star trek top 10

The 10 Best Classic Star Trek Episodes

We boldly go... and pick our favorites from the original series..

It's never too late to watch episodes of the original Star Trek. Gene Roddenberry's iconic 1960s series gave us a number of incredibly memorable characters and performances, led by William Shatner as Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Spock and DeForest Kelley as Bones, while also inadvertently launching what would become one of the biggest franchises in history.

Of course, Star Trek has been and ever shall be about much more than just its beloved characters. There's also its thematic exploration of topical issues and problems facing humankind in the here and now, its application of real scientific theories extrapolated into very cool (and possible) future tech like warp drive, transporters, and more, and of course its optimistic view of humanity's future that reassures us that, yes, it's all gonna work out.

The show first aired on September 8, 1966 with the episode "The Man Trap," and so we're celebrating that anniversary with this list. There was initially some debate among IGN's editors about which episode belonged where -- and it took a few Kirk-style double-fist punches to settle those differences -- but we can now present to you our picks for the top 10 Star Trek: The Original Series episodes ever.

10. Arena (Season 1)

It's 50 years later, and Kirk fighting a guy in a green rubber suit is still awesome. "Arena," while not exactly reinventing the wheel when it comes to one-hour drama, does create a Trek standard that would find itself adapted into every other Trek series: Human and alien get stranded on insert deadly environment here , enemies become friends, and the universe is better for it.

Previously, we had only seen Kirk save the day sitting comfortable in his chair, or with a photon torpedo or six handy. "Arena" puts Kirk in a spot where he has to earn his survival by putting his instincts to the test, using only his wits and what little his environment provides. Kirk, in combat with the Gorn, proves that he is immune to defeat, but not to compassion. He spares the Gorn's life, satisfying the plan of the cosmic entity that pit the two against each other in the first place. Again, it's not Shakespeare, but leave it to Trek to get significant mileage out of men, even those behind the wheel of a starship, being reminded that they don't have the right to play God.

9. Amok Time (Season 2)

Season 2 of Star Trek kicked off with our first look at Spock’s home planet, Vulcan. Leonard Nimoy’s character had been the breakout character of the show the previous year, and there was a real hunger among fans for more info on The Logical One and his mysterious people.

Not only does “Amok Time” bring us to Vulcan, but it also introduced the concept of pon farr -- the Vulcan mating ritual, which overwhelms Spock and drives him to madness. (Hey, we can relate.) Kirk has no choice but to disobey orders, divert course, and get his first officer back to his planet before the fever kills him. There, we meet Spock’s betrothed, the beautiful and exotic T’Pring (Arlene Martel). But T’Pring insists that Spock fight for her affections, and the unlucky combatant she chooses to face her would-be husband is Kirk! Oh, and to quote the ancient Vulcan priestess overseeing the whole affair, “This combat is to the death.”

The episode offers an exciting glimpse of Vulcan that also allows for Nimoy to take Spock to some strange new acting worlds (for a character so in control of his emotions, he sure did emote a lot on this show). Martel and the other Vulcan guest stars bring a believability to the race that would elude many later actors to play our pointy-eared cousins (see many a TNG episode), but best of all is the strengthening of the Kirk/Spock/McCoy dynamic that takes place in “Amok Time.” When Spock requests that his “closest friends” accompany him to the planet surface for the ritual, even Bones has to let down his guard for a minute. His reply is simple and yet says so much about this trio: “I shall be honored, sir.”

8. The Naked Time (Season 1)

As the fourth episode aired, "The Naked Time" served as a primer for audiences to what made the still-new characters onboard the Enterprise tick. That dramatic throughline, some great acting, and a dynamic and tense plot all made for a memorable episode that still packs a wallop today.

When the Enterprise finds a team of dead scientists on the planet Psi 2000, Kirk's crew soon becomes contaminated with the same infection that killed that unlucky group. Those affected act strangely -- almost as if they're drunk -- and many of them find their inner-selves revealed in acts of uninhibited emotion: Spock's half-breed identity crisis, Sulu's secret swashbuckler, Kirk's love of his ship over all else, and so on. Meanwhile, while McCoy toils to find a vaccine for the intoxication virus, the Enterprise becomes locked in a death-spiral heading for the planet's surface. Can the drunken crew of the Enterprise save themselves in time? Of course they can… and they invent time travel while doing it!

7. The Enemy Within (Season 1)

"The Enemy Within" features a lot of firsts for Star Trek. First transporter malfunction. First duplicate Kirk. First unbridled, sweaty, mascara-laden, over-acting Shatner moment. It's a classic!

During a geological expedition on Alpha 177, the Enterprise's transporter ceases to function correctly after a clumsy technician beams up with some weird magnetic dust on his uniform. Unfortunately -- or rather, fortunately for the viewer -- Kirk also beams up shortly thereafter… twice! He's been split in two by the accident: a "good" Kirk who's a pokey, indecisive mess, and an "evil" Kirk who acts like a raving lunatic, running around the ship drinking Saurian brandy and trying to force himself on Yeoman Rand. (We kid you not.) The situation is aggravated by the fact that Sulu and a bunch of red-shirts are stranded on the freezing planet with no way to get back (no shuttlecrafts yet, eh?). Also, a poorly made-up alien dog is split in two as well. And dies! A thousand Trekkies weep.

The episode is amazing for the scenery chewing that Shatner pulls off, as well as the basic concept it posits that everyone has a good and dark side. Many subsequent Trek episodes and sci-fi series would rip off "The Enemy Within," but rarely has it been topped.

2. Where No Man Has Gone Before (Season 1)

Trek's second pilot is the stuff of perfect sci-fi: Compelling action mixed with heady, effective, and at times emotional drama. It finds a perfect balance between delivering on Gene Roddenberry's "Wagon Train to the Stars" premise and the ethically challenging landscape of the morality play.

With the first (rejected) pilot's Captain Chris Pike and company replaced by Kirk and Spock, the Enterprise's new…ish mission gets off to a quick and violent start: The ship encounters an unknown energy barrier at the galaxy's rim that turns Gary Mitchell, Kirk's best friend and helmsman, into a mortal enemy. Mitchell, not a warm and friendly guy to begin with, develops ESP powers, to the point where he goes from levitating cups to reading the thoughts of the entire crew. As Mitchell becomes an increasing threat to Enterprise, Spock helps Kirk make the tough decision – exile his friend to a barren planet, and kill him, if necessary, to save the ship.

The episode introduces the Trek staple of Kirk and Spock's relationship; the emotionally restrained Vulcan playing conscience to Kirk's passionate cowboy diplomacy. It also introduces the rule of thumb that whenever Kirk gets into a fist fight, his tunic must be torn. For years, we thought all close quarters combat (CQC) wasn't CQC unless we showed off some Shatner chest, too, but we digress. The Captain's first duty is to his crew, and it often comes with the price being that of your dearest blood. "Gone Before" introduces that consequence of being the Enterprise captain, one which Kirk would suffer until the end of his career. This pilot gave birth to two icons in the making and a series that would become what it is today. Only the best science fiction can pull that off.

5. The Trouble With Tribbles (Season 2)

Attention must be paid to an episode DS9 sent its characters to revisit and pay homage to. "The Trouble with Tribbles" could have crashed and burn -- fuzzy, purring, Wookiee-pellet looking things on a space station full of Klingons sounds like a recipe for disaster. Instead, the episode earned a place as a permanent fan-favorite, and established Trek's unique brand of light comedy that would be later explored in the likes of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

While a bogus distress call sends the Enterprise to protect a space station's hold of quadrotriticale , a special grain worth quite a lot to the Klingons, Kirk reluctantly keeps the peace as the "born pregnant" tribbles multiply and eat everything in their sights, including the grain. An ol' fashioned bar room brawl breaks out, a human saboteur is revealed to be a Klingon in disguise and the tribbles save the day. It's amazing how these events, under the microscope, might make a Trekkie scratch his head, wondering how the heck this ever worked out well. But watching the episode again, and again, indicates why this is Classic Trek.

4. Space Seed (Season 1)

If not for this gripping first season episode there would never have been Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, widely considered the best Trek film to date. The Enterprise comes across the derelict vessel Botany Bay adrift in space, and Kirk awakens its crew from suspended animation in order to prevent their deaths. Bad idea. It turns out they are genetically-enhanced supermen from the Eugenics Wars of the 1990s (remember them?) led by Khan Noonien Singh (the late, great Ricardo Montalban).

Boasting a bigger ego and appetite for women and military glory than his rescuer Captain Kirk, as well as a snazzier wardrobe, Khan has designs on capturing both the Enterprise and the heart of artsy redhead Lt. Marla McGivers (Madlyn Rhue). The episode features a great mano a mano brawl between Kirk and Khan, something the ship-bound Wrath of Khan didn't, as well as plenty of clever verbal exchanges between the two foes. Kirk's climactic decision to settle Khan, McGivers and his men on Ceti Alpha V would decades later cost his best friend Spock his life.

3. Mirror, Mirror (Season 2)

Spock in a goatee! The Mirror Universe, a place of alternate realities and a lot of guys wearing sashes, was a relatively new concept when TOS explored it during its second season. Now, the Mirror Universe is a sci-fi staple traded and used across many mediums, with Trek having gone to the well a few more times too.

Arguably one of the most memorable episodes of Trek that even non die-hards can single out, "Mirror" finds Kirk and company the victims of an ion storm and sent to an alternate reality where the Federation's tree-huggers have been replaced by the Imperial Empire's warmongers. Kirk, Uhura, Bones and Scotty assume the roles of their doppelgangers, while their evil counterparts occupy the brig back in the regular universe until Spock can figure out how to remedy the situation. The I.S.S. Enterprise is a warship, home to a very Ming-looking Spock who is quick to figure out that a few things don't quite gel on his ship. When Mirror Spock's Kirk disappeared, that captain was this close to being on the receiving end of a mutiny. In the end, Mirror Spock helps Kirk restore the balance, while Kirk shows Mirror Spock that just because he is a soldier doesn't mean he has lost his logical, ethical core.

What it would be like to find yourself in an alternate reality paved in blood and war is something Trek would revisit and expand upon on both DS9 and Enterprise. But "Mirror, Mirror" did it first, and maybe best.

2. Balance of Terror (Season 1)

This TOS episode established Trek's universal "Run Silent, Run Deep" approach to space combat. It's also our first encounter with the Romulans, and it provided Captain Kirk with one of his earliest opportunities to show his crew that he doesn't like to lose. The episode puts Kirk front and center in a game of cat and mouse on the border of the Romulan Neutral Zone, where the Enterprise -- originally sent to investigate why the outposts there have gone silent -- finds a Bird of Prey and a Romulan commander ready to remind the galaxy why it never should have turned its back on the Empire.

"Terror" builds up to a big reveal of the Romulan Commander, but it is somewhat anti-climactic with the Romulan looking like a more pissed-off Vulcan. (Mark Lenard, who appears as the Romulan here, would also play Spock's father throughout the series and movies.) But the reveal did mark the moment in Trek canon when we learned that Vulcans and Romulans are distant cousins. While the battle scenes are tense and aplenty, the episode stands out for how it begins and ends, with a wedding that eventually leaves the newlywed a widow during the attack. This loss hangs over Kirk's head and his bittersweet victory, and helps make this episode one of the best Trek has ever produced.

1. The City on the Edge of Forever (Season 1)

This beloved first season episode, originally written by Harlan Ellison, brought Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock to Depression-era New York where they must locate and prevent a drug-addled Dr. McCoy from changing the course of history. The focal point of this mission is Edith Keeler (Joan Collins), a social worker at an inner city mission whose pacifist ideals and moving speeches will one day have such an effect on the nation that America's entry into World War II will be delayed ... a fateful change that allows the Nazis to win the war and conquer the world. McCoy had somehow prevented Edith from dying in a traffic accident as she was meant to, so Kirk is posed with the horrible decision to allow her to perish when the opportunity presents itself.

Unfortunately, Kirk being Kirk, he falls in love with Edith. Can he still go through with it in order to ensure that, someday, the Nazis will be defeated? This beautiful story poignantly establishes the maxim later explored in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan : the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one. Kirk's reaction before beaming up at the end of the episode is one of William Shatner's most moving moments in all of Trek .

Looking for more classics? Take a look at our list of the best sci-fi movies of all time for a trip down memory lane.

Note: This article was originally published in 2016 and updated in 2022 to fix formatting.

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The 10 best Star Trek: The Original Series episodes of all time

Boldly go where no binge-watcher has gone before.

Star Trek took televised sci-fi mainstream.

That isn’t hyperbole. It’s historical fact. While shows like The Outer Limits, The Twilight Zone and Lost in Space preceded Star Trek , none of those shows broke through and created a fandom as widespread and enduring as the original adventures of the starship Enterprise .

Since 2011, Netflix has made Star Trek: The Original Series available for streaming in the US. But that era will end on September 30, 2021.

If you’re a sci-fi fan, or even a Star Trek fan who has never really delved into The Original Series , this is your last chance to watch the show on Netflix. Out of the 79 installments in TOS , which episodes should you actually binge?

To get a good sense of what The Original Series is actually like, here are 10 essential episodes. These might not be everyone’s “best” episodes of TOS , but if you watch these ones in this exact order, it’s the fastest hack to get at what all the Trekkie fuss is about. Only mild spoilers ahead for Star Trek: The Original Series .

Kirk and Bones get ready to boldly go.

“The Corbomite Maneuver”

On Netflix: Season 1, Episode 11

Netflix wants you to start watching TOS with “The Cage.” Resist! This is not a great way to start the series.

“The Cage” was an unaired pilot for Star Trek , later retconned into a flashback within the episode “The Menagerie.” While some fans may argue you’ll want to watch “The Cage” to get the backstory of the series, starting with “The Cage” will just confuse you as to why people like this show. Tonally, it’s nothing like the rest of TOS . And the cast, other than Leonard Nimoy as Spock, is totally different.

For this reason, start with “The Corbomite Maneuver.” Why? Well, even though it was the 10th episode ever aired, this episode was the first regular episode ever filmed. Unlike the two pilot episodes (“The Cage” and “Where No Man Has Gone Before”) the actors in this episode are, for the most part, in the roles we know and love them for. The episode begins with Spock saying something is “fascinating” and then, after the title credits, Kirk is walking around without his shirt. The vibe of this episode is amazing, the tension is excellently handled, and the final twist is utterly absurd. This is what classic Trek feels like.

The earliest instance of people on Star Trek watching Star Trek.

“The Menagerie Parts 1 and 2”

On Netflix: Season Episodes 12 and 13.

Here’s where you can get your dose of “The Cage” and fully understand Spock’s relationship to his captain before Kirk: Captain Christopher Pike. Although this is a two-part episode, the time pretty much flies by.

Because Strange New Worlds comes out in 2022, this story is essential to understanding where Spock was before TOS , not to mention who the hell Number One is. The way this episode frames “The Cage” in the context of the regular series is also super-smart; basically, the regular characters watch parts of another episode of Star Trek.

Also, across the franchise, any Star Trek episode that involves a courtroom drama of some kind is usually a winner. Weirdly, combined with “Amok Time,” this episode might lead you to believe that Spock tries to hijack the Enterprise all the time. He doesn’t. But it sure seems that way.

Spock being awesome in the phaser control room.

“Balance of Terror”

On Netflix: Season 1, Episode 15

Everyone loves to talk about the Klingons in Star Trek , but before the Klingons were ever introduced, the first and best big Trek baddies were the Romulans. As episodes of TOS go, “Balance of Terror” is tightly plotted and emotionally affecting.

Because long-time fans take this episode for granted, we tend to forget about the innovative reveal of the Romulans in general. If you don’t know why the reveal about the Romulans is huge, I won’t spoil it here. Let’s just say it was very gutsy for TOS to create an evil empire that had very close ties to one of its greatest heroes. Also, the slow-burn spaceship battles absolutely slap.

Don’t mess with Kirk.

“A Taste of Armageddon”

On Netflix: Season 1, Episode 24

This is a bit of a sleeper episode of TOS , and it’s massively underrated. Almost every good thing about classic Star Trek happens in this episode. Revealing the premise is a bit of a cheat, but let’s just say the plot involved Kirk and Spock fighting against a culture totally reliant on algorithms and automation.

The twist in this episode is all about what things this particular culture has automated. And when Kirk and Spock figure the culture’s secret, the space sh*t hits the fan big time.

Kirk and Spock don’t always fight to the death, but when they do, they do it in style.

“Amok Time”

On Netflix: Season 2, Episode 1

A classic. You already probably know that Spock and Kirk are supposed to fight to the death in this one. But if you don't know why, exactly, this episode will blow you away. This is the first time we get “live long and prosper,” and a ton of background on the planet Vulcan. From Discovery to the reboot movies , a ton of Trek flows from this single episode.

There’s a lot of ass-kicking in this episode. You’ve been warned! It may be too awesome to handle!

“Mirror, Mirror”

On Netflix: Season 2, Episode 4

In The Original Series , this one episode was the only visit to the evil universe in which Starfleet is basically a conquering force, and Spock has a little goatee. The Mirror Universe returned big time in both Deep Space Nine and Discovery , and all the rules of that hyperbolic dimension were established here. This episode is over-the-top and full of heart, two elements that made TOS the memorable and charmingly upbeat franchise launcher it was. But seriously, this episode is very over the top. Be ready.

The Enterprise versus the Star Trek version of the Death Star.

“The Doomsday Machine”

On Netflix: Season 2, Episode 6

As the title suggests, the Enterprise faces off against a giant automated weapon even more powerful than the Death Star! When this episode first aired in 1967, the titular “Doomsday Machine” didn’t look very cool.

However, the remastered version of this episode (which is the Netflix version) looks fantastic. Plus, in this episode, you get another Federation starship, the USS Constellation ! Finally, although The Wrath of Khan calcified the franchise’s obsession with Moby Dick , that tradition started right here.

Uhura meets the first tribble. Watch out!

“The Trouble With Tribbles”

On Netflix: Season 2, Episode 15

You’ve heard of this one. There are these fuzzy little balls called tribbles, and they’re all over the place. Although the kitsch in this episode is cranked all the way up to eleven, the episode totally holds up. Come for the tribbles, but stay for Kirk’s awesome cutdowns throughout the entire episode. A lighthearted romp that is a classic Trek outing for a reason. Also, the Klingons are silly AF in this one.

Spock and the Romulans.

“The Enterprise Incident”

On Netflix: Season 3, Episode 2

Season 3 of TOS is often derided by hardcore fans, and sometimes for very good reasons. Overall, the batting average of TOS Season 3 is fairly low compared to the previous two seasons.

However, the excellent espionage episode “The Enterprise Incident” is not only super-fun but also a semi-direct sequel to “Balance of Terror.” This list is biased in favor of the Romulans over the Klingons, and this is one Romulan episode that delivers.

Kirk and Spock rock the best spacesuits in all of Star Trek.

“The Tholian Web”

On Netflix: Season 3, Episode 9

Perhaps not the most tightly written episode of TOS , “The Tholian Web” is beautiful from a visual standpoint. From the zany all-silver spacesuits to the concept of tiny ships weaving an energy web around the Enterprise , to a certain character haunting the crew members as a space ghost, this episode has it all.

Don’t think about the plot too much. Just embrace the gonzo visual sci-fi aesthetic of classic Trek, and you’ll have a great time. As a bonus, “The Tholian Web” later became a backdoor canon Rosetta Stone for two episodes of Enterprise and nearly half of Discovery Season 1.

There’s obviously a lot more TOS to love and enjoy, so if you are curious about other great episodes after you binge these ten, think about hitting up: “The Devil in the Dark,” “The City on the Edge of Forever,” “The Naked Time,” “Shore Leave,” “Arena,” “Journey to Babel,” “A Piece of the Action,” “A Private Little War,” “The Galileo Seven,” “For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky,” and “ All Our Yesterdays.”

Star Trek: The Original Series is streaming now on Netflix and leaves on September 30, 2021. It also streams on Paramount+ from now until presumably the heat death of the known universe.

This article was originally published on Sep. 18, 2021

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All Star Trek Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

Star Trek (2009) is back in theaters for Rotten Tomatoes’ 25th anniversary screening series at AMC — get tickets now !

We’re boldly ranking the Star Trek movies by Tomatometer, from the original film series (1979’s The Motion Picture to The Undiscovered Country ), into the handoff to films featuring the Next Generation cast ( Generations to Nemesis ), and through to the reboot series (2009’s Trek to Beyond ). – Alex Vo

Star Trek (2009) 94%

Star Trek: First Contact (1996) 93%

Star Trek Beyond (2016) 86%

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) 87%

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) 84%

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) 83%

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) 82%

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) 78%

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) 55%

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) 53%

Star Trek Generations (1994) 48%

Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) 38%

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) 21%

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10 Best ‘Star Trek’ Movies and TV Shows of the Franchise (So Far)

By Clayton Davis

Clayton Davis

Senior Awards Editor

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Captain James T. Kirk, better known around these parts as William Shatner, turns 90 years old on March 22. The actor, director, producer and writer has had a seven decade careers, with a community of devoted fans that revere not just his place as a figure in the universe but the entire canon of “Star Trek” and its various entities in film and television.

We’ve seen multiple starship captains and leaders over the decades, including Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), three Pikes (Jeffrey Hunter, Bruce Greenwood and Anson Mount), Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula), Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks), a rebooted James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and the ultimate badass Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), arguably the best of them all.

The entire franchise has spawned seven spin-off television series, 13 feature films and two animated series. The original series ran from 1966 to 1969 on NBC and was canceled just after three seasons. After which, we moved to an animated series (1973-1974), “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (1987-1994), “Deep Space Nine” (1993-1999), “Voyager” (1995-2001). “Enterprise” (2001-2005), and the three still ongoing “Discovery” (2017), “Picard” (2020) and “Lower Decks” (2020).

In the film sector, the original series delivered six films — “The Motion Picture” (1979), “The Wrath of Khan” (1982), “The Search for Spock” (1984), “The Voyage Home” (1986), “The Final Frontier” (1989) and “The Undiscovered Country” (1991). “The Next Generation” provided four – “Generations” (1994), “First Contact” (1996), “Insurrection” (1998) and “Nemesis” (2002) while “The Kelvin Timeline” or rebooted version has given three “Star Trek” (2009), “Star Trek Into Darkness” (2013) and “Star Trek Beyond” (2016), with all three having the highest box-office grosses of any film in the whole franchise. The 2009 film is also the only one to win an Academy Award for best makeup (Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow), along with “The Voyage Home,” garnering the most nominations at four.

There are still more in development under Paramount Plus and on the studio side. “Star Trek: Prodigy,” an animated series co-written and created by Dan Hageman and Kevin Hageman that focuses on a group of teenagers who get onto an abandoned starship, is set to drop later in 2021. From creators Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” is a spin-off of “Discovery” and a prequel to the original series, following Captain Christopher Pike (Ansel Mount) and the crew of the USS Enterprise. Rebecca Romijn and Ethan Peck will also reprise their roles as Number One and Spock. Still yet to be confirmed, there is reportedly a Khan Noonien Singh limited series on the table, which explores the storyline from “The Wrath of Khan,” tentatively titled “Ceti Alpha V.”

Live long and prosper, Mr. Shatner.

Check out the full ranked list.

Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

Released : November 22, 1996 Written by : Brannon Braga, Ronald D. Moore (screenplay by and story by) and Rick Berman (story by)

Cast : Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden. Marina Sirtis, Alfre Woodard, James Cromwell, Alice Krige

Defining moments : “Jean-Luc blow up the damn ship” and Data saying “resistance is futile.”

“The Next Generation” struggled the most when translating from television to the big screen. Of the four features, “First Contact” was the most enjoyable, assembling interesting set pieces and a few memorable one-liners. Deservingly picking up an Oscar nomination for best makeup for Michael Westmore, Scott Wheeler and Jake Garber (losing to “The Nutty Professor”), it’s Jonathan Frakes’ (First Officer William T. Riker) first outing as a feature director. What makes the film a success is it abandons the notion that all roads have to involve James T. Kirk, which is one of the main reasons “Generations” really missteps.

Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)

Series run : January 1993 to June 1999 Created by : Rick Berman and Michael Piller

Cast : Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, Cirroc Lofton, Colm Meaney, Armin Shimerman, Alexander Siddig, Nana Visitor, Michael Dorn, Nicole de Boer

Defining moments : Resistance with the Maquis, The Dominion War and The Mirror Universe

Commanding Officer and later Captain Benjamin Sisko (Brooks) was the best part of a series that wasn’t as consistently entertaining as its predecessors. Brooks is a grieving widower whose wife is killed by the Borg, an we follow him, along with his son Jake (Loft), and the rest of a fun crew that includes the Changeling Odo (Auberjonois), Medical Officer Julian Bashir (Siddig), Science Officer Jadzia Dax (Farrell), Operations Officer Miles O’Brien (Meaney) and a cult favorite Quark (Shimerman). The last two seasons of “The Next Generation” are set in the same years as the first two of “Deep Space Nine,” which then lines up with “Voyager” for the last five seasons.

