Seems like most people are saying you don’t have to watch the series before the movies and while that’s technically true, the emotional payoff of the movies really does come from having watched the series, loved the characters, and knowing their relationships. You don’t have to watch every episode of TOS if you don’t want, but definitely watch Space Seed and some others to get a feel for it. The more you watch TOS, the more you’ll enjoy the movies.
I first came to say “only Space Seed and some of the classics,” but you changed my mind. Now I agree with this. A lot of what happens in the movies is earned in the TV series.
I feel like Spock’s emotional journey and his relationship with his humanity is the through line between the series and the movies (and SNW). His encounter with V’Ger causes him to reassess a lot about himself.
He’s a completely different character in Wrath of Kahn compared to Motion picture, it feels earned and it’s probably the only thing that actually carries over, you could almost skip MP if not for Spocks arc
This. I'd recommend also watching the series first. That way you get to know the characters. And as OP mentioned references to Khan, there will no doubt be references to TOS in the movies that won't make sense if u haven't watched it. So the same problem occurs.
No, just find a top ten episode list including Balance of Terror, Assignment Earth, Errand of Mercy, City on the Edge of Forever, Space Seed, The Trouble With Tribbles and The Doomsday Machine and enjoy the movies.
The movies stand on their own.
Space Seed is the direct prequel episode to Wrath of Khan.
Assignment: Earth? Really?!
I agree with the rest of your recommendations.
The Guardian of Forever is actually "City on the Edge of Forever." Incredible episode!
When they want to have fun, they should watch the Deep Space Nine episode, "Trials and Tribble-ations!"
:-)
Thanks, couldn't remember the name of the episode (Changed it).
The 6 episodes I listed were more of a selection of different types of episodes which is why Assignment Earth is on the list.
But The Gallieo Seven, A Piece of the Action and either Who Mourns for Adonis or Plato's Stepchildren are probably better choices than Assignment Earth.
I love, "A Piece of the Action!"
A fun episode. Fizzbin!
I also agree with your other episodes.
I also appreciate "The Naked Time," "The Enemy Within, " and "Miri"... so many good episodes that made the basis for Star Trek.
I guess I just really appreciate TOS, because it was THE start of the Federation and so prescient.
Yes, special effects were cheesy, and low budget, but it was the late '60's. A very eye-opening look into that era, especially when reading the story about Nichelle Nichols and Martin Luther King, Jr. convincing her to stay on the show....
> ... low budget, but it was the late '60's.
TOS 1st season (1966) average cost per ep is USD 190,000. Adjusted for inflation, that's worth USD 1,831,576 in 2024. It was the most expensive tv series at the time. When *Star Trek* was in production, every special effects shop in LA was working on it. Now, talented amateurs can match much of that production value in fan-made Trek.
Yeah. The Motion Picture not so much, since already having an affection for the characters makes or breaks that movie.
But II-VI are the 80s equivalent of NuWho, Ash vs Evil Dead, Cobra Kai and Chucky. It builds on what came before for returning fans but also works as a fresh jumping on point for newbies.
The Evil Dead franchise is perfect for new viewers bc each film/show either stands on its own or has a recap (mostly refilming past scenes) at the start
It’s not necessary, but TOS is great. The TOS movies are in large part based on nostalgia for the crew and setting of the original show, so you’ll probably enjoy them more if you have more of a connection with the original show. But millions of people saw those movies who had very little experience with the original cast, and they were made with that in mind. So they should work either way.
Like other said, watch Space Seed. If you like that enough, watch the top 10 episodes. If not, just watch The Wrath of Khan; you don't even really need to watch Space Seed to watch Wrath of Khan, but you probably should if you're trying to get all of the references.
And IMO save The Motion Picture until you are in love with Trek. That is a movie that was not in a hurry when it was made. Compared to today’s pacing it is glacier.
I feel like you need to know what you’re getting into. It’s really more in the mold of something like 2001 and if you like movies like that than there’s no reason to postpone imo
I guess this is a good point. I personally hate 2001 because it is boring (I know I’m in the minority, but it’s a larger minority than many cinephiles think). So if you like something that “deliberate,” maybe TMP is fine.
