Last year, met with some very complicated health problems and found myself essentially immobile for seven months. Right before the worst of it began, I had ordered all three seasons of Star Trek: The Original Series on Blu-ray because I was so impressed with Abrams' 2009 reboot. After watching only three or four episodes of TOS, obsession kicked in.
I proceeded to watch all five series (plus the animated series) within a six month time frame. That's around four episodes per day (including weekends and holidays.) Being so weak as even unable to hold up a book, Trek helped keep me sane.
With my newly found "Trekkie" status, dove into the world online, trying to connect with others that had found the same fascination.
I noticed one particular trend: There were tons of other people that loved Abrams' big screen efforts, and wanted to get into the TV series, but didn't know where to start. When asked the question,"Which series should I begin with?" I was left speechless.
I would always defer these Trek rookies to others that had more experience, but I quickly discovered that many veteran Trekkies had rather, shall we say, strong opinions. Views shaped by many years, if not decades, of experience within the Star Trek franchise.
Therefore, this past summer, I started a series on ActionAGoGo.com entitled Trek for Rookies. Click here for the initial post: Trek for Rookies Overview. (If this link, or any others within this article, don't function properly, either right click on "Open Link In New Tab" or just go to the Action A Go Go main page and enter "Trek for Rookies" in the search engine.)
One of the primary reasons for creating the series was so that rookies could have a quick read to see where they might begin their journey in the world created by Gene Roddenberry. And having now completed posts regarding all five series, decided to sum everything up in this one article. A reference guide, if you will.
Please find below quick summaries of each series, as well as links to the full length articles. My intention is not necessarily to give detailed in-depth analyses, explaining plot lines and so forth, but to give a taste of what each series holds.
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| Members of the crew from Enterprise. |
When I am now asked the question,"Which should I watch?" I always respond,"All of them!" And if you can, I usually recommend one of two routes:
1) Watch them in the order that they were filmed, starting with TOS and finishing with ENT, just as I have done.
2) Watch them in the chronological timeline of the Trek universe, starting with ENT and finishing with VOY.
However, if you don't have the time to binge on Trek, here's a basic run down of each of the series, including links to the original TFR posts. There's a Trek series for everyone.
Enterprise
For many, especially the younger crowd, I’d recommend starting with ENT. It happens chronologically in the story line before the other four and it's pacing, editing and special effects are more modern. It helps set up the entire Trek universe. And it shows how many of the things other series take for granted really need to be appreciated. TFR: Enterprise Full Length Post
The Original Series
If you have a solid attention span and an existentialist sense of humor; if special effects don't make or break a series for you; if you find it interesting to explore ethics and morality; if you want to understand how the most popular science fiction franchise ever had it's start; then Star Trek: The Original Series just may be what's right for you. TFR: Original Series Full Length Post
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| 7 of 9 from Voyager |
The Next Generation
If a phase pistol were put to my head, or if I was threatened with life imprisonment on Rura Penthe, and I had to choose only one series to recommend, it would be Star Trek: The Next Generation. It ran a full seven seasons and maintained high levels of excellence in its writing, acting and directing. It is also the most accessible of the Treks, with potential to appeal to people from all walks of life. Also, Gene Roddenberry himself worked on it, allowing him to try things he could only dream of doing with TOS. If you only plan on watching one Trek ever (although I don't understand how that could be possible), then my vote would be for TNG. TFR: The Next Generation Full Length Post
Deep Space Nine
An anomaly amongst the five series, since it takes place on a fixed space station, not a starship that's traversing unknown parts of the galaxy. If you like dark, gritty, drama; If you like complex, long running story arcs; If you’re watching Trek not so much for inspiration, but for intensity; then DS9 might be the show for you. There’s one thing that is certain: Since I entered the Trek fandom, there’s one series that seems to have the most enthusiastic, dedicated and passionate following. They refer to themselves as “Niners.” And who knows? Maybe you’ll fall into that category. TFR: Deep Space Nine Full Length Post
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| Garak from Deep Space Nine |
Voyager
If you don’t have much time (ie: plan on taking a year or two to get through one series) and are intent on a multi-cultural cast with strong Alpha Female characters, VOY might be a good place to start. However, I'd really, really recommend minimally watching TNG first just to get some context. And of course, the optimal situation would be to watch it in the context of all five series! TFR: Voyager Full Length Post
Conclusion & Gratitude
If you've followed the articles over the past few months, heck...if you even just made it through this one, I thank you for taking the time to read.
One common complaint I hear from non-Trekkies is that they see it as a form of escapism, and in a way they're correct. However, following a sports team or watching "reality" TV are forms of escapism as well. The primary difference being that Trek is a form of escapism that points to what may be and what can be. It highlights the potential for humankind. It indicates that only reason is needed to be a good human and to have a thriving society. It places logic and compassion above all else. Racism, war, sexism, politics, money and organized religion are not needed. It lifts one up in a world where so many want to hold others down.
Live long and prosper.
Here are some other Trek related articles that may be of interest.
Trek for Rookies Supplemental: How to cope with the ENT theme song.
Klingon Wisdom!
Star Trek Into Darkness - Haters are illogical!
Sumner Goes Full Vulcan!
Sumner's Kolinar Results
Five Klingon Phrases Every Geek Should Know
Star Wars vs Star Trek: This. Ends. Here! This. Ends. Now!
Stephen Sumner is the science fiction columnist for Action A Go Go. He's proficient in Klingon swearing and has attempted the Vulcan process of Kolinar (with only mild success.) His favorite sci-fi series include Firefly, Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek. He can be followed on Twitter at https://twitter.com/VierLights or on the Tumblr machine at http://vierlights.tumblr.com/.
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| What? You thought I'd forget a picture of Sir Patrick Stewart...the greatest actor who potrayed the greatest character EVER in the history of everything in the entire known universe? |
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