Discovery (2019)

Series run : Premiered September 2017 (still running) Created by : Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman

Cast : Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Shazad Latif, Anthony Rapp, Mary Wiseman, Jason Isaacs, Wilson Cruz, Anson Mount, David Ajala, Rachael Ancheril

Defining moments : The betrayal of Lieutenant Commander Michael Burnham

This series is still finding its footing and has lots to proud of thus far. It’s the first of the franchise to focus on a First Officer rather than the Captain, taking place about ten years before the original series. In the universe, we typically see someone going against orders for the “greater good.” Still, this series has taken that premise and expanded it with Commander Michael Burnham (Green), leading a mutiny against Captain Phillipa Georgiou (Yeoh) and starting a war against the Klingons, leading to the death of her captain. That alone creates a new type of storytelling for the franchise to explore and could help pull in more viewers of Paramount Plus’ show. It won a Primetime Emmy Award last year for outstanding prosthetic makeup for a series, limited series, movie or special, the first for the show thus far.

The Undiscovered Country (1991)

Released : December 6, 1991 Written by : Nicholas Meyer, Denny Martin Flinn (screenplay by), Leonard Nimoy, Lawrence Konner, Mark Rosenthal (story by)

Cast : William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, Kim Cattrall, David Warner, Christopher Plummer

Defining moments : The final sign-off (“If I were Human, I believe my response would be, go to hell…if I were you human.”)

The original series saga’s final installment in feature-length form is enjoyable, showcasing a possible peace between the Klingon Empire and the Federation until a secret agenda is revealed that puts all our favorite heroes at risk. It also marks the final group appearance of the major cast members of the original series, with the late Christopher Plummer as the one-eyed Klingon General Chang, who is having the time of his life. We also have a cameo appearance by Christian Slater, whose mother, Mary Jo Slater, was the film’s casting director. The film was ultimately nominated for two Oscars (best sound effects editing and makeup) and, at the time, was the highest opener for the franchise. Before “Avengers: Endgame,” a reminder that the moving closing credit signature sequence was delivered in “The Undiscovered Country.”

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)

Series run : September 1987 to May 1994 Created by : Gene Roddenberry

Cast : Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton. Denise Crosby, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton

Defining moments : Tasha Yar’s death in episode “Skin of Evil”

The evolution of “Star Trek” was helped immensely by “The Next Generation,” which delivers the classically trained Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard, with one of the entire franchise’s best crews. Sleeker, with more interesting characters (admittedly not as well explored as they could have been), the show also encompasses one of the most notable deaths of any of the television outings with Tasha Yar (played by Denise Crosby). In the 23rd episode of the first season, we’ve already grown a connection to the Enterprise-D crew. With a behind-the-scenes request by Crosby to be removed from her contract, the act gave us one of the most emotional episodes of the franchise. Also…the creature Armus is TERRIFYING.

The Search for Spock (1984)

Released : June 1, 1984 Written by : Harve Bennett

Cast : William Shatner, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Merritt Butrick, Christopher Lloyd

Defining moments : Spock’s “death.”

Let the great debate begin. Before #FilmTwitter quarreled about the merits of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (spoiler alert: it’s the second-best of the entire franchise), there was a discussion on the qualities of the third installment of the Kirk saga. It was a huge sequel weekend in June 1984, as it opened against the second weekend of “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and the fourth week of “The Natural,” emerging victorious. It also marks the directorial debut of Leonard Nimoy, who was the first cast member ever to helm one of its films.  The visual effects are really where the movie comes alive, showcasing beautiful sequences developed by Industrial Light & Magic. What the film does is give heft and agency to the friendship between Kirk and Spock, and although the death of Kirk’s son is done haphazardly, the action sequences are pulse-pounding.

Voyager (1995-2001)

Series run : January 1995 to May 2001 Created by : Rick Berman, Michael Piller, Jeri Taylor

Cast : Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Dawson, Jennifer Lien, Robert Duncan McNeill, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo, Tim Russ, Garrett Wang, Jeri Ryan

Defining moments : “Same to you old friend” from “Year of Hell” episode with Janeway and Tuvok

Nostalgia and purists will say that the original “Star Trek” is the best because without that, we don’t have anything else that follows. While correct, in terms of quality, acting, and sheer audacity of the canon, “Voyager,” is behind-the-scenes, the best of them all. Kate Mulgrew’s Captain Janeway is vivacious, and she’s undoubtedly one of the best actresses to grace our screens (as also seen in Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black”) and Tuvok (played brilliantly by Tim Russ) is simply amazing. Also, “Seven of Nine” was my everything in my childhood, leading into my teenage years.

Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969)

Series run : September 1966 to June 1969 Created by : Gene Roddenberry

Cast : William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley

Defining moments : “The Doomsday Machine”

You have to respect the origins of a franchise, and we should properly genuflect before the series that started it all. The entire cast goes for it, with little budget and strange scene constructions, but it has more highs than it does lows, featuring numerous memorable moments. Many will say that the defining episodes of the series fall somewhere between “City on the Edge Forever” (with the death of Edith Keeler) or the Kirk and Spock battle in “Amok Time” (thanks to “The Cable Guy” with Jim Carrey), but “The Doomsday Machine” has the most tension and an outstanding turn from guest star William Windom as Commodore Matt Decker.

The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Released : June 4, 1982 Written by : Jack B. Sowards (screenplay and story by) Harve Bennett (story by)

Cast : William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Bibi Besch, Merritt Butrick, Paul Winfield, Kirstie Alley, Ricardo Montalbán

Defining moments : Spock’s “death”

If “Skin of Evil” defines the emotions on television, then “The Wrath of Khan” represents the silver screen for the franchise property. Our favorite Vulcan’s self-sacrifice, paired with Kirk’s eulogizing friend, is a tough one to stomach. It obviously is undone with the next entries of the cinematic universe, but it holds up immensely as a moving tribute to a beloved character. Sadly, no major awards love came for the film, which in many circles stands as the best in the franchise. Add the bombastic score of James Horner, and you receive amazing results.

Star Trek (2009)

Released : May 8, 2009 Written by : Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman

Cast : John Cho, Ben Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, Eric Bana, Leonard Nimoy, Chris Hemsworth

Defining moments : The final battle (“Fire everything!”)

Let’s get this out of the way nice and early.

Star Trek” (2009) received four Oscar nominations – for sound mixing, sound editing, visual effects, and makeup, which it won – it’s the one film of the franchise that should have been nominated for best picture, especially in the first year of a guaranteed 10 films for the Academy’s top category. I would also put it on a ballot for adapted screenplay and film editing. You don’t get an action-packed film like this rebooted entry that focuses beautifully on the beloved characters’ origin stories, giving them alternate timelines that don’t feel forced and still capture the spirit of what makes the franchise so great. SAG Awards should have also jotted it down for best cast ensemble. While the sequels have never recaptured that early magic, J.J. Abrams has proven he knows how to set up a story arc properly (sticking the landing is still up for debate). I only hope as Paramount Plus progresses forward in the universe, they take plays from the Kevin Feige playbook and give themselves a long roadmap that will pay off to something truly extraordinary.

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10 Best Episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series, According to IMDb

Star Trek is one of the most universally beloved television shows, but which are the original series' best episodes according to IMDb.

It's impossible to imagine a world without Star Trek in it. Gene Roddenberry's creation, which he explained as " Wagon Train to the stars " influenced not only the look and design of cellphones, but was the doorway to science, math, and engineering for hundreds, if not thousands, of the people who work in those fields today. And it all started with a low rated TV series that barely lasted three seasons.

RELATED:  Star Trek: The 8 Most Memorable Episodes The Original Series

Star Trek: The Original Series seemed destined to be a forgotten relic before syndication brought it a whole new fanbase in the 1970s, relaunching the franchise to grand new heights that continue to this day. We took the time to find out what the 10 best episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series are, according to the fans over at IMDb...

10 The Devil In The Dark: 8.4

Over the years, the original Star Trek episodes have taken their fair share of jabs, due in part to the many cheesy looking aliens the shows have had. "Devil in the Dark" is a favorite for people to goof on. From the outside, it's easy to see why people would laugh at this episode; the threat is an alien that looks like an old dirty rug. In truth, "Devil in the Dark" shows just how great these stories could be.

In the episode, the Enterprise is sent to investigate a mining colony that is being terrorized by an underground creature. When they find the monster, Mister Spock  uses his mind-meld abilities to connect with the creature and discovers that it is only trying to protect its young.

9 The Enterprise Incident: 8.5

After the Enterprise travels into Romulan space, breaking the treaty between the Federation and the Romulan Empire,  Captain Kirk and Spock are taken aboard a Romulan ship. Spock claims that Kirk has gone mad and ordered the crew to break the treaty. When Kirk tries to escape, Spock is forced to stop him and in the fight, Kirk appears to die. All of this, of course, is part of a larger plan for the Federation to get their hands on the Romulan cloaking technology. This episode has everything that makes Star Trek great; action, intrigue, and William Shatner playing it up for the audience.

8 Journey To Babel: 8.6

As the Enterprise transports diplomats to a conference on the planet Babel, things go from tense to deadly after Kirk is badly wounded by an assassin and the Enterprise is damaged by a surprise attack. With a spy on the ship, the Captain out of commission, and the delegates all blaming one another, Mister Spock is put in charge.

RELATED:  Star Trek: Ranking the 20 Best Recurring Characters

One of the diplomats on the ship, Sarek, is actually Spock's dad, which comes as a surprise to the Science Officer's shipmates. And adding to all the drama, Sarek is dying and needs a blood transfusion that only Spock can provide.

7 Amok Time: 8.7

The Vulcans pride themselves on their mental strength, always putting logic above all else. That is why they don't like to tell others about the Pon Farr, a period that every Vulcan goes through where they devolve to a more base creature driven by a need to mate above all else. If Spock isn't treated for the condition within eight days, he will die.

To save Spock, Kirk diverts the Enterprise to Vulcan where Spock is to marry T'Pring. At the marriage ceremony, T'Pring stops the proceedings and demands the right of challenge, allowing her to select a person for Spock to fight to the death. The person T'Pring chooses to fight the mad Vulcan? Kirk.

6 The Doomsday Machine: 8.8

Following a trail of decimated star systems, the Enterprise finds the badly damaged USS Constellation. The only survivor is the ship's commander, Matt Decker. Decker explains that the Constellation was attacked by a giant machine that is ripping planets apart and using them for fuel. To stop the planet killer, Kirk decides to fly the damaged Constellation into the machine himself. The plan calls for Scotty to teleport Kirk back to the Enterprise just before the Constellation explodes, hopefully taking out the planet killer at the same time, but when the transporter breaks down, things get scary for everyone.

5 Space Seed: 8.9

There are a number of great adversaries across the seven Star Trek shows  and the thirteen movies they have spawned, but no adversary is as great as Khan Noonien Singh. Khan, as the crew of the Enterprise, learns after waking him and his own crew up from suspended animation aboard the SS Botany Bay, was a leader in the Eugenics Wars of the 1990s, controlling a quarter of the Earth as a dictator before being brought down and launched into deep space. Khan quickly tries to take over the Enterprise, leading to one of the best Captain Kirk fights of all time. Without this episode, there would be no Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , and we would all be worse off for it.

4 The Trouble With Tribbles: 8.9

The humor of Star Trek often gets overlooked by the masses, but the shows are actually very funny when they want to be . Perhaps no episode better shows this than "The Trouble With Tribbles". After receiving a Priority One distress call, the Enterprise arrives at Deep Space Station K7 to learn that they were summoned there to protect a grain shipment that is scheduled to be delivered to a planet that the Klingons are also trying to colonize.

RELATED:  20 Star Trek Relationships That Make No Sense

With little to do, the crew of the Enterprise uses there time on the station for a little R&R only to find that there are Klingons on K7 as well. While Scotty and Checkov get into a bar fight, the others become obsessed with a man selling little pets called Tribbles. They're cute, they're furry, and they are a whole lot of trouble.

3 Balance Of Terror: 9.0

One of the most in your face episodes when it comes to messages about racism, "Balance of Terror" is an intense episode where the Enterprise and a Romulan ship find themselves in a submarine-style standstill as both crews try to outmaneuver the other. As we learn in the episode, this is the first time anyone from the Federation has ever actually seen a Romulan, and when the crew of the Enterprise learns that Romulans look just like Vulcans, some members begin to question Mister Spock's loyalty to the Federation.

2 Mirror, Mirror: 9.2

A transporter accident sends Captain Kirk and his crew to an alternate universe where they come face to face with evil versions of themselves. Possibly the most referenced episode of any Star Trek series, "Mirror, Mirror" and the evil alternate universe , usually called the "Mirror Universe", has played an important part in other Star Trek series, including Deep Space Nine , Enterprise , and Discovery .

The idea of a reality where evil versions of our heroes exist wasn't a new idea when Star Trek introduced the Mirror Universe, DC Comics showed readers Earth-Three just four years earlier. On Earth-Three, the members of the Justice League were world dominators called the Crime Syndicate of America, and Lex Luthor was a hero.

1 The City On The Edge Of Forever: 9.3

The most celebrated episode of Star Trek not only by fans but by the world, "The City On The Edge Of Forever" sees Kirk, Spock, and Doctor McCoy trapped in New York City in 1930, right at the height of the Great Depression. As Kirk and Spock search for a crazed McCoy who had accidentally injected himself with an overdose of cordrazine, they take shelter in the 21st Street Mission and meet Edith Keeler, played by Joan Collins.

As Kirk finds himself falling in love with Edith, Spock learns her fate. Edith Keeler, the leader of a pacifist movement, will be struck by a car and die in just a few days. Kirk wants to save her, but if he does, there is a great chance that her movement will keep the United States out of World War II, leading to Hitler taking over the world and changing history forever. With no other choice, Kirk must stand by as the woman he loves is killed.

NEXT: 10 Ways Star Trek Spinoffs Are Better Than The Original Series (And 10 Ways TOS Takes The Cake)

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‘star trek’: 20 greatest episodes from the original series.

Whether you’re a long-time fan or looking for a starting point, let this top 20 episodes list from the original series of ‘Star Trek’ be your guide to the stars.

By Aaron Couch , Graeme McMillan September 20, 2016 6:00am

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In honor of Star Trek 's 50th anniversary this month, The Hollywood Reporter counted down the top 100 episodes of Star Trek — ranking them across all six TV series with help from the stars and writers who made them so beloved.

Now we're going to break it down even further — this time organizing the episodes by era. Every day through Friday, we'll be releasing a new list specific to each series, with the order is based on our original list of 100. 

Here, we look at the best of the original series, which ran from 1966-69 saw Gene Roddenberry's vision brought to life by actors William Shatner (Spock), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), DeForest Kelley (Bones), Nichelle Nichols ( Uhura ), Walter Koenig ( Chekov ), George Takei ( Sulu ), and James Doohan (Scotty).

Below you'll find Shatner and Koenig reveal their favorite episodes, as well as hear from  Star Trek Beyond director Justin Lin, two iconic Trek writers and many more. 

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"We had bee spending too much money by the network's reckoning, so we had less to spend on this particular episode," recalls Walter Koenig of the hour, which saw an away team forced to battle in an Old West-style gunfight. "It gave my character some interesting work. He got the girl, he died and came back to life. I loved the whole concept." 

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"the galileo seven".

Not only does this episode give us the first appearance of a shuttlecraft in Trek lore, it introduces a version of the concept that would become key to the franchise decades later — that there is a push and pull between the needs of the many and the needs of the few. The Enterprise is on a mission to deliver relief supplies to a colony. Meanwhile, seven  crewmembers  — including Spock and Bones — crash land on a hostile planet, and Kirk must grapple with holding out hope for them and delivering the relief supplies. 

"A Taste of Armageddon"

"This was the first Original Series episode I ever saw and it still blows my mind," says Jordan Hoffman, U.S. Film Critic for The Guardian and host of ENGAGE: The Official Star Trek Podcast . "Kirk is escorting a diplomat to a system of planets that have been in conflict for centuries. However, to protect their society’s infrastructure and maintain their culture, they don’t fight with weapons. Computers determine where phantom missiles hit and if your number comes up, you are ordered into a disintegration chamber. It is up to the Enterprise to intervene (which they totally aren’t supposed to do) and stop this insanity. It’s a rich concept with thrills, action, great speeches and even some humor. (Indeed, Spock takes the time to make a solid joke before sending someone crumpled to the floor with his Vulcan nerve pinch.)"

"The Doomsday Machine"

If Star Trek had shown Starfleet at its best until now, audiences got to see the flipside in this episode, in which Commodore Matt Decker (William Windom ) turns into an outer space Ahab chasing the cosmic Moby Dick of the episode's title: a "planet killer" that had nearly destroyed his own ship and killed everyone on board except for him. For an episode with such stakes, it's a surprisingly subtle story: While we should be worried about whether the planet killer can be stopped, the real tension comes from watching Decker struggle to deal with his trauma. 

"The Corbomite Maneuver"

The first episode to be filmed after the two different pilots for the series, " Corbomite " manages to sum up everything that makes the original series so special, with a tense yet optimistic take on the idea of first contact between the Enterprise and an alien race that shows how fearless, compassionate and sneaky Captain James T. Kirk can be when pressed, and a Twilight Zone -esque last-second twist. As if that wasn't enough to make this episode worthwhile, it features the first times that DeForest Kelley and Nichelle Nichols played McCoy and Uhura — although by the time the episode aired, they were well-established characters to the loyal audience.

"Journey to Babel"

"I've always loved 'Journey to Babel,' by Dorothy Fontana," says writer David Gerrold when asked about his favorite Star Trek episode. "Because it reveals so much about Spock, and his past, and his parents." That's putting it mildly; before this episode, it's unlikely that anyone would have given much thought about the parents of any of the crew, but the introduction of Spock's estranged parents — one of whom was human, the other suspected of murdering a fellow diplomat on board the Enterprise — changed the way audiences looked at the characters forever: suddenly, they were more than just their jobs, and had inner lives and struggles that everyone could relate to. And all because the most alien of all of the crew had proven himself to be just as human as the rest of us.

"All Our Yesterdays"

While the final episode of the original series — "Turnabout Intruder" — is generally considered to be a low point for the show, the second last episode throws Spock, McCoy and Kirk back in time and puts them all out of their comfort zones as a result, with McCoy having to be the practical one, Spock becoming overwhelmed by emotions and Kirk on his own against the authorities. Yes, the title sounds like a soap opera (It's actually from Shakespeare, specifically Macbeth ), but this is a particularly strong Star Trek episode through and through. 

"The Enterprise Incident"

Justin Lin, who directed this summer's Star Trek Beyond , picks this tale of intrigue as his favorite. 

"A good old-fashioned spy thriller set in the Neutral Zone. What’s not to love?" Lin asks. "We get to see my favorite version of Kirk: the tactician. His ruse is brilliant and daring, but it’s Spock who steals the show in his interaction with the female Romulan commander. We see him in rare form, opening up his human and—dare I say—sexual side. Of course, Kirk’s ploy succeeds and the cloaking device is stolen, but Spock derides the fleeting nature of such military victories and says to the female commander something emblematic of everything great about Star Trek : 'I hope that you and I have exchanged something more permanent.' "

The episode was loosely inspired by a real-life incident where the USS Pueblo was attacked by North Korean forces after being accused of sailing into its territory in January 1968.

"The Menagerie"

Mr. Spock commits mutiny on the Enterprise in order to get Christopher Pike, his former commander, back to the forbiden planet  Talos IV.  We eventually learn that years earlier, Pike and Spock visited the planet, where Pike was horribly mutated — and Spock is trying to get his former commander there to be healed. 

"It is a story of Spock’s loyalty to his former commander as well as to Captain Kirk and of Spock’s bravery as he risks his own career and reputation," recalls Adam  Nimoy , son of Leonard  Nimoy  ad director of For The Love of Spock , which hits theaters Sept. 9. "Although he refuses to admit to it, Spock sets aside logic to do the right thing, and I just loved it."

How Nearly Refusing 'Star Trek III' Reinvigorated Leonard Nimoy's Career

"amok time".

For fans who'd spent the show's first year swooning over Leonard Nimoy's pointy-eared alter-ego, second season opener "Amok Time" was everything they could've hoped for and more: Not only did they get to go back to Spock's home planet, they also got to see two things they'd dreamt of but never expected: Spock in the throes of passion — apparently, Vulcans are very like dogs in heat every seven years — and Spock fighting Kirk to the death … or, at least, that's what it seemed like at the time. Written by noted sci-fi author Theodore Sturgeon, this episode showed that Trek 's second year would be, if anything, even bolder than its first.

"The Devil In The Dark"

"The Horta has a funny story," says original series story editor D.C. Fontana of the episode's alien. " Stuntman , actor, creature creator Janos Prohaska  did creature work for us. [Writer] Gene Coon, Gene Roddenberry and I were in the office and Janos came in and said, 'Come outside, I want to show you guys something.' So we went outside, and here's this a lump of what looked like foamy bubbles. He said, 'Just watch,' and laid a rubber chicken out on the street, and crawls into this rubber bubble suit and crawls towards the rubber chicken and the chicken disappears and a trail of bones comes out the back. Roddenberry , Coon and I were laughing our heads off, and Gene Coon said, 'I've got to do something with that.' "

That something turned out to be the Horta , an alien threat who isn't so sinister after all. 

"You think it's a monster killing the miners, and you find out it's a mother protecting its young!" says Fontana. "That was the first time we did the Vulcan mind meld, and that turned out well, but we also found that this alien isn't what you think it is. There's a human aspect that we can understand and begin to work with this thing."

"The Naked Time"

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M58aP5DtNqY]

A swashbuckling (and shirtless) Sulu is perhaps the single most enduring image from the original series, with the officer infected with a virus provoking him to act out his inner most desires. George  Takei  had just three weeks of "frantic fencing lessons" to prepare for his scenes, he recalled in his 1994 autobiography, To The Stars . Days before shooting, director Marc Daniels dropped another surprise: he would be performing the scenes shirtless. "Straightaway, I got down horizontally on the floor, put my feet on the couch, and began pumping out push-ups to build up a photogenic chest," Takei  recalled in his book.

"Where No Man Has Gone Before"

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT4fm0f2lZY]

After the first Star Trek pilot failed to catch fire, Roddenberry enlisted Gary Lockwood, who was about to shoot  2001: A Space Odyssey  and had worked with the Star Trek creator on  The Lieutenant. Trek producers believed Lockwood's involvement could help seal the deal — and they also brought on a new captain (Kirk) as well as Mr. Scott and  Sulu . In the story, Kirk must grapple with the value of human life after an old friend and shipmate Gary Mitchell (Lockwood) gains dangerous (and growing) power from the edge of the galaxy. 

"The pilot sells, and 20 years later Roddenberry said to me that Gary Mitchell was the character that got Star Trek on television," says Lockwood. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SK0cUNMnMM]

On the surface, it's an episode about Kirk fighting a giant lizard man, but it's about so much more. Namely: humanity, ingenuity and ultimately, mercy. After being forced to fight to the death, Kirk spares the life of the  Gorn . Those impressive Gorn sounds were courtesy of Ted Cassidy, best known as Lurch on another ' 60s classic,  The Addams Family . The image of Kirk fighting the Gorn is so indelible that even if you don't know the alien's species, you know his green skin.

"The Trouble With Tribbles"

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2T1QX7BEyg]

Writer David Gerrold credits his interest in ecology with the origins of this classic episode. "I'd heard about rabbits getting out of control in Australia," he remembers, " and I thought, this is a very weird, very funny effect of introducing an invasive species into an environment without an appropriate predator. So, I was thinking for Star Trek , not all the aliens we meet are going to be scary or ugly — some of them are going to be cute and friendly and we're not going to recognize what kind of danger they are until it's too late." The teleplay was Gerrold's first professional credit, and he worked hard to make it the best that he could. "I had studied the Star Trek structure very carefully and put every scene on a 3 by 5 card until each scene demanded that the next scene followed," he says. "As funny as the script turned out, I was proudest of the structure of the episode. You could take all the jokes out, and it would still work as an adventure."

"Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STQNi7ArRl8]

It's understandably challenging for William Shatner to pin down a favorite episode among all the greats, but when pressed, he chooses this one. The hour sees guest star Frank Gorshin play an alien, whose face is half black and half white and who hates those of his species with the colors reversed. 

"That beautiful concept, without shaking a finger, illustrated the ridiculousness of race hatred, and it was very entertaining as well. The magnificence of the idea is obvious," says Shatner . The actor says part of the brilliance of Trek is its ability to entertain without preaching.

"We use to say, 'You send a message by telegram. Make [your show] entertaining," says Shatner . "But when you can combine both, like that idea, it becomes both dramatic and obvious. And you become aware. Those were the best of the Star Trek episodes."

"Mirror, Mirror"

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oOqQ38XLv8]If Star Trek gave anything to the world, it's the idea that evil versions of characters have goatees, an idea ironically put forward by the Spock of the Mirror Universe — who isn't actually evil , per se. That's a good thing, because if he had been, it's possible that Kirk, Bones, Scotty and Uhura might have been trapped in the morally-flipped alternate timeline for good, having to deal with the stomach-bearing outfits for women, the workplace harassment nightmare that is the Agonizer and George Takei's wonderfully over-the-top Evil Sulu for the rest of their fictional lives. A fun look at the roads not taken (including a more military-focused Starfleet), this episode would go on to inspire sequels in both Deep Space Nine and Enterprise . 

"Space Seed"

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_c1Odol9xw]

No Star Trek episode has paid off quite like this one. Ricardo Montaban's single appearance on the original series as the 1990s  warlord Khan Noonien Singh set the stage for the undisputed greatest  Star Trek film ever, The Wrath of Khan , set 15 years after Kirk and the Enterprise stumbled upon the Botany Bay. "Space Seed" sees Kirk fight his intellectual and physical superior — and win despite the long odds. Nothing is more Kirk than that. 

