@biggsjm @atpfm @marcoarment ehhh sometimes you want to show the *one* part that is palatable to a non-fan, or should I say, never-gonna-be-a-fan. For the humourous + relatable content, this movie is fine.

Wrath of Khan, on the other hand? @caseyliss sorry pal, that’s a hard pill to swallow, hard in the 1980s and even harder in the CG era. Only the first two Chris Pine movies were “mainstream” in a certain way (and if you like Fast & Furious, the third one). And the last 10 years of TV series is a dystopian graft onto utopia, but that’s another rant …

The one American scifi series that *might* be considered mainstream was, weirdly, Stargate — or Space Macguyver. X-Files probably didn’t count since it’s more of a thriller genre?

What I’m saying is I think I’m impartial because I’m not a Star Trek fan, just a casual viewer who’s seen most of some series; but moreover, in the show where I really am a fan, I have DIFFERENT recommendations for “the one perfect episode” that you give to a non-fan you’re trying to convert (e.g., “Blink”) versus giving to a non-fan who’s gotta sit with you and never going to do that twice (e.g. 50th anniversary movie episode).

And when you rewind to classic eras like 1980s, it gets VERY dicey and you have to be super careful — acquired tastes strongly apply! Then you’ve got 1960s where B&W (black and white) episodes exist for shows like Lost in Space and Doctor Who.

I’m adamant that what you NEVER do is insist someone start at the beginning. Even Star Trek TNG has a better jump-on point of season 3’s opener, and most fans admit season 1 is weird.

Oddly, the prequel series (2001-2004) with Scott Bacula is easier to watch, the less of a fan you are. I went into it just thinking of it as NASA employees who turned into “American Tourists in Space”. It kinda works, within its original strategy. But it didn’t get any ratings because … UPN etc.