The Top 100 episodes in Star Trek franchise history according to metrics
By Chad Porto
The Top 100 Star Trek episodes.
We’ve scoured the internet, found dozens and dozens of lists, looked at critic reviews and fan scores, and came up with the quintessential Top 100 Star Trek episodes in the history of the franchise.
But why?
With it being the 100th birthday of Gene Roddenberry, we wanted to pay tribute the only way we could think of, by amassing the 100 most acclaimed episodes of the franchise that he made possible.
How did we do it?
We took some of the best lists, from some of the most respected sites, looked at critics’ scores and fan scores, combined them all into the conversation, assigned them a number value, and totaled them all up. Resulting in a list that is a beautiful mix of critic scores and fan demand.
We also had very little personal input on any episode. The only influence we had on the list was deciding on which episode got what spot in a tie. We didn’t want any ties on the list and each episode got its own spot; save for feature-length ones. We exhausted the math, and if after all that there was still a tie, then then we made the final decision.
Now, some fans will be mad that there are no episodes of Discovery, Picard, or Lower Decks on this list. Simply put, the newer episodes just aren’t catering to fans as the older ones did. That’s not to say they’re not good, but they’re not tracking as well as others for one reason or another. They were not deliberately left off the list.
There are 788 episodes as of August 19 that have aired, meaning there are a lot of good episodes that didn’t crack the Top 100.
For those wondering, one source we used is IMDB, and they have the highest-rated Picard episode No. 118, with that episode being Nepenthe. Discovery’s highest-rated is Such Sweet Sorrow, Part II at No. 146. Their list hasn’t been updated since 2020, so there are no Lower Decks yet, though No Small Parts is the highest rated with 8.9 stars.
Just missed the cut;
Carbon Creek (ENT)
Zero Hour (ENT)
Dear Doctor (ENT)
Soldiers of the Empire (DS9)
Phage (VOY)
Shore Leave (TNG)