IMO 90s Star Trek is peak Trek. I can’t stand the original series but I did suffer through it for context for the rest of the franchise. It’s progressive for the 1960s, but the distance we’ve come since then makes it seem absolutely awful. I find the sound effects grating as well.

Authorized novels written in the last 25 years make Kirk much less of a smug, womanizing, drinking on the job prick than the show and movies do.

Picard, Sisko and Janeway all make up for what Kirk lacks.