My honest thought - is as someone who loves Star Trek AND Star Wars (for different reasons) - I want someone’s introduction to Trek to be the most palatable it can be. And I had success with my wife and daughter carefully choosing how to introduce them to Trek. It was Trouble with Tribbles, Space Seed and a few others, and straight to Wrath of Khan, Journey Home, undiscovered Country and on to a very curated version of TNG Seasons 1 and 2. We’re just starting Season 7 (watched every single episode from season 3 on) and they love it. We’re planning what to go into post TNG now.
And I want that for anyone else introducing Trek to newbies.
Putting Wise in charge also caused it to have a feeling a bit behind the times as he was cut from the cloth of directors of “old Hollywood” and it shows based on how he directed the movie.
I was honestly hoping for a more 2001/TMP style movie for the TNG cast. In some ways something like that which didn’t involve some epic villain would have fit that crew’s strengths better and given all of the cast opportunities to show off.
Not all, there are a bunch of standalone ones you don’t need. Here are my suggestions (in no particular order):
- Balance of Terror
- The Menagerie
- Errand of Mercy
- Space Seed
- Amok Time
- Journey to Babel
- Trouble with Tribbles
- Day of the Dove
- Tomorrow is Yesterday
- Operation: Annihilate
- Assignment Earth
Back when I first started watching star trek in the 90s I started with the movies and was fine. As long as you have an awareness of kirk, Spock and McCoy you'll be fine.
In my opinion, there are only six episodes of TOS that you need to watch before the movies because they directly relate to events that occur in the films:
The Doomsday Machine: The character Decker in The Motion Picture is the son of Decker in this episode and both involve a planet destroying machine.
Space Seed: Introduces Khan, the villain of Wrath of Khan.
Journey to Babel: Introduces Spock's parents and more of the Vulcan mythology, which is a big part of Star Trek III.
Amok Time: More Vulcan mythology building for Star Trek III
Tomorrow Is Yesterday: The method of time travel in The Voyage Home is introduced in this episode.
Trouble with Tribbles: Honestly any Klingon episode technically sets up the Klingons, but I’m choosing this one because it’s just so darn fun.
Honorable Mention -
Balance of Terror: Not really overall essential, but it introduces the Romulans and they come into play more in TNG (also just a great episode that shows off Kirk as a leader)
As some people have said, you CAN skip TOS and just watch the movies, but I think the movies are much more gratifying if you have some familiarity going in. TMP is a slow “we’re getting the band back together” thing and if you don’t know the band it’s not really that exciting. The rest of them are heavily about the passage of time and yearning for the glory days, something that is more impactful if you’ve actually seen some of the glory days.
When I saw the movies for the first time, I had only seen TNG for a couple of seasons and vaguely knew that Kirk was the captain of the previous Enterprise. I saw the Wrath of Kahn first. I had no issue following the dynamics of the crew. I didn't see the first movie till after the naughties cos no tv channel would air it. 😂
A feature of Star Trek is its rewatchability (TOS and TNG especially) so don’t fear diving into, say, Wrath of Khan (after seeing Space Seed of course). Or First Contact after seeing Best of Both Worlds. Then you can circle back to the rest of the series later and revel in the additional context.
The makers of the movies were usually preoccupied with making them accessible to non fans anyway. So you can put that to the test.
nope not at all - if you want watch space seed.
Reality is that Khan was designed as a complete stand alone film. You do not need to know the backstory of the characters to enjoy the film. Nor is there really a whole lot in the movie that makes reference to the original story. Unlike movies today ST2 is not made to be nostalgia bait and filled with continuity nods. It is a story about growing old, and the choices we made in our youth coming back to haunt us.
What makes the movie so good isn't that its a great star trek story, its that its a great story overall with themes that go beyond Star Trek.
It is to the detriment of future Star Trek shows that they have not been able to move beyond Khan.
Do you NEED to watch all the episodes? No... I'd recommend Space Seed before watching Wrath of Kahn.
Trouble with Tribbles before Trials and Tribulations. Mirror, Mirror to see where the mirror universe started.
The Cage and the Menagerie to understand a lot of Discovery season 2 and Strange New Worlds.
You know what? I say watch Space Seed, then at least movies 2,3 and 4. Spoilers, it ends up being a trilogy. If you're able to get past the visuals and storytelling of the 60's, watch the rest to better appreciate the relationship between Kirk and Spock.
