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Starfleet ranks

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The rank insignia of a Starfleet captain in the late 23rd century

Cristóbal Rios' rank pip collection from his Starfleet career

Tom Paris is demoted to ensign for disobeying orders

Starfleet ranks were identifying titles of rank for the officers and enlisted members of Starfleet denoting the chain of command under both United Earth and the United Federation of Planets . These titles were generally adapted from earlier Earth naval forces. ( TOS : " The City on the Edge of Forever ", ENT : " Storm Front ")

• 1 Early usage
• 2.1 Early 23rd century
• 2.2 Early-mid 23rd century
• 2.3 Late-mid 23rd century
• 2.4 Late 23rd century
• 3 24th century
• 4 25th century
• 5 29th century
• 6 32nd century
• 7.1 Mirror universe
• 7.2 Alternate reality
• 7.3 Alternate universe
• 8.1 Flag officers
• 8.2 Officer ranks
• 8.3 Provisional officers
• 8.4 Cadet ranks
• 8.5.1 Non-commissioned officers
• 8.5.2 Crewmen
• 9.1 Fleet captain
• 9.2 Deputy director
• 9.3 Colonel
• 9.4 Corporal
• 9.5 Miscellaneous
• 10.1 See also
• 10.2 Background information
• 10.3 Apocrypha
• 10.4 External links

Early usage [ ]

By the development of the NX-Alpha in 2143 , the Starfleet rank structure had at least three enlisted ranks, four officer ranks, and three ranks for use by flag officers . Silver rank pips were displayed on the right breast of the Starfleet uniforms , above a colored shoulder trim denoting what division the crew member was assigned to. Flag officers' pips were surrounded by a black rectangle with a silver border. ( ENT : " First Flight ", et al.) This system was still in place by 2161 . ( ENT : " These Are the Voyages... ")

23rd century [ ]

Early 23rd century [ ].

By the 2230s , the Starfleet uniform used a sleeve stripe system instead of pips to denote rank. ( Star Trek )

Early-mid 23rd century [ ]

Gold shoulder trim of a flag admiral, captain, and officer (left to right)

By 2239 , Starfleet had adopted a uniform where officer rank was denoted by the number of raised or indented pips on a Starfleet delta . ( ST : " The Brightest Star ") The admiralty wore a Starfleet insignia surrounded by a wreath made up of smaller golden or black Starfleet insignia on a dark disc; the more of them are gold, the higher the rank. ( DIS : " The Vulcan Hello ", " The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry ")

A variation of this uniform introduced in the 2250s changed the rank system back to a sleeve stripe system. For the command and operations division officers, the stripes matched the division color: gold stripes for command, red stripes for operations. Sciences division officers wore silver stripes. ( DIS : " Brother ", " Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2 ")

A new uniform was introduced around 2259 , retaining the rank insignia system from the previous style with only slight modifications. Sciences officers wore blue stripes in the new system, while silver stripes were reserved for medical officers. Doctors wore a light-blue variant of the sciences uniform while nurses wore white. ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ", et al.)

Another Starfleet uniform used around this time had a much simpler rank and insignia system, in which enlisted personnel wore no rank insignia while the rank of chief petty officer was denoted by a special sleeve stripe. Commissioned officers wore a solid gold stripe. This system would be in use concurrently with other rank insignia systems for at least fifteen years, with only a slight modification by 2265 , when those holding the rank of captain were authorized to wear two gold stripes whereas other officers wore one. ( TOS : " The Cage ", " Where No One Has Gone Before ")

Late-mid 23rd century [ ]

By 2266 , Starfleet had phased out the simple rank system that gave all commissioned officers the same insignia. They also modified the other system that had been in use for the last decade or so. In this new system, all enlisted personnel, chief petty officers included, as well as ensigns, had no insignia whatsoever with most enlisted personnel also wearing Starfleet jumpsuits instead of the standard tunic uniforms worn by the officers. ( TOS : " The Corbomite Maneuver ", et al)

Starfleet flag officers wore a thicker braid insignia than regular officers. ( TOS : " Court Martial ", " The Trouble with Tribbles ")

The rank of cadet and midshipman were both in use at Starfleet Academy . ( TOS : " Shore Leave ", " Court Martial ")

In the mid- 2270s , Starfleet changed its uniforms yet again, although mainly in appearance only. The rank insignia of officers remained almost the same, though the lieutenant junior grade braid was now used to indicate ensign. Enlisted personnel adopted a style of their own rank insignia and both officers and admirals could now wear a short sleeve "Class B" uniform which displayed rank insignia on shoulder tabs. ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture )

Late 23rd century [ ]

By the year 2278 , Starfleet had again changed its uniforms , abandoning the previous sleeve stripe system and adopting a totally new insignia design which incorporated a series of rank pins worn on a shoulder strap with the color of the strap determining the bearer's branch within Starfleet. At this point, the lieutenant junior grade rank had also been re-established.

The shoulder strap system also matched with a cuff strap which could display various citation and years-of-service pins. Finally, in the case of admirals, another series of cuff straps denoted the particular rank of the admiral.

Enlisted uniforms were also completely revamped from previous versions and now were worn as jumpsuits with rank pins worn on the lower right sleeve. Enlisted ranks themselves were expanded, encompassing several grades of petty officer and chief petty officer . ( Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan )

With the exception of some minor cosmetic changes to officer uniforms, including the introduction of a standard communicator pin by 2344 , the uniforms and insignia of the late 23rd century remained unchanged until the late 2340s . ( TNG : " Yesterday's Enterprise ", " Family ")

Concept art by Robert Fletcher

24th century [ ]

Ranks in the 2360s

A captain's rank pips

By the year 2355 , Starfleet had introduced a new uniform design , with a pip system of golden pin insignia worn on the collar. ( TNG : " The Battle ")

The 24th century pip system included a black pip insignia to denote chief petty officers. ( TNG : " Realm Of Fear ")

The pip system used in the mid-to-late 24th century remained relatively unchanged through 2385 , having been kept across several uniform design changes. ( PIC : " Maps and Legends ")

In the 2360s , admirals wore a triangular insignia on a special flag officer uniform. ( TNG : " Too Short A Season ", " Coming of Age ", " Conspiracy ")

Admiral insignia worn in the vertical fashion

By 2365 , this insignia had been replaced by a "boxed pip" system worn vertically on the flag uniform collar. ( TNG : " The Measure Of A Man ") By 2366 , the admiral insignia was commonly worn horizontally against the collar in the same way as the insignia worn by other grades. ( TNG : " The Defector ")

Chief petty officer

By the mid- 2370s , Starfleet had changed the chief petty officer rank insignia, replacing the black pip with chevrons and dots. ( DS9 : " Hippocratic Oath ")

25th century [ ]

By the year 2399 , Starfleet's familiar pip design had been relocated from the collar to the right breast of the uniform and the pips had become silver. ( PIC : " Remembrance ") By the early 2400s , the silver rank pips were back on the collar of the uniform. ( PIC : " The Star Gazer ")

The pips of flag officers were placed on a dark gray isosceles trapezoid with a silver border. ( PIC : " Maps and Legends ")

29th century [ ]

The uniforms worn by the Starfleet crew of the USS Relativity during the 29th century displayed a new design for rank insignia, with horizontal bronze chevrons on the right collar instead of pips. ( VOY : " Future's End ", " Relativity ")

32nd century [ ]

By the 32nd century , Starfleet had passed through a number of rank insignia systems. ( DIS : " Forget Me Not ", " Su'Kal ")

By 3189 , rank was indicated on an officer's tricom badge . The ranks of captains and admirals were also shown on the collar and shoulders. The shoulder and collar had a similar design; captains had a vertical shoulder rank band at the edge of the shoulder, while admirals had a horizontal band along the top of the shoulder. ( DIS : " Die Trying ") Other officers had a plain collar badge.

Tricom badge concept art

Alternate timelines [ ]

Mirror universe [ ].

• See : Starfleet ranks (mirror)

Alternate reality [ ]

By 2258 in the alternate reality , Starfleet had adopted uniforms and an insignia pattern reminiscent of the mid 2250s in the prime reality . These new insignia consisted of silver bands worn on the lower sleeves of the uniform. Ensigns and certain skirt uniforms displayed no rank insignia. ( Star Trek )

Alternate universe [ ]

In an alternate universe observed during a quantum fissure , Starfleet had adopted an additional form of insignia which was incorporated directly into the design of the Starfleet combadge . The insignia appeared as black, gold, and silver bars behind the Starfleet delta, designed to show the rank of the wearer and along with collar pips. ( TNG : " Parallels ")

The same insignia was also used by the alien Barash during a holographic simulation of the USS Enterprise -D , designed to trick Commander William T. Riker into thinking he was in the future. Barash's simulation did not include the collar pips. ( TNG : " Future Imperfect ")

Comparative rank tables [ ]

Flag officers [ ].

Admirals in Starfleet were described as the flag officers , a term held over from naval tradition. These ranks constituted the highest authorities of Starfleet Command . ( TOS : " The Deadly Years ")

Officer ranks [ ]

Provisional officers [ ].

Insignia worn by warp specialist Kosinski

In 2364 , Starfleet propulsion expert Kosinski ran several upgrade experiments on the Enterprise -D. Kosinski wore a unique rank insignia denoting his special position. ( TNG : " Where No One Has Gone Before ")

The crew of the USS Voyager , which included non-Starfleet Maquis members, was forced to make use of provisional rank appointments as a matter of course since the ship was stranded in the Delta Quadrant and the Maquis members were essential to shipboard operations. ( VOY : " Caretaker ", et al. )

In 2381 , Vulcan Officer T'Lyn was given a provisional rank appointment as an ensign when she transferred from the VCF Sh'vhal to the USS Cerritos . ( LD : " wej Duj ")

Emblems designed by Madgaleno

Cadet ranks [ ]

Cadet ranks were held by those attending Starfleet Academy during their training to become commissioned officers. ( TNG : " The First Duty ")

Enlisted ranks [ ]

Enlisted ranks were achieved by members of Starfleet who had not attended Starfleet Academy. ( DS9 : " Starship Down ")

Non-commissioned officers [ ]

• Petty officer, first class; also known as " technician first class ", etc. ( TOS : " Space Seed ")
• Petty officer, second class; also known as "specialist second class", etc. ( citation needed • edit )
• Petty officer, third class; also known as " yeoman third class ", etc. ( TOS : " Charlie X ")

Crewmen [ ]

• Crewman first class ( TNG : " The Drumhead ")
• Crewman second class ( ENT : " Shuttlepod One ")
• Crewman third class ( ENT : " Cold Front ")

The lowest possible rank of recruit , ranked below the crewman grades. ( ENT : " Rogue Planet ", " Cogenitor ")

Titles and positions [ ]

Fleet captain [ ].

Fleet captain insignia, 2259

Fleet captain was a title bestowed upon Starfleet captains when in command of more than one facility. It was a rare distinction, held by particularly respected captains. ( TOS : " The Menagerie, Part I ", " Whom Gods Destroy ") The 2259 fleet captain rank insignia used the flag-officer-disk-version of the Starfleet insignia, with only the two small delta leaves below the main delta colored gold; the cuff stripes and other elements of the uniform were those of a captain. ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ")

In 2259, Captain Christopher Pike , commanding officer of the USS Enterprise , was temporarily promoted to fleet captain, bringing the USS Farragut and Bavali Station under his command. ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ") Pike was permanently promoted to this title by 2266 . ( TOS : " The Menagerie, Part I ") In the 2260s , it was also held by Captain Garth , one of Starfleet's most decorated captains and hero of the Battle of Axanar . ( TOS : " Whom Gods Destroy ")

Deputy director [ ]

Sloan's insignia

Sloan posing as a deputy director with Internal Affairs

While posing as a deputy director with Internal Affairs , Luther Sloan wore captain's pips with a gold bar connecting them beneath. ( DS9 : " Inquisition ")

Colonel [ ]

Colonel West in 2293

In 2293 , Starfleet Colonel West was involved in the Khitomer conspiracy . ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country )

Corporal [ ]

In 2154 , Starfleet Corporal Askwith perished at the Earth embassy on Vulcan. ( ENT : " The Forge ")

Miscellaneous [ ]

The space officer's shoulder epaulets

In 2254 , Captain Christopher Pike, while on Talos IV , imagined himself as an Orion trader . He imagined an officer in a dress uniform with him at the Orion colony wearing peculiar shoulder epaulets and of unknown rank. ( TOS : " The Cage ")

In 2376 , The Doctor aboard Voyager briefly resigned his Starfleet commission. ( VOY : " Virtuoso ")

Appendices [ ]

See also [ ].

• Starfleet admirals
• Starfleet captains
• Starfleet commanders
• Starfleet lieutenant commanders
• Starfleet lieutenants
• Starfleet lieutenants junior grade
• Starfleet ensigns
• Starfleet cadets
• Starfleet enlisted personnel
• Starfleet crewmen

Background information [ ]

The rank system used during Star Trek: The Original Series was originally designed by William Ware Theiss , with the first versions inspired principally by the insignia of the United States Navy. According to Inside Star Trek: The Real Story [ page number? • edit ] , since Gene Roddenberry didn't want an overtly military Starfleet, Theiss toned down his stripe system by giving ensigns no stripe and lieutenants one full stripe, which is what an actual USN ensign wears.

