Ranking All 10 Episodes of Star Trek: Short Treks

Length only tells you the distance between two points. In the case of televised storytelling, it’s nothing more than the numeric value assigned to the space between opening and closing credits; it isn’t the duration of but rather the quality contained within that denotes merit. Short episodes, like their abbreviated cousins in cinema and literature, don’t often receive the same prestige as their lengthier counterparts, but when done well, the smaller productions can dwarf even the extended run times that are so common in our modern streaming era. Star Trek: Short Treks is an example of how this can be done remarkably well.

CBS All Access

The first season of Short Treks was released between the first and second seasons of Star Trek: Discovery. It consisted of just four episodes, ranging from compelling to humorous, with three of the four adding detail and context to previously established story arcs and/or characters within the Discovery timeline and the fourth being inexplicably (at the time of release) a standalone venture. Short Treks season 2 was beefed up to six episodes, with an expanded focus that wasn’t restricted to the Discovery canon but covered a wide-ranging spectrum of the Trek lore, from providing additional background on the relationship between Pike, Spock, and Una (Number One) to exploring Michael Burnham’s fears and motivations to the final episode that served as a tie-in to the new Star Trek: Picard series.

Although each of the Short Treks episodes works as an independent story, they are inherently tied to other series (mostly Discovery). So, with each entry, I’ve added a recommendation for which episode of which series to watch before or after the Short Trek listed. Also, I want to clarify that although this is a ranking, as a diehard, lifelong Trekkie I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all 10 episodes. Just because an episode is listed lower on the list, that doesn’t mean it was poorly executed—none of them are. It’s just that I found the ones listed higher to be even better. As the fan expression goes, all Trek is good Trek. And as a series overall, Short Treks is some damn good Trek.

10. “Ask Not”

Watch Before: “Through the Valley of Shadows” (Discovery season 2, episode 12)

In this episode, Starfleet cadet Thira Sidhu faces a heavy decision, the impact of which could compromise her entire career in the Federation. There’s a fun twist that hearkens back to classic Trek moments, particularly around the recurring setup of scenes involving members of Starfleet being tested that have popped up fairly often across all the Trek series and many films. There are great performances from Anson Mount and Amrit Kaur and an interesting premise, but compared to compelling new ground covered by the other Short Treks episodes, “Ask Not” feels a little rudimentary.

9. “Runaway”

Watch Before: “Such Sweet Sorrow,” Part 2 (Discovery season 2, episode 14)

Mary Wiseman’s Ensign Tilly was an early fan favorite during Discovery’s first season. The plucky, straight-talking, infinitely relatable Tilly was a less annoying Wesley Crusher, serving as an audience surrogate in the midst of the interstellar wonders facing the crew. (If you’re not won over, see a fellow Twin Cities Geek writer’s article about why she’s so great.) With “Runaway,” the very first episode of Short Treks, we were treated to a compelling tale that not only increased our love of the character but also deepened our understanding of her. When she comes across a stowaway aboard Discovery, she must trust her Starfleet training as well as her instincts to handle the situation.

8. “Ephraim & Dot”

Watch After: “Choose Your Pain” (Discovery season 1, episode 5)

This episode, focusing on the parental struggles of an tardigrade named Ephraim facing off against a service bot called Dot, is packed with a whole bunch of references to Star Trek: The Original Series, including events, characters, and quotes from episodes “Space Seed,” “The Trouble with Tribbles,” “The Naked Time,” “The Man Trap,” “Who Mourns for Adonais,” “The Tholian Web,” and “The Savage Curtain” as well as Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. But even if you’re unfamiliar with the nods to past episodes, it’s cute, entertaining, and masterfully animated.

7. “The Trouble with Edward”

Watch Before: “Brother” (Discovery season 2, episode 1)

A somewhat lighthearted, mildly fanservice-y entry, “The Trouble with Edward” doesn’t really break canon but brushes up against it. The episode sees the return of the fan-favorite, hyperprocreating Tribbles. Newly minted Captain Lynne Lucero is excited to take command of the USS Cabot, and all seems to go well until scientist Edward Larkin begins experimenting, believing he’s found a new use for the fertile furballs. Tongue-in-cheek hilarity ensues.

6. “The Brightest Star”

Watch Before: “An Obol for Charon” (Discovery season 2, episode 4)

“The Brightest Star” is directly related to one of the breakout characters of Discovery, Doug Jones’s incomparable Saru. Similar to Disney’s prequel venture exploring Han Solo’s past, “The Brightest Star” answers a question that hadn’t really asked: in this case, what prompted Saru to become the first Kelpien to join Starfleet? But unlike Solo, the examination of that question—and the answers provided—add depth and nuance to an already compelling character.