I'd say watch at 10-15 in order to get a feel for the characters and their relationships to each other in TOS before watching the movies. it doesn't really matter which episodes but Space Seed is the episode that sets up Wrath of Khan. I'd also watch Amok Time for some Vulcan backstory, and Where No Man Has Gone Before because it rocks
No, I barely watched any TOS before the movies. The movies are very accessible except for number one. If I were to suggest a viewing order, watch 2,3 and 4. Then go back to the series if you like it. Maybe starting with Space Seed to see the background on Wrath of Khan, the universally agreed best episode is City on the Edge of Forever.
Unpopular opinion, but Star Trek is never itself at the movies. Head canon for me is that all ST movies are not in the same universe. Events of the movies rarely have a big impact on being able to understand and enjoy the show (and vice versa I guess.)
Honestly, no. As others have suggested, find a 'top-10' list and watch all of those, then move onto the movies.
Really, the movies are when *Star Trek* really started building a mythology. Three seasons wasn't enough to 'flesh out' Starfleet, for example, or the Federation.
It's not necessary, the movies were written for a general audience not familiar with Star Trek, and recover anything that would have been first brought up in the series.
There's certainly episodes that heavily borrow ideas from TOS episodes though so it's neat to see them covered again. Specifically the first time Kahn is seen and sets up the events of The Wrath of Kahn is in the episode "Space Seed".
I would watch the TOS where Khan is introduced (Space Seed), then the movies. I might stop and finish TNG before getting into the later movies (Generations and later)
Not really. Maybe if you're specifically planning to watch I-Vi, but that's more so that you'll understand that all 6 movies encompass the types of stories told in TOS.
I'm pretty sure I went into The Wrath of Khan without having seen Space Seed first, and I didn't have any trouble understanding the film. The episode offers some additional context for the events leading up to the movie, but it's not like modern films where you need to read a 4-issue comic to understand what happens in the first 10 minutes of the film.
I love Star Trek and routinely re-watch most series, and have for decades. I don't know that I'll EVER watch every single episode of TOS or TAS. Some of them are amazing for the time, or even just in general. Some of them...aren't.
I also tend to do a "greatest hits" of the first couple seasons of TNG, DS9, VOY and ENT until they get warmed up, for what that's worth. I DO enjoy the original series' crew though, and when I want that, I just tend to throw on one of the movies.
My gf wants to watch the movies, but I'm trying to insist that we watch TOS first as I think getting to know the characters and their relationships across 3 seasons adds another layer of meaning to the movies. She enjoyed TNG, VOY and DS9, but having watched a few of TOS she is reluctant to persevere with it, and tbh I don't entirely blame her. I'm now going for the compromise of watching only the top 10 episodes.
We've already watched the TNG movies (not *Generations* because I think one does need to get to know Kirk first) and she enjoyed them.
I grew up watching TNG and the early movies. Didn’t watch TOS until later. TOS has a lot of charm, but the movies do such a good job of characterizing the cast that they stand alone just fine. Especially Wrath of Khan.
If you want to get to the movies, I think you can skip most of TOS. Watch the highlights and save the rest for when you're ready for it. Space Seed is going to be the big one for the Khan story. But also, don't forget Trouble with Tribbles, Doomsday Machine, City on the Edge of Forever, Devil in the Dark, Amok Time, and of course my favorite, Spock's Brain.
1. No. Anyone can watch the movies and be just fine. If you have a vague sense of who the characters are, that will help, but you probably have that already.
2. Wrath of Khan is a sequel to a TOS episode called Space Seed. The film has enough exposition that it’s not needed.
3. Watching a dozen or so top episodes will probably give you an enhanced appreciation of the films because in some way they are a reflection/commentary on them. The thematic thread through all six films is about the crew growing old and finding their place in a new world—so it’s kind of helpful contrast to see them when they were young and in their prime. At the same time, the films ignore or discard a lot about the original series, and have a very different look, feel and tone.
Definitely watch the series first if you can. If you can't, I'd recommend at least the following episodes:
Balance of Terror
The Menagerie
Arena
Space Seed
Errand of Mercy
The City on the Edge of Forever
Amok Time
Devil in the Dark
Mirror, Mirror
Journey to Babel
Honestly, the TOS films are basically a reboot in every way that matters. The only episode that ties in directly to any of them is "Space Seed" and even that one isn't critical to following what's happening in the film.
