Star Trek Primer
May. 16th, 2009 02:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lunabee34It has come to my attention that some of you are unfamiliar with the Star Trek franchise.
*cries of blasphemy*
Instead of summary execution, I offer you this very basic compendium of the top ten episodes of each franchise and why they are Must See Trek TV. Also I might mention some novels. *snerk*
TOS
"Space Seed"--this is the episode where we first meet Khan Noonien Singh (yes, that Khan). It's must see backstory for what is arguably the best Trek movie of all time in addition to being some very insighful commentary on the fear of where manipulation of the human genome might lead.
"Court Martial"--Kirk is accused of causing a crewman's death. Who comes to the rescue? Two guesses to name the pointy eared bastard.
"The Devil in the Dark"--this is not the best episode ever of this show. But it is an episode in which the crew of the Enterprise encounters a being wholly alien and must deal with the ramifications of that difference.
"City on the Edge of Forever"--this is not just awesome for the Joan Collins guest spot. This is the episode of TOS that truly highlights for me the consequences of all the high-tech hikinks the crew gets up to. You can't screw around with time and the laws of the universe on a weekly basis and expect to walk away unscathed. Tear jerker out the wazoo.
"Amok Time"--this is the origin of the Vulcan mating cycle Pon Farr, currently happily infecting SGA. :)
"Mirror Mirror"--alternate universe! The bad guys wear goatees! *squee*
"The Trouble With Tribbles"--heeeeeeeeeee!
"Day of the Dove"--one of the gifts of Star Trek, any franchise, is that it takes very current issues and reworks them, much like the DOINKDOINK of Law and Order. This episode is no exception with its still prescient discussion of race relations.
"For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky"--um, dude. McCoy. I'm totally done with this description.
"Let that be your Last Battlefield"--again, another episode about race and the ridiculous and dangerous distinctions we draw between ourselves.
TNG
"Encounter at Farpoint Pts. 1-2"--yes, this only counts as a single episode. Sheesh. This is an excellent set up for the whole series. The characters will, naturally, grow from this starting point, but it's a great intro to the world of TNG.
"Elementary, Dear Data"--the Holodeck is a seriously awesome invention and here's what happens when it develops a mind of its own
"The Measure of a Man"--what makes a being sentient? What gives it agency? What gives it autonomy? Big ole questions, people.
"The Emissary"--because Suzie Plakson is never not hot. And Worf doing Suzie Plakson is never not hot.
"Best of Both Worlds Pts. 1-2"--what? This is perfectly legitimate. Borg. Locutus. Lots of casualties. Will become a linchpin for the DS9 franchise.
"Half a Life"--featuring Oberoth. LOL This is a really great look at the way in which all these different societies with different rules and mores attempt to coexist in the Federation. Also, Majel Barrett Roddenberry! Yayness!
"Darmok"--what are the limitations of language? How can we communicate with those who have zero referents for our ideas?
"Ethics"--Worf is paralyzed and the medical crew rushes to restore his health. My mom used to show this episode to her nursing students to spur conversation on medical ethics.
"Time's Arrow Pts. 1-2"--cause a good ole romp back to the 1800s is never unfun
"Parallels"--Worf! Deanna! AUs! Yay!
"Lower Decks"--because all good shows should have an episode focused on minor characters. What? I count in Cardassian.
"All Good Things"--because they come to an end; *sniff*
DS9
This is my favorite of the Trek franchises. As awesome as both TOS and TNG are, we get very little character development and most of the epiosdes are one-offs. DS9 gives just as much character growth to those characters on the periphery as it does the main cast and it is one long story arc that takes seven seasons to tell. I herein give up any pretense at keeping this at ten.
"The Emissary Pts. 1-2"--this is the set up for the whole show and lays out all the political and social issues that are mined for the next seven seasons
"Progress"--a planet is being evacuated and a farmer doesn't want to go; why do people stay in their homes even in the face of certain death? How can we ethically respond to that refusal?
"In the Hands of the Prophets"--Keiko's teachings don't jive with Bajoran religion; this is Bad News
"Blood Oath"--Dax's former host was BFF with a bunch of Klingons; Jadzia's affinity for Klingons will continue to be an integral part of the show; here she is kicking ass and taking names
"Crossover"--this is Mirror!verse DS9 style; oh, Mirror!Kira is so hot
"The Search Pt. 1-2"--the real bad guys rear their ugly heads and Odo learns more about who he is and where he came from
"Past Tense Pt. 1-2"--a handful of DS9 crew get thrown back in time and discover they play an integral role in Earth's history
"Visionary"--O'Brien! Sacrifice! Paradoxes! *sniffle*
"Family Business"--Quark's mom is stirring up the Ferengi with her feminist monkey business. What is Quark to do?