For Star Trek: The Motion Picture , Jon Povill sent Fletcher a production memo, dated 3 August 1978 , explaining the rank insignia to be used in the film, with no reference to lieutenant junior grade or other flag officers. ( The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture , p. 126) Robert Fletcher , who designed the Starfleet uniform used in the film, developed a rank system which displayed on straps over both shoulders. These insignia included a circle for "mid shipman", a triangle for "lieut comm jr. grade", a chevron for "lieutenant comm", a single stripe for "commander", two stripes for "captain", two stripes a circle with spines for "admiral" and two spiney circles for "adm of the fleet". ( Star Trek: Costumes , p. 45) An unidentified triangular insignia is worn on the epaulets of several crewmembers, but is not identified in any production or background sources. It's A Wrap! sale and auction listed it as representing the rank of petty officer . [6] While an additional epaulet insignia featuring a single thin strip was also used but not identified to a rank. [7]

One version of the flag officer rank insignia sold as part of It's A Wrap! sale and auction

During the production of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , Director Nicholas Meyer wanted the uniforms to feel as real as possible, and asked for new rank insignia. Fletcher explained: " There was kind of a complicated arrangement of divisions and ranks expressed by the braid on the sleeves. I made that up. I organized it and produced a little instruction booklet about it for the wardrobe department […]. " ( citation needed • edit ) On the early version of the uniforms, the insignia was on a band around the upper arm, which was later moved to the cuff. ( citation needed • edit )

The Star Trek Encyclopedia omitted and created insignia, introducing some confusion

The Star Trek Encyclopedia  (3rd ed., p. 201), depicted an overview of the rank system used in the Star Trek films , though it omitted the petty officer second class, created the master chief petty officer second class and fleet captain (which had not been used in the films,) and depicted erroneous insignia for lieutenant commander and admiral. The Star Trek Fact Files Part 70 and the Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 10 , p. 99, would also include the apocryphal fleet captain and master chief petty officer second class insignia, the erroneous lieutenant commander insignia (with a broken vertical gold stripe, instead of a solid horizontal gold stripe,) and an almost entirely different depiction of flag officer insignia. This system created an insignia with one gold dart to represent commodore, used the commodore insignia for rear admiral, created a three gold dart insignia for vice admiral, and used the rear admiral insignia for admiral. A three gold dart insignia was included in some It's A Wrap! sale and auction flag officer sets, but never seen on screen. [8]

The later pip designs of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Enterprise emulated US Navy insignias almost exactly, although an article on the 2151 uniforms and rank did not mention lieutenant junior grade or lieutenant commander. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 11 , p. 42) Neither rank is used during Star Trek: Enterprise .

Apocrypha [ ]

The role-playing game supplement Star Trek: The Next Generation Officer's Manual discusses ranks.

Starfleet officers in the late 2230s

Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness , Issue 2 depicts that a style of uniform was in use by 2239 . This would make it seem that a few versions of the prime reality uniform were never adopted in the alternate reality, unless they was used very briefly after 2233 .

A rank senior to fleet admiral was first referenced in " The Wormhole Connection ". The rank of grand admiral is said to have existed in 2285 and has a special uniform with shoulder boards worn on the red maroon jacket uniform. The rank also appeared in the novel The Sorrows of Empire , held first by the counterpart Garth , then by the counterpart Matt Decker and then by Spock , before he becomes Emperor of the Terran Empire .

A "flag admiral" pin used as one of Data's medals

A "flag admiral" insignia design (a six pointed starburst) from the fan-published Klingon Covert Operations Manual was used as one of Data's medals in " The Most Toys ".

External links [ ]

• Earth Starfleet ranks at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Federation Starfleet ranks at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 2 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

Star Trek Ranks, Explained

Though primarily peaceful, Starfleet follows a quasi-military protocol, which means a chain of command that ensures all runs smoothly.

Starting with the original series, Star Trek has adopted a quasi-military series of ranks and protocols for its characters. Starfleet is ostensibly a peaceful organization dedicated to exploration and diplomacy, but things can get dangerous on the final frontier. A functioning chain of command is necessary in the event of trouble to ensure that everyone operates at peak efficiency.

It's a bit of a paradox, since Starfleet officers also tend to be rugged individualists, but it makes a good deal of sense and over time has become an indispensable part of the franchise. A given character's rank speaks volumes about their comparative age, their position onboard, and their relationship with the other members of the crew. As with most things Star Trek, rank insignia has evolved over time. Here's a breakdown of Starfleet's ranking system in descending order from the lowliest cadets to the most powerful admirals.

Updated January 18, 2024 by Robert Vaux: Star Trek's ranking system is very stable at this point, and very little tends to change. The article has been updated to include a brief list of prominent members of each rank, along with the series and seasons they held it. It has also been updated to conform to current CBR guidelines.

9 Cadets Are Officers in Training at Starfleet Academy

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Cadets are typically students at Starfleet Academy , spending time onboard a starship as part of their training. They hold no rank and must obey the orders of any crewmen. They're often issued temporary badges or communicators and usually have a supervisory officer to watch over them. Cadets in the 23rd century wear badges with a distinctive black backing. Cadets in the 24th century wear distinctive uniforms denoting their status.

In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, the Enterprise is used as a training vessel, with the crew consisting almost entirely of cadets. Wesley Crusher formally joins Starfleet Academy starting in Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 9, "Final Mission," and spends most of his subsequent appearances at that rank. Similarly, Nyota Uhura joins the Enterprise as a cadet in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, as does Sylvia Tilly in Star Trek: Discovery.

8 Enlisted Personnel/NCO Are Starfleet's Worker Bees

While officers attend Starfleet Academy, the rank-and-file personnel attend the 24th-century equivalent of boot camp. They become the anonymous crew working in the background, performing the countless tiny tasks required to keep a starship running. Their ranks include both enlisted crewmen and petty officers (the equivalent of sergeants) who often play supervisory roles. They typically lack any insignia on their uniforms, though chief petty officers in the Next Generation era sometimes have a black pip or similar marking.

Enlisted personnel often serve as The Original Series ' infamous red shirts : doomed to die in the name of plot exposition. The Next Generation introduces perhaps Starfleet's best-known enlisted man. Miles O'Brien runs the transporters on the Enterprise-D, and later becomes Chief of Operations on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

7 Ensigns Hold The Lowest Rank

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Ensigns are the lowest-ranking officers on Starfleet vessels. Cadets typically receive the rank of ensign immediately upon graduation from Starfleet Academy. While they technically have command authority, they're usually assigned menial tasks beneath the attention of the senior officers. Like NCOs, they lack insignia on their uniforms in The Original Series era. With The Next Generation and later series, ensigns receive a single gold pip on their collar. They're often lumped into the red shirt category.

Harry Kim is probably the franchise's most famous (or infamous) ensign, failing to receive a single promotion through Star Trek: Voyager's seven seasons , despite serving with distinction on the bridge. The Original Series' Pavel Chekov also begins his Starfleet career as an ensign, though he advances at a faster rate. Of course, the four main characters in Star Trek: Lower Decks are ensigns, though they all receive a promotion to lieutenant, junior grade at the beginning of Season 4.

6 Lieutenant, Junior Grade Have More Responsibility Than Ensigns

The next step up the ladder is lieutenant, junior grade. These are officers with more authority and responsibility than ensigns, but who still require seasoning before taking higher command positions. Medical personnel typically receive the lieutenant, junior grade rank after graduating, which reflects their extended training time. The Original Series uses a single dashed bar on the uniform sleeves to denote them, though Strange New Worlds has retconned that with a connected colored bar. T he Next Generation and later series note the rank with a second black pip in addition to the ensign's colored pip.

Both Julian Bashir and Ezri Dax hold the rank of lieutenant, junior grade when they begin their duties on Deep Space 9, though Ezri receives hers as a field promotion in Season 7, Episode 3, "Afterimage." Geordi La Forge starts as a lieutenant, junior grade too, as does Mr. Worf. B'Elanna Torres receives the rank on a provisional basis when she joins the crew of the Voyager, and the Lower Decks crew are all promoted to lieutenant, junior grade in Season 4, Episode 1, "Twovix."

5 Lieutenants Lead the Away Teams and More

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Lieutenants have advanced to the point where they can take on considerable responsibilities. They may lead away teams or control key systems, and they often appear among the bridge crew or even as department heads. The Original Series notes them with a single bar on the uniform sleeve, while Strange New Worlds adds a second thinner bar above the lieutenant, junior grade's insignia. The Next Generation uses two colored pips on the collar — a method emulated by subsequent series.

Worf spends most of The Next Generation's later seasons as a lieutenant (he's promoted to lieutenant commander during the events of Star Trek Generations ) while Ro Laren is promoted to lieutenant shortly before her defection to the Maquis in The Next Generation Season 7, Episode 24, "Preemptive Strike." Lieutenants often occupy the helm position, including Hikaru Sulu in The Original Series, Keyla Detmer in Star Trek: Discovery , and Erica Ortegas in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds .

4 Lieutenant Commanders Head up Departments

Lieutenant commanders hold positions of senior responsibility onboard a starship, even serving as executive officers or de facto captains on small ships. One larger ships, they often serve as the head of specific departments such as science and engineering. In The Original Series , the rank is designated with two stripes on the sleeve — one thick, one dashed — which Strange New Worlds adjusts to two thick colored bands. The Next Generation and subsequent shows note lieutenant commanders with two colored pips and one black one.

Montgomery Scott holds the rank of lieutenant commander in The Original Series , acting as Chief Engineer and even commanding the Enterprise when Kirk and Spock are away on missions. Similarly, Geordi La Forge rises to the rank of lieutenant commander in The Next Generation , joining Data and Deanna Troi at the position, though the latter eventually advances to commander. Worf and Jadzia Dax are both lieutenant commanders when they begin their romance on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Lastly, the original Number One — Una Chin-Riley on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds — is a lieutenant commander.

3 Commanders Aid and Can Take Over the Captain's Dutires

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Commanders are usually the ship's executive officers, "Number Ones," who assist the captain in their duties and step up in the event the captain is incapacitated. Commanders are often viewed as captains in training, and ultimately destined for a ship of their own in the future. In some cases, commanders are the head authority on smaller ships or space stations. Chief medical officers often hold this position as well. They're delineated by two thick bands on their sleeves in The Original Series era and three colored pips on the collar in The Next Generation and later.

Mr. Spock holds the rank of commander during the events of The Original Series , serving double duty as chief science officer as well. He's been followed by the likes of William Riker on The Next Generation and Seven of Nine on Star Trek: Picard . In addition, Beverly Crusher and Leonard McCoy both hold the rank of commander, while Deanna Tori is promoted to commander in Season 7, Episode 16, "Thine Own Self." Ben Sisko also begins his tenure on Deep Space 9 as a commander before being promoted to full captain at the end of Season 3.

2 Captains Command Starfleet's Various Starships

The captain serves as the commander of a starship, with the entire crew ranked beneath them. This affords them a great deal of autonomy, but also equal amounts of responsibility. Starships must often face dangers alone in the far depths of space. It falls to the captain to make the final call when lives are at stake. Occasionally, captains can be found in other duties, such as commanding a star base or holds an administrative position on Earth. Captains are delineated by three stripes on their sleeves in the Original Series era — two thick, one dashed — which Strange New Worlds slightly alters to a single thin band sandwiched between two thicker ones. The Next Generation era uses four full pips on the collar.

Most Star Trek series use a captain as the main character, starting with James T. Kirk in The Original Series . Their ranks include Jean-Luc Picard, Kathryn Janeway, Christopher Pike, and Carol Freeman. In addition, many lower-ranking characters eventually attain the captain's chair, such as Will Riker, Tuvok, and Mr. Spock. Both Ben Sisko and Michael Burnham become captain after several seasons of climbing the ranks, a change from most Star Trek series which tend to begin with their captains in place.

1 Admirals Possess The Greatest Rank and Come to Represent Starfleet Itself

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Admirals are Starfleet's major movers and shakers, placed in charge of entire fleets or overseeing vital operations. As flag officers, they no longer serve onboard starships, though they can claim command of one if circumstances dictate. James T. Kirk takes control of the Enterprise as an Admiral in both Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , while both Kathryn Janeway in Star Trek: Prodigy and Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: Picard are the authority on their respective vessels.

In addition to giving successful captains a cushy desk job, Star Trek often uses admirals as stand-ins for Starfleet itself: either aiding the crew in their endeavors or standing in their way when they go against protocol. They're delineated by a wide variety of methods, and hold varying ranks within the admiralty, such as Vice Admiral and Commodore, that shift from project to project.

The Star Trek universe encompasses multiple series, each offering a unique lens through which to experience the wonders and perils of space travel. Join Captain Kirk and his crew on the Original Series' voyages of discovery, encounter the utopian vision of the Federation in The Next Generation, or delve into the darker corners of galactic politics in Deep Space Nine. No matter your preference, there's a Star Trek adventure waiting to ignite your imagination.

