How Do I Watch Star Trek For Beginners?
Newbies who want to watch Star Trek all wonder where they should start and in what order they should watch all the content.
There are two choices: watch it based on the released dates or in-universe flow. Star Trek films and shows can get confusing as the chronology jumps around prequels, sequels, and the happenings in between. So as a beginner, here is a guide to watching Star Trek not to get lost inside its amazing universe.
The chronological order of release dates is the right way to consume the Star Trek series as a newbie. Some would claim that you should start with The Next Generation, but trust us, the chronological order is much better to avoid confusion, and you will not be clueless about the references. Below is the chronological order of Star Trek movies and TV shows for you to use as reference.
Star Trek: Enterprise
Set in the Year 2151-2161, this is the earliest part and prequel to The Original Series. The Enterprise sequel revolved around the first five warp-capable ships on Earth called the USS Enterprise NX-01. Jonathan Archer captained it, and he took his human deep into space. This is where humans made their initial contact with the Andoirans, Paragaan, and Ferengi.
Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1 and 2
His series featured the USS Discovery NCC-1031’s science specialist Michael Burnham as the main character. In the first season, he and his crew were the ones who handled the galaxy while it was on the brink of war, and then they chased The Red Angel in the second season. This series was set in the year 2225.
Star Trek: The Original Series
It’s set in 2265-2269, and most Star Trek fans assume this is the beginning of the ST franchise. This series featured the USS Enterprise’s journey and Captain Kirk’s adventures with First Officer Spock.
Star Trek: The Animated Series
This was a continuation of the USS Enterprise’s expedition in The Original Series. Several episodes acted as sequels to the TOS Star Trek, like “More Tribbles, More Troubles” and” Mudd’s Passion.” This series existed in the years 2269-2270.
The first Six ST Movies
These are The Motion Picture, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, followed by Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, then Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and The Final Frontier, lastly, The Undiscovered Country. All of which is set between years 2273-2293.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
This is set 70 years after Star Trek IV, in the years 2364-2370, in which the series followed the initial years of the USS’s journey.
Star Trek Movies 7-10
These movies are centered on Captain Kirk giving leadership to Picard. The ST Generations is set in 2371, while ST: Nemesis is set four years after.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
In the years 2369-2375, it started five years after the beginning of TNG and focused on the defensive, political, and commercial space station named Deep Space Nine.
Star Trek: Voyager
This sequel is centered on the events of Captain Kathryn Janeway’s pursuit of the Maquis vessel. The Voyager is smaller than the other starships but is the most technologically advanced.
Star Trek: Picard
Set in the year 2399, this is the last ST movie that focused on Picard’s life twenty years after his battle with Shinzon.
Just follow the list above, and you will now be able to enjoy exploring the Star Trek universe without being confused and worried about the references you might not understand.