"Balance of Terror"

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGn948_PXTU]

The acclaimed episode was inspired by submarine warfare and introduces the Romulans , with whom the Enterprise engages in a claustrophobic game of cat and mouse. The episode tackles themes such as the futility of war and xenophobia, with Mr. Spock facing discrimination from his own crew when it is revealed that Romulans and Vulcans not only look similar, but also share a common heritage. 

"City on the Edge of Forever"

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFqD7s-A6VU]

Never mind the behind-the-scenes controversy. Credited writer Harlan Ellison was heavily rewritten by  Roddenberry , D.C. Fontana and others before the episode was shot, and decades later sued CBS for a share of profits from the episode. Just enjoy one of the true classic hours of science fiction TV as a dazed and confused McCoy travels back in time and accidentally rewrites history, forcing Kirk and Spock to follow and learn firsthand how hard it is to do the right thing for the greater good.

"I knew this episode was going to be special, not because I’m prescient, but because a couple of months earlier, I had interviewed series creator Gene  Roddenberry  for the  Daily Sundial , the campus newspaper at San Fernando Valley State College," recalls journalist Fred Bronson, who would go on to form a friendship  Roddenberry . "Aside from telling me that the purpose of television was to sell toothpaste,  Roddenberry  talked about an episode that had been recently filmed that he said was good enough to be a motion picture — and long enough as well, as they had to delete a lot of footage in order to make it fit the hour-long slot."

For fans of unexpected celebrity appearances, the love interest in this episode? None other than Joan Collins

"The best episodes of Star Trek (or any series) were always the ones where you absolutely believed everything that was happening was real and that you were not being manipulated by the writer," says Bronson. " 'The City on the Edge of Forever' felt authentic from the opening scene on the bridge of the Enterprise to the heartbreaking ending, when Capt . Kirk must allow the love of his life, social worker Edith Keeler , to die in a traffic accident. For years, I couldn’t watch reruns of that final scene without bursting into tears. From Spock’s declaration that trying to create a mnemonic circuit in the America of the 1930s was working with 'equipment…hardly very far ahead of stone knives and bear claws' to Kirk’s explanation to a police officer that Spock’s ears were the result of a childhood accident involving a 'mechanical rice-picker,' the dialogue of this classic episode is etched in my brain as the story that will live forever as Star Trek ’s finest hour."

'Star Trek' Oral History: When Captain Kirk Fought Jesus

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The 10 best Star Trek: Voyager episodes, ranked

As much as fans love to praise Star Trek as groundbreaking science fiction, it’s important to remember that, for most of the franchise’s history, Trek was weekly procedural television. Until the streaming era, each series was churning out roughly 26 episodes a year, and by the later seasons of Star Trek: Voyager , some of the creative crew had been in the business of making Star Trek for over a decade. The franchise was a crossover commercial success, the kind of success that the money men like to leave exactly as it is for as long as it’s doing steady numbers.

10. Counterpoint (season 5, episode 10)

9. the thaw (season 2, episode 23), 8. mortal coil (season 4, episode 12), 7. latent image (season 5, episode 11), 6. bride of chaotica (season 5, episode 12), 5. living witness (season 4, episode 23), 4. prime factors (season 1, episode 10), 3. year of hell, parts i & ii (season 4, episodes 8 & 9), 2. blink of an eye (season 6, episode 12), 1. timeless (season 5, episode 6).

The operation was essentially on rails, and there was a lot of pressure from the studio and the network to keep it that way, which accounts for the general blandness of Voyager and the early years of its successor, Enterprise . The waning years of Trek’s golden era were plagued by creative exhaustion and, consequently, laziness. Concepts from previous series were revisited, often with diminishing returns, and potentially groundbreaking ideas were nixed from on high in order to avoid upsetting the apple cart.

That’s not to say that Star Trek: Voyager isn’t still a solid television show, and even many Trekkies’ favorite. The saga of Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and her gallant crew finding their way home from the farthest reaches of the galaxy may not be as ambitious as it could have been, but it is steadily entertaining, which is why new and nostalgic fans alike enjoy it as cozy “comfort viewing.” For our part, however, we tend to enjoy the episodes that have a certain emotional intensity or creative spark, that feel like conceptual or stylistic risks. As such, you might find that our list of the 10 best Voyager episodes differs greatly from some of the others out there. We like when Voyager dared to get heavy, or silly, or sappy, or mean. So, without further ado, let’s raise a glass to the journey …

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Counterpoint drops the audience into the middle of an ongoing story,in which Voyager is boarded and inspected by agents of a fascist government, the Devore. The Devore treat all travelers through their space with suspicion, but are particularly concerned with capturing and detaining all telepaths, who they view as dangerous. Despite the risks, Captain Janeway is attempting to smuggle a group of telepathic refugees to safety, all while putting on a show of cooperation for smiling Devore Inspector Kashyk (Mark Harelik). Much of the plot takes place in the background, obscured from the audience in order to build suspense. The real focus is on the evolving dynamic between Janeway and Kashyk, a rivalry that simmers into one of the Voyager captain’s rare romances. Kashyk works in the service of what are, transparently, space Nazis, but when he offers to defect to Voyager, can his intentions be trusted?

Beyond its intriguing premise, Counterpoint is a particularly strong production with a lot of subtle hints of creative flair. Director Les Landau and director of photography Marvin Rush, who had been both working on Star Trek since the 1980s, shoot the hell out of this story, breaking from Voyager ’s even lighting and predictable camera moves to make some very deliberate choices that build a great deal of tension around what is essentially a bottle episode. The makeup team, supervised by equally seasoned Trek veteran Michael Westmore, supplies a memorable and imaginative makeup design for an alien astrophysicist who appears in all of two scenes in this episode and is never utilized again. Most of all, Kate Mulgrew provides what may be her most subtle, human performance in the entire series, embodying Janeway’s famous conviction and strength of will while also granting a rare glimpse at her more vulnerable side without ever straying into melodrama.

If you look back at Star Trek: The Original Series , in-between the deep dramas and camp classics, you’ll find a lot of episodes that are just plain weird. The same is true for the best Star Trek spinoffs, and there’s no Voyager story as boldly off-putting as The Thaw , which guest stars This is Spinal Tap and Better Call Saul ’ s Michael McKean as a maniacal AI who literally scares people to death. In this episode, Voyager comes across a group of aliens who have been trapped in suspended animation ever since an environmental disaster struck their planet two decades earlier. To pass the time while in hibernation, the survivors have hooked their brains up to a virtual reality, where they are supposed to be entertained by a wacky character known only as “the Clown.”

Unfortunately, what the Clown finds most entertaining is probing their minds for their innermost fears and turning it into weird performance art, and he refuses to let his audience leave. When the Voyager crew attempts to rescue them, the Clown takes Ensign Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) hostage and proceeds to menace him for most of the episode. And, folks, it’s a trip.

The Thaw is a colorful, not entirely comprehensible, totally unclassifiable episode. It’s sort of horror, it’s sort of comedy, it’s sort of character study, but mostly it’s just entertaining. And for however much of it is up to interpretation, it’s a rare glimpse at the psyche of Harry Kim, one of Voyager’s least explored characters. Above all, however, it’s a delight to watch McKean perform what’s essentially his take on the Joker, a homicidal clown with a genius intellect and a poetic flair. Mulgrew, consequently, gets to play Batman, facing down his gleeful menace with stillness and determination. It’s one of the few real treats from the early seasons of the series, one whose reputation among fans has only grown since its premiere in 1996.

Aside from maybe The Next Generation ’s Wesley Crusher, no Star Trek character was as immediately reviled as Voyager’s chef, ambassador, and morale officer Neelix (Ethan Phillips). On most episodes of Voyager , Neelix is the goofy comic relief, performing folksy, unfunny antics around the mess hall or annoying the stoic Vulcan Lt. Tuvok (Tim Russ) with his naivety and effervescence. His unsettling long-term romantic relationship with Kes, who is technically a two-year-old when the series begins, is also part of Trek’s most irritating love triangle.

And yet, when Neelix is the center of an episode, it often reveals him to be one of the show’s most textured and interesting characters. Neelix is a survivor of a devastating war that destroyed his home and claimed the lives of his entire family. Beneath the persona of a “happy wanderer” resides a deep sea of melancholy and a predisposition towards depression. It’s a performance for his own benefit, as well as for the weary Voyager crew, and if it seems like he’s trying too hard, that’s because he is.

In the episode Mortal Coil , Neelix is killed on an away mission, only to be resuscitated 18 hours later by Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and her advanced Borg medicine. The crew is happy to have him back, but the experience rocks Neelix to his core. Neelix has always believed that he would be reunited with his family in the afterlife, but upon his death, he experienced no such thing. Neelix’s crisis of faith provides Phillips an opportunity to really dig his teeth into his character, and to take a heavy, nuanced look at belief, mortality, depression, and suicidal ideation.

Writer Bryan Fuller, who would go on to create NBC’s Hannibal , puts his psychological horror chops to great use here, and director Allan Kroeker sustains a feeling of dread that places the audience on edge and off-balance. The story resolves itself a little too quickly and is never mentioned again, but that’s par for the course on Voyager. But when evaluated on its own, Mortal Coil  holds up against some of Trek’s best character studies.

Following up on the popularity of Data on The Next Generation , Voyager debuted with its own artificial crewmember, the Emergency Medical Hologram (Robert Picardo), usually just called “the Doctor.” Rather than a supposedly emotionless android , the Doctor is a hologram based on the grouchy engineer who designed him and endowed with the medical knowledge of the entire Federation. At the start of the series, everyone — including the Doctor himself — considers him to be a tool intended for short-term use, rather than a person, but since he’s left online for years rather than hours, he gradually develops his own personality and preferences, becoming a sentient individual.

Unlike in Data’s case, however, it takes the crew a long time to get used to the idea of the Doctor being his own man, and they continue to infringe on his rights, his privacy, and his very programming for much of the series. Sometimes the Doctor’s indignity is played for laughs, sometimes for sympathy, and in our next episode, for horror.

In Latent Image , the Doctor discovers evidence that he performed a delicate neurosurgery on Ensign Kim 18 months earlier, but he has no memory of the event, and neither does the rest of the crew. With the help of Seven of Nine, who joined the cast in the intervening year, the Doctor attempts to unravel the mystery of what really happened, leading to a terrible discovery that calls his relationship with Capt. Janeway and the rest of the crew into question. We won’t give away the answer here, but the story digs deep into the complexity of the Doctor’s character and his nature as an ascended artificial intelligence, and offers Picardo his meatiest acting challenge. You won’t find it on a lot of Best of Voyager lists, but it remains one of the show’s greatest hidden treasures.

Lest we leave you with the impression that the best of Voyager is all gloom and doom, our next entry is one of the lightest and funniest episodes of the series. Despite being set aboard a Starfleet vessel blasted to the far side of the galaxy with limited resources and no support, Voyager assures the audience early on that the ship’s holodecks are still fully functional, allowing the crew to go on their LARPing (live-action role-playing) adventures just like on The Next Generation . Most of the crew’s fantasies proved to be pretty forgettable, until the introduction of Tom Paris’ (Robert Duncan McNeill) new favorite holonovel, The Adventures of Captain Proton . Modeled after the classic Flash Gordon film serials — right down to the cheap effects and black-and-white photography — Captain Proton became a recurring treat during Voyager ’s fifth season, and is at the center of the No. 6 pick on our list, Bride of Chaotica!

In this episode, Tom and Harry’s latest excursion into the monochrome world of Captain Proton attracts the attention of photonic beings from another dimension, to whom the fictional villain Doctor Chaotica (Martin Rayner) is terrifyingly real. War breaks out between the photonic sentients and the 1930s-style bad guys, and the only way to save the day is for the crew to play along with the campy program. And because no Star Trek series is complete without the captain getting into a silly outfit and hamming it up, Janeway must pose as Chaotica’s evil bride, the devilish Arachnia! Mulgrew and the rest of the cast are plainly having a ball with this episode, and the fun is contagious. Keeping the holodeck around for the run of Voyager  may have been one of the signs that the series was going to play things relatively safe, but it did give us one of the franchise’s best holodeck episodes.

History is written by the victors, and subject to countless revisions over the passing centuries. How much of what we think of as historical fact is actually widely accepted conjecture or outright fabrication? We’ll probably never know, unless some eyewitness from the distant past turns up in our present to set things straight. This, naturally, is exactly what happens in Living Witness , as a backup copy of the Doctor is reactivated on an alien planet 700 years after Voyager participates in a pivotal political conflict.

For the Kyrians, it’s a well-known fact that the Warship Voyager eagerly aided their aggressive neighbors, the Vaskans, in unleashing a weapon of mass destruction against their homeworld. Captain Janeway is a cutthroat who will stop at nothing to get her crew home, Seven of Nine habitually assimilates her enemies and maintains her own small Borg collective onboard, and the Doctor is an android. When the holographic Doctor is awakened, he is aghast at the way his friends have been mischaracterized and sets out to prove what really happened, or else be punished for the genocide they’re accused of committing.

The Voyager cast never got the chance to play in the famous Star Trek Mirror Universe, home to the over-the-top evil versions of our Starfleet heroes, but Living Witness offers Mulgrew, Robert Beltran (Commander Chakotay), and company the opportunity to go full cartoon baddie, all in the name of poignant satire. It’s a bizarre comedy episode with an uncomfortable, but undeniable lesson: Time flattens everything. From a distance, every person, group, or thing becomes either all good or all bad, and that evaluation changes depending on who’s looking, and from where. In order to preserve the nuance of truth, we have to be willing to treat history as a process rather than a product, or else lose all sense of reality.

For fans who hoped that Voyager would lean into its intriguing premise of a motley crew of officers and terrorists having to rough it in the wilderness of space, much of the series turned out to be a real letdown. Almost immediately, the tension between the upstanding Starfleet and scrappy Maquis crewmembers, and the added tension of having to scrape and forage to survive, began to dissolve until Voyager was more or less the same familiar Trek that fans had been getting for the previous seven years. However, early on, there are a few episodes that truly capitalize on the show’s potential. The best example of this is Prime Factors , which introduces a dilemma that divides the crew between those who hold Starfleet’s principles as sacrosanct and those who didn’t sign up for this and just want to go home.

The setup is a terrific reversal of a classic Star Trek problem. A group needs help, but helping them means violating the Prime Directive, which forbids interfering in the internal affairs of other cultures. The twist? This time, our heroes aren’t the technologically advanced institution debating the virtues of foreign intervention, they’re the party in need. The friendly, benevolent Sikarians have the technology to send Voyager home instantly, but their own Prime Directive dictates that they not share it. How do Janeway and company feel when the shoe is on the other foot? How will a divided crew take the news, and will they all be inclined to abide by the Sikarians’ ruling?

It’s a fascinating study of ethics, ethical relativism, and the smugness often projected by even the most well-meaning of privileged do-gooders. How many planets have been a Federation ship’s “problem of the week” to be solved (or not solved) and then forgotten? In Prime Factors , our Starfleet stalwarts experience what it’s like to become someone’s pet cause, and learn that the charity of the privileged and comfortable only lasts as long as it’s convenient and self-gratifying.

If Prime Factors exemplifies the potential of Voyager ’s beginnings, Year of Hell  is a glimpse of what the show could have become if it had stayed the course. In this episode, which was initially envisioned as a season-long arc , Voyager’s long journey home takes them through the Krenim Imperium, whose brutal militaristic regime treats them as invaders and repeatedly kicks the crap out of them for 12 long months. The situation aboard Voyager gets increasingly dire as the crew takes casualties and the ship falls into disrepair. Hard choices have to be made about how to survive, and whether or not their goal of reaching Earth is even attainable. Janeway and company are pushed to their limits and left with permanent physical and psychological scars.

Or, they would be, if this wasn’t also a time travel story. The thrill of Year of Hell is undercut somewhat by being a “What If?” story whose events are erased from the timeline before the credits roll on Part II, but the actual time travel mechanics of the episode are fun and interesting. From the outset, the audience knows that the timeline of the story is in flux, as the power-mad Krenim scientist Annorax (Kurtwood Smith) selectively erases entire civilizations from time in order to restore his planet’s empire to full strength and rewrite his wife’s untimely death.

However, the characters don’t learn this until nearly nearly a third of the way through the story, after we’ve already seen their circumstances suddenly change a few times. Year of Hell  becomes a story about causality, about the reverberations of the smallest actions upon the grand tapestry of history, and the futility of trying to curate one’s own fate. It’s a terrific two-hour epic, and even if we’d rather have seen it play out over the course of an entire year, we wouldn’t dare try to go back and change it.

If Voyager isn’t going to be about a struggle for survival in the wilderness of space, then it damn well ought to be about exploring its wonders. Blink of an Eye is the kind of episode that could easily fit into any Star Trek series (or a non-Trek one, as its premise is suspiciously similar to the 1980 Robert L. Forward novel Dragon’s Egg ). Here, Voyager becomes trapped in the orbit of a planet with a strange property — for every 1.03 second that occurs in normal space, a year passes below. As the civilization on the planet evolves over centuries from a pre-industrial society to a futuristic one, the starship Voyager remains a fixture in their sky, inspiring religion, folklore, and a cultural obsession with reaching the stars.

The story cuts back and forth between the Voyager crew’s attempts to escape the planet’s orbit and generations of scientists and philosophers as their understanding of their celestial visitor evolves. Where some Trek episodes such as A Piece of the Action or Who Watches the Watchers frame accidental interference into an alien culture as a irreversible calamity, Blink of an Eye  takes a more subtle approach, showing the often inspiring ways that a civilization grapples with the great mysteries of life.

The highlight of the episode is guest star Daniel Dae Kim (pre- Lost ) as one of the first astronauts from the planet to set foot aboard Voyager. Through his eyes, we get to experience the joy and overwhelming emotional power of discovery, the very thing that inspires our Starfleet heroes to explore space in the first place. Star Trek is, ultimately, a show about curiosity, about humanity’s irrepressible drive to learn and understand our universe. There are few episodes in the entire Star Trek canon that capture this feeling more perfectly than Blink of an Eye . It’s the kind of story that, though simple and relatively low-stakes, should tug on the heartstrings of anyone who has sought inner peace through knowledge and appreciation of their outside world.

For Voyager ’s 100th episode, producers Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, and Joe Menosky decided to crash the ship into a planet and kill off almost the entire cast. We’re kidding! Well, sort of. Timeless  follows future versions of Chakotay and Harry Kim, the only survivors of Voyager, which was destroyed during a test of a new form of propulsion. This new technology brought Chakotay and Kim’s shuttle all the way home, but the rest of the crew was condemned to an icy grave. Racked with guilt over his role in their deaths, Kim becomes obsessed with going back in time to undo the disaster.

The story is told across two time frames, splitting between the present of the show and a future in which Kim and Chakotay’s quest to fix their mistake has made them outlaws. It’s a thrilling time travel episode that puts the focus on the show’s most neglected regular characters. Chakotay gets to be roguish again, a quality he’d long since shed along with the rest of his personality. For his part, Wang actually gets to show some range, playing a brooding, self-loathing wreck with nothing left to lose.

Even though it’s a foregone conclusion that the time travel mission will succeed and none of this story will have happened, Timeless truly feels like an event. It’s emotional, it’s visually striking, and occasionally very funny. (Seven of Nine’s first experience with alcohol ranks among the most quotable and memetic scenes in the series.) It’s only an hour long, but it plays like a movie. The stakes are high, the scope is vast, the characters are rich, and there’s even a cute cameo from Next Generation star LeVar Burton, who also directed the episode.

Voyager is often feather-light, and occasionally, as the rest of this list demonstrates, super heavy. Timeless perfectly captures the balance of intensity and fun of a great “Star Trek” feature, akin to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan or Star Trek: First Contact . It probably shouldn’t be anyone’s first Voyager , but when we’re in the mood to check out just one of the show’s episodes, this is the one we reach for.

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Every Star Trek series is someone’s favorite (Star Trek: The Animated Series stans, we see you), but when it comes to the 18-year Golden Age of Trek between 1987 and 2005, the prequel series Enterprise is easily the least beloved. Airing on UPN for an abbreviated four-season run, Enterprise was meant to shake things up after three consecutive series set in the late 24th century. Imagined as a sort of origin story for Star Trek in the style of The Right Stuff, creators Rick Berman and Brannon Braga wanted to capture the danger and excitement of United Earth’s early interstellar space program, even planning to spend the entire first season on Earth preparing for the launch of Starfleet’s very first Starship Enterprise. The network, however, had other ideas, insisting that Berman and Braga not meddle with the consistently successful Star Trek formula. Thus, despite taking place two centuries earlier, Enterprise became, essentially, “more Voyager,” which in turn had been “more Next Generation,” a once-great sci-fi procedural that was nearly a decade past its peak. That’s not to say that the series didn’t improve throughout its four-season run. After two years of struggling to justify the show’s very existence, Berman and Braga swung for the fences with a radically different third season that reinvented Enterprise (now renamed Star Trek: Enterprise) as a grim and gritty serialized drama unpacking the aftermath of a 9/11-scale attack on Earth. While immediately more compelling, the revamp failed to boost the show’s sagging ratings, and it was reworked yet again the following year, and leaned further into the “prequel to Star Trek” angle under new showrunner Manny Coto. This, many fans will argue, is where Enterprise finally found its legs, but it was too little and too late to prevent its cancellation. Still, each iteration of the troubled spinoff had its highlights and our list of the 10 strongest Enterprise episodes is spread fairly evenly throughout the run of the show. Warning: This article contains spoilers for each listed episode.

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Nearly 30 years after its premiere and 20 after it ended, Friends remains among the most beloved and celebrated sitcoms ever. The show, starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt Le Blanc, David Schwimmer, and the late Matthew Perry, followed the romantic and professional lives of six twentysomething friends in New York City. The show was a ratings and critical juggernaut, attracting high viewership and receiving the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2002.

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The 15 greatest Star Trek: Voyager episodes, ranked

Credit: CBS

Star Trek: Voyager was a series with a great premise and stories that somewhat frequently — but not always — lived up to it.

25 years ago today, Voyager premiered with the two-hour pilot "Caretaker" and forever changed the franchise with its introduction to the first female Captain, Kathyrn Janeway (a perfect Kate Mulgrew). Resilient, Janeway was unyielding in her efforts to get her untested crew home after they were zapped to the uncharted Delta Quadrant, 75 years away from Earth. Starfleet personnel mixing with former officers/current members of a resistance group known as the Maquis promised great, "only-on- Star-Trek " conflict — coupled with a ship stranded from the usual resources and aid afforded Kirk and Picard’s Enterprises.

Sadly, Voyager never fully embraced the full potential of that core conceit, leading Voyager to spend a big chunk of its seven-season run feeling like " Star Trek: The Next Generation lite." The ship was usually always fixed the next week if the previous one had it under attack or badly damaged. And the crew seemingly didn't mind too much about taking detours to explore and map this unknown area of space instead of doing what normal humans would — less sightseeing, more getting this 75-year journey underway as soon as possible and without distraction.

Despite Voyager 's uneven feel, when the show hit its stride, it produced some of the most entertaining hours the genre has ever seen. To celebrate Voyager 's 25th anniversary, here are the 15 best episodes.

15 . “Caretaker” (Season 1)

Voyager 's feature-length series premiere is one of the strongest pilots ever for a Trek show. Starting off at Deep Space Nine before stranding Captain Janeway and her motley crew of Maquis deserters in the Delta Quadrant, "Caretaker" has a riveting first half, peppered with exceptional character interplay. Then the pacing and tension slow in the second hour where we spend way too much time with an alien race that seems to have modeled itself after the citizens of Mayberry and The Waltons.

14 . "Eye of the Needle" (Season 1)

"Eye of the Needle" has a bittersweet twist that ranks up there with some of the best Twilight Zone endings. With the help of an anomaly via a wormhole, Voyager is able to communicate with a ship in the Alpha Quadrant. The catch? It's a Romulan vessel and not one in the same time as our lost heroes.

13 . "Dreadnaught" (Season 2)

If Speed and Runaway Train had a kid, it would be "Dreadnaught."

This compelling and tense hour of Voyager centers on engineer — the Klingon-Human Torres — struggling to reprogram a deadly missile designed by her enemy, the Cardassians, before it destroys a planet. Most of the hour is just Torres in a room, talking to a computer, and it is some of the most harrowing scenes in all of Trek history.

12 . "Mortal Coil" (Season 4)

Neelix, as a character, struggled to find solid footing among the ensemble jockeying for meaty storylines. But "Mortal Coil" remedies that with a dark, brooding storyline that takes on the afterlife and Neelix's near-death experience with it. After realizing the afterlife his culture believes in isn't really there, our favorite Talaxian suffers a heartbreaking existential crisis.

11 . "Tinker, Tailor, Doctor, Spy" (Season 6)

Veteran Star Trek: The Next Generation writer Joe Menosky — with a story from cartoonist Bill Vallely — crafted one of The Doctor's funniest outings, as the sentient hologram struggles with the hilarious consequences of giving himself the ability to daydream. The good doctor's fantasies catch the attention of an alien race's surveillance, but they think they are real — which brings about some trouble for the crew. How the Doctor saves the day is one of the best scenes Voyager has ever done.

