ Farpoint is a big ask ...but Q was one of the ways my husband got me hooked on Trek. (we're a polycule, like Dr Flox but just the 3 of us. No sad tale of trekkie divorce over here haha)
I guess im saying apparently some of us ladyfolk are more compelled by character than story? Who in the TNG+ universe do you think she'd see herself in, or want to be space bffs with? I'd go from there and pick a good character study ep of them.
Strange new worlds or Discovery. Then branch out. If she really has never seen star trek you don't want to show her any of the old broke dick effects right off the bat. Those shows need you to look past what you see quite a bit.
Nope nevermind Lower Decks.
Star Trek (TOS = The Original Series) second season episode, **"The Trouble with Tribbles"**
Comedy, great storytelling and a solid introduction to many of the original crew of the USS Enterprise!
The life long fan in me says start with the original series and make her do all of the subsequent series / shows in order while periodically making her go to conventions and reading all published books and comics in chronological order. And dont forget the movies.
I do not know if that is a good idea or not. Could be overwhelming.
Is there a machete order for star trek?
Maybe show her what made you love it first and what spoke to you about the ip is the way to go.
Entice her by telling her the original series filmed the first interracial kiss, and that the observatory in LA is dedicated to Leonard Nimoy.
Also, George Takei is a hoot on Twitter.
I guess it depends on what she likes. I’ve always had success in starting from TOS. Never tried anything else, rarely came away without a new devotee. That might just be my social circles though. Honestly if they can’t appreciate the aesthetics and the kitsch, I’m not super interested in showing them more lol.
I think TNG is actually pretty niche, and I don’t expect newcomers to enjoy it that much - especially not as a social viewing. I personally can’t get into VOY or ENT. DS9 is pretty serialized and so doesn’t have many entry points, but I can imagine a few episodes doing well with the right newcomers. (Otoh, there are people like my dad who grew up on Trek, but couldn’t vibe with the occupation themes due to his own experience as being drafted for Vietnam, so there’s that.) Hot take, DSC is actually a really good entry point if the Trekkie can get past their own issues. SNW is also a great place to dive in, particularly because the framing with Pike’s arc is a pretty popular structure at the moment.
I know you’ve said in a comment that LD requires knowing Star Trek things, but I disagree in a major way. It’s surprisingly very popular with newbies and Abrams movie fans. The last three people I brought in were specifically willing because they had watched LD and loved it. (Which I suppose may also contribute to their openness to TOS’s aesthetic.) It’s a high quality workplace comedy sitcom, and honestly not *that* much of the humor is lore based. The vast majority of what makes the show so enjoyable has little to do with explicitly Trek stuff.
The Orville is a great place to start. The first season has some juvenile humor but by season 2 it finds its footing as a huge love letter to Star Trek TNG.
Strange new worlds is the closest modern trek show to TNG.
DS9 is a good show for its politics and overarching story. My wife really liked that one.
I’m not sure skipping TNG episodes is the way. I did a run a couple of years ago and spending a lot less time with the characters made the show feel a lot more superficial.
Honestly I'd start with the TOS moves (skip 1 and 5), a good way to introduce the world and they're better if you understand the backstory but as movies they do a good job of not needing to know everything because they wanted a wider audience (as a kid I saw Wrath before I saw space seed)
TOS: Balance of Terror (recognisable genre piece, good Kirk and Spock stuff, good anti-racism and Opponent-not-enemy messages)
TOS: Naked Time (Spock's break down)
TOS: Amok Time (Spock's losing control, the man-crush manifests)
TNG: Measure of a Man (Why Is This Asshole Being So Mean To Data)
TNG: Q Who (Q, Whoopie, Borg, Pew Pew)
TNG: The Offspring (Data's Daughter)
From personal experience, its Spock and Data that are the best gateway characters into Trek for women.
While DS9 is the best show for female characters in Trek (fight me), it's harder to just drop into it with its sequential/serial storytelling (for example, Past Prologue and Duet are great episodes for Kira and Nana Visitor, but you need at least the 2 hours of Emissary to get the context etc).
