It’s no fun when you’re in the middle of watching the second season finale of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” and that special character makes their debut appearance, and none of your friends understand the significance of getting to meet them. But let’s say your friends have expressed some interest in getting into “Star Trek,” but they’re not sure where to start. The franchise spans six decades, so there is quite a bit of content to review.

If you really want your friends to love the franchise as much as you do, the best approach isn’t always, “Watch the first episode of the Original Series and then keep going from there.” Some of your friends might love “Strange New Worlds,” but would find the slower pace and theatrics of the original series too much to sit through. You may have other friends who would adore “Star Trek: First Contact,” but how would they be able to enjoy that movie with no idea of the Borg? If you and your homies are fans of adult animation, then you’re bound to like “Star Trek: Lower Decks,” but so much of the fun of that series is wrapped in understanding all of the content that has come before that.

And worse, you may have friends who adore the 2009 “Star Trek” movie because it stars the darling Chris Pine, but how do you explain to them that the Kelvin timeline is almost completely divorced from all the other shows, even the original series?

Well, friends, I have put together a few alternate strategies for introducing your pals to one of the best franchises ever created. With a little strategy, and a Paramount+ subscription, they’ll be fans in no time.

Want “Star Trek” Vibes Without the “Trek” Part?

That’s simple. Introduce them to either “The Orville,” which is basically Seth MacFarlane’s “Star Trek: The Next Generation” fanfiction. For the record, I adore this show and sincerely hope it is renewed for a fourth season. Enjoying this show requires no previous knowledge of the Star Trek universe, so I think this could be a decent opening.

Another opening I highly recommend is the 1999 classic “Galaxy Quest.” Galaxy Quest is a parody of the Star Trek franchise as it’s about a group of actors from space exploration show who must work to save a colony of gullible aliens from an evil, much scarier alien. “Galaxy Quest” is not only one of the funniest movies ever made but is also beloved by Star Trek fans and actors alike.

Does Your Friend Have Half An Hour?

They should check out “The Trouble With Edward” from “Star Trek: Short Treks.” In this short, stand-alone episode, an optimistic space captain (Rosa Salazar) must contend with a dumbass scientist (H. Jon Benjamin) who thinks the key to solving food shortages is to get people to eat tribbles. He’s not totally wrong?

This episode requires almost no knowledge of Star Trek to be enjoyed, but it features one of the greatest recurring characters from the franchise: the ever-propagating tribble.

If your friends enjoy this episode, then you could probably show them the classic episode “The Trouble with Tribbles” from the original series. Then you could introduce them to “Trials and Tribble-ations,” from “Star Trek: Deep Space 9.”

“Star Trek: Deep Space 9” holds a place in my heart as the show that truly got me invested in the franchise. “Trials and Tribble-ations” is a funny episode meant to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the franchise, but it also features some impressive digital effects work and memorable character interactions.

My pet hypothesis is that once you get someone into “Deep Space 9,” they’ll do the heavy lifting of embracing the franchise, but I have a few other strategies if that doesn’t work.

Are They Interested In “The Original Series”?

If they want to get into “The Original Series,” or get a crash course in Star Trek-ology, the path is simple. First, show them the classic episode “Space Seed,” which will introduce them to one of the greatest villains of all time, Khan Noonien-Singh. Though modern viewers should be wary: Khan has an intense relationship with Marla McGivers, who almost immediately succumbs to his psychological hold. Their relationship is posited as romantic but unequal, as Khan is not only much stronger and physically able than McGivers, but is also able to manipulate her into betraying her crew and the Federation.

For some viewers, the interactions between Khan and McGivers could be distracting and upsetting. However, I’m also going to go on a limb and assume a couple of people reading this are little creeps who enjoy the “Big Strong Man Dominates Tiny Woman” trope, and they’ll eat it up.

If your friends aren’t frightened off by this point, then it’s time to bring out the big guns: “Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan.” This 1982 film is a sequel to this episode, and Ricardo Montalban reprises his role as Khan. And y’all, Montalban kills it as Khan. This guy has one motive: get revenge on Captain Kirk. Khan makes Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise miserable, and his actions have ripple-effects that last throughout the next two films.

Now, you may be wondering, “Hey, ‘Star Trek: Into Darkness‘ has Khan Noonien-Singh. Could I just watch that instead?”