10 . "Blink of an Eye" (Season 6) / "Relativity" (Season 5)

"Blink of an Eye" has a perfect Trek premise — Voyager orbits a planet where time passes differently for its inhabitants that for the ship's crew, so Janeway is able to watch this society evolve in, well, a blink of an eye.

This first contact scenario allows the show to invest the "explore strange new worlds" mandate with more emotion and nuance than Voyager usually affords its stories, giving fans a surprisingly poignant episode that still holds up to this day.

And despite time travel being a popular narrative trope in Star Trek , the show never failed to find new ways to explore and subvert it. "Relativity" is a fun, ticking-clock caper that sends former Borg drone Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) back in time to prevent the destruction of Voyager. Co-written by Discovery co-creator Bryan Fuller, this exciting episode keeps you at the edge of your couch cushion with an impressive act four twist.

09 . "The Equinox, Parts I & II" (Seasons 5 & 6)

In a plot worthy of a Star Trek movie, Janeway and her crew encounter another starship stuck in the Delta Quadrant, The Equinox. Commanded by a battle-hardened, Ahab-like figure, Captain Ransom (John Savage), The Equinox plots to hijack Voyager and strand her crew aboard their dying ship — in order to escape a race of subspace aliens that have been plaguing them.

Part of the fun of this excellent two-parter is never really knowing for most of its run time where the plot is going to go — for a moment, we actually think Janeway will lose this one.

08 . "Deadlock" (Season 2)

"Deadlock" is one of the few bright spots from Voyager 's bumpy early days. While the episode could take place on any of Trek 's ship-based shows, the stakes feel higher and for Janeway and her crew as they must work with those belonging to an alternate version of Voyager to get out of trouble.

When our Voyager — Voyager Prime — becomes fatally disabled, Janeway volunteers to sacrifice her ship so the other Voyager can go on. How Janeway handles the idea of this sacrifice results in the Ensign Harry Kim (Garret Wang) the show started with being replaced by his doppelganger.

07 . "Scorpion, Parts I & II" (Seasons 3 & 4)

"Scorpion" is action-packed Season 3 finale/Season 4 premiere that kicks off with a hell of a hook for a teaser: A small fleet of Borg cubes easily destroyed by an offscreen threat.

That threat is revealed to be Species 8472, a long-standing rival of the Borg in this quadrant of space — the only thing the Borg are afraid of. Enter Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), a Borg attache who becomes a remember of Janeway's crew as Voyager teams up with the enemy of their enemy to both defeat the Borg and shave some time off their trip home.

"Scorpion" represents a turning point for the series and for the franchise, with the introduction of the instantly-iconic Seven — another member of Trek’s deep bench of alien characters struggling to learn what it takes to be human. Or, in Seven's case, rediscover her humanity.

06 . "Counterpoint" (Season 5)

"Counterpoint" (Kate Mulgrew's favorite episode) is arguably Voyager 's most underrated episode, with a storyline whose elevator pitch could be "The Diary of Anne Frank" in space.

Voyager is secretly providing safe harbor to a group of telepaths being hunted by an alien race that hates them. (So, basically, Space Nazis). When the latter's charming leader defects to Voyager, and sparks a relationship with Janeway, it's instantly fraught with suspicion that boils over into bittersweet betrayal. The hour is an acting showcase for Mulgrew, as she pushes Janeway to uneasy places with the hard choices only this captain can make — and learn to live with.

05 . "Latent Image" (Season 5)

The most successful medical storylines on Star Trek are those that tap into moral/ethical dilemmas with a tech twist. In "Latent Image," the Doctor finds himself caught in the middle of both as he and Seven work to uncover who appears to have tampered with his memory — and why.

What starts as a whodunit becomes a powerful drama dealing with consent and the rights afforded all lifeforms — including artificial ones like the Doctor — when he discovers that Janeway altered his program against his will. Why? Because the doctor was confronted with a hard choice that broke him: With two patients' lives on the line, and only enough time to save one of them, the Doctor chose to save his friend.

04 . "Hope and Fear" (Season 4)

A rare non-two parter season finale, "Hope and Fear" is a landmark episode in the Janeway-Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) dynamic that puts the two at odds — only to come together in the end — in ways that echo Kirk and Spock.

When a sketchy alien (Ray Wise) shows up with the promise of getting Voyager home with the help of an all-too-convenient new starship, everyone fantasizes about the pros and cons of their long journey coming to an end. But the alien's plan is revealed to be a long con — he is a Borg attack survivor seeking revenge on Voyager, specifically Seven.

After he suffers a fitting but tragic end, "Hope and Fear" wraps up with a crew overcoming the letdown of still being stuck lightyears from home by focusing on a renewed purpose to keep going.

03 . "Message In a Bottle" (Season 4)

This fast-paced mix of action and comedy is a solid two-hander between Voyager’s EMH and a more advanced version (Andy Dick) aboard a sophisticated new starship that’s been hijacked (naturally) by Romulans. The two unlikely heroes are Voyager's only hope as they must use the ship's unique ability to separate into three different sections to defeat the bad guys.

Star Trek is hit and miss when it comes to comedy, but "Message In a Bottle" finds a near-perfect balance between laughs and sci-fi action while providing further proof that actor Robert Picardo is the series' MVP.

02 . "Timeless" (Season 5)

Voyager 's 100th episode is one of the greatest ever produced on any Star Trek series. "Timeless" opens in a future where Voyager crashed on an ice planet while on its way home, and centers on Ensign Harry Kim's efforts to save his crew in a very "timey wimey" fashion. (Captain Geordi La Forge, played by LeVar Burton — who directed the episode — stands in the good Ensign’s way).

With "Timeless," showrunner and writer Brannon Braga set out to do for Voyager what "The City on the Edge of Forever" did for the classic Original Series . A high bar this entertaining, high-concept hour effortlessly reaches.

01 . "Year of Hell," Parts I & II (Season 4)

Voyager achieved feature film-level quality with this epic two-parter.

Janeway and crew struggle to defeat time-manipulating genocidal villain (a perfect Kurtwood Smith) as he risks breaking the laws of physics — and chipping away our heroes' starship with battle damage — all so he can get back to his lost wife. To right that wrong, and alter the timeline by doing so, he and his time ship destroy an entire civilization. With some of the best space battles in the franchise's history, coupled with the moral and ethical dramas only Star Trek can do, "Year of Hell" is an all-timer.

• Star Trek: Voyager

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‘Star Trek’: All 39 Classic TV Main Characters Ranked, From Spock to Wesley (Photos)

A look back at the TV franchise’s many memorable classic characters before the explosion of streaming shows like “Discovery”…and its handful of duds

In its half-century history, “Star Trek” has challenged us to boldly go where no one has gone before. The best characters have often encouraged vigorous debate among Trekkies, as they are compared by their rank and species and evaluated for differences in their flaws and virtues. The worst — we’re looking at you, “Voyager” and “Enterprise” — leave fans wondering if there’s a point to their existence. 

A quick note, to keep the list manageable, we’re restricting the list to the main cast of the five “Trek” TV shows before the recent explosion of streaming series like “Discovery” and “Lower Decks.” That means you won’t be seeing movie villains like Khan or recurring characters like Q. But let it be said that if we did include him, Q would top the list by several light years.

39. Wesley Crusher (The Next Generation) By far the most hated character in “Trek” history. A super-genius kid who would on more than one occasion save the Enterprise while others with infinitely more experience struggled. Even the man who played him, Wil Wheaton , hated him.

38. Travis Mayweather (Enterprise) No backstory, no fears, no desires. No “Trek” crew member was more pointless and two-dimensional than Mayweather, except perhaps for …

37. Hoshi Sato (Enterprise)   … a poor man’s Uhura whose sole purpose was to serve as a translator for the crew since the technology for the Universal Translator hadn’t been invented yet. Like many of the characters at the bottom of this list, Rick Berman and Brannon Braga were unable to flesh Sato out beyond her basic premise.

36. Neelix (Voyager) And now for the “Voyager” portion of our list, starting with the ship’s mohawked chef. He never fit into the show’s plots, leaving him to spout dumb food jokes and platitudes of optimism to the weary crew.

35. B’Elanna Torres (Voyager) Next we have the Human/Klingon hybrid lieutenant, whose entire personality too often boiled down to her being a hothead. In truth, she seemed to be designed as a mix of Worf and Tasha, but failed to even come close to being as memorable as either of them.

34. Chakotay (Voyager) Another character that the writers ran out of material for. At best, Captain Janeway’s right hand man was a dull character. At worst, the attempts to honor Gene Roddenberry ‘s dedication to diversity by delving into Chakotay’s Native American background came off as too stereotypical.

33. Tom Paris (Voyager) A slightly better character who had more defined relationships with other crew members, but many of the episodes that focused on him were just variations on him being the stereotypical hotshot pilot looking for a thrill.

32. Harry Kim (Voyager) His friendship with Paris and awkward conversations with Seven-of-Nine were enjoyable to watch, but other than that he tended to be just a stiff ensign who spouted technobabble.

31. Malcolm Reed (Enterprise) The inventor of the “red alert” system. Unlike Sato and Mayweather, Reed had a bit of a character arc as he spent his time on the Enterprise coming out of his shell, but this didn’t result in Reed becoming much more than a generally affable but nondescript character.

30. Deanna Troi (TNG) Take a shot every time this Betazoid started a sentence with the words “I sense …” Troi spent several seasons in low-neckline outfits, serving as a counselor on a ship that rarely had any real conflict. Eventually, she was given a uniform like the others and allowed to play a role in missions, but only at a very late point in the series.

29. Jonathan Archer (Enterprise) When “Enterprise” started, Archer was an interesting captain. As Starfleet’s first man in charge, he was bound to make mistakes, and viewers enjoying seeing how he got out of them. Unfortunately, the struggle got stale quick, as he became the “prototype” captain instead of developing into a leader in his own right.

28. T’Pol (Enterprise) Though Jolene Blalock’s acting could sometimes be as ridiculous as her fanservice outfits, the first Vulcan Starfleet officer’s slow embrace of her illogical humans was interesting to watch, as was her struggle to cope with a disease that dissolved control over her emotions. 

27. Phlox (Enterprise) Armed with a massive grin and years of medical experience, NX-01’s Denobulan doctor is what Neelix could have been, providing both regular humor and the basis for episodes that explored his values and relationship with a human race still getting used to interacting with aliens. 

26. Jadzia Dax (Deep Space Nine) An interesting blend of previous personalities. Over the course of six seasons, Dax showed Worf’s intensity, Kirk’s swagger, and Spock’s curiosity. Part of this is due to the fact that she’s bonded with a symbiont that has the memories of countless past lives. It’s also due to inconsistent writing, particularly after she hooked up with Worf in Season 4.

25. Quark (DS9) The Ferengi started as the Alpha Quadrant’s amoral mafia, but DS9 began to show their capacity for courage and compassion, though they would be loath to admit it. In spite of his insistence that he’s nothing but a cowardly smuggler — and he can be that — Quark proves to be a valuable ally to Sisko when the chips are down.

24. Tasha Yar (TNG) Oh, where to start with Tasha. She was a rather polarizing figure, with some people appreciating her status as a more involved woman on the bridge, while others thought she was rather obnoxious. She was killed off near the end of season 1, but was brought back in the episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” which was praised for showing Tasha’s true potential as a character while giving her a better send-off.

23. Tuvok (Voyager) This is where the characters really get good, starting with the Voyager’s resident Vulcan. Tim Russ proved to be a worthy successor to Leonard Nimoy , portraying Tuvok as a loyal friend to Janeway and a Vulcan with a dark side beneath all the discipline and repressed emotions.

22. Doctor (Voyager) Easily the most popular character in the “Voyager” cast, this sarcastic, overworked medical hologram won fans over with his exasperated jokes and quest for respect from the rest of the Voyager crew. His non-organic status also allowed him to bond with Seven-of-Nine

21. Pavel Chekov (Star Trek) Several members of the original Enterprise crew were not fleshed out on paper, but became beloved thanks to brilliant acting and natural chemistry between the cast. Take Chekov, who became a fan favorite because of his loyalty to Mother Russia as well as the blood samples he was constantly asked to provide.

20. Nyota Uhura (Trek) Though she was vastly underutilized, Uhura’s presence on the Enterprise was a big step forward for African-American women in television. After being skipped on the chain of command for years, Uhura finally got to take charge of the Enterprise during a rescue mission in the animated series.

19. Hikaru Sulu (Trek) Like Chekhov’s Walt Koenig and Uhura’s Nichelle Nichols, the two-dimensional Sulu became legendary thanks to George Takei . For a long time, Sulu was known for being a cultured gentleman and a bare-chested fencer , but he got his big moment in the movie “Star Trek VI” as captain of the Excelsior.

18. Seven of Nine (Voyager)   Like Uhura, Troi, and T’Pol, Seven of Nine was the fanservice character of her series, but her introduction to “Voyager” is an episode for the ages. As a former Borg unit brought to Janeway’s side, Seven continued the tradition of rounding out alien races that were once bitter Federation enemies by showing just why someone would want to be assimilated.

17. Miles O’Brien (TNG/DS9) Midway through “TNG,” the writers realized there was value in fleshing out the Chekovs in their cast. Miles started as a seen-but-rarely-heard recurring character who eventually became a star on “DS9” thanks to episodes that transformed him into Starfleet’s quintessential everyman.

16.  Charles “Trip” Tucker III (Enterprise) Perhaps Trip’s ranked too high, but let’s throw “Enterprise” a bone. He was the most interesting character on the show, serving as a right hand man to Archer, a lover to T’Pol, a fighter, a scholar, and ultimately, a martyr to the Federation.

15. Julian Bashir (DS9) One of the more strongly-defined character arcs in the “Trek” canon. Bashir started the series as a cocky but inexperienced crew member who eventually developed into a mature member of the crew as the Dominion War raged on.

14. Beverly Crusher (TNG) Unlike her son, Dr. Crusher was a popular “TNG” cast member. Not only was she a compassionate medic, she was a capable fighter and leader who even got to take command of the bridge on a couple of occasions.

13. Kathryn Janeway (Voyager) The Voyager’s captain has become the basis for much debate among Trekkies. In addition to her character swinging from mother figure to ruthless general depending on the writer, Janeway threw away the Federation rulebook in ways that even Kirk would be shocked by as she tried to guide the Voyager back home. Say what you will, but Janeway is an interesting figure in the “Trek” canon, which is why she’s ranked so high. 

12. Montgomery “Scotty” Scott (Trek) The miracle worker of the Enterprise treated his ship like a beloved daughter. Whether it was attacked by Romulans or Tribbles, Scotty would always make sure that his beloved ship would make it out in one piece. Unfortunately, as the new movie “Star Trek Beyond” shows, Scotty’s counterpart in the reboot universe can’t say the same about his Enterprise.

11. Geordi La Forge (TNG) The Enterprise-D’s sweet engineer would often insist that some engineering marvel that would save the day is impossible, only to do it in minutes when pressed. His finest moments as a character came when he helped Data learn how to be more human, often to mixed results.

10. Kira Nerys (DS9) While “Trek” tackled many philosophical topics, religion was not one of them for a long time. Kira changed that, along with many other things. A firm believer in the Prophets and in terror tactics, Kira’s tough past on Bajor caused her to lock horns with the lofty ideals of the Federation members she had to work with on DS9.

9. Worf (TNG/DS9) The Klingon lieutenant started the trend of turning enemies from past series into complex characters who became vital Starfleet crew members despite cultural differences. Worf has had more appearances and story arcs than almost any other “Trek” character, including rising through Starfleet’s ranks, joining the DS9 crew, becoming a father, and preventing a civil war on his homeworld.

8. Odo (DS9) One of the most powerful twists for any “Trek” character came in “DS9,” when Odo discovered that he was a member of the race that leads the Dominion. Sisko’s number one was forced to choose a side: his race or the people they wished to exterminate. In the end, there’s only one reason he stays with the Federation: his deep love for Kira.

7. Benjamin Sisko (DS9) Commander of Deep Space Nine, Captain of the Defiant, and one of the most conflicted characters in “Trek” history. Sisko proved to be a truly fearsome captain, but gained that reputation through brutal actions that compromised his ideals. His internal conflict was a driving component behind DS9’s deconstruction of Gene Roddenberry ‘s utopia through war and racial conflict.

6. Leonard “Bones” McCoy (Trek) While he wasn’t as fleshed out as Kirk or Spock, Bones didn’t need to be. DeForest Kelley’s sardonic delivery worked perfectly with both the Captain and the Vulcan, as he served as the voice of reason to keep them both level.

5. William Riker (TNG) Number One started out as a rehash of Kirk, right down to the cocky smirk. Then came the beard, and with it a fierce sense of duty and undying loyalty to Picard. Both were put to the ultimate test in “Best of Both Worlds,” when he uttered the words that became one of the most famous cliffhangers in TV history: “Mr. Worf … FIRE.”

4. Data (TNG) The funniest and most thought-provoking supporting crew member ever. Data’s overly analytical approach to human minutae made him a charming android, and his status as a sentient A.I. gave birth to “Measure of a Man,” one of the franchise’s most important contributions to sci-fi.

3. James T. Kirk (Trek) The original captain, whose appeal hasn’t waned in the slightest over the past five decades. Kirk is the perfect mix of geek and space cowboy, serving as a sort of John Wayne figure for the sci-fi crowd. 

2. Spock (Trek) “Trek” has built its legacy on alien outsiders making observations about the human race. That began with Spock, whose Vulcan blood put him outside of our species while his human blood kept him tethered to it. From his pointy ears came endless ruminations on the nature of humanity and whether we will overcome our differences and reach the stars together.

1. Jean-Luc Picard (“TNG”) Yep, we’re planting our flag firmly in the Frenchman’s territory when it comes to the “Best Captain” debate. If Spock began the “Trek” philosophizing, Picard perfected it. He is a diplomat and a scholar, and remains so despite suffering torture and countless near-death situations. He is the embodiment of the intellect-over-brutality ideal that “Star Trek” built its legacy on.

Den of Geek

Top 10 Star Trek: Voyager episodes

Juliette whittles down Star Trek: Voyager's 172 episodes to the top 10. Find out if your favourites made the cut below...

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This feature contains spoilers.

A lot of people had a lot of problems with Star Trek Voyager , and perhaps in some cases, they had a point. But Voyager could be great as well as terrible, engaging as well as frustrating, and it did everything with a sense of humour and a determination not to take itself too seriously. In Captain Janeway, for all her inability to make up her mind how she felt about the Prime Suggestion, we had the most adventurous captain since Kirk, a captain who goes on away missions and takes sometimes extraordinary risks to achieve her goals. She was surrounded by an interesting and highly likeable ensemble (Neelix notwithstanding) including Star Trek ’s best full-blooded Vulcan and the second most popular Doctor-without-a-name in science fiction. Also, Jeri Ryan in a catsuit. And so we take a moment to set aside whatever niggles and frustrations viewers had with Voyager and celebrate some of the things it did really well. 

10. Lineage (Season Seven) 

B’Elanna Torres is pregnant, and the Doctor performs a minor procedure to genetically alter her unborn daughter to correct a spinal problem. But this gives Torres an idea, and she becomes determined to erase all the Klingon DNA from the foetus and make her completely human, so that the child won’t experience the bullying that she herself did. With a solid science fiction basis in the apparently simple genetic procedure that can both correct serious medical problems and make more cosmetic changes, this episode is a nice exploration of both the ethical dilemma involved and Torres’ personal history and emotional problems. It’s perhaps a shame that the solution boils down to curing her fear of being abandoned by her husband, but still, this is a nice little character study.

Best bit: Most of this episode is firmly Torres’ story, but it takes two to make a baby, and Paris asking Tuvok for advice about fatherhood is both awkward and endearing.

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Quotable:  “It could be a parasite” (Icheb, on the life-form he’s detected inside Torres) 

9. Latent Image (Season Five) 

The Doctor discovers that some time previously, his program had broken down because when presented with two patients with an equal chance of survival but only enough time to save one, he chose his friend (Harry Kim). This episode combines a dilemma that could affect any doctor (and could easily cause a breakdown in a human being) with one of the Doctor’s occasional battles for his rights as an artificial life-form (without Seven around to make her feel guilty, Janeway had simply erased the Doctor’s memories, clearly a violation of his personhood) and even a little bit of exploration of a well-known Star Trek phenomenon into the bargain (the Doctor deliberately saved the regular cast member, not the expendable ensign). Plus, it’s an episode about the Doctor, which is always a good thing.

Best bit: The Doctor and Seven are shocked to discover that the unknown enemy tampering with the Doctor’s program is Captain Janeway.

Quotable:  “In that book, which is my memory, on the first page of the chapter that is the day when I first met you, appear the words ‘Here begins a new life.'” (The Doctor, reading from La Vita Nuova )

Best bit: The crew realise just how serious the situation is as the first expendable alien dies.

Quotable:  “You know as well as I do that fear only exists for one purpose – to be conquered” (Janeway) 

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7. Caretaker (Season One) 

Voyager ’s pilot episode is probably the best Star Trek pilot. It has its flaws, the corny all-American farm illusion produced by the titular Caretaker and the poor-man’s-Klingon Kazon warriors among them. But it shows its ambition in the Star Wars -emulating opening sequence and introduces a colourful cast of characters; plus, for anyone lucky enough to actually see it before any of the rest of the show, there’s some genuine uncertainty concerning who’s going to live or die. Voyager ’s promising set-up gets back to the heart of Star Trek – exploring unknown and unpredictable parts of space and exotic planets full of bumpy-headed aliens. A lively and engaging start to the show.

Best bit: Janeway vows to get her crew back to the Alpha Quadrant, no matter how long it takes.

Quotable:  “Mr Paris, set a course – for home” (Janeway) 

6. Counterpoint (Season Five) 

Voyager is helping a group of telepaths, along with their own Vulcan crewmembers, to escape a group of telepath-hating Space Nazis. When their handsome Captain defects to Voyager , he and Janeway bond over a love of Earth’s classical music, but underneath it they’re engaged in a battle of wits that only one can win. Kate Mulgrew’s favourite episode is a great outing for Captain Janeway, exploring both her personal life (Kashyk is by far her most interesting love interest outside of Chakotay) and showing just why she’s the Captain. Her heart may be breaking, but innocent telepaths are safe from Space Nazis while she’s around.

Best bit: Janeway wins a bittersweet victory.

Quotable:  “For what it’s worth, you made a tempting offer” (Kashyk to Janeway)

5. Bride of Chaotica! (Season Five) 

Voyager becomes trapped in spatial distortions and a group of photonic life-forms mistake Tom Paris’ holodeck homage to 1950s B-movies for reality. Since the aliens refuse to believe that anyone other than the Doctor is real and their weapons are disabling the ship, Captain Janeway is forced to join Paris as a character from the holodeck program and defeat the evil Chaotica or they’ll be stuck forever. You have to ignore the accidental massacre of thousands of the photonic aliens by Chaotica and just go along for the ride in this hilarious homage to cheesy science fiction. No one can defeat the powerful pheromones of Arachnia, Queen of the Spider People!

Best bit: Satan’s Robot is screaming about “Invaders from the fifth dimension!” and Paris whacks him in an attempt to shut him up. The robot mutters sulkily “Invaders!”

Quotable:  “Remember – you’re the Queen!” (Paris to Janeway)

4. Message in a Bottle (Season Four) 

Voyager hijacks an alien relay station to send a message to the Alpha Quadrant in the form of the Doctor. Unfortunately, he materialises on a brand-new ship that has itself been hi-jacked by Romulans, and he has to team up with a Mark II EMH, defeat the Romulans and make contact with Starfleet before Voyager is driven away from the relay station. The Doctor and Andy Dick’s Mark II’s attempt to interact are hilarious bouts of petty one-up-man-ship and the Romulans present a credible but still defeatable threat and a welcome return to one of Star Trek ’s most familiar bad guys. Best of all, it all culminates in Voyager making contact with Starfleet for the first time in four years.

Best bit: The new, fancy ship has conveniently easy-to-use automatic attack patterns. Having managed to activate one, the computer asks the holograms to specify their target, and both exclaim ‘Romulans!’

Quotable:  “Stop breathing down my neck!” (Doctor to Mark II)

“My breathing is merely a simulation” (Mark II to Doctor)

“So is my neck, stop it anyway!” (Doctor to Mark II) 

“Sixty thousand light years… seems a little closer today” (Janeway) 

3. Timeless (Season Five) 

An older and greyer Harry Kim and Chakotay (and Chakotay’s random girlfriend) travel to the site where Voyager crash-landed fifteen years before, killing everyone on board. They wander through the bodies of their friends, looting Seven of Nine’s corpse for Borg technology and reactivating the Doctor, all in an attempt to set right what once went wrong and prevent Voyager from a fatal attempt to get home faster. Voyager ’s 100 th episode is easily Harry Kim’s best and Wang’s bitter, emotionally scarred performance holds together an hour which also features some lovely imagery (champagne flowing among smiling but doomed crewmembers) and excellent special effects work on the dramatic crash. The reset button at the climax feels thoroughly earned, and there’s even a cameo from director LeVar Burton.

Best bit: Geordi LaForge’s cameo, in which he wishes our boys luck even as he tries to kill them, is rather good. But the top moment is probably the light relief that is Seven getting drunk.