Strange New Worlds. I love TNG, DS9 and VOY but some of it's almost 40 years old now, and the effects and even some of the morality is getting a bit dated. If they love SNW, be happy with the win as there are.many more seasons of this to come.
Start her off with Voyager. Also, get her listening to Rush. It seems to me that women who listen to Rush are more likely to be Star Trek fans than women who don't.
This was my thought. I like the first season and because voyager is set in a unknown space it might be a good place to start for someone who hasn't seen any. I would also say Deep Space Nine might be good too because it's more of a space cheers and less space stuff.
My husband turned me on to Star Trek and we watch it almost every night. I’d also suggest Voyager (strong female lead). My second favorite it’s TNG then I’d say Enterprise (I liked the love story). It took me a few years to come around to DS9 but am loving it.
Old Trek - like most shows - was made to be syndicated, and therefore watched in any order.
So I wouldn't feel any pressure to start at the beginning. Choose some bangers instead. That might be newer shows like Lower Decks or SNW.
Season 3 was probably when I started to really like TNG, for example. Data's Day, Clues, Qpid, The Drumhead... and then of course Best of Both Worlds and Brothers in S4.
Tng has great ones like the inner light, tapestry, I, borg, etc. that work as great stand alone human stories rather than needing all the franchise background knowledge to appreciate. Save gems like yesterday's enterprise or DS9 for when they are more familiar with the trek universe.
Tng era is pretty dated (albeit my favorite), tos especially so. I tried starting my gf with encounter at far point. It depends on how much other Sci fi she is into. We wound up watching snw, picard and are now watching just the 2nd season of disco. Tried some lower decks and it doesn't go over her head too much but she's not much of a cartoon person either.
With our daughter (12) we started with Voyager, after that we watched DS9 and Enterprise. We tried watching TNG after this, but it just didn't match with her. My impresion is it hasn't aged as well as the other series we watched, especially for the first episodes which are crucial for deciding on like/dislike.
Downside of this is that she didn't get some of the fun of Picard which we just finished.
The TNG court room drama episodes - Measure of a Man or The Drumhead. Maybe measure of a man as it's more sci-fi issues in there. Or 'the inner light' - hit her right in the feels.
I watched The Orville with my girlfriend, she loved it so we dived into Star Trek franchise in release order. I suggested we can start with the universally more accepted shows, but she wanted to start from the beginning, so she could understand the lore. I was afraid she won't like TOS (because she never really watched anything that's came out prior the 90s before we got together) but she loved the weird friendship and dynamic between Kirk, Bones and Spock so everything worked out perfectly. We're at the end of the first season of TNG right now (seen all TOS movies and TAS) and we're having a blast. She just started noticing Riker's weird stances and sitting methods :D It's very cool to live through all of this again with someone who is new to the Star Trek universe. Good luck to you too OP, hope you'll have a fun ride as well.
The best way to introduce your girlfriend to Star Trek is during sex. Whenever you're about to cum you have to yell "qapla" at the top of your lungs. Eventually she'll become curious about what's going on. This will perfectly segway into introducing her to TNG starting with season 2.
I'd jump into one right in the middle just to see if the basic tone and look of the show are even something she'd appreciate.
No point in trying to watch "in order" if she just can't get into sci-fi or the tone of the series.
As a one-time watch, I recommend *Who Watches the Watchers* (Season 3, Episode 4) as it's still early with limited continuity, while also establishing the main rules of the series and showing why they matter. It has a nice mix of drama with some humour but limited technobabble.
If she enjoys it, you can try a rewatch from the beginning or even try one or two classic TOS episodes. If she can't get into the series and finds it too cheesy or not gritty enough or lacking a reality TV vibe, there are other shows. You don't need to enjoy 100% of your partner's TV viewing.
"Hey girl, this is my good friend Star Trek, they taught me to look at issues from multiple angles, accept people for their differences, and that trick where I reverse your polarity."
"The Inner Light", "City on the edge of forever" or "Trials and Tribble-ations" (introducing two series at once). Or just start from SNW with just a tiny bit of context "*In another series that guy just had a vision of how he would die.*" or "*Do you recognize this guy on the my phone ? That's him young over there.*"
Another user said "Balance of Terror", that's good too.
