Besides Star Trek: The Original Series, which had an uncannily awesome first season, the beloved franchise has a bold tradition of rocky starts. It generally took a while for each series to reach its full potential, as most pilot episodes left fans with a sour aftertaste. Hopefully, that won't be the case with the CBS revival Star Trek: Discovery. But in honor of its upcoming debut, it's a good time to revisit all of the previous Trek pilots, from The Original Series to Enterprise, and rank them from worst to best.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: We're counting "Where No Man Has Gone Before" as the proper pilot for TOS, and we're leaving out The Animated Series.

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5. Star Trek: The Next Generation - Encounter at Farpoint

Oh, Groppler Zorn. Star Trek: The Next Generation, by far, had the worst pilot of the 51-year-old franchise, despite being co-written by Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. Arriving in 1987, the first live-action Star Trek episode in nearly 20 years was a certified stinker, boasting a boring plot, stiff acting, a chemistry-less cast and a forced cameo from DeForrest Kelley's Dr. McCoy.

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Even the debut of John de Lancie's omnipotent Q couldn't save the wreck of a pilot. Setting the stage for a lackluster first two seasons of TNG (besides a couple standout episodes, like Season 2's outstanding -- and Ted 2 story inspiration -- "Measure of a Man"), the snooze-fest that is "Encounter at Farpoint" did no favors for the franchise. It wasn't until Michael Piller came on board in Season 3 that TNG really found its groove -- and boy, did it ever.

4. Star Trek: Voyager - Caretaker

"Caretaker," in a lot of ways, is better than the series that followed. It established the overarching dilemma of the Voyager crew, and promised a different kind of Trek show. However, the result was a poor Next Generation knockoff.

Regardless, it's not a bad episode of Star Trek, with some fun moments that showcase the personality of each main crew member. It's a shame, though, that Kate Mulgrew's Captain Janeway spends a chunk of the episode incapacitated in a chamber; she definitely deserved more than that in her first outing, considering how badass we would soon learn she was.

3. Star Trek: Enterprise - Broken Bow

Launching in 2001, Star Trek: Enterprise beamed its way onscreen with the most cinematic -- and downright good-looking -- pilot of the entire franchise, written by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, and masterfully directed by James L. Conway. Unlike some of the other pilots that falter with their less-than-exciting plots (which take place in only a couple locations), Enterprise charts new territory, engaging the audience in an exciting mission that hits a ton of different locales as Archer assembles his rag-tag crew.

The pilot is also notable for showcasing a more "mature" Trek, boasting that memorably sexy scene with T'Pol and that decontaminate jelly. Good times.

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2. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Emissary

Written by Trek visionary Michael Piller, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's pilot set the dark tone of the series, establishing the 1993 spinoff as something unique and incredibly important. Expanding on one of TNG's finest episodes, "The Best of Both Worlds," the pilot established the tragic death of Benjamin Sisko's wife, introducing us to a fascinating lead character: a Starfleet commander who didn't even want to be there.

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Giving us a glimpse into the religious lore of Bajor, in addition to the complex relationships of its interesting cast of characters, "Emissary" packed a lot in two hours. DS9 took a while to find its footing, but the pilot succeeded in justifying why there should be another Trek series, showcasing bold new characters and a serialized conflict that would last seven whole years.

1. Star Trek: The Original Series - Where No Man Has Gone Before

Although it wasn't the first Star Trek episode to air, and isn't technically the first Star Trek pilot, 1966's "Where No Man Has Gone Before" was the first episode to be produced featuring William Shatner's Captain James T. Kirk. It's also iconic because it's a damn fine episode, with intensely personal stakes, nail-biting drama and the introduction of the instant-classic Kirk-Spock dynamic.

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A masterpiece of storytelling, and one of the finest episodes of sci-fi to grace the small screen, "Where No Man Has Gone Before" established Star Trek as a gorgeous, action-packed-yet-introspective series that could tackle complex moral issues while being -- quite simply -- a whole lot of fun. Although there are many amazing Original Series episodes, this one certainly stands out among the best.


In the United States, Star Trek: Discovery debuts Sunday, September 24, on CBS, before moving to the CBS All Access streaming service for follow-up weekly installments. In Canada, the series debuts on CTV and Space at 8:30 pm ET, with its second episode set to air immediately after on Space — subsequent episodes will air Sundays through Nov. 5. Internationally, the series will stream on Netflix.