Must-watch Trek for TOS fans

[Falconer]

Suppose someone has seen all of TOS, plus films 1-6. They do NOT want to watch the whole rest of the franchise (TNG, ENT, Kelvin, etc., etc.), but they WOULD be willing to watch a “top ten” or so of “must-watch” episodes of TV or movies which might specifically appeal to them as a TOS fan and round out their experience of Star Trek. What would you recommend?

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

I suppose the most obvious suggestions would be episodes featuring TOS characters.

TNG:
Sarek - Features Sarek.
Unification I+II - Features Spock.
Relics - Features Scotty.

DS9:
Blood Oath - Features Kor, Kang and Koloth.
Trials and Tribble-ations - Features an entire TOS episode.

Voyager:
Flashback - Not a great episode, but it features a flashback to Star Trek VI.

Enterprise:
In a Mirror, Darkly, Part I+II - A sequel to The Tholian Web and a prequel to Mirror, Mirror.

Discovery (these are part of a serialised story and probably wouldn't make much sense on their own):
Lethe - Adds some explanation for Spock and Sarek's feud.
If Memory Serves - A follow up to The Cage.

Prodigy:
Kobayashi - Features some audio clips from classic episodes.

 

[STEPhon IT]

Suppose someone has seen all of TOS, plus films 1-6. They do NOT want to watch the whole rest of the franchise (TNG, ENT, Kelvin, etc., etc.), but they WOULD be willing to watch a “top ten” or so of “must-watch” episodes of TV or movies which might specifically appeal to them as a TOS fan and round out their experience of Star Trek. What would you recommend?

Anything that didn't involve TOS in it; too many times the new HEADS OF TABLE of Star Trek has done nothing but claim there series was superior and aimed to rewrite what was done.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

Maybe someone could think of some good episodes that have been claimed to feel like a TOS story.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

TNG
• Relics
• Yesterday's Enterprise
• Q Who (watch it before "Best of Both")
• The Best of Both Worlds parts 1 and 2
• Star Trek: First Contact

DS9:
Many good episodes, but I haven't seen it since first run. One I recall by name was the comedy "Little Green Men." It features Charles Napier, incidentally.
Also, "Trials and Tribble-ations" is must-see. It should be in your TOS DVD or Blu-ray set.

VOYAGER:
Again, I haven't seen these since first run, but I liked the episodes that focused on Seven of Nine and the ship's Doctor (Robert Picardo).

ENTERPRISE
• In a Mirror Darkly, parts 1 and 2 (takes place entirely in the Mirror Universe, with just the evil versions of the regulars).

 

[dupersuper]

I suppose the most obvious suggestions would be episodes featuring TOS characters.

TNG:
Sarek - Features Sarek.
Unification I+II - Features Spock.
Relics - Features Scotty.

DS9:
Blood Oath - Features Kor, Kang and Koloth.
Trials and Tribble-ations - Features an entire TOS episode.

Voyager:
Flashback - Not a great episode, but it features a flashback to Star Trek VI.

Enterprise:
In a Mirror, Darkly, Part I+II - A sequel to The Tholian Web and a prequel to Mirror, Mirror.

Discovery (these are part of a serialised story and probably wouldn't make much sense on their own):
Lethe - Adds some explanation for Spock and Sarek's feud.
If Memory Serves - A follow up to The Cage.

Prodigy:
Kobayashi - Features some audio clips from classic episodes.

I'll second all of these and add TAS, pretty much all of Discovery season 2 (far from great, but full of Spock, Pike and Number One...for that matter season one has Sarek as well), Encounter at Farpoint for the McCoy cameo, and The Sword of Kahless and Once More Unto the Breach for more Kor.

If you watch Generations, I'd recommend the Shatnerverse novels to wash out any bad taste Kirk's ignominious death might leave in your mouth.

 

[Pikirk_Janesisko]

Without relying too much on direct TOS references, there's "Devil's Due" from TNG which is very TOS-like. I think "The Next Phase" is also good coming from TOS. DS9's "Crossover", which it's the better one from the Mirror Universe plot. From Voyager, I recommend "Time And Again". Now for Enterprise, there's "The Andorian Incident".

 

[dupersuper]

DS9's "Crossover", which it's the better one from the Mirror Universe plot.

