10 Best Entry Points For Star Trek Newcomers

This third season episode of The Next Generation balances the lore and the new very, very well. It also helps the viewer by giving just enough context (Tasha was dead, that Enterprise is old, oh look new uniforms) without bashing anyone over the head with it. The romance element is simple enough and the performances keep the pace moving quickly. Whoopi Goldberg is her usual brilliant self, while Denise Crosby gets to deliver the pinnacle of Yar, whether a new viewer knows it or not.

The episode was a long time in gestating, yet it works without preamble. The darker setting is explained as, in a way, the characters are dealing with environments as new to them as it is the viewer. It is explained without losing the story - it is a classic for a reason.

The first two season of The Next Generation are often unfairly maligned. While the second season is a vastly superior effort all across the board, if one were to start there, they lose Denise Crosby's Tasha Yar almost entirely. Starting with Yesterday's Enterprise allows the viewer to get to experience the character without some of the rougher first season edges.

It may be an alternate universe but it offers enough to bring the viewer in, help them find their feet, and enjoy all that prune juice has to offer.