Star Trek Abridged & Non Filler List

Discussion in 'General Trek Discussion' started by M.A.C.O., Oct 12, 2012.

  1. M.A.C.O.

    M.A.C.O. Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2011
    For all fans and newcombers who want to take part in the epic of Star Trek but don't have time to sit through the 726 episodes spread across the 6 series and the 11 movies. I have prepared a list for what I consider the must see to grasp each show. I cut out as many bad episodes, filler and pointless episodes as i can for each. This is all based on my opinion of what's necessary of course. For long arcs like the Dominion and Xindi conflicts i left much of the material in even though some might be filler. I've seen everything to completion except Voyager so that list will be coming in the future.

    For TOS i rearranged some of the episodes to reflect their Production Number instead of their air date. Mostly because it works better thematically.

    Star Trek TOS 1966-1969

    Season 1
    Ep. 1 Where No Man Has Gone Before
    Ep. 2 The Corbomite Manuver
    Ep. 6 The Naked Time
    Ep. 8 Balance of Terror
    Ep. 10 Dagger of the Mind
    Ep. 13 The Galileo Seven
    Ep. 15-16 The Menagerie Part 1-2
    Ep. 18 Squire of Gothos
    Ep. 19 Arena
    Ep. 21 Tomorrow is Yesterday
    Ep. 22The Return of the Archons
    Ep. 23 A Taste ofArmageddon
    Ep. 24 Space Seed
    Ep. 25 This Side of Paradise
    Ep. 26The Devil in the Dark
    Ep. 27 Errand of Mercy
    Ep. 28 City on the Edge of Forever
    Ep. 29 Operation Annihilate

    Season 2
    Ep. 4 Who Mourns for Adonis
    Ep. 5 Amok Time
    Ep. 6The Doomsday Machine
    Ep. 8The Changeling
    Ep. 10 Mirror, Mirror
    Ep. 13Troubles With Tribbles
    Ep. 14 Bread and Circuses
    Ep. 15 Journey to Babel
    Ep. 16 Gamesters of Triskelion
    Ep. 18 Obsession
    Ep. 20 A Piece of the Action
    Ep. 21 By Any Other Name
    Ep. 23 Patterns of Force
    Ep. 24 The Ultimate Computer
    Ep. 26 Assignment Earth

    Season 3
    Ep. 4 The Enterprise Incident
    Ep. 9 Tholian Web
    Ep. 10 For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky
    Ep. 11 Day of the Dove
    Ep. 15 Let That Be Your Battlefield
    Ep. 23 All of our Yesterdays


    Cheating Here But I do have a soft spot in my heart for The Animated Series. Since it's potential Season 4 Material for TOS I'll post the list here.

    TAS 1973-1974

    Ep. 1 Beyond the Farthest Star
    Ep. 2 Yesteryear
    Ep. 5 More Tribbles, More Troubles
    Ep. 7 The Infinite Vulcan
    Ep. 12 The Time Trap

    Edit: Updated to reflect suggestions by erastus25

    Movies 1979-1991 & 2009
    Star Trek The Motion Picture
    Star Trek II:The Wrath of Khan
    Star Trek III:The Search For Spock
    Star Trek IV:The Voyage Home
    Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
    Star Trek (2009) Techinically XI
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2012
  2. erastus25

    erastus25 Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2006
    What exactly were your criteria for TOS? I think this exercise is useful for the serialized style of DS9, but due to the episodic nature of TOS it becomes somewhat pointless. For instance how is a hackneyed racism plot like Battlefield, or a "Nazis in Space" episode, any more representative of the themes or characters of the series than random episodes like The Enemy Within or Charlie X? And how can something like Conscience of the King or Obsession be excluded when they provide valuable insight into Kirk's character, while Operation Annihilate!, which is only notable for establishing Spock's ridiculous inner eye lid and Kirk's trivial dead brother, is included?

    And The Infinite Vulcan?!
     
  3. Grey

    Grey Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Caladan
    How did More Tribbles, More Troubles make it onto the list? That episode was just a shameless, albeit animated, rehashing of the last one!

