One of the best parts about being a long-time viewer of how to watch every Star Trek show in order, it is well worth it. The hundreds of hours of Star Trek content contain some of the best stories on television, but because of the sheer complexity of Roddenberry's universe, there will always be more Star Trek stories to tell.
And as television technology constantly advances, along with audience curiosity, there will always questions for Star Trek to answer. For example, Klingons looked very different between The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation, and it wasn't until Star Trek: Enterprise that audiences got an in-universe explanation for the change. Star Trek is a franchise where inconsistencies are an opportunity for more storytelling, but since Star Trek can't possibly answer every question, there is always room for fan theories to fill in the gaps between shows.
10 The Mirror Universe Diverged From The Prime Timeline Because Captain Kirk Saved Edith Keeler
If He Couldn't Lose Her, The Prime Timeline Could Never Have Formed As We Know It
One of the most fascinating aspects of the complete Star Trek canon is the Mirror Universe: an alternate reality where Earth formed the brutal Terran Empire instead of Starfleet. Although the Mirror Universe was first introduced in TOS and features in many other Star Trek shows, not much is known about why the Mirror Universe and Prime Timeline are so different. The introduction for the Star Trek: Enterprise episodes "In A Mirror Darkly" suggests the two realities have some shared history, but by the time of Vulcan's first with humanity, things had totally diverged.
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That divergence point could be when Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) had to choose whether to let Edith Keeler (Joan Collins) die in "The City on the Edge of Forever." We know that, if Captain Kirk had saved Edith Keeler, the Nazis conquered the world. We also know that, in such a reality, Starfleet and the Enterprise-A would not have existed. Given both the Nazis' and the Terran Empire's genocidal expansionism and fascination with Roman culture, it makes sense that the Mirror Universe diverged from the Prime timeline because Captain Kirk could not let the woman he loved die.
9 Star Trek: Enterprise's Finale Doesn't Show What Really Happened To Captain Archer's Crew
A Holonovel Is Not The Same As Reality
The finale for Star Trek: Enterprise, "These Are the Voyages..." is arguably the worst series finale in Star Trek. What makes it so controversial is that it tells the story of Captain Archer's (Scott Bakula) crew via holonovel. In other words, the actual crew of the original Enterprise do not appear in the show's final episode, only holographic recreations seen by Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) from The Next Generation.
Interestingly, however, the fact that "These Are the Voyages..." is explicitly just a holographic recreation means that it is entirely possible that the final episode of Enterprise does not reflect reality for Captain Archer's crew. Episodes like "Author, Author" from Star Trek: Voyager make it clear that even in the 24th century, reality is often warped for the sake of drama in holonovels. And in our universe, even highly realistic historical fiction has to change details, characters, or events to tell a more satisfying story.
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Who is to say that this isn't exactly what's going on in "These Are the Voyages..." At the very least, Commander Riker's cook, who is mentioned nowhere else in Enterprise, is probably a character invented to give viewers an entry point into the narrative. Depending on how much was changed, it is easy to imagine that the final voyage of Captain Archer's crew looked nothing like the show's finale.
8 Starfleet's Iconic Transporters Are Actually Deadly, And Thomas Riker Proves It
Who's To Say If The Fundamental Essence Of A Person Can Survive The Transporter Buffer
Transporters are one of the most innovative and important pieces of technology in Star Trek, but the process bears an uncomfortable similarity to disintegrating a person. In some form, the theory that transporters actually kill the original person or consciousness ing through them has been around since Star Trek: The Original Series. And, even in universe, there are many prominent characters who are highly skeptical of transporter technology. Famously, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelly), Dr. Katherine Pulaski (Diana Muldaur), and Lt. Reginald Barklay (Dwight Schultz) all harbor intense suspicions of transporters, despite how common they are in Starfleet.
In a very real sense, the unified being that was William Thomas Riker died in that transporter, and neither clone can really represent the original being.
But the existence of transporter clones like Thomas Riker essentially prove that transporters do not preserve the fundamental essence of a person. There was one Riker on the planet, but he was divided into two identical clones who went on to form different experiences and memories. In a very real sense, the unified being that was William Thomas Riker died in that transporter, and neither clone can really represent the original being.
7 Lt. Beckett Mariner Was A Prisoner Of War During The Events Of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
No Wonder She Did Not Enjoy Serving On Deep Space Nine
One of the most harrowing details of Lt. Beckett Mariner's (Tawny Newsome) backstory is the fact that she spent time in a Klingon prison. In the season 1 episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks, "Envoys," then-Ensign Mariner revealed that she had to fight a yeti for her shoes while held in a Klingon prison. Although Ensign Mariner never explained that story further, based on her history, it is likely she was imprisoned while stationed on Deep Space Nine during the brief Klingon Federation war.
