[chator]

Ten of the best… TNG episodes

by James Rundle
The Next Generation is a strange beast. Loved by some, despised by others (but mostly loved in the science fiction community), it spawned some of the best of Star Trek and some of the worst. Here’s ten of what we consider to be the best episodes of the series. As always, post your additions below…
Update: We should have said, this is in no particular order.

10. Time’s Arrow
Season: 5/6
Aired: 15 June 1992
Stardate: 45959.1
Data episodes are usually the more intelligent in The Next Generation’s repertoire, and ‘Time’s Arrow’ embodies that more than most, as Data starts to question and come to terms with his own mortality. Often forgotten, but exceptional nonetheless.

9. Chain Of Command
Season: 6
Aired: 14 December 1992
Stardate: 46357.4
Long before Ronald D Moore introduced waterboarding allegories to Battlestar Galactica, The Next Generation explored them in an uncharacteristically dark and gritty instalment that saw Picard at the mercy of the Cardassians.
8. The First Duty
Season: 5
Aired: 30 March 1992
Stardate: 45703.9
Questions on the responsibilities of leadership and the ethics of honesty pervade this episode, which also showed a mature side to Wesley Crusher that had been startlingly absent in episodes before, going some way towards redeeming him with fans.

7. Q Who?
Season: 2
Aired: 8 May 1989
Stardate: 42761.3
This episode introduced the Borg to Star Trek, who quickly became the franchise’s most popular and prevalent villains throughout its other spin-offs. Indeed, you could even argue that the seeds of Deep Space Nine as a whole were planted in this instalment, as well as Voyager.

6. Pre-emptive Strike
Season: 7
Aired: 16 May 1994
Stardate: 47941.7

Ro Laren returns to the Enterprise and is assigned a particularly testing mission. We loved this episode for its difficult choices and excellent world building, as well as Stewart’s incredible ability to convey emotion without saying a word of dialogue.

5. The Measure Of A Man
Season: 2
Aired: 13 February 1989
Stardate: 42523.7
Patrick Stewart’s classical training comes through particularly strongly at the end of this episode, but it’s one of our favourites for the thought provoking questions it asks throughout, in the finest traditions of Star Trek as a whole.

4. Yesterday’s Enterprise
Season: 3
Aired:19 February 1990
Stardate: 43625.2
Consult anyone’s list of the best episodes in The Next Generation, and we can guarantee you that ‘Yesterday’s Enterprise’ will feature on it somewhere. Poignant and arresting, and executed stylishly by the cast, this is a must see.

3. All Good Things…
Season: 7
Aired: 23 May 1994
Stardate: 47988.1

The final episode of The Next Generation had a lot of expectation to live up to, and it’s fairly safe to say that it accomplished that. A feature length episode with new effects from Industrial Light & Magic and an excellent storyline, it’s one of the best.

2. Lower Decks
Season: 7
Aired: 7 February 1994
Stardate: 47566.7
Although not wildly popular with many fans of the series, we quite liked the glimpse of life on a starship outside of the conference room and the senior officers. The tragic end to the episode also underscored why it was one of our favourites.

1. The Best Of Both Worlds
Season: 3/4
Aired: 15 June 1992
Stardate: 45959.1
One of the most acclaimed episodes of Star Trek, Picard is captured by the Borg and assimilated into the form of Locutus. Using his tactical knowledge, the Cube attempts to invade Earth, but there are other consequences at hand as well.

[chator]

Some of my personal favorites didn't make the list, "Night terrors," "Cause and Effect", "the Inner Light", "Darmok", Unification", "PowerPlay", "Descent."

The only ones that did were "BOBW", "Time's Arrow", and "Yesterday's Enterprise."

[horatio]

So "The Outrageous Okona" did not make it on that list?

[chator]

Originally Posted by horatio

So "The Outrageous Okona" did not make it on that list?

I guess that comment demonstrates what you think about those making the choices. A few odd balls did make the list IMO, "the Lower decks"? Never-heard-of-it! "First Strike"? and "The First Duty"?, A Wesley Crusher episode. Wanna thro in "Naked Now", guys?

[kevin]

I would take out 'Pre-Emptive Strike' myself, a solid episode and better than many other season 7 shows, but not really a favourite of mine and for me, nowhere near a top ten contender.

Same with 'Lower Decks' - unexpectedly harsh (for TNG at the time) coda aside, it's light and different, but again, for me, nowhere near Top Ten stuff.

I'm tempted to pull 'Chain of Command', because 65% of it is fairly ordinary. The only scenes worth really paying attention to are the Picard/Gul Madred scenes and the coda. However, since it does represent some of Stewart's best ever work, I'll leave it in their.

Myself, I would be tempted to replace those other two with possibilities such as 'Unnatural Selection' (prescient about the possibilities and dangers of genetic manipulation), 'I, Borg' (having two Borg shows in there could be a push but it's better than the two I would remove), 'The Defector', 'The Enemy' (for Worf's refusal to do the 'decent' thing) or maybe 'The Most Toys' - a great Data show that pushed him to the brink of emotional behaviour when he didn't even have an emotion chip.

Actually, I think they over-rated 'Time's Arrow' as well - need to think on that, perhaps.

[horatio]

Originally Posted by chator

I guess that comment demonstrates what you think about those making the choices. A few odd balls did make the list IMO, "the Lower decks"? Never-heard-of-it! "First Strike"? and "The First Duty"?, A Wesley Crusher episode. Wanna thro in "Naked Now", guys?

Actually I was just silly, the list sounds pretty OK IMO. One can tell that it was made by someone who actually watched the series.
I don't think that "Time's Arrow" and "Pre-emptive Strike" are outstanding episodes, "The Inner Light" and "Darmok" definitely belong in there.

I am a weird season 1&2 fan, so I would have put something like "Time Squared" or "Where Silence Has Lease" or "The Royale" in.

I am also not particular fond of epic stories, so I'd have picked "I, Borg" instead of "Best of Both Worlds".

[jla1987]

Originally Posted by chator

Wanna throw in "Naked Now", guys?

I don't get why people disliked that episode.

[Zardoz]

Originally Posted by horatio

So "The Outrageous Okona" did not make it on that list?

It should have, and Shades of Grey!!!

[kevin]

Originally Posted by jla1987

I don't get why people disliked that episode.

Agreed, it's very fun, even to this day.

[horatio]

Originally Posted by Zardoz

It should have, and Shades of Grey!!!

A true masterpiece! "Code of Honour" and "Up The Long Ladder" should also be considered top TNG, never sawn a better portrayal of Irish and African folks.