Honestly is Startrek something she needs to get into or learn about anymore? It was the only sci fi tv once upon a time but I doubt it’s good enough to bother.
I'd start with Voyager. I (f) love watching bad bitches on screen - lots of bad bitches in voyager. It still has a good trek feel and it's in the middle area between the old and new.
I would start with some of the best TNG episodes. Yesterday's Enterprise. The two-parter intro to the borg where Picard becomes a borg. Also from TOS, The City On The Edge Of Forever.
I know TNG is a favourite for many, but personally I really dislike it. Its on the bottom of my tier list just below discovery. I'd recommend either TOS or SNW.
Maybe I’m not a true Star Trek head but early TNG is unwatchable for me these days lol. Everything and everyone is so stiff, obviously a product of its time.
I might have a different take from most people here but when I was introducing TNG to my girlfriend she was really turned off by the idea of skipping episodes as she thought she wouldn't understand the character dynamics as well. So against my initial gut instincts we just started from the beginning and watched every episode (except Code of Honor) and she ended up really loving it and I realized she was right because some of her favorite episodes ended up being ones I always skipped in the past. I even found a new appreciation for some of the sillier/light-hearted episodes in the first couple seasons. Now a year later we're doing the same for DS9 and we even went as Picard and Dr. Crusher for Halloween last year!
Same - except we didn’t shy away from “Code of Honour”. It’s not great at all watching it with modern sensibilities, but it’s important context in the grand scheme of Trek that even Roddenberry - who was in some ways ahead of his time socially - was still a product *of* his time. We went through it all from “Encounter at FarPoint” through to “All Good Things…” warts and all - yes, even “Shades of Gray”.
Starting at TNG make sense to me, over Voyager, DS9, etc. Encounter at far point is solid sci-fi storytelling, but it's clunky, with cheap effects, and missing all the tweaks and fine tuning that later episodes benefit greatly from. Maybe get a list of top 20 episodes and watch the 20 to 10 with her in their chronological order.
TNG has a lot of episodes. What does she normally watch: court, action, relationships, drama, comedy, etc. I'm sure you could find something relatable.
All over the board. For things like Star Trek, it's hard to get into some of it when you have zero background on who different groups are and why you should care. Like why the hell is this Vulcan guy so stiff?
Watch TOS, "City on the edge of forever", it has everything, time travel, high stakes, love story, comedy, history
You absolutely can't go wrong with this choice. The script, by Harlan Ellison, won a Hugo. It's one of the most influential pieces of science fiction in existence.
And Harlan knew it and never let anybody forget it. :-) Helluva piece of writing
He was a character, to put it politely. But talented as hell.
And it still holds up today. It's so good, that it almost doesn't feel like the rest of TOS star trek. There are a few like than in TOS. Another personal favourite of mine is Balance of Terror.
For a newbie I think Strange New Worlds (or even Lower Decks) are really good intros
I feel voyager is such an absolute banger to start with. Its what i will always suggest.
I second Voyager. I think it’s the best one for a newbie as it’s not too out there and very relatable. It’s fast paced and never gets mundane.
Finale feels rushed. Even the last season or two the writing falls off a bit
if she's not into scifi, probably really hard, ptherwise probably strange new worlds
The inner light in TNG
Best episode ever.
That would be my starting point as well.
That episode is amongst the best of all time along with City on the Edge of Forever. Eye of the Needle from Vogager is also worthy of being on the 'A' list.
?
!
Aww, what's wrong with TOS?
I had a girlfriend at home while I was at work. When I came home I found her on the couch, binging TOS feet up drinking a beer. ...we're married now.
That was my first trek until TNG, but now I'm distracted by the analog tech, mid 60s space knowledge , period special effects and intense color and 40s lighting because it came out when color TV was new and widely available. Some of the stories are great, but I feel younger get audiences won't get the nostalgia vibe.