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Star Fleet Ranks (FASA)

• 1.1 Recruit
• 1.2 Specialist 2nd Class
• 1.3 Specialist 1st Class
• 1.4 Chief Specialist
• 1.5 Petty Officer
• 1.6 Chief Petty Officer
• 1.7 Senior Chief Petty Officer
• 1.8 Master Chief Petty Officer
• 2 Warrant Officers
• 3.2 Midshipman
• 4.2 Lieutenant, junior grade
• 4.3 Lieutenant
• 4.4 Lieutenant Commander
• 4.5 Commander
• 4.6 Captain
• 4.7 Fleet Captain
• 4.8 Commodore
• 4.9 Branch Admiral
• 4.10 Rear Admiral
• 4.11 Admiral
• 6 References

In the early 2200s, assignment insignia was located on both sleeves, 3cm below the shoulder seam. Rank stripes and insignia were black, and were 0.5cm wide. The distance between assignment and rank insignia was 3cm. [1]

Recruits could enter Star Fleet at the age of 18 (or age 17 if their first assignment was to a colony world or other non-ship posting). Recruits underwent extensive training and orientation in Star Fleet and Federation life for 18 months at induction centers located on various worlds. They would then receive six months of specialized training appropriate to each individual's potential and cultural background. In the early 2300s, the insignia for a Recruit was a plain, one-piece white uniform design with no decoration except for a standard communicator . [2]

Recruit (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Specialist 2nd Class

Second Class Specialists, known as Enlisted Second Class in the early 2200s, [1] were individuals who had demonstrated leadership and technical competence in a given area of operations. "Spec Twos" could command four to ten junior Specialists, depending on individual duty assignments. In the early 2300s, the insignia for Specialist Second Class was one hollow brass diamond worn on each uniform wrist cuff. [2] [Notes 1]

Enlisted 2nd Class (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Specialist 2nd Class (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Specialist 1st Class

Specialist First Class, known as Enlisted First Class in the early 2200s, [1] were enlisted personnel whose competence and leadership were sufficient to permit them independent control of junior Specialists without direct supervision by officers. In the early 2300s, the insignia for Specialist First Class was one solid brass diamond worn on each uniform wrist cuff. [2] [Notes 1]

Enlisted 1st Class (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Specialist 1st Class (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Chief Specialist

Chief Specialists, known as Petty Officer Second Class in the early 2200s, [1] had advanced technical and administrative skills and could command large groups of enlisted personnel without officers' supervision for extended periods of time. In the early 2300s, the insignia for Chief Specialist was one hollow and one solid brass diamond worn on each uniform wrist cuff. [2] [Notes 1]

Petty Officer 2nd Class (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Chief Specialist (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Petty Officer

The rank of Petty Officer, known as Petty Officer First Class in the early 2200s, [1] was given to non-commissioned officers who had shown exceptional leadership in their own areas. A Petty Officer typically commanded a group of enlisted personnel, often independent of direct supervision by junior officer grades. [2] In the early 2300s, the insignia for Petty Officer was one hollow brass circle worn on the right uniform lapel. [Notes 1]

Petty Officer 1st Class (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Petty Officer (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Chief Petty Officer

The rank of Chief Petty Officer was given to non-commissioned officers who had shown exceptional leadership in their own areas. A Chief Petty Officer typically commanded a group of enlisted personnel, often independent of direct supervision by junior officer grades. In the early 2300s, the insignia for Chief Petty Officer was one hollow gold circle worn on the right uniform lapel. [2] [Notes 1]

Chief Petty Officer (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Chief Petty Officer (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Senior Chief Petty Officer

The rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer was given to non-commissioned officers who had shown exceptional leadership in their own areas. A Senior Chief Petty Officer typically commanded a group of enlisted personnel, often independent of direct supervision by junior officer grades. In the early 2300s, the insignia for Senior Chief Petty Officer was two hollow gold circles worn on the right uniform lapel. [2] [Notes 1]

Senior Chief Petty Officer (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Senior Chief Petty Officer (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Master Chief Petty Officer

The rank of Master Chief Petty Officer was given to non-commissioned officers who had shown exceptional leadership in their own areas. A Master Chief Petty Officer typically commanded a group of enlisted personnel, often independent of direct supervision by junior officer grades. In the early 2300s, the insignia for Master Chief Petty Officer was three hollow gold circles worn on the right uniform lapel. [2] [Notes 1]

Master Chief Petty Officer (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Master Chief Petty Officer (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Warrant Officers

Non-commissioned officers who had displayed exceptional expertise in technical or mechanical areas were awarded this rank. Warrant Officers typically commanded a group of enlisted personnel who acted as technical assistants answerable only to the Warrant Officer. [2] In the early 2200s, stripes were 1cm wide, silver, and located 6cm from the cuff. [1] In the 2300s, Warrant Officers wore one, two, or three gold rectangles on the right uniform collar to indicate Warrant Officer, Chief Warrant Officer, [Notes 2] or Master Warrant Officer. [2]

Warrant Officer (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Chief Warrant Officer (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Warrant Officer (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Chief Warrant Officer (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Master Warrant Officer (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

In the early 2200s, stripes were 1cm wide, gold, and located 6cm from the cuff. [1]

Cadet (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Midshipmen were recent graduates of Star Fleet Academy who had completed their final cadet cruises. These officers were typically assigned duties as junior aides to line officers in either the technical or scientific branches of Star Fleet . Midshipmen might also have been assistants to officers in foreign legions and administrative officers. Such assignments were typically between six and eighteen months in duration, after which promotion was routine. [2]

Midshipman (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Midshipman (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

In the early 2200s, stripes were 2cm wide, gold, and located 6cm from the cuff. [1]

Ensigns served as junior officers in a variety of duty stations both aboard ship and at starbases and ground installations. [2]

Ensign Junior Grade, introduced circa 2300, were typically recent graduates of Star Fleet Academy , and served as technical and administrative assistants. In rare cases, a civilian could receive the honorary rank of Ensign Junior Grade to coordinate enlisted personnel aboard ship for a limited duration. [2]

Ensign (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Ensign, junior grade (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Ensign (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Lieutenant, junior grade

Junior grade Lieutenants aboard ship were responsible for the direct operation of non-bridge duty stations under the supervision of senior personnel. Bridge operations involving navigation and helm control were also assigned to junior grade Lieutenants under the supervision of senior officers. At ground installations, junior grade Lieutenants typically acted as station-keepers under the direction of a senior Lieutenant. [2]

Lieutenant, junior grade (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Lieutenant, junior grade (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Lieutenants served on Bridge command crews and as specialists aboard ships. In the absence of senior officers, Lieutenants also commanded special away teams off ship. Away from the Bridge, Lieutenants served as department heads. At starbases and ground installations, Lieutenants were in charge of specific duty stations, generally supervising from three to twelve junior officers and enlisted personnel. [2]

Lieutenant (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Lieutenant (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Lieutenant Commander

Officers of Lieutenant Commander rank functioned as assistant department heads or specialists. Senior Bridge officers in charge of specific watch commands were usually Lieutenant Commanders. In vessels of Class V or below, a Lieutenant Commander was frequently assigned as first officer to a ship's captain of Commander rank. Staff officers of Lieutenant Commander rank served as aides to senior officers and could, on occasion, represent their superiors on special assignments away from normal duty stations. [2]

Lieutenant Commander (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Lieutenant Commander (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Commanders generally headed up a department aboard ship. A senior flag Commander could have a specialized position, such as first officer or science officer. Commanders also served as ship's captain on vessels below Class V, receiving the technical distinction of Brevet Captain, which bestowed a captain's authority only aboard ship. Staff officers holding Commander rank typically served as aides to senior officers or as special duty personnel for inspection of civilian installations, liaison with native life forms, or provided administrative support. [2]

Commander (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Commander (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Captains commanded Star Fleet vessels above Class V. Captains also directed the day-to-day operational deployment and tactical command of support craft, often without the direct influence of senior commanders. Officers with technical skills in areas such as engineering, science, medicine, or security could also receive Captain's rank and usually served aboard larger vessels. Staff officers of Captain rank typically served in deputy positions on starbases or similar ground assignments, as aides to flag officers or technical advisors to senior Federation personnel. [2]

Captain (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Captain (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Fleet Captain

The position of Fleet Captain is that of a senior officer who has demonstrated exceptional competence and expertise in active service. Fleet Captains were responsible for the overall deployment of specific classes of vessels throughout the fleet; in that capacity, they oversaw the construction, refitting, upgrading, and operational use of a particular vessel design, rather than taking command over individual vessels. In 2303, there were three Fleet Captains; one was responsible for Excelsior and Alaska class heavy warships, the second was in charge of heavy cruiser class designs, and the third oversaw the deployment of Galaxy class and other long-range transwarp combat ships. [2]

Fleet Captain (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Flag officers had generally served in a variety of vital areas, including Exploration, Military Operations, and Fleet Command. Flag officers of Commodore rank commanded Tactical Operations Groups of three to six vessels. A Commodore could also serve as a starbase commander or fleet inspector, reporting to a Rear Admiral. [2]

Commodore (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Commodore (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Branch Admiral

To give greater authority to the most qualified officers in specialized branches of operation, in the late 22nd century Star Fleet revamped its ranking system, extending Admiral's rank and privileges to such positions as Star Fleet Surgeon General. The change gave these offices greater control over implementation of their policies throughout the fleet. Admiral designations were established for Medical, Security, and Engineering branches. In addition, the Star Fleet Inspector General's office promoted some individuals to Branch Admiral to facilitate the inspection of vessels and ground installations throughout the Federation . The insignia for Branch Admiral was a color-coded triangle with the apex facing inward, set on a white shoulder board surrounded by silver oak leaves. Triangle colors reflected branch designations; silver for the Inspector General's office, green for Medical Corps, gold for Security, and red for Engineering. [2]

Branch Admiral (Inspector General) (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Branch Admiral (Medical Corps) (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Branch Admiral (Security) (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Branch Admiral (Engineering) (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Rear Admiral

The rank of Rear Admiral was similar to that of other senior admirals, but Rear Admirals differed from their superiors in that their positions usually carried a specific geographical area of responsibility, such as a quadrant or sector within Federation space. Rear Admirals also commanded Task Force Groups of eight to twelve vessels, as well as important ground installations or vessels that fell within their specific area of jurisdiction. Rear Admirals could also command Star Fleet ship construction and production facilities or science and weapons labs, primary base security, security for Federation officials, procurement, and scientific analysis (particularly in sensitive areas such as intelligence gathering or clandestine operations). [2]

Rear Admiral (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

The rank of Admiral was the highest in Star Fleet . Admirals were responsible for the deployment of Star Fleet vessels in active operations, particularly fleet operations along the border zones between the Federation and foreign governments. Admirals were also responsible for exploration and training craft, as well as Federation colonization efforts. Staff positions encompassed a variety of roles, ranging from diplomatic and scientific to traditional planning and organizational tasks within Star Fleet. Separate Admiralty Commands included directorship of Star Fleet training operations, diplomatic liaisons with Federation member worlds, and negotiations with newly-discovered worlds. They also included a host of military positions: contingency strategy, weapons research and development, and scientific systems deployment aboard Star Fleet vessels. [2]

Admiral (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Admiral (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

• ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 " Star Trek: The Next Generation Officer's Manual " describes the rank insignia for for Petty Officer, Petty Officer First Class, and Chief Petty Officer being one through three hollow gold circles, respectively. This has been modified to better correspond with the ranks of Petty Officer, Chief Petty Officer, Senior Chief Petty Officer, and Master Chief Petty Officer. Although outside the scope of this entry, this also explains Chief Petty Officer Miles O'Brien wearing a single hollow rank pip in later seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation . Further, the rank of Specialist has been eliminated, which also lines the 24th century enlisted rank structure more closely to that of the 23rd century Star Fleet.
• ↑ " Star Trek: The Next Generation Officer's Manual " listed Warrant Officer ranks as Warrant Officer, Warrant Officer First Class, and Master Warrant Officer. Warrant Officer First Class has been renamed to Chief Warrant Officer for continuity purposes.
• ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 McLimore, Guy W. Jr. et al (Authors). Basic Rulebook . Star Trek: The Role Playing Game . Book 2001A. Box Art and Original artwork by Mitch O'Connell . Ship Deck Plans by Dana Andrews , Ross Babcock , Mitch O'Connell , and Jordan Weisman . FASA Corporation . 1983 .
• ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 Stuart, Rick (Author). Star Trek: The Next Generation Officer's Manual . Star Trek: The Role Playing Game . Book 2012 . Cover design by Jim Nelson . Illustrations by Rob Caswell , David R. Deitrick , A.C. Farley , Dana Knutson , Jim Nelson , Jeff Laubenstein , and Todd F. Marsh . Deck plans by Steve Venters . Cutaway illustrations by David R. Deitrick . Ship illustrations by Dana Knutson . FASA Corporation . 1988 .
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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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Star Trek: The Next Generation Characters, Ranked in Order of Awesomeness

Engage! Star Trek: The Next Generation has long been arguably the favorite series for Trekkies, and these are the TV show's best characters.

Following on from the seminal original series' diverse cast of characters and thought-provoking storylines, Star Trek: The Next Generation would up the ante in every aspect. On screen from 1987 to 1994, and the first live-action follow-up to Star Trek , Next Generation ran for the course of seven series and four feature-length films, helmed behind the scenes by the mind of the original series, Gene Roddenberry, and charismatically on screen by Patrick Stewart.

Trekkies and critics alike would appreciate the show in equal high measure too: Next Generation won 18 Emmy Awards throughout its run, and was ranked 37th on Empire Magazine's list of the "50 Greatest Television Shows." Fronted by the extraordinary Patrick Stewart, Next Generation gave fans incredible storylines based on unity, race, sex and war. It was a smart science fiction prime time series that refused to dumb itself down for the sake of a quick click.

Diana Troi's mother and Wesley Crusher thankfully do not appear anywhere on this list.