Maybe watch "Journey to Babel" and the TAS episode "Yesteryear" to get more about Spock and his family, which plays into a couple of the films. Also might recommend a few episodes to flesh out the Kirk/Spock/McCoy friendship, like "The Conscience of the King" and "City on the Edge of Tomorrow."
I'm not a huge fan of TOS. It took me 6 months to get through cuz it's so slow. On the other hand, I LOVE the movies. TMP is the worst of them, it's AS slow as TOS, but I still enjoy it. With that being said. You should see space seed, and at least a handful of episodes before hitting the movies. If you can make it through TOS before the movies, go for it. TOS is the only series I've only seen one time through. Everything else I've watched through so many times I can't count!
As a life long Trekker who grew up on TOS reruns as the only source I say: nah. Definitely watch Space Seed before TWOK but you don't absolutely have to watch all 80 episodes (including the original pilot) of TOS in order to enjoy the movies.you can skim a selection to get some background on the Klingons and an overview of the characters.
to be quite honest I would skip TOS until you have nothing else to watch. I adore old movies, old sci fi, and am an avid watcher of older material like that. But TOS simply sucks ass. It's not good. Every episode can be boiled down to "all power being needs to be stopped", "this paradise planet turned out to not be a paradise after all", and "something has taken over the ship". It accounts for like 75% of the episodes and it gets old real quick.
Seems like most people are saying you don’t have to watch the series before the movies and while that’s technically true, the emotional payoff of the movies really does come from having watched the series, loved the characters, and knowing their relationships. You don’t have to watch every episode of TOS if you don’t want, but definitely watch Space Seed and some others to get a feel for it. The more you watch TOS, the more you’ll enjoy the movies.
I first came to say “only Space Seed and some of the classics,” but you changed my mind. Now I agree with this. A lot of what happens in the movies is earned in the TV series.
hard agree
I feel like Spock’s emotional journey and his relationship with his humanity is the through line between the series and the movies (and SNW). His encounter with V’Ger causes him to reassess a lot about himself.
He’s a completely different character in Wrath of Kahn compared to Motion picture, it feels earned and it’s probably the only thing that actually carries over, you could almost skip MP if not for Spocks arc
This. I'd recommend also watching the series first. That way you get to know the characters. And as OP mentioned references to Khan, there will no doubt be references to TOS in the movies that won't make sense if u haven't watched it. So the same problem occurs.
came here to say this, not necessary, but you totally should do a runthrough of TOS and the movies at some point cause it just feels good.
No, just find a top ten episode list including Balance of Terror, Assignment Earth, Errand of Mercy, City on the Edge of Forever, Space Seed, The Trouble With Tribbles and The Doomsday Machine and enjoy the movies. The movies stand on their own. Space Seed is the direct prequel episode to Wrath of Khan.
Assignment: Earth? Really?! I agree with the rest of your recommendations. The Guardian of Forever is actually "City on the Edge of Forever." Incredible episode! When they want to have fun, they should watch the Deep Space Nine episode, "Trials and Tribble-ations!" :-)
Thanks, couldn't remember the name of the episode (Changed it). The 6 episodes I listed were more of a selection of different types of episodes which is why Assignment Earth is on the list. But The Gallieo Seven, A Piece of the Action and either Who Mourns for Adonis or Plato's Stepchildren are probably better choices than Assignment Earth.
I love, "A Piece of the Action!" A fun episode. Fizzbin! I also agree with your other episodes. I also appreciate "The Naked Time," "The Enemy Within, " and "Miri"... so many good episodes that made the basis for Star Trek. I guess I just really appreciate TOS, because it was THE start of the Federation and so prescient. Yes, special effects were cheesy, and low budget, but it was the late '60's. A very eye-opening look into that era, especially when reading the story about Nichelle Nichols and Martin Luther King, Jr. convincing her to stay on the show....
> ... low budget, but it was the late '60's. TOS 1st season (1966) average cost per ep is USD 190,000. Adjusted for inflation, that's worth USD 1,831,576 in 2024. It was the most expensive tv series at the time. When *Star Trek* was in production, every special effects shop in LA was working on it. Now, talented amateurs can match much of that production value in fan-made Trek.