"The Visitor"--HANDS DOWN MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE TREK EPISODE EVER OF ALL TIME EVER; if this doesn't make you cry and your heart swell two sizes two big for your chest, you are broken and I can't help you. How much do one father and son love each other? How much will they sacrifice?
"Rejoined"--thanks for having some balls, Trek. You took that lameass episode with Crusher and the Trill and did it *right*. Genderqueer exploration.
"Nor the Battle to the Strong"--Jake learns that cowardice and honor are not the cut and dried categories he's always believed; the truths he learns about himself are hard to swallow but he faces them with the courage he doesn't believe he possesses
"Trials and Tribble-ations"--BECAUSE TRIBBLES NEVER GET UNAWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! Nor does the DS9 crew interacting with the TOS crew through the marvel of CGI.
"The Ascent"--one of my absolute favorite things about this franchise is the begruding friendship between Quark and Odo; this episode is a great example of that
"You are Cordially Invited"--Worf and Dax are getting married! Wooo woooo! and *preemptive sob*
"Far Beyond the Stars"--SO AWESOME YOU NEED NO PRIOR TREK KNOWLEDGE--this is about race relations in the 50s and about pulp writers and about the representation of women and African Americans in sci-fi and fantasy at that time; another tear jearker
"Tears of the Prophets"--RIP, Jadzia Dax *sob*
"Afterimage"--how the crew deals with Dax's new host
"It's Only a Paper Moon"--Nog has PTSD and he deals with it in an unconventional way
"Badda-Bing Badda-Bang"--DS9 could do fun like no other Trek franchise; this is just all smiley hearts and giggles
"What you Leave Behind"--and scene.
I got nothing on Voyager or Enterprise because I didn't watch them. *ducks*
Just a handful of the Trek books I've enjoyed over the years:
Yesterday's Son and Time for Yesterday by A.C. Crispin
The Wounded Sky by Diane Duane
Uhurah's Song by Janet Kagan
Dwellers in the Crucible by Margaret Wander Bonnano
Spock's World by Diane Duane
The Kobayashi Maru by Julia Ecklar
Every Trek novel by Peter David
Masks by John Vornholdt
Perchance to Dream by Howard Weinstein
How's that jive with your lists?
*cries of blasphemy*
Instead of summary execution, I offer you this very basic compendium of the top ten episodes of each franchise and why they are Must See Trek TV. Also I might mention some novels. *snerk*
TOS
"Space Seed"--this is the episode where we first meet Khan Noonien Singh (yes, that Khan). It's must see backstory for what is arguably the best Trek movie of all time in addition to being some very insighful commentary on the fear of where manipulation of the human genome might lead.
"Court Martial"--Kirk is accused of causing a crewman's death. Who comes to the rescue? Two guesses to name the pointy eared bastard.
"The Devil in the Dark"--this is not the best episode ever of this show. But it is an episode in which the crew of the Enterprise encounters a being wholly alien and must deal with the ramifications of that difference.
"City on the Edge of Forever"--this is not just awesome for the Joan Collins guest spot. This is the episode of TOS that truly highlights for me the consequences of all the high-tech hikinks the crew gets up to. You can't screw around with time and the laws of the universe on a weekly basis and expect to walk away unscathed. Tear jerker out the wazoo.
"Amok Time"--this is the origin of the Vulcan mating cycle Pon Farr, currently happily infecting SGA. :)
"Mirror Mirror"--alternate universe! The bad guys wear goatees! *squee*
"The Trouble With Tribbles"--heeeeeeeeeee!
"Day of the Dove"--one of the gifts of Star Trek, any franchise, is that it takes very current issues and reworks them, much like the DOINKDOINK of Law and Order. This episode is no exception with its still prescient discussion of race relations.
"For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky"--um, dude. McCoy. I'm totally done with this description.
"Let that be your Last Battlefield"--again, another episode about race and the ridiculous and dangerous distinctions we draw between ourselves.
TNG
"Encounter at Farpoint Pts. 1-2"--yes, this only counts as a single episode. Sheesh. This is an excellent set up for the whole series. The characters will, naturally, grow from this starting point, but it's a great intro to the world of TNG.
"Elementary, Dear Data"--the Holodeck is a seriously awesome invention and here's what happens when it develops a mind of its own
"The Measure of a Man"--what makes a being sentient? What gives it agency? What gives it autonomy? Big ole questions, people.
"The Emissary"--because Suzie Plakson is never not hot. And Worf doing Suzie Plakson is never not hot.
