Ranking Star Trek Pilots From Every Series Worst To Best
Thanks to Scopely for sponsoring this video.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00 Ranking the various "Star Trek" pilots is tricky.
00:04 And it's now something that has to be done
00:05 with slightly more regularity.
00:07 How does one define a pilot episode?
00:11 Does a "Mantrap" count, as it was broadcast first?
00:14 Does "Runway" fit in, or do we count the "Short Treks"
00:17 as part of their respective series?
00:19 Arguably, "Q&A" and "Arsenal" could be seen as pilots
00:22 for "Strange New Worlds."
00:24 In the end, though, this video focuses
00:27 on the main televised series and their pilots.
00:30 A future list may expand on, but for now,
00:33 where "No Man Has Gone Before" will be the pilot
00:36 in question for James R. Kirk.
00:38 Although, following that logic,
00:40 perhaps a "Mantrap" is the pilot for James T. Kirk.
00:44 Ranking the newest pilots against the older ones
00:46 may seem somewhat unfair.
00:48 There is no competition when one compares
00:51 the stunning visuals of the Vulcan "Hello"
00:53 against the less stunning visuals of the "Cage."
00:56 And yet, it's surprisingly easy
00:58 to compare them all to each other.
01:00 Because for all the arguing online, they are all "Star Trek."
01:04 With that in mind, then, I'm Ellie with Trek Culture,
01:07 ranking "Star Trek" pilots from every series
01:10 from worst to best.
01:12 Number 11, "Encounter at Farpoint."
01:16 With the success of the movies
01:17 kicking "Star Trek" into warp speed,
01:20 it was time for the franchise to return to its roots.
01:23 "Star Trek The Next Generation" was conceived
01:25 as a continuation of the show.
01:28 And to say that it was met initially
01:30 with lukewarm reactions is underselling it.
01:33 The original cast were not entirely on board to begin with.
01:36 George Takai, James Duhan, and even DeForest Kelly,
01:39 the seemingly nicest man who ever lived,
01:41 were not thrilled to hear that they were being replaced
01:44 in the eyes of Trekkies everywhere.
01:46 Kelly was the first to come around,
01:47 appearing in the pilot in one of the most heartwarming scenes
01:50 of the next generation's seven-year run.
01:53 The rest of the cast eventually came around,
01:55 although "Encounter at Farpoint" is very rarely voted
01:58 by fans as the best episode of the show.
02:01 While there is a lot to like,
02:03 the visuals and the introduction of Q
02:04 serve as highlights for the premiere,
02:07 it suffered from that common ailment
02:08 of not quite knowing what it is as it came out the door.
02:12 Although it's safe to say, as time went on,
02:14 "The Next Generation" did okay.
02:17 Number 10, "Beyond the Farthest Star."
02:21 This episode might come as a surprise
02:23 to viewers who may not be overly familiar
02:26 with Star Trek's first animated series.
02:29 It has thrills and chills as the Enterprise
02:31 is trapped in the gravity well of a dead star,
02:34 where they encounter a ship that has been trapped there
02:37 for 300 million years.
02:39 On board this ship is a malevolent being,
02:42 intent on escaping and using the Enterprise to do it.
02:46 This episode has a lot going for it.
02:48 The cast returns to play the characters
02:50 they've originated and the story itself
02:52 is gripping and intriguing.
02:54 The episode is let down by the animation and dialogue,
02:58 which has a whiff of a studio
03:00 that's still learning how to adapt to the medium.
03:03 But these are small complaints.
03:05 Star Trek was back and ready to keep on traveling
03:08 to strange new worlds, keeping the show alive
03:11 while the convention circuit began to really take off.
03:15 Number nine, "Where No Man Has Gone Before."
03:18 The second pilot of Star Trek
03:19 acts as a spiritual sequel to "The Cage,"
03:22 but it does reflect what Star Trek's first incarnation
03:26 would embody best.
03:28 It has action, it has mystery,
03:30 and it has Kurt's shirt being almost completely torn off.