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Quotable:  “Are you with me?” (Janeway to Chakotay)

“Always” (Chakotay to Janeway)

“You owe me one” (Harry Kim, to his younger self)

2. Living Witness (Season Four) 

The Doctor is activated in a museum seven hundred years in the future, where Voyager is remembered as a ship of brutal ne’er do-wells who interfered in the planet’s affairs, murdered a prominent political figure, committed genocide and then went on their merry way. The Doctor must set the record straight or be executed, but the truth of what really happened on Voyager is liable to spark race riots on the still-divided planet. This episode delves into what we think we know about the past and how it shapes who we are, while at the same time providing a fantastic spin on the evil counterpart theme. There’s no mirror universe here, just a twisted version of our heroes full of fantastic details like black undershirts and Tuvok having slightly bigger ears. It’s all topped off with an incredibly poignant finale, in which it is revealed that the back-up Doctor (who can only just have been created, since only a few episodes previously his program was impossible to back up) set off for Earth centuries after Voyager , knowing all his friends were dead, but longing for home.

Best bit: Everything set on Evil Voyager is a joy.

Quotable:  “These aren’t the people I knew. No one behaved like this – well, aside from Mr Paris” (Doctor). 

“Somewhere, halfway across the galaxy I hope, Captain Janeway is spinning in her grave” (Doctor). 

1. Year of Hell, Parts 1 and 2 (Season Four) 

The amusingly-named Annorax is erasing ships, species and planets from history with a weapon which accidentally caused the death of his wife, trying to push the timeline back into a version in which she survives. Voyager , however, thanks to some fancy shields, is immune to the weapon’s timey-wimey effect – but not to the aggressive Krenim’s other, more traditional, blow-holes-in-your-ship type weapons. And so for twelve long months, they have even less power than usual (even the holodecks are out), hardly any food and apparently no jumpers or jackets, as Janeway is forced to run around in a dirty vest for the entire year. All the non-regular-cast crew abandon ship and Chakotay and Paris are kidnapped, which really starts to drive Janeway over the edge, forcing her to make a fully justified and logical use of the reset button – she rams Voyager into the time ship, killing all of them and destroying the weapon, so none of it ever happened.

Best bit: Right before her suicidal gamble, Janeway says goodbye to a blinded Tuvok. She hugs him… and he hugs her back.

Quotable:  “Time’s up!” (Janeway, ramming the time ship). 

Bubbling under: Waking Moments, Death Wish, Before and After, Scorpion, The Chute, Gravity, Infinite Regress, The Gift, Body and Soul, The Killing Game  

And the worst: Yes, we all know, Threshold  (the one where Paris and Janeway turn into lizards, have lizard babies, and then abandon them). Poor Voyager , no one can ever talk about its successes without adding ‘but then there was Threshold . On the other hand, at least Threshold  is (unintentionally) funny, unlike the interminable Kazon-based episodes in season 2.

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Juliette Harrisson | @ClassicalJG

Juliette Harrisson is a writer and historian, and a lifelong Trekkie whose childhood heroes were JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis. She runs a YouTube channel called…

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‘Star Trek: Picard’ Climbs Streaming Top 10 Chart; ‘Legacy’ Petition Passes 50,000

| May 18, 2023 | By: Anthony Pascale 188 comments so far

The data is in for the season three (and series) finale of Star Trek: Picard and the show has appeared for the third time on Nielsen’s streaming charts. Also, fan momentum for a spin-off series continues as the petition for Legacy hits a new milestone.

Picard moves up the list

Last week Star Trek: Picard appeared for the second time on Nielsen’s chart of the top 10 original streaming shows in the USA, this was based on viewership during the week of the ninth episode. Today Nielsen released their chart for the week of the finale (April 17-23) and Picard shows up at number 9.

Nielsen uses millions of minutes viewed for their ranking, and Picard jumped from 276 last week to 400 million this week, or a 39% increase. This is the third appearance for Picard , and only the fourth appearance of any original Paramount+ series since Nielsen added the streaming service to their rankings earlier this year. The only other Paramount+ original to make the chart was one appearance of the Yellowstone  prequel 1923 in March.

Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi, Jonathan Frakes as Will Riker, Patrick Stewart as Picard, Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher and Michael Dorn as Worf in “The Last Generation”

Support for Legacy spin-off grows

Picard showrunner Terry Matalas and members of the cast (including the TNG vets) have been vocal in their hopes for a spin-off series, which would be titled Star Trek: Legacy and be set on the USS Enterprise-G under the command of Captain Seven (Jeri Ryan). We have previously reported on a petition supporting this idea, including when the week after the finale it passed 32,000 , which was the same level of support as a previous petition received calling for a show with Captain Pike and the USS Enterprise after season 2 of Discovery . Support for the Legacy petition has grown, and this week it passed the 50,000 signature mark, currently approaching 52,000 .

Captain Seven herself has shown her appreciation for the fans, with Jeri Ryan yesterday saying, “You guys are unreal” when sharing the news about the petition passing 50,000.

Holy crap, over 50,000 signatures and climbing! You guys are unreal…! 👊🏼🖖🏼❤️ #StarTrekLegacy https://t.co/5cf965SNqB — Jeri Ryan (@JeriLRyan) May 17, 2023

Hope for Legacy ?

Even before the WGA strike, Terry Matalas made it clear that there was no development underway for the Legacy show. There were many factors that lead to CBS/Paramount giving Star Trek: Strange New Worlds a green light, and fan support for the idea was acknowledged as one of the factors by executive producer Alex Kurtzman. Last month Kurtzman said he heard fans “ loud and clear ” when it comes to their calls for Star Trek: Legacy . However, with two active live-action Star Trek shows ( Strange New Worlds and Starfleet Academy ) and a TV movie ( Section 31 ), it will take a lot more than a fan petition to get Paramount+ to give another Trek show a greenlight, especially as the company has cut back on spending over the last year, following the industry-wide trend towards cost-cutting and focus on profit.

The Nielsen numbers (and Paramount’s own internal metrics) are likely key factors in any evaluation. It will be worth watching to see how season 2 of Strange New Worlds performs when it debuts in June. Of course, with the ongoing WGA strike showing no signs of ending soon, no development work on any series can even take place. Later in the year the streamer could take a closer look at their plans for the Star Trek franchise and decide if the Legacy show can find a place.

Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine, Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut as Sidney La Forge and Joseph Lee as Lt. Matthew Arliss Mura in “Dominion”

Keep up with news about the  Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

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I mean at this point in time it would be dumb for them not to capitalize on this wave and ride it out. Personal opinion, they jumped the gun on announcing starfleet academy. They were trying to latch onto Picard’s success when they announced it but I don’t think they quite knew just how much the fans would want a proposed legacy show and really, shame on them for not being forward thinking enough especially since they just canceled discovery and the general assumption is that starfleet academy will be set in that time period. They just are not making smart moves.

SFA had been in development before S3 of Picard aired. And SFA isn’t meant for legacy fans. It’s meant to attract new ones.

Nostalgia, legacy characters and fan service will only get you so far. Trek needs to attract new audiences or the franchise will stagnate even further than it already has. That’s just business. Hence the Starfleet Academy show.

I totally agree Trek needs to attract new audiences but isn’t part of the point of this articles that legacy characters and nostalgia pushed Trek into the top 10 in the ratings?

There is no logic behind that statement. First, Paramount was supposed to start sharing its metrics for publication at the first of the year. They delayed this. They only started the week where 1923 aired its last episode.

So we the public (versus the suits at Paramount) only have data for one episode of 1923 (where it did better then any episode of Picard, by a significant margin), this season of Picard (3 data points specific to the show, and 7 weeks where we know it did at least worse then the lowest number of the top ten), and then we had one other Paramount release in that same time frame, the Kiefer Sutherland show, which like 7 episodes of Picard we know it did worse then the lowest released each week on the top ten list, but nothing more specific then that.

Statistically that actually gives us almost no real data for any real comparisons to how Picard’s performance compares to not only any other Trek shows, but the vast bulk of Paramount Plus original productions.

Even viewers of original Trek had more available data to gauge the performance of TOS versus anything else at the time then we have for streaming Trek.

Trying to use what data we have and make any comparative statements about the rest of Trek or the rest of the slate of Paramount plus is utter folly at least with almost no real data points to compare.

We do know though, from Paramount themselves, that Picard beat Disovery in streaming numbers on CBS All Access and then SNW surpassed Picard. Until Season Three, where Picard then became their breakout smash. They’ve been open about giving some vague metrics (and yes, this is vague).

So while we don’t have exact data, we do know that both Picard and SNW have outperformed Discovery by a fair margin. So we have some rough data at least.

Which is why it’s not a shock DIS was cancelled. It was already the older show and was getting more expensive by being older. And now that it’s being viewed less than SNW and PIC (which should surprise absolutely no one lol), then another reason why it was easier to let it go.

I’m not one of these people who only view things by what I like or hate, this was always just a no-brainer once we learned Paramount was tightening things financially.

Now we still may not get a spin off show either (which I have also said) if Paramount is doing that badly. But I think given the ratings and huge praise for this show probably puts it on the table at least for future development. I mean how can it not be now?

Actually we don’t know for sure. I’ll use an example. When SNW premiered they announced that it was the strongest premiere for Trek on their platform. That can actually have multiple meanings. And as long as one of them is accurate they don’t violate the law. For example, Picard and Discovery both could have had larger oriented (I doubt it but it’s statistically possible), and the statement could be true. Because neither of those shows premiered on Paramount +, both were technically CBS All Access. That’s just one of the many ways a statement without numbers needs to be looked at. And of course the fact that each year(with the possible exception of this one) has had a larger us and world wide subscriber base. So even a direct comparison between Paramount and CBS All Access should favor the newer releases for at least possible audience numbers.

Most official investment statements have enough legal wiggle room if not backed up with specific numbers.

Yep this is a good point as well. That’s the problem with all these vague statements, especially without any hard data, it could literally mean anything. My former life was in PR, I spent a lot of time trying to make bad news sound good and good news sound great.

That said I wouldn’t be shocked if both PIC and SNW did better considering all the fanfare both got and also SNW just being the new kid on the block.

100% agreed. I don’t think Discovery has flopped but ultimately, I can totally see it being the lowest performer of the three live actions, both when it was on CBS and on P+.

This doesn’t translate to disastrous numbers but when cuts are being made, you zero in on the show returning the least.

Yes, and the more legacy character and over the top fan service they sledgehammer into Trek like Matalas did, the harder it will be for older fans to accept new characters, and young fans will have lost interest by then anyway.

I totally disagree with this. I love seeing the old characters and love having new characters too. Best example is Lower Decks. I loved all those characters after the first season and Tendi is now one of my fan favorites. Look how excited fans are about the crossover episode with SNW.

And I’m super excited for T’Lyn to appear on Lower Decks. Fans loved her after just appearing in one episode.

And can you tell me one show that didn’t just have both of them? You make it sound like fans can’t cope with new crew members or something when others here mentioned how beloved Shaw became after just one episode.

I mentioned Shaw and T’Lyn as break out stars after their first appearance but here are others like Saavik, Seven of Nine, Shran, Lorca, Q, Weyoun or Pike. I know, I know Pike is a old character but it was one episode literally 50 years ago and Mount’s Pike is really nothing like the original at all. He would’ve still been adored if they named him Thomas. In fact I don’t like the original Pike at all. The guy was a sexist jerk. The point is fans can make a character an instant fan favorite even if they still show up around the legends like Saavik and Shaw first did.

I don’t think this is a big worry. Most fans seem to have no problems with both. Just make good characters and fans will happily want to see more of them.

For how long is the question. A younger unknown cast could be less expensive in actors’ salaries. If they do set it in DSC era, the sets are able to be reused.

The only legacy character is Seven though, right? The others are all new characters introduced in Picard, Season 3 (and maybe Season 1 and 2 if they bring back Elnor and Kestra Troi-Riker.)

Exactly!! These arguments are so weird. Guys, the TNG cast is NOT going to be on the show, at least as the main cast. The only full time returning legacy character is Seven along with Raffi as the only other returning character from the Picard show itself. Everyone else is new, so what’s the issue?? SNW has six, six legacy characters who are part of the main cast and around a half dozen recurring legacy characters on top of that. And IIRC, they said more will be introduced in season 2, so what are we missing?? And I have no big issues with any of this. It’s mostly just canon issues more than anything but I read on the other thread discussing Kirk they are going to basically squeeze in whoever they want regardless, so yeah.

And I hate to break it to people, fans want to see legacy characters. The ratings for this show proves that and probably why three of the shows, PIC, PRO and SNW all starred a legacy character.

I realise that fans only care about seeing legacy characters. That shows how much trouble Trek is in atm.

I disagree. Fans want well written Trek more along lines of what we saw in the 1990s.

Only that’s not true. Ask all the fans who love PRO and LDS. Those shows are filled with mostly new characters and fans love them.

I will admit having Janeway on Prodigy made me more interested in the show because it was a kids show. But I was going to give it a chance no matter what and grew to love them. Not as much as my Lower Deckers but still great.

Old characters certainly bring more attention or excitement to a show but fans just care about good characters. It’s the reason why so many like the old characters because most of them were good and stayed popular because of it.

There seems to be a MAJOR rift in Trek fandom over the DISCO universe and “vintage” ST. I am jot a fan of DISCO and think seasons 1 & 2 of Picard were awful. But S3 was quite good. Prodigy & LD are fine, while I find SNW to be OK. I have no interest in Starfleet Academy. For Trek to grow, it has to be actual ST. Good Trek about exploring strange new worlds will bring in an audience. You don’t have to fill a show with young people for younger ones to like it.

Yeah I don’t think just putting in young characters for the Academy show will suddenly make young people like it. Maybe more attractive for some but it still has to be good. But we’ll see.

But yes, there has been a divide with some of the fan base between the classic Trek shows and movies (TOS-ENT) and the modern stuff (everything post-2009). The same thing is happening with Star Wars between the original Lucas films vs the newer Disney content. Funny how that works out.

And I certainly agree you don’t need to put young people on a show just to get younger people to like it since I’m guessing most people here were either kids or teenagers when they got into Star Trek and all those shows had mature adults on them. Kids fell in love with shows like TOS and TNG because they saw smart adults solving complex problems. I am hoping with the Academy show we have a lot more adults as well as cadets though.

And I totally understand why you don’t like the idea. I’m more positive about it, but there is probably a reason why it took so long to finally get an Academy show or movie because fans were never begging for one. Hopefully it will surprise people if it actually gets made.

Hey bro took your advice and started watching The Night Agent. You were right it’s really good. Halfway through season 1 now.

legacy would still attract a new audience, the show is not just about legacy characters at all.

I disagree. The only way to bring in new viewers is to do exactly what Abrams and Kurtzman did: They changed Star Trek. Now, its not Star Trek. Trek has always had a niche audience. Its a thoughtful, intellectual sci-fi adventure show using allegory to talk about issues. Its not supposed to be “cool”. Geek culture has been hijacked. I’m almost 50. I remember going to Trek conventions (when they were JUST Star Trek conventions) as a kid, and when you walk in there, and I mean this lovingly, you are in a room with the biggest nerds in the world. And guess what? I fit right in, because I didn’t have a lot of friends as a kid, didn’t really fit in anywhere, and I wanted to be Captain Kirk. Its a show about the BEST OF THE BEST going out into space to explore and discover, while running into aliens that have issues. Star Trek was never cool, and true Trekkies love it that way, because it was OURS. It was custom made for a certain type of person. It wasn’t made for people who like Marvel, or Star Wars, explosions, one-liners, and ADHD editing. Trek was literary and artistic. With the exception of Picard season 3 (where the characters once again act like professional officers), Star Trek is now the CW in space.

I disagree the newer stuff is CW in space. I think there is a reliance on too much melodrama at times and some of the characters can be a bit more mature but they still solve problems exactly the way the older shows did. What’s funny about a show like LDS for example is you do have these comedic and definitely less mature characters but they are all still smart as a whip. Rutherford and Tendi are some of the best officers around. While I’m not a huge fan of Tilly I can say the same about her too. Everyone on SNW is also very smart and able, they are just a bit more relaxed than what you would find on TOS or TNG.

But I understand why you don’t like some of the newer shows and movies but I think they still try to present hard and complex concepts like the classic shows. But yes I’ve said myself I do wish the characters can be more serious and stop all the crying like you get on Discovery. Again, you had people cry and emotional on every show but DIS takes it to extremes. OK, maybe I’m not making argument as strong as I originally thought I was lol.

YEEEEEAAAAH BABY!!!! 😎

Such great news! It not only got higher views, it’s now over 50,000 signatures. SNW got up to 30,000 and SNW was already the most signed Trek petition on that site and this beats that by over 20 thousand and stil going. Way to go Trekkies! 😀

This video sums up how so many of us felt (and still feeling). I cry every time.

https://youtu.be/5nDL3UsHw8g

NOW GIVE US THE LEGACY SHOW KURTZMAN!

I LOVE that video!!! Where was that? And was that Terry Crews?

That video is crazy man! 😂

I spotted it a day ago and had to post. It’s not real though, someone just altered the footage with other events but it geta the point across how a lot of else felt seeing the E-D again.

Yeo, definitely Terry Crews. I don’t know what show it’s for though.

Ya I figured it wasn’t real. I mean that crowd is way too huge and of course no one would be wearing sports reporting headphones and stuff at a convention lol! But yeah I still loved the video!

Yeah it’s definitely fun to watch. I read a lot of the comments on it and a lot people were expressing that’s how the felt when the E-D appeared. It’s great when fans are genuinely happy and feel pretty united and not complaining or bitter about something as we are more times than I like to admit lol.

This video was hilarious. I watched it 5 times straight lol. It really does hit the right sentiment to what a fans were feeling. And I saw that first hand watching the finale on IMAX with other fans. You really saw and felt this response from so many other people in that theater. We had all seen the episode where they got back on the D a week earlier and yet people were emotional once again watching that scene play out.

And the clip of Terry Crews is from the show America’s Got Talent. I know it well because my girlfriend is obsessed with it lol. I probably only seen a half hour of it total but she loves it and never miss an episode when it’s on.

Actually I have seen that show before but like 1 or 2 episodes in the first season. But Crews wasn’t on it then or least the episodes I watched.

Yeah, Crews is a newer host. Too lazy to look up when he joined the show but I want to say at least 3-4 years. Tyra Banks was the original host in the beginning.

I do remember Tyra Banks there.

I grew up with TOS, so here are my thoughts.

Raffi, 7 and the two next next generation characters would be fantastic for a spin-off show. What an ideal transition from TNG & Picard to 7 and Raffi. Always room to bring back original TNG characters from time to time.

Now, how about stopping all the whinging, complaining and criticism and give these SUPER Star Trek writers encouragement and ideas to push forward in their and our journey where no one has gone before.

These writers have made very few mistakes in their journey to provide us mortals with unbelievable future timelines and possibilities that we may one day see as reality.

I won’t lie to you but for a long time I felt like a NuTrek hater. None of the new stuff was grabbing me. And Picard, the show I knew I was going to love let me down the most…until this season.

Now the last few years have been the opposite. LDS, PRO, SNW and finally Picard have been amazing. None of it is perfect, but man what a turnaround. Just a lot of great Trek recently! 😀

I used to want to find and burn Kurtzman’s car out of protest. Now I want to take him to dinner as a thank you. 😁

And if they give us the Legacy show, I’m set. I could just watch LDS and PRO alone and I’m happy. I’m a 24th century fan. Everything else on top of those is a bonus. But the Legacy show would be the biggest show for me since DS9 and VOY went off the air!

Let’s keep the ride going Paramount and make the show a huge part of the fan base clearly wants! LET’S GOOOOO!

I grew up with TOS as well and I agree with all of this. Now I’ve always been a glass half full type of fan meaning I’ve always found something to love in every show and movie series even if I’m still critical. And I didn’t love this season at the level others obviously did but it’s still easily one of the best seasons of the modern shows bar none. You can tell how much love the season was made with and probably why the response is so high for it.

And if they make a spin off I am excited to have new characters but if we’re very lucky some of the TNG characters will drop in to say hello from time to time. ;)

For me who started the show with Voyager and became a big fan of Seven and my first episode of Star Trek was literally her first episode, it shouldn’t be a shock why I want the Seven show.

But it’s all so surreal. I never thought I would ever see Ryan playing her again and now they built a spin off around her.

It’s just amazing she was able to come back at all.

It’s not up to Kurtzman, if it was, you wouldn’t get Legacy, or you wouldn’t get it in the way you want it. His bosses will decide, and it’s very likely that this writers strike will make Paramount+ a little more careful to produce shows which are sure things – that means SFA will probably die and SNW and Legacy will be the shows going forward. The bosses and stockholders at Paramount will look at the numbers and decide.

I like the way you think Martin, we should be friends! 😄

People keep saying SFA is for ‘new’ fans but we know most people who will be watching are old Trekkies from boards like here.

I said this somewhere else but the newbies don’t stay loyal. They don’t put in the money and commitment like we do or they would probably be the fifth JJ verse movie coming out tgis year.

Paramount knows the old fans will be watching it over and over when it’s good and probably why Picard got such high ratings this year.

Paramount’s financials are in a mess right now, and the stock tanked at the beginning of the month. It’s hard to see them making any major investments in the near term, and that may well mean some Trek is on the cutting block, too.

Nostalgia can only carry a franchise so far. I’ve seen enough of these characters, and I’m perfectly fine with this being their last regular appearances. Will I watch Legacy if it happens? Likely, but I’m not looking forward to or hoping it happens. Picard was all nostalgia and schlock over substance, and I’ve seen enough. Let TNG rest in peace already.

It’s not about the next generation though…it’s about the next next generation. Riker or Worf isn’t Captain, it’s Seven with a young crew of officers…and Raffi is there.

That’s why this is a great idea, you don’t have to involve the TNG cast directly, it’s an entire new crew on the next Enterprise.

Not sure why people think this will be Picard season 4. It will be mostly new characters.

People didn’t watch Picard for the new characters…

No, but they grew attached to them and are aware that a spinoff would be focused on 7 and her crew. They were as integral to the story as the legacy characters. Terry Matalas seamlessly introduced new characters that viewers actually responded and grew attached to and that’s no small feat.

Would we see some familiar faces from time-to-time? Sure. Would they be the focus of the series? No.

Yeah, it’s no different than SNW, Prodigy and the first two seasons of Picard which is a mix of old and new characters. How is this suddenly a problem lol.

And most fans seem to like all the new characters, especially Shaw that Matalas already said he’s bringing back.

Maybe Seven will find his Katra and take his body to Chicago to reintegrate them! 😂

So you don’t want a show with old characters but you don’t think they will watch a show with new characters either??

And Seven is there who will be the lead which is a legacy character but not TNG either so it works out right in the middle! 😀

Granted but Seven herself isn’t a new character and I would argue she would have almost if not just as much as pull drawing in audiences as Picard did in PIC S1. Love or hate Voyager, Seven was almost universally beloved from that show from what I have seen in the past. Also, at least 2 other characters have familial ties to TNG characters which makes them nostalgic to say the least.

I did. A lot of people did. I know that because, shockingly, people actually did seem to like other characters on it not named Picard like Rios, Soji, Raffi, Elnor and definitely Shaw. Now YMMV personally but all these characters had their fans.

I also remember at the start of season 2 when we saw the characters on the Stargazer, fans were excited over the possibility of a spin off for that show and was openly proclaiming they now wanted a Rios/Stargazer show. It wasn’t that long ago, literally just a year ago lol. There are hundreds of posts here and thousands in other places where people talked about this idea. I was also one of them.

Nothing changed, people were talking about a Seven show with new characters the second the trailer was shown for season 3 of Picard. Obviously fans were infatuated with the idea of seeing the TNG cast again but they are gone now, so people are now talking about the Seven show with new characters and what that can bring. Shaw became a huge fan favorite and so much so people were genuinely pissed when he was killed off, yes?

So I actually don’t agree with your statement. Fans actually DID want to see and even like other characters, they just wasn’t as much of a focus in season 3 for obvious reasons. But when the Enterprise G warped out, fans were deeply excited about the possibilities and not a single TNG character was on that bridge. ;)

it’s not about the next generation though…it’s about the next next generation.

….all of whom happen to be kids of the next generation.

Two characters. The rest are just new people.

Raffi sucks, I can’t stand her. I was glad she was not in 2 of the episodes in season 3.

This take sums up your username so perfectly. We get a bisexual black lady who was in a relationship with another woman and yet I still see this take everywhere when she was plenty interesting. This take is old and boring and now you probably won’t be seeing her again, congratulations.

How on Earth does her sexuality and race factor into being a good character?

Because representation is representation, even if the writers can’t write women worth a shit. That’s not her fault. She had the potential to be interesting and the writers screwed it up.

Also I won’t be rejecting any representation I can get from Trek. I waited so long to get canon LGBT characters so I’m gonna hoard them all and treasure them.

Also you’re in the majority here. This take is everywhere and old.

I’m not sure I follow here. You argued she was interesting and then blamed the writers for screwing up her potential and making her not interesting.

I will say representation for representation’s sake isn’t enough in 2023, so LGBT+ characters need to feel like fleshed out people. I actually don’t think Raffi feels like a token, she’s just a bit grating at times. Great double act with Worf though.

I didn’t say she wasn’t interesting. I said it’s not her fault the writers didn’t know how to write her. She was still interesting to me despite that.

