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Post by masterdoctor on Oct 13, 2022 20:58:44 GMT
Been thinking about this lately and curious what everyone’s favourite Star Trek series are. I’ve added a poll to choose your top three.
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Post by Digi on Oct 13, 2022 21:26:06 GMT
TV is so different now than it was in the old days, I have a really hard time ranking the new shows against the old.
That in mind...
Classic era: 1. TOS / DS9 (tie) 3. TNG (very close behind) 4. VOY 5. TAS 6. ENT
New era: 1. SNW 2. LDS 3. DIS 4. PRO
4. ST 5. PIC
For the purposes of the poll, my votes went to TOS, DS9, and SNW.
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shutupbanks
Castellan
There’s a horror movie called Alien? That’s really offensive. No wonder everyone keeps invading you.
Likes: 5,666 
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Post by shutupbanks on Oct 13, 2022 21:53:06 GMT
TOS, TNG and Disco. Having just finished it and really enjoyed it I wanted to add Enterprise but I think that had some inconsistent characterisation of Archer and far too many main characters with nothing to do across the run of the show. I admire the hell out of DS9 and several individual episodes are utterly magnificent but, as a whole, it leaves me cold. Voyager is fun and watchable but the premise and drive of the show doesn’t really resonate with me as much. Lower Decks is a hoot but I just can’t bear Mariner and since every episode revolves around her doing her “Ferris Bueller” schtick {I can’t bear FBDO either}, it really decreases my enjoyment of what is an otherwise terrific comedy skewering a lot of Trek tropes. TAS really does waste the concept and potential of animated Trek by being slow and ponderous. I haven’t yet watched SNW, Picard and Prodigy yet so take my opinion under advisement.
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Post by mark687 on Oct 13, 2022 22:14:16 GMT
DS9 Flawless SNW A surprising entertaining and enjoyable mix of classic and modern Picard I find these characters more engaging now they'er older, its closer to a DS9 vibe plus Jeri Ryan  Regards mark687 |
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Post by masterdoctor on Oct 13, 2022 22:24:11 GMT
For me, DS9 is number one, and I don’t think it will ever truly be topped for me. The serialization is second to none across western media, Sisko and co have such layered character arcs and dynamics, and when episodes like Far Beyond The Stars, you pretty much can’t be beat.
Lower Decks comes second. When it was first announced, I was worried it would be comedy at the expense of the fandom, but it’s such a joyous celebration of all eras of Trek and the opportunity to follow the day to day of the "boring” ship allows for something the other shows can’t quite do.
Strange New Worlds, with only one season so far, easily sits at number three and is almost neck and neck with Lower Decks. Who would have thought Christopher Pike would be so damn amazing decades after his original two appearances as the proto Kirk. Not only that, but it has some of the best story of the weeks in a long time, and the finale is somehow a fanjodrelly explosion that works incredibly well.
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Post by x2magneto on Oct 14, 2022 15:39:28 GMT
Although DS9 is number one for me, I think TOS, TNG, and DS9 form the perfect trinity of Star Trek. You had the original, the evolution, and the examination. Perfection!
Voyager tried too hard to be a successor to TNG which had already begun to run its course. Voyager also had trouble living up to the stranded premise and largely wastes it and a good cast. Individual episodes shine but the overarching series is second rate.
ENT is much of the same. Individual episodes are spectacular sometimes. Others are disastrous. Once again a fantastic cast is mostly wasted.
DISC I only saw the 2 two and half episodes before I bailed. Bad and frustrating storytelling. I might give it another go as I hear it finds footing later on.
Haven't started Lower Decks or Prodigy but I intend to.
SNW is Star Trek on the comeback. I've loved Pike since Jeffrey Hunter in the Cage and I adore this return to form. It's all in the story telling. Pike knowing his fate is so good and so in character for this put upon captain. The supporting cast is stand out.
Picard is the worst thing Star Trek has ever done. It isn't even really a story, it's just a collection things that happen mostly as padded busy work that have no bearing on the overall premise of the season at hand and it is all barely tethered together. It understands the basics of what Star Trek is but is incapable of telling a story about it. It's all just a bunch of stuff.