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Being a Klingon prisoner would have been incredibly traumatic for the young ensign Mariner. Later episodes like "Hear All, Trust Nothing," and "The Inner Fight" make it clear that Beckett Mariner did not enjoy her time as an ensign on Deep Space Nine, and the experience of fighting in the Dominion War left her with crippling survivors' guilt. If the reason she spent time in a Klingon prison was that she was a captured enemy combatant, it is safe to assume that Ensign Mariner's time in prison would have been torturous.
6 The Trill's Relationship With Their Symbiotes Started Off Parasitic
Why Else Would Removing A Symbiote Kill The Host?
Because of their ability to transfer memories and experiences between hosts, ed Trill form some of the most fascinating characters in Star Trek. Deep Space Nine's Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) has the knowledge and experience of a Klingon Ambassador, a gymnast, a musician, and many others through her relationship with the Dax symbiote. And yet, the medical ing between Trill hosts and symbiotes is somewhat disconcerting. In "Invasive Procedures," it becomes clear that transferring a trill symbiote requires major surgery and is fatal to the previous host.
While ed Trill may be some of the best officers in Starfleet and the finest scientists in the Federation, it stands to reason that this most essential Trill relationship began with violent parasitism.
Evolutionarily speaking, there is no reason that the Trill would have evolved for such a violent transference process. What makes the most sense is that the symbiotes started off as harmful parasites, and that the symbiotic nature of the relationship only evolved over time. So, while ed Trill may be some of the best officers in Starfleet and the finest scientists in the Federation, it stands to reason that this most essential Trill relationship began with violent parasitism.
5 Chief O'Brien's "Pup" Computer Secretly Helped The Dominion
The Playfull Program May Well Have Been Dominion Spyware
Midway through season 1 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) introduced a strange "pup" computer program to Deep Space Nine. An alien probe came through the wormhole, and after ing it Chief O'Brien discovered a non-sentient lifeform in the programming, which migrated onto the station. Eventually, then-Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) agreed that the Chief could "keep the puppy," and it was never brought up again.
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But, in following seasons, the Dominion consistently seemed to have more information about the Alpha Quadrant and the Federation than seems probable. In their first episode, "The Jem'Hadar," it is clear that the Vorta were already quite familiar with how Starfleet operates. All this starts to make sense, however, if Chief O'Brien's "pup" was actually Dominion spyware. That program lived on Deep Space Nine's computer throughout the series, and it absolutely could have been funneling information towards the Dominion.
4 The Prophets From Deep Space Nine Are The Future Of The Changelings
And Constable Odo Is Why They Care About Bajor
Whether they are the Bajoran Prophets or the wormhole aliens, the non-linear beings that inhabit the wormhole connecting Bajoran space to the Gamma Quadrant are one of the most mysterious species in the complete Star Trek timeline. Deep Space Nine makes it clear that the Prophets are not only central to Bajoran religion but also have been shepherding Bajor and Bajorans for millennia. While the origins of the Prophets and their reasons for caring about Bajor are unknown, it is nevertheless possible to speculate about how they are connected to Star Trek as we know it now.
Both the Changelings and the Prophets have the ability to change their appearances at will, and it is clear that both the Prophets and the Changelings exist outside of standard boundaries of personhood and individuality.
And it makes sense that the Prophets could be the future evolutionary state of the Changelings. Both the Changelings and the Prophets have the ability to change their appearances at will, and it is clear that both the Prophets and the Changelings exist outside of standard boundaries of personhood and individuality. At the end of Deep Space Nine, Constable Odo (René Auberjonois) ed the Great Link of the Changelings permanently, and it is entirely possible that it is his influence on the Great Link that led the future Changelings nee Prophets to take such a special interest in Bajor.
3 The Q Are The Progenitors From The Last Season Of Star Trek: Discovery
A Species With The Power To Seed New Life Could Absolutely Form The Continuum
Star Trek: The Next Generation introduced a new species in the season 6 episode, “The Chase,” revealing that all the humanoid species of the Alpha Quadrant are actually descendants of the same alien species, the “Progenitors.” At the time, TNG did not delve further into the implications of this shared heritage, nor the technology that would allow it, but the final season of Star Trek: Discovery centered around uncovering the secret history of the Progenitors.
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We know that Humans, Cardassians, Klingons, Romulans, and Vulcans are all descended from the Progenitors, but it is also possible that the Progenitors themselves live on in the galaxy in a new form. Consider the possibility that the Q Continuum are the direct evolutionary descendants of the Progenitors. The Q clearly have a longstanding interest in the "lower lifeforms" of the galaxy, and that interest would make a lot of sense if those lower lifeforms were essentially their long-lost cousins.
...both the Progenitor's technology and the powers of the Q clearly exist in a grey zone between science fiction and magic.
