Boldly going now for 60 years, the Star Trek franchise has produced so many great stories, across so many shows, that you may have wondered where to start. One way is to engage in a chronological binge-watch. (And, fun fact, we’ve got thoughts on the best order!) Another way is to go straight for the most iconic of iconic episodes. As your luck would have it, we’ve got thoughts on that, too!
Here’s a guide to 11 must-see episodes from across the Star Trek universe. All episodes are streaming now on Paramount+, the home of Star Trek. Ready to hit it?
How we chose the essential episodes
Our rundown of essential Star Trek franchise episodes is drawn from the Star Trek Collection on Paramount+. The collection boasts several great playlists, including Best of the Villains, Animation Celebration, and, yup, Essential Episodes.
The episode selections reflect important character moments, memorable storylines, and the themes that have defined Star Trek over the years.
11 essential episodes across the franchise
The following essential Star Trek episodes, culled from the Essential Episodes playlist on the Star Trek Collection on Paramount+, are presented in release order. They represent a range of Star Trek shows, from Star Trek (1966) to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
1. “The City on the Edge of Forever,” Star Trek
What it’s about: When Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) slips through a mysterious time portal and changes history, Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) follow him to 1930s Earth to set things right – and save their friend. But in order to accomplish their mission, the Enterprise crew must make a brutal sacrifice. Joan Collins, years away from her ruthless run on Dynasty, guest stars as a devoted social activist.
Why It’s essential: “The City on the Edge of Forever” isn’t just Star Trek essential; it’s TV essential. Featuring an acclaimed teleplay by Harlan Ellison, the episode is by turns slyly amusing – and deeply tragic. Keep the Kleenex handy.
WATCH NOW: “The City on the Edge of Forever,” Star Trek (Season 1, Episode 28)
2. “The Trouble with Tribbles” Star Trek
What it’s about: As Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) and crew tangle with Klingons and government bureaucrats, the U.S.S. Enterprise is overrun by small, furry, fast-multiplying creatures: tribbles.
Why it’s essential: Watch “The Trouble With Tribbles” to see when Star Trek proved it could do comedy as well as sci-fi drama. Then seek out and read David Gerrold’s landmark, behind-the-scenes account of the creation and making of the episode he penned, titled The Trouble with Tribbles.
FYI: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s “Trials + Tribble-ations”, another entry in the Star Trek Collection’s Essential Episodes playlist, is a companion piece to “The Trouble With Tribbles.” You’ll want to watch that episode after the original series’ iteration.
WATCH NOW: “The Trouble with Tribbles,” Star Trek (Season 2, Episode 15)
3. “The Measure of Man,” Star Trek: The Next Generation
What it’s about: When Data (Brent Spiner) refuses to be disassembled for research purposes, Capt. Picard (Patrick Stewart) is enlisted to defend his rights in court – and Riker (Jonathan Frakes) is forced to challenge them.
Why it’s essential: Through its courtroom drama, “The Measure of a Man” establishes Data as a fully autonomous person, not property. The episode is The Next Generation at full strength. It takes one huge idea, and follows it all the way through.
WATCH NOW: “The Measure of Man,” Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 2, Episode 9)
4. “The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1,” Star Trek: The Next Generation
5. “The Best of Both Worlds, Part 2,” Star Trek: The Next Generation
What they’re about: Because these episodes, the Season 3 finale and the Season 4 premiere, are so tightly linked – one drops a cliffhanger, the other resolves it – we’ll discuss them jointly. In them, the evil Borg capture Capt. Picard (Patrick Stewart). Can Riker (Jonathan Frakes) save his captain before he destroys the human race?
Why they’re essential: Resistance to these episodes is futile. The stories told here establish the Borg as the key villains of The Next Generation era – and they go a long way in explaining why Picard is so unnerved to be facing them again in the 1996 big-screen film Star Trek: First Contact.
WATCH NOW: “The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1,” Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 3, Episode 26)
WATCH NOW: “The Best of Both Worlds, Part 2,” Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 4, Episode 1)
6. “Duet,” Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
What it’s about: Major Kira (Nana Visitor) discovers that a Cardassian visiting the station could actually be a notorious war criminal.