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Post by Kestrel on Oct 14, 2022 19:27:55 GMT
I don't even have to think about it for a second. I find value in every Trek show, but only DS9 manages to capture that Roddenberry-Esau's optimism with strong character and setting continuity, as well as having the strongest and most diverse (in-universe) cast of characters. It's also the only Trek show that really does ensemble storytelling well (not that every Trek show was trying to, but you know). I think TOS, TNG, and DS9 form the perfect trinity of Star Trek. You had the original, the evolution, and the examination. Perfection! Perfectly said. --- EDIT: and since it seems kinda fun, if I were to rank the series, my list would be: - Deep Space Nine
- The Next Generation
- The Motion Picture Era
- The Original Series
- Lower Decks*
- Enterprise
- Voyager
- The First Contact Era
- Strange New Worlds
- Discovery
- Prodigy
- Picard
(An asterisk for LD because I'm not sure to what extent a parody show counts)
((Had to separate the TMP stuff from TOS because it's so different. Had to have a FC era, too, for parity.))
(((I don't think I'm forgetting anything? Only TAS, which I haven't seen yet.)))
I will say that the first 5 are all very much in the realm of, "I love this," and further down to the top 9 are firmly in the area of, "I really like this." #10 I'm pretty mixed on -- I quite like some bits, quite like others; #11 I think nothing of, feels more like Star Wars in my head, despite Kate Mulgrew; and Picard I absolutely loathe as a betrayal of the setting, themes and characters. Though I've heard that S2 is an enormous improvement, I've yet to watch it.
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Post by The Brigadier on Oct 15, 2022 9:12:01 GMT
1st on my list is (totally unsurprisingly considering what almost everyone else has said) Deep Space Nine. A strong ensemble cast, a continuity where actions do have consequences and episodes that stay long in the memory - Duet, The Visitor, In the Pale Moonlight, It's Only a Paper Moon, Far Beyond the Stars - I could go on.
Joint 2nd is the Original Series, and much to my surprise Strange New Worlds. Granted TOS is almost 60 years old and very much a product of it's time, but it gave us a cast whose on screen chemistry lasted until the early nineties (I'll gloss over the off screen chemistry..) and some truly classic episodes - The City on the Edge of Forever, The Devil In the Dark, Balance of Terror, The Doomsday Machine, Space Seed - again, I could go on.
As for Strange New Worlds? Curiosity got the better of me not so long ago and I took out a week long free subscription, binged on all the episodes and like I've said - I was pleasantly surprised. Another great ensemble cast, episodes akin to some of TOS, TNG and DS9's finest and in Anson Mount's Christopher Pike a Captain with both charisma and huge likeability coupled with a dash of the devil may care attitude of Shatner's Kirk and thoughtful restraint of Stewart's Picard. Not to mention the heavy burden of knowing his fate. And..it's only the first season! Early days, but on the basis of the episodes I've seen a lot of potential.
Finally, slipping into 3rd place then (but only just) is TNG. Star Trek's greatest asset in all the various incarnations has been something I've mentioned a lot - the ensemble casts - and TNG's was no exception. And like the show that came before it and the one that came after it too had some really memorable episodes after wobbly starts - Yesterday's Enterprise, The Best of Both Worlds, Darmok, Chain of Command, The Inner Light.
But TNG WAS shackled in some potentially great storytelling by Roddenberry's utopian vision and the rule of no conflict among the crew. Actions didn't have consequences. And looking back its now apparent that the writing team were running out of steam as a result, with several of the fifth season episodes, half of the sixth and nearly all of the Seventh barely registering on my interest scale as a "meh".
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Post by tuigirl on Oct 15, 2022 23:01:54 GMT
I have not yet seen neither Discovery nor Strange new worlds, so I cannot take these into account.
And although DS9 is a strong contender, my love goes out to TNG.
TNG was the first TV series that captivated me and made me a rabid fan, writing fan fiction, doing fan art and going to my first conventions all dressed up in Starfleet uniform.
But of course DS9 wins as the best drama show, no doubt about that!
And even if this comes across as heresy, I actually enjoyed Picard season 2 and look forward to season 3. But I admit, I am pretty much just in for the ride because of Seven and Raffi.
I think without these two, the series concept would fall apart and I would have abandoned it.
I have always admired Jeri Ryan, she was the best actor playing the best role in Voyager and pretty much carried the show together with Robert Picardo. For my younger self, 20 years ago! , to meet Jeri Ryan and to have dinner with Robert Picardo was all my dreams coming true at once.
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