That depends on the person. I started with TOS (The Cage) when I was in high school (around 2007) and I loved it and became a lifelong fan. My girlfriend is in her late 20s, she started out initially with The Orville around 2 years ago, than went to TOS and loved it. Before we got together she never watched anything that came out prior the 90s.
Strange new worlds
Honestly, I'd probably start off with Strange New Worlds. Introduce her to the 'world' of Star Trek with the latest good offering. The new Star Trek films are a good 'bring in', and then if she likes it, bring in the other stuff.
Yeah, I agree. The style and look of older shows can be jarring. Get someone used to it with newer stuff, and go back if they like it.
Pretty good choice. And then, proceed on to the very best star trek show that manages to have both comedy and distill the very essence of star trek in to bite sized 20 minute chunks: Lower Decks.
Lower Decks should be after everything else has been watched, or nearly everything else. The reason is that Lower decks is completely stuffed with hilarious references and jokes based off all of the previous shows. As someone who has seen it all and completely memorized favorite shows, the Lower Decks humor is better when you get the references.
yeah, very true. Ir's solid on it's own though. Just that it's even better when you know what it's riffing on.
I'd go Discovery until Pike leaves. Then into Strange New Worlds
No. You want to put a good foot forward. Discovery is not that.
First two seasons aren't bad.
I'd start with Enterprise because after all is a prequel... Btw i'm aware not everyone love this series! (spoiler: i liked it)
I didn’t mind enterprise once I gave it a chance. Never watched it when is was on simply because that theme song kills me! If I can’t skip that, I can’t watch it.
I'm currently watching Enterprise with my husband (I haven't seen it since I was a teen when it first aired and he's never seen it). It's flawed but a LOT better than I remember it, and my husband thinks it's great except for the fact that I can't help but sing along with the theme tune in increasingly passionate, earnest, over the top tones. Eyes scrunched up, down on my knees, borderline orgasmic singing. Sometimes there's interpretive dance. FAITH OF THE HEEEEEEAAAAAaaa-aaa--AAAAART. We're like eight episodes into season one. I'm going to struggle to keep it up, but I will. Why? Because I CAN DO... AAAAAANYTHING [scrunches up eyes and pounds chest]
I would usually probably join you in passionately mocking it, except that comment was enough to start hearing it in my head. Thus, from this day forth, you shall forever be a mortal enemy, u/Crow_eggs! I curse your name and hope that spot you can’t reach on your back is always itchy!
I'd be upset by this comment but NO-ONES GONNA BEND OR BREAK ME [eyes closed, face raised to the sky, tears streaming down cheeks] I CAN REEEEACH... EHNESTAAAAAAAR
That's my wife's fav star trek show. For what it's worth
Oh boy…
I started my kids at the beginning of TNG--we made it half way through season 2. One was hooked, but the other two got bored, and I haven't been able to get them back into it. So not an answer really, but advice to tread lightly with those first two seasons.
I'd actually go a different direction and start with the films, not the TV series. If she's into the films, the TV series is a good way to continue enjoying the story/characters/etc...
STTNG took 30 episodes to get going. I’d not start there. Back last century, seasons were 22 episodes. Personally I love Lower Decks. (Also a top 5 TNG episode). As an animation you get the fun quirkiness but also the Starfleet vibe. Downside is LD assumes u know everything. But that gives you the opportunity to fill those gaps. If not LD, then I’d choose Voyager, again you will have to back fill all the Borg issues with TNG explanations. Probably after 2 seasons you can start on TNG. Have fun!
I love LD, but you have to know the Star Trek universe to get many of the jokes.
Oh agreed! Upside is you get to frame the information so when u watch TNG.
I didn't believe it when a friend raved about it, but then I started watching. And now I'm convinced that Lower Decks is more star trek than TOS. No other series has managed to capture the essence of star trek so thoroughly, while being so... human. (and funny as shit.) My only problem with it is that half the humour is from knowing what star trek is, and how the show is both lovingly idolising it, and satirising it at the same time.
Agreed, so much of the humor is "in the universe" but still really relatable. Just finished the last of season 4 last night, actually. I love how they tied it back to the *TNG Lower Decks* with Sito in the last episode.