Ah yes, I forgot DS9's forays into the mirror universe. There are five: I like the first three.

Also, maybe fan made stuff like Star Trek Continues?

 

[Lord Garth]

To be very brutally honest, I think you're all looking at this wrong. Just having TOS characters or TOS references isn't enough to rope in TOS Fans.

What you want are episodes from other series that will remind them of what they like about TOS: the types of stories, the types of beats, the type of vibe, the types of messages.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

To be very brutally honest, I think you're all looking at this wrong. Just having TOS characters or TOS references isn't enough to rope in TOS Fans.

What you want are episodes from other series that will remind them of what they like about TOS: the types of stories, the types of beats, the type of vibe, the types of messages.

In other words... The Naked Now!

 

[Lord Garth]

In other words... The Naked Now!

"The Naked Now" is a guilty pleasure of mine. Always has been. I make no apologies for it.

But anyway, I'd have to put some thought into a list of episodes from other Star Trek series that made me think, "This feels like TOS!" or "That gets to what I think the spirit of TOS was!"

Every successive Star Trek series has been "the same but different" in its own particular way. So finding an episode from another Star Trek series that feels like pure TOS is tough. But there actually are some out there that I'd deem "close enough".

 

[Richard S. Ta]

"The Naked Now" is a guilty pleasure of mine. Always has been. I make no apologies for it.

But anyway, I'd have to put some thought into a list of episodes from other Star Trek series that made me think, "This feels like TOS!" or "That gets to what I think the spirit of TOS was!"

Every successive Star Trek series has been "the same but different" in its own particular way. So finding an episode from another Star Trek series that feels like pure TOS is tough. But there actually are some out there that I'd deem "close enough".

The Naked Now is great stuff.

Going by your criteria I'd nominate one I rewatched recently that put me in a TOS zone. That's Where Silence Has Lease (TNG). Red shirt death and weirdo entity that's never mentioned again. So TOS.

 

[somebuddyX]

Code of Honor
Shades of Grey
Let He Who is Without Sin.
Profit and Lace
Threshold
Spirit Folk
A Night in Sickbay.
Bound.
Star Trek Insurrection
Star Trek Nemesis.

 

[Qonundrum]

Not the easiest or fastest list to compile, but episodes that hold up well and feel closer to TOS in tone and/or spirit than others might include:

TNG
Unnatural Selection (taking "The Deadly Years" in a whole new direction. If the TOS fan likes the progenitor episode, then show them this one.)
Contagion - has a TOS-esque vibe with the portal and Romulans but is still decidedly TNG
The Defector - build and continues on Romulan lore that TNG was right to include despite Roddenberry being against returning foes originally
Where Silence Has Lease - okay, the TOS fan may quickly point out that the big void area is indeed reminiscent of a certain TOS episode (as a bonus round, let them name it ) but once they get beyond that it's a decidedly different situation and is creepy as all heck. Very Twilight Zoneish in some ways

DS9
Paradise (the only other captain that might be as defiant is Kirk)
For The Uniform (that's what Kirk would do if he felt as cornered)
The Way of the Warrior (great Klingon action and you know the Prophets helped too)
The Visitor (As much as I love whining about the big hole, a first-time viewing packs a worthy punch and it's so well-acted that subsequent viewings still buoy it from the plot point.The main plot is good enough to overlook it as well. It's a great Sisko story in its own right.) This one isn't as much one a TOS fan might like out of the blue, but seeing enough DS9 and liking it, it's a perfect one to branch out with as it shows more love in this episode than Kirk ever did in 79 episodes.


VOY
Living Witness (It'd make you wish TOS explored it. )
Blink of an Eye (they nicked the title of the TOS episode, but created a refreshingly innovative concept with the TOS concept as a springboard that still has enough TOS-esque elements and could arguably fit in with Wink, All Our Yesterdays, et al. )
Scorpion (if you threw out "The Visitor" because it's not TOS-enough, this one definitely has a TOS vibe, especially the music that feels like a homage. Sadly, it does require knowledge of the Borg, requiring one to see Q-Who and The Best of Both Worlds and none of the others prior to Scorpion...)


This post is certified Trelane-free (Q-less, hehe...)