Tag: the next generation

My Top 10 Episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation

May 26, 2017 • 3 Comments

Not too long ago, my husband and I were talking about startrek.com’s poll results of fans’ favorite top 10 episodes of all of Star Trek. I disagreed with some of the episodes and definitely the order, so my husband suggested I create a top 10 list favorite of each series, and then at the end of our current rewatch do my own top 10 of all the series. Last month I shared my top 10 favorite episodes of the original series, and today I wanted to share my top 10 episodes of TNG. In descending order…

10. Data’s Day

A day in the life of Data proves to be anything but typical in this episode. It also features one of my favorite poems of all time, “Ode to Spot.” 😉

9. Disaster

When members of the Enterprise crew are isolated to different sections of the ship thanks to a disaster, they have to work in atypical pairs/groupings to find their way back to each other. (And now I have a great idea for an Escape Room style game…)

8. Lower Decks

This episodes provides a glimpse into the lives of some of the younger, less experienced officers aboard the Enterprise

7. Parallels

One of the best uses of an alternate timeline I’ve ever seen, in which Worf has to set things back to how he remembers them to be.

6. The Measure of a Man

An episode which explores just what it is to be human.

5. The Drumhead

When Picard is put on trial for some of his actions, he has to defend himself against someone who seems determined to see him fail.

4. The Inner Light

An alien probe affects Picard as he lives out another life as another man.

3. Yesterday’s Enterprise

Another great use of an alternate timeline in which the Federation is in the middle of a brutal war.

2. Best of Both Worlds

The Enterprise encounters the Borg and Picard gets assimilated. Whaaaaat.

1. Chain of Command

A Cardassian is determined to get answers out of Picard that he doesn’t have in this compelling look into the psychology of torture.

Which episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation are your favorite?

Star Trek TNG Season 7: My Top 5 Fave Episodes

November 30, 2015 • 5 Comments

As my husband and I are going through our second full watch of Star Trek as a couple, I thought it would be fun to report on the highlights along the way. So I decided to copy the same format as Charlene at Bookish Whimsy, who is going through her first-ever run of Star Trek and sharing her favorite episodes for each season. To compare, see her top 5 favorite episodes of season seven of The Next Generation.

I have to say, I was kind of disappointed in TNG’s final season on this rewatch. I felt like many episodes reverted back to season one days (hello “Masks” and “Genesis”). However, there were some solid episodes, I do like the final scene of the series, and I liked how there was a little bit of interconnection with DS9 (more obvious to me this time around since I was watching them together). Here are my top 5 for TNG’s final season…

5. Thine Own Self

This episode isn’t a real standout, but I enjoyed seeing Data having to figure things out on his own, with alien people, when he had no memories and many were afraid of him. It was definitely an interesting look cultural interference and a good character study of Data.

4. All Good Things…

The TNG finale is mostly good. The time-hopping storyline is both interesting and a bit convoluted. But I do love the message at the end that we can do things today to change our future. (BTW, my favorite part besides the ending is Data’s future… with all those CATS! Darn you, Nemesis!)

3. Gambit, Parts 1 and 2

I like seeing Picard in a different element in these episodes, sort of like in last season’s Starship Mine.

2. Lower Decks

This episode is a very character-driven episode, but instead of spotlighting a cast character, it focuses on secondary characters, some that we have never even met before. The ending is also pretty sad for TNG, and feels kind of DS9ish overall.

1. Parallels

Sometimes parallel universe storylines frustrate me, but this one is interesting to me as it deals more with actual multiverse theory instead of one alternate timeline. And it’s so easy for me to paint Worf with one brush, but to see so many facets of him in this episode and for them to all feel true was really neat.

What are your favorite episodes of TNG season 7?

Star Trek TNG Season 6: My Top 5 Fave Episodes

August 24, 2015 • 7 Comments

In case you missed it, I did my Top 5 of Season 5 on Tumblr during my hiatus.

On this rewatch of Star Trek, we’re watching the episodes in the order they were aired, meaning that this season we started incorporating Deep Space Nine. This meant that it took us a longer time to finish season 6 (it feels like ages since I saw the early episodes of the season!), and it also meant that I anticipated Deep Space Nine nights and not TNG nights… oops… That makes me sad because I do love TNG, especially these later seasons, but I just love DS9 so much and have been so happy to see all the characters again. It’s going to be even worse when we’re watching Voyager episodes too… But on my with my favorites of the season! (Note: Tapestry is an honorable mention. Even though I don’t generally like those “It’s A Wonderful Life” plot elements or Q, I do think it’s a worthwhile episode.)

5. A Firstful of Datas

I don’t particularly care for Lore (or B-4 from Nemesis, shudder), but any other time Brent Spiner gets to deviate from the typical characterization for Data, I’m pretty happy. In this one, something goes haywire and Data is all over the holodeck, but not in typical Data fashion. I also enjoy seeing Troi fitting in well with the Wild West theme of the holodeck program.

4. Starship Mine

Picard kicks some butt in this episode! It’s nice to see him deviate from his normal behavior, but it still feels like Picard. I’m a little surprised he doesn’t seem more remorseful about killing the baddies, but they were after him! Also noteworthy: Data’s attempt at small talk.

