Suggestions for a Star Trek first timer?

[Wolfslice]

My friend claims to be a big fan of sci/fi but he's never seen an episode of Star Trek and has classified it as "nerdy." So since I've recently purchased the complete Next Generation series on dvd, he's consented to let me burn him the best episode of each season, a little Next Gen mixtape if you will.

Tell me if you think this is a good list:
Season 1: Skin Of Evil
Season 2: Measure Of A Man
Season 3: Yesterday's Enterprise
Season 4: First Contact
Season 5: Cause And Effect
Season 6: Frame Of Mind
Season 7: Genisis

Those are basically my favorite episodes. I'll have room for one more episode (burning 2 per dvd so I don't lose any quality), so I'm going to pick a "Wild Card" from my other favorites that didn't make the cut. In the running are Conundrum, Lower Decks, Clues, and Conspiracy. I haven't decided yet.

 

[toughlittleship]

I'm not sure about the last two. There are better episodes in the last two seasons. What about the "Chain of Command" two parter and "The Pegasus"?

 

[Wolfslice]

Yeah Pegasus is a good one, but I just had a Riker episode from season 6, "Frame Of Mind."

Chain of Command could be a good choice... The Jellico/Riker clashings are some of my favorite exchanges of the series... I'll put some thought into that.

 

[BRG]

I'll add a third voice for Chain of Command, like the others have said, it would fill up yor extra episode, and showcase one of TNG's finest two parters.
Ronny Cox and David Warner are fantastic in this, and they give Frakes & Stewart the opertunity to give some of their best work in the series.

Your other choices are good, although I would maybe choose a differant ep in season 7, I always found Parallels a fun ep, and I love Lower Decks. Perhaps one of those as your wild card?
BRG

 

[Spider]

Lower Decks is always an excellant episode to either revisit, or show someone new a different side of Star Trek.

 

[DostoyevskyClone]

You've really have come up with a fine list there - well done. While I think 'Parallels' is one of the top 5 episodes over TNG's run, it may not have the emotional resonance if your friend hasn't seen many other TNG episodes - it references a lot of what happened in multiple seasons and I think the payoff really comes with having a knowledge of stories like 'The Best of Both Worlds,' 'Ethics,' and even stories like 'Final Mission.'

From your wildcard list, 'Lower Decks' would be my first choice - a brilliant, emotional episode. 'Conundrum' would be a very close second.

 

[Danoz]

Wolfslice said:
My friend claims to be a big fan of sci/fi but he's never seen an episode of Star Trek and has classified it as "nerdy." So since I've recently purchased the complete Next Generation series on dvd, he's consented to let me burn him the best episode of each season, a little Next Gen mixtape if you will.

Tell me if you think this is a good list:
Season 1: Skin Of Evil
Season 2: Measure Of A Man
Season 3: Yesterday's Enterprise
Season 4: First Contact
Season 5: Cause And Effect
Season 6: Frame Of Mind
Season 7: Genisis

Those are basically my favorite episodes. I'll have room for one more episode (burning 2 per dvd so I don't lose any quality), so I'm going to pick a "Wild Card" from my other favorites that didn't make the cut. In the running are Conundrum, Lower Decks, Clues, and Conspiracy. I haven't decided yet.

Chain of Command 1+2
Family
The Drumhead
The Inner Light

 

[Wolfslice]

I can't stand Inner Light.

Same deal with the ds9 episode where O'brien spends years in a prison cell.

They would need a LOT of time to get re-adjusted to their previous lives, but in both cases they're completely normal in the next episode.

 

[tyskkvinna]

I love Inner Light, but it has more to do with the idea of what they're doing rather than what Picard dealt with. However, I'm not sure it's a good ep if you aren't familiar with Star Trek.

I don't know about Genesis. I guess if your friend has a liking for that "type" of episodes, it'd be a good pick. But if they aren't into slightly illogical horror it would be rather boring. I'll also go with Chain of Command.

Lower Decks is one of my favourite TNG episodes. It absolutely must be on your list. It has so many great elements - from showing that these other characters existed previously, to that many different people are on the Enterprise, to that any one of them might be called to step up with a major sacrifice... it was wonderful. And, I thought it managed to not be "sappy" either.

 

[Wolfslice]

Yeah, I think I'm gonna finish off the mix with Lower Decks. It's just a perfect episode.

I have a soft spot for Genisis... and Frame of Mind. They both just kind of hit this creepy note that only TNG ever really explored. As far as it being "illogical," well... it is but not more than half the episodes. And the idea that the mutations all spawned from Crusher activating one of Barcaly's dormant genes is some ingenious writing in my book.

 

[AstroMike]

I also would go with Lower Decks if I was introducing someone to Trek. It shows different perspectives of the crew without requiring too much Trek knowledge.

A few others to consider would be:
11001001 or Conspiracy from S1
A Matter of Honor -hey, it has the Klingons in it and everyone has at least heard of them.

