10 Best Star Trek Episodes To Watch During The Holidays

While the futuristic world of “Star Trek” may not have widely celebrated religious holidays seen in the various shows and movies, it still has plenty of holiday spirit. Passing references to holidays like Christmas notwithstanding, the characters from the fan-favorite franchise mark their festive cheer in different ways, bonding with the surrogate families on starships or other celebratory moments for Starfleet’s finest. In some cases, these holiday-adjacent adventures feature humorous hijinks that provide a lighthearted tone to the proceedings.

Simply put, while there aren’t really any overt holiday-centric “Star Trek” episodes, there are plenty of stories that are perfect for the holiday season. Virtually every series in the extensive franchise has at least one holiday-friendly episode, not always featuring the galaxy-threatening stakes that so many other stories do. These are generally cozier spacefaring tales starring everyone’s favorite members of Starfleet, usually bringing crews closer together. Here are the 10 best “Star Trek” episodes to watch during the holidays, ringing in the festivities Starfleet-style.

One of the most memorable moments in “Star Trek: The Original Series” is the sight of Captain Jim Kirk (William Shatner) being overwhelmed by adorable tribbles. This scene occurs in the Season 2 episode “The Trouble with Tribbles,” with the Enterprise visiting a strategically important space station. Traveling merchant Cyrano Jones (Stanley Adams) sells handheld (and undeniably cute) tribbles to the crew, who quickly learn that they multiply whenever they eat. This is complicated further when the station also hosts a group of Klingons who come into conflict with Kirk’s crew.

Right from the opening scene with Kirk and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) in a briefing, it’s clear this is going to be a fun-filled episode. The tone is considerably lighter than most installments, and even Spock gets in on the jokes in his own wry way. The episode’s one big set piece is a bar brawl that’s played more for slapstick laughs, with the resolution also handled in a humorous manner. For those looking for a classic, funny time with the “Original Series” characters, “The Trouble with Tribbles” doesn’t disappoint.

The penultimate episode of the second season of “The Original Series” is “Bread and Circuses,” with the Enterprise visiting a strange amalgamated planet. While the planet’s civilizations possess 20th century technology, they’re still strongly influenced by ancient Roman culture from Earth. This includes the ruling class forcing non-pagan individuals to fight to the death in gladiatorial games broadcast on television. After barely escaping the planet with their lives, Kirk and the landing party realize that the persecuted society is forming an early version of Christianity.

To be sure, “Bread and Circuses” is a strange episode that features a hodgepodge of narrative concepts. Beyond its modernized recreation of Romans persecuting early Christians, the episode is also a sly satire of contemporary network television. But for “Ben-Hur”-minded “Star Trek” fans, “Bread and Circuses” evokes similar vibes, albeit through Captain Kirk. As overtly theological as “The Original Series” gets, at least with its religious reveal at the end, “Bread and Circuses” makes for an offbeat holiday watch.

Compared to “The Original Series,” the sequel series “Star Trek: The Next Generation” spent much more time developing the main characters across its seven-season run. A prime example of this is the Season 4 episode “Family,” which gave audiences three heartwarming stories for the price of one. The episode has Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) reconcile with his estranged brother Robert (Jeremy Kemp) while recuperating at his family vineyard in France. Back on the Enterprise, Worf (Michael Dorn) reunites with adoptive parents, while Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) finds an old recording left by his late father Jack (Doug Wert).

“Family” is an episode of familial reunions, all with a bittersweetness to them but ending as happily as each interaction can. The Picard brothers’ reconciliation takes up the primary narrative focus, but Worf quietly appreciating his parents’ love and Wesley receiving fatherly encouragement all hit home, too. It’s not often that viewers get to see Picard and Worf let themselves be emotionally vulnerable, and the sentimental moments here are a long time coming. “TNG” is one of the best TV shows streaming on Paramount+, and “Family” stands as one of its best episodes, for those looking for a holiday watch on the platform.

Despite his gruff exterior, Worf is one of the most emotionally nuanced characters in the wider “Star Trek” franchise. He is one of the first main characters in “TNG” to become a parent, fathering a Klingon named Alexander (Brian Bonsall). In the Season 5 episode “New Ground,” Worf reluctantly agrees to have Alexander join him on the Enterprise but visibly struggles at being a good father figure. The father and son reach an understanding about their new dynamic in the wake of Alexander being in harm’s way during a mission that endangers a nearby colony.

Worf went on quite the character arc during his time throughout “Star Trek,” culminating in Michael Dorn playing Worf again in “Star Trek: Picard.” “New Ground” is a big part of that development, with Worf stepping out of his comfort zone in a big way to become an active parent. Seeing Worf and Alexander accept their dynamic as an honorable challenge is as heartwarming as Klingon parenthood gets, feeling like an organically earned moment between them. Worf and Alexander’s relationship remained far from ideal, but “New Ground” marked a big step for both of them.

Picard and Q have one of the richest character dynamics in “Star Trek,” and it’s something that Patrick Stewart and John de Lancie maintain in “Star Trek: Picard” Season 2. One of Q’s best appearances in “The Next Generation” is in the Season 6 episode “Tapestry,” which starts with Picard suffering a near-death experience. Picard encounters Q, who offers him the chance of reliving his life and correcting a pivotal mistake from his time as a Starfleet cadet. Armed with his knowledge of the future, Picard does so only to find that this causes grave consequences to how his life and career unfold.