Why it’s essential: In this political allegory, the usually headstrong Kira is forced to see herself through her enemy’s eyes. Classic Star Trek; great Deep Space Nine.
WATCH NOW: “Duet,” Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 1, Episode 19)
7. “Similitude” Star Trek: Enterprise
What it’s about: During an attempt to improve the Enterprise‘s warp engines, chief engineer Trip Tucker (Connor Trinneer) is injured. Archer (Scott Bakula) allows Phlox (John Billingsley) to create a clone of Trip in order to harvest neural tissue needed for a vital transplant. One catch: The clone must cease to exist after 15 days.
Why it’s essential: “Similitude” presents a heartfelt, moral conundrum. The Enterprise crew watches Trip’s clone grow from child to adult in the span of two weeks, and witnesses it cry out for more life. If the Star Trek franchise is strongest when things get uncomfortable, this episode is deeply uncomfortable in the best way.
WATCH NOW: “Similitude,” Star Trek: Enterprise (Season 3, Episode 10)
8. “Crisis Point,” Star Trek: Lower Decks
What it’s about: Ensign Mariner (Tawny Newsome) repurposes a holodeck program to cast herself as the villain in a Lower Decks-style movie.
Why It’s essential: “Crisis Point” is a love letter to longtime Star Trek fans, filled with references to the franchise’s movies. At the same time, it digs deeper into the show’s own world. The result is an episode where the jokes come fast, but real character pain is also explored.
WATCH NOW: “Crisis Point,” Star Trek: Lower Decks (Season 1, Episode 9)
9. “Through the Valley of Shadows,” Star Trek: Discovery
What it’s about: A signal leads the U.S.S. Discovery to a world where, upon acquiring a time crystal, Capt. Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) sees an ominous vision of his future, and is forced to make a life-changing choice.
Why it’s essential: “Through the Valley of Shadows” mines Star Trek lore – see the Pike of the original series’ “The Menegerie, Part I” and “The Menegerie, Party II” to more fully understand the captain’s plight – to deliver an episode that looks back, and lays the groundwork for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
WATCH NOW: “Through the Valley of Shadows,” Star Trek: Discovery (Season 2, Episode 12)
10. “That Hope Is You, Part 1” (Star Trek: Discovery)
What it’s about: Arriving 930 years in the future, Commander Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) navigates a galaxy she no longer recognizes while searching for the rest of the U.S.S. Discovery crew.
Why it’s essential: “That Hope Is You, Part 1” is one of the franchise’s biggest swings, and it works because it never loses character – and, in fact, enriches Burnham’s. Also, while the latest Star Trek entry, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, can be enjoyed as a standalone series, if you want to deepen your knowledge of Federation history before you start that one, this is a very good place to start.
WATCH NOW: “That Hope Is You, Part 1,” Star Trek: Discovery (Season 3, Episode 1)
11. “Children of the Comet” Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
What it’s about: While on a survey mission, the U.S.S. Enterprise crew discover a comet is about to strike an inhabited planet. Capt. Pike (Anson Mount) and company try to re-route it, only to discover that something buried within its icy surface is stopping them. Are they dealing with a natural threat, a sacred object, or something stranger?
Why it’s essential: “Children of the Comedy” is a character-driven adventure story in the tradition of classic Star Trek that establishes how then-just-launched Strange New Worlds will operate.
WATCH NOW: “Children of the Comet,” Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Season 1, Episode 2)
How to watch Star Trek on Paramount+
Paramount+ is the home of Star Trek. With a Paramount+ subscription, you can watch Star Trek shows, movies, and more. Want more to check out more must-see Star Trek episodes? Fire up the full Essential Episodes playlist in the Star Trek Collection. Looking for a mega-sized binge-watch? Stream more than 900 episodes from the following 11 Star Trek shows, all streaming now:
- Star Trek (1966)
- Star Trek: The Animated Series
- Star Trek: The Next Generation
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
- Star Trek: Voyager
- Star Trek: Enterprise
- Star Trek: Discovery
- Star Trek: Picard
- Star Trek: Lower Decks
- Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
- Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Star Trek Collection
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