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Alright, let’s dive into Star Trek: Discovery! This series has sparked a lot of discussion and has taken Star Trek in a new direction visually and narratively. It’s still relatively young compared to other entries in the franchise, but it has already delivered some memorable episodes. Here’s my take on the Top 10 Episodes of Star Trek: Discovery :
Top 10 Episodes of Star Trek: Discovery
- “Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2” (Season 2, Episode 14): This is the epic and emotional climax of Discovery‘s second season. It features a massive space battle, a daring plan to send the Discovery into the future, and a heartfelt goodbye to the characters’ previous lives in the 23rd century. The episode is visually stunning and packs an emotional punch, particularly in its final moments as we’re left wondering what will happen to our crew now that they have traveled to an unknown future.
- “If Memory Serves” (Season 2, Episode 8): This episode is a direct sequel to the original Star Trek pilot, “The Cage,” featuring the return of Talos IV and the character of Vina. It’s a nostalgic and cleverly written episode that ties Discovery to the established canon while also exploring the emotional journey of Spock and Burnham. The episode also provides further depth to the mystery of the Red Angel.
- “The Sound of Thunder” (Season 2, Episode 6): This episode focuses on Saru and his relationship with his sister, Siranna, after returning to his home planet, Kaminar. It delves into Kelpien culture and the nature of the Great Balance, revealing a dark secret about their society. Doug Jones delivers a powerful performance, and the episode is both exciting and thought-provoking. It also marks a major change for Saru moving forward.
- “Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad” (Season 1, Episode 7): A fun and inventive episode featuring the return of Harry Mudd, played with delightful villainy by Rainn Wilson. The Discovery is trapped in a time loop, and Mudd is determined to steal the ship and sell it to the Klingons. The episode is a clever and suspenseful thriller with a dash of humor. It’s also a showcase for the entire crew to work together to solve a complicated problem.
- “An Obol for Charon” (Season 2, Episode 4): This episode features the Discovery encountering a mysterious sphere that infects the ship with a virus. The episode is a tense and emotional exploration of mortality, as Saru believes he is about to die and the crew works to save both the sphere and their ship. It gives us further development of the relationship between Saru and Burnham, as well as the rest of the bridge crew. Also, we get the fan-favorite moment of Reno and Stamets meeting and interacting.
- “Forget Me Not” (Season 3, Episode 4): After arriving in the 32nd century, the crew travels to Trill to help Adira connect with the memories of past Tal symbiont hosts. This episode dives deep into Trill culture and provides a powerful and moving story about identity, memory, and acceptance. It also is one of the first major insights we get into this new, strange future for our crew.
- “Terra Firma, Part 1 & 2” (Season 3, Episodes 9 & 10): These episodes feature the return of Emperor Georgiou to the Mirror Universe. It’s a dark and complex story that explores the nature of good and evil, redemption, and the consequences of one’s choices. Michelle Yeoh delivers a commanding performance, and the two-parter provides a fitting, if somewhat abrupt, send-off for her character, setting her up for her own potential spin-off.
- “Unification III” (Season 3, Episode 7): This episode is a direct follow up to the TNG two-parter “Unification” parts 1 and 2, and it explores the legacy of Spock’s efforts to reunify the Vulcans and Romulans. Burnham travels to the planet Ni’Var (formerly Vulcan) seeking evidence to help solve the mystery of the Burn. The episode is a fascinating look at the future of these two iconic species, and a great example of how Discovery is able to build upon the established lore of the franchise.
- “People of Earth” (Season 3, Episode 3): After arriving in the 32nd century, the Discovery crew encounters a vastly changed Earth that is no longer part of the Federation. This episode is a great example of how Discovery is exploring the consequences of the Burn and the state of the galaxy in this new era. It’s also a reminder that even in a utopian future, there are still conflicts and challenges to overcome.
- “That Hope Is You, Part 1” (Season 3, Episode 1): This episode kicks off the third season and introduces us to the 32nd century through the eyes of Burnham, who arrives a full year before the Discovery. It’s a visually stunning and intriguing introduction to this new era, and Sonequa Martin-Green delivers a strong performance as Burnham navigates this unfamiliar landscape and meets the enigmatic Book.