8 Worf, Son of Mogh (Played by Michael Dorn)

With Worf came all the background and religious elements of the Klingon empire. Formerly just deformed villains in the original series, Worf humanized the warrior race above simply savage antagonists (despite that Worf seemingly never won a fight). While acting as Chief of Security, he would bring his forceful approach and battle skills to the role, which he later applied to his own parenting skills. A popular character, fans have often expressed interest in a Worf spin-off TV series .

7 Guinan (Played by Whoopi Goldberg)

Forget the Mos Eisley Cantina, Guinan is the definitive space bartender. The El-Aurian would stand in as a shoulder to cry on and dish out valuable advice to anyone who would seek it. When The Enterprise first encounters The Borg, Guinan is an invaluable resource for the crew when detailing that The Borg wiped out her entire race. Whoopi Goldberg's performance is excellent, and Guinan returns in the second season of Star Trek: Picard.

6 The Borg Queen (Played by Alice Krige)

YAAS, BORG QUEEN! Featured as the main antagonist in First Contact , The Borg Queen is equal parts villainous as she is seductress. The Queen gave the homogeneous Borg a new voice. She is conniving and sexualized, willing to manipulate and use her male opposites for the good of Borg universal domination, as she did with Data. Her introduction, as her head and shoulders are lowered into a torso, remains tremendously creepy. Another Borg Queen recently featured in Series Two of Picard .

5 Q (Played by John de Lancie)

A metaphysical trickster. A flim-flam artist. The boy with a magnifying glass. A god. With a self professed IQ of 2005, " Q " is an all-powerful being who lives to only cause mischief at the expense of The Enterprise and its forever frustrated captain. As a returning antagonist throughout the Next Generation , Q is one of the few characters on this list to appear in multiple Star Trek series: The Next Generation, Deep Space 9, and Voyager .

Related: How William Shatner Could Return for the Next Star Trek Movie

Picard can only greet Q with a groan, as he appears at the most inopportune moments to mess with the team for his own curious desires. A fan of the theatrical and prone to multiple costume changes per episode, Q directly questions the human race while quoting Shakespeare with Picard. It's amazing that a character with unlimited power uses it to solely mess with people.

4 Geordi La Forge (Played by LeVar Burton)

Blind from birth, Geordi La Forge is forced to view the world through a futuristic visor covering his eyes. As another example of how diverse and forward-thinking the Next Generation (and Star Trek in general) was, Geordi La Forge showcases a young Black man excelling in his chosen field, and is forever likable while played by the overtly charismatic LeVar Burton. La Forge's almost brotherly relationship with Data really lets the series shine in the quieter moments.

3 Jean-Luc Picard (Played by Patrick Stewart)

Performed by high-profile English theater actor Patrick Stewart, who brought gravitas to this role, Picard had a cunning mind and a diplomacy with him, captaining his ship with an air of zero BS - and a penchant for earl grey tea. Picard is one of the enduring science fiction characters and the out-and-out leader of a crew of characters. His typical episodes would usually focus on games of wit, honor, and procedure, often showing that the Federation and its old guard have many cracks. Stewart's performance as Picard may have reached its zenith in the episodes "Chain of Command Pts I & II," when Picard is taken prisoner and tortured by a cardassian. Offered escape by giving in to the torturer's lie, an exhausted Picard refuses.

2 Data (Played by Brent Spiner)

Data (played by a pitch perfect Brent Spiner) remains one of the best on-screen androids ever committed to screen in a playful take on Wizard of Oz 's Tin Man. One of the best parts of Star Trek , over the course of the seven seasons, Data is seen to actually grow and learn.

Related: Wil Wheaton Responds to The Next Generation Reunion Snub in Picard

As a cutting edge piece of technology, with his distinctive chalk-white skin and yellow eyes, Data would learn and question the goings-on of the human race all while evolving himself. Sweet and childlike, while studious and imbued with otherworldly strength and speed, Data represents a future we can only aspire to achieve (when he hasn't malfunctioned and runs amok, that is).

1 William T. Riker (Played by Jonathan Frakes)

As a combination of the best and worst parts of both Picard and Kirk, Riker is a suave gentleman and lothario in equal measure. With his broad chest, and beard in season two, we as fans were robbed in never getting a Riker-exclusive iteration series of Star Trek . The will-they-or-won't-they push and pull of Riker and Diana (Miranda Sirtis) always kind of dragged, but when let loose, Riker is a backwards sitting, manspreading, trombone-tooting playboy. Captaining the ship when his captain was taken prisoner by The Borg, Riker's calmness in war would be needed to keep Earth safe. The best Number One a captain could ever ask for, he works hard, but plays harder.

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‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’: Ranking the Crew, From Picard to Pulaski

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Thirty years ago, “Star Trek” proved it wasn’t just a story about Kirk and Spock; it was a story universe rich with possibilities, including a whole new cast of characters.

Ranking the men and women of “ Star Trek: The Next Generation ” is a far more brutal task than initially anticipated because, as the series kept telling us the whole time, this wasn’t a crew. This was a family. That said, let’s be honest. Family might inspire love on an equal playing field, but when it comes to actually spending time with people, favorites do emerge.

This is strictly limited to those who served as actual crew members (sorry, Q and Lwaxana Troi) because one of the best things about “Trek’s” approach to a military structure is how it still allows the show to celebrate individual personalities. Because as much fun as space travel is, a “Trek” series lives or dies by its characters.

17. Dr. Katherine Pulaski

For the record, this is not actor Diana Muldaur’s fault. When Gates McFadden left “Next Generation” at the end of Season 1 (for  a variety of complicated reasons ), the ship needed a new doctor. But while the idea of bringing in a new female character over the age of 40 (Pulaski dated Riker’s dad once!) was conceptually a fresh approach for the genre — hell, for television in general — Dr. Pulaski never gelled with the rest of the crew, and McFadden’s return in Season 3 was a welcome relief.

16. Lieutenant Reginald Barclay

On a ship full of humanity’s best, Barclay was decidedly flawed. In fact, he was set up as essentially a parody of nerd culture (which is pretty rude, considering that “Next Generation” featured a passionate, perhaps even “nerdy” fanbase). More importantly, he caused way more problems than he solved and was never much of a sympathetic character despite his lighter moments.

15. Tasha Yar

A character inspired by Vasquez (Jeanette Goldberg) from James Cameron’s “Aliens,” Yar was the ship’s muscle for much of the first season… until Denise Crosby decided to leave the show. She was essentially replaced by Worf in this regard, which could be seen as an improvement, except that there could always be more badass women in science fiction, especially on “Trek.”

14. Keiko O’Brien

A botanist we first meet as she’s about to marry Miles O’Brien (an in media res sort of move that we have a lot of respect for), Keiko was an interesting example of how the show was able to build a world beyond each week’s missions.

13. Miles O’Brien

Colm Meaney made semi-regular appearances for six seasons of “Next Generation” before becoming a regular on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.” While on that show, the character’s full potential was truly revealed. But while on “TNG” O’Brien had some charming moments, there’s a reason why  one of the best webcomics ever made  is based on the ennui that he must have experienced, humbly operating that transporter pad.

12. Ensign Ro Laren

This tough-as-nails Bajoran officer was our initial introduction to the Bajor-Cardassian conflict, which would be a fundamental foundation of “DS9.” Unfortunately, because Michelle Forbes was infamously skittish about signing up for ongoing series during the ’90s, Ro never got the character development enjoyed by other folk. That said, the episode “Rascals,” where she learned how to have fun as a child was… um. Fun.

11. Ensign Alyssa Ogawa

A very minor character, in theory, but the show’s erstwhile nurse made 16 appearances during the show’s run and had her own arc, with a romantic life that eventually led to her becoming a mother. Nurse Ogawa was always a pleasant presence and much appreciated.

10. Wesley Crusher

Wesley was, um,  a polarizing figure for sci-fi fans at the time , given the fact that as a teen genius who was perhaps rightly labeled as a Marty Sue, he could be a bit grating. But Wesley was also a nice, decent kid, and “TNG” showcased him best by letting that side peek out. The episode where he makes out with Ashley Judd will always be a classic.

9. Deanna Troi

Playing an “empath” is an odd requirement for an actor, and Troi had to deal with a lot of odd storylines. But she occasionally got some meat to chew into, especially given the fact that her rank as a Starfleet officer meant that she was technically more integrated into the military aspects of the series than expected. And she wore some fun jumpsuits! Troi was great.

Continue Reading: ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’: Ranking the Crew, From Picard to Pulaski Next »

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Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.

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• Trivia Almost everyone in the cast became life-long friends. At LeVar Burton 's 1992 wedding, Brent Spiner served as best man, and Sir Patrick Stewart , Jonathan Frakes , and Michael Dorn all served as ushers. Man of the People (1992) (#6.3) aired on that day.
• Goofs It is claimed that Data can't use contractions (Can't, Isn't, Don't, etc) yet there are several instances throughout the series where he does. One of the first such examples is heard in Encounter at Farpoint (1987) , where Data uses the word "Can't" while the Enterprise is being chased by Q's "ship".

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Capt. Picard : Engage!

• Crazy credits The model of the Enterprise used in the opening credits is so detailed, a tiny figure can be seen walking past a window just before the vessel jumps to warp speed.
• Alternate versions The first and last episodes were originally broadcast as two-hour TV movies, and were later re-edited into two one-hour episodes each. Both edits involved removing some scenes from each episode.
• Connections Edited into Reading Rainbow: The Bionic Bunny Show (1988)

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30 Best Star Trek: The Next Generation Episodes Ranked

The first ever "Star Trek" spin-off, "The Next Generation," ran for seven seasons between 1987 and 1994. It defied conventional wisdom by reinventing the notion of what "Star Trek" was, introducing audiences to an entirely new ship and crew.

Living in the shadow of Kirk and Spock early on, most agree that the first two seasons disappointed , even if they showed a lot of promise (the troubled production of these initial seasons became the subject of the 2014 HBO documentary "Chaos on the Bridge"). But "The Next Generation" would become one of the best sci-fi shows ever once it found its footing and came into its own in its third year. With 178 episodes during its run, there are dozens of all-time greats, many of which just narrowly miss making this list. Episodes like "Remember Me," "The Wounded," and "Sins Of The Father" are all worthy watches, but here are the 30 that rank as the best according to IMDb.

30. Chain of Command, Pt. I

The sixth-season episode  "Chain of Command, Pt. I"  opens with Riker and the crew shocked when Starfleet removes Captain Picard from command and gives the Enterprise over to Captain Edward Jellico ("Robocop" villain Ronny Cox). But we soon learn that Picard, along with Doctor Crusher and Lieutenant Worf, is actually being sent on a covert mission inside Cardassian territory to stop a dangerous biogenic weapon, while Jellico is ordered to take the ship to the demilitarized zone to negotiate with the Cardassians. 

Even before Picard leaves, there's tension in the air. The Enterprise crew view their new captain as demanding and overbearing, while Jellico views them as soft and lazy. But though audiences may have assumed the change of command was just for a single story, the episode ends on a shocking cliffhanger that leaves the future of the entire series up in the air.

"Family"  is the direct follow-up to the beloved "Best Of Both Worlds" two-parter that saw the captain turned into the Borg villain Locutus. As part of his recovery, Picard takes a vacation to his home village in France, staying with his brother Robert and his family. The pair of siblings have a strained relationship, but Picard finally opens up to Robert about his traumatic experience with the Borg, giving fans a new insight into the soul of the Enterprise's captain.

In a B-story, Worf is visited by his human foster parents while the ship is docked above Earth. The two are concerned for Worf, who is still dealing with his exile from the Klingon Empire the previous season, and offer their support. Together, the two family-related plots form the backbone of an episode with no space action or alien contact, but with drama that is much more poignant and personal.

28. Reunion

"Reunion"  features the return of Lieutenant Worf's lover K'Ehleyr, previously seen hooking up with the Enterprise's Klingon security officer in Season 2. This time, she comes aboard with news of an impending Klingon war, and has come at the request of Chancellor K'mpec, who is on his deathbed. After he dies, he needs Picard to ferret out the man who poisoned him: one of the two men vying for the leadership of the Empire. Newcomer Gowron is one suspect, but the other is Duras, who had framed Worf's father to cover up his own family's dishonor in the Season 3 episode "Sins Of The Father."

When K'ehleyr arrives, however, she also brings a surprise: Alexander, the child she bore with Worf two seasons earlier. An important episode that changes the lives of several characters and introduces the fan-favorite Gowron , "Reunion" is also a key piece of the story of Worf's family honor that would continue throughout "The Next Generation" and into "Deep Space Nine" — his son Alexander would become a recurring character in both series.

27. The Drumhead

Retired and revered Rear Admiral Norah Satie comes to investigate the Enterprise in  "The Drumhead"  when there appears to be a saboteur onboard. After a rogue Klingon exchange officer is caught stealing information, the case is seemingly closed, but when the warp core is damaged in an apparent act of sabotage, Satie comes to believe there are others involved. What follows is a dark tale that sees the admiral peeling back layers of what she thinks is a vast conspiracy.

But after exposing a young officer who lied about his heritage to get into Starfleet, Satie threatens to drag everyone into her web of suspicion, even Captain Picard. "The Drumhead" is a fascinating look at paranoia and how fear can be used to subvert democracy, spreading like a disease, all in the name of freedom and liberty. It's a cautionary tale, and one of "Star Trek's" most timeless political parables.