Science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke famously said, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic," and both the Progenitor's technology and the powers of the Q clearly exist in a gray zone between science fiction and magic. Given just how powerful the Q are by the 24th century, it seems likely that they would have had the ability to jumpstart life throughout the rest of the galaxy millions of years earlier.
2 The Romulans Saw Through Captain Sisko In DS9's "In The Pale Moonlight"
But They Helped The Federation Anyways
"In the Pale Moonlight," is one of not only DS9's best episodes, but also all of Star Trek. Over the course of the episode, Captain Sisko works with Cardassian-spy-turned-tailor Elim Garak (Andrew J. Robinson) to pull the Romulan Star Empire into the Dominion war on the side of the Federation. In the end, they falsified documents and assassinated the Romulan Ambassador Vreenak (Stephen McHattie), but they did bring the Romulans into the war as Federation allies. But, given the Romulans' long history of spying and subterfuge, it hardly makes sense that they wouldn't see through Captain Sisko's ploy.
If the Romulans openly ed on the side of the Federation, it would have enraged the Dominion and put a target on their backs.
It makes more sense to assume the Romulans figured out the Federation framed the Dominion for Ambassador Vreenak’s assassination but still chose to use the moment as a pragmatic excuse to ally with the Federation. If the Romulans openly ed on the side of the Federation, it would have enraged the Dominion and put a target on their backs. But the Romulans could not safely stand by and watch the Dominion conquest. By pretending to believe Captain Sisko's gambit in "In the Pale Moonlight," the Romulans were able to get everything they wanted at the low price of one expendable ambassador.
1 John de Lancie's Q Had A Relationship With Humanity Long Before Star Trek: The Next Generation
Captain Picard Might Not Have Been Q's First Favorite Human
John de Lancie is one of the most memorable guest stars in Star Trek, having appeared as Q in most Star Trek shows, most recently, Star Trek: Picard. What makes de Lancie's Q so iconic is his blend of godlike powers and capriciousness, and the way he is willing to spend his nearly infinite resources messing with Starfleet captains. Q begins and ends Star Trek: The Next Generation by putting humanity on trial via Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Given this enduring interest in humanity, it seems likely that Captain Picard was not the first human to fascinate Q.
Q was present when life first emerged from the primordial soup on Earth.
Indeed, the finale of The Next Generation, "All Good Things..." makes it explicit that Q was present when life first emerged from the primordial soup on Earth. When he transports Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) to the Q civil war, he uses aesthetics from Earth's history and the American Civil War. And multiple times Q warns humanity of the pressing danger of the Borg. Even if most of Q's Star Trek appearances are centered on Captain Picard, it is clear that his interest in humanity goes much further, possibly to the start of life on Earth.
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Star Trek: The Next Generation
9/10- Release Date
- 1987 - 1994-00-00
- Network
- Syndication
- Showrunner
- Gene Roddenberry
Cast
Jean-Luc Picard
Commander William T. Riker
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingBUYStar Trek: The Next Generation follows Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew aboard the USS Enterprise NCC-1701D as they embark on interstellar explorations, seeking out new worlds and civilizations.
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Star Trek: Lower Decks - Season 5
- Release Date
- October 24, 2024
- Network
- CBS All Access, Paramount+
- Series
- Star Trek Lower Decks
- Episodes
- 10
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Star Trek: Enterprise
6/10- Release Date
- 2005 - 2005-00-00
- Showrunner
- Brannon Braga
- Directors
- Brannon Braga
Cast
John Billingsley
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingBUYStar Trek: Enterprise acts as a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, detailing the voyages of the original crew of the Starship Enterprise in the 22nd century, a hundred years before Captain Kirk commanded the ship. Enterprise was the sixth series in the Star Trek franchise overall, and the final series before a twelve-year hiatus until the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017. The series stars Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer, with an ensemble cast that includes John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating, Anthony Montgomery, Linda Park, and Connor Trinneer.
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Star Trek: The Original Series
8/10- Release Date
- September 8, 1966
- Network
- Paramount
- Showrunner
- Gene Roddenberry
Cast
James T. Kirk
Spock
WHERE TO WATCH
BUYSet in the 23rd century, this iconic science fiction series follows the starship USS Enterprise and its crew as they embark on exploratory missions across the galaxy. The series examines themes of diplomacy, ethics, and the unknown, often highlighting diverse cultures and futuristic technologies.
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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
8/10- Release Date
- 1993 - 1999-00-00
- Network
- CBS
- Showrunner
- Michael Piller, Ira Steven Behr
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingBUYStar Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.
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Star Trek: Discovery
7/10- Release Date
- 2017 - 2024-00-00
- Showrunner
- Alex Kurtzman
- Directors
- Olatunde Osunsanmi, Jonathan Frakes
Cast
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Rekha Sharma
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingBUYStar Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.
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