TiVo Community Forums Archives - What's your favorite Star Trek Next Generation Episode

TiVoCommunity.com
(c)opyright 1995-2005 All rights reserved
indexcheckTC
This area is a static history of posts in the TiVo Community Forum Archive.
This archive history was made for the simple indexing of search sites like Google.

Pages:1

What's your favorite Star Trek Next Generation Episode
(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)

Posted by: tonyoci

I was watching this the other night and saw my favorite.

This is the one where Picard is scanned by an Alien but in his mind he lived a whole life on another planet, getting married, having kids etc.

The depth of thought and emotion that went into that one was great.

I also like the one where all the Enterprises from different timelines come together and some do not want to return because they live in a terrible universe.

T

Posted by: Ereth

I've always felt that "Measure of a Man" was their best episode, because it dealt so wonderfully with the issue of what is it that makes one a human being, or in the Trek universe, a sentient life form, worthy of respect and basic human rights. Well written, and addresses issues we'll have to face in the next century as we deal with clones and possibly even machine intelligence.

Posted by: bobcarn

I liked the one where they were on a planet, and this huge battle was going on around them, and Wesley got stabbed, with the sword going right through him. Totally Cool!!!

Oh wait, he was resurrected again.

Nah, that episode sucked.

Posted by: jimborst

My favorite (the one I always watch if it's on) is when the Enterprise is hit by the other ship and keeps exploding.

My favorite part on a STTNG, and I don't know the episode, but it's when Picard comes to the card game at the end of the show (is it the series finale) and says "I should have done this long ago" when talking about joining the card games. Brings a tear to my eye everytime.

Posted by: doom1701

(This will probably wind up in the TV Talk Forum...)

Tonyoci, I think the ep you are referring to is The Inner Light--very good one, BTW. I also enjoy "Darmok"--even though the language barrier was not very realistic, it was still a good story.

I hate to admit it, but my favorite ep was written by none other than Satan himself--Rick Berman. I love the episode "Brothers".

Posted by: doom1701

quote:
Originally posted by jimborst
My favorite (the one I always watch if it's on) is when the Enterprise is hit by the other ship and keeps exploding.

My favorite part on a STTNG, and I don't know the episode, but it's when Picard comes to the card game at the end of the show (is it the series finally) and says "I should have done this long ago" when talking about joining the card games. Brings a tear to my eye everytime.

I liked that first episode as well; can't remember the name off the top of my head. The ep with the card game was the series finale--All Good Things. Another one that I hate to admit that I like, as it was written by Satan's henchman, Braga.

Posted by: TivoDaddy

That was a great episode Tonyoci. Some of my favs are Frame of Mind, where Riker is trapped in an alien mental hospital, and can barely remember his past and thinks he is going insane.

There was also one, which I can't recall the episode, where Picard is captured by Cardassians and is mentally tortured. That one really got to me. Also, the one where Picard is made into a Borg.

Edit: corrected typos.

Posted by: jsmeeker

I liked episodes with Ensign Robin Leffler. A total babe. True, that meant lots of Wesley, but that's OK.

Posted by: TivoDaddy

FYI, check out this site for episode titles and descriptions.

Posted by: Airlie

As much as I hated Wesley back then I have since gained a whole lot of respect for Wil Wheaton who played him.

I haven't watched STNG in quite a while but 'Inner Light' was one of my favorites.

Posted by: Demandred

My favorite of all time is "The Game" with Ashley Judd and Wil Wheaton.

"Inner Light" is a very good one, as is "Yesterday's Enterprise", also previously mentioned.

Usually "The Best of Both World" appears at the top of many Favorite TNG episode lists.

I think just about every episode in the 5th and 6th seasons was great. Those are the DVD box sets I'll be getting first...I don't know that the first season is worth $100.

Posted by: EBone11973

I always believed the best episodes were th ones that could have taken place on a submarine or an island or the old west, that the sci-fi aspect was just window dressing to the storytelling. That said, my five favorites have to be:

1. "Darmok" - The alien language barrier, the sacrifice for communication and understanding. Great drama.

2. "The Defector" - the Romulan Admiral sacrifices everything, including his family and in the end, his own life, to try and ensure peace.

3. "Data's Day" - the entire episode shown though the eyes of just one character.

4. "Lower Decks" - We see the story through the eyes of junior officers. We're not in every briefing, we don't know all the details until the end, we're just following orders and hoping our superiors know what they're doing.

5. "The Most Toys" - Data is held captive by a collector of rare items, and must make a moral decision about his captor.

Posted by: WinBear

Cause and Effect is the one where they are caught in a time loop and Data's positronic brain holds a clue into the next loop.

