I became a Star Trek: The Next Generation fan in my teens, mostly by watching it in syndication. They didn't air in order and so I never knew what episode I was going to end up watching. Eventually, I'd seen most if not all of the series, and had a vague notion of the arc. When Lindsay and I lived together, she'd DVR whatever episodes were appearing on various cable channels in a week and sometimes I'd watch with her, occasionally going, "Oh, I love this one," or, "Ew, I'm not in the mood for season two tonight," (I never was). When The Greatest Generation podcast started, I finally had the opportunity to watch the entire series from start to finish (by which I mean from the third season on). It's been a few years since they finished the series, and every once in a while I decide I'm in the mood for an episode and I scroll through all of them on Paramount Plus and pick one. Lately I've noticed I return to the same well a lot, and it got me thinking about what my top ten episodes might be.
Well, last week I had COVID, and I watched a lot of TNG, and I sat down and seriously thought about it, and here's what I've come up with.
10. Thine Own Self (season 7, episode 16)
I love a good "let's spy on a pre-warp culture" episode, and this is one of TNG's best of the genre. It's also a great "let's watch Data be Data even though he doesn't know he's Data" episode. Seeing him invent science was a real treat. And of course there's the theme of oppression and otherness, complete with a flaming-torch-wielding mob, and a child learning to love instead of hate.
9. Clues (season 4, episode 19)
This is a great "What's going on with Data?" episode (not the only one on this list), and a fine specimen of a "Troi is possessed" episode. The concept of Data being compromised, or practicing deception, is a very effective source of tension, and the episode really makes you feel for Picard and the crew as they try to figure out what is happening. It was nice of the xenophobic aliens to not kill them after Picard's plan failed the first time. I guess it all worked out on the second try!
8. Remember Me (season 4 episode 5)
Or as I like to call it, "The One With the Static Warp Bubble." I absolutely love the concept of your world shrinking and people blinking out of existence and everyone else around you acting like everything's completely normal. I mean, no, I wouldn't want to be Beverly Crusher in this situation, but what a great, doctorly, scientisty job she does sussing out the situation and trusting herself and STUMPING THE COMPUTER. This episode also has one my two favorite TNG quotes that I keep in easy recall: Crusher: Computer, what is the nature of the universe?
Computer: The universe is a spheroid region, 705 meters in diameter.
Let's just not talk about the Traveler shall we?
This episode is something of an earworm because they make you watch it like five times. "No help for the Klingon" lives in my brain rent free and I say it to myself at least once a day, usually while doing the Wordle in the morning. "Cause and Effect" is probably the best use of commercial breaks in all of television (the ship explodes, commercial break, and we're back to the poker game). I'm glad that Data knew what "3" meant at just the right time, otherwise we never would have met Captain Frasier.
Another episode I would like to rename: "The One With the Barion Sweep." Here's my other favorite TNG quote: "I was attempting to fill a silent moment with non-relevant conversation." You gotta shoehorn in those Data-learning-to-be-human moments where you can. For this episode, it's all about the A story. I don't care much about what's happening down on the planet. The Picard action movie on the ship is RIVETING, and I love the faceless, creeping danger of the barion sweep almost as much as I love the pure self-serving menace of Kelsey. I think of this episode every once in a while when I'm in an office building after hours and there's a crew there I've never seen before and I'm like, "Are they stealing the dilithium?"
I like this episode almost exclusively for the first 15 minutes or so when Data has taken over the ship and is thwarting the rest of the crew's attempts to gain control. Brent Spiner does automaton so well (obviously). The rest of the episode is a little meh, but Lore is so Loki in this episode so that brightens up the planet part.
I can never remember what this episode is about from the title. How about, "The One With Kieran MacDuff"? But once I read the blurb, this is definitely one of the episodes that makes me go, "I love that one." I remember the first time I saw this episode when I wasn't super familiar with the series yet and I was like, that guy doesn't look familiar, but the episode doesn't make it super obvious that he's not supposed to be there. Well, not until he starts trying to manipulate the senior staff to do his bidding. It's another great mystery episode where the characters find their way back to themselves despite the circumstances. Oh! And I love that they think Data is a bartender because he happened to be behind the bar when everyone lost their memories.
This is one of the all-time great Deanna Troi episodes. Deanna and Marina Sirtis are famously underused, and this episode is the proof. I also love a dress-you-up-like-an-alien episode. This is also one of two episodes on this list that prominently feature Carolyn Seymour (Commander Toreth), brilliant in both of her big guest-starring roles. What gives me the right to totally ignore seasons 1 and 2? "THIS GIVES ME THE RIGHT!"
We've got "dress you up as an alien," we've got "let's spy on a pre-warp culture," and we've got BEBE NEUWIRTH. We've also got the softer side of Carolyn Seymour (Mirasta Yale), who hitches a ride on the starship enterprise and is never seen or heard from again (by her people or by us). We've also got "show someone their planet from Ten Forward and blow their mind," and "beam into your computer lab and make all your dreams come true." I guess that's enough. Oh, and Riker sexing his way out of a sticky (sorry) situation.