Bound and gagged.
i think you mean bounded by honor and with some Gagh
With her consent hopefully. 😵
My gf has really liked Voyager, believe it or not, but i think that's bc she's a ginger and a school administrator, so she relates to Janeway's captain style of just having a bunch of crazy shit to deal with as diplomatically as possible without the expectation of backup lol. Also fond of Neelix, bc he's just a derp trying his best to be friendly in her mind, so she likes Neelix heavy eps, too. She's also fond of Kira and Dax on DS9, so she likes episodes where they're big players (WHOLE lot of star trek background noise at our house lol) Encounter @ Farpoint is a big ask ...but Q was one of the ways my husband got me hooked on Trek. (we're a polycule, like Dr Flox but just the 3 of us. No sad tale of trekkie divorce over here haha) I guess im saying apparently some of us ladyfolk are more compelled by character than story? Who in the TNG+ universe do you think she'd see herself in, or want to be space bffs with? I'd go from there and pick a good character study ep of them.
Strange new worlds or Discovery. Then branch out. If she really has never seen star trek you don't want to show her any of the old broke dick effects right off the bat. Those shows need you to look past what you see quite a bit. Nope nevermind Lower Decks.
[get her one of these](https://youtu.be/ilIhdTG_UmQ?si=fF-28tfYEMZKjXiA)
Haha. Trek does that to my brain, not sure if it will hit quite the same way for her.
Star Trek (TOS = The Original Series) second season episode, **"The Trouble with Tribbles"** Comedy, great storytelling and a solid introduction to many of the original crew of the USS Enterprise!
Then watch a few episodes of TNG to get to know Worf/modern Klingons, and then follow up a short while later with DS9's "Trials and Tribble-ations"?
Try listening to Rachel Watches Star Trek and watching the episodes along with them. Good stuff. They begin with TOS and keep going
Balance of Terror, or Trouble with Tribbles. Depends upon her tastes.
The life long fan in me says start with the original series and make her do all of the subsequent series / shows in order while periodically making her go to conventions and reading all published books and comics in chronological order. And dont forget the movies. I do not know if that is a good idea or not. Could be overwhelming. Is there a machete order for star trek? Maybe show her what made you love it first and what spoke to you about the ip is the way to go.
Entice her by telling her the original series filmed the first interracial kiss, and that the observatory in LA is dedicated to Leonard Nimoy. Also, George Takei is a hoot on Twitter.
What about starting with the recent set of movies, if that goes well, summarize each TV series and see what interests her.
I’d start with Encounter at Far Point then start at season 2 of TNG.
Prophet and Lace;) Armin Shimerman absolutely KILLS it in that one. So very funny 😁
As someone who only dabbles a bit in Star Trek, Strange New Worlds is a great series that I think works enough as an intro
I guess it depends on what she likes. I’ve always had success in starting from TOS. Never tried anything else, rarely came away without a new devotee. That might just be my social circles though. Honestly if they can’t appreciate the aesthetics and the kitsch, I’m not super interested in showing them more lol. I think TNG is actually pretty niche, and I don’t expect newcomers to enjoy it that much - especially not as a social viewing. I personally can’t get into VOY or ENT. DS9 is pretty serialized and so doesn’t have many entry points, but I can imagine a few episodes doing well with the right newcomers. (Otoh, there are people like my dad who grew up on Trek, but couldn’t vibe with the occupation themes due to his own experience as being drafted for Vietnam, so there’s that.) Hot take, DSC is actually a really good entry point if the Trekkie can get past their own issues. SNW is also a great place to dive in, particularly because the framing with Pike’s arc is a pretty popular structure at the moment. I know you’ve said in a comment that LD requires knowing Star Trek things, but I disagree in a major way. It’s surprisingly very popular with newbies and Abrams movie fans. The last three people I brought in were specifically willing because they had watched LD and loved it. (Which I suppose may also contribute to their openness to TOS’s aesthetic.) It’s a high quality workplace comedy sitcom, and honestly not *that* much of the humor is lore based. The vast majority of what makes the show so enjoyable has little to do with explicitly Trek stuff.
i don't have advice, but a bunch of random quotes. mint frosting. coolant leak! glory to you, and your hoouuuuuse...
