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If I were going to show one episode it would be...

TOS : A Private Little War. It's a classic "no good solution" dilemma that actually follows through to the logical conclusion without pulling a happy ending out of its ass in the last minute.

TNG : Darmok. This episode, to me, sums up what the whole of Trek is about.

DS9 : Duet. Nice twists and turns, and encapsulates the Bajoran / Cardassian relationship that early DS9 was largely about.

VOY : Jetrel. Good acting, good characters, and again it doesn't engage in a happy ending.

ENT : Very difficult to choose here, because almost every good episode of Ent was a multi-parter or part of a heavy longer term arc. I think I would go with The Expanse, actually, not because it's a fundamentally great episode in itself, but rather because it's a good solid one, and would hopefully leave a viewer saying "cool... so what happened next?"

So in the event that you're off to see the movie in less than an hour and you've never seen Star Trek before, I wonder which single episode I'd recommend. As it's for the benefit of someone about to watch XI, I guess it would have to be a TOS episode and one that encorporates some of what's to come in the film. I guess for that reason it would have to be 'Balance of Terror' that would be the winner?

thelordharry wrote:So in the event that you're off to see the movie in less than an hour and you've never seen Star Trek before, I wonder which single episode I'd recommend...

I'd recommend none. You wouldn't have time to watch a whole episode, unless you live right up the street from the theater.

Actualy, I'd recommend none regardless of how much time you have.

Choosing the best episodes of each series is going to be of very little help, mostly because only one series - TOS - has anything to do with the new film, and even that will probably be of little help. If the film works as designed, it will be accessable to an outsider without having watched a second of Star Trek previously.
When they've come home, then they can borrow the series of you if they're interested.

Rochey wrote:When they've come home, then they can borrow TOS, TNG, or DS9 of you if they're interested.

Fixed.

No need to destroy a newbies hope in the franchise by showing them Voyager or Enterprise right off the bat.

Fair point.

I only have TOS and TNG, but I don't lend them out.

Theyre on VHS, everyone would laugh at you when you gave them to them.

Nickswitz wrote:Theyre on VHS, everyone would laugh at you when you gave them to them.

Right

Only 16 more posts! Then I can die.

You've seen Naples, then?

Don't laugh, I still have a copy of TMP on a laserdisk.

Mikey wrote:You've seen Naples, then?

No but I saw Phantom of the Opera on Broadway.

Tyyr wrote:Don't laugh, I still have a copy of TMP on a laserdisk.

*stifles laughter*

Hey, they were badass back in the day. None of this stupid rewinding and magnets. It used freaking LASERS man!