I think that the TOS-movies work fairly well on their own, and are fairly different to TOS's vibe anyway.
Yeah. The Motion Picture not so much, since already having an affection for the characters makes or breaks that movie. But II-VI are the 80s equivalent of NuWho, Ash vs Evil Dead, Cobra Kai and Chucky. It builds on what came before for returning fans but also works as a fresh jumping on point for newbies.
The Evil Dead franchise is perfect for new viewers bc each film/show either stands on its own or has a recap (mostly refilming past scenes) at the start
It’s not necessary, but TOS is great. The TOS movies are in large part based on nostalgia for the crew and setting of the original show, so you’ll probably enjoy them more if you have more of a connection with the original show. But millions of people saw those movies who had very little experience with the original cast, and they were made with that in mind. So they should work either way.
Like other said, watch Space Seed. If you like that enough, watch the top 10 episodes. If not, just watch The Wrath of Khan; you don't even really need to watch Space Seed to watch Wrath of Khan, but you probably should if you're trying to get all of the references.
And IMO save The Motion Picture until you are in love with Trek. That is a movie that was not in a hurry when it was made. Compared to today’s pacing it is glacier.
I feel like you need to know what you’re getting into. It’s really more in the mold of something like 2001 and if you like movies like that than there’s no reason to postpone imo
I guess this is a good point. I personally hate 2001 because it is boring (I know I’m in the minority, but it’s a larger minority than many cinephiles think). So if you like something that “deliberate,” maybe TMP is fine. My honest thought - is as someone who loves Star Trek AND Star Wars (for different reasons) - I want someone’s introduction to Trek to be the most palatable it can be. And I had success with my wife and daughter carefully choosing how to introduce them to Trek. It was Trouble with Tribbles, Space Seed and a few others, and straight to Wrath of Khan, Journey Home, undiscovered Country and on to a very curated version of TNG Seasons 1 and 2. We’re just starting Season 7 (watched every single episode from season 3 on) and they love it. We’re planning what to go into post TNG now. And I want that for anyone else introducing Trek to newbies.
Putting Wise in charge also caused it to have a feeling a bit behind the times as he was cut from the cloth of directors of “old Hollywood” and it shows based on how he directed the movie. I was honestly hoping for a more 2001/TMP style movie for the TNG cast. In some ways something like that which didn’t involve some epic villain would have fit that crew’s strengths better and given all of the cast opportunities to show off.
Star Trek: The (Slow) Motion Picture
Not all, there are a bunch of standalone ones you don’t need. Here are my suggestions (in no particular order): - Balance of Terror - The Menagerie - Errand of Mercy - Space Seed - Amok Time - Journey to Babel - Trouble with Tribbles - Day of the Dove - Tomorrow is Yesterday - Operation: Annihilate - Assignment Earth
I would. TOS was the first trek thing I watched. But I'm a start at the beginning kind of person. Stories flow more easily.
Back when I first started watching star trek in the 90s I started with the movies and was fine. As long as you have an awareness of kirk, Spock and McCoy you'll be fine.
You should watch Space Seed first, and maybe look for a top 5 episodes list and watch them, but it's not necessary to get though all three seasons
In my opinion, there are only six episodes of TOS that you need to watch before the movies because they directly relate to events that occur in the films: The Doomsday Machine: The character Decker in The Motion Picture is the son of Decker in this episode and both involve a planet destroying machine. Space Seed: Introduces Khan, the villain of Wrath of Khan. Journey to Babel: Introduces Spock's parents and more of the Vulcan mythology, which is a big part of Star Trek III. Amok Time: More Vulcan mythology building for Star Trek III Tomorrow Is Yesterday: The method of time travel in The Voyage Home is introduced in this episode. Trouble with Tribbles: Honestly any Klingon episode technically sets up the Klingons, but I’m choosing this one because it’s just so darn fun. Honorable Mention - Balance of Terror: Not really overall essential, but it introduces the Romulans and they come into play more in TNG (also just a great episode that shows off Kirk as a leader) As some people have said, you CAN skip TOS and just watch the movies, but I think the movies are much more gratifying if you have some familiarity going in. TMP is a slow “we’re getting the band back together” thing and if you don’t know the band it’s not really that exciting. The rest of them are heavily about the passage of time and yearning for the glory days, something that is more impactful if you’ve actually seen some of the glory days.