    I'm making my way through a number of different series, and while we might all come up with subjective lists of the strongest and best representatives of the series (which is an admirable goal to help people who want to get a feel for it but don't want to sit through episodes like Shore Leave), I think there's something to be said for taking the bad with the good. That's certainly what I've been doing, and the worse episodes really make the good ones stand out.
     
  4. M.A.C.O.

    M.A.C.O. Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2011
    @erastus25
    My criteria was episodes I found enjoyable, fun and necessary to get a grasp of the kind of show Star Trek was. Cringe worthy episodes like Charlie X, Miri, Catspaw, Spock's Brain, Children Shall Lead, Plato's Stepchildren and those like it didn't factor in to my list because they aren't Trek's brightest moments. While episodes like What are little girls made of, Metamorphis, Requiem for Methuselah, Return to Tomorrow have more going for them and I would recommend seeing them they distract from better episodes. There are more episodes I haven't named that have their own charm to them but I didn't feel it necessary to include them as well.

    As for Infinite Vulcan it was Walter Koenig's only contribution to the animated series. That and it's a fun episode. Although the Eugenics War and giant thing was a bit of a stretch.

    @Grey
    More Tribbles, More Troubles I added because it's a follow up to Trouble With Tribbles and if the events of Trial's and Tribblations is taken as full canon then it makes Worf's statements about the Klingon destruction of tribbles more tangible in the sense that the great Klingon Empire did pursue the extermination of tribbles.
     
  5. R. Star

    R. Star Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Shangri-La
    Ask ten different people what is and isn't worth watching and you'll get at least eleven different answers.

    I found episodes on that list that I didn't much care for and ones I liked that were overlooked. As it's subjective to opinion, my advice to anyone is watch it yourself and formulate your own opinion rather than accepting someone else's.
     
  6. M.A.C.O.

    M.A.C.O. Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2011
    The Next Generation

    Season 1
    Ep: 1-2 Encounter at Farpoint part 1-2
    Ep: 3 The Naked Now
    Ep: 6 Where No One Has Gone Before
    Ep: 7 Lonely Among Us
    Ep: 9 The Battle
    Ep: 11 Haven
    Ep: 12 The Big Goodbye
    Ep: 13 Datalore
    Ep: 15 11001001
    Ep: 16 Too Short a Season
    Ep: 18 Home Soil
    Ep: 19 Coming Of Age
    Ep: 20 Heart Of Glory
    Ep: 22 Symbiosis
    Ep: 23 Skin of Evil
    Ep: 25 Conspiracy
    Ep: 26The Neutral Zone

    Season 2

    Ep: 1 The Child
    Ep: 7 Unnatural Selection
    Ep: 9 A Matter of Honor
    Ep: 9 The Measure of a Man
    Ep: 11 Contagion
    Ep: 13 Time Squared
    Ep: 14 The Icarus Factor
    Ep: 15 Pen Pals
    Ep: 16 Q Who
    Ep: 19 Manhunt
    Ep: 20 Emissary

    Season 3

    Ep: 1 Evolution
    Ep: 2 The Ensigns of Command
    Ep: 3 The Survivors
    Ep: 7 The Enemy
    Ep: 10 The Defector
    Ep: 12 The High Ground
    Ep: 13 Deja Q
    Ep: 15 Yesterday's Enterprise
    Ep: 16 The Offspring
    Ep: 17 Sins of the Father
    Ep: 22 The Most Toys
    Ep: 23 Sarek
    Ep: 24 Menage a Troi
    Ep: 26 Best Of Both Worlds Part 1

    Season 4

    Ep: 1 Best Of Both Worlds Part 2
    Ep: 2 Family
    Ep: 3 Brothers
    Ep: 7 Reunion
    Ep: 9 Final Mission
    Ep: 10 The Loss
    Ep: 11 Data's day
    Ep: 12 The Wounded
    Ep: 14 Clues
    Ep: 15 First Contact
    Ep: 16 Galaxy's Child
    Ep: 17 Night Terrors
    Ep: 21 The Drumhead
    Ep: 22 Half a Life
    Ep: 23 The Host
    Ep: 24 The Mind's Eye
    Ep: 25 In Theory
    Ep: 26 Redemption Part 1

