Star Trek episodes, for non Trek fans

Gillion · Posted Sun 22 Jun, 2014 5:02 PM

So Saturday im going to have guests over and Im going to try to convince them to watch an episode of Star Trek. Can you guys give me some suggestions of good episodes that someone who isnt a fan of Star Trek would like. Im going to let them choose which series to watch so if you could, can you give me one episode from every series (minus TOS) that you think they would like? Also I know some of the best episodes are two-parters, but in case they dont like it I dont want to bore them for an hour and a half so please no two-parters.

I was thinking of letting them watch:
TNG: Deja Q (Q stripped of hist powers)
DS9: One Little ship (Mini Runabout)
Voyager: Flash Back (Seeing Tuvok on the Excelsior) or Message in a Bottle (ep with the Prometheus)
Enterprise: Silent Enemy (First time seeing the Elachi) or Regeneration (Borg episode)

So what do you guys think? If your wondering why I dont want to show them TOS its because thats the hardest to get into.

Three of Seven · Posted Sun 22 Jun, 2014 5:10 PM

Generally speaking, I would suggest some that don't show the ship a lot of the time or need any background information, Q losing powers would require you to know who Q was in order to get it.

My suggestion would be to look at heavily holodeck based ones or temporal episodes, they are often the easiest to jump into as they don't really require much background knowladge.

Vidugavia · Posted Sun 22 Jun, 2014 5:25 PM

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Encounter at Farpoint. I remember seeing the Galaxy Class for the first time and thinking....wow....that's an awesome ship!

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Soral · Posted Sun 22 Jun, 2014 8:55 PM

DS9 - In the Pale Moonlight

Dentari · Posted Mon 23 Jun, 2014 12:26 AM

DS9 - The Die is Cast. It's got all you need: Garak, Odo, Cardassians, Romulans and the Dominion.

Although, showing them the first episode of DS9 may be a great alternative. They won't be missing major chunks of the story line, but their interest can be piqued by the Battle of Wolf 359. It would illustrate to them the degree to which the series are all intertwined. Basically it would raise questions, but not so many that they become outright overwhelmed.

Gillion · Posted Mon 23 Jun, 2014 3:20 AM

In the Pale Moonlight and The Die is Cast are both good options, makes things more difficult

Originally Posted by Three of Seven

Generally speaking, I would suggest some that don't show the ship a lot of the time or need any background information, Q losing powers would require you to know who Q was in order to get it.

My suggestion would be to look at heavily holodeck based ones or temporal episodes, they are often the easiest to jump into as they don't really require much background knowladge.

I guess it makes sense not to get them confused, but I thought of that ep because I think they'll like Q.
Also why shouldnt I show the ship? Its Star Trek, its like saying pick an episode without the Tardis in Dr. Who.

Trekster · Posted Mon 23 Jun, 2014 4:26 PM

I think guardian on the edge of forever from TOS is one of the best trek episodes, period. That's a great one for trying to get people into trek, in my opinion. That episode was the first one that came to mind when thinking of great trek.

Not trying to start a flame war, show them what episode you want

irishorion · Posted Mon 23 Jun, 2014 4:58 PM

In the Pale Moonlight, or Siege of AR-558. Both are away from the normal Trek feeling and show a darker side to Star Trek that most people don't know is there. Also they don't require too much explanation: "There's a war, it's all gone cray cray"

JrodBlue · Posted Mon 23 Jun, 2014 5:33 PM

You have to consider either The Neutral Zone or The Defector. Dem Romulans yo.

Gillion · Posted Mon 23 Jun, 2014 6:16 PM

So far the only ep that more than one person has chosen is In the Pale Moonlight, you guys arent making this decision any easier

Trekster · Posted Mon 23 Jun, 2014 6:54 PM

I'll give you another choice for TNG. Yesterday's Enterprise. It was actually the episode that brought me back into the TNG world. I gave TNG a try during the 1st part of season 1, and to be frank, I wasn't impressed. I happened to catch Yesterday's Enterprise a couple of years later, and from that point on I was hooked with TNG.

Soral · Posted Wed 25 Jun, 2014 11:02 PM

I'm going to make another suggestion not based on the coolness of the ships or the technology, but rather on the focus of what made Star Trek so compelling...the topics and issues of modern society that it tackled with each episode (some more upfront than others).

TNG - Measure of a Man.

Specifically because of this scene:

Vidugavia · Posted Wed 25 Jun, 2014 11:14 PM

Fantastic clip, I haven't seen that one in a while and it truly is a large part of what made Star Trek so compelling...as you have said.

Gillion · Posted Thu 26 Jun, 2014 1:52 AM

Measure of a man is good, but I feel like episodes like that aren't episodes that get you into Star Trek, those are ep that keep you watching.

Mr Dobilina · Posted Thu 26 Jun, 2014 12:13 PM

ENT - Broken bow
ENT - These are the voyages. That's given you the entire background there...

TOS (any episode lol)
STAR TREK WRATH OF KHAN
STAR TREK UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY

TNG - Farpoint
STAR TREK GENERATIONS
STAR TREK (2009)

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