If you’re already a fan of the franchise, you already understand how that’s not the best approach. However, for the uninitiated, I’ll explain: JJ Abrams, the guy who directed that movie and the 2009 reboot, has admitted to not being a fan of the franchise prior to directing them. Therefore, the movies he made aren’t necessarily bad, but they don’t feel like they belong to the franchise.

I really dislike the movie “Star Trek: Into Darkness.” “Star Trek: Into Darkness” borrows many elements from “The Wrath of Khan,” but it feels less like a reimagining of the story than outright rip-off. It’s a movie that demands the same emotional response from the audience as its predecessor but is completely unwilling to embrace what made the 1982 film so impactful.

The closest example I can think of is if your friend was a staunch Jane Austen fan, and you told them how much you liked the movie “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.” It’s not the worst movie ever, but it’s also not the most faithful homage to “Pride & Prejudice.”

What If Your Friend Wants a Fun Movie Night Without Khan?

What a bonkers question, but luckily I have a solution for you. If your friend is a fan of slow, ponderous science fiction like “2001: A Space Oddysey,” then go ahead and show them “Star Trek: The Motion Picture.” It’s hella slow, but the story is pretty enjoyable, and you don’t need to have watched the Original Series to understand it.

Now, if your friend is a normal person who doesn’t want to watch a 132-minute scifi movie from the 70s, then they should watch the fourth movie in the franchise, “Star Trek: The Voyage Home.” This is arguably one of the funniest “Star Trek” movies ever made, and the story is just silly enough to keep everyone entertained. In “The Voyage Home,” the crew of the enterprise travels back in time to 1986 San Franciso to kidnap some humpback whales for science fiction reasons. Hilarity and shenanigans ensue as a bunch of middle-aged people from the future try to navigate the horrifying 1980s.

Does Your Friend Want to Know More About “Star Trek: The Next Generation”?

Well damn, that’s fair! It’s a cozy show! Alright, here’s the episode-to-movie pipeline I propose:

1. Enterprise meets the Borg
2. Borg kidnaps Picard
3. Picard is saved from Borg
4. “Star Trek: First Contact” aka Picard f*cks up the Borg, and Humanity Makes First Contact.

Here’s the thing: There is no shortage of lists online recommending the best episodes of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” If you use those as your guide, you will find something you like. This also follows for episodes of the Original Series.

The episode that got me to watch “Star Trek: The Next Generation” in its entirety was one mentioned in the book, “Star Trek and Philosophy: The Wrath of Kant.” In the episode “Darmok,” Captain Picard has to establish communication with an alien civilization whose language is completely indecipherable to the universal translator. The moment Picard figures out the key to their language is as satisfying as watching Hercule Poirot solve a mystery.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANtl3bnQJr0

Does Your Friend Want to Watch a Whole New Series But Probably Wouldn’t Vibe With “The Next Generation”?

PLEASE introduce them to “Star Trek: Deep Space 9.” You can get into it without having to be an expert on all the different Star Trek species, and the first episode introduces several interesting characters and storylines you can follow throughout the show’s seven seasons. Unlike “Star Trek: The Original Series,” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Deep Space 9,” is a serial, and the events in one episode impact the events in the next, which leads to some very impressive story arcs that I think often went unappreciated in the fandom. The best episode to start with is the pilot, and then maybe grit your teeth through the next few episodes because the first season had a few rough moments until it stopped trying to be “The Next Generation.”

My biggest gripe about the series is that it ended and never got the chance to have its own movie sequel. It did get a dope documentary, though!

Does Your Friend Want to Watch “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”?

Maybe your friend has seen how freaking pretty this series is and is determined to give it a shot. Maybe they read my blog praising it and are curious. Or maybe they want to know what the musical episode is all about. Honestly, good for them, but the show might be difficult to understand without some knowledge about Pike’s past, and even more importantly, his future.

In a perfect world, I’d say, “Start with the first episode of ‘Star Trek: Discovery‘ and push forward!” But this isn’t a perfect world, and some fans dislike that first season. However, if you like the following trailer and want to check out “Discovery” for yourself, then go crazy. Michelle Yeoh is totally worth it.