These are all good episodes listed so far.

Posted by: adamblast

I'm a big fan of the one with the proto-vulcans under observation, where Picard has to beam up their leader to convince her that he's not a God...

Posted by: Pan Chun

quote:
Originally posted by WinBear
Cause and Effect is the one where they are caught in a time loop and Data's positronic brain holds a clue into the next loop.

These are all good episodes listed so far.

The clue, of course, is "3". ;)

Posted by: pyrite504

"Below Decks" is my second favorite next to the series finale.

Something about a refurbished Enterprise with a third nacelle and a proton cannon strapped to the underbelly of the saucer section. <drool>

I wish I could get a poster of that.

Posted by: bobjohnson

Anything with Q is golden. I think a more apt question might be is there any TNG episode you don't like? I sure can't think of one.

Posted by: Pan Chun

quote:
Originally posted by pyrite504
"Below Decks" is my second favorite next to the series finale.

Hmmm...you've got me wondering exactly WHICH episode you REALLY mean, since one by that title doesn't exist...! :confused: Perhaps you mean "Lower Decks"? (Season 7, episode 15)..."Four junior officers find themselves tested beyond their expectations when a top-secret mission takes the place of their promotion evaluation."

That's the closest I can come up with.

Posted by: Ruth

Some of my favorites: Lower Decks; The Best of Both Worlds (both parts); Chain of Command (Part I); Face Of The Enemy; Frame of Mind; The First Duty; Parallels.

It's funny, Demandred, because "The Game" is one of my least faorite eps ever -- so preachy and moralistic, even for ST:TNG (and that's saying something!). I mean, if I wanted to hear an hour-long "say no to drugs" lecture, I could attend a DARE class or something. Of course, YMMV.

Posted by: rloper

Some of my favorites:

"Where No One Has Gone Before" - Season 1 - great intro episode to the series

"Q Who" - Season 2 - My favorite Q episode...very dark

"Who Watches the Watchers" - Season 3 - Classic Trek - a fairly believable First Contact scenario

"Deja Q" - Season 3 - Best comedic episode of TNG

"Best of Both Worlds Part1" - Season 3 - Started the whole "End the season on a cliff-hanger"...still the best cliffhanger of them all. "Mr Worf...FIRE!!!!!"

"The Inner Light" - Season 5 - Still brings a tear to my eye

"Parallels" - Season 7 - a great look at Larry Niven's "Many Worlds" quantum theories.

Posted by: EBone11973

quote:
Originally posted by bobjohnson
Anything with Q is golden. I think a more apt question might be is there any TNG episode you don't like? I sure can't think of one.

"Code of Honor" - I thought this episode bordered on racisim and would kill the series.

"Angel One" - Lets get some hot chicks and make them push around the men (had to be a Berman dominatrix fantasy).

"The Outrageous Okana" - See he's outrageous, because he's like, a... pirate? And lets throw in Joe Piscopo too!

"The Big Goodbye" - Because it started the whole "The holodeck has malfunctioned and we're in danger!" episodes. If any other technology on the ship was as unreliable as the holodeck, they would yank the damn thing out of the wall. But the holodeck goes on and on...

"The Royale" - Let's do a casino episode!

"Manhunt" - enough with Troi's horny mother already.

Jeez they made some real stinkers in the first two seasons.

Posted by: Uther

quote:
Originally posted by bobjohnson
Anything with Q is golden. I think a more apt question might be is there any TNG episode you don't like? I sure can't think of one.

Anything with Diana Muldaur is crap. Ok, I just hated Pulaski. :)

And The Inner Light is the best TNG ep.

Posted by: JYoung

quote:
Originally posted by Ruth

It's funny, Demandred, because "The Game" is one of my least faorite eps ever -- so preachy and moralistic, even for ST:TNG (and that's saying something!). I mean, if I wanted to hear an hour-long "say no to drugs" lecture, I could attend a DARE class or something. Of course, YMMV.

I thought that was Symbiosis...:D

The Measure of a Man was the first episode which made sit down and go "whoa". It was that good. I also liked The Inner Light, Best of Both Worlds, Yesterday's Enterprise, The Defector, Conundrum, Parallels, Deja Q..

Sadly, not one single episode of Enterprise comes close to any of these... :mad:

Posted by: harvscar

I really liked "Relics" with Scotty.

Posted by: bobjohnson

quote:
Originally posted by Uther
Anything with Diana Muldaur is crap. Ok, I just hated Pulaski. :)

And The Inner Light is the best TNG ep.

Good point, I had a mental block on Pulaski, I guess I just refuse to consider her a part of TNG.

