Star Trek is best when it's a television show. It has done a great job when it's made movies, for the most part. Some of their best films are among the best movies ever made. Some of their worst films, however, are...equally as talked about but for the opposite reasons. Yet, despite its best films, the best stories from Star Trek come from their television series.
That's because there isn't an emphasis on spectacle. Star Trek doesn't do spectacle as well as a series like Star Wars. Star Trek is more of a slice-of-life exploration. What would life be like among the stars and the best stories of Star Trek reflect that. The quiet moments between battles can contain far more emotion than any battle scene but those don't sell tickets.
That's why, if we're talking about the best stories that Star Trek has to offer, skip the cinema and watch any number of the shows that the franchise offers. If you're looking for a story that can rival any theatrical or streaming release, however, we have the perfect option for you.
Star Trek: The Next Generation's The Best of Both Worlds, Parts 1 & 2.
This is the famed double episode where Jean-Luc Picard is abducted by The Borg and turned into Locutus, the only Borg drone ever to be named by the collective. It's a moment in Star Trek history that no fan has ever forgotten. Not only because the first part was the season three finale, leaving fans in a lurch for four months over what will happen next, but because of the reality behind the need for the episode.
Patrick Stewart, the man who played Picard at the time, was waffling about returning to the series after three seasons. Concerned he may leave, the showrunners put in place a story arch where Picard could be written out in a logical way, while also making William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) the new series' lead. It was a brilliant final scene to close out the first part, with Riker ordering the Enterprise-D to fire on the Borg and Locutus just before the episode fades to black, seemingly ending Stewart's run with the franchise in one shot.
That wasn't to be, however. Stewart remained with the franchise for nearly 40 years, as did Frakes. The Best of Both Worlds two-parter was praised as being some of the best Star Trek ever and nearly 40 years later, still remains one of the most defining stories ever told.
And to those wondering how such an episode could be considered a movie even though it was released in two parts, months apart, on television? Well, The Best of Both Worlds aired in the theater in 2013 to celebrate the 25th anniversary.
Thus, officially, making this not-movie a movie after all.