"Best of Both Worlds Pts. 1-2"--what? This is perfectly legitimate. Borg. Locutus. Lots of casualties. Will become a linchpin for the DS9 franchise.
"Half a Life"--featuring Oberoth. LOL This is a really great look at the way in which all these different societies with different rules and mores attempt to coexist in the Federation. Also, Majel Barrett Roddenberry! Yayness!
"Darmok"--what are the limitations of language? How can we communicate with those who have zero referents for our ideas?
"Ethics"--Worf is paralyzed and the medical crew rushes to restore his health. My mom used to show this episode to her nursing students to spur conversation on medical ethics.
"Time's Arrow Pts. 1-2"--cause a good ole romp back to the 1800s is never unfun
"Parallels"--Worf! Deanna! AUs! Yay!
"Lower Decks"--because all good shows should have an episode focused on minor characters. What? I count in Cardassian.
"All Good Things"--because they come to an end; *sniff*
DS9
This is my favorite of the Trek franchises. As awesome as both TOS and TNG are, we get very little character development and most of the epiosdes are one-offs. DS9 gives just as much character growth to those characters on the periphery as it does the main cast and it is one long story arc that takes seven seasons to tell. I herein give up any pretense at keeping this at ten.
"The Emissary Pts. 1-2"--this is the set up for the whole show and lays out all the political and social issues that are mined for the next seven seasons
"Progress"--a planet is being evacuated and a farmer doesn't want to go; why do people stay in their homes even in the face of certain death? How can we ethically respond to that refusal?
"In the Hands of the Prophets"--Keiko's teachings don't jive with Bajoran religion; this is Bad News
"Blood Oath"--Dax's former host was BFF with a bunch of Klingons; Jadzia's affinity for Klingons will continue to be an integral part of the show; here she is kicking ass and taking names
"Crossover"--this is Mirror!verse DS9 style; oh, Mirror!Kira is so hot
"The Search Pt. 1-2"--the real bad guys rear their ugly heads and Odo learns more about who he is and where he came from
"Past Tense Pt. 1-2"--a handful of DS9 crew get thrown back in time and discover they play an integral role in Earth's history
"Visionary"--O'Brien! Sacrifice! Paradoxes! *sniffle*
"Family Business"--Quark's mom is stirring up the Ferengi with her feminist monkey business. What is Quark to do?
"The Visitor"--HANDS DOWN MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE TREK EPISODE EVER OF ALL TIME EVER; if this doesn't make you cry and your heart swell two sizes two big for your chest, you are broken and I can't help you. How much do one father and son love each other? How much will they sacrifice?
"Rejoined"--thanks for having some balls, Trek. You took that lameass episode with Crusher and the Trill and did it *right*. Genderqueer exploration.
"Nor the Battle to the Strong"--Jake learns that cowardice and honor are not the cut and dried categories he's always believed; the truths he learns about himself are hard to swallow but he faces them with the courage he doesn't believe he possesses
"Trials and Tribble-ations"--BECAUSE TRIBBLES NEVER GET UNAWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! Nor does the DS9 crew interacting with the TOS crew through the marvel of CGI.
"The Ascent"--one of my absolute favorite things about this franchise is the begruding friendship between Quark and Odo; this episode is a great example of that
"You are Cordially Invited"--Worf and Dax are getting married! Wooo woooo! and *preemptive sob*
"Far Beyond the Stars"--SO AWESOME YOU NEED NO PRIOR TREK KNOWLEDGE--this is about race relations in the 50s and about pulp writers and about the representation of women and African Americans in sci-fi and fantasy at that time; another tear jearker
"Tears of the Prophets"--RIP, Jadzia Dax *sob*
"Afterimage"--how the crew deals with Dax's new host
"It's Only a Paper Moon"--Nog has PTSD and he deals with it in an unconventional way
"Badda-Bing Badda-Bang"--DS9 could do fun like no other Trek franchise; this is just all smiley hearts and giggles
"What you Leave Behind"--and scene.
I got nothing on Voyager or Enterprise because I didn't watch them. *ducks*
Just a handful of the Trek books I've enjoyed over the years:
Yesterday's Son and Time for Yesterday by A.C. Crispin
The Wounded Sky by Diane Duane
Uhurah's Song by Janet Kagan
Dwellers in the Crucible by Margaret Wander Bonnano
Spock's World by Diane Duane
The Kobayashi Maru by Julia Ecklar
Every Trek novel by Peter David
Masks by John Vornholdt
Perchance to Dream by Howard Weinstein
How's that jive with your lists?