    Season 5
    Ep: 1 Redemption Part 2
    Ep: 2 Darmok
    Ep: 3 Ensign Ro
    Ep: 5 Disaster
    Ep: 7-8 Unification Part 1 and 2
    Ep: 10 New Ground
    Ep: 11 Hero Worship
    Ep: 14 Conundrum
    Ep: 16 Ethics
    Ep: 18 Cause and Effect
    Ep: 19 First Duty
    Ep: 21 Perfect Mate
    Ep: 23 I Borg
    Ep: 24 The Next Phase
    Ep: 25 Inner Light
    Ep: 26 Time Arrow part 1

    Season 6

    Ep: 1 Time Arrow part 2
    Ep: 4 Relics
    Ep: 5 Schisms
    Ep: 10-11 Chain of Command Part 1-2
    Ep: 14 Face of the Enemy
    Ep: 15 Tapestry
    Ep: 16-17 Birthright Part 1-2
    Ep: 18 Starship Mine
    Ep: 19 Lessons
    Ep: 20 The Chase
    Ep: 21 Frame of Mind
    Ep: 23 Rightful Heir
    Ep: 24 Second Chances
    Ep: 25 Timescape
    Ep: 26 Descent Part 1

    Season 7

    Ep: 1 Descent Part 2
    Ep: 4-5 Gambit Part 1-2
    Ep: 6 Phantasms
    Ep: 7 Dark Page
    Ep: 8 Attached
    Ep: 10 Inheritance
    Ep: 11 Parallels
    Ep: 12 Pegasus
    Ep: 15 Lower Decks
    Ep: 16 Thine Own Self
    Ep: 20 Journey's End
    Ep: 21 Firstborn
    Ep: 24 Preemptive Strike
    Ep: 25-26 All Good Things Part 1-2

    178 episodes trimmed down to a healthy 110
    Not bad considering 180 episodes across 7 seasons is overindulgent IMO.


    Movies 1994-2002

    Star Trek VII: Generations
    Star Trek VIII: First Contact
    Star Trek IX: Insurrection
    Star Trek X: Nemesis
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2012
  7. M.A.C.O.

    M.A.C.O. Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2011
    Deep Space Nine 1993-1999

    Season 1

    Emissary Part 1-2
    Past Prologue
    Captive Pursuit
    Dax
    The Nagus
    Battle Lines
    The Forsaken
    Duet
    In the Hands of the Propherts

    Season 2

    The Homecoming
    The Circle
    The Siege
    Cardassians
    Rules of Acquisition
    Necessary Evil
    Sanctuary
    The Alternate
    Profit and Loss
    The Maquis Part 1-2
    The Wire
    The Collaborator
    Tribunal
    The Jem'Hadar

    Season 3

    The Search part 1-2
    Equilibrium
    Second Skin
    The Abandoned
    Civil Defense
    Defiant
    Past Tense Part 1-2
    Life Support
    Heart of Stone
    Destiny
    Improbable Cause
    The Die is Cast
    Explorers
    Family Business
    Shakaar
    The Adversary

    Season 4

    The Way of the Warrior 1-2
    The Visitor
    Hippocratic Oath
    Indiscretion
    Rejoined
    Little Green Men
    Homefront
    Paradise Lost
    Crossfire
    Return to Grace
    Sons of Mogh
    Bar Association
    Accession
    Rules of Engagement
    For the Cause
    Body Parts
    Broken Link

    Season 5

    Apocalypse Rising
    The Ship
    Trials and Tribble-ations
    Things Past
    Rapture
    The Darkness and the Light
    The Begotten
    For the Uniform
    In Purgatory's Shadow
    By Inferno's Light
    Doctor Bashir, I Presume
    Business as Usual
    Ties of Blood and Water
    Ferengi Love Songs
    Soldiers of the Empire
    Children of Time
    Blaze of Glory
    Empok Nor
    Call to Arms

    Season 6

    A Time to Stand
    Rocks and Shoals
    Sons and Daughters
    Behind the Lines
    Favor the Bold
    Sacrifice of Angels
    You Are Cordially Invited
    The Magnificent Ferengi
    Statistical Probabilities
    Waltz
    Far Beyond the Stars
    Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night
    Inquisition
    In the Pale Moonlight
    His Way
    The Reckoning
    Valiant
    Tears of the Prophets

