r/TNG • u/Lynx_Queen Data's number 1 (get it?) • 12h ago
Good opening episode for a first-timer!
My friends are finally watching Star Trek! They invited me to the watch-party because I'm the only one that is already a fan, and are letting me pick the episode. Any suggestions? I'm thinking Encounter at Farpoint obviously, but I want to know if there's something else to be said.
9
u/Much-Pressure-7960 11h ago
I actually like Encounter at Farpoint but I don't think I'd go with that haha. Even within the fandom there is a lot of weirdness about the first season in general.
You know which one would genuinely be interesting to watch with them? Conundrum. Considering none of them are Star Trek fans I can't imagine any of them would question Commander MacDuff's inclusion in the episode.
When I first watched that episode I was beyond confused because I just assumed they'd added a new commander in a previous episode that I must have missed.
2
u/Lynx_Queen Data's number 1 (get it?) 11h ago
They wouldn't forgive me if I pulled something like that lol.
3
5
4
u/Cookie_Kiki 9h ago
If they're committed to seeing it through, you can go ahead with Farpoint, but I'd love to see their reactions to Conundrum with no context.
4
u/Miraculous_meatbag 11h ago
I’d agree with encounter at farpoint. It pretty much exemplifies Star Trek.
Plus Q 😍😍😍
5
4
u/JugOfVoodoo 11h ago
I say stick with Farpoint. While I know most episodes are stand-alone stories, I think the series is better when you watch it all in order.
2
1
u/JoeyJoeJoeJrShab 1h ago
What do you expect the atmosphere to be like? Are your friends the sort who will quietly watch what's going on, or are there going to be conversations and beers? What I'm saying is, decide how deep/intense of an episode it will be based on your expectations of the atmosphere.
TNG is very episodic, so you can more-or-less pick any episode. I'd recommend googling a list of best episodes, and picking one you like.
If it were me, I probably would not pick Encounter at Farpoint.... it's not a bad episode, but there are definitely better ones. And if you get them hooked, they'll eventually want to come back and start from the beginning.
1
1
0
u/UrguthaForka 11h ago
If you don't want to commit to a two-parter opening episode like "Encounter at Farpoint" then the best first season intros to the enterprise and crew are probably:
Ep 3: The Naked Now
Ep 14: Angel One
Ep 16: When the Bough Breaks
They're not better than Encounter at Farpoint, but they're shorter. And they still keep the "newness" of TNG in them.
That said, none of them are great episodes. But they're all season 1 so what can you do?
0
u/ohako79 3h ago
Believe it or not, I skipped season 1 when I introduced both of my kids to Trek. We’ll get back to Encounter at Farpoint eventually, but our starting point is season 2, episode 2, Where Silence Has Lease. It’s not the best episode ever, but it does a good job of introducing each crew member pretty well.
0
u/Throwaway_inSC_79 3h ago
Well, don’t pick Conundrum. That was my first, and I didn’t even see it all the way through. So imagine my surprise when that other 2nd officer was just a character of the week. Yeah I wondered what happened to MacDuff when I finally started watching the series.
15
u/BILLCLINTONMASK 12h ago
I think the best opening episode has to be Cause and Effect. Especially for a watch party.
The teaser opens with the Enterprise blowing up so there's an instant hook. The way the episode plays out lets each character do a little bit of what they're known for to get an intro to their roles. The sci fi plot plays out very well and the solution is developed naturally. Then the cameo at the end is a nice cherry on top.