03:34 If anything, "Where No Man Has Gone Before"
03:37 is the epitome of Star Trek's first 20 years
03:40 summed up in an hour.
03:41 Spock was now the cold Vulcan
03:43 that we could come to know and love,
03:45 as opposed to the more emotional man of "The Cage."
03:48 He had also received a promotion,
03:50 ousting Barrett's number one
03:52 to the position of first officer.
03:54 We got an iconic scene where James R. Kirk
03:57 faces off against the superhuman Gary Mitchell,
04:00 who was recently name-dropped in "Lower Decks,"
04:03 and it also features the only appearance
04:06 of the original series' phaser rifle,
04:09 a very solid start to what would become
04:11 Star Trek the original series.
04:15 Number eight, "Lost and Found."
04:17 "Lost and Found" has the task of introducing
04:19 not only established fans of the franchise
04:22 to an entirely new frontier to boldly enter,
04:25 but also has to extend that welcome
04:27 to a new, younger audience.
04:30 So does it manage to quite do that?
04:32 Well, arguably, yes.
04:34 The visuals are a spectacular treat,
04:37 and the voice acting is on point from all and sundry.
04:41 Those hoping for an Easter egg-heavy opening
04:43 might leave a little disappointed,
04:45 but that's effectively the point.
04:47 Star Trek Prodigy makes a mission statement
04:49 out of creating something new,
04:51 yet managing to exist in the wider world.
04:54 The inclusion of a solitary Kazon
04:56 is enough for seasoned Trekkies to know
04:58 that we're located in the Delta Quadrant
05:00 without anything else being overly telegraphed.
05:03 The design of the USS Protostar is an absolute treat,
05:07 while the rapidly cobbled-together crew
05:09 seem to have genuine chemistry.
05:11 The main villain of the pilot, Dreadnought,
05:13 may be Star Trek's take on General Grievous,
05:15 but is effective nonetheless.
05:18 That character's appearance
05:19 in the pilot's closing moment pays off
05:21 without being the sole point of the story.
05:23 It may not have the gravitas
05:25 of some of the other entries on this list,
05:27 but it is a strong start for Star Trek Prodigy,
05:31 and a whole new generation of fans.
05:34 Number seven, the cage.
05:37 It is no secret that here at What Culture Towers,
05:40 we are big fans of the very first pilot of Star Trek,
05:44 named "The Cage" on release.
05:46 It's an hour of what Star Trek would come to be known for,
05:49 cerebral exploration of their dealings with alien races,
05:53 action, and equality across genders and species.
05:57 Starring Geoffrey Hunter as Captain Pike,
05:59 Leonard Nimoy, and Magell Barrett,
06:01 with guest star Susan Oliver as Vena,
06:04 this show would take viewers on a special journey
06:07 into the heart of the unknown,
06:09 serving as the perfect introduction
06:11 as to what Star Trek would become.
06:13 However, it failed to sufficiently impress the network.
06:16 They felt that while there was a good idea
06:18 and good imagination here,
06:20 the episode itself was too cerebral,
06:22 and that it would fail to grab viewers.
06:25 They did, however, decide that there was something
06:27 there worth saving.
06:29 Roddenberry was given some notes
06:30 and told to write a new pilot.
06:32 The notes were to drop the woman from the bridge,
06:35 lose the satanic-looking fellow,
06:37 and punch up the action a bit.
06:39 At least one of those notes was ignored.
06:42 And for the love of Spock, we thank him.
06:45 Number six, the Vulcan hello.
06:47 Star Trek Discovery has been dividing fans
06:51 since the first news broke
06:52 that another prequel was on the way.
06:55 The first images of the show confused fans
06:57 as to where and when it would be set.
07:00 If, like the producers claimed,
07:02 it was to be set before Kirk and Spock,
07:05 why then did the technology look so modernized?
07:08 What on earth were those demon-looking creatures
07:10 that seemed to be speaking Klingon,
07:12 and Spock has a sister now?
07:14 Discovery dared to do something new with the Vulcan hello.