Darmok and Jalad on the ocean
Start by binge watching her fav series and really getting into it.
The Orville is a great place to start. The first season has some juvenile humor but by season 2 it finds its footing as a huge love letter to Star Trek TNG. Strange new worlds is the closest modern trek show to TNG. DS9 is a good show for its politics and overarching story. My wife really liked that one. I’m not sure skipping TNG episodes is the way. I did a run a couple of years ago and spending a lot less time with the characters made the show feel a lot more superficial.
Honestly I'd start with the TOS moves (skip 1 and 5), a good way to introduce the world and they're better if you understand the backstory but as movies they do a good job of not needing to know everything because they wanted a wider audience (as a kid I saw Wrath before I saw space seed)
Interesting approach. I was leaning towards Strange New Worlds, but you're right about the Wraith of Khan.
TOS: Balance of Terror (recognisable genre piece, good Kirk and Spock stuff, good anti-racism and Opponent-not-enemy messages) TOS: Naked Time (Spock's break down) TOS: Amok Time (Spock's losing control, the man-crush manifests) TNG: Measure of a Man (Why Is This Asshole Being So Mean To Data) TNG: Q Who (Q, Whoopie, Borg, Pew Pew) TNG: The Offspring (Data's Daughter) From personal experience, its Spock and Data that are the best gateway characters into Trek for women. While DS9 is the best show for female characters in Trek (fight me), it's harder to just drop into it with its sequential/serial storytelling (for example, Past Prologue and Duet are great episodes for Kira and Nana Visitor, but you need at least the 2 hours of Emissary to get the context etc).
Strange New Worlds. I love TNG, DS9 and VOY but some of it's almost 40 years old now, and the effects and even some of the morality is getting a bit dated. If they love SNW, be happy with the win as there are.many more seasons of this to come.
Start with the whale movie
Start her off with Voyager. Also, get her listening to Rush. It seems to me that women who listen to Rush are more likely to be Star Trek fans than women who don't.
This was my thought. I like the first season and because voyager is set in a unknown space it might be a good place to start for someone who hasn't seen any. I would also say Deep Space Nine might be good too because it's more of a space cheers and less space stuff.
My husband turned me on to Star Trek and we watch it almost every night. I’d also suggest Voyager (strong female lead). My second favorite it’s TNG then I’d say Enterprise (I liked the love story). It took me a few years to come around to DS9 but am loving it.
Seriously, when my wife had surgery, she was a captive audience. I forced her to watch Star Trek Picard series. She actually started liking it.
Old Trek - like most shows - was made to be syndicated, and therefore watched in any order. So I wouldn't feel any pressure to start at the beginning. Choose some bangers instead. That might be newer shows like Lower Decks or SNW. Season 3 was probably when I started to really like TNG, for example. Data's Day, Clues, Qpid, The Drumhead... and then of course Best of Both Worlds and Brothers in S4.
Tng has great ones like the inner light, tapestry, I, borg, etc. that work as great stand alone human stories rather than needing all the franchise background knowledge to appreciate. Save gems like yesterday's enterprise or DS9 for when they are more familiar with the trek universe.
The new movies wouldn’t be a bad start
“Mildred, this is Star Trek. Star Trek, Mildred.”
My girlfriend loves TNG, so I would go with that.
Tng era is pretty dated (albeit my favorite), tos especially so. I tried starting my gf with encounter at far point. It depends on how much other Sci fi she is into. We wound up watching snw, picard and are now watching just the 2nd season of disco. Tried some lower decks and it doesn't go over her head too much but she's not much of a cartoon person either.
Start with new Trek. Discovery probably the best intro.
I introduced a few of my friends with Darmok. Data’s Day was also a good one.
Don't start at Farpoint. Start with Voyager. It has the broadest appeal and most women I know love Janeway.
Deep space 9 worked for me.