3. Rascals

This episode is just plain fun, and the actress who plays younger Guinan seriously NAILS her character role. There is definitely some suspension ofdisbelief in how bad things get on the Enterprise before “children” have to save the day, but still a fun episode nonetheless.

2. Frame of Mind

This is one of those psychological episodes of TNG that just really surprised me. Riker is playing the role of a character in an insane asylum for a play on the Enterprise, yet also finds himself in an actual insane asylum, being told this he has delusions of life on a starship. My biggest complaint about this episode is that it wasn’t a two-parter that delved deeper into the story, and that none of the ramifications were ever shown.

1. Chain of Command Parts 1 & 2

These episodes are just phenomenal; they truly make the psychology minor in me geek out. In fact, I wrote a post a while ago comparing Picard’s torture to the torture in 1984. THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!

What are your favorite episodes of TNG season six?

Star Trek TNG Season 4: My Top 5 Fave Episodes

May 22, 2015 • 9 Comments

So this was an interesting season for me. Season 3 I felt that most episodes were pretty consistently good, and I thought I probably felt the same way about Season 4… until I looked back on the list of episodes and realized there were more “meh” ones than I recalled. Some had some things I liked about them before something weird happened or the resolution was unsatisfying. However, I came with five that I did feel were pretty consistently good. I have to say I’m a little surprised by what I haven’t seen yet at this point, so these later seasons should be good as I see some of the episodes I remember from before.

5. Family

After his experience with becoming Borg, Picard goes back to his home on Earth and visits with his family. This episode has an extremely sad undertone if you’ve seen a certain TNG movie, but it is interesting to see Picard where he grew up and interacting with his brother, who has very different interests and ambitions.

4. Redemption, Part One

I am seriously appreciating the Klingon episodes more this time around. In this episode, we get some important set-up for the future of the Klingon Empire and important development for Worf’s character. This part one doesn’t end in a real cliffhanger, but it certainly sets things up in a shocking way with something that was alluded to in a previous episode (holy Deep Space Nine, TNG has continuity after all!).

3. First Contact

What I enjoyed about this one is that you get to see things from the perspective of those outside the Federation. No, it’s not told from their viewpoint, but you get to hear more of their viewpoint than you normally do in a typical Star Trek episode. You understand why someone who has never, ever heard of Starfleet would not necessarily jump at the chance to join them. You see aliens react to humans like we would to aliens. It makes for good food-for-thought.

2. Data’s Day

This episode is a fun one. We get introduced to Spot (Data’s cat) and Keiko, who marries Chief O’Brien. I’ve actually forgotten a lot of the details of this one already, but I do remember enjoying it.

1. The Drumhead

This episode was a real standout for me this season. I think a large part of it is because I found it crazy relevant for something happening in my life right now, but even so, it’s not hard to think of just how relevant this episode is, period. Immediately your mind will take you to the Salem witch trials and the 1960’s Red Scare. This is an episode that you can appreciate even without really knowing anything about Star Trek, and I highly recommend it to really anyone reading this right now. Queue it up on Netflix if you have it.

What are your favorite episodes of TNG, season 4?

Star Trek TNG Season 3: My Top 5 Fave Episodes

March 20, 2015 • 16 Comments

Season three is definitely when TNG picks up, and I had a harder time narrowing my selection because of good options this time! I also wanted to be sure to mention an honorable mention, The Ensigns of Command, since I did have a hard time choosing it or my #5 choice.

5. The Defector

This was one of those episodes that left me feeling kind of depressed in the end, but it was pretty poignant. It reminds me a bit of the DS9 episode “Duet.” I really don’t want to say too much to spoil the episode for those who have not seen it, but there are some interesting twists in it.

4. Sins of the Father

I’m not a big fan of Klingon episodes, so I was surprised how much I liked this one. I have a feeling I got much more out of it this time around than I probably did the first time, simply because now I’m familiar with Worf’s journey, and his family is a big part of that journey (and I don’t just mean blood family). I also love what Picard does for Worf in this episode.

3. The Hunted

I have a definite love for the psychological episodes of Star Trek, and this one explores the fascinating psychological idea of engineering a group of people a certain way, in this case, to be soldiers.

2. Yesterday’s Enterprise

First off, from a purely productional standpoint, I love the dark lighting of the other timeline’s Enterprise. Second, we see another version of Tasha who is just so much more awesome for some reason. And third, there’s just something about this story, that I can’t really explain, that is just plain great. It’s a fan favorite so clearly I’m not alone.

1. The Best of Both Worlds

Just as a note, this is a wicked cliffhanger two-parter that comprises the season three finale and the first episode of season four. For the sake of simplicity, I am including both parts in my season three recap (though Charlene waited until season 4). I mean, I don’t know what to say about this episode other than the first time I watched it I was just FLOORED. It was the first really huge risk I feel they took in Star Trek and it worked really well. This time around, instead of watching parts one and two in the same fashion they were originally aired, we watched the enhanced Blu-Ray that edits the episodes together as one seamless film. Even when you know the outcome, you still feel the tension in these episodes. It’s one of the best stories of The Next Generation, period.

What are your favorite episodes of The Next Generation, season 3?

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