07:18 It opened on the Klingons planning to unite
07:21 to fight the Federation,
07:22 then focuses on Michael Burnham
07:24 and her disastrous attempt to save the lives
07:27 of her ship and crew.
07:28 The episode is beautiful.
07:30 The effects team took every dollar they were thrown
07:33 and handed it back to the audience
07:35 in every shot of the episode.
07:37 Everything is rendered to look so realistic
07:39 that the ho-hum graphics of some of Enterprise
07:42 are immediately forgotten.
07:44 The pilot does stumble though.
07:46 It's told at a breakneck pace, screaming through the plot
07:50 rather than offering the audience any time
07:52 to swallow what's happening.
07:54 We're given compelling characters
07:56 with no time to be compelled.
07:58 The second pilot comes two episodes later,
08:01 though Discovery does ask a lot of its audiences
08:04 in the first season.
08:05 As pilots go, it's a tough one to follow.
08:09 Number five, "Second Contact."
08:12 It might seem a bit mean to say this,
08:14 but nobody expected "Star Trek Lower Decks" to be great.
08:18 Good, certainly.
08:20 It had some excellent talent lined up for behind the scenes,
08:23 and the show was thankfully not hindered by the lockdown
08:26 with actors able to record remotely.
08:28 At best, some hoped this would be a fun addition
08:31 to the franchise.
08:33 It has become so much more.
08:36 While there are moments of comedy
08:37 that seem more at place in "Rick and Morty,"
08:40 the show is treating the franchise not just with respect,
08:43 but with reverence.
08:44 In the pilot, we are greeted with a shot of space dog,
08:48 followed by the surprisingly lovely USS Cerritos.
08:52 The animation is superb, and the voice talent nails it.
08:56 The show is, to quote a famous Trek culture voice,
08:58 "Piss funny."
09:00 It absolutely smashes the comedy
09:02 while honoring what came before.
09:04 The pilot closes by name dropping not just Kirk and his crew
09:08 but also Gary Mitchell,
09:10 who hasn't been heard from since 1966.
09:14 Yet, none of it feels tacked on.
09:17 And the relationships established
09:19 seem as real as any we've seen before.
09:21 The future of "Star Trek" seems to be in good hands
09:24 at the moment, and as Trekkies,
09:26 that's a good place for us to be.
09:29 Number four, "Remembrance."
09:31 For that image alone, "Star Trek Picard"
09:33 could have done nothing else
09:35 and still made its way into the hearts of audiences.
09:38 However, and thankfully, it did a lot more than that.
09:42 The opening shot, similar to "Discovery"
09:44 in its stunning use of visuals,
09:46 becomes a scene between John Luke and Data,
09:49 offering us a hint of what was to come
09:51 in the first season of "Star Trek Picard."
09:53 This was not going to be a rehash of the next generation,
09:57 and many people found that jarring.
09:59 Captain Picard was always the most reasoned
10:01 and calming force, yet here he is,
10:04 fighting with a reporter,
10:05 being blown backwards by explosions,
10:08 and for all intents and purposes, showing his age.
10:11 And that is exactly the point.
10:13 Many of us would have loved
10:15 the next generation season eight,
10:17 but that was never what was on the table.
10:20 There is both action and moments of calm here,
10:23 with enough to hook new viewers
10:24 while offering tidbits to the returning viewers.
10:27 The closing shot of the episode,
10:29 revealing the immensity of the Borg cube,
10:31 stands out as one of the moments of the season,
10:34 and in fact, Trek in general, from the last 20 years.
10:38 Remembrance was an excellent pilot
10:40 for what would become a mixed bag of a season.
10:43 Number three, "Broken Bow."
10:46 To be fair, the franchise was headed into the fatigue
10:49 that would put it on ice for several years
10:51 when "Enterprise," later retconned
10:54 to be named "Star Trek Enterprise," was conceived.
10:57 The idea of a prequel series had been bandied about
11:00 for almost a decade, with the idea of doing a movie
11:02 on Kirk and Spock at the Academy
11:04 doing the rounds for a while.