26. The Next Phase

"The Next Phase"  adds a new stunning piece of advanced technology to "Star Trek" lore when the Enterprise comes to the aid of a disabled Romulan ship experimenting with a "phasing cloak." When the ship's transporter mixes up LaForge and Ensign Ro, the pair become trapped in a kind of limbo, cloaked and phased so they can pass through ordinary matter. Unable to communicate with anyone else aboard the Enterprise, the situation escalates when they overhear the Romulan commander tell his crew to rig the ship so that the Enterprise will be destroyed when they activate their warp drive.

With the clock ticking, Geordi and Ro must find a way to warn their shipmates and return to their normal state, all while being pursued by a Romulan who they find trapped out of phase with them. Fast, fun, and exciting, "The Next Phase" is one of the series' most thrilling adventures.

25. Time's Arrow Pt. I

The fifth-season cliffhanger finale  "Time's Arrow"  opens with archaeologists uncovering Data's head buried beneath San Francisco. Realizing the discovery means that at some point in the future Data will be hurled back in time to the 19th century, where he will die, Picard attempts to keep Data safe from this lethal destiny. But when an unusual signal leads the Enterprise to discover an alien race who is traveling into the past and murdering humans in 1893 to absorb their life force, the Captain realizes it may simply be Data's fate to die in the past. 

Sent back in time, Data allies himself with the 19th-century version of the Enterprise's bartender, Guinan, who turns out to be far older than anyone ever realized. At the same time, he's also brought to the attention of Mark Twain, who will become an unexpected adversary in the second half of the two-part adventure. Though not the most bombastic of episodes, it proves its worth as a classic "Trek" time travel story.

24. Unification Pt. II

After the reveal that Leonard Nimoy would be returning as Mr. Spock in the Season 5 two-parter "Unification," some fans were left disappointed when his appearance in the first part was limited to a single scene in the closing moments. But he takes center stage in  "Unification, Pt. II,"  which sees Spock on Romulus after apparently defecting from the Federation. Picard and Data — disguised as Romulans themselves — find that Spock is working with an underground sect that wants to reunify the Romulans with their Vulcan cousins.

The episode also featured the unexpected return of the  Romulan villain Commander Sela  and includes some classic moments between Spock and the "Next Generation" crew, particularly Data. Picard and Spock, meanwhile, share some of the most important and thoughtful interactions in all of the series, and in his final television performance as his Vulcan character, Nimoy delivers a momentous performance.

23. Redemption, Pt. II

Season 5 opener  "Redemption, Pt. II"  concluded the cliffhanger from the fourth-season finale, revealing the mastermind behind the Romulan alliance with the Klingon Duras family to be Commander Sela, who claims to be the daughter of long-dead Enterprise security chief Tasha Yar. As the two Klingon factions — led by Chancellor Gowron and the Duras sisters — duke it out for the fate of the Empire, Worf resigns his commission and joins the fight. Picard and the Enterprise had previously vowed to remain neutral, but now devise a plan to expose Romulan involvement.

The plan, involving a fleet of Federation starships forming a blockade around the Neutral Zone, puts Data in the captain's chair of the USS Sutherland, where he must contend with the bigoted Lieutenant Hobson. An episode filled with drama, it gives both Worf and Data some of their best, most satisfying moments in the series.

22. Redemption, Pt. I

"Redemption, Pt. I,"  the Season 4 finale, opens with Gowron requesting that Captain Picard see through his commitment to help install him as the new Klingon Chancellor. But a challenger appears in the form of a young warrior named Toral, brought forward by the Duras sisters, who themselves are the surviving kin to the man Worf killed in combat in "Reunion." Known traitors, the House of Duras cannot be trusted, but Picard — as the Klingon Arbiter of Succession — is duty-bound to consider their claim.

When Toral is dismissed as possible leader of the Empire, a Klingon civil war begins. But all is not as it seems — Worf suspects that the Duras sisters are getting help from the Romulans, and leaves Starfleet to aid in Gowron's fight against them. Full of twists and turns, it doesn't quite match the legendary Season 3 finale, but it comes close.

21. The Defector

"The Defector"  is classic "Trek" — a gripping political drama, the story of an enemy soldier who defects to the Federation, risking his life to help avert a war. Claiming to be a low-level logistics clerk, a Romulan officer named Setal insists that his people are readying for an all-out invasion, and he has deserted his homeworld to warn the Federation. Picard is skeptical, as to prove Setal's claims, the Enterprise must enter the Neutral Zone in violation of the Federation's treaty with the Romulan Empire, and at the risk of starting a war.

Stuck in this quandary, Picard and his crew must decide whether Setal is telling the truth and truly trying to help, or is in fact attempting to bait him into being an aggressor. With the stakes so high, "The Defector" is a tension-filled episode that ends in a dramatic and surprising conclusion — particularly when Setal's true identity is revealed.

20. The Offspring

An important and sometimes overlooked episode, the "The Offspring"  sees Commander Data create his own android child named Lal. Choosing her own appearance and gender identity, Lal becomes a young human woman with a naive but wide-eyed and wondrous outlook and personality. But things take a dark turn when a Starfleet admiral arrives to take Lal away, claiming that the creation of a new android life needs to be carefully overseen by Federation experts. Torn between loyalty to Data and his duty to Starfleet, Picard once again finds himself fighting for the rights of androids to make their own choices. 

A quasi-sequel to the iconic Season 2 episode "The Measure of A Man" but overshadowed by bigger episodes that sandwiched it, "The Offspring" is an intimate character piece with a classic moral dilemma and an emotional ending, and received renewed attention thanks to its importance to the plot of the first season of "Star Trek: Picard."

19. The Pegasus

Season 7's  "The Pegasus"  begins with the arrival of Admiral Erik Pressman, who happens to be Riker's old captain from the titular starship Pegasus. He comes with new orders for Picard, telling him that the Pegasus wasn't destroyed as had been previously believed, and has been found buried in an asteroid field ... and the Romulans are after it.

It's soon revealed that the Pegasus was once used to test an experimental Federation cloaking device, an act specifically prohibited in the treaty with the Romulans. Commander Riker's loyalty is questioned when he is ordered to keep the secret of the Pegasus, and he's forced to choose between his two captains when the Enterprise falls into a Romulan trap. "Lost" star Terry O'Quinn makes a memorable appearance as Pressman, while Picard and Riker get into some heated exchanges about mortality and integrity that make "The Pegasus" a nail-biter of an episode.

The only pure comedy episode on this list,  "Deja Q"  earns its place as one of the best episodes of "The Next Generation" thanks to the sharp wit and strong performance of John De Lancie, who returns once again to serve as a thorn in Picard's side. As the immortal trickster Q, he arrives on the Enterprise claiming he has lost his god-like powers and has been exiled from his people in the Q Continuum. He asks for a safe haven aboard Picard's ship, which becomes a cry for help when a race of beings shows up to get vengeance on him for tormenting them in the past.

Most of the humor of the episode comes from Q slowly learning the basics of being mortal, from nightly sleep to being hungry to crippling back pain. But "Deja Q" also includes many touching moments involving Data, who somewhat ironically attempts to show Q what it means to be human.

After featuring Spock the previous season, Season 6 dips back into the original "Star Trek" series lore with  "Relics," the episode that brings back Enterprise-A chief engineer Montgomery Scott. Having apparently survived for 75 years by storing himself within his ship's transporter, "Scotty" re-materializes aboard the Enterprise-D during an investigation of a fantastic alien Dyson Sphere and is warmly greeted, but soon begins to feel out of place in the 24th century. When the Enterprise gets trapped inside the Dyson Sphere, it's up to Scotty and his engineering successor, Geordi LaForge, to save them.

Ultimately, the return of Scotty is a touching story about aging and the need to feel useful in an ever-changing world. While the genius former engineer feels that the future has left him behind, he soon discovers that he still has plenty of life left in him, and a lot to offer the 24th century.

16. Ship In A Bottle

A sequel to one of the better Season 2 episodes, the Season 6 follow-up  "Ship In A Bottle"  ties up what might have wound up an unresolved plotline . It begins when a self-aware hologram of Professor James Moriarty — Sherlock Holmes' ultimate nemesis in the stories by Arthur Conan Doyle — appears on the holodeck demanding to see Captain Picard. After Data and Geordi unwittingly gave him sentience in "Elementary, Dear Data," Moriarty's program has been trapped in the holodeck computer for years, and now he wants to leave. But as far as Picard and crew believe, it's simply not scientifically possible.

But Moriarty has a plan and takes control of the ship, threatening to destroy it if his demands aren't met. What follows is a mind-bending "Inception"-style adventure where Moriarity and Picard — with the help of Data and the neurotic recurring character Reginald Barclay — attempt to trick each other with dueling holodeck-within-a-holodeck scenarios that will leave your head spinning.

15. Timescape

Stories that play with time have been a staple of "Star Trek" since the beginning, and time-bending episodes are often among the franchise's best.  "Timescape"  is no exception. Returning to the Enterprise from a science conference, Picard, Geordi, Data, and Troi discover the Enterprise and a Romulan warbird frozen in time, seemingly in the midst of battle. Going aboard, they find the crews frozen, as well — both ships are trapped in a strange anomaly, and any attempt to unfreeze them in time risks killing several members of the Enterprise crew, who are apparently under attack by Romulan soldiers.

When Picard becomes incapacitated, the remaining trio must figure out what's really happening, despite interference from mysterious pair of Romulans who, like them, are able to move freely about the Enterprise. With loads of fun, sci-fi time-altering shenanigans, and its far share of twists, "Timescape" is an episode full of surprises.

Among the most famous episodes of the series,  "Darmok"  may not rank in the top 10, but it comes close. The story sees Captain Picard kidnapped and brought to the surface of an unknown planet along with a ship captain from a species known as the Children of Tama, whose language has proven indecipherable despite the Federation's universal translator technology. Trapped together on the alien world and forced to work together to fight a deadly beast, Picard and his fellow captain find common ground and slowly learn to communicate.

The unusual language structure devised for the episode proved groundbreaking — it's been pointed out that the Tamarian "language" predicted Internet meme culture , and it's even been used to teach college courses . The uniqueness of this language is one of those fascinating concepts that could only be seen in science fiction, and the episode as a whole is quintessentially "Star Trek," with a universal message of friendship, tolerance, and understanding.

13. I, Borg

The compassion of Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise is on full display in the Season 5 episode  "I, Borg."  Coming upon the wreckage of a Borg ship, Doctor Crusher convinces the captain to bring the last surviving drone aboard to save his life. But while Picard's intentions are initially less selfless — he hopes to use the drone to destroy the entire collective — he comes around when he realizes that this new Borg is showing signs of personhood, even taking the name Hugh.

An example of the moral and ethical dilemmas often faced in "Star Trek," Picard ultimately abandons his plans for revenge against the Borg and allows Hugh to decide his own fate. Realizing the Borg won't stop looking for him, Hugh returns to the Collective, with the hope being that his sense of individuality will survive and spread. It proves to be one of Picard's best decisions  — Hugh would return later in "The Next Generation," and again in the first season of "Star Trek: Picard."

12. Lower Decks

The story that inspired the modern adult animated comedy of the same name,  "Lower Decks"  was a unique episode of "The Next Generation" that focused on a group of younger officers: Nurse Alyssa Ogawa, Ensign Sam Lavelle, the Vulcan Ensign Taurik, and the Bajoran Ensign Sito Jaxa, who had previously been seen getting into trouble at Starfleet Academy in the Season 5 episode "The First Duty." Now, the young officers are all up for promotions, and as their friendship is tested by their career ambitions, we see the struggles, challenges, and everyday life of the lower-ranking officers serving on the Enterprise.

Meanwhile, Jaxa is confronted by Picard about her troubled past, a prelude to her assignment to a dangerous mission to return a Cardassian defector to his people. A generally upbeat story, "Lower Decks" is a fun detour from the senior bridge crew, but it ends on a surprisingly bittersweet note.

11. Chain Of Command, Pt. II

A darker episode than most on this list,  "Chain Of Command, Pt. II"  concludes a two-part episode that saw Picard kidnapped by the Cardassians on a mission to stop a rumored doomsday weapon. At the mercy of a cunning Cardassian named Gul Madred, he resists and becomes the subject of brutal psychological torture. Over the course of the episode, it becomes clear that while Madred definitely wants to acquire Federation secrets, the thing he wants most of all is to break Picard's spirit.

Meanwhile, on the Enterprise, Jellico is clashing with Commander Riker, who feels his new captain is too controlling. But Riker may also be the only man who can execute Jellico's daring plan to expose the Cardassian plot and save Captain Picard. Picard's defiant shout of "There are four lights!" puts an iconic capper on one of the better late-series episodes.

10. Parallels

Years before Marvel's "Loki," the "Next Generation" Season 7 episode  "Parallels"  put the multiverse front and center when Worf inadvertently passes through a split in the barriers between universes. Moving between them throughout the episode, Worf finds himself in new and different realities: some where Riker is captain, some where he is married to Counselor Troi, and some where the Bajorans are the Federation's greatest enemy. 

Another trippy sci-fi story, most of the fun is in the first half as Worf struggles to figure out what's happening to the world around him as events and people change before his eyes, though the episode also features a daringly ambitious climax. The various windows into what might have been are intriguing, and "Parallels" even takes the opportunity to bring back Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher. It also introduces the first spark of romance between Worf and Troi, a sub-plot that would continue through the remainder of the show's final season. 