5. “Children of Mars”

Watch Before: “Remembrance” (Picard season 1, episode 1)

In the final episode of Short Treks season 2, this prequel slash extended cold-open piece for the new Picard series features two classmates, Kima and Lil, who don’t initially get along (engaging in an act of physical, juvenile violence that’s rare for Star Trek) but find common ground in the face of of a devastating tragedy. Unlike the other Short Treks episodes, it’s a decidedly somber and serious look at the Star Trek universe outside of Starfleet and puts a relatable human (and nonhuman) face on the common sci-fi device of an interstellar attack. It’s not exactly necessary to watch prior to starting Star Trek: Picard—you’ll still be able to follow the story—but it does add a lot of weight to the premiere episode and underlines some of Picard’s motivations.

4. “The Escape Artist”

Watch After: “Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad” (Discovery season 1, episode 7)

The final episode of the first batch of Short Treks closes out the season on a compelling high note. Rainn Wilson‘s ridiculously fun Harry Mudd returns in a story that starts with him in custody, being sold by one bounty hunter to another named Tevrin Krit. Mudd tries to convince Krit that he’s innocent, only to have the Tellarite list the United Federation of Planets’ many (many, many, many) charges to the contrary. Mudd continues to try to talk his way out of the situation, listing a series of similar instances he has found himself in with various other alien races (including the Klingons). The episode builds to a smile-inducing twist that fans of both The Original Series and entertaining sci-fi storytelling in general will enjoy.

3. “The Girl Who Made the Stars”

Watch After: “Light and Shadows” (Discovery season 2, episode 7)

The first animated canonical Trek adventure since the end of Star Trek: The Animated Series is a gorgeously produced Afrofuturistic fable that takes us way back before the events of Discovery to Michael Burnham’s childhood. After Michael is frightened by a lightning storm, her father calms her with a lush bedtime story about a brave little girl who faced her own fears “one thousand centuries ago in Africa.” The sci-fi twist on a classic African folktale is respectful, and the production art is on par with Pixar’s award-winning shorts. It’s quite common nowadays for people to watch streaming content on their phones, tablets, and laptops, but trust me—the animation on this episode makes it worth watching on a bigger screen.

2. “Q&A”

Watch After: “Such Sweet Sorrow,” Part 2 (Discovery season 2, episode 14)

“Q&A” takes us back to Ensign Spock’s first day on the Enterprise. What should be a routine process hits a snag when he and Number One find themselves trapped in a turbolift (for non-Trekkies, that’s a fancy, futuristic elevator). Ethan Peck‘s Spock and Rebecca Romijin’s Number One have unflappable chemistry, and seeing them engage back and forth is a genuine delight. It’s a masterclass in how to add new content to canon while respecting the established history of beloved characters.

1. “Calypso”

Watch After: “Will You Take My Hand” (Discovery season 1, episode 15)

“Calypso” is the only truly standalone story in the Short Treks series. Pulitzer Prize–winning author (and Picard showrunner) Michael Chabon and Discovery staff writer Sean Cochran created a brilliant piece of contemporary science-fiction storytelling. The plot is deceptively simple: Craft, a stranded soldier from the planet Alcor IV, is aimlessly drifting through space with no hope of escape—until the USS Discovery rescues him. But once aboard the vessel, he finds the ship’s crew is nowhere to be seen. In fact, it turns out the crew has been missing for a millennium. When we find out who’s controlling the ship—and who rescued Craft—it’s a gripping, and moving, statement on the need for connection and what it means to seek out and find one.

As already noted, I’m a huge Trekkie (huge), and when Short Treks was announced, I was a little apprehensive about how the episodes would be executed. Freed as Discovery was from the restrictions of traditional broadcast television, it seemed odd to me that there would be a need for additional pieces to fill in the standard episodes. Why couldn’t they just lengthen and/or modify the main series? But upon viewing, it’s become unmistakably clear that the stories of Short Treks aren’t just beefed-up deleted scenes or filler content being released as a holdover until the next season begins. Yes, the majority of them tie in nicely to the longer, larger episodes, but each is a complete and satisfying story in its own right. If you like Trek, or science fiction in general, you’ll almost certainly enjoy Short Treks.

Both seasons of Star Trek: Short Treks are currently streaming on the CBS All Access platform.