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‘star trek: the next generation’ – the 25 best episodes.

The Hollywood Reporter compiles the 25 best installments of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' in honor of the 25th anniversary of the series finale.

By Mike Bloom

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'Make it so': Star Trek: The Next Generation's 25 best episodes, ranked

These are the best adventures of Captain Picard's  TNG  crew.

No one expected Star Trek to last longer than the original series’ first three seasons, let alone 55 years. 

Even by 1960s standards, the classic show suffered from low-budget sets and, at times, cheesy effects. But what it lacked in spectacle it made up for with ideas; a thematically-rich exploration of heady sci-fi concepts bolstered by occasional space-based action and some of the finest TV characters ever assembled. Trek ’s legacy would endure and spawn 13 feature films and several series, most notably Star Trek: The Next Generation , which is as popular now (or more) than it has ever been, thanks to streaming. In 2021,  TNG  celebrate some significant milestones: The 30th anniversary of the Season 5 episode "Disaster,"  Trek 's take on disaster movies like  The Poseidon Adventure , the 30th of "Unification, Parts I and II, which marked Mr. Spock's return to television prior to the theatrical release of 1991's  Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , and  Star Trek: First Contact  recently turned 25. 

With everyone coming up  Star Trek: The Next Generation  lately, as well as the franchise itself celebrating its 55th anniversary this year, SYFY WIRE scrolled through our databanks to rank and file the 25 greatest episodes of  TNG . 

25. “Q Who?” (Season 2)

The Borg have never been more scary than they are in “Q Who?”, their first appearance in Star Trek .

When Q is denied a spot amongst Picard’s crew, he punishes the captain’s perceived short-sightedness by snapping his fingers and sending the Enterprise to the unexplored reaches of the Delta Quadrant. There, Picard encounters — and barely escapes — the Borg and their relentless pursuit of perfection by means of assimilation. The moment their cube vessel cuts out a section of the D’s saucer as easily as one would carve a roast, the Borg instantly shot past the Klingons as Star Trek ’s most lethal adversary. Our introduction to the Borg is both bleak and dark, which gives the episode a slow burn, almost haunted house movie-type feel thanks to future X-Files director Rob Bowman’s dread-filled visual style. For the first time on Star Trek , you don’t know how or if the crew will get out of this one. The tension therein makes for one hell of an episode. 

24. “The Next Phase” (Season 5)

“The Next Phase” is further proof that, when it comes to delivering high-concept entertainment, no Trek show did it better than The Next Generation .  

With a plotline rich enough to sustain an entire feature, “Next Phase” pairs the conflict-heavy Ensign Ro (Michelle Forbes) with LeVar Burton’s Geordi LaForge on a mission to free themselves from being phased out of reality before Romulans destroy the Enterprise. Forbes and Burton’s committed performances help ground the out-there premise as the sci-fi complications build to a race-against-time conclusion that is so satisfying, you might catch yourself applauding in approval. 

23. “Ensign Ro” (Season 5)

Season Five’s “Ensign Ro” had the unenviable task of introducing the episode’s titular recurring character as means to tee up the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine spinoff. While more plot heavy than usual TNG episodes, Michael Piller’s teleplay delicately balances out the exposition with essential character development scenes between the infamous Ro Laren and her new captain, Picard.

When we first meet the Bajoran Ro, everything about her says “stay away.” Her rebellious Starfleet record precedes her when she first boards Enterprise, which leads to instant friction between her and Riker as Picard recruits Ro for a mission that concerns her people and their enemy, a Nazi-like occupational force known as the Cardassians. Ro quickly became a fan-favorite, thanks to Forbes’ sympathetic and charming performance in what would become a load-bearing episode for the franchise’s expansion in the ‘90s. 

22. “Brothers” (Season 4)

This Season 4 entry fleshes out Data’s backstory with a one-man show for Brent Spiner as he plays three different characters: Data, his very old creator, Dr. Noonien Soong, and Data’s very evil brother, Lore. 

After Data inexplicably orchestrates a fake disaster aboard the Enterprise and takes control of the ship’s computer, he confronts both the father he thought was long lost and the brother he can’t seem to lose. Soong wants to give Data an emotion chip, to finish what he started before he dies, just as Data’s family reunion jeopardizes the health of a young boy under Dr. Crusher’s care. If Data doesn’t relinquish control of the Enterprise, this kid will die and his brother will suffer from a lifelong case of survivor’s guilt. Looking past the fact that “Brothers” confusingly avoids dealing with any serious questions surrounding Data’s selfish and potentially deadly actions, the episode serves as an extended Emmy reel for Spiner. He effortlessly dons old age makeup and switches between three generations of Data’s family line in what is a definitive moment in the android’s arc. 

21. “Deja Q” (Season 3)

The second best of Q’s visits to the Enterprise, “Deja Q” is a brilliant elevator pitch — what if Q lost his powers — executed to its richest and most dramatically satisfying potential. Stripping Q of his omnipotence gives the mischievous a newfound sense of vulnerability and humility, one he only previously experienced when observing the subjects of his torments. While Q’s appreciation for what it means to be human is brief, it gives John de Lancie interesting opportunities to invest his iconic baddie with more nuance as Q goes from selfless to selfish in this entertaining (and very meme-friendly) outting. 

20. “Reunion” (Season 4)

Worf-centric episodes of TNG like “Reunion” or “Sins of the Father” are to Star Trek what the last two Captain America movies are to Marvel: World-building game changers. “Reunion” pushes major plotlines whose consequences will eventually ripple effect throughout the next three decades of Star Trek , as Worf’s personal vendetta against his rival, the Duras family, brings more intrigue to the Enterprise and tragedy to our favorite Klingon. 

It also pushes Worf into a relationship with his estranged son, Alexander, as the two must learn to live together when a conspiracy that threatens to tear the Klingon Empire apart results in the death of Alexander’s mom and Worf’s over, K'Ehleyr (the scary-talented Suzie Plakson). The mystery plot here clicks into place like safe tumblers, but “Reunion” truly excels in the moments spent with Worf as his obligations as a Starfleet officer get in the way of his code as a Klingon warrior. Especially when, during one of Trek ’s darkest moments, Worf exercises his right to avenge his one true love by straight-up murdering her dishonorable killer. 

19. “The Drumhead” (Season 5)

As bottle episodes go, they don’t get much better or more powerful than “The Drumhead.” 

It’s The Crucible on the Enterprise as Picard spars with one of the Federation’s legendary legal minds and investigators when she suspects there is a Romulan conspiracy taking root on the flagship. The circumstances surrounding her suspicions achieve Red Scare-levels of paranoia as TNG puts McCarthyism through a revealing and unyielding sci-fi lens to tell a very timely story of how far people will go to find the truth — even if it means fabricating a version of it. 

18. “Lower Decks” (Season 7)

Before the comedic adventures of the animated Star Trek: Lower Decks , Star Trek ’s first attempt to explore the lives of the rank-and-file officers aboard a starship occurred in “Lower Decks,” one of the few standout episodes from the underwhelming Season 7. 

“Lower Decks” devotes most of its screentime to a small group of pals who aspire to be on the Enterprise bridge or among the senior staff’s away missions. They soon end up in “be-careful-what-you-wish-for” territory when Picard plucks one of the young officers, the Bajoran Ensign Sito (Shannon Fill), to help him execute a dangerous mission involving the Cardassians. “Lower Decks” acts as a pseudo-sequel of sorts to “The First Duty,” where Picard first encountered Sito during a court martial that tarnished the then-cadet’s career before it started. Her chance at redemption via Picard’s mentorship gives the episode its beating heart, which ultimately breaks ours in the final moments when this earnest officer we’ve been rooting for becomes another casualty under Picard’s command. With this final dramatic twist, “Lower Decks” goes from a welcomed departure from TNG ’s usual story template to one of the show’s most effective episodes. 

17. “The First Duty” (Season 5)

Wesley Crusher continues to give Picard more headaches than anyone is worth, but at least this time it results in a standout episode of Trek . 

Ron Moore’s attempt to do A Few Good Men , Star Tre k -style, centers on Crusher and his fellow cadets. On the eve of their graduation from Starfleet Academy, they find themselves in the middle of a tribunal that intends to get to the truth behind why their friend and fellow cadet, Josh, died during a flight exercise. The lies Wesley and his friends tell to escape justice only puts them under more scrutiny when Picard goes digging around the shady circumstances surrounding Josh’s death. That search yields a show-stopping scene between Picard and Wesley, with one hell of a monologue that still gives us chills. “The First Duty” adds some much needed depth and ethical greys to Wesley’s squeaky-clean image, while also affording TNG the rare chance to challenge its “perfect” utopia by proving that even the best of us can succumb to our lesser angels. 

16. “The Defector” (Season 3)

“The Defector” is another exceptional episode from (shocker) writer Ron Moore, which puts a Romulan defector front and center with tragic consequences.

This defector, who Picard struggles to believe is just some low-level officer, risks never seeing his family again in an effort to save his people and Earth’s from what appears to be another costly war brewing between the two adversaries. In the course of vetting the defector’s statements, Picard finds more questions than answers. That investigation comes with one hell of a gut punch: Eventually, the Romulan officer realizes his people betrayed him . They used him as bait, leaking somewhat false information as a way to test his loyalty to the Empire and gleam intelligence off Starfleet’s response to their partial ruse. “The Defector” is a powerful tale of one man’s journey from brave hero to duped traitor, with a mystery plot that keeps audiences at the edge of their seats as the final scenes send them reaching for some tissues. 

15. “Disaster” (Season 5)

Designed as an homage to classic disaster movies like The Poseidon Adventure , Ron Moore’s underrated “Disaster” gives the Enterprise the Irwin Allen treatment when the starship is crippled after a collision with two quantum filaments (think space potholes). With the ship powerless and adrift, “Disaster” splits up the crew and mines their individual crises for maximum tension by putting these characters outside their comfort zone or into conflict-rich pairings. For example, an injured Picard is forced to help and work with people he normally can’t stand, children, while Counsellor Troi finds herself both in command and way over her head as her inexperience clashes with that of the better-trained Ensign Ro. “Disaster” is the rare Trek outing with no moral or lesson to learn, just good ol’ fashioned, keep-the-plates spinning tension that is just as rewatchable as the epic movies that inspired it.

14. “Relics” (Season 6)

The Next Generation thankfully loosened up on its “no classic Star Trek actors” guest star policy for Season 6’s “Relics,” a thrilling episode written by Ron Moore that brings James Doohan’s Scotty into the 24th Century. 

Prior to Scotty, only McCoy and Spock mingled with Picard’s crew, but Scotty’s episode arguably makes the best use out of revisiting these iconic characters. Here, Scotty struggles with being a man out of time and a fish out of water when he is thrust into a conflict of engineering styles with Geordi as the two must work together to free the Enterprise-D from the massive confines of a Dyson sphere. The episode spends considerable time contrasting the two engineer’s styles, giving Doohan more meaty acting moments in this one hour than any episode or movie did before. Scotty, accustomed to saving the day and with plenty of old war stories to prove it, quickly realizes he’s less of an asset on this Enterprise and more of a has-been. He begins to find his place and relevance once again by sharing a drink with Picard on the bridge of The Original Series ’ Enterprise (albeit a holodeck recreation of it).

“Relics” wisely invests Scotty with a rich exploration of what would really happen if one of the 23rd Century’s most famous heroes finds himself questioning his usefulness in the 24th Century. Moore’s script uses one Trek icon to push and challenge his TNG equivalent, giving fans one of the show’s most exciting adventures.

13. “Chain of Command, Parts I & II” (Season 6)

“Chain of Command” is arguably TNG ’s darkest hour, and one of its most thrilling. This two-parter kicks off with one of the shortest teasers in Trek history: Captain Picard loses command of the Enterprise when Starfleet re-assigns him to lead a Black Ops-esque team on a mission deep into enemy territory. That enemy? The Cardassians. Picard’s job is to find out if these baddies are creating a deadly bio-weapon and but his mission goes sideways; he is soon captured and tortured as a POW by a sadistic Cardassian (David Warner) as Riker bristles against the brash command stylings of Picard’s replacement, Captain Jellico ( RoboCop ’s Ronnie Cox.) 

The second half of this intense storyline is the strongest and most memorable for fans, as it features the infamous “There are four lights!” interrogation scene. Here, a gaunt and delirious Picard combats his captor’s psychological torture as the Cardassian gaslights Picard into submission by promising him freedom if Jean-Luc will admit he sees five lights when there are only four. This battle of wills is fraught with more tension than any space battle could muster, as “Chain of Command” provides a sobering dose of political commentary by tackling the issues of war crimes and genocide in ways only Star Trek could.

12. “The Wounded” (Season 4)

The first appearance of the villainous Cardassians (complete with their funky and quickly-abandoned head gear) is Star Trek: The Next Generation ’s sci-fi take on Coppola’s Apocalypse Now . Only instead of venturing “up river” to terminate a rogue colonel, Picard and Chief O’Brien (Colm Meany) are forced to work with “the bloody Cardys” in pursuit of O’Brien’s former captain, Maxwell ( Shawshank Redemption ’s Bob Gunton). Maxwell has seemingly gone rogue, using his starship to attack what appears to be non-military Cardassian targets.

O’Brien, having fought the Cardassians during a violent war years ago, must grapple with his hate and his duty in an episode that gives the supporting character his first real dramatic showcase. When O’Brien finally has some alone time with the cornered and defeated Maxwell, “The Wounded” earns its namesake as the two sing a melancholic song after sharing war stories of comrades lost that Maxwell’s vengeful PTSD can’t ever bring back. This haunting scene tugs on the heartstrings moments before Picard discovers that the supply ships Maxwell attacked were indeed part of Cardassian efforts to re-arm themselves. It is a revelation that validates Maxwell’s career-ending crusade while also giving the episode one of Trek ’s most bittersweet finales. 

11. “The Offspring” (Season 3)

Data’s earnest endeavors to be more human reach a turning point in “The Offspring,” an emotionally-charged episode of TNG where Data creates his daughter, Lal. 

Just as the android bonds with his child, a veteran Starfleet admiral arrives on Enterprise threatening to pull them apart when he challenges their right to be a family at all. Star Trek: TNG often finds success in exploring Data’s humanity

through the lens of the very humans who would try and take it away from him. “The Offspring” offers an excellent and tearful portrayal of that conflict as the crew comes to their friend’s aid just as Lal suffers a life-threatening issue. It’s a five-boxes-of-tissues affair when Data and the admiral work offscreen to save Lal. No matter how fast Data’s hands move, they fail to prevent Data from having to learn the hardest of humanity’s lessons: Loss. 

10. “Measure of a Man” (Season 2)

Real talk: Star Trek: The Next Generation ’s first two seasons are noble misfires. Their weekly installments have more lows than highs, but one of the few outstanding hours from the series’ early days is the Data-centric “Measure of a Man.” 

When another jerkoff Starfleet scientist comes looking to dissect Data to see what makes him tick, Picard must defend his officer’s sentience in court, and settle once and for all if this android is indeed alive or merely Federation property. The stakes couldn’t be higher — Data either gets to live on the Enterprise or under a microscope — and the drama that unfolds from this classic Star Trek premise is riveting. “Measure of a Man,” Melinda M. Sondgrass’ first writing credit for the show, is full of great dialogue and speeches that spark numerous ethical debates: Who is Starfleet to say that Data is sentient or not? Is their mission to explore new life or to play God when they find it? “Measure” never shies away from debating such topics, which have always been at the heart of Star Trek . It all builds to Picard’s passionate, climactic defense in favor of his colleague and friend — a scene that ranks near the top of Patrick Stewart’s long list of great acting achievements.

9. “Darmok” (Season 5) 

Credit: © Paramount Television/courtesy Everett Collection

Picard’s diplomatic skills are put to the test in “Darmok,” when he is taken against his will and paired with an alien commander who only communicates via metaphor. This “only-on- Star-Trek ” premise offers a potential minefield of narrative obstacles that could easily derail the drama in their execution, but Joe Menosky’s exceptional script for this Season Five episode pulls it off effortlessly. 

Picard, stranded on a mysterious planet with Dathon (Paul Winfield), quickly finds that language can be both a tool and a barrier for success, but only after failing several times in his attempt to communicate with his new alien friend. The two can hear each other's words, but not comprehend their meaning, which eventually leads to one of Picard’s finest moments: A campfire story recounting the tale of Gilgamesh. (But only after Dathon tells the mythic story of Darmok and Jalad, at Tanagra). Here, the two strangers forge a strong alliance — just in time to combat a savage threat. “Darmok” deservedly takes its time to tell a story about how similar we are despite our linguistic differences, and every rewatch of this seminal TNG episode never fails to make that point resonate as deeply as it did when it first aired. 

8. “I, Borg” (Season 5)

The value of life has been a thematic staple of many Star Trek episodes, but few have tackled it with the high-stakes drama like “I, Borg” does.

When the crew of the Enterprise finds an injured Borg drone, Picard must make a choice: Nurse it back to health or use it as a Trojan Horse that can infect the Borg Collective with a fatal virus. When Picard leans closer to condemning this Borg’s life to save millions of others, “I, Borg” thrusts the captain and his crew into a passionate moral debate that results in one of the series’ most powerful moments when Picard confronts the naive drone, one that Geordi has affectionately named “Hugh”. Up until this moment, Picard was hellbent on using Hugh to destroy the alien race that once assimilated him. But the captain has a change of heart while talking to Hugh as Locutus, Picard’s former Borg self. Here, Hugh breaks from the collective by speaking firmly from the “I” instead of “we,” which sends Picard into a wrestling match with his conscience. 

Star Trek rarely colors its heroes in such dark shades, but “I, Borg” succeeds by realistically portraying how someone like Picard isn’t wrong , per say, for wanting to kill those that turned him into a killer. For wanting to punish the Borg for crimes against humanity (and the galaxy) that they have committed and will likely commit again. But can you still be a hero if you do to your enemy what they did to you, and alter and weaponize them? “I, Borg” argues that there are no easy answers to those questions, but the discussion they spark makes for a very profound hour of television. 

7. “Tapestry” (Season 6)

Star Trek goes full It’s a Wonderful Life with “Tapestry”, which is arguably the best of the standalone Q episodes.

After a near-death experience, Picard is shown the life he could have lived had he played it more “safe” in his youth. The path not taken leads Picard away from command and into a blue uniform with a career so unremarkable, even Troi struggles to find something nice to say about it. On the road to nowhere fast, Picard turns to Q for a second chance to get back the only life he knows, even if it means dying to get it. “Tapestry,” written by the inestimable Ron Moore, takes an almost Twilight Zone -y approach in telling this story, which is full of heartfelt moments and surprisingly laugh-out-loud comedy. The lesson Picard learns here, about how rewarding taking risks can be, is a universal one — which explains why "Tapestry" often finds its way near the top of fans’ “must-watch” lists. 

6. “Family” (Season 4)

Honestly, it’s a mini miracle that “Family” got made. 

Before this exceptional episode from TNG ’s fourth season, the series largely steered clear from serialized storytelling. At the time, executive producer Rick Berman and Paramount television were strongly against “sequelizing” any TNG storylines; “no serialized stories” was an unofficial “rule” of television back then. But writer Ronald D. Moore thankfully saw an opportunity to break that rule with a story that he couldn’t pass up: How would Picard deal with the emotional fallout of his time with the Borg? 

With no phaser battles or even a trip to the Enterprise bridge (the only episode in Star Trek ’s run to never have a scene set on the command deck), “Family” pulls off an engrossing hour of television that peels back the curtain on who Picard was, and who he is struggling to be, in the the aftermath of the two-parter “Best of Both Worlds”. Mostly set on Earth, the episode introduces Picard’s family vineyard into Trek canon, as Picard confronts his estranged brother and debates whether or not to leave Starfleet. The only person who can help Picard deal with his trauma is the last person he can stand being with, his brother. Only through their constant bickering does Picard find a sense of satisfying resolution, which gives Stewart one of his most heartbreaking scenes when he finally acknowledges the emotional scars the Borg left him with. 

5. “Cause & Effect” (Season 5)

After a jarring teaser that culminates with the fiery destruction of the Enterprise, “Cause & Effect” unfolds with time loop after time loop as Picard and his crew struggle to free themselves from suffering the same terrible fate. 

Written by Brannon Braga, TNG ’s go-to scribe for high-concept stories, “Cause & Effect” pulls a Groundhog Day two years before the movie was even a thing. It breaks the show’s traditional storytelling mold by repeating the same disaster and making each loop through a new puzzle that both the audience and the crew must solve. Fans were so “in it” with their favorite characters that many called their local affiliates during the original broadcast with concern that something was wrong with the satellite feed as the episode kept repeating scenes. While audiences take the “time loop concept” for granted today, “Cause & Effect” pioneered it in a way that still registers as one of its best and most entertaining executions. 

4. “The Inner Light” (Season 5)

This surprising tearjerker ranks high for fans, thanks in large part to Patrick Stewart’s compelling performance as “The Inner Light” explores the concept of being a living witness to an extinct civilization. In this classic episode, Picard finds himself living the life of a long-deceased man named Kamin, after being zapped by a probe that is seemingly all that remains of Kamin’s civilization. 

The probe allows Picard to live a lifetime in 20 minutes, and experience all the things Picard denies himself to be — namely a husband and a father. The majority of the episode takes place on an alien world as it is slowly undone by Star Trek ’s equivalent of global warming, with Kamin trying to help save his planet from pending doom the way Jor-El tried with Krypton. And like his Superman counterpart, Kamin fails — but he succeeds in providing a glimpse into a society that, while being nothing more than a blip in the galaxy’s grand scheme, still has a legacy worth being remembered. That’s the heartfelt and poignant endnote “Inner Light” imparts on viewers, which explains why this episode still resonates decades after it first aired.

3. “Yesterday’s Enterprise” (Season 3) 

When the long lost Enterprise-C travels through a (what else?) temporal anomaly that alters history, Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D find themselves in the darkest timeline and at war with the Klingons. The only way to stop this war is to send the C’s Captain Garrett back to when she came from and change history. The only catch? In order to save millions of lives, nearly everyone aboard the Enterprise-C must sacrifice theirs.  

That moral and ethical dilemma at the heart of “Yesterday’s Enterprise” makes this hour more than just a novel “What If…?” detour for the show to explore. It affords TNG a chance to give its main characters a more desperate edge as they debate the notions of fate as participants in a reality that should not exist. At the heart of this drama is Picard, who is more militant and beleaguered than ever as he debates with Whoopi Goldberg’s Guinan (and her time-sensitive intuition) about whether or not to send the other Enterprise’s crew to certain death. 

The return of Denise Crosby’s Tasha Yar gives her character the proper (and heroic) sendoff she deserves, which gets complicated as Tasha falls in love with a member of the C’s crew around the same time she discovers she died in the original Enterprise-D timeline. The internal struggle over restoring the way things were meant to be, by sacrificing lives history already recorded as lost, is a classic Star Trek premise that “Yesterday’s Enterprise” explores to a very satisfying, and action-packed, conclusion. 

2. “The Best of Both Worlds, Parts I & II” (Season 3 & 4) 

Star Trek ’s first-ever season-finale cliffhanger is one of television’s greatest. More than three decades later, fans still get chills at the end of “Best of Both Worlds, Part I” when Riker gives the chilling order to “fire” on the Borgified version of his former Captain Picard. 

The wait for this iconic storyline’s resolution made the Summer of 1990 a very long and agonizing one for Trek fans, but it was worth it. “Best of Both Worlds, Part I” has TNG mining similar character drama as Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan did, with Commander Riker forced to confront why he keeps passing up one promotion to Captain after another — just as his Captain is taken by the Borg in a violent attempt to turn Picard into Locutus, the public face of their campaign to assimilate Earth and all of humanity. The episode is a nail-biter, thanks to a perfect script from the late writer Michael Piller. The former TNG showrunner takes a bigger-than-usual swing with the characters to tell a story somewhat outside of the series’ comfort zone. While “Part II” falls a bit short of the dramatic highs of “Part I,” it finds great success in dramatizing the crew’s struggle to get their Captain back (even if their final solution is ultimately more convenient than inspired.)

The Enterprise crew’s second encounter with the evil cybernetic beings would have consequences throughout the next 30-plus years of Star Trek , especially in 1996’s Star Trek: First Contact . The hit movie serves as a big-screen, action packed therapy session for Picard to deal with the trauma of his assimilation into the Borg collective.

1. “All Good Things…” (Season 7)

“All Good Things…” is the best Star Trek series finale ever and The Next Generation ’s crowning achievement. 

Written by Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore, “All Good Things” proved to be a better cinematic-worthy adventure than The Next Generation crew’s first movie, Star Trek: Generations . The briskly plotted, feature-length episode — and its complex storyline involving paradoxes and second chances — finds a disoriented Picard struggling to uncover why he is moving back and forth through time. He slips in and out of three key time periods: The past, just before the launch of Enterprise-D’s first mission; the present, and the future. In the future, Picard is a very retired, very old man, who runs his family’s vineyard. He also is afflicted with a debilitating neurological syndrome that makes it hard for his former shipmates to believe him when he starts pulling a Sliders across multiple timelines. Picard’s mission — which, of course, is being manipulated by the omnipotent Q — forces the captain to convince all three versions of his crew to work together in each timeline in order to stop an anomaly from unraveling existence as we know it. 

TNG gives the beloved cast and their characters a perfect final episode that brings them together as a family in ways the series left surprisingly unexplored for most of its run. As impressive as the action is in “All Good Things”, especially the scene where the futuristic Enterprise-D flies on its Z-axis while blasting newly-mounted phaser cannons, the episode’s best scenes are the quieter ones spent with these characters. The finale truly shines in its final moments, when Picard joins his crew for the first time at their regular poker game. Picard’s arrival at the poker table resonates with his crew as deeply as it does for fans, which is a testament to the finale’s commitment to giving Next Generation the emotional send off it deserves. 

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The Inner Light

• Episode aired May 30, 1992

Picard awakes to find himself living in a small village where he is a well-known member of the community who is suffering from a delusion of being a starship captain. Picard awakes to find himself living in a small village where he is a well-known member of the community who is suffering from a delusion of being a starship captain. Picard awakes to find himself living in a small village where he is a well-known member of the community who is suffering from a delusion of being a starship captain.

• Peter Lauritson
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• 9 Critic reviews

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard

• Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker

• Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge

• Lieutenant Worf

• Dr. Beverly Crusher

• Counselor Deanna Troi
• (credit only)

• Lieutenant Commander Data

• Administrator

• Nurse Alyssa Ogawa

• Young Batai

• Ensign Gates
• (uncredited)
• Crewman Martinez

• Starfleet Ensign
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia The young version of Batai, Kamin's son, is played by Daniel Stewart , the real-life son of Sir Patrick Stewart .
• Goofs Picard is shown looking down into the valley of Ressik holding a straw hat in his left hand. In the next shot, taken from the front, the hat is missing.

Capt. Picard : Seize the time, Meribor. Live now. Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again.

• Connections Featured in Star Trek: Generations Review (2008)
• Soundtracks Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User reviews 103

• Sep 26, 2011
• May 30, 1992 (United States)
• Official site
• Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (Studio)
• Paramount Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 45 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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Screen Rant

Star trek: tng has a surprising fleetwood mac connection.

A member of Fleetwood Mac made a surprising appearance on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

• Mick Fleetwood, drummer of Fleetwood Mac, made a cameo in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2 episode "Manhunt" as an alien ambassador.
• Fleetwood was a big Star Trek fan and requested to be part of the show, shaving his beard for the role and beaming on board the USS Enterprise-D.
• Many musicians have made surprise appearances in Star Trek, including Michelle Phillips, Iggy Pop, and Tom Morello, showcasing the franchise's appeal to diverse celebrities.

Classic 1970s rock band Fleetwood Mac has a surprising connection to Star Trek: The Next Generation . Beginning with its two-episode premiere in 1987, TNG brought live-action Star Trek back to television for the first time since the cancelation of Star Trek: The Original Series . While many fans of TOS were initially nervous about a Star Trek series that didn't feature Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) or Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Star Trek: The Next Generation went on to become a massive hit and one of the greatest science fiction series of all time.

Thanks to reruns and syndication, Star Trek: The Original Series developed a significant fanbase in the years following its cancelation. Many celebrities have talked about their love of Star Trek over the years, but some went even further, requesting a role in a Trek project. For example, Whoopi Goldberg reached out to TNG's producers and eventually took on the role of Ten Forward bartender Guinan, who appeared in 29 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation , as well as the movies Star Trek Generations and Star Trek: Nemesis . Mick Fleetwood, the drummer and leader of Fleetwood Mac, was also a huge Star Trek fan. After requesting a role in Trek , Fleetwood appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2, episode 19, "Manhunt" as an alien ambassador.

10 Star Trek Guest Star Actors You Forgot About

Mick fleetwood was in an episode of star trek: tng, fleetwood was unrecognizable in a cameo in tng season 2, episode 19, "manhunt.".

Mick Fleetwood plays an Antedian dignitary in the Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2 episode, "Manhunt." Both of whom spend most of the episode in a catatonic state. Fleetwood was a big Star Trek fan and wanted to be a part of the show in whatever way he could, although he did have one request. In a 2015 interview with the Vancouver Sun , Fleetwood spoke about his TNG role, saying he told producers that he would shave his beard " if you promise me that I get to beam down or beam up." Due to the extensive prosthetics required to play the fish-like Antedian, Fleetwood did shave his beard, and the Antedians were beamed onto the USS Enterprise-D at the beginning of the episode. Despite being unrecognizable, Mick Fleetwood got his wish to be part of the Star Trek universe.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2 's "Manhunt," the USS Enterprise-D picks up two Antedian dignitaries, including Mick Fleetwood who need transportation to a conference on Pacifica. Soon after the Antedians arrive, the USS Enterprise-D receives a message that Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett) will also be traveling to the conference. The mother of Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Lwaxana has entered a part of a Betazoid woman's life known as The Phase, and she is determined to find a husband. She initially sets her sights on Captain Picard, but ultimately leaves the Enterprise without a partner. Before she departs, however, Lwaxana reveals that the Antedian dignitaries are actually assassins who were planning to set off a bomb at the conference.

