Streaming Trek watch order, does it matter?

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

I've been focused on TOS, TNG, ENT; and I've lost touch with some of the streaming shows, though I did get to see all of Picard and Prodigy. I'm kind of wanting to go back to the 2009 reboot film and watch everything from that forward in release order, but then... does it matter? This is what I was able to come up with from Wikipedia.

Star Trek (reboot trilogy)
Star Trek (2009) / Into Darkness (part 2) / Beyond (part 3)

Star Trek (streaming era)
2017: Discovery (S1)
2018: Short Treks (S1)
2019: Discovery (S2) / Short Treks (S2)
2020: Picard (S1) / Lower Decks (S1) / Discovery (S3)
2021: Lower Decks (S2) / Prodigy (S1-P1) / Discovery (S4)
2022: Picard (S2) / Strange New Worlds (S1) / Lower Decks (S3) / Prodigy (S1-P2)
2023: Picard (S3) / Strange New Worlds (S2) / Lower Decks (S4) / Very Short Treks
2024: Discovery (S5) / Prodigy (S2) / Lower Decks (S5)

Am I overthinking this? I like watching things in release order when it's first time or mostly forgotten, but sometimes, that can get carried away. I know the Shorts follow up Disco S1 and S2, and SNW follows Disco S2. Is anything else interconnected? Is the above watchlist just too much work? I am looking for serious answers.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

It matters most when characters crossover, so I think as long as you put these in order you'll be totally fine: Discovery S1, Short Treks S1, Disco S2, Short Treks S2, Strange New Worlds S1, Lower Decks S3, SNW S2, Lower Decks S4. And Disco S3 before Section 31.

Plus I guess Star Trek '09 and Short Treks S2 should be watched before Picard S1, and you already know how much Picard and Prodigy are connected.

It'd probably simplify things to just watch it all in release order, though don't bother splitting seasons up.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

It matters most when characters crossover, so I think as long as you put these in order you'll be totally fine: Discovery S1, Short Treks S1, Disco S2, Short Treks S2, Strange New Worlds S1, Lower Decks S3, SNW S2, Lower Decks S4. And Disco S3 before Section 31.

Plus I guess Star Trek '09 and Short Treks S2 should be watched before Picard S1, and you already know how much Picard and Prodigy are connected.

It'd probably simplify things to just watch it all in release order, though don't bother splitting seasons up.

Does the original prompt strike you as too much jumping around? I could go this route:
Reboot trilogy
Disco S1 / Shorts S1 / Disco S2 / Shorts S2 / SNW (S1-2) / Discovery (S3-5)
Picard / Lower Decks / Prodigy - watch these independently.
What do you think, Ray?

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

I just finished a marathon of the classic shows, watching all S1 E1s then all S1 E2s and so on, so there's no such thing as too much jumping around in my world!

I think your plan is fine, but it's best to watch at least a season of Lower Decks before SNW S2 in my opinion.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

I just finished a marathon of the classic shows, watching all S1 E1s then all S1 E2s and so on, so there's no such thing as too much jumping around in my world!

I think your plan is fine, but it's best to watch at least a season of Lower Decks before SNW S2 in my opinion.

The reboot trilogy, Disco S1-2, Shorts (all), Picard (all), LD (S1-2), Prodigy (all) will be a re-watch.
Disco S3-5, LD (S3-5), and SNW will be my first watch Treks.

 

[Dar70]

I will always watch in production order. It's how I originally seen them all and it's how I will rewatch them to my grave. Either that or just whatever I'm in the mood for..

 

[Rowdy Roddy McDowall]

I wish enough time could pass that I could re-watch them after forgetting certain great moments, but how many decades would do the trick?

 

[Paradave911]

I was surprised, after just watching TOS, how many of the little things I didn't remember.

 

[Ssosmcin]

I will always watch in production order. It's how I originally seen them all and it's how I will rewatch them to my grave. Either that or just whatever I'm in the mood for..

I very seldom to full re-watches of TOS but when I do, it's motivated by something. Last time was to see if there were any real differences between airdate and production (answer: only until around the Menagerie). For nostalgia's sake, I often do airdate to get that 60's feel.