Posted by: doom1701

quote:
Originally posted by bobjohnson
Anything with Q is golden. I think a more apt question might be is there any TNG episode you don't like? I sure can't think of one.

A Fistful of Datas. I made it all the way through eps like Angel One and other Season 1 drek (which was almost all Gene Rodenberry, BTW--I don't like Berman, but he did save Trek from Gene's elderly fantasies), but Fistful of Datas was the only episode that I never made it all the way through.

Posted by: jlb

Don't know if I already responded to this thread yet but here goes anyway....

In no particular order:

Best of Both Worlds I and II
.....Damn, all of them....

Posted by: lalouque

I have to agree with Inner Light and Darmok as my two favorites. Okay, the one where Data read the poem about his cat was pretty good too. If only for that poem.

Posted by: Pan Chun

quote:
Originally posted by lalouque
Okay, the one where Data read the poem about his cat was pretty good too. If only for that poem.

Felis catus is your taxonomic nomenclature
An endothermic quadruped, carnivorous by nature.
Your visual, olfactory, and auditory senses
Control your hunting skills and natural defenses.

I find myself intrigued by your sub-vocal oscillations,
A singular development of cat communications
That obviates your besic hedonistic predilection
For a rhythmic stroking of your fur to demonstrate affection.

A tail is quite essential for your acrobatic talents,
You would not be so agile of you lacked its counter-balance.
And when not being utilized to aid in locomotion,
It often serves to illustrate the state of your emotions.

Oh, Spot, the complex levels of behavior you display
Connote a fairly well-developed cognitive array.
And though you are not sentient, Spot, and do not comprehend,
I nonetheless consider you a true and valued friend.

Posted by: mattdrury

quote:
Originally posted by tonyoci
This is the one where Picard is scanned by an Alien but in his mind he lived a whole life on another planet, getting married, having kids etc.

That's my fave as well. Beautiful, that.

Posted by: sschwart

My favorite ones, are probably the Borg (Best of Both Worlds), and Cardassian (don't remember the name... but it's the one where there are 4 lights). two parters. There are many others that I really loved, but those two really had just fanstatic writing and acting, and always impressed the heck outta me.

-Steve

Posted by: jchan

They should have had an episode entitled "Day of the Red Shirt" detailing a new ensign's breif one day service aboard the Enterprise before he dies in 1 of 6 creative ways.

Posted by: mattdrury

I've always thought an episode of any good established series, where nothing really critical or life-threatening occurs, would be a nice addition.

Next on The West Wing: Josh and Amy go out for pizza and a movie, but don't argue politics.

Posted by: DLiquid

I've been wanting to get all of the Next Generation seasons on DVD (I think the last few seasons come out before this xmas), but each season is over $100. Anyone know where to get the DVDs cheap?

Posted by: DLiquid

quote:
Originally posted by tonyoci
This is the one where Picard is scanned by an Alien but in his mind he lived a whole life on another planet, getting married, having kids etc.

Yes, that episode was excellent.

Posted by: EBone11973

quote:
Originally posted by DLiquid
I've been wanting to get all of the Next Generation seasons on DVD (I think the last few seasons come out before this xmas), but each season is over $100. Anyone know where to get the DVDs cheap?

The cheapest I've seen is Costco or Costco.com (provided you're a member). Each of the seasons was $84.99 I believe. The problem is you have to get what you want within about a month of it coming out, since once the initial stock is out at the Costco store, they don't reorder.

Posted by: DLiquid

Thanks EBone11973, I am a Costco member. I guess the seasons already out (1-4) are probably no longer at Costco, but maybe seasons 5-7 will be at Costco later this year. I'll be on the lookout.

EDIT: Actually, it looks like Costco.com might have seasons 1-7 (with the exception of 4) for $89.99 each. Amazon.com said seasons 5-7 weren't released yet. I'm confused.

Now, where to find the $630+tax to pay for it? :)

Posted by: doom1701

quote:
Originally posted by mattdrury
I've always thought an episode of any good established series, where nothing really critical or life-threatening occurs, would be a nice addition.

Next on The West Wing: Josh and Amy go out for pizza and a movie, but don't argue politics.

I've always wanted to see this--Episodes like "Data's Day", or "View from the Gallery" on B5 would have been excellent uses of this concept, but they had to introduce some kind of drama to them. I guess we just don't have the attention span to learn about characters.

Posted by: mdupont_2000

quote:
Originally posted by mattdrury
I've always thought an episode of any good established series, where nothing really critical or life-threatening occurs, would be a nice addition.