“Tapestry” essentially gives Picard an adventure like “A Christmas Carol” or “It’s a Wonderful Life” as he revisits a key moment from his past. In trying to change his personal history, the character gains a greater appreciation of how his life ultimately progressed, even with the mistakes that he made. This surreal sort of adventure has holiday undertones to it, with the cinematography taking on a warmer and hazier look at times to match its premise. A life lesson down memory lane for Picard, “Tapestry” gives him a Christmas-esque story without betraying the franchise’s usual sensibilities.

The “Next Generation” spin-off series “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” remains arguably the darkest “Star Trek” series to date, with its second half chronicling the devastating Dominion War. That makes the Season 6 episode “You Are Cordially Invited” all the more of a standout, giving the Starfleet combatants a chance to breathe and celebrate love. Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) and Worf (Dorn) prepare to finally marry, inviting a handful of guests from DS9 to join them. Given Klingon culture, this proves to be a grueling ordeal, but Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) helps Dax realize how much she loves Worf so she’ll proceed with the wedding.

“You Are Cordially Invited” might not be among the must-watch “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” episodes, but it still holds a special charm. More to the point, it’s the “DS9” episode that’s the most holiday-friendly, providing a welcome respite from the show’s usual wartime intensity. In addition to the heartfelt romance between Dax and Worf, there is a surprising amount of humor as Worf’s guests bemusedly endure Klingon matrimonial customs. Though this love story would ultimately have a tragic ending, “You Are Cordially Invited” offers a rare happy moment in the latter seasons of “Deep Space Nine.”

“Star Trek: Voyager” debuted in 1995 and quickly became one of the best UPN shows of all time, depicting the USS Voyager’s long return home. The Starfleet crew was joined by several disparate personnel, including the alien Neelix (Ethan Phillips), who becomes fascinated with Earth’s culture and history. This leads him to investigate the ancestry of Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), specifically her celebrated ancestor Shannon O’Donnell from the early 21st century. Neelix’s investigation culminates in him assembling the Voyager senior officers to celebrate all the ancestors together in an informal holiday.

Unfolding in the Season 5 episode “11:59,” Neelix’s exploration of Janeway’s family history is one of the show’s most sentimental stories. Mulgrew gets to pull double duty, also playing O’Donnell in flashback sequences from the past, though the truth about her ancestor is not what Janeway expected. That said, the revelation also has Janeway realize the importance of heritage and legacy over familial myth-making, something she gets to share with her crew. The main characters in “Voyager” always felt a bit more intimate, given the show’s spacefaring premise, and “11:59” celebrates that distinction.

“Star Trek” had episodes celebrating its individual character birthdays before, but this narrative concept takes notable prominence in the “Star Trek: Enterprise” episode “Silent Enemy.” The Season 1 episode has the Enterprise confront an enemy they cannot communicate directly with or seemingly overpower. Meanwhile, communications officer Hoshi Sato (Linda Park) learns that the ship’s tactical officer Malcolm Reed (Dominic Keating) has a birthday coming up. Sato tries to tactfully learn what Reed’s favorite food is in order to help celebrate the occasion.

“Star Trek: Enterprise” was admittedly a mixed bag in its early seasons, particularly before the show changed its title, but “Silent Enemy” brings some fun to the proceedings. Funnily enough, Sato’s subplot to learn more about Reed is more entertaining than the episode’s primary storyline involving the Enterprise’s titular enemies. Reed is often a more serious character on the Enterprise crew, and seeing him as the subject of a fun side-quest offers a rare peek into who he is. Like “DS9” before it, “Enterprise” grew much more intense as it progressed, and “Silent Enemy” offered the crew a fun chance to bond and celebrate.

Coming out of its second season, “Star Trek: Discovery” had taken its titular starship and crew to the 32nd century, truly where no “Star Trek” had gone before. This led to the crew gaining new additions, including engineering prodigy Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio), a human who has successfully bonded with a Trill symbiont. This leads to Adira having to come to terms with suddenly being connected to the memories of the Tal symbiont’s past hosts while finding their place on the Discovery. Meanwhile, Saru (Doug Jones) and Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) look for a way to improve the crew’s morale after being time-displaced from everyone they left behind in the 23rd century.

On some level, “Star Trek” has always been about found and surrogate families, which is something that “Discovery” prominently drove home. The Season 3 episode “Forget Me Not” features Adira reconciling with their collective identity while the crew accepts their new place in the galaxy and timeline. That leads to a celebratory dinner in the episode’s climax, the kind of effusive event that “Discovery” rarely got the chance to indulge in. The bonds solidified in “Forget Me Not” carry on through the emotional “Star Trek: Discovery” series finale, highlighting the familial dynamic between the crew.

Compared to more self-serious “Star Trek” shows, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” isn’t afraid to get silly with its narrative concepts while still maintaining its emotional stakes. This is exemplified in the Season 1 episode “Spock Amok,” with Spock (Ethan Peck) welcoming his fiancée T’Pring (Gia Sandhu) on board the Enterprise. The couple attempts a mind-meld to overcome their relationship difficulties but accidentally switch bodies in the telepathic process. The two attempt to finish their current individually important assignments while gaining a better understanding of each others’ lives.

“Spock Amok” is essentially a screwball romantic comedy within the larger “Strange New Worlds” story, something that “Star Trek” doesn’t venture into often. That makes the episode one of the best comedic stories in the franchise but also heartwarming, given its central romantic dynamic. There would be other comedy-oriented “Strange New Worlds” episodes, but not necessarily with that sense of emotional triumph. An episode that highlights what the lighter episodes of “Strange New Worlds” are all about, “Spock Amok” helps make the “Star Trek” franchise fun again.