Star Trek is now a massive franchise, spanning 58 years and 930 episodes and 48 television seasons, as well as 13 films (with the premiere of Section 31, that will be 14), so telling someone new to Star Trek where to start is pretty difficult. Many people would say to start with the original series and work your way through, but Whatculture thinks differently and has put together a combined list of episodes and films that anyone new to Star Trek should watch.

While I agree with several titles on Sean Ferrick’s list, there are a few that confuse me a little – Star Trek 2009 is one of them. This film is set in a different timeline and presents a different take on the two up-and-coming Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto). Also on the list is The Original Series’ Balance of Terror, which introduces new viewers to the original Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) in the original timeline. Wouldn’t it be confusing for newcomers to see two different versions of the same characters? Even diehard Trek fans had a problem with the recasting of the roles.

Also included in this list is “Yesterday’s Enterprise” from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Again, an excellent piece of television, but we have Lt. Tasha Yar, who was dead but came back from the dead in this episode. New viewers of Star Trek know nothing about parallel universes or alternate timelines, so wouldn’t it be difficult for them to know what’s happening, what’s supposed to happen, and who these people are?

I know it’s difficult to put together a list or introductory course for those just getting into Star Trek, but without the basics of Starfleet and the Federation, it wouldn’t be easy for a viewer to understand what’s happening and why. I can’t imagine watching Trek any other way than from the beginning. But now, someone could start with Star Trek: Enterprise before moving on to Star Trek: The Original Series and then Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and then they’re on their way to learning enough about the ins and outs of Starfleet and the Federation to really understand what Star Trek is all about. And I say that as someone who was asked not too long ago how best to start watching Star Trek. So far, the new viewer has not been disappointed. OK, well, maybe with “The Way to Eden,” but that’s understandable.