10 Star Trek Decisions That Aged Better Than Anyone Expected

Star Trek has endured and remained popular for nearly 60 years, in part because of bold decisions that seemed controversial at first but have aged well. Star Trek: The Original Series in the 1960s evolved into an eternal franchise encompassing a dozen Star Trek TV series and 14 movies, with more on the way. Star Trek has grown beyond the voyages of the Starship Enterprise by taking chances that paid off.

Not that fans have always been on board with changes to Star Trek. Each new Star Trek series is met with trepidation, suspicion, and even outrage, starting with Star Trek: The Next Generation and continuing with the many Star Trek on Paramount+ shows. But change is a necessary constant for Star Trek, which never forgets to hold onto the core values of Gene Roddenberry's vision even as the boundaries of that vision are pushed. Here are 10 decisions Star Trek made that, in hindsight, have aged well, indeed.

10 Moving Star Trek: Discovery To The 32nd Century

Star Trek Now Has A New Future To Explore

Setting Star Trek: Discovery season 1 in the 23rd century while updating its visual style angered longtime fans of Star Trek: The Original Series and it was a no-win scenario. At the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 2, Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery jumped to the 32nd century, a decision that energized the series and created a new frontier for Star Trek.

Star Trek: Discovery's 32nd century allowed for the USS Discovery itself to be the flag bearer of Starfleet's classic values as Burnham and her crew repaired a broken future. The 32nd century allowed Discovery to expand Star Trek's technology, and introduced new planets and concepts. Even after Star Trek: Discovery ended with season 5, the 32nd century will further thrive with the next Star Trek series, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

9 Worf Joining Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

More Worf Is Never A Bad Thing

Lt. Commander Worf (Michael Dorn) was added to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine to lend a Star Trek: The Next Generation-style boost to the space station-set spinoff. While DS9 did become a more interesting place with the Klingon aboard, it was Worf who was the true beneficiary. DS9 evolved Worf into an even more complex and fascinating character, as he fell in love with and tragically lost Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell).

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was the first to prove that adding Worf is a surefire way to improve any Star Trek.

Worf joining Star Trek: Deep Space Nine bolstered Michael Dorn's record as the actor/character who has appeared in the most episodes of Star Trek (288). Captain Worf's comeback in Star Trek: Picard season 3 benefited from his time on DS9, as the Klingon is now wiser, more self-aware, and even funnier than ever. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was the first to prove that adding Worf is a surefire way to improve any Star Trek.

8 Star Trek's First-Ever Musical Episode

"Subspace Rhapsody" Is A Star Trek Milestone

A Star Trek musical never should have worked. Yet Star Trek: Strange New Worlds took perhaps its boldest swing ever, and delivered an all-time classic that ranks among the best TV musical episodes of all time. Further, Star Trek's first-ever musical, "Subspace Rhapsody," isn't just a gimmick, but it's also an excellent episode of Star Trek and has become the signature calling card of Strange New Worlds.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' cast proved their musical chops, led by powerful vocalists like Celia Rose Gooding and Christina Chong. But the true key to the magic of "Subspace Rhapsody" by songwriters Kay Hanley and Tom Polce, and writers Dana Horgan and Bill Wolkoff, was to make the songs reflect the inner feelings of the USS Enterprise crew while also smartly creating a sci-fi reason for Star Trek's first-ever musical to happen in the first place.

7 Seven Of Nine Joining Star Trek: Picard

We Want Captain Seven Of Nine & Star Trek: Legacy

Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) was a wildly popular breakout character from Star Trek: Voyager, and adding Seven to Star Trek: Picard reaped dividends. A plan for Seven of Nine to cameo in Star Trek: Nemesis didn't happen for the logical reason that the reclaimed Borg didn't know the crew of the USS Enterprise-E. It took 18 years for Seven of Nine to finally meet Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), and Seven became even more popular from her three seasons of Star Trek: Picard.

Star Trek: Picard opened up new dimensions of Seven of Nine, revealing her as a hardened space heroine who reluctantly believes in Starfleet. After she finally joined Starfleet, Seven of Nine set a course to become the Captain of the USS Enterprise-G at the end of Star Trek: Picard season 3. Captain Seven's story has yet to be told, and perhaps the most fervently demanded new Star Trek project is Star Trek: Legacy with Seven of Nine as Captain.

6 Star Trek: Lower Decks Making Star Trek Funny

A Star Trek Animated Comedy? Yes, Please.

In truth, Star Trek has always been funny, but it was Mike McMahan who found the alchemy to create Star Trek's first animated half-hour comedy. Star Trek: Lower Decks is another idea that, on paper, probably shouldn't have worked, but McMahan's vision teamed with a writing staff that reveres Star Trek, the vivid animation of Titmouse Inc., and an irrepressible voice cast led by Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid turned Star Trek: Lower Decks into essential Star Trek.