Honorable Mentions: “Context Is for Kings,” “The Butcher’s Knife Cares Not for the Lamb’s Cry,” “Into the Forest I Go,” “Despite Yourself,” “Perpetual Infinity,” “There Is a Tide…,” “Su’Kal”.
Star Trek: Discovery has delivered some memorable and impactful episodes. Its willingness to experiment with new storytelling formats, its focus on serialized narratives, and its stunning visual effects have made it a unique entry in the Star Trek franchise. The fifth and final season aired in 2024.
10 Best Selling Books About Star Trek
The Fifty-Year Mission: The First 25 Years by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman
This Star Trek history book uses an oral-history format to document how the franchise was conceived, produced, and sustained through its first quarter-century, with attention to creative decisions, studio dynamics, and shifting audience expectations. It is often selected by adult readers looking for a Star Trek behind-the-scenes book that focuses on the people who built the original era of the franchise rather than on episode recaps alone.
The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman
This follow-on volume continues the Star Trek production history into the period dominated by The Next Generation and the later screen era, capturing how the franchise expanded in scale, tone, and business structure. It serves adult, nontechnical readers who want a detailed Star Trek book that connects creative choices to the realities of television production, film development, and brand management over time.
The Star Trek Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded Edition by Michael Okuda
This Star Trek reference book compiles in-universe entries that organize characters, places, species, technologies, and organizations into a single navigable guide designed for fast lookup and cross-referencing. It is frequently used as a Star Trek companion book by readers who want consistent terminology and continuity cues across multiple series without needing a technical background.
Star Trek Chronology: The History of the Future by Michael Okuda
This Star Trek chronology organizes major events into a timeline-style narrative, helping readers place missions, political changes, and cultural milestones into a coherent sequence across eras. It is commonly used by readers who want a Star Trek timeline book that clarifies when key developments occur and how separate storylines relate without requiring deep prior knowledge of every series.
Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual by Rick Sternbach and Michael Okuda
This Star Trek technical manual presents a structured, readable model of how the Enterprise-D and its systems are portrayed to function, using diagrams, subsystem descriptions, and operational concepts that remain accessible to non-engineers. It is often chosen as a Star Trek design and technology book by adult readers who enjoy the “how it works” side of the franchise while still wanting a narrative-friendly presentation rather than dense engineering text.
The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion: Revised Edition by Larry Nemecek
This Star Trek guidebook provides a structured way to revisit The Next Generation through episode-focused entries that prioritize clear summaries and context for how the series was made and received. It is often used as a Star Trek episode companion by readers who want a practical, quick-reference format that supports rewatching while still supplying production-facing details in plain language.
The Star Trek Book New Edition by Paul J. Ruditis
This illustrated Star Trek overview surveys the franchise across multiple eras, using short topical sections to explain major themes, settings, ships, and recurring ideas in a way that supports browsing rather than linear reading. It is often selected by adult readers who want a single Star Trek book that orients them across series and films while still offering enough detail to be useful between viewings or while sampling new parts of the canon.
Imzadi by Peter David
This Star Trek novel centers on character-driven consequences and personal history within the Next Generation cast, using a plot that balances relationship dynamics with a broader sci-fi mystery structure. It is regularly recommended as a Star Trek Kindle book for readers who prefer Star Trek fiction that prioritizes voice, emotional stakes, and continuity-aware storytelling over purely episodic adventure.
Spock’s World by Diane Duane
This Star Trek Original Series novel uses the political and cultural history of Vulcan to frame a larger story about identity, governance, and the long-term pressures of federation membership. It is frequently picked up by readers seeking Star Trek books that develop worldbuilding through society-level detail while still keeping the narrative focused on recognizable characters and accessible themes.
The Physics of Star Trek by Lawrence M. Krauss
This nonfiction Star Trek science book uses well-known concepts from physics to discuss which elements of Star Trek align with real-world scientific understanding and which remain speculative, while staying readable for general audiences. It is commonly chosen by adult readers who want a Star Trek-themed way to think about space, energy, and constraints on technology without needing advanced math or a specialist background.