9. Tapestry

Q has traditionally been a major pain for Picard and other Starfleet captains, but he returns in  "Tapestry"  in the surprising role of benevolent spiritual advisor. Picard is actually killed in the opening moments of the episode, only to greeted by the all-powerful trickster in the apparent afterlife, who offers Picard a chance to relive his past and change moments that he regrets.

Returning to his days as an ensign fresh out of the Academy, Picard hopes to avoid the reckless behavior that got him stabbed through the heart in a bar fight as a young man while also pursuing a romance with one-time friend Marta Batanides. In trying to bring his older wisdom to his younger self, however, he learns that life's mistakes help us to become who we are. A "Star Trek" version of "A Christmas Carol," the heartwarming message of "Tapestry" makes it one of the series' best.

8. All Good Things...

Often voted among  television's best series finales ,  "All Good Things..."  capped off the show's remarkable seven-year run with an epic feature-length episode that saw Picard revisit events in both the future and the past. Harkening back to the series' very first episode, "Encounter at Farpoint," we see Picard once again on trial before the Q Continuum, attempting to prove the value of humanity's existence by piecing together clues to a potentially world-ending mystery in three different time periods.

As Picard struggles to convince three different crews that what's happening is real, he must find answers to a puzzle that stretches back to the dawn of time to save his entire species. Full of drama, action, and emotion, it was just about everything a fan could want in a finale. While the episode would be one of the series' best on its own, it works even better as a final bookend to "The Next Generation."

7. Cause and Effect

  "Cause and Effect"  is a near-perfect science fiction riddle. Opening in the middle of the action, the Enterprise is destroyed in a shocking scene before the opening credits even roll. Coming back from the iconic "Star Trek" music and fanfare, we find the crew is trapped in an endless loop of time that inevitably leads to the ship's destruction, and worse — they have no idea it's happening. Thinking each loop is the first time through, the crew struggles to even realize what's going on, let alone collect the clues to figure out how to stop it before they all blow up yet again.

With the destruction of the Enterprise occurring just before each commercial break, it's a maddening but mind-blowing story that will leave you on the edge of your seat until the very last moments. And don't forget to keep your eyes peeled for a memorable cameo from Frasier himself, Kelsey Grammer.

The fourth episode to feature Q on this list, Season 2 entry  "Q Who"  saw the more sinister aspect of the god-like being, who arrives on the Enterprise and asks to join the crew. Picard, of course, turns him down. Incensed and hoping to prove to Picard that humanity is not ready for what awaits them amongst the stars, Q flings the ship into a distant uncharted region of space. There they encounter, for the first time, the mysterious race of cybernetic beings known as the Borg. They also learn that Ten Forward bartender Guinan is already familiar with the hostile hive mind, which annihilated her home world.

An important episode in the series, and "Star Trek" as a whole, it's also one of the best — a well-paced thriller that has Picard at first hoping to prove Q wrong and attempting to make peace with the Borg, but ending with an ominous warning that foreshadows not one but two of our remaining entries.

5. The Measure Of A Man

A landmark episode that has been analyzed by  legal scholars , Season 2 standout  "The Measure Of A Man"  puts android Commander Data in the spotlight when a brilliant cyberneticist named Bruce Maddox arrives and wants to disassemble him so he can recreate his positronic brain. Data doesn't approve of the risky procedure, but Maddox states that Data is the property of Starfleet and cannot decline. Picard fights back against this notion and demands a hearing so that he can defend Data's rights. However, the hearing takes place at a poorly-staffed starbase, and Commander Riker is forced to act as prosecutor against Data, despite his personal feelings for his fellow officer.

One of the franchise's best examination of ethics and human rights, it's also one of its most important, as "The Measure of a Man" explores issues that would be revisited again in many future episodes, both in "The Next Generation" and other "Trek" spin-off series. Maddox would even return in the first season of "Star Trek: Picard" in a quasi-sequel that explores the fallout from the work of Noonian Soong, Data's creator.

4. Yesterday's Enterprise

"Yesterday's Enterprise" takes place in a darker alternate timeline created when the Enterprise-C, predecessor to the ship captained by Picard, finds itself thrust 22 years forward in time. Without its sacrifice at a crucial moment in the past, all of history was altered, and now Picard's Enterprise is a warship, with the Federation engaged in a bitter conflict with the Klingons — and on the verge of defeat.

But the arrival of the Enterprise-C adds new complications to an impending Klingon attack, and when Picard learns that the war was never supposed to happen, he struggles with the decision to send it and its crew back to their proper time to face certain death. The episode that saw the return of long-departed cast member Denise Crosby as Tasha Yar, it's an important piece of "Next Generation" lore, and possibly the best alternate reality episode in the entire franchise. 

3. The Best Of Both Worlds, Pt. II

Opening up Season 4,  "The Best Of Both Worlds, Pt. II"  is the thrilling second part of  one of television history's best cliffhangers . The previous episode had ended with Commander Riker giving the order to open fire on the Borg cube that held Locutus — the assimilated Borg drone that had once been Captain Picard. Audiences who had waited all summer for the attack tuned in to see the cube survive unharmed, and Riker and the Enterprise helpless as the Borg launch a direct assault on Earth.

After Starfleet loses a devastating battle with the Borg at Wolf 359, it's up to Riker to devise a bold last-ditch plan to rescue Picard and save Earth from assimilation. The series' most gripping season conclusion, it's an episode that "Star Trek" has still never been able to match in terms of sheer anticipation and excitement.

2. The Best Of Both Worlds, Pt. I

As a stunning season finale and the first cliff-hanger of the franchise, "The Best Of Both Worlds, Pt. 1"  could rightfully be credited as the episode that turned "The Next Generation" into a genuine pop culture phenomenon. Discovering a Federation colony decimated in the same manner as the alien civilization they found destroyed by the Borg in "Q Who," Picard alerts Starfleet that a confrontation may be near. Admiral Hanson arrives with a new officer, Lieutenant Commander Shelby, to help with the crisis. 

The ambitious Shelby adds an interesting layer in what turns out to be a Riker-focused episode, as the title refers to Riker's struggles with whether to leave the Enterprise to become a captain of a lesser ship, or stay and remain Picard's first officer. When his captain is abducted by the Borg and declared lost, Riker gets the best of both worlds — at the cost of Jean-Luc Picard.

1. The Inner Light

"The Inner Light" isn't just the best "Next Generation" episode — there's an argument to be made that it's the best "Star Trek" episode, period . The story begins when the Enterprise comes upon an alien probe that zaps Picard unconscious right off the bat. The captain awakens on an alien world, in another life. Here on the planet Kataan, in the community called Ressik, Picard is a man named Kamin, with a wife named Eline. After giving up on ever finding the Enterprise, which seems to have been just a dream, Picard settles into his new life, even having children and grandchildren, all while Kataan is slowly dying of drought.

Now an old man nearing death, Picard learns that the probe was a messenger that carried memories of a long-dead civilization, and wakes up on the Enterprise having experienced an entire lifetime over the course of a few minutes. An example of what made "The Next Generation" so special, the episode's message of love, hope, and family help it remain one of the most beloved pieces of television ever conceived.

Personal musings, Professional Updates, and Maybe (just maybe), Useful Information

• Doug Jones aka a Tall Drink of Water: Horror Edition
• Freakonomics asks, “What makes a good boss?”
• The 11 Laws of Showrunning by Javier Grillo-Marxuach
• Have We Tried Burning it All Down?
• Finding the Right Routine

Every Episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Ranked (with comments)

Main Page TOS  |  TAS  | TNG |  DS9  |  VOY  |  ENT  |  DSC  |  ST  |  PIC  | LD Whole Enchilada

TNG Ranking by Titles Only

Watching “Encounter at Farpoint” — to say nothing of slogging through the first two seasons, who would have thought that this spinoff would have, itself, created spinoffs? And yet it has… and for a significant number of fans who didn’t watch the original series when first broadcast or in syndication, this is their Trek.

That also means some serious ribbing is in order, which I will delegate to the Screen Junkies:

(Not convinced by the Screen Junkies that you need to watch the one with the space ghost? Want to skip most of the slog of the first two seasons with a binge watch? Check out the new viewing guide !)

Note: Everything below may contain spoilers and definitely contains some snark.

Jean-Luc Picard People who like to debate “Kirk vs. Picard” forget that Picard has Kirk’s zeal for truth, justice, and the Federation way. Like Kirk, he has his own particular tortured backstory. He just doesn’t have any ounce of cowboy (although Patrick Stewart does ). Also, no flying leg kicks. Still, it works.

William T. Riker Bearded or clean-shaven, Riker’s ready to step over a chair, sit down, and let you know how it’s done. And “it” could be starship operations or some sort of consensual intimacy. He’s a renaissance Riker.

Geordi La Forge You can look. It’s in a book… or technical manual. Unless it’s about romantic relationships. Sorry, Geordi, you’ll have to wait for Ensign Kim in Voyager to be more hapless in that department. In the meantime, keep speaking technobabble like a boss. I’m so glad they switched you to Engineering.

Worf Much like Spock was the quintessential Vulcan who turns out to be a very atypical Vulcan, so too is Worf the Klingon’s Klingon who… was not raised by Klingons, has a greater sense of honor than just about any other Klingon we meet, and generally only kicks ass off screen. Sigh. Hang on until DS9, Worf.

Beverly Crusher Over 30 years later, and I’m still wondering about the wisdom of naming a doctor “Crusher,” but, I mean, she’s capable, compassionate, and… we’re never going to resolve that thing between her and Picard, are we?

(Update circa 2023: Terry Matalas says “Hold my synthehol!”)

Deanna Troi One of those characters that grew on me in the rewatch. I wish they had made her de facto role of cultural/alien contact specialist and diplomat more formal from the get-go, but I guess the priority was form-fitting clothing and inconsistent sensing of emotions.

Data Not just an emotionless Vulcan stand-in, considering the number of episodes the Enterprise is saved by having this android aboard makes him kind of a “machina ex deus ex machina.”

Wesley Crusher It took waaay too long to take this character from annoying airlock fodder to intelligent, but flawed officer-in-training… and in a sense, they didn’t fully succeed on that journey. He does have some good moments though, so ease up.

168) “Code of Honor” Season 1, Episode 4 So let’s say you haven’t seen this episode since it first aired in 1987, so you feel you need to give it a fair shake. And you know that the entire cast reviles this episode as a racist piece of filth and the director was evidently a piece of work too. But you try and approach it with the same open mind you try and approach a friend’s indie film because there’s usually something good in those and then OH MY GOD: I JUST THREW UP IN MY MOUTH. Yeah, not good.

167) “Shades of Gray” Season 2, Episode 22 I really don’t want to hate this one as much as conventional fan wisdom demands because a) there’s flashbacks to episodes that don’t suck and b) we get to see Worf and Riker battle Skeletor’s cousin at the beginning. But the fact remains that clip shows are inherently unsatisfying and a clip show in the second season of anything is a singular failure which should not be rewarded. Bad Trek! No biscuit!

166) “The Last Outpost” Season 1, Episode 5 In which the new Main Bad Guys, the Ferengi, are introduced and everyone wisely decides they don’t qualify as the Main Bad Guys. Besides the Enterprise being unable to engage in combat due to Starfleet thrift, you are left with waiting for something, anything, to happen. Eventually, some actor –evidently escaping a production of the Ring Cycle– appears to disrupt the Ferengi’s weird performance art. Unless you really want to see actors who later play Ferengi play proto-Ferengi, this is an episode you can skip without any shame whatsoever.

165) “Where No One Has Gone Before” Season 1, Episode 6 Look, producer-writers, we’re not sure how much we want to deal with the Mary Sue character that is Wesley Crusher and now you want to make him Mozart of the Warp Drive? Next, the episode title is a play on “Where No Man Has Gone Before” aka one of the most action-packed episodes of the Original Series. Heck, it’s the second pilot that allowed there to be a Star Trek. Seriously, couldn’t you have done something with the Romulans or Klingons or something? Blah.

164) “The Royale” Season 2, Episode 12 Viewers used to modern television and its shortened seasons will not understand why this episode exists. But simply knowing this is here for padding a season’s episode count doesn’t excuse the plodding pseudo-holodeck story and it’s another one that’s easy to skip.

163) “The Battle” Season 1, Episode 9 Failing to present the Ferengi as any sort of physical threat, the creative team sees if they can present the Ferengi as duplicitous schemers. Still pretty weak, but at least they re-affirm the Ferengi’s love of profit over revenge (unless revenge is a dish that can be served at a considerable markup).

162) “Force of Nature” Season 7, Episode 9 Picard : We admit that we were wrong in our assumption that warp travel doesn’t damage space. We’ll make sure a better equipped vessel studies this and I will personally make sure the findings are not swept under a 24th century rug. Serova : I’m going to ignore the words you’re saying because you’re not acceding to illogical demands I haven’t even stated — and then I’m going to kill myself. [Kaboom] Picard : Rabal, your sister Serova has just ruptured space-time endangering 1,000 men, women, and children on this ship because we said we’d help her. Can you help us without going crazypants? Rabal : No captain, I’m afraid all I can contribute is my flat acting. Picard : Well, the hell with this episode then!