Star Trek: Lower Decks tapped into the deep fondness fans have for Star Trek: The Next Generation's era, and ingeniously made it central to the Lower Deckers' own love of Starfleet. But Star Trek: Lower Decks' secret sauce is its abiliity to create loveable characters as complex and endearing as Star Trek's live-action roster. Along with Star Trek: Prodigy, Star Trek: Lower Decks made animated Star Trek a viable medium that's even more inventive and inclusive than live-action Star Trek.

5 Star Trek: Picard Season 3's TNG Reunion

Picard Season 3 Made TNG Fans' Dreams Come True

By design, Star Trek: Picard initially separated Admiral Jean-Luc Picard from most of his Star Trek: The Next Generation cohorts. After mixed critical and audience reaction, Star Trek: Picard season 3 wisely pivoted to what audiences wanted all along: Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise-D back together to save the galaxy. The result was perhaps the most acclaimed single season of the Star Trek on Paramount+ era.

Picard season 3 showcased the eternally satisfying dynamic of Star Trek: The Next Generation's heroes.

Masterminded by showrunner Terry Matalas, Star Trek: Picard season 3 hit all of the TNG nostalgia sweet spots while cleverly moving the USS Enterprise-D's icons forward in their lives. Picard season 3 showcased the eternally satisfying dynamic of Star Trek: The Next Generation's heroes while introducing popular new faces like Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick) and Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers). Star Trek: Picard season 3 proved TNG is not yesterday's Enterprise, and fans want more in the form of Star Trek: Legacy.

4 Introducing Captain Pike & His Enterprise Crew In Star Trek: Discovery Season 2

The Result: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: Discovery season 1 ended with the sight of the USS Discovery face-to-face with the USS Enterprise. It was a promise Star Trek: Discovery season 2 fully kept by introducing Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck), and Number One (Rebecca Romijn). With ingenious recasting, Pike and Number One, characters not seen for 50 years, were reintoduced back into Star Trek canon, and better than ever.

Not only was Anson Mount's Captain Pike instantly popular, but audiences clamored for a spinoff about Pike's Starship Enterprise. In 2022, that spinoff came to life in the form of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which modernized the style and episodic format of Star Trek: The Original Series for the 21st century. Star Trek: Discovery bringing in Captain Pike and the Enterprise worked better than anyone could have imagined.

3 J.J. Abrams Recasting Star Trek: The Original Series Characters

Star Trek Has Mastered The Art Of Recasting Iconic Characters

Conventional wisdom held that only William Shatner could play Captain James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy is the only one who can Mr. Spock. For his reboot, Star Trek (2009), director J.J. Abrams bucked convention, defied naysayers, and proved that younger actors can not only play Star Trek's most enduring icons, but also breathe new life into the entire crew of the USS Enterprise.

Although J.J. Abrams' Star Trek (2009) updated the franchise with blockbuster movie visual effects, it was the ability of Star Trek's young actors, led by Chris Pine's Captain Kirk, Zachary Quinto's Spock, and Karl Urban's Dr. McCoy, to distill the essences of Star Trek: The Original Series' characters that left a lasting impression. Star Trek (2009)'s recasting opened the door to other actors taking on those roles, such as Paul Wesley and Ethan Peck playing Kirk and Spock on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

2 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Introducing Serialization

DS9 Foresaw The Streaming Era

30 years after it premiered, it's clearStar Trek: Deep Space Nine was ahead of its time. Indeed, DS9's later seasons prophetically foresaw the modern age of serialized streaming TV shows. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine broke television convention by adopting a serialized approach to its Dominion War storyline, demanding audiences keep up with the evolving saga of Captain Benjamin Sisko's (Avery Brooks) fight to save the United Federation of Planets.

Today, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine feels even more relevant, and holds up as the most character-driven and complex Star Trek series. Serialized television is now the norm, and Star Trek: Discovery is credited with bringing Star Trek into the streaming era. But Star Trek: Deep Space Nine did serialization first, and expanded what Star Trek could be in the process.

1 Breaking Gene Roddenberry's Rule On Starfleet Conflict

Star Trek Became More Human But No Less Compelling

Star Trek: The Next Generation launched with Gene Roddenberry's adjusted vision for Star Trek's 24th century: an era where, in Gene's mind, there is no conflict among the human crew of the USS Enterprise-D. It was an idyllic and Utopian vision that proved to be difficult for TNG's revolving door of writers to create compelling dramatic stories. While aspects of Roddenberry's vision still hold, Star Trek has echewed Gene's "no conflict" rule for the better.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's space station populated by an eclectic mix of aliens and Starfleet Officers offered Star Trek a way to show internal confict. Today's Star Trek on Paramount+ shows prize compelling drama over Roddenberry's vision while still trying to reflect the inherent optimism of Star Trek. Moving past Gene Roddenberry's "no conflict" rule allowed Star Trek to show a better way of overcoming disagreements and working together for a brighter future.