Spent 20 minutes trying to find a thread that fit what I wanted but everyone seems to be willing to watch all of Star Trek. I tried TOS and while it’s not bad I don’t want to watch every single episode of Star Trek to get into the show…
What’s the best order to watch the most universally enjoyed Star Trek series’ and movies? I really enjoyed Lower Decks as a fan of Final Space and Strange New World’s looks incredible. I want to start with the earlier series but not have to watch all of it!
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I’d start with Wrath of Khan (movie #2). Watch through Voyage Home (#4). Then watch #6. These are designed to be approachable. ::: spoiler (Incidentally, the Stealing the Enterprise scene in #3 is one of my favorite sequences in all of Star Trek) :::
Then watch TNG – you can start on season 3. You’ll find more depth than you found in the films, both with characters and plot, at the cost of needing to pay closer attention.
If you like it, you can jump back to TOS (you’ll already know the important characters from the films), or finish TNG, or try DS9. By that time, it’ll feel more like just wanting new Star Trek to enjoy.
Stay away from movies #1 and #5 unless you already know you’re a fan. There’s value there, but it’ll be hard to see unless those glasses are already rosey. ::: spoiler What does god need with a starship? :::
Edit: I’ve been a lifelong lover of Trek, but as I think about it, this is probably how I first got into it as a much younger person. I don’t know how many people actually start from TOS S01E01.
We had Wrath of Khan on Select-a-vision when I was growing up. One of my first introductions to Star Trek other than snippets of the original, I was a kid. It terrified and fascinated me, definitely sparked my love for the series.