This episode is a movie. I know it's regular episode length, but it is so cinematic. The lighting, the background sound, and not a scene is wasted. God bless the person who came up with the idea to bring back Tasha Yar in this way (Was it Denise Crosby? I think she takes credit for it). And Guinan! And prune juice! It would probably be confusing, but I feel like this is a great episode to bring someone into the series with. It's just so excellent.
7. Cause and Effect (season 5, episode 18)
This episode is something of an earworm because they make you watch it like five times. "No help for the Klingon" lives in my brain rent free and I say it to myself at least once a day, usually while doing the Wordle in the morning. "Cause and Effect" is probably the best use of commercial breaks in all of television (the ship explodes, commercial break, and we're back to the poker game). I'm glad that Data knew what "3" meant at just the right time, otherwise we never would have met Captain Frasier.
6. Starship Mine (season 6, episode 18)
Another episode I would like to rename: "The One With the Barion Sweep." Here's my other favorite TNG quote: "I was attempting to fill a silent moment with non-relevant conversation." You gotta shoehorn in those Data-learning-to-be-human moments where you can. For this episode, it's all about the A story. I don't care much about what's happening down on the planet. The Picard action movie on the ship is RIVETING, and I love the faceless, creeping danger of the barion sweep almost as much as I love the pure self-serving menace of Kelsey. I think of this episode every once in a while when I'm in an office building after hours and there's a crew there I've never seen before and I'm like, "Are they stealing the dilithium?"
5. Brothers (season 4, episode 3)
I like this episode almost exclusively for the first 15 minutes or so when Data has taken over the ship and is thwarting the rest of the crew's attempts to gain control. Brent Spiner does automaton so well (obviously). The rest of the episode is a little meh, but Lore is so Loki in this episode so that brightens up the planet part.
4. Conundrum (season 5, episode 14)
I can never remember what this episode is about from the title. How about, "The One With Kieran MacDuff"? But once I read the blurb, this is definitely one of the episodes that makes me go, "I love that one." I remember the first time I saw this episode when I wasn't super familiar with the series yet and I was like, that guy doesn't look familiar, but the episode doesn't make it super obvious that he's not supposed to be there. Well, not until he starts trying to manipulate the senior staff to do his bidding. It's another great mystery episode where the characters find their way back to themselves despite the circumstances. Oh! And I love that they think Data is a bartender because he happened to be behind the bar when everyone lost their memories.
3. Face of the Enemy (season 6, episode 14)
This is one of the all-time great Deanna Troi episodes. Deanna and Marina Sirtis are famously underused, and this episode is the proof. I also love a dress-you-up-like-an-alien episode. This is also one of two episodes on this list that prominently feature Carolyn Seymour (Commander Toreth), brilliant in both of her big guest-starring roles. What gives me the right to totally ignore seasons 1 and 2? "THIS GIVES ME THE RIGHT!"
2. First Contact (season 4, episode 15)
We've got "dress you up as an alien," we've got "let's spy on a pre-warp culture," and we've got BEBE NEUWIRTH. We've also got the softer side of Carolyn Seymour (Mirasta Yale), who hitches a ride on the starship enterprise and is never seen or heard from again (by her people or by us). We've also got "show someone their planet from Ten Forward and blow their mind," and "beam into your computer lab and make all your dreams come true." I guess that's enough. Oh, and Riker sexing his way out of a sticky (sorry) situation.
1. Yesterday's Enterprise (season 3, episode 15)
This episode is a movie. I know it's regular episode length, but it is so cinematic. The lighting, the background sound, and not a scene is wasted. God bless the person who came up with the idea to bring back Tasha Yar in this way (Was it Denise Crosby? I think she takes credit for it). And Guinan! And prune juice! It would probably be confusing, but I feel like this is a great episode to bring someone into the series with. It's just so excellent.
What I left out:
- I feel like I need to make an honorable mention to the two biggies, "The Inner Light" and "Darmok." I think since they loom so large in the Star Trek world, my brain is fine to keep them on that separate list and they didn't make it into this one.
- I didn't include any two-parters in here since I tend not to gravitate towards those for the same reason I'm very rarely in the mood for a movie: I just don't want to lock myself into that much episode in one sitting. But "Best of Both Worlds" and "All Good Things..." will always have a special place in my heart.
- I don't hate Q, and I do love Lwaxana Troi, but they do tend to take over an episode and when they're involved you kind of have to put your hopes for a series-relevant story aside (with the exception of when Q introduced us all to the Borg)
- I never cared much for Lieutenant Barclay, and knowing the kind of person Dwight Schultz is I feel like I never need to watch a Barclay episode ever again
- I feel like I need to give another honorable mention to all the "Troi is possessed"/"Troi is a jerk" episodes that didn't make it on to the list: "Power Play," "The Loss," "Man of the People." Have I missed any?
What are your top ten?