I do agree there and I have actually complained about that many times. I’m taking what I can get and I’m saying that they could be written better, developed more, etc., but at the same time I’m just glad I’m getting it at all.

Gotcha. The way you worded that confused me.

I’m going to defend Boring One here. He’s not getting on her case for being black or queer, he just thought the character sucked. And LOTS of people did. I also thought she sucked, especially in season 2.

And he never suggested they can’t have OTHER queer minorities on the show, he was simply saying this one is not great. I think when we go down that slope of saying we can’t criticize a character because they are a minority, it’s no better than people criticizing a character for simply being one. But that’s not what he was saying either.

Raffi seems to be a controversial character for many reasons even if others like her. As I said, I had problems with her too. I’m not gay, but I am black so I’m judging the overall character. Now all that said like others I do think she was much better this season, but they clearly just had better writers and did a much better job using her.

I’m sorry if I came across as saying you can’t criticize her for those reasons. What I meant is that this take is old and tiring. It’s everywhere and it doesn’t really matter so much now that she might not be back at all. And for me as a member of the LGBT community it’s especially old.

On the flip side, she might be better written if she does come back.

I’ve been manic for a bit now, haven’t been sleeping well and until today I hadn’t eaten since Tuesday but those things don’t excuse my posts.

Ok no worries Gritizens. And yeah anytime someone shouts something WOKE, my eyes rolls hard. GTFOI!! And yes, some people didn’t like Raffi and Seven being gay. But again, I do think for some, it was the half-ass way they put them together. That was worse than how they threw Seven and Chakotay together.

And they never had any real chemistry. It was another thing I thought Matalas did sooo much better and just had the characters focused on the mission and not work out their relationship problems as they are trying to hunt down a Borg Queen in the middle of downtown L.A.

Yeah I don’t like Hot Mess Raffi either but ahe was a lot better in season 3 IMO.

I didn’t like her in the first 2 seasons but she was a badass in season 3.

But who actually cares about those new characters?

Will old TNG from the 90s really be drawn in to see the ‘kids-of’ their heroes with the promise of cameos?

I don’t know that Seven will be enough of a draw for others. My kids were enthusiastic Voyager fans as tweens, but as teens they’ve heard nothing about Picard that interests them to watch. And they refused to watch season three at all.

As I pointed out to another poster, lots of people do man. Did you NOT see how much of a fan favorite Shaw became? And you obviously know that because me and you spent the entire season talking about how excited people were about the guy. People literally seemed relieved to know he was going to stick around through most of the season. And shockingly he was liked because he was the most developed new character in the season which tells you what? When they gave more attention to a new character, fans actually did care, right? So I don’t buy this argument. It’s sooooo myopic.

Guys, seriously, the new show will focus on the new characters. And guess what, there will probably be even MORE new characters we haven’t met yet on the show. There could be another Shaw waiting in the wings as well (or according to Matalas, literally the same Shaw lol, but welcome to Star Trek ;)). All that is a possibility too right?

I don’t understand this mentality, as if Star Trek fans haven’t spent literally decades learning to love new characters? IIRC people were convinced no one was going to ever love the TNG characters because the TOS characters were so beloved. That certainly didn’t age well. So I think the characters on a spin off will be just fine once they spend time developing them more.

And no offense to your kids but they don’t have to like every show man lol. I mean if this is your barometer, it’s a wrong one frankly. I’m just being honest because , you have heard me say this over and over and over again and why these discussions just gets very frustrating for me. They have made it abundantly clear ALL these shows are meant to attact different demographics . So what’s the problem?? Some shows are just made for certain fans in mind. That’s why there so many of them. Prodigy isn’t meant to appeal to adults like other shows do. Totally fine. DIS seems to bend more to women than men, especially the last two seasons lol. Again, totally fine IF that’s the case. LDS is obviously made for teens and young adults and not people over 40 or 50 and not surprising this group can’t get into the show. Again because ITS NOT MADE FOR YOU!! That’s the point.

In 2017, it was just Discovery. Now we have multiple shows on, many that were made to grab people who wasn’t watching Discovery, yes? Do people think Lower Decks is meant for everyone? SNW may be the most open Trek show, but it still seems to be mostly old fans into that show too and it’s obviously made with them in mind like Picard was.

So I think it’s OK, if the Legacy show attracts more older fans because guess what, wasn’t that was the point of Picard???? Do people seriously think they tapped a nearly 80 year actor play a role he hasn’t in nearly 20 years to grab the 18-35 year olds lol. Sure maybe some, but obviously the show was made for people who grew up and knew the character. The funny thing is I remember people saying the show wasn’t being made for hardcore Star Trek/TNG fans but for Stewart fans lol. Considering 90% of Stewart fans are fans because they discovered him on TNG first, this argument never held up.

My only point is they already made a show that was meant to tap into the old fanbase. It was called Picard. So are people shocked now they want to make a show that continue tapping into those fans? Um, why?

And guys lets not kid ourselves. All these shows are overwhelmingly watched by old fans. Everyone seems to know and acknowledge that are we wouldn’t have so many legacy characters on all these sows like we do today. I have said this many times, I don’t know a single person who has never watched Trek before watching any of these shows. The overwhelming discussion about ANY of them comes from old fans, right? Maybe Prodigy is a special exception but pretty much everyone online, including here, are people who has been watching it for decades already.

I’m certainly not saying new fans aren’t watching them, but then you have to wonder where is any of the passion or excitement from them because it’s certainly not anywhere online from what I can see. The fact that the petition has gotten over 50,000 signatures tells you something very important about the old fanbase and that they are active and highly engaged and Paramount obviously knows that, hence why we got Picard season 3 in the first place.

I love them, but I’d be fine if the TNG characters never appeared again in a Legacy series or anywhere else. Matalas went to a lot of trouble to give those characters the grand send-off that they deserved but never had, a send-off that was beautifully realized! Thus I humbly think those characters should stay sent-off, otherwise it just sort of deflates the wonderful S3 ending we just saw. It would be like a big farewell party for a house guest who never actually leaves. That said, if TNG characters did make cameos in a Legacy show, it wouldn’t bother me and I wouldn’t hold it against the show; I’m not that kind of fan…

Exactly. Matalas literally set it up that way. The guy gave 500 interview explaining the spin off show isn’t about Geordi or Data, but what comes after them. He did an amazing job making it clear the next show is NOT about these people. That’s why Q showed up to confront Jack, that the next trial is setting up the new characters. It couldn’t be anymore symbolic and yet you would think the show will be about Riker, Worf, Data and Troi on the Titan B or something the way people are going on about it.

Tiger2, Shaw was great!

And in a Twitter poll by Matalas fans voted him the best captain of the season.

But they killed him off like Hemmer and all and any of the ideas to bring Shaw back, but not really as an alive human, just sound completely lame.

The finale didn’t propose a show where the principal character would be Seven.

No, Legacy was clearly pitched to be with Jack as principal character and Speleers at the top of the call sheet.

I just don’t see the love and excitement out there for that character.

I don’t think anyone is disputing the potential market for a show that carries on franchise into the 25th century in a way that hits the unmet demand of Berman-era fans, especially if it’s ship-based.

But what I don’t see is that the ensemble we were left with, to be anchored by a ‘chosen one’ type ensign is really what those casual 90s fans will show up for.

By the way, I know very well my kids aren’t the only teens out there in the world. But they are more real than the imaginary abundance of new young fans that older fans here seem to wish to believe were drawn in to watch Picard S3.

They’re also teens who still have enough attachment to the franchise to have their Eaglemoss ships on display in their rooms. If they aren’t a target youth market, who is?

I’m more than interested to hear counter information. If anyone else knows young people under 25 who were watching Picard, it would be great to hear.

They can always make another appealing character LIKE Shaw right? I remember when Lorca was killed off and some people acted (at the time) that there was never going to be another fan favorite like him and the next season we got Pike. I’m only saying that if you make a good character once, you can probably do it again.

And Matalas has said Shaw will come back if the show happens, how and why, we’ll see if it ever gets that far.

I have no idea how you think Seven wouldn’t be the principle character? Again, until someone says otherwise, I’m going to guess she will be the main lead unless they do another Lower Decks situation.

It’s a lot of assumptions for a show that probably won’t happen for years even if it got picked up tomorrow. I don’t think any of this is a big deal because A. we don’t know exactly what they will ultimately do and B. yeah, they can just change stuff. This just seems a little odd to be wringing your hands over. If things go exactly as you say and fans think it SUCKS, then they will make changes as they do every show. I’m not trying to just hand wave your concerns, but there has now been TEN shows, many that fans took to right away and others that needed more time. And practically all of them got retooled enough when people complained, right? In this case, there is not even a pilot script made yet, so it’s really hard to worry about stuff at this level yet if this is your biggest concern, that’s all.

And I’m happy your kids love as much Trek as they do. But none of this is a contest. They are going to make MANY shows unless Paramount+ just dies off or something. Some people will like, others that they won’t. That’s really it.

And I’ve supported EVERY show e-x-c-e-p-t the Section 31 show (and that was mostly because I don’t like Georgiou and I hated how they did it on DIS, but I had zero issues in the idea of a show itself) and the Khan show (ugh). I hated everything about that lol. But the only show to this day I was completely against. And even then I would’ve rolled my eyes but still gave it a shot if it did get approved.

As far as this show, you seem to constantly pit ‘old’ fans as if it’s some kind of bad thing. I really really wish you would stop doing that. What I mean is I’m guessing there were probably potential shows you wanted while others probably expressed why they didn’t like it, I doubt they made you or others feel like you did something bad for simply wanting it…unless was Khan, OK I’ll stop now lol.

But they’re just TV shows some people like to see. It’s not to ruin your day. You can certainly not want it just like I hated the Khan show idea (ugh), but I wasn’t angry about it or thought others were evil who did want it.

Chances are this show may not ever happen, but if it does, maybe just maybe it will surprise you and others.

“ They can always make another appealing character LIKE Shaw right?”

Yeah, they can introduce Shaw’s son, Ensign Shaw, Jr, fresh from the Academy. Would fit right in thematically…

I don’t think Shaw had a family though.

Jean Luc didn’t either until season 3…

Great point! 😂

And like the son of another past Starship commander, after Shaw’s graduation and promotion, he did a stint on Delta IV, where he’ll meet the E’s next navigator …

They can always make another appealing character LIKE Shaw right?

This is the kind of thing that’s easy to say on paper (rather like “I support another Indiana Jones film if it’s GOOD!!!”), but that is a real challenge in practice.

As Frakes once said, what TNG did was “lightning in a bottle.”

But the creation of Shaw proves they can make good characters?

And if you’re argument is that’s an extreme exception, that doesn’t bold well for any future show but I know you haven’t been onboard with most of the new stuff.

It’s almost as if…Wesley Crusher were the main character. *Shudder.*

If you can get fans to care about animated ensigns on a comedic sgoe, I’m not sure how hard this will be? I don’t love Jack but I do love Sidney LaForge.

I was really liking Tveen until she was killed off. 😥

I keep seeing this pop up as though it’s some sort of trump card. All Trek properties at this point are nostalgia plays. Even Discovery couldn’t resist, and that’s the most original Star Trek show since The Original Series.

It is a trump card – this potential legacy show has nothing solid to build on. Picard was almost completely nostalgia, with fanfic level, plot hole filled writing. People are crying out for more overwrought sophomoric nostalgia, but it won’t sustain the franchise. Soon, there won’t be an audience that fondly remembers the nostalgia. When they age out, where does Trek go from there? It’s my contention it’s time to explore again, and let 90s TV live on – in reruns.

Which is why we need a new show that isn’t legacy to go back to the gamma quadrant and finish exploring there now that the Dominion is defeated and on their way to becoming friends. I’m not asking for a DS9 reunion or anything like that, as far as I’m concerned i don’t need a DS9 reunion. All that I want is the gamma quadrant. And the Vorta. With as many new characters as possible.

Completely onboard with this too! 👍

There are so many directions they can go in now.

Like so many (cough all cough) of the gamma quadrant species, Vorta were so interesting but barely developed. I want to see them learn to be something else now and I want to see them thrive. I want to give them all of the kava nuts and rippleberries they want and see if they want to try other fruit from the alpha quadrant. I just really love them.

Also damn there’s so much of the gamma quadrant to explore now. Go back and revisit a few worlds that we did see. Go visit more ones that we didn’t see in DS9. Learn what it’s like there now that the Dominion has been defeated and are changing. Develop legacy species, invent new ones. So so much there.

Just like I’m happy Prodigy is back in the Delta Quadrant, we definitely need a show that can focus directly on the Gamma Quadrant. It would be cool to see how things have changed there post-Dominion War.

I want a show like prodigy for that. Especially when Kathryn Janeway was just to support the new characters and their growth and really only stepped in when they needed the help. Otherwise they were left to learn and grow and get out situations on their own.

Something like that that just focuses on the Gamma Quadrant would be so much fun. And if they need a legacy character to come bail them out hopefully not too often, you can get someone from DS9 like Bashir. I would say Odo but 😮‍💨. But honestly I hope that’s not needed at all.

Bro there are five shows on. You can just pick and choose. And the show will be exploring again. That’s why so many want it.

It has at least enough to build on as Strange New Worlds did, and that series was backdoor piloted by Discovery season two. I like the youthful hyperbole, though (“overwrought sophomoric”). Keep pitching the take. It’s getting closer and closer to making sense.

A popular established character lead plus 1-3 well-received newer supporting characters onboard the Enterprise having adventures and catching up with some familiar old characters along the way. Am I describing a Star Trek: Legacy show or Star Trek: Strange New Worlds?

That said, Legacy would need a deeper premise than SNW.

Matalas has made the case there’s a market for a 25th ship-based show.

I don’t think there’s any disputing that.

The question, as you say, is around what really be the premise for the show and is it viable without the TNG legacy cast there as regulars.

So far, I feel that Legacy is being pitched as a nostalgia tour focused on ‘kids-of’ Legacy characters.

Seven might be captain, but Jack Crusher was presented in the finale as the principal character going forward.

Not Seven. This would be (like Discovery) Jack Crusher’s journey to command.

Beyond the age-inappropriateness and other casting challenges with Ed Spleleers as Jack, Speleers himself has been talking as though he would be top of the call sheet.

Who actually wants to see that?

A show about the hero’s journey of a 22 year old who nearly destroyed Starfleet with his own @&%#ing Picard hubris, who had creepily taken over his crew mates’ minds and bodies?

A show in a supposedly aspirational future where the principal character has leapt ahead on family influence?

This is the conversation that needs to be had.

I tend to agree. I’m not excited by the Legacy pitch, even though it’s pitched to people like me (older than 35, first Trek = TNG). That said, it’s kinda like everything else: depends on the execution. I wasn’t excited by the Strange New Worlds pitch — and the same group of “give me everything I’ve seen before again” that pushed for that are pushing for Legacy — and even though there’s a lot of unfathomably stupid s*** in the first season, I think it was, overall, pretty okay.

The fans are doing all the pitching. That+ratings are a start to make the economics of development viable, but of course they aren’t anything to hang the actual creative of the show on. Beyond Matalas dropping some spin-off potential in there to use or not, it’s still anyone’s guess what they might actually propose if given the chance. So a lot of our speculation is a bit moot, and certainly there’s not much to actually argue about. If they green light a show and a premise, then we can really get into things, but even then we need more, otherwise it would just be repeating the current silly back and forths on SFA that are based on a flimsy press release.

But for what it’s worth, if Q spearheads the mission for a show with Seven, Jack, Raffi, Shaw and Sidney on a scrappy Enterprise with occasional catch-ups on Berman Era characters, I’d be happy to check it out. I like Jack and Speelers, love Seven, and appreciate the other new characters who might get ported over. But yeah, it needs a premise that’s at least as novel as, “Lost in Space but it’s a Starfleet/Maquis crew.”

Love this idea too man. We’re im complete agreement!

People are crying out for more overwrought sophomoric nostalgia, but it won’t sustain the franchise. Soon, there won’t be an audience that fondly remembers the nostalgia. When they age out, where does Trek go from there?

Precisely. No one is going to be nostalgic about any of these shows (not even DISCO) in 20 years. Trek needs content that will cause people to be nostalgic then.

I agree all the shows use nostalgia. I just don’t see it as bad. It’s why I like SNW, LSS and PRO because they have great nostalgia moments but just good shows too.

But fans won’t like something based on nostalgia alone. Picard season 1 and 2/had plenty of it too and most fans still thought they sucked. Showing off the E-D isn’t going to just suddenly make the show beloved if we sat through a lot of crap the whole time.

No it’s not bad at all. But I do agree there can be TOO much of it though and even I say they probably went too far in places for season 3. Stuff like showing Kirk’s body was now in the hands of Section 31. Or bringing back Moriarty just to bring back Moriarty basically. They could’ve used that money to try and get Janeway or someone you can tie the story to. Or having the Bird of Prey from TVH to be part of the fleet museum. Or making Titan a 100 year old ship design ‘neo’ to excuse it because you really like the TOS movie ships. You didn’t have to go this hard Matalas lol.

But it’s always a crazy balance because when you don’t do it all some fans get even more irritated. One of the best examples of that was when TNG started and some fans complained the show felt too detached from TOS since they tried very hard not to name drop the characters often or have Spock show up in the first season (although they were trying to get him in season two). This was actually a big reason why some didn’t like the show because it wasn’t name checking TOS every 15 minutes or had round the clock memberberries.

Now you can argue it’s just wanting the continuity to be stronger or something. But most of it really came down to just wanting stronger fan service at the time considering the shows were 100 years apart. Who talks about people and events a century ago unless it’s relevant to an event or a historical moment. Most people couldn’t even tell you who was the last President a century ago, but on a TV show they expect to just see or hear certain things because they want it to feel connected. But yeah if you do it too much, then you’re just ‘pandering’. In other words, you will never satisfy either side completely.

And in Picard’s case, it’s totally appropriate because they are getting the family back together in nearly 20 years. It was always going to be a love letter to the show and those characters.

Good points. Matalas probably did go a little too far at times lol. But he’s like McMahon, he just really loves Star Trek and wants to honor the universe. I just don’t have a problem with that because I’m a fan. They call it fan service for a reason. But it can definitely be done badly like white Khan in STID and the new Kirk on SNW. But maybe that will improve.

That’s interesting TOS fans wanted more references in TNG but I can understand that. From what I read Roddenberry wanted the show to stand on it’s own. That was probably seen as a risky, but noble move at the time. And the first two episodes got TOS love having McCoy showing up in the pilot talking to Dara (still one of my favorite scenes) and they mentioned Kirk in the very next episode. So it’s not like they pretended the show didn’t exist.

But it proves fans do want fan service so just give it to them. It’s definitely not stopping Star Wars these days and that franchise has been endless nostalgia and fan service since the prequels and no one seems to care.

To be clear I don’t know exactly how many TOS fans really wanted more TOS connections in TNG, this was all before the internet. It wasn’t until years later I would read posts from people who said they couldn’t get into that show or even the later ones because there were no TOS characters around or they wanted to see the Andorians, etc. And I do think they were in the minority in THAT sense. But it’s no secret either how many fans just hated the idea of doing another Star Trek without the original characters and wanted to boycott it although it eventually got most on board.

What’s great about today is the overwhelming majority of fans have no problem with having newer characters. If that wasn’t the case, we wouldn’t have had four spin off shows in the Berman era, which all lasted longer than TOS itself. So there was a huge audience there very accepting of anything new as long as the show itself was strong.

So this idea that people ONLY want nostalgia and fan service is a misnomer. Yes SOME people do and you will never get those people to accept any new Star Trek because they are stuck in their ways and has been for decades. This is a totally different situation because no one is begging for just the Legacy show alone, they just want that as an addition to everything else. Again why this argument is bizarre to me. Yeah some don’t want the Academy show, but I can understand why because it doesn’t feel ‘Star Trek’ enough while the Legacy show is 100% what people think of Star Trek. So it’s not just because Data can show up on it, it’s getting back to basics which I have said many times is probably the real reason fans love shows like SNW, PRO and even LDS because people just want to see Starfleet officers going to new planets (kind of) every week. Yes PRO is different but it still had the same idea.

But of course when you have a 50 year old franchise that has never been rebooted (which I’ve said a thousand times I be fine if they did) then you have to expect nostalgia on that level alone. I actually just watched a new video by TrekCulture on YouTube that’s about ten story lines they want to see get wrapped from where the Doomsday device came from to what happened to Sela or even the Ocampa.

That’s the part of problem when you have such an old universe and literally 800+ hours of stories, people expect to see a continuation of story lines and some of the characters involved. It’s exactly why so many were excited about season 3 because it teased what happened after the Dominion war. So it’s just natural to want to see certain things filled in or continued.

You brought up SW which is another great example because while the EU stuff (which I know very little about) has really taken those stories in a lot of new and creative ways, all the shows and movies have all revolved around the same stories and basically characters. They have certainly created new characters but those still revolve around the older ones. I can’t think of a single show or movie where OT characters hasn’t popped up in. They’ve been in everything and it’s all tied to the same story presented in ANH. At least Star Trek has really tried to make new characters and shows as their own entities, but it is becoming less so today compared to the 90s shows and Enterprise.

I still think the Legacy show is more of a when and not an if because of how Trek is being made today.. But I think the Academy show will still happen too.

Well, if Paramount has not done significant development on Starfleet Academy scrap it and do Legacy. Fans want this.

Oh stop. Yes, this has caught the interest on 90s fans, mainly in the United States.

That doesn’t mean it will hold younger or newer fans, especially outside the United States.

Paramount is cutting staff in the US and moving towards making premium streaming content elsewhere because it knows where the growth needs to be.

I’m from outside the US and in my late 20s and think Picard is the best Star Trek series since DS9. Do I count?

Not saying you don’t count, but that you’re not particularly representative of your age group or geographic region. Streamers will look at the data to see who is watching from your country and how many.

Paramount is very conscious that it needs to serve the markets outside the US rather than hope that American-targeted content will sell enough to get some extra revenues. ‘Travelability’ matters. Paramount won’t survive without content that resonates with significant non US audiences, and content needs to travel from and among countries. Paramount is announcing that it’s going through a major restructuring to achieve that.

What we do know from Netflix data is that Voyager had much better viewership outside North America than any of the classic series.

Demand metrics (e.g., Parrot’s) show Picard S3 wasn’t as hugely successful outside the United States. Those huge Nielsen numbers for the US, aren’t matched with demand increases in other countries. In terms of ‘travelabity’, Picard is showing as having half the US demand in Canada, two-thirds in the UK, less elsewhere. In fact, from everything I can see the popularity of Picard fell in Latin America in S3, not unsurprising as they dropped the Latino main cast character.

As a Canadian, I’m very conscious that Trek’s reach outside North America, the UK and Germany is tenuous. Netflix helped with that and Discovery broadened the base across many demographics. We’ll have to see how seriously Secret Hideout and Paramount are about making the show fulfill its IDIC values so it can reach the global audience it deserves.

> Paramount is very conscious that it needs to serve the markets outside the US

I really hope you’re right, but from what I’ve seen, I don’t believe that for a second. Paramount has given the international audience a huge middle finger on several occasions lately, including

– extremely delayed showings of multiple of their new Trek shows in various regions – complete unavailability for streaming Short Treks internationally – complete lockdown of The Ready Room after show to startrek.com, which can’t be watched on TV, instead of YouTube as in the US

They very consistent impression an international viewer gets from Paramount is that we’re pretty much worthless.

Surely some of this is due to globalization really coming into its own only in the mid-1990s, after most of TNG had aired. IIRC, the first James Bond film to be released globally on the same day was “Tomorrow Never Dies,” which came out in 1997, more-or-less concurrently with VOY.

VOY itself had the least international cast of any Star Trek series. All the human characters were Americans, possibly excepting Annika Hansen. That has not been true of any other Star Trek series.

Regardless of the content hardly anyone outside the USA likes Star Trek. It truly is one of the biggest Hollywood franchises that has failed to become really global.

I’m a german, based in Germany, and we have one of the biggest star trek fan bases in the world here

I think Boring One exaggerates slightly. I remember being in Bonn shortly after the closing days of the Bonn Republic, and seeing some kind of stationery store with a huge cardboard cutout of Captain Janeway right by the door. I’ve never even seen that in the US!

There is also the “Turist Omar” take on Star Trek in Turkey.

I think Canadians, Brits and Germans, to name a few, would disagree with you.

That is a tiny market in comparison to say Marvel, Transformers, Pokemon ect.

That’s still pretty small through. Star Trek is still a blip in most of the world, especially Asia. None of the new shows exist in China at all since there is no American streaming services.

Trek still seems to excel in America fist, everywhere a distant second.

EXACTLY, THIS SHOULD BE THE WAY TO GO!!!

Please don’t shout. We hear you.

Agreed. But not just for fans, but a the new audience that discovered Star Trek through Picard Season 3. I’m sure they exist in abundant numbers and it would make sense to capitalize on the success and good will of this show to go right into Legacy.

One concern I have is that if we get Legacy, it will be another 4-7 years from now. Those actors would have aged a bit from the Picard Season 3 finale and it’d be weird to see them many years older.

VZX I don’t see any evidence that Picard S3 drew in any significant numbers of new fans.

(And I have been looking for it.)

I would agree that it was very successful in drawing back casual TNG fans from the 90s, especially in the US.