 

[Red Ranger]

Wolfslice said:
My friend claims to be a big fan of sci/fi but he's never seen an episode of Star Trek and has classified it as "nerdy." So since I've recently purchased the complete Next Generation series on dvd, he's consented to let me burn him the best episode of each season, a little Next Gen mixtape if you will.

Tell me if you think this is a good list:
Season 1: Skin Of Evil
Season 2: Measure Of A Man
Season 3: Yesterday's Enterprise
Season 4: First Contact
Season 5: Cause And Effect
Season 6: Frame Of Mind
Season 7: Genisis

Those are basically my favorite episodes. I'll have room for one more episode (burning 2 per dvd so I don't lose any quality), so I'm going to pick a "Wild Card" from my other favorites that didn't make the cut. In the running are Conundrum, Lower Decks, Clues, and Conspiracy. I haven't decided yet.

Wolfslice,

Well, some of the choices on your original list I agree with, most notably: Measure of a Man, First Contact, and Frame of Mind. For me, I'd just add three more: The Best of Both Worlds, Pts. I & II, and A Matter of Honor.

My reasons: Your friend may have heard of the Borg and most likely has heard of the Klingons, and those are among the best eps featuring each. And a top five list is always preferable to a top seven list.

If your friend is convinced after seeing those eps, then the others where you should know the characters better would be good "second courses" to show him.

BTW, he's never seen a single ep of any ST? Weird! Any reason why you just want to show him TNG and not TOS?

Red Ranger

 

[Mallory]

Red Ranger said:
For me, I'd just add three more: The Best of Both Worlds, Pts. I & II, and A Matter of Honor.

I can't argue with your addition of those three episodes. But if you're going to include BoBW, I really think you need to start with Q-Who, where the Borg are introduced. That episode really ups the ante when BoBW rolls around.

 

[Duane]

That's a nice list, except for "Genisis" which I cannot stand. I like "Darmok" and "The Defector" as well.

 

[Wolfslice]

Well the the verdict is in. Over the last 4 days he watched all 8 episodes and here are the scores:

Skin of Evil: 2.5/5
Measure Of A Man: 2.5/5
Yesterday's Enterprise: 4/5
First Contact: 4/5
Cause And Effect: 4/5
Frame Of Mind: 3.5/5
Genisis: 4/5
Lower Decks: 3.5/5

His main qualms were with some of the shitty sets and effects. And he really had a problem with this one brief fight scene in "Frame Of Mind." Being a fan for so long, it's easy to get past things like that from my perspective, but to a Trek Virgin, I can see how they could be an annoyance.

I was most dissapointed with his rating for Measure Of A Man, which he found to be a little slow and Courtoom Drama-y for a Sci Fi show.

So overall he agrees that the stories and characters are good, however the execution and effects are dated enough to sour the whole package.

 

[pookha]

Wolfslice said:
Yeah, I think I'm gonna finish off the mix with Lower Decks. It's just a perfect episode.

I have a soft spot for Genisis... and Frame of Mind. They both just kind of hit this creepy note that only TNG ever really explored. As far as it being "illogical," well... it is but not more than half the episodes. And the idea that the mutations all spawned from Crusher activating one of Barcaly's dormant genes is some ingenious writing in my book.

actually oddly enough one of my objections i have with gensis is similar to the one you had with inner light.

that is it would take an awfully long time to get over this.
some people remember were even murdered and it seems some of the crew did horrifying things to each other.

at least in the inner light it just seems to be stewart played picard a little differently for awhile after that.
and the flute thing stayed .. a little sign that the experience never did totally leave him.

but otherwise a very good list
nice to see finishing out with lower decks

 

[Wolfslice]

I watched Inner Light again recently and I think I may have been a little hard on it.

However, I think you're using your imagination a little too much if you think he really "played picard differently" in subsequent episodes, haha.

I see what you're saying about Genisis though... but it's more forgivable because they were only transformed for a period of a couple of days.... Picard was transformed for like 25 years or something! And the next week it's all just buisness as usual.

Basically (now I'm using my imagination to fill in some holes) I'm just pretending that the memories of his time as that man in Inner Light have signifigantly faded since he awoke on the bridge, much like a dream.

 

[Spider]

Wolfslice said:
So overall he agrees that the stories and characters are good, however the execution and effects are dated enough to sour the whole package.

Good stories are good stores, period. The Day the Earth Stood Still is still worth watching, because it's a good story. I don't place any relevance on effects, unless the show is about effects, such as Star Wars. Star Trek has always been about the characters and the stories, not special effects.

 

[Wolfslice]

I completely agree with you. And once you get used to the show you stop noticing or caring about all the foibles and follies.

Buuuut I can also see his perspective, Because I myself have similar problems getting into TOS, for many of the same reasons. The stories and characters are great in the show I'm sure, but I would really need to get into full out TOS mode to bypass all the terrible sets and effects, it's just not something I can switch on and off like some people.

It's a whole different story if you grew up watching something (like I did with TNG), than if you pick it up years later.

 

[Good Will Riker]

Stick with what you originally have Wolfslice. It shows a lot of variety! :thumbsup: