Movies and TV What was your favorite episode of Star Trek: TNG?

**RealSNR** · 03-16-2011, 06:42 PM

Okay okay okay... quit calling me late to the party. I do this with every popular show out there-- I start watching after it's been off the air for at least a few years. I did it with Frasier, Red Dwarf (although there are new episodes being made) and now I'm doing it with the Star Trek franchise. Back off. I know there are Star Trek fans on this forum, and if you've noticed my posting style (although I have no idea why you would) a lot of my posts are Star Trek-centric. This is why:

My job in the past few months had late hours, so I'd get home and be able to watch one episode per day at 1 in the morning. But man, it was great. I just turned it on one day and started watching and never stopped. Anyway, the series has run its cycle now. I've seen all seven seasons plus the movies (except for Insurrection, which I'll get around to eventually). I've also seen the new one by JJ Abrams. At the moment I'm slowly progressing through DS9 and a handful of the original series.

But until I get through it all, I know TNG is pretty much the only series beloved by ALL Trek fans, not just some.

Here are my personal top 5 episodes in no particular order. I couldn't rank them accurately.

1. "The Most Toys" (S3E22)- There's nothing incredibly powerful or ground-breaking about the plot or the way it was written. But it's very dramatic and quite colorful, which I think is what Star Trek is all about. I kind of have a weakness for Data-centered episodes, and this one is particularly good. It's odd, esoteric, and particularly intense considering he's being held captive as an object in a collection of toys, when really he's the being with the highest code of ethics on the entire rogue ship

2. "The Silicon Avatar" (S5E4)- Perhaps the most tragic of all the TNG episodes. I mean, TNG does this all the time where something bad happens but it ends on a hopeful note- Tasha Yar's death, Worf's vengeance against Duras, etc. Not in this one. It ends on a tragic note, with the doctor now only left to her own madness and questioning of her actions for the rest of her life.

3. "Yesterday's Enterprise" (S3E15)- This episode is on most peoples' lists. I normally hate causality/time travel shit in sci-fi movies/stories. It almost never works out. Here it DOES work out and it's absolutely brilliant. People claim that Picard's decision-making is totally irrational and not at all what a starfleet officer would even consider. Well guess what? He's Picard, and when his back is to the wall he often makes decisions that violate starfleet regulation/the prime directive. And it's not THAT unrealistic. He knows what Guinan is capable of and he also knows that the Federation is going to lose the war. May as well send Tasha Yar back, right?

4. "The Chase" (S6E20)- This is one of those episodes that years from now will be considered genius in a Jules Verne kind of way. This is exactly what science fiction is all about- create a universe and try to explain it. If/when humans discover life elsewhere in the universe we're going to have to answer some real tough biological questions. In the Star Trek universe, this one does a brilliant job of it. I was totally blown away. That takes some real creative-ass minds to think of that kind of shit.

5. "I, Borg" (S5E23)- I chose this borg episode instead of The Best of Both Worlds mainly because it exposes a different side to the story instead of just "We need to find a way to kill the borg nao!" And that different story is: "When we DO find a way to eradicate the borg, are we going to have the balls to do it?" Picard's actions in this episode come up time and time again later in the series/movies (especially First Contact, obviously) and here is one of the most questionable decisions he makes in his entire career as captain of the Enterprise. And yet it's so well-written that viewers of this episode more often than not finding themselves siding with Picard, even though they face a fictional race/character who is more violent, hated, and ire-raising than Nazis.

These are just some episodes I brought up. I'm not bringing up more incase this thread dies quickly. I've already wasted enough time typing this out as it is.

**007** · 03-16-2011, 06:47 PM

Best of Both Worlds part 1 and 2.

I also liked the one where Picard lives an entire lifetime in just a few minutes.

**bevischief** · 03-16-2011, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guru

Best of Both Worlds part 1 and 2.

I also liked the one where Picard lives an entire lifetime in just a few minutes.

This works for me. The most action of the series.

keg in kc · 03-16-2011, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guru

Best of Both Worlds part 1 and 2.

Definitely.

Although there are a ton of episodes I used to like (been years since I watched any...).

I'm actually recording both parts of Best of Both Worlds in the next couple of days on BBC America.

(I, Borg was just on a couple of days ago. Taped that one as well).

**RealSNR** · 03-16-2011, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guru

Best of Both Worlds part 1 and 2.

I also liked the one where Picard lives an entire lifetime in just a few minutes.

First time I saw the end of part 1 I had chills for like... 10 minutes. I imagined myself watching this episode when it came out and having to wait until NEXT season to find out the conclusion. That would have driven me nuts.

Not that we all haven't seen this 1000 times, but here it is just to enjoy it again:

keg in kc · 03-16-2011, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SNR

First time I saw the end of part 1 I had chills for like... 10 minutes. I imagined myself watching this episode when it came out and having to wait until NEXT season to find out the conclusion. That would have driven me nuts.

It was freaking torture.

The X-files used to do shit like that, too.

And Battlestar Galactica's season one cliffhanger, maybe the harshest ever. It's like "oh shit" and then "see you again in a year!"

**BigRedChief** · 03-16-2011, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guru

I also liked the one where Picard lives an entire lifetime in just a few minutes.

The Inner Light?

The one where he plays the flute. Some of the best tv ever done.

Picard clutching that flute to his chest at the end of the episode and starting to play it, was very powerful TV. His acting chops certaintly helped.

Amnorix · 03-17-2011, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

The Inner Light?

The one where he plays the flute. Some of the best tv ever done.

Picard clutching that flute to his chest at the end of the episode and starting to play it, was very powerful TV. His acting chops certaintly helped.

Yes, Inner Light is absolutely at the top along with a very small handful of others, most of which have been mentioned.

One I haven't seen mentioned, which is only a half-notch below, I think, is the one where the Romulan Admiral is set up by the Romulans to betray his people, defects to the Enterprise, tells them about some invasion, and when Enterprise goes to investigate, it turns out to be a trap, and the Admiral had been duped all along.

Defector is the name of the episode, IIRC.

**Lzen** · 03-17-2011, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guru

Best of Both Worlds part 1 and 2.

I also liked the one where Picard lives an entire lifetime in just a few minutes.

Excellent choices. I would agree. Always loved the Borg episodes.

Hammock Parties · 03-16-2011, 06:52 PM

All Good Things...

One of the best series finales ever.

And pretty much any episode with Q is baller.

I think maybe my favorite ever is Reunification, parts 1 and 2. Picard and Data being badass spies, Nimoy doing a bunch of cool shit, and other than Picard's borg transformation it probably has the best cliffhanger ending to the first part of a two-parter in series history. I positively SQUEALED when Nimoy came out of the shadows and said "It seems you have found him, Captain Picard" the first time I saw this episode.

Honorable mention: Descent parts 1 and 2. The first episode is amazing. The second is a bit of a let down.

**Predarat** · 03-16-2011, 06:54 PM

Any episode with Q
The Tribbles
Yesterdays Enterprise

keg in kc · 03-16-2011, 06:58 PM

And the worst episodes? Anything featuring Wesley Crusher.

Biggest blue balls episode? Conspiracy, from near the end of season 1. I remember (at the time!) thinking how awesome it was to have Starfleet infiltrated by mind control aliens. And then....nothing ever happened with them ever again.

(I think they were originally supposed to be the 'big bad' that the Borg were)

**bevischief** · 03-16-2011, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keg in kc

And the worst episodes? Anything featuring Wesley Crusher.

Biggest blue balls episode? Conspiracy, from near the end of season 1. I remember (at the time!) thinking how awesome it was to have Starfleet infiltrated by mind control aliens. And then....nothing ever happened with them ever again.

(I think they were originally supposed to be the 'big bad' that the Borg were)

Writers strike didn't help on bringing them back...

IrishGal · 04-17-2011, 05:37 PM

I actually liked Wesley's character, he brought something new to the show, and showed that it is okay to be a genius and showing it.

Deberg_1990 · 03-16-2011, 06:59 PM

Ill probably get flamed, but i never really got into the Next Generation much nor any of the series after.

Im an Original Series guy all the way as cheesy as it is. Nothing will ever top the Kirk/Spock/McCoy Bromance.

03-16-2011, 06:42 PM	Topic Starter
RealSNR Special Teams ACE!!! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Where the hell is SNR Casino cash: $-1294792	What was your favorite episode of Star Trek: TNG? Okay okay okay... quit calling me late to the party. I do this with every popular show out there-- I start watching after it's been off the air for at least a few years. I did it with Frasier, Red Dwarf (although there are new episodes being made) and now I'm doing it with the Star Trek franchise. Back off. I know there are Star Trek fans on this forum, and if you've noticed my posting style (although I have no idea why you would) a lot of my posts are Star Trek-centric. This is why: My job in the past few months had late hours, so I'd get home and be able to watch one episode per day at 1 in the morning. But man, it was great. I just turned it on one day and started watching and never stopped. Anyway, the series has run its cycle now. I've seen all seven seasons plus the movies (except for Insurrection, which I'll get around to eventually). I've also seen the new one by JJ Abrams. At the moment I'm slowly progressing through DS9 and a handful of the original series. But until I get through it all, I know TNG is pretty much the only series beloved by ALL Trek fans, not just some. Here are my personal top 5 episodes in no particular order. I couldn't rank them accurately. 1. "The Most Toys" (S3E22)- There's nothing incredibly powerful or ground-breaking about the plot or the way it was written. But it's very dramatic and quite colorful, which I think is what Star Trek is all about. I kind of have a weakness for Data-centered episodes, and this one is particularly good. It's odd, esoteric, and particularly intense considering he's being held captive as an object in a collection of toys, when really he's the being with the highest code of ethics on the entire rogue ship 2. "The Silicon Avatar" (S5E4)- Perhaps the most tragic of all the TNG episodes. I mean, TNG does this all the time where something bad happens but it ends on a hopeful note- Tasha Yar's death, Worf's vengeance against Duras, etc. Not in this one. It ends on a tragic note, with the doctor now only left to her own madness and questioning of her actions for the rest of her life. 3. "Yesterday's Enterprise" (S3E15)- This episode is on most peoples' lists. I normally hate causality/time travel shit in sci-fi movies/stories. It almost never works out. Here it DOES work out and it's absolutely brilliant. People claim that Picard's decision-making is totally irrational and not at all what a starfleet officer would even consider. Well guess what? He's Picard, and when his back is to the wall he often makes decisions that violate starfleet regulation/the prime directive. And it's not THAT unrealistic. He knows what Guinan is capable of and he also knows that the Federation is going to lose the war. May as well send Tasha Yar back, right? 4. "The Chase" (S6E20)- This is one of those episodes that years from now will be considered genius in a Jules Verne kind of way. This is exactly what science fiction is all about- create a universe and try to explain it. If/when humans discover life elsewhere in the universe we're going to have to answer some real tough biological questions. In the Star Trek universe, this one does a brilliant job of it. I was totally blown away. That takes some real creative-ass minds to think of that kind of shit. 5. "I, Borg" (S5E23)- I chose this borg episode instead of The Best of Both Worlds mainly because it exposes a different side to the story instead of just "We need to find a way to kill the borg nao!" And that different story is: "When we DO find a way to eradicate the borg, are we going to have the balls to do it?" Picard's actions in this episode come up time and time again later in the series/movies (especially First Contact, obviously) and here is one of the most questionable decisions he makes in his entire career as captain of the Enterprise. And yet it's so well-written that viewers of this episode more often than not finding themselves siding with Picard, even though they face a fictional race/character who is more violent, hated, and ire-raising than Nazis. These are just some episodes I brought up. I'm not bringing up more incase this thread dies quickly. I've already wasted enough time typing this out as it is.
Posts: 93,263

03-16-2011, 06:47 PM	#2
007 Shaken. Not stirred. Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: London Casino cash: $12230126 VARSITY	Best of Both Worlds part 1 and 2. I also liked the one where Picard lives an entire lifetime in just a few minutes. __________________ My dear girl, there are some things that just aren’t done. Such as, drinking Dom Perignon ’53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s just as bad as listening to the Beatles without earmuffs.
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03-16-2011, 06:52 PM	#10
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $1040478	All Good Things... One of the best series finales ever. And pretty much any episode with Q is baller. I think maybe my favorite ever is Reunification, parts 1 and 2. Picard and Data being badass spies, Nimoy doing a bunch of cool shit, and other than Picard's borg transformation it probably has the best cliffhanger ending to the first part of a two-parter in series history. I positively SQUEALED when Nimoy came out of the shadows and said "It seems you have found him, Captain Picard" the first time I saw this episode. Honorable mention: Descent parts 1 and 2. The first episode is amazing. The second is a bit of a let down. __________________ Chiefs game films
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03-16-2011, 06:54 PM	#11
Predarat Run Chiefs fans, run!! Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Nashville, TN Casino cash: $9963863	Any episode with Q The Tribbles Yesterdays Enterprise
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03-16-2011, 06:58 PM	#12
keg in kc oxymoron Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: OP/KC/Whatever Casino cash: $9556299	And the worst episodes? Anything featuring Wesley Crusher. Biggest blue balls episode? Conspiracy, from near the end of season 1. I remember (at the time!) thinking how awesome it was to have Starfleet infiltrated by mind control aliens. And then....nothing ever happened with them ever again. (I think they were originally supposed to be the 'big bad' that the Borg were)
Posts: 58,682

04-17-2011, 05:37 PM	#14
IrishGal Loyal Fan Forever Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: SE Kansas Casino cash: $10004900	I actually liked Wesley's character, he brought something new to the show, and showed that it is okay to be a genius and showing it.
Posts: 46

03-16-2011, 06:59 PM	#15
Deberg_1990 In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Antonio Tx. Casino cash: $344454	Ill probably get flamed, but i never really got into the Next Generation much nor any of the series after. Im an Original Series guy all the way as cheesy as it is. Nothing will ever top the Kirk/Spock/McCoy Bromance.
Posts: 68,401