However, TNG wasn’t actually syndicated in many countries in the 90s. Mainly just Canada, the UK and Germany.

So, looking at those countries, we can find Picard S3 hitting the top of the streaming chart Germany and some evidence for the UK. The interest in Germany is falling off very rapidly postseason though.

In Canada, it started strong but doesn’t seem to have had the staying power. More, since seasons 1 and 2 also did very well in their opening weeks in Canada (back when we had Nielsen-like Numeris stats), it’s not at all obvious that Picard S3 did significantly better in Canada than previous seasons.

Even without having SNW-S1 or S2 to compare with, pretty easily a successful season of streaming TV. Congrats to all involved

In all fairness, the fact that it finished stronger in the US than 1923, an extraordinarily expensive show, has got to be helping the case for a 25th century show.

Beyond football half time promotional buildup, I give a lot of credit to Matalas personal efforts to leverage social media to attract back disengaged TNG fans. Paramount will know how significant or not those US audience minutes are in terms of new signups and the crosswalks to other Paramount+ offerings.

I am somewhat concerned that neither the SNW showrunners or Paramount are doing the necessary to maximize the success of SNW S2.

The fact that Goldsman is being controversial and Myers least in sight (perhaps due to his support for the WGA strike) is not doing SNW good in the lead up to its S2 premiere next month.

It’s also pretty much radio silence from the actors. It seems like the TNG crowd and Picard S3 cast just ignore whatever has intimidated the rest of the Trek actors into social media silence since the ViacomCBS merger. Wish the SNW cast were expressing excitement.

Paramount should be encouraging social media build up and rolling out the hype, but instead they forced BellMedia to pull their promotional spots.

Have the non-Picard Trek actors been quiet on social media? I’d like to know more about the BellMedia news, but I didn’t get the sense that anyone’s been stifled over the last 3 or so years post-merger…

I really noticed the drop off in social media across the actors, EPs and production leads of all the new shows post merger.

The presence and willingness to share any news at cons dropped sharply too.

It had been the social media presence that made me aware of Discovery in the first place, so that shift definitely caught my attention.

Interesting. I don’t follow any of them or pay attention to many talk show appearances and press tours, so am only aware as far as a couple Trek sites publicize them. Obviously Matalas is an active presence and legacy fans are rabid, but there always seemed to be consistent chatter from the other shows’ actors, directors, and producers.

Not much at all now from the cast, and what they are putting on Instagram or Twitter is mainly regramming and retweeting stuff put up on the Paramount Star Trek social. Even the birthday wishes to cast colleagues.

Occasionally they’ll reply to thank and promote some fan art.

It’s an order of magnitude less than in the first seasons of Discovery or S1 Picard with Chabon and Goldsman.

1923 did better than Picard. The week of the season finale of 1923, Nielsen registered 560 million minutes viewed (across 8 episodes) and it was #6 on the chart. It was also the first week Nielsen started tracking Paramount+ so it very likely would have made the chart prior to that if it had been tracked.

Yeah, it would seem to have made its impressions during more competitive weeks.

That’s a good thing, because 1923 is expensive as hell.

Good point. I hadn’t realized that 1923’s was pulled into Nielsen for just the finale week only.

I think the SNW/LDS crossover is going to be the biggest episode of season 2. I wouldn’t be shocked if that episode got in the top 10 as well.

Whereas I think it may be the moment Trek jumps the shark.

If it sucks you’ll be right lol.

But really looking forward to it. It seems to be the episode everyone is waiting for.

Legacy has already found a place in the Star Trek franchise lineup. Whether or not TPTB at Paramount+ realizes it is the only question that remains.

Slow news day?

Yep. In the real world, the strike(s) and Paramount Global’s shaky financial situation (and I’m being plenty generous here) make the entirety of this thread not much more then clickbait.

I think they’ve got to ditch the “legacy” and explore Starfleet itself and the young officers. Everyone under 25 in the Starfleet was just used by the Borg to kill their friends, family and fellow officers both on starships and the Earth space dock. This after Mars was destroyed after Starfleet built a failed evacuation fleet using robots programmed to act like slaves under an Admiral that was compromised by the Borg. Then you’ve got Seven who feels an attachment to the her Borg name when she was kidnapped herself and forced against her will to commit genocide. Her special advisor is David Marcus Picard who enabled the Borg take over. Also note quite sure why they eliminated Shaw’s / Rikers legacy on the Titan to recommission. Morale has got to be at an all time low. Would love to see new non “legacy” characters react to all this and try to rebuild the Starfleet with neo-Connie class starships…. (a real tragedy as it all goes down again with the Burn).

When you look at all the Trek content that’s been created over the years, it’s incredibly Starfleet centric, to the point where Starfleet is synonymous with the Federation. So, do any of these other Federation worlds contribute to the common defense? Would any of these other member worlds be taking a hard look at Earth/Starfleet and wondering if that clusterf**k of a civilization really even worth hooking up with? If all these member worlds have an equal seat at the table, why isn’t Starfleet a better run organization? Or even viable?

TNG being a ratings monster… What’s new? ;)

I’d love for Legacy to happen but ya even without the Strike this wouldn’t happen for years. All we can do right now is keep showing our support for WGA and the show and see where it takes us.

We’re probably years away as you said unless they replace it with the CW Academy show moat people don’t seem excited for and replaced it. I know how much you hate Discovery and the 32nd century timeline so I think you would agree to some of that.

Don’t see it happening but I wouldn’t fight it if it did. 😆

LOL I wouldn’t fight it either! But the thing is, even if they did scrap Academy, I dunno how much they could start on Legacy without even a peliminary rough draft of a pilot written and who knows how long it would be before we could get that? :-(

Labor strike(s). PG’s terrible, horrible financial situation. Sorry, but this story isn’t much more then clickbait.

I disagree. For me at least, the fact that a Star Trek show can make the top ten in the cut throat streaming show ratings at a time when blockbuster Netflix shows and Ted Lasso, etc are streaming alone warrents the article. ESP at a time when there isn’t much news in between active Trek airing.

Depending on what business opinion pieces you read, Star Trek could very well end up on Netflix. It’ll remain to be seen if Netflix sees enough value there to keep ordering new shows. So there’s that….

Not sure why people are hankering for a return to Netflix.

Picard S3 would never have had a chance of being made for Netflix. It would have be lucky to have had a second season.

Exactly! The irony about this statement is Picard is one of the few bright spots the company is having lately and should be celebrated. If you’re going to conclude that all of it will just amount to failure in the end, then Paramount should just shut down as a business and sell the franchise to Apple or Disney because apparently it’s all heading for a cliff no matter what they do.

We can all agree, especially these days, the streaming business seems to be in dire straits, forget about everything else including the writer’s strike which partly is due to streaming issues as well. One show isn’t going to turn it around. But at the same time, everyone seems to acknowledge streaming is and will be the future. There is really no turning back now, but these studios just have to compensate how they can make money off of it faster and bigger so it’s not going away. And that obviously includes Star Trek, which seems to be a metaphor of what is happening with streaming. It’s still very successful but yeah, the fat still has to be cut somewhere and probably did too much too fast. But it too will probably find a better balance in the future. I don’t think it’s going to die off when it’s one of the few shows that can at least draw lots of views and attention even if it’s not at the level of Star Wars or Marvel.

It’s not clickbait. The article is just discussing how energized fans were of the season and want to see more of it. That’s what it’s about. It even made clear the show isn’t being developed right now even before we knew how poorly Paramount is doing as a studio. And dude, we’ve known this for a long time now and why a movie keeps stalling because they obviously don’t have the money to make one or afraid the next one will bomb making their situation more dire.

But yes, it does sound even worse today. Unfortunately Tom Cruise can only make so many movies a year. Chris Pine is certainly not going to save them lol.

Dungeons and Dragoons is another Pine bomb and already on Paramount+. It’s supposed to be good but I guess not a lot of people care about the game. It’s no Mario Bros, that’s for sure. 😆

Even though I am a proud Star Trek nerd, D&D sounds too nerdy for even me lol. But yeah heard good things about the movie but yes Chris Pine is simply not a star. I don’t think that movie made even $200 million and it needed $300 million just to break even. But will watch it on P+ when I get the time.

D&D is a delightful movie. It’s such a shame it didn’t do better at the box office, it absolutely deserved it. I know nothing about the game, it’s just a fun and funny adventure with a very game cast.

It does sound fun so will definitely watch it when I get my Paramount+ subscription back for SNW. Thanks!

I’m about to give S3 another watch. I thought it was fantastic. As to the first 2, never again, the writing was abysmal. Bring on Legacy with Matalas, I say. After all this writer strike thing is over with. The only thing I was a little bummed about was Laris was left in the dust – in my mind Picard went back to her after S3.

As usual we 100% agree Danpaine but we seem to agree on everything lol. I’m going to rewatch the season soon as well. That and a completely rewatch of SNW for the new season is on my to-do list when I get a bit less busy these days. So yeah, also very excited for the Legacy show and really hope it comes and I say this that as also being 100% excited for both for the Academy show and the Section 31 movie.

I’m just generally excited about Star Trek in general these days but the Legacy show is definitely at the top of my list. Judging by the online responses, that seems to be the majority.

And great point about Laris,but I knew for a year now that she was gone after the first episode, but it still sucks just the same.

I’ll own P3 4k Steelbook first day and give it many rewatches for sure 😁 (IF it’ll come out in 4k🤔) It MUSTTTTT 🌞

I would totally buy the 4K stealbook for this too! 😎

It’s the first season of any NuTrek show I want to own and I like all of them except Discovery. But Picard season 3 was on another level.

I love the legacy characters. But I have seen enough of them. Its time for a new crew.

We do. Picard, Riker or Worf is not serving under Seven, she has a new crew of characters. Why do some people seem to miss this very obvious point?

I’m not surprised by this. They made Star Trek, they respected the continuity and threw out the disastrous first two seasons and the writing was on another level.

Give the fans what they want. The fans got SNW made and it destroyed DSC in the ratings.

Listen again please.

Listen again please when some of us say that you don’t represent ‘the fans’ but rather a segment of fans.

I myself signed the petition at around the midpoint of the season, but I’m really not confident that the specific proposal for a show that we were offered at the end of the finale has much of a market.

Paramount will have the numbers to know if the TNG fans who showed up for Picard S3 brought enough new subscriptions and whether they’re hanging around to watch other Paramount+ content.

Those are the metrics that will be make or break for a 25th century show. Yet more, detailed analysis on how well the new characters hit with the prospective audience.

If the Picard viewers have already come and gone, dropping there subs or not watching other shows, movies or sports, it won’t matter how many viewing minutes in the United States or petition supporters.

S3 of Picard is a masterpiece. It is an example of genuine Star Trek. It was made by people who understand Star Trek. I want to see this show happen badly. But, paramount is in bad shape right now. It’s ran incompetently. I don’t see it happening. I don’t think they were expecting S3 to fire everyone up either. SFA will be postponed because of the writers strike. Maybe, this will give them time to re-evaluate their strategy. It is all about profit and competing with the big three services. I like to think making it into Nielsen’s ratings is a good sign for the franchises future and for P+.

I see the argument that legacy characters lead to stagnation on here all the time, and it drives me insane – along with the ‘visual continuity is not important’.

Tell that to Star Wars.

Din Djarin is a legacy character? That’s news to me. The entire Mando verse is centered around a new character. Cassian Andor was introduced in 2016. He’s from the Disney era. So is Ezra Bridger. Boba Fett, Ahsoka Tano and Obi-Wan Kenobi aren’t and Thrawn isn’t but of those, two had their show be absolutely terrible and one hasn’t aired yet.

Also Star Wars retcons itself in many ways all the time.

Wow amazing news!!!

This season has really captured a lot of fans hearts and for awhile, I really did think this season could be an utter disaster lol. At least based on the first two seasons, but it really was great even with its obvious flaws. I just loved how well it stuck to landing in general.

But reading some of the comments here, I’m really confused about the whole argument over legacy characters and fan service since that’s been the case with every show and movie since 2009 lol. I don’t get these arguments other than this season was built on a lot of nostalgia. Once again, all the new shows and movies are built on nostalgia with the exception of Discovery from season 3 on. Season 2 though drowned in it. And Picard season 3 was really a more special case because they wanted to give the TNG crew one last big go around and end it on a higher note than what we got in Nemesis. That was definitely achieved. If the Legacy show gets made, which I’m 99% sure it will happen eventually, that will be a different show with different characters. So again I don’t get the argument. You will have both old and new characters just like we have on LDS, PRO and definitely PIC and SNW.

Anyway that’s my rant lol. But overall this season has been very positive. It’s gotten both high critical and audience reviews and people watched it in droves. Overall this is ALL amazing news and Matalas should feel proud of what he delivered on because it worked and he turned around a show a lot of fans felt truly disappointed by to wanting more off it even if this is the last Star Trek he ever does.

I respect when some Trek fans are all “Trek” must be about going forward. And in a way I think the Academy show is the way to go with them rebuilding Starfleet. That being said… the problem with post TOS shows is that as the technology advances and as humanity learns it actually becomes LESS exciting. Space travel is just a mushroom jump away, the starships are just flying hotels, the whole galaxy is colonized, no real dangers on the frontier as everyone is friends. TNG sucked outside PIC S3 because all the aliens were told to be like perfect humans, we had nothing to learn. Contrast that with TOS where half the time Kirk ends up regretting his actions were the best they could do but subpar in contrast to some super energy race. Yes, I know some cry when they see Tuvok and then cry again when they see carpet on the bridge and then dry again on something else, that’s really not the show, that’s I find them crying over being 10 again when there were 13 TV channels, it’s not sustainable. You can only cry over seeing Janeway again in Prodigy only to cry again when seeing Janeway again in whatever so many times before you realize its the same deal over and over again and usually it is a snoozefest….. BUT Legacy works because PIC S3 brought back the TOS movie style, the fleet is small again, Starfleet got trashed by the Borg compromising their own officers, it;s back to neo-Constitution class cruisers. Ironically the “Legacy” isn’t a good one, but it sets up a real next generation that is exciting. Works well too along side SNW, they are trying to “recapture the magic” in contrast to SNW when space was still wild. Could be a tragedy too, since we know the effort results in temporal cold war and the Burn. Maybe the new characters actually end up leaving the Milky Way to escape.

TNG sucked outside PIC S3 because all the aliens were told to be like perfect humans, we had nothing to learn. Contrast that with TOS where half the time Kirk ends up regretting his actions were the best they could do but subpar in contrast to some super energy race.

That’s a highly selective memory of both TOS and TNG.

Some of the “super energy races” in TNG include the Husnak (“The Survivors”), Nagilum, the Q, John Doe (“Transfigurations”), etc.

 TOS had preachiness in “The Omega Glory,” “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield,” “Bread and Circuses,” “Plato’s Stepchildren,” etc.

In general, I think TNG had ambiguous endings more frequently than TOS, where everyone was laughing around the captain’s chair in the closing scene.

Thank you. It’s why I don’t even bother anymore. He repeats the same ten things over and over again and cherry picks certain things to death that is not close to reality if you actually watch the show. It’s just a waste of time.

There are two schools of thought here. Matalas’ has somehow divined the magic formula for how all super successful and market popular Trek should be made, or that he caught lightening in a bottle. I’m in the latter category myself. Understanding that to be true, there’s little reason to suspect that by rounding up a few supporting characters from P-S3 and building a show around the will generate the same level of success that TNG Season 8 enjoyed.

There’s a precedent that buttresses this concern. Ron Moore’s BSG is (almost) universally beloved. Caprica, not so much. The STA and S31 productions support P+’s objectives to grow market share by appealing to new markets (the young and foreign market segments). SNW’s keeps North America and Europe happy. All season 4 of Picard (or whatever you want to call it) does is feed a fickle nostalgia market segment. As we’ve seen here, that market segment can turn on you on a dime. There’s too much risk for to little reward to do that. Even more so in a business environment where P+ is very much counting its pennies.

I don’t really disagree with a lot of this, but I have to point out there are currently FIVE shows on the air lol. I don’t understand the hand wringing to any of this. The Legacy show will simply appeal to the same people that Picard was suppose to in the first place. Why is this suddenly an issue??? It’s such an odd argument. And it doesn’t HAVE to be as successful as season 3. I think everyone can recognize this was a special deal. As long as it’s successful as the other shows, why shouldn’t it get made?

Obviously I’m biased because I really want the show. But the same could be said of many of the people who don’t want it. And that’s OK, you don’t have to want it lol. But if your biggest argument against the show is it relies on too much nostalgia and fan service then WTF do you think you been watching since 2009 when they dragged Nimoy out of retirement to play Spock again in his 80s and centered the movie around iconic characters? That’s what ALL these new movies and shows are doing today. Yes some more than others, but they are all doing it. And I’m 100% for both the Section 31 movie (now that its only a movie ;)) and the Academy show. But even that show will still probably bring in a few DIS characters. They are not ‘legacy’ characters but still someone that fans already know and like. Or maybe I will be proven wrong on that.

The Section 31 movie seem to be happening because apparently Space Hitler is popular to some fans, but I’ll just have to take their word on that. But yes, I think it’s smart to take advantage of Yeoh’s current popularity even if you hate the character.

To me SNW and the Legacy show isn’t remotely different, they are both relying on mostly old characters back on another Enterprise most fans have been watching since they were kids. And for the overwhelming majority of fans, especially casual fans, that will always be Star Trek to them. You can do other things with the franchise but end of the day people just want to see Starfleet on a bridge investigating some spatial anomaly or getting into a dog fight with asshole aliens. To me, that’s actually the bigger appeal about the Legacy show, it’s being groomed as the next TNG style of show. Thats why both these shows seem to have the pull that they do. And having characters people love and been following for decades doesn’t hurt either.

I’m OK with the Section 31 movie because like you said it’s no longer a show and I can only take Georgiou in small bursts.

But the CW SFA show still does nothing for me. If it takes in space it will be better but I just don’t care about any of the Discovery stuff or the 32nd century. I know you and others do but I think having the show in the TNG era would’ve been a more appealing idea at least.

Amirami hates Discovery and the 32nd century more than I do. This is why me and him are such great friends! 😂

I certainly know how you and Amirami feel about the 32nd century and another reason fans are having trouble with the Academy idea. And to make this clear, I don’t really disagree with you guys that much on how they handled it so far. But for me I still want to see new stuff and I still think it has great potential. Discovery has squandered it a bit but when does it NOT squander something lol.

It’s ironically why I want the Academy show, because I feel it’s going to focus more closely on the setting itself and really show us how things are for the characters and not having a Federation to be part of. The problem with Discovery is being a fish out of water premise, but they never spent any real time developing the era outside of the Burn and what was left of Starfleet itself. And due to its overly serialized premise, it’s always just go-go-go and skip over huge elements that an episodic show has real time to explore. Hopefully it will now.

But I get why others like you don’t like it.

I was excited at first they were going to the future but they made it feel boring and not advanced enough. I do like we get to see how other species developed and want more of that too.

And the reason for the Burn was just super dumb. Even for Discovery. I think that ruined it for a lot of people too. But I still plan to watch (thankfully) DIS final season. Maybe they will make the setting more interesting.

And again, I have to cite the ONLY reason SNW exist today is because fans pushed for it as much as they did. And most ONLY pushed for it because they wanted to have a Pike and Spock show on the original Enterprise again. This is literally the same thing, except it’s now Seven on the Enterprise G. So I’m sorry you can’t have it both ways (and I don’t mean YOU obviously). You can’t pretend one is that different from the other, especially since probably the overwhelming majority of fans support and want both shows for the reasons stated above. It just comes off hypocritical to me. Again, it’s OK if you simply like one show over the other, it’s the ‘reasoning’ of it relying on fan service why it’s complete bullshit to me.

Yeah people want more TNG just like some people want more TOS. One guy was saying they literally wanted another TOS show to replace SNW when it was done like it would be TOS season 4, so what am I missing??? End of the day most fans want the nostalgia and fan service, right? Most just want their comfort food and Paramount seems to be well aware of that by now…hence Picard season 3.

But the only way to avoid all of this is to go forward, period. Because I can guarantee you whatever comes next and it’s in the 23rd, 24th or 25th, its going to have legacy characters on it one way or the other regardless if its called something else.

I would consider myself a TOS fan but I’d say I am more interested in the “final frontier as wild” / wagon train to the stars than seeing Kirk, Spock or whatever. For instance when DIS has it where starships are a dime a dozen, that just sucks regardless if Spock is in the season or not. SNW recaptures some of the magic where starships feel special again, ignoring pretty much all of DIS season one. Now that being said, it is nice to see the big E again and I love finally getting to meet Number One, not because I knew so much about the character but because we did NOT get to see enough of that cool character. Same with Chapel/M’Benga, etc. Also I want to see a Lt. Kirk, not a Captain Kirk, because that is something we have never seen before but often thought about in the past. The #1 example of this is (Star Trek) Enterprise. I didn’t want ENT to be Kirk or Spock and I didn’t want the ship to look like anything before, indeed was pretty upset when it looked like the Akira with nacelles flipped upside down. I wanted the ship to have point defence turrets, nuclear weapons, primative warp engines, no transporters, no phasers on stun. I wanted it where you needed shuttles with fighter escorts because you couldn’t just beam. Now.. did I want some nostalga like the Vulcans being all logical thinking humanity was over emotional while the Andorians thought were were push overs, etc. Yes, but it’s more because the environment seems so exciting. Instead we got more TNG, which was a snoozefest, and it went from potentially being the best Trek ever, to just another season of Berman Trek (with echos of what could have been in the last season).

I think it was about twelve years ago when the Coen brothers rolled out True Grit. Made a mountain of money on a tiny budget. Suddenly, Westerns were hot again. Until Disney went super stupid and poured almost 300MM into The Lone Ranger, which cratered. Suddenly Westerns were dead.

It’s not a spectacular flameout that’s giving pause to the streaming industry, but Wall Street collectively looking at all these Netflix wanna-be’s and deciding that the venture capital spigot is getting turned off if a marginal streamer can’t provide a path to profitability. This will weed out the weak services. What the fans want isn’t a great business model. If P+, or Nexflix if Paramount Global shuts down figures that a nostalgia Trek can be made that makes them money, they’ll do it. The Academy show isn’t likely to be FX heavy, it likely remains cost effective. The Legacy show will almost be guaranteed to be an FX-travangaza, it won’t have the TNG cast, and based on the weak setup, won’t look anything at all like TNG season 8.

Well who wants Star Trek itself other than fans, right? P+ could probably focus on less costly shows and get tons more people like say more South Park, NCIS or Criminal Minds.

But they seems to be making all these shows because they see there are enough fans even if they are not the biggest fan base around. And I’m not the one arguing over the SFA show over the Legacy, I simply want both lol. Again, if they are making multiple shows (and now movies) assuming P+ is viable for at least the next five years, then I don’t see why you can’t do both? Yes the Academy show should happen because I think Star Trek should always try and take risks. It’s why we got DS9 in the first place. I also don’t see a reason why the Legacy show can’t happen since it seems like it would be a huge hit. I mean, do people think South Park and Criminal Minds are picking up tons of new fans at this point? My guess is those keep getting made to attract mostly the same fans that’s been watching it for decades.

And Star Trek is older than all of those. I have said many times that Star Trek needs new fans, I agree with that completely. And I’m more than willing for them to put on whatever they think will attract them just as long as it’s good of course. But I think we need to stop pretending that a surge of new fans will suddenly show up and bring Star Trek to the masses. If that was the case the Kelvin movies wouldn’t have stalled after the third one and Discovery would’ve gotten at least two more seasons if all the so-called new fans were really building this franchise in a new direction.

I’m sorry but it isn’t. I knew that the second they dumped 80% of the original (and much younger) Picard cast to bring back the TNG cast. To me, that literally says the opposite of how Paramount is thinking. And shows like SNW and LDS just seems to confirm that more IMO.

My point being it’s only been more nostalgia and fan service since Discovery premiered in alll the other shows and not less of it, right. so why do you think that is?

And if this is just trying to get younger people to sign up for P+, great, but again they probably have an easier time just making more shows that appeals to that group like they are doing now instead of making Star Trek shows. I just don’t think Star Trek is going to live or die by how many young people watch it at this point or it would’ve died out long ago.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is being described as nostalgic hockum. But hey, Harrison Ford!! And de-aged Harrison Ford!! You’re gonna love it.

The movie seems to be getting mixed reviews but I still really want to see it. It has to at least be better than The Crystal Skull. 🤮

Be sure and post your comments. I’d like to feel good knowing I’ve saved fifteen bucks and two hours of my life.

TBF, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull also had tons of call backs and nostalgia bait. That’s why they brought Marion back and the two even had a son together Indy had no idea about until 20 years later after going on a daring mission to save her (sound familiar ;)).

But I guess this one goes much farther with the de-aging stuff and maybe the story line is tied directly to Indy this time. None of this surprise me, this is what Hollywood does. Did you catch Michael Keaton back as Batman in the Flash trailer after not being around for literally 30 years? It’s just how Hollywood works these days because they seem to realize audiences are becoming more and more fragmented. Making endless content from decades old franchises isn’t enough anymore unless you tie as many legacy character you can.