Lwaxana Troi had previously been introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1, episode 11, "Haven," and, in total, she appeared in six episodes of TNG and 3 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Star Trek Has Other Surprising Musician Cameos

Star trek has a long history of celebrity cameos, including multiple rock stars and singers..

Mick Fleetwood was not the only musician who popped up in Star Trek over the years. Before Fleetwood's appearance on Star Trek: The Next Generation , Michelle Phillips of the pop group The Mamas & the Papas portrayed Picard's former flame, Jenice Manheim, in TNG season 1, episode 24, "We'll Always Have Paris." The "Godfather of Punk," Iggy Pop appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 6, episode 10, "The Magnificent Ferengi," as a Vorta named Yelgrun. DS9's executive producer Ira Steven Behr was responsible for casting Iggy Pop, as he was a big fan of the musician.

Tom Morello, former guitarist for Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, was such a big Star Trek fan that he reportedly contacted producer Rick Berman to request a role in Star Trek: Insurrection . Although Morello briefly appeared as a member of the Son'a species, his character was uncredited and barely seen. Because of this, he was asked to return for Star Trek: Voyager season 6, episode 20, "Good Shepherd," in which he portrayed Starfleet Crewman Mitchell. With its massive and dedicated fanbase, the Star Trek franchise has had quite a few memorable celebrity cameos, including several famous musicians.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star trek: deep space nine, star trek voyager.

Star Trek: The Next Generations 'Cause and Effect' Explained

T he Star Trek franchise has a straightforward mandate when it comes to making individual episodes. The writers select a science fiction idea with varying levels of grounded realism. Each concept walks a line between needless complexity and fanciful silliness. The writers and directors generally accomplish that feat, delivering fun episodes of TV that leave audiences thinking without making them laugh inappropriately. "Cause and Effect" is a stellar example of a now well-worn trope that blew fans' minds in the 90s.

The time loop or temporal loop is a literary plot device that originated over 100 years ago. Russian novelist P. D. Ouspensky used the concept in his 1915 book, Strange Life of Ivan Osokin, to discuss the mechanical nature of human thought. Richard A. Lupoff's 1973 short story "12:01 P.M." cemented the concept and its most common format. The most popular example remains Harold Ramis's Groundhog Day . The concept appears throughout pop culture today, sometimes including groundbreaking innovations like Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's "Through the Flash." "Cause and Effect" is Star Trek 's first foray into the concept.

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What is "cause and effect" about.

"Cause and Effect" opens with a gripping teaser in which the Enterprise-D suffers a cataclysmic collision, spins out of control, and explodes, killing everyone aboard. The episode resumes unabated, depicting a tense poker game between the Enterprise-D crew members. Beverly Crusher calls Riker's bluff, winning the hand with unusual prescience. As she treats Geordi La Forge for his unexplained vertigo symptoms, Crusher experiences déjà vu. Worf discovers a localized fluctuation in the space-time continuum, through which a Federation ship suddenly emerges. The vessel rockets inexorably toward the Enterprise-D. Picard requests suggestions from the senior staff. Riker recommends igniting an explosive decompression reaction to push the Enterprise to the side. Data pitches using a tractor beam to shove the oncoming vessel away. Picard follows Data's advice , but the ships collide and explode, just as they did in the teaser.

The Enterprise-D crew experiences the time loop again. They play cards, but Riker experiences déjà vu and folds before Crusher can call his bluff. Details shift through each subsequent loop. Now La Forge feels the familiarity Crusher expressed. Crusher and other crew members hear whispers in the night. Déjà vu spreads throughout the crew. The Enterprise hits the mystery ship and explodes again. Crusher records the mysterious voices on her third trip through the loop. La Forge discovers the temporal loop , prompting Data to examine the recordings and pick out thousands of copies of Picard, Worf, and Data's voices. With the knowledge of what will happen next, it's up to the senior staff to find a way out before they're doomed to endless violent deaths.

Why is "Cause and Effect" significant?

"Cause and Effect" earned excellent ratings when it premiered. It also prompted hundreds of calls to local affiliate stations from confused viewers. The TNG season 5 Blu-ray special features mention widespread complaints from fans. According to writer Brannon Braga , audiences of the early 90s were less understanding of non-conventional story structures. Those calling in believed that the episode footage was repeating unintentionally between commercial breaks. This likely primed Star Trek fans for unusual future episodes. Braga also stated that "Cause and Effect" was his most popular episode. The outing appears to this day on various top ten lists and compilations.

How does "Cause and Effect" end?

Data discovers a way to create a resonance in his positronic brain, essentially leaving a message for himself on the next loop. As the day starts anew, Data gradually notices the number three appearing in various places. Data deals only threes in the poker game, followed by several players simultaneously drawing three of a kind. The statistical anomaly draws attention. Data runs diagnostics, receiving a string of threes. He reports his findings, prompting a discussion about the number's potential meaning. As the ship emerges again, Data realizes that the three represents the command pips on Riker's uniform. Data withdraws his tractor beam idea and supports Riker's proposition , which allows the Enterprise to evade the oncoming vessel. The time loop ends, revealing that the crew spent 17 days in the fluctuation. They welcome the crew of the USS Bozeman , who has been trapped for more than 90 years.