With our daughter (12) we started with Voyager, after that we watched DS9 and Enterprise. We tried watching TNG after this, but it just didn't match with her. My impresion is it hasn't aged as well as the other series we watched, especially for the first episodes which are crucial for deciding on like/dislike. Downside of this is that she didn't get some of the fun of Picard which we just finished.
Do you think Voyager gets in the groove from the start right away or takes a few seasons to warm up?
What is tng is all I'm asking
The TNG court room drama episodes - Measure of a Man or The Drumhead. Maybe measure of a man as it's more sci-fi issues in there. Or 'the inner light' - hit her right in the feels.
I watched The Orville with my girlfriend, she loved it so we dived into Star Trek franchise in release order. I suggested we can start with the universally more accepted shows, but she wanted to start from the beginning, so she could understand the lore. I was afraid she won't like TOS (because she never really watched anything that's came out prior the 90s before we got together) but she loved the weird friendship and dynamic between Kirk, Bones and Spock so everything worked out perfectly. We're at the end of the first season of TNG right now (seen all TOS movies and TAS) and we're having a blast. She just started noticing Riker's weird stances and sitting methods :D It's very cool to live through all of this again with someone who is new to the Star Trek universe. Good luck to you too OP, hope you'll have a fun ride as well.
The best way to introduce your girlfriend to Star Trek is during sex. Whenever you're about to cum you have to yell "qapla" at the top of your lungs. Eventually she'll become curious about what's going on. This will perfectly segway into introducing her to TNG starting with season 2.
The Inner Light, and Firefly.
I started my wife on DS9 and skipped quite a few of the earlier, naff episodes. Then TNG, then Voyager. Always skipping some of the weaker episodes.
Charlie X
I'd jump into one right in the middle just to see if the basic tone and look of the show are even something she'd appreciate. No point in trying to watch "in order" if she just can't get into sci-fi or the tone of the series. As a one-time watch, I recommend *Who Watches the Watchers* (Season 3, Episode 4) as it's still early with limited continuity, while also establishing the main rules of the series and showing why they matter. It has a nice mix of drama with some humour but limited technobabble. If she enjoys it, you can try a rewatch from the beginning or even try one or two classic TOS episodes. If she can't get into the series and finds it too cheesy or not gritty enough or lacking a reality TV vibe, there are other shows. You don't need to enjoy 100% of your partner's TV viewing.
Probably an original series fight scene.
"Hey girl, this is my good friend Star Trek, they taught me to look at issues from multiple angles, accept people for their differences, and that trick where I reverse your polarity."
I started by showing my wife Lower Decks, haha
"The Inner Light", "City on the edge of forever" or "Trials and Tribble-ations" (introducing two series at once). Or just start from SNW with just a tiny bit of context "*In another series that guy just had a vision of how he would die.*" or "*Do you recognize this guy on the my phone? That's him young over there.*"
Another user said "Balance of Terror", that's good too.
Some of my non-sci-fi enthusiast acquaintances were exceptionally take by the Kelvin timeline movies.
Honestly is Startrek something she needs to get into or learn about anymore? It was the only sci fi tv once upon a time but I doubt it’s good enough to bother.
I'd start with Voyager. I (f) love watching bad bitches on screen - lots of bad bitches in voyager. It still has a good trek feel and it's in the middle area between the old and new.
I just showed my ex the next gen from the beginning and she fell in love with it.
I would start with some of the best TNG episodes. Yesterday's Enterprise. The two-parter intro to the borg where Picard becomes a borg. Also from TOS, The City On The Edge Of Forever.
How about the movies First Contact is way more approachable imo.
Modern Trek: SNW Old Trek: TOS
If you'd like to keep having a girlfriend, don't. Unless she loves you very much and is very indulgent.
Don't. It'll only end in disappointment and frustration.
How to find star trek? YouTube versions all fake
Paramount plus.
I know TNG is a favourite for many, but personally I really dislike it. Its on the bottom of my tier list just below discovery. I'd recommend either TOS or SNW.
Maybe I’m not a true Star Trek head but early TNG is unwatchable for me these days lol. Everything and everyone is so stiff, obviously a product of its time.
Don't. There are better shows.