    Season 7
    Image in the Sand
    Shadows and Symbols
    Afterimage
    Treachery, Faith and the Great River
    Once More Unto the Breach
    The Siege of AR-558
    Covenant
    It's Only a Paper Moon
    Chimera
    Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges
    Penumbra
    'Til Death Do Us Part
    Strange Bedfellows
    The Changing Face of Evil
    When It Rains...
    Tacking Into the Wind
    Extreme Measures
    The Dogs of War
    What You Leave Behind 1-2


    176 episodes trimmed down to 118.

    I cut out all the Mirror Universe episodes because they are all terrible IMO and thematically ruined the Mirror Universe by contorting it to fit DS9's story and characters. Enterprise's "In a Mirror Darkly" was closer to what the Mirror Universe should be IMO.

    While not a fan of "Trials and Tribblations" I added it to the list because a lot of people like it. The Bajoran mystic items and prophets are stupid and Deus Ex Machina IMO. Plus Trials and Tribbleations comes off as a very big apology to Kirk and the fans for the lackluster way they killed him off in Generations. Leagues better than Voyager's Flashback however.
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2012
  8. Genesis

    Genesis Lieutenant Junior Grade Red Shirt

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2012
    If you have time to watch 110 TNG episodes, surely you have time to watch all 178 and decide for yourself . . .

    ETA: If someone *needed* a really short list for some reason, I have a list of 20-odd episodes that follow the progression of the most interesting ideas TO ME in TNG (Data, Q, the Borg, time travel). But it's really best for people to watch it all and decide on their own.

    I do have to ask, how is Menage A Troi at all helpful in understanding Star Trek? It was boring and pretty much pointless, as I recall.
     
  9. M.A.C.O.

    M.A.C.O. Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2011
    Enterprise 2001-2005

    Broken Bow 1-2
    The Andorian Incident
    Breaking the Ice
    Cold Front
    Silent Enemy
    Sleeping Dogs
    Shadows of P'Jem
    Shuttlepod One
    Fusion
    Acquisition *Good episode despite it's blatant canonicty breaking
    Detained
    Fallen Hero
    Shockwave

    Season 2

    Shockwave, Part II
    Minefield
    The Communicator
    Stigma
    Cease Fire
    Future Tense
    Judgment
    Regeneration
    First Flight
    Bounty
    The Expanse

    Season 3

    The Xindi
    Anomaly
    Rajiin
    Impulse
    Exile
    The Shipment
    Similitude
    Carpenter Street
    Chosen Realm
    Priving Ground
    Stratagem
    Harbinger
    Azati Prime
    Damage
    The Forgotten
    The Council
    Countdown
    Zero Hour

    Season 4

    Storm Front 1-2
    Home
    Borderland
    Cold Station 12
    The Augments
    The Forge
    Awakening
    Kir'Shara
    Babel One
    United
    The Aenar
    Affliction
    Divergence
    Bound
    In a Mirror, Darkly 1-2
    Demons
    Terra Prime


    61 episodes out of 98 is what I deem what the most essential to viewing ENT. If you've never watched Enterprise follow this list and it might changed you opinion on this show.


    I took the honest time to rewatch all of Enterprise last week after dropping out during the second season way back when. It left me plesantly surprised. While season 1 and 2 aren't much to speak of as is. I feel this abridged episode list will make it more than tolerable by cutting out the pointless BS. I'll always remain dumbfounded how Berman and Braga could have worked on so many episodes of VOY, DS9 and TNG and not have a working formula for this show. ENT should've been the crown jewel of Trek by it's debut with all the bugs worked out.

    Season 3 kept me watching but the 9/11 and American wars in the Middle East theme's did grind my gears. The Xindi Conflict is comparable to the Dominion War although ENT used brevity in it's delivery of the conflict.

    Season 4 without question has some of the best Trek episodes across the franchises. Manny Coto really redeemed the show and it's a shame they never a 5th season to continue with the direction many was steering it.
    "These are the Voyages" only confirmed that Brannon and Berman had lost all sense of how to connect with the audience they were producing episodes.





