a guide to Star Trek

for trekkies and non-trekkies alike

What we Trekkies know as Star Trek consists of 864 episodes of television and 13 feature films, not to mention numerous fan-fiction books and comics. Stunning visuals, immense ships, exotic environments, deeply moving narratives, morality tales, and most importantly, complex characters, for many of us, Star Trek, which by this point covers over 50 years of cinematic and television history, isn't just another franchise. Star Trek is the embodiment of human hope for the future.

In the words of Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry, "Star Trek was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins not just to tolerate, but take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in life forms.” And it's true — from the beginning of The Original Series (which aired for three seasons from 1966 to 1969), Star Trek focused on inclusion and tolerance. The first show took place in the 23rd century (the 2260s to be exact, exactly 300 years in the future from when the show was made), when humans have done away with currency and where material wealth is replaced with intellectual wealth. Although war still exists, the conflicts were all based on the current politics of the time, such as the Cold War. But, more so than not, the show focused on exploring the unknown and all aspects of the human condition.

For Star Trek: The Original Series, Roddenberry wanted a racially diverse cast and therefore cast Nichelle Nichols as communications officer Lieutenant Uhura, who became one of the first Black actors to have an equal role, and not one of menial labor on American television. After the first season, Nichols wanted to leave the show to continue her musical theater work, however, upon meeting and telling Martin Luther King Jr. this at a fundraiser, King told her that Uhura was his favorite character and that Star Trek was the only television show he let his kids watch. He told her, “Don’t you understand for the first time we’re seen as we should be seen? You don’t have a Black role. You have an equal role.” Nichol’s stayed on the show for the next two years and was featured in the first six Star Trek movies after that fateful encounter. Furthermore, the name Uhura is derived from the Swahili word Uhuru which means “freedom.” George Takei joined the cast as well, playing Helms Officer Hikaru Sulu. The character is notable as it was one of the first times an Asian character was viewed in a positive light in the aftermath of WWII. Furthermore, in the 1968 episode, “Plato’s Stepchildren”, Uhura and Captain Kirk kiss, which is the first scripted-interracial kiss in television history. It was originally planned to shoot the scene two ways: once with the kiss, and once without, so that the studio could decide which one to air, but William Shatner and Nichols deliberately flubbed each take of the no-kiss rendition, which forced the studio to air the one with the kiss. Also, the act of including in the main cast the Russian navigator Pavel Chekov, played by Russian American Walter Keonig, was a stance against the Cold War, if initially not intended.

Star Trek included a lot of firsts for the United States and represented a version of society that was tolerant and respectful, even though several plotlines and characterizations are outdated now that we are in the 21st century. The fact remains that we are still not close to Gene Roddenberry's vision of the future. As a society, we have a long way to go, but, as Roddenberry also said, “It is the struggle itself that is most important. We must strive to be more than we are. It does not matter that we will not reach our ultimate goal. The effort itself yields its own reward.”

Below is a chronological guide to the 12 series and 13 movies produced since 1966. I did my best to navigate the order of seasons when two shows aired at once and were happening at the same time in the in-universe chronology. For a simple PDF list, click below.

DOWNLOAD PDF HERE

Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005) — Season 1: “Broken Bow”— Season 4: “Terra Prime” (2151-2155)

Skip the Season 4 two-parter “In a Mirror, Darkly” for a later time because it directly involves the events that transpire in The Original Series episode “The Tholian Web”.
The show finale “These Are the Voyages” actually takes place on the holodeck of Picard’s Enterprise-D making it more fitting when placed there. Therefore, the final episode you should watch (for right now) of Star Trek: Enterprise before moving on is “Terra Prime”.

Star Trek: Short Treks (2018-2020) — “Q&A” (2254)

This Short Treks episode features Spock’s first day on the USS Enterprise and his unexpected first encounter with Number One.

Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969) — “The Cage” (2254)

This was the original rejected pilot produced by showrunner Gene Roddenberry. It is significant as the first Star Trek ever produced. Much of the footage was recycled to form the two-part episode The Menagerie, where the events of The Cage are referenced. Do not be put off by the different characterization of Spock, who Nimoy plays as playful and joyful. The characters were all shifted around when NBC ordered a new pilot made.

Star Trek: Short Treks — “The Brightest Star” (2239) / “The Girl Who Made the Stars” (2230s)

Although the events of these episodes take place before “Q&A” and “The Cage”, they directly relate to Star Trek: Discovery which is next chronologically.
“The Brightest Star” introduces the Kelpian Saru and his unexpected encounter with Starfleet, and “The Girl Who Made the Stars” serves as a nice introduction to Michael Burnham.