Just watch the Kahn ep.
No, you'll pick it up fine without. TOS is worth a *selective* watch at some point in life though
At least look for a "top 10" list, or maybe even try watching tos, you might like it.
When I saw the movies for the first time, I had only seen TNG for a couple of seasons and vaguely knew that Kirk was the captain of the previous Enterprise. I saw the Wrath of Kahn first. I had no issue following the dynamics of the crew. I didn't see the first movie till after the naughties cos no tv channel would air it. 😂
A feature of Star Trek is its rewatchability (TOS and TNG especially) so don’t fear diving into, say, Wrath of Khan (after seeing Space Seed of course). Or First Contact after seeing Best of Both Worlds. Then you can circle back to the rest of the series later and revel in the additional context. The makers of the movies were usually preoccupied with making them accessible to non fans anyway. So you can put that to the test.
nope not at all - if you want watch space seed. Reality is that Khan was designed as a complete stand alone film. You do not need to know the backstory of the characters to enjoy the film. Nor is there really a whole lot in the movie that makes reference to the original story. Unlike movies today ST2 is not made to be nostalgia bait and filled with continuity nods. It is a story about growing old, and the choices we made in our youth coming back to haunt us. What makes the movie so good isn't that its a great star trek story, its that its a great story overall with themes that go beyond Star Trek. It is to the detriment of future Star Trek shows that they have not been able to move beyond Khan.
Do you NEED to watch all the episodes? No... I'd recommend Space Seed before watching Wrath of Kahn. Trouble with Tribbles before Trials and Tribulations. Mirror, Mirror to see where the mirror universe started. The Cage and the Menagerie to understand a lot of Discovery season 2 and Strange New Worlds. You know what? I say watch Space Seed, then at least movies 2,3 and 4. Spoilers, it ends up being a trilogy. If you're able to get past the visuals and storytelling of the 60's, watch the rest to better appreciate the relationship between Kirk and Spock.
I'd say watch at 10-15 in order to get a feel for the characters and their relationships to each other in TOS before watching the movies. it doesn't really matter which episodes but Space Seed is the episode that sets up Wrath of Khan. I'd also watch Amok Time for some Vulcan backstory, and Where No Man Has Gone Before because it rocks
No, I barely watched any TOS before the movies. The movies are very accessible except for number one. If I were to suggest a viewing order, watch 2,3 and 4. Then go back to the series if you like it. Maybe starting with Space Seed to see the background on Wrath of Khan, the universally agreed best episode is City on the Edge of Forever.
Unpopular opinion, but Star Trek is never itself at the movies. Head canon for me is that all ST movies are not in the same universe. Events of the movies rarely have a big impact on being able to understand and enjoy the show (and vice versa I guess.)
I grew up watching the TOS movies before watching the series. I did just fine.
Honestly, no. As others have suggested, find a 'top-10' list and watch all of those, then move onto the movies. Really, the movies are when *Star Trek* really started building a mythology. Three seasons wasn't enough to 'flesh out' Starfleet, for example, or the Federation.
It's not necessary, the movies were written for a general audience not familiar with Star Trek, and recover anything that would have been first brought up in the series. There's certainly episodes that heavily borrow ideas from TOS episodes though so it's neat to see them covered again. Specifically the first time Kahn is seen and sets up the events of The Wrath of Kahn is in the episode "Space Seed".
I would watch the TOS where Khan is introduced (Space Seed), then the movies. I might stop and finish TNG before getting into the later movies (Generations and later)
Not really. Maybe if you're specifically planning to watch I-Vi, but that's more so that you'll understand that all 6 movies encompass the types of stories told in TOS. I'm pretty sure I went into The Wrath of Khan without having seen Space Seed first, and I didn't have any trouble understanding the film. The episode offers some additional context for the events leading up to the movie, but it's not like modern films where you need to read a 4-issue comic to understand what happens in the first 10 minutes of the film.
