Best "one off" episodes for someone who doesn't want to watch SNW in its entirety?

[Ragitsu]

Good evening.

As the title indicates, I am looking to watch an episode or two of Strange New Worlds without committing to the entire series. In your opinion, which episode...

1. Best embodies the spirit of Star Trek.

and

2. Does not features much - if any - connective tissue with preceding episodes; in other words, it won't confuse the hell out of a neophyte.

 

[fireproof78]

First episode is, in my opinion, the best showcase of this show.

 

[TheBabaJake]

"Best embodies the spirit of Star Trek" is a metric that's extremely variable.

I concur with @fireproof78 that the first episode should be a pretty classic Trek outing by almost any metric, though.

I would also count "Children of the Comet" and "Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach" and "Memento Mori" (although it depends on how much of a canon and continuity stickler you are with the third one, which is where we learn just how different SNW's Gorn are from the TOS version; that said, I think it's an all-timer as a "space battle" Trek episode).

If "Memento Mori" doesn't prove a sticking point for you, the "Hegemony" two-parter is worth watching. And I think "Through the Lens of Time" is pretty great (although we're starting to push the definition of stand-alone, as that episode is clearly meant to tie in to a later adventure).

In the current season, "The Griffin Incident" and especially "Off-Hour" have both been pretty cracking-good outings that can stand on their own, more or less.

EDIT: "Valles Marineris" is a bit more of an edge case: it's fun, but... it's not on the same level of script craftsmanship as some of the earlier outings and it's also in this weird liminal space between "something of cosmic importance happens" and "really, nothing happens." But it does have dinosaurs. And that's fun.

 

[Ricky Spanish]

Good evening.

As the title indicates, I am looking to watch an episode or two of Strange New Worlds without committing to the entire series. In your opinion, which episode...

1. Best embodies the spirit of Star Trek.

and

2. Does not features much - if any - connective tissue with preceding episodes; in other words, it won't confuse the hell out of a neophyte.

While it connects to some of the backstory of "The Cage", I would say "Among the Lotus Eaters" from season two. A very "Star Trek", Star Trek episode. I'll also second "Valles Marineris" from the beginning of season four.

 

[Dick Whitman]

“The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail”

 

[DanCPA]

First episode is, in my opinion, the best showcase of this show.

Agree!

Especially the scene where Pike goes down Earth's history.

 

[Rose Harper]

The latest one.

 

[ichab]

While it connects to some of the backstory of "The Cage", I would say "Among the Lotus Eaters" from season two. A very "Star Trek", Star Trek episode. I'll also second "Valles Marineris" from the beginning of season four.

Those are good choices as is the first episode of season one "Strange New Worlds" or the second episode of season 2 "Ad Astra per Aspera"

 

[firehawk12]

Those Old Scientists is my favourite episode of the series and to me is the equivalent of The Voyage Home. Clever gags without being too cute, no bigger meta plot other than an understanding of how time travel possibly works in Star Trek.

 

[Saul]

Good evening.

As the title indicates, I am looking to watch an episode or two of Strange New Worlds without committing to the entire series. In your opinion, which episode...

1. Best embodies the spirit of Star Trek.

and

2. Does not features much - if any - connective tissue with preceding episodes; in other words, it won't confuse the hell out of a neophyte.

I think most of season 1 is solid and consists of stand alone episodes which embody the spirit of Star Trek. There is only a slight arc connecting some of them relating to Pike's knowledge of his future. But that has no impact on the episodes other than the final episode of season 1. Avoid "Elysian Kingdom" the worst of season 1.

 

[DarKush]

My choices:

Season 1
Strange New Worlds
Children of the Comet
Ghosts of Illyria
Memento Mori

Season 2
Ad Astra per Aspera
Under the Cloak of War

Season 3
The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail
What is Starfleet?
Terrarium

Season 4
Valles Marineris
Orders of Magnitude

 

[Ricky Spanish]

Avoid "Elysian Kingdom" the worst of season 1.

This was probably the strongest season one episode, from my point of view.

 

[fireproof78]

This was probably the strongest season one episode, from my point of view.

That and the premier.

 

[CampBOO!]

Definitely the pilot episode.

 

[TheBabaJake]

The latest outing, "Orders of Magnitude," is reasonably stand-alone and there's something close to a consensus that it's also quite good (which is a thing rarely glimpsed on TrekBBS). Like there is some backstory about why Kirk is on the Enterprise kinda-sorta stalking its security officer? But you don't need to know it to enjoy the episode.

 

[Greg Cox]

The latest outing, "Orders of Magnitude," is reasonably stand-alone and there's something close to a consensus that it's also quite good (which is a thing rarely glimpsed on TrekBBS). Like there is some backstory about why Kirk is on the Enterprise kinda-sorta stalking its security officer? But you don't need to know it to enjoy the episode.

I was just going to suggest the same. Both the A and B plots are reasonably straightforward, standalone stories that don't require much knowledge of SNW lore.

Plus, honestly, the fact that the focus is on Kirk and Uhura -- two iconic figures that even casual fans and newcomers are familiar with to some degree -- probably makes it more accessible to someone who just wants to sample the series.

(Even the business with Kirk and La'an is pretty accessible. You don't need to know the whole complicated backstory to grasp that, okay, they have some sort of messy history.)

 

[MrShinzoff]

Episodes 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, and 10 from season one.
Episodes 4, 8, 10 from season two.
Episodes 1 and 6 from season three.
Episodes 1, 6, 8, and 10 from season 4
All of season 5. It was all great.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

Episodes 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, and 10 from season one.
Episodes 4, 8, 10 from season two.
Episodes 1 and 6 from season three.
Episodes 1, 6, 8, and 10 from season 4
All of season 5. It was all great.

I admire your optimism/precognition.

I can't remember how stand alone season 2's Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is, but I reckon it deserves consideration for any list.

 

[Yistaan]

It seems to me like "Sehlat who ate its tail" and "orders of magnitude" are the 2 episodes so far that seem to basically be straight up TOS prequels with very little SNW exclusive material. Someone wanting classic Kirk and Spock and the gang but doesn't want the 1960s visual effects could do worse than those.

 

[Fire(BOO!)]

Definitely the pilot episode.

In retrospect, I absolutely love how direct and unambiguous SNW's pilot is about current political events.