161) “11001001” Season 1, Episode 15 The few pluses of this episode, like the idea of a computer-dependent civilization, a massive starbase, and Catherine McCormack, are more than erased by glacial pacing typical of season one and, of couse, next to no action whatsoever — even in terms of meaty philosophical discourse. Both George Bernard Shaw and Michael Bay give this a pass and so should you.

160) “Manhunt” Season 2, Episode 19 Though not entirely objectionable, Lwaxana Troi experiencing the Betazoid version of Pon Far is not my idea of a good time. A nice twist at the end, I suppose, but meh.

159) “When the Bough Breaks” Season 1, Episode 17 The Enterprise encounters an alien race advanced enough to cloak their planet, but not advanced enough to do root cause analysis. You know, if you’re going to steal all the children and force us to watch a Wesley-centric episode, you ought to work harder. Bonus points for that cool wood-carving tool though.

158) “Justice” Season 1, Episode 8 The Enterprise tries to mix first contact with shore leave on the spa world of blonde models. It’s somewhat interesting in portraying the difficulties of the Prime Directive in the face of what amounts to unquestioning obedience to religious authoritarianism, but although it ends decently, the whole episode is inelegant.

157) “Lonely Among Us” Season 1, Episode 7 An intriguing premise and some reasonably cool-looking –if rubbery– aliens runs into early Next Generation’s tendency to awkwardly ape the Original Series as well as the beginning of Data’s Sherlock Holmes fascination. In the end, it just doesn’t gel.

156) “The Neutral Zone” Season 1, Episode 26 “We’re the Romulans. We just wanted you to know.” Oh man, you young whipper-snappers binge-watching this on Netflix probably have no idea how we waited all season to see some of the classic bad guys. “Heart of Glory” gave us a very tiny taste of the Klingons, who were no longer bad guys anyway, dangit. And then we get this? A Romulan courtesy call?!? And we have to spend the rest of the episode with 80s Uptight Banker, Nashville Doofus, and Angst-Mom. Not the worst, but absolutely not the best.

155) “Coming of Age” Season 1, Episode 19 The one incontrovertible fact we learned from both the plotlines of this episode? That whether they call it an “Inspector General’s Report” or a “Psych Eval,” Starfleet will find whatever reason they need to get all up in your yang and be dicks about it. Additional demerits to re-using the spaceport from Buck Rogers which goes one cost-cutting method too far.

154) “Man of the People” Season 6, Episode 3 The “Dorian Gray” episode. Too on the nose and simplistic to be interesting.

153) “Eye of the Beholder” Season 7, Episode 18 With a mystery fit for an empath and a guest turn by Mark Rolston, this should have been a decent if not great episode, but it just doesn’t catch fire (probably good, this close to warp plasma).

152) “Pen Pals” Season 2, Episode 15 A so-so Prime Directive episode dominated by Wesley learning Very Important Lessons about leadership blunting some of the poignancy of Data’s storyline.

151) “The Schizoid Man” Season 2, Episode 6 If you wanted to see Data be a creepy old man, here you go.

150) “Hollow Pursuits” Season 3, Episode 21 Those of you who thought, “Man, why isn’t there an epidemic of Holodeck addicts in the 24th century? I’d certainly be one,” this is the After-School special for you. Okay, it’s not that bad, but would I miss this episode at all? No, no I would not.

149) “Home Soil” Season 1, Episode 18 The premise of this episode isn’t bad and very Trek: we get to see terraformers in action, but a murder and mystery unfolds, which results in a first contact situation. The pacing is slow, as it is through much of the first two seasons, as if the writers are allergic to starting a scene as late as possible and finishing as early as possible. Also, even though we get one of the few instances of a character named Bjorn on American television, he’s pretty much a wanker covering up de facto genocide. His impressively cleft chin doesn’t make up for this. If you find the namesake and chin demerits subjective (which, frankly, you should), you can also point to some wooden acting and overly 80s costuming on the part of the terraformers. I will give points to the Velarans being entertaining, even if they do think of us as “ugly giant bags of mostly water.” Also, has anyone else noted that between LaForge and Troi, there’s two people on the Enterprise who can detect when anyone lies? Really, we need to do a Star Trek police procedural.

148) “The Naked Now” Season 1, Episode 3 I guess the braintrust thought it’d be good to start with a callback to the original series, but instead of a charming callback to the past, we get a dire forecast of the season ahead. The reek of a moralistic 80s PSA has abated somewhat, but they clearly wanted younger viewers to know Alcohol Is Bad. Also still evident, season one’s general glacial pace and clumsy characterization. And speaking of characterization, what is it with these sci-fi shows doing episodes where the characters “act weird” when we’re just getting to know them? Don’t they know they’ll be a better payoff when both we and the actors know them better? Hey, we can’t all be Farscape . Anyway, bonus points for reasonably cool stellar phenomena and starship explosions.

147) “Hide and Q” Season 1, Episode 10 A tedious episode starting with Q going all Squire of Gothos on the Enterprise crew and ending with awkward, one-dimensional wish fulfillment. Extra demerits to the writers who apparently didn’t have the budget for a thesaurus and insisted on calling humanoid creatures in Napoleonic uniforms “animal things.” Blah.

146) “Haven” Season 1, Episode 11 This is the first episode to feature Lwaxana Troi, who in general does not herald banner episodes, but this particular one about an arranged marriage is not without its charms, including an intelligent plant for a pet, Data’s investigation of petty bickering, and a plague-ridden Daryl Hannah impersonator.

145) “The Outrageous Okona” Season 2, Episode 4 Let’s be clear: Jem and the Holograms are truly outrageous. This episode is what you get when a company’s HR department wants to plan a “zany event.”

144) “Too Short a Season” Season 1, Episode 16 The premise of an aging Admiral making an essentially Faustian bargain in order to relive glory days and defeat an old foe seems the stuff of an epic two-parter or even a movie, but the execution seems rather clumsy and features the 24th century version of Viewmaster as part of the conclusion.

143) “Symbiosis” Season 1, Episode 22 Having done something of an after-school special with “The Naked Now” and the dangers of alcohol, Trek now deals with drug addiction. While the sci-fi scenario does present it in a potentially interesting light, the whole situation is too on the nose for enjoyable repeat viewing. But who doesn’t enjoy the moment when Captain Picard drops the hammer on the smug drug peddlers?

142) “The Big Goodbye” Season 1, Episode 12 Farscape has its “there’s something wrong with Moya” episodes and this is the first of what will prove to be many “there’s something wrong with the holodeck” episodes which span multiple series. At least they figure out some good concepts to explore in future episodes. Even with interesting production design and some great guest actors like Dick Miller, we’re left wanting.

141) “Samaritan Snare” Season 2, Episode 17 While the Pakleds have a marginally interesting twist, I refuse to believe the implied notion that said Pakleds were able to successfully blackmail the Romulans or the Klingons. The Pakleds ceasing to exist as a living race in the galaxy is far more likely. Also, apparently not content with ignoring Guinan’s warnings about the Borg in the previous episode, the crew ignores Troi aka Their Very Own Lie Detector. Seriously guys, what’s wrong with trusting these women? Bonus points for Picard’s confiding in Wesley, though we get a better treatment of his heart condition and youthful choices in “Tapestry.”

140) “Aquiel” Season 6, Episode 13 It’s like someone decided to do an awful version of “The Thing” and show Geordi have more romantic troubles in one episode. Why?

139) “The Game” Season 5, Episode 6 Don’t hate Ashley Judd. Hate the game.

138) “The Dauphin” Season 2, Episode 10 True, we get to see some true bug-eyed monsters and Worf face off against Gozer the Gozarian, but overall, this Wesley-centric episode isn’t too strong. Bonus points for faux flirting between Riker and Guinan plus indicating truly alien forms at the end.

137) “Datalore” Season 1, Episode 13 The lack of inventiveness doesn’t end with the title (“crystalline entity form,” anyone?). While I suppose any Star Trek character is entitled to an Evil Twin episode, certainly Brent Spiner, this one seems less than inspired — especially the way Lore posing as Data argues the aforementioned snowflake monster will be impressed by blowing up trees.

136) “Homeward” Season 7, Episode 13 Hearkening back to the bad old days of television when family relations never mentioned in years of a show suddenly pop into existence, we get Paul Sorvino as Worf’s human brother. Unsatisfying.

135) “The Child” Season 2, Episode 1 One of the re-purposed old scripts, from the canceled Star Trek: Phase II series, which Marina Sirtis gamely tries to make work, but it doesn’t quite seem to mesh.

134) “Elementary, Dear Data” Season 2, Episode 3 Yes, it’s another holodeck-centric episode, and probably worth skipping. However, if you do rewatch it for a sense of completeness, you will be rewarded by a great model of the sailing vessel HMS Victory , plus an even greater performance by veteran actor Daniel Davis as Moriarty.

133) “Ethics” Season 5, Episode 16 A laudable, but forced exploration of medical ethics is buoyed by exploring injury as seen by Klingons — and some nice moments between Worf and his son, Alexander.

132) “The Loss” Season 4, Episode 10 Some earnest attempts to explore issues of life-changing injuries and how telepaths or empaths deal with the loss of their abilities, but it’s like we only get the part of the movie where Troi is a schmuck and not the part where she learns the valuable life lessons.

131) “Emergence” Season 7, Episode 23 Sigh. I know some people really want to celebrate this episode as a meta commentary on what TNG has meant to everyone as the series draws to a close, but for me it just strikes me as one more “Holodeck-gone-wrong” episode combined with a “Oh-something’s-wrong-with-the- Enterprise ” episode — which season 7 already has in abundance. It also tells us “There’s one less episode in which you can see the crew do cool stuff.”

130) “The Arsenal of Freedom” Season 1, Episode 21 One of the better episodes of season one TNG due to a plot structure designed to build suspense and a standout performance by guest star Vincent Schiavelli who manages to both creepy and charming at the same time. La Forge’s conflict with This Week’s Chief Engineer is a bit forced, but just wait a few minutes and you’ll get Vincent Schiavelli again.

129) “Where Silence Has Lease” Season 2, Episode 2 The poetical title that hearkens to the Original Series also gives us a familiar problem: the powerful alien testing the Enterprise crew. It’s interesting to see how the Enterprise -D peeps deal with it, but it’s eclipsed by many episodes later in the series.

128) “Skin of Evil” Season 1, Episode 23 This is another early episode whose premise that, upon rewatching, I can’t help but wonder what the actors and producers would have done with in a later season. The oil-slick-as-villain Armus could have been some sort of Sci-Fi One Ring, that would tempt and torment the Enterprise crew, potentially in a lovely two-parter. As it is, everyone seems to be doing their best, but it’s still just meh.

127) “Realm of Fear” Season 6, Episode 2 Barclay’s paranoia about the transporter is put to good use. Bonus points for O’Brien getting to torment someone else for a change.

126) “Interface” Season 7, Episode 3 I was all ready to learn more about Geordi’s family and what made him tick, but this episode just doesn’t deliver.

125) “Cost of Living” Season 5, Episode 20 The sweetness of Lwaxana Troi connecting with Alexander mitigates this generally forgettable episode, but you probably forgot about that, didn’t you?

124) “The Quality of Life” Season 6, Episode 9 The episode was clearly meant to play as another meditation on artificial intelligence and what rights they might have, but instead comes across as a marketing gimmick to sell toy versions of the Exocomp.

123) “Schisms” Season 6, Episode 5 Some mysterious subspace species is experimenting on the Enterprise crew and giving them all really bad hair. Oh, and occasionally killing them.

122) “We’ll Always Have Paris” Season 1, Episode 24 I don’t mind a romance episode. Especially this late in the season where both we and the actors have warmed up to the characters. I don’t even mind them trying to have the higher ratio of romance plot to space-time danger plot even though the episode title would lead you to never guess that space-time shenanigans or fencing make an appearance. But the execution just isn’t there, so this becomes another First Season episode to get a “meh.”

121) “Journey’s End” Season 7, Episode 20 Either the tale of Wesley Crusher taking a different path or the tale of the Enterprise (and Picard) facing disturbing historic parallels in forcibly evacuating ethnic Native Americans is interesting. Sadly, neither one comes off and they really don’t work well together.

120) “Bloodlines” Season 7, Episode 22 Ha! Joke’s on you Picard. We’ve spent all this time with a son who isn’t really your son not for a Ferengi revenge plot, but to infuriate viewers who know there’s only a few episodes of this series left, and we just wasted one. Mua ha ha ha!

119) “Dark Page” Season 7, Episode 7 Another seventh season story that tries and fails to give satisfying backstory to one of the characters, in this case Troi and her mother. Oh look, Kirsten Dunst!

118) “Remember Me” Season 4, Episode 5 Dr. Crusher finds herself in something of a Twilight Zone kind of episode as her reality collapses and those of you who were wanting the reappearance of the Traveler are rewarded.

117) “Masks” Season 7, Episode 17 Brent Spiner gets to act up a storm and Patrick Stewart recalls some mask work from his theater days. Look, the anthropologist in me finds some of this fascinating, but that doesn’t make it a good episode.

116) “The Chase” Season 6, Episode 20 An oddly disjointed episode which can’t decide if it’s going to be a backstory drama (as per the confrontation with Norman Lloyd’s Galen), an archaeological adventure, or something else. At least most of the characters are as dissatisfied at the end as we are.