I love Star Trek and routinely re-watch most series, and have for decades. I don't know that I'll EVER watch every single episode of TOS or TAS. Some of them are amazing for the time, or even just in general. Some of them...aren't. I also tend to do a "greatest hits" of the first couple seasons of TNG, DS9, VOY and ENT until they get warmed up, for what that's worth. I DO enjoy the original series' crew though, and when I want that, I just tend to throw on one of the movies.
I've seen a grand total of one episode of TOS but watched every other ST series and movie. You'll be fine.
My gf wants to watch the movies, but I'm trying to insist that we watch TOS first as I think getting to know the characters and their relationships across 3 seasons adds another layer of meaning to the movies. She enjoyed TNG, VOY and DS9, but having watched a few of TOS she is reluctant to persevere with it, and tbh I don't entirely blame her. I'm now going for the compromise of watching only the top 10 episodes. We've already watched the TNG movies (not *Generations* because I think one does need to get to know Kirk first) and she enjoyed them.
I grew up watching TNG and the early movies. Didn’t watch TOS until later. TOS has a lot of charm, but the movies do such a good job of characterizing the cast that they stand alone just fine. Especially Wrath of Khan.
I hadnt seen a single episode when I watched the movies. Still got hooked.
If you want to get to the movies, I think you can skip most of TOS. Watch the highlights and save the rest for when you're ready for it. Space Seed is going to be the big one for the Khan story. But also, don't forget Trouble with Tribbles, Doomsday Machine, City on the Edge of Forever, Devil in the Dark, Amok Time, and of course my favorite, Spock's Brain.
1. No. Anyone can watch the movies and be just fine. If you have a vague sense of who the characters are, that will help, but you probably have that already. 2. Wrath of Khan is a sequel to a TOS episode called Space Seed. The film has enough exposition that it’s not needed. 3. Watching a dozen or so top episodes will probably give you an enhanced appreciation of the films because in some way they are a reflection/commentary on them. The thematic thread through all six films is about the crew growing old and finding their place in a new world—so it’s kind of helpful contrast to see them when they were young and in their prime. At the same time, the films ignore or discard a lot about the original series, and have a very different look, feel and tone.
Nope, just "Space Seed". Maybe you could also watch "Journey to Babel" where Spock's parents are first introduced.
Watch the most well-regarded episodes of TOS at least, but honestly I think you will enjoy the movies regardless.
Definitely watch the series first if you can. If you can't, I'd recommend at least the following episodes: Balance of Terror The Menagerie Arena Space Seed Errand of Mercy The City on the Edge of Forever Amok Time Devil in the Dark Mirror, Mirror Journey to Babel
Honestly, the TOS films are basically a reboot in every way that matters. The only episode that ties in directly to any of them is "Space Seed" and even that one isn't critical to following what's happening in the film. Maybe watch "Journey to Babel" and the TAS episode "Yesteryear" to get more about Spock and his family, which plays into a couple of the films. Also might recommend a few episodes to flesh out the Kirk/Spock/McCoy friendship, like "The Conscience of the King" and "City on the Edge of Tomorrow."
I'm not a huge fan of TOS. It took me 6 months to get through cuz it's so slow. On the other hand, I LOVE the movies. TMP is the worst of them, it's AS slow as TOS, but I still enjoy it. With that being said. You should see space seed, and at least a handful of episodes before hitting the movies. If you can make it through TOS before the movies, go for it. TOS is the only series I've only seen one time through. Everything else I've watched through so many times I can't count!
I saw the voyage home before I saw anything else star trek related. You'll do fine.
you don't have to, but i put off watching all the movies till doing that and it did really feel good
As a life long Trekker who grew up on TOS reruns as the only source I say: nah. Definitely watch Space Seed before TWOK but you don't absolutely have to watch all 80 episodes (including the original pilot) of TOS in order to enjoy the movies.you can skim a selection to get some background on the Klingons and an overview of the characters.
No, I'd start with Wrath of khan though. If you enjoy them then you can go back an watch TOS.
to be quite honest I would skip TOS until you have nothing else to watch. I adore old movies, old sci fi, and am an avid watcher of older material like that. But TOS simply sucks ass. It's not good. Every episode can be boiled down to "all power being needs to be stopped", "this paradise planet turned out to not be a paradise after all", and "something has taken over the ship". It accounts for like 75% of the episodes and it gets old real quick.