Is the original Pandemic still worth buying, or should I jump to a newer co-op?

Mainstream tech press and r/boardgames commenters mostly still rate base Pandemic highly as a gateway co-op, though a vocal minority on r/boardgames argues it has been surpassed by newer designs and suffers from 'alpha player' quarterbacking. If you want narrative progression, reviewers point to Pandemic Legacy Season 1 or Season 0 instead.