Star Trek Best Crossover Episodes

Since Captain Kirk first traveled where no one has gone before, Star Trek has exploded into a television juggernaut of multiple shows boldly going where no one has gone before. Inevitably this means crews of the various Star Trek shows cross paths with each other whether through a grand adventure needing more hands or through time travel incidents.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine “Trials and Tribble-ations”: Let us start with the episode considered by many to be the greatest Trek crossover. On a journey to return the Bajoran Orb of Time, Captain Sisko and the crew of DS9 encounter a fugitive who uses the orb to prevent his initial capture during the events of the classic TOS episode “The Trouble With Tribbles”. Sisko, Worf, Dax and the others must set things right and save the legendary James T. Kirk from assassination, while following Federation temporal guidelines of non-interference. “Trials and Tribble-ations” serves as a perfect love letter to the franchise as the sight of Captain Sisko and Captain Kirk meeting is bound to make any Trekkie giddy with joy.

Star Trek: The Next Generation “Unification Part 1 & 2: It was the 25th anniversary of Gene Rodenberry’s brainchild that started it all. To celebrate the crew carrying the torch of the current Enterprise would meet the character from the original Enterprise who many consider the heart and soul of the original series. When Ambassador Spock goes missing there is a fear within Starfleet that he has defected to the Romulan Empire. Captain Picard is dispatched the find the aged Vulcan and discovers that Spock has been working in secret trying to orchestrate a peace with Romulus. Despite his best efforts, the former science officer finds himself as a cog in an invasion scheme that only he, Picard and Data can thwart. Years later this fan favorite crossover would get a nice nod during Star Trek Discovery‘s third season episode “Unification III”/

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds “Those Old Scientists”: The most recent addition to this list serves as a crossover between the two fan favorite shows as the original crew of the Enterprise meet two time-traveling ensigns from the USS Cerritos. On a seemingly bland mission to research an old portal, Boimler is sucked back in time where he meets Captain Pike, Spock, Number One and the crew of the original, no-dash (what would come after the dash?) Enterprise. Initially returning the panicky ensign back to his time seems simple but the arrival or Mariner and Orion scientist/pirates truly complicate things. Helmed by Trek legend Jonathan Frakes “Those Old Scientists” strikes the perfect balance between SNW‘s adventurous tone and Lower Decks‘ zany comedy.

Star Trek: Lower Decks “Hear All, Trust Nothing””: Speaking of the Cerritos, when Captain Freeman is sent to help a treaty negotiation, she and her rambunctious crew are sent to the storied Deep Space Nine. As fans have not seen the space station since the end of the Dominion War now we get see how its changed through the POV of: Mariner, Boimler, Tendi, and Rutherford. There is plenty in this episode to serve fans of both Trek shows; from Tendi dealing with her Orion heritage to a classic capitalist scheme from Quark and even the revelation that Kira and Shax were battle buddies during Bajoran Resistance. And I defy any old school DS9 fan not to get an emotion punch at the sight of Kira observing the wormhole, hoping against hope that one day Sisko may return.

Star Trek: The Next Generation “Relics”: Montgomery “Scotty” Scott is such an iconic character in television even those who have never seen a single Star Trek episode know he is the one to call when you need to be beamed up. But with the passage of time even icons have a difficult time finding their new place in the grand scheme. After being rescued by the newest incarnation of the Enterprise, Scotty desperately wants to pitch in and bring his legendary expertise to Engineering. However, a frustrated Geordi makes it clear that much of what the Enterprise‘s former engineer knows is now obsolete. The friendship between Geordi and Scotty we originally expected to be immediate evolves naturally over the course of the episode proving the old Scotsman has plenty left to offer.

Star Trek: Voyager “Pathfinder” “Lifeline” and “Inside Man”: Three separate episodes with one thread, Lieutenant Barclay and Deanna Troi from TNG trying their hand at bringing Captain Janeway’s lost Voyager back home. Now stationed on earth, Barclay begins the process of trying to establish some kind of communication with Voyager. His variety of personal crisis’ threaten to derail process, luckily Counselor Troi is on hand (reluctantly in the case of “Inside Man”) is there to help. Over time he is able to send them messages in the Delta Quadrant and even succeeded in bringing the Doctor’s literary works to the universe.

Star Trek: The Next Generation “Birthright Part 1&2”: When the Enterprise has to dock at Deep Space Nine to help with maintenance work it presents the crews of both shows the chance to interact. The core of part one of the story features the brilliant collaboration of Geordi and Dr. Bashir combining their engineering and medical knowledge to help Data understand a recent run of dreams. While Worf has his own arc in this two-parter trying to find his father in a Romulan prison camp, we see the tactical officer is right at home at the space station he will end up stationed on.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine “Defiant”: This crossover serves viewers a nice little twist as Jonathan Frakes arrives at Deep Space Nine, presumably as Commander William Riker. Naturally he busts out that Riker charm which has an effect of Kira. We soon discover that the Riker we have is actually Thomas Riker a duplicate from a transporter incident introduced in the TNG episode “Second Chances”. Kidnapping Kira, he proceeds the USS Defiant forcing Sisko to ally with Gul Dukat to find him.

Star Trek Voyager “Flashback”: In 1994, actor Tim Russ had a small role as a crew member on the Enterprise-B and there is a story waiting to be tackled there should anyone want to do so. But the actor who would go on to play the Vulcan Tuvok in Voyager and Picard would don the “monster maroon” costume once more in this episode celebrating the 30th anniversary of Star Trek. Following the recommendation of the Doctor, Tuvok begins a mind meld with Janeway which throws him into a spiral of memories. Mainly, his time aboard the USS Excelsior under Captain Hikaru Sulu. This episode gives a unique POV on the events of Stark Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country giving a salute to the past while prepping for the future.

Star Trek Generations: Here it is, the cinematic passing of torch between the two captains of the USS Enterprise. During the maiden voyage of the Enterprise-B, the legendary Admiral James T Kirk is lost and feared dead. Years later the crew of the Enterprise-D led by Captain Picard tangle with Dr. Soran, a mad scientist obsessed with “the Nexus”. Just as all hope seems lost, and the Enterprise itself is destroyed, Picard learns that Kirk is alive and together they can save the solar system.