"Cause and Effect" is a compelling episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation . It enjoyed the benefit of a trope only one year before Bill Murray would make it iconic. Though contemporary audiences struggled to understand the unique premise, modern viewers love the episode. It's funny that Jonathan Frakes would direct an episode in which the solution to an otherwise unsolvable problem is to listen to his character. "Cause and Effect" is worth a rewatch, for anyone looking to relive the past a few times.

Star Trek: Why Was The Original Series Canceled?

Den of Geek

Star Trek Just Delivered a New Take on a Classic Next Generation Episode

Star Trek: Discovery did its own version of the Next Generation finale, highlighting the differences between the two shows.

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This Star Trek: Discovery article contains spoilers.

Whatever the problems in its first two seasons, Star Trek: The Next Generation ended in perfect fashion. “All Good Things…” saw Captain Picard become unstuck in time, visiting the past, present, and future of his ship.

“All Good Things…” allowed the show and fans to see just how far TNG had come over the years. It revisits the clunky inaugural season via Picard’s interactions in the past with Tasha Yar, whose death midway through season one only underscored the tumultuous first two years of the series. And by going into the future, checking in on Professor Data, Captain Beverly Picard, and journalist Geordi La Forge (married to Leah Brahms, for some reason), the show imagined future adventures beyond the series finale for our favorite characters.

By the time that present tense Picard joins his crew at the poker table, “All Good Things…” confirms what we fans always felt. This was an ensemble show with a wonderful cast, and we like seeing them all together.

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That feel-good ending is actually representative of some of the criticism surrounding Star Trek: Discovery . Instead of continuing the ensemble approach that TNG and all of its followers took ( Enterprise , to a lesser extent), Discovery has a single protagonist in the form of Michael Burnham . Burnham serves as the main character in every storyline, in a way not seen since the days of William Shatner stealing his co-stars’ lines for Kirk. The bridge crew of Discovery have names, a few facial expressions, and that’s about it.

So when the fourth episode of Discovery ‘s final season, “ Face the Strange ,” gives Burnham a chance to revisit her own crew’s past as well as see the Discovery’s possible distant future, it’s a take on TNG ‘s “All Good Things…” idea that hits very differently. But there’s no denying it’s also true to the ethos of what Discovery is versus The Next Generation ‘s approach to storytelling in the ’90s.

In “Face the Strange,” Burnham and her new First Officer Commander Rayner are sent time jumping around the Discovery. The episode involves the treasure hunters Moll and L’ak distracting the Discovery on its chase for the Progenitor tech by infecting Burnham and Rayner with a device that thrusts them into ship’s past and future.

The episode resolves when Burnham and Rayner convince members of the Discovery crew from season one to jump to warp, which allows Stamets (whose Tardigrade DNA puts him outside of time) to remove the infecting time bug and send the duo back to their time. To do so, Rayner and Burnham have to prove that they know the bridge crew, who do not recognize Rayner and see Burnham as a mutineer.

Of course, they succeed, but not in a manner that will satisfy most viewers who remember Picard’s trip down memory lane in TNG . The crew interactions just don’t hit the same way in the Discovery version of this concept. Rayner wins over the crew not by pointing to qualities that viewers have seen by watching every season of Discovery , but by repeating exposition from the previous episode. Even many of Burnham’s pleas fall flat, heightening only the surface level of even well-developed characters like Tilly.

But then there’s the crux of Burnham’s argument. When her younger, angrier self storms onto the bridge, the current Burnham gets desperate. Her only recourse is to reveal details about the death of Ariam, the android member of the crew who sacrifices herself at the end of the season two episode “Project Daedalus.” Discovery handled Ariam’s death in the most clunky way possible, only giving the character any attention in the previous episode, manipulating audiences into caring about her sacrifice.

However, when Burnham revisits the moment in “Face the Strange,” she doubles down on the emotional appeals. Burnham tells the crew about how Ariam chose to die to save the ship, and while Tilly and Owo insist that they would never let that happen, Ariam interjects. She would gladly sacrifice herself for the others, if that was the only way to save them.

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In other words, Burnham doesn’t make a logical argument about the science behind her arrival from the future, nor does she assert her authority and commandeer the ship to do what needs to be done. Rather, she leans heavy into the emotion, tugging on everyone’s heartstrings as a solution to the problem they face.

If you like your Star Trek to be logical and professional, then Burnham’s solution is just one more example of the shortcomings in Discovery . But then again, why are you watching Discovery at this point if you’re not down with that approach?

In the same way that “All Good Things…” gave TNG a victory lap to celebrate everything that the once ill-advised show was and had become, “Face the Strange” embraces Discovery ‘s own unique identity. This is a show in which things happen not because they make logical sense, but because they make emotional sense.

As Discovery comes to an end, “Face the Strange” highlights the show’s unlikely path from oddball prequel to an exploration of the future of Star Trek . But as much as the show has changed cast members and settings, it’s always been about solving problems through emotional intelligence. The “All Good Things…” riff in “Face the Strange” proves that if Discovery was ever going to be the show that some Trekkies want, it should have changed a long time ago.

Star Trek: Discovery is streaming now on Paramount+.

Joe George | @jageorgeii

Joe George’s writing has appeared at Slate, Polygon, Tor.com, and elsewhere!