11:06 With the completion of "Voyage at Rick Berman"
11:08 and "Bran and Braga," created "Enterprise,"
11:11 a series about the first ship named Enterprise.
11:14 It came out at entirely the wrong time.
11:16 The pilot, "Broken Bow," was quite an interesting episode,
11:20 but suffered from a sense of the audience
11:22 having seen it all before.
11:24 The visuals, while very nice,
11:25 were also still slightly jarring.
11:27 "Enterprise" is the first series to rely entirely on CGI
11:31 to depict the ship.
11:33 There were canon and continuity issues from the start,
11:36 a theme that is yet to go away from "Star Trek,"
11:39 and this served to put audiences off.
11:42 While the pilot does the necessaries
11:43 of introducing the crew and the ship,
11:46 the timing of it all, just after 9/11, was against it.
11:50 It does seem to be having a second life in recent years,
11:53 something that is very welcome to fans of the show.
11:56 Number two, "Caretaker."
11:59 "Star Trek's" first series to be led by a female captain,
12:03 Voyager broke the mold on its arrival.
12:06 The ship, beautifully designed by Rick Sternbeck,
12:09 was hurled into the Delta Quadrant in a new-ish take
12:13 on seeking out strange new worlds and civilizations.
12:16 "Caretaker" is an excellent opener to the series.
12:20 The action kicks off almost immediately
12:22 with the Marquis on the run from the Cardassians,
12:24 only to end up on the wrong side of the Badlands.
12:27 After a welcome stop at Deep Space Nine,
12:29 Voyager launches and finds itself thrown
12:32 to the Delta Quadrant by the Caretaker,
12:34 a powerful being who is trying to save the Akampa,
12:37 a people he inadvertently devastated.
12:40 The series' villain, the Kazon, are introduced,
12:42 as well as Neelix and Kes, the first friends
12:45 that the crew makes on the far side of the galaxy.
12:47 "Caretaker" is a strong opener for the show
12:50 and is up there with "Emissary" for best pilots of Star Trek.
12:54 It knows when to hit, when to hold back,
12:57 and when to show off some gorgeous visuals.
13:00 Star Trek Voyager had arrived,
13:02 and it looked like it was going to be a good one.
13:05 Number one, "Emissary."
13:08 Star Trek's Deep Space Nine burst onto screens in 1992,
13:13 and although it started slow in the ratings,
13:15 it's now enjoying its long-awaited status
13:18 of some of the best Star Trek ever made.
13:21 The pilot "Emissary" is quite possibly the most rewatchable
13:25 of all the pilot episodes on this list.
13:28 It, unlike many of the others,
13:30 was instantly sure of what it was going to be.
13:33 This was a story about a lonely facility
13:35 out in the wilds of the Alpha Quadrant
13:38 with a crew who not only had conflict with each other,
13:40 they outright disliked each other for the first year.
13:43 Welcome characters returned, like Chief O'Brien,
13:46 while Avery Brooks as Commander Sisko
13:48 offered what is potentially the best single performance
13:51 of any leading cast member in a pilot of Star Trek.
13:55 This was a new journey,
13:56 albeit one where the adventures came to them.
13:59 The greatest villain of Star Trek, Gol Dukat,
14:02 was introduced in the pilot as well,
14:04 meaning that in a single stroke,
14:06 we were offered some of the best characters
14:09 to be created for Star Trek.
14:11 There is no understating just how good
14:14 Star Trek Deep Space Nine is.
14:16 All wrapped up in its excellent pilot.
14:19 And there you have it,
14:20 every Star Trek pilot ranked from worst to best.
14:23 If your ranking is different,
14:24 then please let us know in the comments below.
14:26 And while you're there,
14:27 like and subscribe and tap that notification bell.
14:31 You can also head over to Twitter to follow us there
14:33 and I can be found across various social medias
14:35 just by searching Ellie Littlechild.
14:37 I've been Ellie with Trek Culture.
14:39 I hope you have a wonderful day
14:41 and remember to boldly go where no one has gone before.