Star Trek: Discovery (2017-) — Season 1: “The Vulcan Hello” — “Will You Take My Hand?” (2256-2257)

Star Trek: Short Treks — “Runaway” (2257)

Star Trek: Discovery — Season 2: “Brother” — “Such Sweet Sorrow, Part II” (2257-2258)

Star Trek: Short Treks — “The Escape Artist” / “The Trouble With Edward” / “Ask Not” (2250s)

“The Escape Artist” features a solo venture for Harry Mudd as he tries to escape from being handed over to the authorities.
“The Trouble With Edward” is a quite shocking origin story for tribbles!
In “Ask Not”, Cadet Thira Sidhu is faced with tough choices as an attack on Starbase 28 leaves her with a prisoner under her watch.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022-) — Season 1: “Strange New Worlds” — Season 2: “Hegemony” (2259)

Star Trek: The Original Series — Season 1: “Where No Man Has Gone Before” — Season 3: “The Tholian Web” (2265-2268)

Star Trek: Enterprise — Season 4: “In a Mirror, Darkly, Parts I & II” (2155-see above)

Star Trek: The Original Series — Season 3: “For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky” - “Turnabout Intruder” (2268-2269)

If you want to watch Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-1974), it is placed here in the timeline. It takes place in the years 2269 to 2270. However, I don’t really recommend it. It’s not canon per se and is exceptionally bad in quality compared to today’s standards.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) — Season 1: “Encounter at Farpoint” — Season 6: “Chain of Command, Part II” (2364-2369)

Here begins the concurrent airing of multiple series and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine begins now in the timeline.

Star Trek: The Next Generation — Season 6: “Ship in a Bottle” — Season 7: “Descent, Part II” (2369-2370)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999) — Season 2: “The Homecoming” — “Tribunal” (2370)

Star Trek: The Next Generation — Season 7: “Liaisons” — “The Pegasus” (2370)

Star Trek: Enterprise — Season 4: “These Are the Voyages…” (2370)

Star Trek: The Next Generation — Season 7: “Homeward” — “All Good Things…” (2370)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Season 2: “The Jem’Hadar” — Season 3: “Civil Defense” (2370-2371)

Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001) — Season 1: “Caretaker” — “Learning Curve” (2371)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Season 3: “Meridian” — “Distant Voices” (2371)

Star Trek: Generations (1994) (2371)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Season 3: “Through the Looking Glass” — Season 4: “Broken Link” (2371-2372)

Star Trek: Voyager — Season 2: “The 37’s” — Season 3: “Basics, Part II” (2371-2373)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Season 5: “Apocalypse Rising” — “For the Uniform” (2373)

Star Trek: First Contact (1996) (2373, 2063)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Season 5: “In Purgatory’s Shadow” — “Call to Arms” (2373)

Star Trek: Voyager — Season 3: “Flashback” — Season 4: “The Gift” (2373-2374)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Season 6: “A Time to Stand” — “Tears of the Prophets” (2374)

Star Trek: Voyager — Season 4: “Day of Honor” — “Hope and Fear” (2374)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Season 7: “Image in the Sand” — “It’s Only a Paper Moon” (2375)

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) (2375)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Season 7: “Prodigal Daughter” — “What You Leave Behind” (2375)

Star Trek: Voyager — Season 5: “Night” — Season 7: “Endgame” (2375-2378)

Star Trek: Short Treks — “Children of Mars”(2385)

This Short Treks episode serves as a setup for Star Trek: Picard.

Star Trek (2009) (2387, Kelvin Timeline: 2258)

Much of Star Trek occurs in an alternate reality with the Spock from 2387 traveling back in time to 2258 and changing the timeline into what is now called the Kelvin Timeline.

Star Trek: Discovery — Season 3: “That Hope Is You, Part I” — Season 4: “Coming Home” (3188-3190)

Star Trek: Short Treks — “Calypso”(Far Future)

In this Short Treks episode, a human soldier wakes up aboard the USS Discovery centuries after the ship has been abandoned, and develops a close relationship with the AI interface that saved him. The episode may mark the latest known events in Star Trek's in-universe chronology, with the possible exception of the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Living Witness".

And now, as a little bonus episode, watch the Star Trek: Short Treks episode “Ephraim and DOT”.