Some shows, like TNG, need airdate because of scheduling. Tasha's death was filmed before Denise Crosby left the series and "Unification Part 2" was filmed before the first part because of Nimoy's schedule.

 

[Riley]

In terms of TOS viewing order, I think it's important to watch "Where No Man Has Gone Before" prior to starting the series proper with "The Man Trap." You can watch or skip "The Cage," as it makes up most of both episodes of "The Menagerie."

In terms of the other series, I don't think know of any significant changes in release schedule. These days, I mainly rewatch TOS, the early seasons of TNG, all of DS9, and a few episodes of Voyager and ENT. I don't bother with the Kurtz Dreck at all.

 

[Qonundrum]

The evolution of any franchise is either jumping in at some point, or daring to jump in at the first episode based on what others say. When I first saw Trek as a kid in the 70s, I didn't start with either pilot - the chances of which were very low. Infinitesimally low nowadays, too.

Since I was in a time when we had TOS reruns du jour and no TNG or other spinoffs, we in that time just flicked channels after flicking anything else flickable. One either dug the characters and plotting or one didn't. Quite different now with so many formats and characters, there will always be a Trek to appease someone's interests out there.


Picture this, in 1987 or 1991 or whenever: Detractors of the then-new TNG, regardless of season, still may not have noticed that people jumping on board then might have looked up the old shows and found magic in them despite the lack of "the pretty". TNG had lots of "the pretty" compared to TOS. Fast forward a small handful of decades and things are prettier now, even the dank teal/orange slathered palette* stuff sometimes has superior advantages that filmed models can't have, and that's not going to stop people from looking up older shows too. The cycle will continue forevermore, therevermore, etc.

As people see more of it, they'll have their favorites and just stick with that format/style. Revisiting old stories they may have thought were clunkers may or may not happen too.

Personally, while I find DS9 to be my overall favorite as it feels the closest to TOS**. Yet, despite that, I've gravitated toward TNG the most in recent decades when it comes to rewatches. Then a third of TOS. Then a third or so of DS9, but - dang - that's a fairly spectacular third! (Keeping in mind that DS9 has more than double TOS's story count.) DS9 is easily better than TOS at times, and yet the 60s original still has some verve to it that supersedes its successors. The original show finding its way and taking more risks appeals, especially when it works. All that said, my next DS9 rewatch will be the whole 7 seasons this time.

As for everything afterward, there's maybe 10 or 12 VOY episodes I'll rewatch, but those don't quite rise to the same highs of previous and some future Treks. IMHO, it's solid but a little nostalgia waxing, especially as a great idea was ditched iin favor of "TNG-lite", possibly because DS9's rartings were faltering and they wanted to go back to basics despite the premiere setting up the wildest possible premise.

Every couple of years I'll return to LD or PIC season 3. PIC3 does peter out, but IMHO it gives the TNG crew a far better sendoff that the 90s partytime flicks had. LD's gems are "a loving tribute and parody in the vein of Futurama and Rick&Morty".

I couldn't stand ENT, even season 4 the last time I tried, it's too fanwanky and I've rarely gotten into prequels in the first place. Some do, some think they're better than the shows that made the prequel possible, it's all good.

DSC and SNW both started as prequels, are a bit hit or miss for me, but have millions of fans too. Some social media post talked about something something comedy and relationships and dared TNG users to tune in. Good luck for those who do. Regardless, top the Trek cake with the flavor of icing called "IDIC" and if I don't like the episode or spinoff/prequel/nameit it's easier to leave it be. Hate watching is as illogical as everything else. But that said, I did like the new Harry Mudd, from what I remember...


Future production teams might circle back to tested formats, others will try something different. Or both. It's cyclical, rinse and repeat.


* well, somewhat, of 16,777,216 hues in a typical 24-bit palette of yesteryear, or the billions today, limiting to two slices of the color wheel is still comparatively underwhelming

** in spirit of having a new frontier and exploring some big stuff that couldn't have been done in the 60s, and without the trappings of TNG's "utopia" while working to balance how making non-utopia work in the background, like how a duck on a lake looks graceful but it's paddling like squirrel's quest for nuts in a parking lot underneath