Which would you start a new fan with?

[Sybok Was Wrong]

Start with TWOK, since she has watched all TOS.

If she hadn't watched much of TOS I would say- TVH,or TUC.

 

[Greg Cox]

I voted TMP. Allow me to explain.

I adore Star Trek and I love TMP [very underrated!]. To me, Trek really isn't about action, it is about philosophising, ethical questions and moral dilemmas.

Sure, showing them 'Wrath of Khan' would be postivie, its a great film...but it is almost a false precedent for an introduction. To go from WoK to 'Measure of a Man' or 'Inner Light' may shock this new fan.

So, go from WoK to "Arena" or "Balance of Terror" instead. There's no reason they have to jump from TOS straight into TNG.

Especially if they like WoK.

 

[Galileo7]

To follow up directly on the series, I would say that TWOK is a safe bet (though I actually prefer TMP).

TWOK has a broad appeal. Also, TVH kind of depends on having seen TWOK and TSFS already.

Kor

Agree.

 

[TheSubCommander]

If she has seen TOS and TAS, but none of the movies, and you are confident she won't like TMP, then go with TWOK. It essentially is the reunion 2.0 of TOS, and you miss nothing without seeing TMP. Then 3 & 4. That will round out the TOS story. If she likes all that, she can go back and see TMP, and maybe TFF (it can be skipped, honestly), and finally TUC, to end the TOS saga. Starting with TVH really comes into seeing the third act of the trilogy. Starting with Trek 09 really omits some of the TOS cast's GREATEST performances.

After that, if you are confident TNG isn't for her, THEN go onto Trek 2009.

 

[Memory Alpha]

TWOK or FC (if FC were listed it would be a tough choice). Voted TWOK. Both are easily accessible and require only about 1-2 sentences of backstory to bring a person up to speed.

If I started a fan with the 2009 reboot, it would be with the caveat that that is not the Trek. It's a reboot.

 

[HIjol]

?..start a new fan with?

Electricity.



Sorry...

 

[sbk1234]

TWOK is the one that cemented me as a lifelong Trekkie. I'd start there.

 

[HIjol]

Abject Apologiesto OP and Thread for that last Post. I was insane, but I am back, now...

I would say it would be a tie between TWoK and TVH. Both do a great job of showcasing the relationship and dynamic between the characters, and the situations in their universe.

 

[thumbtack]

It would depend on this potential new fan's age.

 

[gottacook]

I watched TWOK at the weekend, and really don't feel it's aged that well. The pacing is not great...

But "The pacing's not great" is a statement that would apply equally to any of the Trek movies, with a few small deviations (and a few larger ones).

This is why the original Back to the Future brought me back to the theater three times during its original run, whereas I didn't see any Trek movie theatrically more than twice. The pacing of BTTF is simply unexcelled. Gale and Zemeckis sweated that screenplay until it moved like a roller coaster.

Perhaps it's simply unavoidable that any story using a set of preexisting characters is going to be inherently somewhat lumpy.

As to the topic at hand, my choice would be TWoK because of how a new or potential fan would respond to the opening scenes, which are economical, witty, and plant seeds to be revisited later. Also, I've always loved the music (I just received my full-length TWoK soundtrack audio CD - thanks to whoever mentioned the holiday sale). And one of my favorite Kirk moments is the scene in his apartment: "Don't mince words, Bones, what do you really think?!"