10 Most Intense Star Trek Cold Opens

10. Cause And Effect

What is more intense than watching your favourite ship and crew explode in a ball of flame? Doing it multiple times, we suppose, although we weren't to know that was in store as Cause And Effect burst onto our screens in 1992. The infamous time loop episode, directed by Jonathan Frakes, began with a bang.

The audience is given no context or any time to breathe. The ship's starboard nacelle is on fire, throwing the Enterprise-D into a spin. On board, the crew is scrambling to control the situation before Picard gives that fateful order to abandon ship, to no avail.

No one escapes as the hero ship of The Next Generation is destroyed - cut to credits.

This cold open is a masterwork in grabbing and holding the audience's attention. Why is this happening? Who is responsible? Why does Ro Laren have that haircut? These are all questions that need answering - you can bet good money that everyone came back after the credits finished rolling.