    P.S. I haven't completed Voyager so I won't have a list for you guy yet.
     
  10. M.A.C.O.

    M.A.C.O. Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2011
    I thought of doing what you suggested and realized it wouldn't be fair. TOS and TNG have the benefit of not having long arcing stories and generally being episode of the week serials. DS9 has the entire Dominon Conflict, Bajoran-Cardassian conflict post Occupation and the Bajoran faith and Prophets woven in to its storyline. You couldn't pick out 20 episodes of DS9 show them to a non fan and expect them to get it. IMO one of the weakness of DS9. So much of it's story surrounds the Dominion War. From the season finale of season 2 to the series finale of Season 7, the Dominion War takes precedence. You also wouldn't be able to explain Sisko's journey as broken Starfleet Officer, to religious figure, to Captain and key figure in the Dominion Conflict, to embraced Emissary to the Prophets, to the revelation that Sisko himself is half prophet, and that Sisko will return after Messianic quest with the prophets is completed. None of that can be done in just 20 episodes. DS9 is a complete piece. You have to watch from season 1 to 7 to fully understand and appreciate it. TOS and TNG you can cherry pick 2 dozen episodes or so and people would get the idea of what each is about. So to be fair to all series' i made a complete list of what I feel is necessary for viewing.


    Their filter lists honestly. I added Menage A Troi only because Majel Roddenberry was in it. I think I recommended all the Luxana Troi episodes because Majel was the First Lady of Star Trek and continued the role even after her husband's death. In my list they are homages really.
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2012
  11. M.A.C.O.

    M.A.C.O. Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2011
    Well i finally did it. After 167 hours of misery and wanting to punch a hole through my TV. I finally completed Voyager. Here is my Non-Filler List...


    Voyager 1995-2001

    Season 1

    1-2. Caretaker 1-2
    3. Parallax
    5. Phage
    9. Emanations
    10. Prime Factors
    11. State of Flux
    13. Cathexis
    14. Faces
    15. Jetrel
    16. Learning Curve

    Season 2

    2. Initiations
    3. Projections
    7. Parturition
    8. Persistence of Vision
    10. Cold Fire
    11. Maneuvers
    14. Alliances
    15. Meld
    17. Dreadnought
    19. Lifesigns
    20. Investigations
    21. Deadlock
    23. Thaw
    24. Tuvix
    26. Basic Part 1

    Season 3

    1. Basics Part 2
    4. The Swarm
    8-9. Futures End I-II
    13. Fair Trade
    14. Alter Ego
    16. Blood Fever
    17. Unity
    19. Rise
    21. Before and After
    26. Scorpion Part 1

    Season 4

    1. Scorpion Part 2
    2. The Gift
    3. Day of Honor
    5. Revulsion
    6. The Raven
    7. Scientific Method
    8-9. Year of Hell Part I-II
    14. Message in a Bottle
    15. Hunters
    16. Prey
    18-19. The Killing Game Part I-II
    23. Living Witness
    25. The One
    26.Hope and Fear

    Season 5

    1. Night
    2. Drone
    3. Extreme Risk
    6. Timeless
    7. Infinite Regress
    8. Nothing Human
    9. Thirty Days
    11. Latent Image
    12. Bride of Chaotica
    15-16. Dark Frontier Part I-II
    24. Relativity
    26. Equinox Part I

    Season 6

    1. Equinox part 2
    2. Survival Instinct
    4. Tinker Tailor Doctor Spy
    7. Dragon's Teeth
    10. Pathfinder
    16. Collective
    19. Child's Play
    23. Fury *Optional* If you are a Kes fan.
    24. Life Line
    26. Unimatrix Zero Part 1

    Season 7

    1. Unimatrix Zero Part 2
    2. Imperfection
    3. Drive
    4. Repression
    6. Inside Man
    7. Body and Soul
    9-10. Flesh and Blood
    12. Lineage
    14. Prophecy
    15. The Void
    16-17. Work Force I-II *optional*
    18. Human Error
    20. Author Author *optional but funny and amusing*
    23. Homestead
    25-26. Endgame I-II

    93 episodes out of 167. Not bad not bad
     
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2013