So here is my advice: If your friend is unfamiliar with the events of the classic Star Trek episode “The Menagerie,” then have them watch “Star Trek: Discovery” starting from the second season premiere. There should be a “previously on” video at the start of the season that will get them caught up, and then they’re good to go. The point of watching the second season of “Star Trek: Discovery” is that they’ll see the introduction of Captain Pike, Number One, and Spock. There are enough satisfying throwbacks to “The Original Series” to inform and keep them entertained. The episode “If Memory Serves” from “Star Trek: Discovery” remains one of my all-time favorite episodes for the “previously on” alone.

Once they’ve watched that “Discovery” season, they’ll have enough information to keep them fully prepared for “Strange New Worlds.” And once they start watching “Strange New Worlds,” if they have any sense, they won’t be able to stop.

Does Your Friend Like Adult Animation?

Yeah, they’re probably going to love “Star Trek: Lower Decks.” It. Is. So. Fun. But it’s a lot more fun if you scroll back up to my instructions about getting them hooked on “The Next Generation.”

There’s a fan theory that Beckett Mariner, the main character in “Lower Decks,” was a child on the Enterprise during “The Next Generation,” and then fought in the Dominion War in “Deep Space 9.” In addition to being a cool theory, it shows that “Star Trek: Lower Decks” is kind of a sequel to “The Next Generation,” “Deep Space 9,” and even “Voyager.” Actors from these shows appear in the episodes all the time, and honestly, it’s such a treat to revisit old characters. So yeah, if you’re okay with explaining everything about Starfleet to your friend, go ahead and introduce them to “Lower Decks.”

Is Your Friend a Child?

I desperately hope your friend is, like, your own kid or maybe your friend’s kid, and not like a “Liz Lemon takes sleeping pills on a plane and thinks the child seated next to her is Oprah” situation.

You can totally get a younger generation into the franchise by showing them episodes from “The Next Generation,” which are pretty tame. However, the show “Star Trek: Prodigy” is an animated children’s show that’s received positive reviews, and looks super cute. I’m bummed I didn’t get a chance to watch the show before it was removed from Paramount+.

What If Your Friend Likes The Kelvin Timeline Movies?

Alright, here is my shameful, not quite-secret: I became a “Star Trek” fan when I watched the 2009 movie. Before that point, my mom said “Star Trek” was for losers, and watching it was not encouraged in my home. I thought Spock and Uhura were the cutest couple, and I loved how bold and daring Captain Kirk was. After that movie, I watched several Spock-centric episodes of “The Original Series,” and I wondered why Spock and Uhura had zero romantic chemistry and why Captain Kirk acted so differently. Who was this kind, thoughtful, compassionate man where Chris Pine should have been?

That’s because the 2009 “Star Trek” movie is a good movie that’s a bad Star Trek movie. JJ Abrams had no respect for the characters when he created this series, and while it is completely okay to enjoy these movies, they are tonally dissonant from the franchise.

Except for “Star Trek: Beyond.” Unlike the first two films, “Star Trek: Beyond” was partly written by Simon Pegg, a funny man who likes the series. In “Star Trek: Beyond,” Captain Kirk has lost most of his douchebaggery and grown into the role of captain. The movie is packed with callbacks and references to the franchise so that it feels like it wants to belong to the franchise.

The fourth Star Trek movie has been in developmental hell for the past few years, and honestly, with the debut of “Strange New Worlds,” I don’t feel like I’m missing anything. However, if Simon Pegg, or another trekkie were to put together a decent script, I’d buy a ticket.

So if your friend loves the first two movies, fear not. The third movie does a good job of returning to form and might be enough to generate interest in the rest of the series. Or at least in “Star Trek: Enterprise,” which would remain the only Star Trek show unaltered by the Kelvin timeline.

Did You Do Everything I Suggested, and Your Friend Still Isn’t a Trekkie?

If your friend has watched all of the crap I just suggested, then trust me, they’re a Trekkie. And even more importantly, they’re a good friend. So even if they don’t understand why you’re so invested in Captain Pike and Vina’s romantic reunion, or they don’t stay up at night wondering about the sad fate of Janeway’s salamander children, please be comforted with the knowledge that this person is still your friend. Even if they don’t love the same things as you, they’ll be happy if it makes you happy.

Or maybe you should try showing them “Farscape” instead. That show’s pretty awesome.