10 Best Entry Points For Star Trek Newcomers

We want to open this article with thanks and acknowledgement to the number of people who have asked about this. Star Trek is now such a massive beast that beginning the journey to the final frontier can be a daunting one. How does one enter the franchise if they don't necessarily want to start with The Cage?

We will discuss the OG as an entry on this list, yet let us pose this question: does the obvious start point still serve as the best starting point? Star Trek, while still holding true to the ideals displayed in that initial pilot, has evolved so much in the near-60 years its been in existence. If one who were totally ignorant of Trek viewed a frame of The Cage alongside Picard season 3, might they even now think they're watching two different properties?

There are many of us who would say - no, easy, it's Star Trek, obviously! So, this article suggests entry points for those who have never seen a single frame of the franchise. No Borg, no Pah Wraiths, no Captain Proton - this is for the fresh out of the box, squeaky clean folks who just want to try a new show. My friends, we've got you covered here.

Let's take a journey together on some kind of Star Trek...

Let's discuss The Cage first, although not because it's the best starting point, but rather the easy one. In 1964, Gene Roddenberry put together this episode to introduce the world (and the Network) to Star Trek. This new idea owed a lot to the SciFi serials that had come before, with Forbidden Planet certainly serving a massive influence. It was both a celebration of, and natural extension, the pulpy content of yesteryear.

However, it was and remains a bold, provocative piece of fiction. Captain Christopher Pike is a firm lead to rally behind. The dated dialogue is perhaps one of the reasons it may not be the best entry point to Star Trek in 2024, yet the performances are solid across the board. Jeffrey Hunter is an easy leading man, while Majel Barrett shines as Number One. Leonard Nimoy is instantly iconic as Mr. Spock, the alien-yet-familiar Vulcan.

The episode has of course been remastered for those who may struggle a bit with the 60s production values, though for fans of the classics, this episode has it all - even if the Network wasn't initially convinced. It was such a good failure though that they gave the green-light to commission a second pilot, Where No Man Has Gone Before, which was quite unusual at the time. 

The Cage is Star Trek in a very pure form, a little rough around the edges, but an excellent introduction to everything that would follow.