Next on The West Wing: Josh and Amy go out for pizza and a movie, but don't argue politics.

There was an episode of the old Robotech cartoon in which Minmei and Rick Hunter were trapped in an unused part of the SDF1. Whole episode was character development.

Anyway, back to Trek. Any of the later episode about Worf are my faves. Early on he was just there to get beat up by the alien du jour.

Also, am I the only one who thinks DS9 during the Dominion War was the best Trek ever?

Posted by: Pan Chun

quote:
Originally posted by mdupont_2000
Also, am I the only one who thinks DS9 during the Dominion War was the best Trek ever?

Nope...the last 3-4 seasons of DS9 absolutely WAS. While MOST Trek is single, self-contained stories, most of those seasons, though still episodic, were part of an incredibly well-realized whole. :up: :up: :up:

A shame they haven't come remotely close to those great seasons since, with either VOY or ENT. :(

Posted by: mdupont_2000

quote:
Originally posted by Pan Chun
A shame they haven't come remotely close to those great seasons since, with either VOY or ENT. :( [/B]

Agreed.

Posted by: martinp13

Cause and Effect (they even used the commercial breaks as "delimiters" for the episode's parts, and you don't realize it til the end),
Yesterday's Enterprise,
The Outcast, <-- no one likes it but me :)
Disaster, <-- no one likes it but me :)
I forget the name, but the episode where (as a subplot) Deanna keeps failing the Bridge Officer's exam, til she gets it right at the end.

Posted by: bonehead

I'd have to agree with others and say that The Inner Light was probably the best episode.

I'd also like to throw in an honorable mention for Preemptive Strike. A good, solid episode, and it was refreshing to see a Trek episode without the typical happy, perfect ending. Well, plus Michelle Forbes is hot. :)

Also have to agree that the last several seasons of DS9 was by far the best Trek we've seen so far.

Posted by: loopey

I like the one where Riker switches between the asylum and the Enterprise and starts going insane.

My other favorite is the one where they are scanned and egyptian artifacts start showing up and the ship is transformed and picard has to talk to the queen. I am bad at remembering names...

Posted by: cancermatt

I enjoy TONS of episodes of ST: TNG, but I find the following "script" types very frustrating and/or less developed than any other type of stand-alone or mythology episode:

Any episode where [insert character] has an identical twin brother/clone/any excuse for a character to "play" a different spin on their character, re: Data's brother arc, Cpt. Picard's "clone" from the future, Riker's "mistake" from getting beamed up, etc.

I do like Dwight Schultz in any character, "Barclay" or A-Team and look forward to finding Ashley Judd (seemingly missed her character) and other minor characters with identifiable actors (like Terry O'Quinn, etc.)

Matt

Posted by: doom1701

quote:
Originally posted by cancermatt
I enjoy TONS of episodes of ST: TNG, but I find the following "script" types very frustrating and/or less developed than any other type of stand-alone or mythology episode:

Any episode where [insert character] has an identical twin brother/clone/any excuse for a character to "play" a different spin on their character, re: Data's brother arc, Cpt. Picard's "clone" from the future, Riker's "mistake" from getting beamed up, etc.

Didn't realize this was a spoiler, but just in case

Spoiler Alert! (highlight to read)
Boy, you're gonna HATE the new Star Trek movie, then...

Posted by: bonehead

quote:
Originally posted by doom1701
Boy, you're gonna HATE the new Star Trek movie, then...

I'm just waiting for the first holodeck based movie.

Posted by: DLiquid

quote:
Originally posted by doom1701
Spoiler Alert! (highlight to read)
Boy, you're gonna HATE the new Star Trek movie, then...

Ahhhh, let's keep the spoilers in tags. Unlike some people who have read the entire script, I prefer to go in with no knowledge of the plot whatsoever. Maybe you should edit your post.

Posted by: Sirius Black

quote:
I forget the name, but the episode where (as a subplot) Deanna keeps failing the Bridge Officer's exam, til she gets it right at the end.

Isn't this the one where at the same time that Deanna "I state the obvious" Troi (Sigourney Weaver does a better job in Galaxy Quest) is taking the exam, Data is on a planet collecting radioactive fragments, gets his brain fried, and inadvertantly starts spreading radiation sickness to everyone in town?

Posted by: bonehead

Yep, that's the one.

Posted by: JYoung

Thine Own Self

Posted by: appelm

Man there are so many good ones. I'm glad so many agree about Inner Light. When I first saw that episode, it was clearly the best I'd seen. Funny thing was that I forced a non-trek fan to watch an episode with me and it happened to be that one. She's been much more tolerant of TNG since then...

