As some of you may already know Star Trek is my favorite TV series franchise. I have seen Star Trek Next Generation countless times. I thought it would be interesting to share what in my opinion are the top 10 Next Generation episodes.
10. The Pegasus: This episode was on season 7. It was about a moral dilemma on if Riker should keep a secret as ordered by a previous captain on Starfleet's experiments on cloaking technology or if he should disobey orders and tell Picard about Starfleet's illegal cloaking experiments which was responsible for many deaths. This episode has connections to Star Trek Enterprise as Riker used the Holideck to show Captain Archer's last mission which illustrated Trip's disobedience of orders to help Riker make up his mind.
9. The Offspring: This is a touching story about Data creating an android named Lal. This brought up a moral dilemma on who should raise Lal, Starfleet or Data. Unfortunately Lal's positronic brain was not stable and she died.
8. Q Who: The introduction of the Borg. Picard told Q the federation can handle anything. So to prove Picard wrong Q hurled the Enterprise half way across the galaxy and introduced them to the Borg. The Borg saga begins.
7. Redemption part 1 and 2: Worf's honor is restored, he resigns from Starfleet, Duras Sisters, Klingons and Romulans what more can you say. This is a great episode as it has great action of a Klingon civil war influenced by the Romulans working behind the scenes. Oh and Tasha Yar's daughter is the Romulan mastermind.
6. Unification: This is the one where Spock defects to Romulus and Picard and Data sneak to Romulus in a cloaked Klingon ship to find out why. Spock believes the Romulans are interested in reuniting with the Vulcans. A peace envoy is sent to Vulcan but Picard and Spock learn it is a trap masterminded by guess who? Tasha Yar's daughter Sela. In great Star Trek style this evil plan was thwarted. This is one of my all time favorite because Spock is in it and I love references of the original Star Trek.
5. Relics: This is a great episode because Scotty is in it. I love nostalgic episodes. Scotty is locked in a transporter buffer for 75 years. When Scotty is released he learns 75 years has passed and a lot has changed, but Scotty hasn't. In Scotty grand style he once again saves the Enterprise by helping it escape a Dyson's Sphere.
4. Yesterdays Enterprise: The Enterprise encounters a rift where they discover the Enterprise C. Both ships are thrown in an alternate time line where the Federation and the Klingons are in an all out war. They help Enterprise C to go to its original time and its unavoidable destruction trying to save a Klingon outpost from the Romulans which restores the timeline. Tasha Yar knows she should be dead in the real timeline so she volunteers to go back with Enterprise C. This is how Sela came to be.
3. Measure of a Man: A Starfleet scientist wants to study Data which may mean disassembling Data. Data refuses to go so there is a hearing to see if Data is property or a sentient being. The debate and the moral dilemma that takes place in the courtroom is fantastic and really makes one think. This is Picard and Data at their best.
2. The Inner Light: The Enterprise encounters a probe that renders Picard unconscious. In a matter of 25 minutes Picard lives a whole other life on a distant planet. He is married, has children and is an amateur astronomer that studies the sun and learns it is about to go super nova. His vision ends with the launch of the probe with the mission to seek others and tell the story of the doomed planet by allowing that person to live a life in a few seconds. A side note the flute Picard plays a nice catchy folk tune on was sold at auction a few months ago for $40,000 and it doesn't even play.
1. Best of Both Worlds: How did you guess? This is everyone's favorite. What do you expect it's the Borg after all and throw in a mix of the Earth about to be destroyed, several hundred ships get destroyed and Picard as Locutus of Borg and you have a hum dinger episode.
