So, you’re a Star Trek newbie who loved the movie — because, really, what’s not to love: Space battles, temporal shenanigans, hawt Spock-on-Uhura action — and you’d like to dip your piggies into the vast ocean that is the final frontier. Where should you start? Here are five voyages featuring Captain Kirk and the Get Fresh Crew that should prime your dilithium chambers for more:
5. "Amok Time"
You liked seeing the emotions in Spock boiling to the surface? Well, in this episode, Spock has to get his breed on — and the passion is driving him mad. Road trip to Vulcan (not destroyed in the original time line) so Kirk can get his pal what he needs…a battle to the death.
4. "Mirror Mirror"
In which everything is the opposite. The Enterprise is a barbaric ship that runs on deceit and murder, Uhura’s shirt is all midrifty, and Spock has a menacing goatee. If the whole alternate universe thing is your speed, this’ll scratch that itch.
3. "The City on the Edge of Forever"
Kirk, Spock, and Bones slip back in time to the 1930s. Kirk falls in love with Joan Collins. Things go badly. It’s like "What if The Twilight Zone did a Star Trek episode?"
2. "Space Seed"
Kirk must defend the Enterprise against the impossibly charismatic despot Khan (played by the impossibly charismatic Ricardo Montalban).
1. Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan
This is what a Star Trek movie looks like when it’s firing on all cylinders. The weakest link in J.J.’s dynamite Trek was the villain — no such issues here. Khan is every bit the match for Kirk — and their galactic tussle elevates this one to the top of the heap.
(Cuddly bonus entry: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Yes, there’s a Back to the Future-y trip to 20th century San Francisco, no Enterprise, and, yes, whales. But it’s a fun little lightweight romp. Not substantial enough for a full meal, but a perfect dessert.)
I would also watch the Trouble With Tribbles episode. Then followed by the DS9 epsiode when they go back to the Trouble With Tribbles episode.
Good times.
Here are some other classic episodes for beginners as well: “The Man Trap”, “The Omega Glory”, “The Enterprise Incident”, “The Tholian Web”, and of course “Bread & Circuses”.
The Doomsday Machine….definitely.
Tribbles!
I am one of these trek newbies. I went straight home from the theater and watched “The Man Trap” on Hulu. But I didn’t even get 10 minutes in. It just wasn’t for me. I’ll try these others that were suggested though. I’ve always heard Wrath was a good film.
Vulcan destroyed? Um spoiler alert anybody? We haven’t all seen it yet. Not everyone can go the first week and a half. That’s ridiculous. Thanks a lot. There’s no way I should’ve expected a spoiler from the title of this article or its supposed content.
Generally, the 1st & 2nd Seasons were stronger Original Series episodes. I liked many of them tons. “MUDD’s Women” is quite funny, as are several others. ENJOY your Brave New Trek World! more info @ http://www.startrek.com & http://www.roddenberry.com
K. – Seriously? The article is specifically for non-Star Trek people that have ALREADY seen the movie! Don’t get uppity about supposed spoilers. If it meant that much to you, you would have seen it now.
Newbies should definitely check out the TOS episode “Journey to Babel” — if you can get past some bad alien makeup work, you get to meet the original Sarek and Amanda, see how Spock worked things out with them the first time around and learn a lot about the character’s background.
does anyone know the major differences b/w the movie and the series? i LOVED the movie but am not a big enough star trek buff to know what “timeline” aspects were changed. does anybody have a good resource do find out the differences b/w the film and the series?
Balance of Terror is probably the best Romulan episode. Errand of Mercy and Day of the Dove are good Klingon episodes. Avoid the 3rd season episodes – they are very poorly written (Read the Wikipedia entry on Spock’s Brain).
Balance of Terror and Day of the Dove. Good Romulan and Klingon action.
Reason #1 is all you need, an absolute classic!
Watch the original Trek series followed by the cartoon saga…I used to watch the cartoon when it was on Nickelodeon back in the early 1990′s….maybe Boomerang could show it through a deal with CBS.
Here are a couple that haven’t been mentioned yet:
Errand of Mercy and Assignment: Earth