The Last Crusade was great….Sean Connery was a good bit of casting. Crystal Skull was one of those ‘how bad could it be’ decisions. Two hours of my life I’ll never get back bad. Scratch out my eyes bad. It made Temple of Doom look like Citizen Kane bad. If I ever meet Spielberg I’m asking for a refund bad.

You’ve opened up some movie trauma here…..and yeah, I have no plans to see Dial of Destiny at all. I actually haven’t been to a movie since before the plague. Oppenheimer will likely by my first trip back to the theater.

I will say this about PIC. I think it would have been nicer if it had added Seven and Hugh and Icheb to the cast from the start and just been about ex Borg trying to find their place in the galaxy still. That would have been something new yet following up on plot threads from legacy at the same time.

A former Borg show would’ve been interesting for sure. I still hated they killed High and Icheb off. 🙄

Agreed. The story was just so lazy.

50,000 at this point in time for a change.org petition is chump change — it’s embarrassingly small.

BRING RODDENBERRY / BERMAN TREK BACK!!!!! THESE RECORD NUMBERS ARE SPEAKING FOR THEMSELVES!!! How obvious must it still get that there are a tone of people who want this???

Picard S3 was far from Roddenberry/Berman Trek. Your post would be more accurate if you had said “bring us more JJA/Star Wars Trek,” because that’s what we got in Picard S3.

What is it with the Picard S3 boosters and yelling demands in ALL CAPS?

Why do they think this will make their case or persuade others?

Do they really spend so little time with people of other ages on social media that they aren’t aware how rude it appears?

Are they coming out of some social media bubble that’s even smaller than the couple of dozen longhaulers here?

(TG1701 at least acknowledges now that they’re getting carried away and is a longtime regular elsewhere.)

All caps was always annoying before it became seen by some as rude and too aggressive, and at least you’ve done your part to explain how that could be read. I’ve seen plenty of intentional rudeness here at times and that is far more egregious.

Well I’m trying to be a better man…no make that a better Trekkie! 🖖

There is a time to be bold Boimler and turn it up to warp 9 to get what you want. But then it’s OK to be old Boimler at times and do things more in moderation too. Star Trek has taught me that. 😎

Of course I still want the show really really really badly but if they just keep giving me Lower Decks and Prodigy for a few more years, everything else can suck and I’m still eating good bro. 🙂

This has been some of the best Trek in the last year since VOY and DS9 and I say this as a reformed NuTrek hater. I can be more patient and wait for the show longer if nothing happens anytime soon.

Nah. We want fan service!! is plenty accurate. Without the caps.

Keep the faith bro! 👍

If we keep pushing they will listen. It’s too popular right now not to. And Paramount likes (and really needs) money.. Making a show most fans want and begging for helps that. 😎

cancel every ST show / movie on Paramount + to make Star Trek Legacy happen!!!! as much as i love Lower Decks and Strange New Worlds they have a winner w/ PIC S3 and need to jump on that momentum. they will never get ratings like PIC Season 3 again (maybe) but they can do damn well close to it w/ STL

i get the whole you need new blood and can’t rely on old characters to grow and make your franchise sustainable for the future, but i think STL has the right mix of old & new. plus Terry has shown he’s the right person to take Trek forward, so let him run every show like Berman / Piller did in the 80s/90s

Hopefully Terry Matalis planned for a spin off if it was to happen. Given that last scene he probably did.

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Published Feb 2, 2024

Top 10 Data Moments

In celebration of Brent Spiner's birthday, we're highlighting our favorite android's best scenes.

StarTrek.com

He's got pale skin, yellow eyes, and if you invite him to your wedding, he may sing at the reception. He's Lt. Commander Data, android creation of Dr. Noonien Soong, and he's the heart-free heart of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

At first blush, he may've seemed like an obvious proxy for The Original Series ' Mr. Spock, but as portrayed by Brent Spiner, he very quickly defined Data as his own character — optimistic, voracious for knowledge, quixotic in his attempts to understand human nature and, yes, occasionally socially awkward.

As we celebrate Mr. Spiner's birthday, let's take a look back at a mere 10 of the possible hundreds of best Data moments.

10. Resistance is Futile

Star Trek: First Contact

Let's start this one off with a bang. Seemingly seduced by the Borg Queen with the promise of new human flesh, Data fires torpedoes at Zefram Cochrane's ship, the Phoenix . When they hit, it will prevent the titular First Contact with the Vulcans.

But Data's loyalty cannot be manipulated so easily! He purposely fudges the calibrations and, when discovered, uses the Borg's own catchphrase back on 'em as he smashes open a tank of poisonous gas.

9. Data Grows a Beard

"The Schizoid Man"

There are many examples of Data making minor, oftentimes foolish adjustments in an effort to feel more human.

The one that never fails to get a laugh from me is Data with a Riker-esque "fine, full dignified" beard in " The Schizoid Man ."

8. The Death of Lal

"The Offspring"

Brent Spiner's Data — he'll make you laugh, he'll make you cry. The conclusion to " The Offspring " is an excellent example of what film theorists call "The Kuleshov Effect."

Is Data's blank stare into the void of space his typical tabula rasa of non-emotion? Or has the death of his "daughter" Lal changed him in some way? Considering that he has downloaded her experiences, and part of that was her development of feeling, I'd like to believe that somewhere in his positronic matrix is a new understanding of what it is like to be human.

7. Carnal Knowledge

"The Naked Now"

Despite being a huge TNG fan since the beginning, I did not see " The Naked Now ," when it first aired.

Maybe my parents forced me to go outside and play, I don't know. So when kids at school told me that Data and Tasha Yar "got it on," I thought for certain they were pulling my leg. But it really happened, and it was awesome. Too bad Tasha later got killed by a giant blob of tar.

6. Winning the B'aht Qul Challenge

"The Chase"

When confronted by Klingon captain Nu'Daq in " The Chase ," Data is focused in on his PADD and probably not in the mood for conversation.

This blasé attitude makes Nu'Daq's lightning fast defeat in the B'aht Qul challenge (that's arm wrestling to you and me) even more dishonorable. He tries to redeem himself with a head-butt attack, only to quickly learn that even a ridged Klingon dome is no match for a skull of cortenide and duranium.

5. Waiting at the Bottom of a Cave for 500 Years

"Time's Arrow, Part II"

One of the things I really dig about Data is that for all of his attempts to become human, his android properties can certainly come in handy. Perhaps the most extreme example is the two-parter (and season cliffhanger) " Time's Arrow ."

Whereas any other member of the Enterprise crew would have turned to dust, Data's head has no problem with waiting around for five centuries until it is reattached to its body (which blew through a time-space portal) so it can warn Commander Riker to adjust the phase parameters on his photon torpedoes. Now THAT'S dedication to a mission!

4. An Excretory Exclamation

Star Trek Generations

There are few things more fun than seeing our beloved characters acting in unexpected ways. So turn on Dr. Soong's emotion chip and, bam, you've got Data humming, you've got Data laughing. You've also got Data saying something out loud that you KNOW Starfleet officers are always thinking to themselves whenever they are in a tough spot.

As the Enterprise 's saucer section readies for its crash landing on Veridian III in Generations , Spiner delivers two simple words that elicited one of the biggest laughs I ever heard in a theater. This being a family website, I won't reprint them here.

3. Commanding A Starship

"Redemption II"

People like to joke about "when the robots take over," but Star Trek has always been a show about optimism. Maybe advancements in artificial intelligence will be...good?

Data certainly proves himself worthy of command in Part II of " Redemption ," and he does it while giving his bigoted second officer a slap in the face, too. Data's ability to swiftly analyze information and calculate risk uncovers Sela and her lurking Romulan warbirds. Even the whiney Lt. Commander Hobson is impressed.

2. Meeting Spock

"Unification II"

While I have no doubt Data was first developed as a Spock substitute (see Admiral McCoy's  remark about “points on your ears, boy” in “Encounter at Farpoint Part I”) it took no time at all for Spiner and company to develop the character into something wholly its own. When Data and Ambassador Spock meet up in “Unification Part II” to compare just how different they are from one another (Spock, always striving to suppress his human side, Data always yearning to feel) it really drove the issue home. Hardcore fans of both TOS and TNG didn't actually hear this conversation until the second time they viewed the episode, however. The first time they were too busy shouting OMYGOD SPOCKANDDATA ARETALKING OMYGODTHISISAWESOME!!!!!!!!

1. Ode to Spot

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Schisms

[ RELATED : Ode to Spot ]

It isn't just the poem Data recites in the episode " Schisms ," but it's the reaction it gets from the rest of the crew — especially Riker who nods off then hopes to encourage an early conclusion with premature applause.

Should we take a moment to re-read it right here?  Yeah, I think we should.

Felis catus is your taxonomic nomenclature, An endothermic quadruped, carnivorous by nature; Your visual, olfactory, and auditory senses Contribute to your hunting skills and natural defenses.

I find myself intrigued by your subvocal oscillations, A singular development of cat communications That obviates your basic hedonistic predilection For a rhythmic stroking of your fur to demonstrate affection.

A tail is quite essential for your acrobatic talents; You would not be so agile if you lacked its counterbalance. And when not being utilized to aid in locomotion, It often serves to illustrate the state of your emotion.

O Spot, the complex levels of behavior you display Connote a fairly well-developed cognitive array. And though you are not sentient, Spot, and do not comprehend, I nonetheless consider you a true and valued friend.

So there's my top 10. Please remember the kind spirit of Data before you rip into me for leaving off your favorites.

Brent Spiner's Star Trek Characters, Ranked

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This article was originally published on February 1, 2012.

Jordan Hoffman is a writer, critic and lapsed filmmaker living in New York City. His work can also be seen on Film.com, ScreenCrush and Badass Digest. On his BLOG, Jordan has reviewed all 727. On his BLOG, Jordan has reviewed all 727 Trek episodes and films, most of the comics and some of the novels.

Can Any Modern Star Trek Series Reach 100 Episodes? Alex Kurtzman Shares His Thoughts

The head of Star Trek spoke at length about it.

Star Trek: Discovery is taking its final bow after five seasons, ending the longest-running series of the modern era. Thankfully, we know we can expect more upcoming Trek shows as well as a few surprises in the future , but even so, Voyager will hold onto the accolade of being the last show in the franchise to exceed 100 episodes. So, now the question becomes: Will a Star Trek series ever hit that milestone again? CinemaBlend talked about it with top brass Alex Kurtzman to get some answers. 

I had a chance to speak to Kurtzman ahead of the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery on the 2024 TV schedule , and I asked if a day would ever come when a modern entry in the franchise could hit 100 episodes. It feels like a tall order, considering current seasons of current shows are only about ten episodes in length, but Kurtzman talked about another obstacle while giving his thoughts on the matter:  

I don't know, it's very hard. I mean, the fact that [Discovery went to] go on five seasons is sort of a miracle. I think most people watch two seasons of a streaming show, and they check out, you know, and that's not specific to Trek. I just think that's the watch pattern for television in the streaming world. It's hard to know.

Streaming has permanently changed the television landscape. There are more options to watch shows both new and old than there ever were before. As such, it's hard to keep audiences glued to their Paramount+ subscription when competitors are churning out other exciting new shows. As he said, the fact that Star Trek: Discovery received five seasons before the cancellation was a big feat, especially when considering the fact that some of streaming's most popular shows, like Stranger Things , will end with Season 5 . 

While Alex Kurtzman likely has the details of what is in store for Star Trek 's future, including the news on that rumored Jean-Luc Picard movie , he doesn't know what the future holds. He did offer his best guess at what the chances are of any current or upcoming Trek show hitting a hundred episodes and why he's happy with the way things currently are: 

My guess would be that it would be unlikely. But in some ways, I think what's lovely about that is– it's funny you can talk to old writers of old Trek series, and they're like, ‘Man, there's a bunch of filler episodes in there. We are just trying to get to 22 a season,’ you know, and, and we all know which of those episodes were [filler], we know the ones that were truly stellar from the ones that felt like they were kind of spinning their wheels. And so I think what ten episodes a season forces you to do is really make sure that every story counts as much as it possibly can. And I like that, you know, I like that. I like what that affords us now.

I certainly can understand Alex Kurtzman's perspective, and I agree that some Star Trek filler episodes from the past were absolute stinkers. Then again, one has to wonder if The Next Generation had only ten episodes if we would have seen some of its more WTF moments unfold , or Tim Russ talking about   Voyager 's "Tuvix" episode . There's a trade-off for the big-budget adventures, and a large part of it is the show needing to stay on task with the main story with the limited episodes it has. 

Of course, Star Trek has still found ways to include side stories in this new era, with Strange New Worlds focusing on character-driven serialization amongst daily adventures the crew faces. It's working well enough that Discovery reportedly mimicked the style in its final season , and it may just be the new normal for the franchise going forward. Who knows, it may even get the series, which is currently in production for Season 3, to a hundred episodes, which would be fantastic. Then again, in an age where there's no sign of Trek slowing down, do we need that? 

Fans may ponder this question as they tune in for new episodes of Star Trek: Discovery on Thursdays over on Paramount+. Those who aren't caught up need to do so, because this final season has been amazing thus far. 

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Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.

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Kishida Cracks Jokes and Invokes 'Star Trek' as He and Biden Toast US-Japan Alliance at State Dinner

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida cracked jokes and invoked a touchstone of American culture by quoting “Star Trek” at Wednesday’s state dinner

Kishida Cracks Jokes and Invokes 'Star Trek' as He and Biden Toast US-Japan Alliance at State Dinner

President Joe Biden listens as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks ahead of a toast during a State Dinner at the White House, Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida cracked jokes and invoked a touchstone of American culture as he quoted from “Star Trek” at Wednesday's state dinner, telling guests at the White House that he hoped the “unshakable relationship” between his country and the U.S. would "boldly go where no one had gone before.”

“I would like to propose a toast to our voyage to the frontier of the Japan-U.S. relationship with this word: boldly go," Kishida said, quoting the iconic opening monologue of the original “Star Trek” series.

Kishida, who spoke in English, and President Joe Biden exchanged warm toasts to each other and the decades-long, alliance between their nations as top figures from business, sports and politics — including an ex-president — looked on. The two leaders, who expressed a genuine friendship, pledged to continue to knit together their countries' interests in the face of global challenges.

Biden, 81, said he and Kishida, 66, came of age as their countries forged a strong bond in the decades after they were pitted against each other in World War II.

“We both remember the choices that were made to forge a friendship,” Biden said. “We both remember the hard work, what it has done to find healing.”

“Tonight,” Biden continued, “We pledge to keep going.”

Photos You Should See - April 2024

As the White House served up a maximum dose of pomp to honor its close U.S. ally, notable guests included Bill and Hillary Clinton, who were on familiar turf for the event. The former president declared it “feels great” to be back before casting an appreciative eye at a portrait of his wife from her first lady days that was on display nearby.

Guests in bright spring colors and lots of shimmery gowns chatted politics and talked shop as they strolled in — that meant eclipse chatter from NASA Administrator Bill Nelson (“fabulous” view in Ohio!) and an assessment of Biden’s electoral prospects in Wisconsin from Gov. Tony Evers (looking good!).

But on a day when the inflation news from Washington was less than encouraging, Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell shot past reporters without stopping to chat. Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, in a purple gown, said she didn’t expect to be out campaigning for Biden but nonetheless seemed bullish on his reelection. Actor Robert De Niro supplied the night's Hollywood quotient and seemed to channel one of his tough-talking characters when he was asked for his thoughts about the 2024 election.

“What do you think?” he retorted.

On a warm spring evening, the Bidens came stepped onto the North Portico to welcome Kishida and his wife, Yuko, who stood out in a flowing royal blue gown on the red carpet.

Inside, Jill Biden , wearing a beaded sapphire gown, had transformed the State Floor of the White House into what she called a “vibrant spring garden” for the evening. The floor of the famous Cross Hall was decorated with images giving the nearly 230 guests the feel of walking over a koi pond, a nod to fish that symbolize “friendship, peace, luck and perseverance,” the first lady said at a media preview Tuesday.

Guests at the head table with the Bidens and Kishidas included the Clintons, De Niro and Japanese pop duo Yoasobi.

Kishida, in his toast at the dinner, enthused over the splendor.

“First and foremost, to be honest my breath is taken and I’m speechless in front of such a huge number of prominent American and Japanese guests," he said.

A state dinner is a tool of U.S. diplomacy, an honor doled out sparingly and only to America’s closest allies. In the case of Japan, the president has granted that honor for just the fifth time to an ally that he sees as a cornerstone of his policy toward the Indo-Pacific region.

Kishida is on an official visit to the United States this week. The state dinner is Biden's first this year.

The guests included plenty of Biden family members, including granddaughter Naomi and her husband, Peter Neal. Business moguls also were in force, including JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Labor luminaries United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain and United Steelworkers President David McCall were also in attenddance. Both unions have endorsed Biden for reelection.

Dry-aged rib eye steak, cherry blossoms and the music of Paul Simon were also part of the evening. Simon opened his after-dinner performance by playing guitar and singing two of his major hits, “Graceland" and “Slip Slidin’ Away."

Guests dined on a meal that was designed to highlight the “bounty of spring” in Japan and the United States: a first course of house-cured salmon that was inspired by a California roll and an entree of rib eye with shishito pepper butter, fava beans, mushrooms and onions. Dessert was salted caramel pistachio cake with a matcha ganache and cherry ice cream.

Some of Jill Biden’s favorite flowers, including sweet peas, roses and peonies, were arranged alongside imported cherry blossoms to decorate a mix of round and rectangular dinner tables in the East Room in shades of pink. A few floral centerpieces topped out at 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall.

Tables were set with a mix of place settings representing the administrations of Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and George W. Bush. Glass and silk butterflies danced over the tables.

Simon is one of Jill Biden's favorite artists, the White House said, adding that she chose him as a special tribute to Kishida because the prime minister also admires his music.

Simon’s career spans six decades, including performing as part of a duo with his childhood friend Art Garfunkel. The 82-year-old New Jersey native has earned numerous accolades, including multiple Grammys and a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Kishida is the fifth world leader Biden has honored with a state dinner following counterparts from France , South Korea , India and Australia .

Copyright 2024 The  Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Screen Rant

Star trek: discovery fixed saru’s problem, then repeated the same captain mistake.

With Saru's new role as an Ambassador, Star Trek: Discovery fixes an old problem, but the series makes the same mistake again in Discovery season 5.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5

• Star Trek: Discovery season 5 resolves Saru's role issue but introduces another with Captain Rayner as First Officer.
• Michael Burnham's decision to make Rayner her Number One doesn't solve the problem of having two Captains on the bridge.
• The dynamic between Captains and First Officers in Star Trek: Discovery keeps changing each season, adding new layers to the ongoing story.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 seems to fix the problem of Captain Saru's (Doug Jones) role on the USS Discovery's crew, but the series immediately makes the same mistake again with Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie). In Star Trek: Discovery season 4 , Captain Saru voluntarily cedes command of the USS Discovery to the newly-promoted Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), which leaves Star Trek: Discovery with two characters holding the rank of Captain at the same time . Captain Saru gladly acts as Captain Burnham's First Officer during Star Trek: Discovery season 4, but it's not the best use of Saru's skills or rank.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 5 , the United Federation of Planets is slowly rebuilding in the wake of the Burn and first contact with Species 10-C. Federation President Laira Rillak (Chelah Horsdal) offers the inherently empathic Captain Saru a position as a Federation Ambassador, which would require the Kelpien resign his Starfleet commission. Saru accepts the offer and becomes an Ambassador , which allows him the time to marry his love, President T'Rina (Tara Rosling) of Ni'Var, leaving the position of First Officer aboard the USS Discovery wide open for whomever Captain Burnham should appoint.

Saru’s Star Trek: Discovery Promotion Makes Him Even More Like Spock

Star trek: discovery repeated saru’s mistake with captain rayner, two captains don't need to be on discovery's bridge..

At the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2 , "Under the Twin Moons", Captain Burnham chooses Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) to be Discovery's new First Officer, which doesn't solve the problem of having two Captains on the bridge. Rayner had been Captain of the USS Antares, but Rayner's command decision in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 1, "Red Directive", accidentally inspired villains Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) to cause an avalanche that puts civilians in danger while also covering Moll and L'ak's own escape. The subsequent hearing results in Rayner being grounded, and Burnham gives Rayner another chance as her Number One.

Captain Rayner and Admiral Charles Vance (Oded Fehr) are old friends, and Vance backed Rayner as Burnham's new Number One.

It's not a terrible choice for Burnham, but it makes an unusual story, since Rayner didn't have to be a Captain to begin with. Captain Burnham's decision to ask Rayner to be Discovery's First Officer comes on the heels of Michael and Saru reflecting on Saru giving Michael a second chance in Star Trek: Discovery season 1, so it's framed as Burnham paying it forward. Michael has the power to keep Rayner out of a forced early retirement by bringing Rayner aboard Discovery , but more importantly, Rayner's no-nonsense, mission-oriented perspective is exactly what Michael Burnham needs in a First Officer. None of this is dependent on Rayner's rank.

Why Star Trek: Discovery Has A First Officer Problem

There are a lot of shakeups in discovery's command structure..

Star Trek: Discovery 's earlier problem, the many Captains of the USS Discovery , was solved with Captain Michael Burnham becoming Discovery's permanent Captain in Star Trek: Discovery season 4, but with Saru's departure to become a Federation ambassador, Star Trek: Discovery renews its First Officer problem. Compared to the more familiar format of earlier Star Trek shows, which had been grounded in the dynamic between their Captains and First Officers, each season of Star Trek: Discovery now has a different pair in command of the USS Discovery , and a different tone, signifying new chapters in the ongoing story of Michael Burnham's character development.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 could have easily solved Discovery 's too-many-Captains problem by choosing a different First Officer from Discovery's crew after Saru resigned his Starfleet commission. Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) has experience as First Officer, having served as Saru's Number One in Star Trek: Discovery season 3, and the USS Discovery also has a wealth of potential First Officers among its bridge crew, most of whom are full Commanders. Captain Rayner is an unknown entity, but maybe a needed one, so while Burnham's surprise pick of Rayner as First Officer may not solve the problem, it does make for an interesting twist to Star Trek: Discovery 's final season.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-benz eqs, mercedes updates 2025 eqs sedan with better range, new grille, and a standing star emblem.

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the 2025 model year version of its flagship EQS sedan. The all-electric luxury vehicle, now entering its fourth model year, is touting some notable improvements inside and out. The updated Mercedes-Benz model now includes a larger battery, offering future customers even more range.

The EQS is an all-electric sedan that debuted as a concept in 2019 before hitting markets in Europe and the US in 2021 as a 2022 model-year EV . The sedan is the first production model to launch under Mercedes-Benz’s all-electric EQ line of EVs, a moniker the German automaker has since begun to pivot from.

Still, the EQS sedan has found success as a large luxury sedan competing with the Tesla Model S around the globe. It has been noted for its ultra-large MBUX hyperscreen across its dash, its comfort and performance throughout, and one of the only EVs to offer Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities in specific markets.

Some critics have not been as prominent of fans of previous iterations of the EQS sedan as its aerodynamic design gives it a “unique” shape, abandoning the recognizable standing star emblem for a badge more friendly to efficiency.

For 2025, however, Mercedes has brought the standing star to the EQS, along with a new front fascia and a larger battery pack – all while delivering interior comfort that is tough to match. Have a look.

Mercedes’ EQS sedan gets multiple upgrades for 2025

According to an update from Mercedes-Benz, the 2025 EQS sedan will be available at dealers later this year and offer a number of upgrades, both standard and available as add-ons.

Top comment by AModel3Owner

Now that they've finally added 0.2 inches of foam to the back headrest this car is back on my list to consider.

As you may notice from the images above, the updated 2025 Mercedes EQS features a significantly different front fascia, complete with a redesigned grille that features flush-mounted chrome slats contrasted against a glossy black backdrop. Above the grille, Mercedes-Benz has decided to switch to its traditional standing star on the hood, blending EV aerodynamics with showy emblem heritage.

Inside the EQS’ EVA 2 architecture, Mercedes states it has increased the battery pack’s usable capacity to 118 kWh for improved range. That’s about 10 kWh of additional capacity compared to previous EQS models , which promise 340 miles of range on a single charge. So, expect the 2025 versions to exceed that number.

Additionally, Mercedes states it has introduced new regenerative braking software in the 2025 EQS that can enable greater energy recovery and, thus, more extended range. Here are some updates to the interior, per the release:

• Optional Pinnacle Trim with Executive Interior Packages features a front passenger seat that can fold forward to provide additional space for second-row passengers
• A new backrest for the rear seat that can be adjusted up to 38 degrees
• Rapid heating rear seats
• Neck and shoulder heating for rear passengers
• Pneumatic adjustment of the rear seat depth
• illuminated trim accents integrated into the back of the front seats
• Chrome accents have been added to climate control vents on the B-pillars
• Rear comfort pillows have been enhanced with contrast stitching and Nappa leather piping
• An additional 0.2 inches of foam has been added to the rear seat backrest

Mercedes shared that other electric models beyond the EQS sedan on the EVA 2 platform will share many of these updates as 2025 model-year EVs roll out. That includes the EQS SUV, EQE sedan, and EQE SUV. Keep an eye out for those EVs later this year.

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Scooter Doll is a writer, designer and tech enthusiast born in Chicago and based on the West Coast. When he’s not offering the latest tech how tos or insights, he’s probably watching Chicago sports. Please send any tips or suggestions, or dog photos to him at [email protected]

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