But why buy them? I must have almost 50 episodes on my Tivo to watch!!

Posted by: jrock

Wow, I haven't watched TNG since the mid 90's. I got my tivo a few weeks ago and I found TNG on TNN in a search and have a wishlist for it now and I get like 2 - 4 shows a day being recorded. I forgot how emotional they are, almost every episode brings a tear to my eye. I can't even begin to pick one favorite episode there are to many awesome ones. Man I love my tivo!

Posted by: coldtoes

If you're looking for another place to share your opinions on favorite episodes, check out
the Global Episode Opinion Survey which lets you rate episodes of various sci fi series. I've set up a SP for TNN and then I've been using the GEOS ratings to weed out the lousy episodes. (Particular stinkers that come to mind: "Skin of Evil," with its terrible special effects and maudlin funeral, and "Shades of Gray," which in addition to being a clip show features way too much Dr. Pulaski. Bleah.)

So many TNG reruns, so little time before season premieres... methinks the 60 hr. Series 2 (= ~17 best) may not remain unhacked for long...

Posted by: Pan Chun

quote:
Originally posted by rloper
"Who Watches the Watchers" - Season 3 - Classic Trek - a fairly believable First Contact scenario

This one is interesting for several reasons...

My DTiVo picked it up as a suggestion, so I just re-watched it. Ray Wise played "Leland Palmer" on Twin Peaks ("Laura Palmer"'s father)...he also played the Mintaken who witnessed "The Picard" on the Enterprise.

The other Federation character who was lost on the planet and later recovered from a cave, suffering from radiation sickness was named: "Palmer".

Crusher, when asked by Picard to wipe the alien's short-term memory made a reference to Doctor Pulaski's method of doing so...

What a lovely episode! :up:

Posted by: RGM1138

I like most of the TNG eps, so it's hard to chose a few favorites, but:

Measure Of A Man
Skin Of Evil
Yesterday's Enterprise
All Good Things
Family
Relics
I, Borg
Cause & Effect
Parallels - (Worf goes dimension surfing)

All of the Q eps, especially Qpid - Worf (I am NOT a Merry Man!) goes "Bluto" on Geordi's lute

Bob

Posted by: feldon23

The problem with Pulaski is, she was the only overt attempt to clone the original series of Star Trek. She is a thinly veiled reproduction of McCoy.

Maybe if the whole show had been a clone, with a vulcan, a sexually-out-of-control captain who never follows the rules, a vulnerable communications officer, etc. etc. it would have fit.

But TNG was a brave and entirely new show and her appearance made some of those episodes very disjointed. Even though Beverly Crusher played the same respect-for-life-above-all-else, she did it with 1/10th the annoyance factor. :)

The episodes people have been listing are indeed great.

The Inner Light and Chain of Command I & II (the Cardassian torture episodes) are probably my favorites.

I've watched Darmock and I, Borg just in the past few days. Both awesome. :)

and was anyone else knocked on their ass by the episode where Data is taken captive by the collector guy?

Posted by: Pan Chun

quote:
Originally posted by feldon23
The problem with Pulaski is, she was the only overt attempt to clone the original series of Star Trek. She is a thinly veiled reproduction of McCoy.

Maybe if the whole show had been a clone, with a vulcan, a sexually-out-of-control captain who never follows the rules, a vulnerable communications officer, etc. etc. it would have fit.

But TNG was a brave and entirely new show and her appearance made some of those episodes very disjointed. Even though Beverly Crusher played the same respect-for-life-above-all-else, she did it with 1/10th the annoyance factor. :)

Well, "entirely new" is sort of subjective...the show was very loosely based on Star Trek: The Motion Picture, with Riker = Decker, Troi = Ilia, etc. Even Data as the "Android who wanted to be human (Pinocchio Syndrome)" was lifted from Roddenberry's The Questor Tapes show.

Of course, the program quickly moved PAST those early crutches...but Gene really was recycling his earlier work at the very beginning of the series. :)

Posted by: rogo

Yesterday's Enterprise has to be my favorite one-parter. It's place in Trek history and Guinan's intuition are super key.

I also love Ship in a Bottle. The Moriarty character is fascinating.

The Pegasus, from Season 7, sets up the darker Federation of DS 9 and also Insurrection.

But, Best of Both Worlds is the Trek episode that permanently hooked me on TNG after much ambivalence at times. I think it helped make TNG the best episodic drama ever.

Mark

Posted by: jimborst

I watched an episode tonight that I could barely sit through-TNN needs to grow a brain. I have sat through the bottom banner but now the FLASHING bright banner-how can you watch the show with that going on on the screen!