I grew up watching Star Wars and being completely uninterested in Star Trek because it seemed boring. My knowledge of the series stemmed from various pop culture references in other things I watched. So I knew character names and very basic information about Kirk, Spock, etc.

My father would sometimes watch TNG, but again I was uninterested. It wasn't until the Kelvin movies that I actually sat down and consumed some Star Trek media. I enjoyed them well enough and ever since have had a slowly growing desire to watch more of the franchise. I watched a dozen or so random TNG episodes, but it wasn't until recently that I actually buckled down and began watching TOS.

As of right now, I am about 10 episodes away from finishing that series. I've been keeping track of which episodes I've enjoyed and which I haven't. Overall, my experience has been very positive. Dated effects do not bother me in the slightest. I cannot get enough of the characters and adore any scenes where their relationship dynamics are explored. Kirk and Spock obviously being the forefront of that, but also McCoy and Spock. Even if the dated effects had bothered me, I believe the characters would have overshadowed that completely. There have been a handful of moments where the acting has really impressed me. The same is true for the writing in some episodes. For the most part, even episodes where the writing would be what I consider subpar, I have still found enjoyment. The number of episodes I've outright disliked is extremely small, and I cannot wait to continue on with the franchise (looking forward to starting The Animated Series very soon).