115) “Unnatural Selection” Season 2, Episode 7 While I was happy enough to see the return of Dr. Crusher, I also didn’t mind the brief season 2 tenure of Dr. Pulaski. Her take on a curmudgeonly yet dedicated physician seemed a clear homage to Dr. McCoy. She’s never better than in this episode, where her working relationship with Captain Picard is tested. Plus, we get to see Colm Meaney handle technobabble like the chief he is.

114) “Suddenly Human” Season 4, Episode 4 The allegory and the drama of this human raised by non-humans never quite comes together. And if you’re going to stab Picard, give us an episode like “Tapestry.”

113) “Up the Long Ladder” Season 2, Episode 18 Come for the Space Irish, stay for the evil David Byrne impersonators. Not a bad episode per se –especially for fans of impractical sweaters– but would you be better served by watching The Quiet Man and “Stop Making Sense?” Probably.

112) “Suspicions” Season 6, Episode 22 A mystery episode that would have been ten times more effective if we didn’t have alien races with unknown abilities that could easily come into play in the last act. I’m still open for Dr. Crusher solving mysteries in retirement, though. Just putting that out there.

111) “Sub Rosa” Season 7, Episode 14 You want this to be a rattling cool ghost story, but it just comes across as half-baked melodrama. Bonus points for Governor Maturin feeling kinship for Scotland and for fog on the Enterprise .

110) “Imaginary Friend” Season 5, Episode 22 When you’re spending more time looking at the cool scarlet strands entangling the Enterprise and considering how good the VFX team has gotten, it’s not the best of episodes.

109) “Angel One” Season 1, Episode 14 Yes, this is season one, which means a strong 80s vibe and sluggish pace are there. In fact, it seems like they add the virus subplot simply because not much is happening on the planet of power-shouldered matriarchs, but wait: the plotlines intersect and the virus becomes a key point in denying an easy solution. Plus, Riker strikes a blow for chest hairs everywhere.  Definite demerits for teasing us about the possibility of seeing Romulans though. (we need to wait for the rest of the season before that happens). Also, there’s an inherent plot issue of the Enterprise not extricating Federation citizens to prevent an interstellar incident simply because they’re not in Starfleet. I guess some legal precedents were set by the time we got around to the Maquis.

108) “The Icarus Factor” Season 2, Episode 14 In retrospect, it’s actually not a bad reflective/soap opera episode, although some of the dialogue gets a bit on-the-nose at times. Still, Anbo-jyutsu looks pretty cool, obnoxious exposition about it notwithstanding. Definite demerits for never revisiting it or Papa Riker in the TV series.

107) “The Host” Season 4, Episode 23 This exploration about identity and, more importantly, how to love when someone you love changes drastically is intriguing and very worth a sci-fi treatment. It’s also nice to see Dr. Crusher explore a relationship. However, Odan has systematically lied for at least 30 years to the Federation and others about his true nature (the alternative is to buy his claim that he didn’t understand just about every other sentient race he met and negotiated with wasn’t paired with a symbiote). A pity, as other moments are quite nuanced

106) “Hero Worship” Season 5, Episode 11 Your patience with this episode is proportional to how much you like Data and can deal with kids as being the epitome of unreliable narrators.

105) “A Fistful of Datas” Season 6, Episode 8 If you’re willing to hitch your wagon to another holodeck tale that rustles up some excuses to have an infinite number of Datas, you’ll be all right, partner. Otherwise, best leave town… or, you know, watch another episode.

104) “Lessons” Season 6, Episode 19 The idea of Picard attempting a serious relationship and bumping against some of his self-imposed (and external) constraints makes sense this deep into the series. It’s well enough executed, with good performances by both Patrick Stewart and Wendy Hughes as  Lt. Cmdr. Daren. However, since TNG was still quite cautious in terms of serial storytelling, that means we have the whole love-and-loss arc within one episode. Therefore, our connection to Daren is minimal.

103) “Disaster” Season 5, Episode 5 Okay, let’s be clear: this episode is not a disaster. Putting the now familiar characters in situations they would never ordinarily want to be in is ambitious and enjoyable — with Worf delivering Keiko’s baby being a standout.

102) “Loud as a Whisper” Season 2, Episode 5 Coming off as a Very Special Episode when it first aired, it’s aged decently, though since I’m not a member of the deaf community, I may not pick up on disliked tropes or not. Still, deaf and mute actor Howie Seago gives a great performance and the thoughts on abilities, disabilities, and where we find our strength are intriguing.

101) “Genesis” Season 7, Episode 19 The kid in me wants more Harryhausen monsters and the anthropologist in me wants more scientific accuracy. Both of us are disappointed, but the episode remains pretty entertaining.

100) “Conspiracy” Season 1, Episode 25 Finally! Some action. Wait, did they just phaser that guy’s head until it exploded?!? Talk about overcompensation. Enjoyable when it first aired because something was actually happening –and who doesn’t like a good conspiracy?– it really doesn’t hold up well for the aforementioned incongruity of some gross-out special effects, the stereotypical evil aliens (“we only eat stuff that’s nasty to humans just because”), and a storyline that is completely, utterly dropped (although I understand they revisit it in some non-canon novels). Worth a curiosity watch, I suppose, but there’s better paranoia and stop-action animation elsewhere.

99) “Liaisons” Season 7, Episode 2 A comical take on diplomatic contact (well, except for poor Picard) that is uneven, but not without its moments.

98) “True Q” Season 6, Episode 6 A solid enough entry in Q’s appearances as it explores a young woman’s acceptance (or rejection) of her Q powers.

97) “Rascals” Season 6, Episode 7 I will be the first one to voice my displeasure at Worf getting overwhelmed by Ferengi, and the episode has no right to be as fun as it is, but it is . I’m not saying it’s my number one episode, but I have to admit I always enjoy rewatching it.

96) “Birthright” (Parts I & II) Season 6, Episode 16 & 17 Both Data and Worf explore their past — and while Data’s storyline is pretty “blah,” Worf’s is reasonably interesting. I’m just not sure it merits a two-parter.

95) “Inheritance” Season 7, Episode 10 Data gets to know more of his family and how telling the truth is not alway cut and dried. Solid.

94) “Identity Crisis” Season 4, Episode 18 Mystery and transmogrification is always welcome in sci-fi. Nicely done.

93) “Firstborn” Season 7, Episode 21 An important character-based wrap-up of Worf and his son Alexander. Yes, it basically gets undone by DS9, but it’s still worthwhile.

92) “The Emissary” Season 2, Episode 20 The entertaining premise of wartime Klingons waking up isn’t bad, nor is the personal drama between Worf and his paramour, though moments such as retrieving the warp probe and some of Suzie Plakson’s snark seem a bit too precious at times.

91) “Peak Performance” Season 2, Episode 21 There’s some enjoyment to be had with the whole war games scenario, but involving the Ferengi at the end just kind of sours the fun. Also Stratagema is an abstract letdown. Finally, the Dominion War called and wanted you to know that your assertion that “Starfleet is not a military organization” is absolutely adorable.

90) “Heart of Glory” Season 1, Episode 20 Ermegerd, Klingons! In reflection with the rest of the series, this is a whole lotta inconsequential nothing, but at the time, it was incredibly welcome action and world-building — because previous to this, we basically understood the Federation was at peace with the Klingon Empire solely so Worf could be hanging out on the Enterprise . Bonus points for the build-your-own-disruptor kit the Klingons had hidden in their armor.

89) “New Ground” Season 5, Episode 10 Another step Trek takes towards more realistic family issues as Worf needs to deal with the fact he’s a dad. Not a banner episode, but not awful. Bonus points for Jonathan Frakes convincingly handling puppets.

88) “Evolution” Season 3, Episode 1 Some great special effects and the welcome introduction of far less spandex in the uniforms is mitigated by Wesley giving rise to a new sentient life form and endangering the entire ship due to his pulling an all-nighter. What an irresponsible yet studious scamp!

87) “Q Who” Season 2, Episode 16 The first appearance of the totally non-Swedish Borg isn’t all bad. However, when the Enterprise just hangs out in front of the massive Borg cube that was carving it up for dinner earlier, I have to question Picard’s tactical acumen — not to mention inviting Guinan to tell them more about the race that annihilated her homeworld and then ignoring her advice.

86) “The Outcast” Season 5, Episode 17 Gender identity gets the Star Trek allegorical treatment here that also serves to build out Riker’s character more.

85) “Time Squared” Season 2, Episode 13 An intriguing episode dealing with doppelgangers, bending space-time, and the choices we make, but these ideas are much better handled in later episodes.

84) “The Bonding” Season 3, Episode 5 A thoughtful episode that explores the grief, loss, and the cost of exploration. The execution doesn’t quite measure up to the ambition.

83) “A Matter of Perspective” Season 3, Episode 14 The Next Generation does Rashomon ! It’s a fun enough conceit that adapts to science fiction quite nicely — albeit with a technobabble twist at the end.

82) “Transfigurations” Season 3, Episode 25 You may remember this as the one with the amnesiac, spandex-wearing Space Jesus or simply the one where Geordi gets his groove on. Also, you also get to see the pros and cons of having Worf as your wingman. I’m not saying skip it, but you’re probably fast forwarding a few scenes so you can get to “The Best of Both Worlds.”

81) “Allegiance” Season 3, Episode 18 Picard’s doppelganger has way too much fun on the Enterprise while actual Picard riddles out his captors designs elsewhere. Decent.

80) “A Matter of Honor” Season 2, Episode 8 After season one’s all-too-brief look at the 24th century Klingons, this was a great chance to delve deeper… and it’s great fun to see Riker adapt to life aboard a Klingon ship while being himself. Still, the Klingon commander seems paranoid to a degree unsupported by the script and the Benzite subplot on the Enterprise, while a nice thematic counterbalance of cultural misunderstandings, is rather boring.

79) “Half a Life” Season 4, Episode 22 A great allegorical treatment of mortality where Lwaxana Troi’s marrow-sucking lifestyle is a perfect match for the theme and David Ogden Stiers’ performance. Thoughtful and heartbreaking.

78) “Legacy” Season 4, Episode 6 Tasha Yar gets some backstory, we an enjoyably plotted tale, and Data gets some heartbreak as only an android can.

77) “The Perfect Mate” Season 5, Episode 21 A potentially clunky episode about arranged marriages, men and women, destiny, and duty benefits greatly from a performance by Famke Jannsen supported by the welcome appearance of Tim O’Connor (sans Dr. Theopolis ). Even the bumbling Ferengi do not derail the proceedings (though they certainly try). Picard does a formidably stoic Hornblower impression that Kirk would well understand.

76) “Booby Trap” Season 3, Episode 6 Geordi wants to make beautiful music with faux Dr. Brahms, but they have to save the ship before everyone’s irradiated.

75) “Contagion” Season 2, Episode 11 The generic and inaccurate title covers up what turns out to be an absolutely action-packed episode featuring the Space Cruiser Yamato, Carolyn Seymour as a Romulan coveting power and ancient secrets, and a long-lost interstellar empire that has secrets aplenty to covet. My only complaint is they could have cut Geordi being a bouncy ball in the turbolift so we’d have time for a good denouement to the episode. Plus, we don’t get to learn more about the Iconians for ages.

74) “Encounter at Farpoint” Season 1, Episodes 1 & 2 Clunky? Yes, but pilots are often clunky. Not as good as the pilots that followed? Yes, but the pilots that followed were made because of the voyage that started with the Enterprise D here. You’ll see me be pretty tough on a lot of early TNG episodes because let’s face it: we had seen Star Trek II and Star Trek IV. We remembered how good individual episodes of the original series were. We wanted this series to boldly go. Well, it doesn’t pull it off for this first outing. Still, this episode is part of the payoff for the series finale, so even if you want to skip a lot of the first two seasons, you still ought to Vulcan up and check this out.

73) “Descent” (Parts I & II) Seasons 6 & 7, Episode 26 & 1 The return of both the Borg and Lore and the manipulation of Data and his nascent emotions sounds like the making of an epic two-parter. It has its moments, but isn’t as engaging as most of the other two-parters.

72) “Galaxy’s Child” Season 4, Episode 16 What with Star Trek already saving Earth whales in “The Voyage Home,” we knew it was only a matter of time before Star Trek did space whales and the result is pretty good. Also, Geordi is still unlucky in love, which is kind of like TNG’s “O’Brien must suffer.”

71) “Violations” Season 5, Episode 12 Yes, a modern version of this story would take the freakiness and discomfort up to 11 , but in the context of having a reasonably family-friendly syndicated broadcast TV show, this tale of intrusive telepaths is pretty darn engaging.

70) “A Matter of Time” Season 5, Episode 9 It’s really sad to see Edison Carter turn to a life of time-travel crime, but it does make for a good episode.

69) “Time’s Arrow” (Parts I & II) Season 5 & 6, Episode 26 & 1 Much like “Descent,” this two-parter has oodles of potential from Guinan’s backstory to Data causing temporal paradoxes and it’s not a bad watch — but it’s not a great watch.

68) “Conundrum” Season 5, Episode 14 This episode proves that you will watch an okay episode with great characters. Because let’s face it, the plot is preposterous. The length the villainous Satarrans need to go to in order to trick the Enterprise crew into destroying their enemy is quite absurd. If this was a season 1 story, we would all talk about this episode in the hushed tones of embarrassment we refer to “Home Soil” And yet, the episode is tremendous fun. We get a great deal of introspection and we get to see the essential nature of each and every one of the main cast come through despite losing their identities. It doesn’t advance the concept that reptilian-humanoids are people too, but hey, that’s perhaps too much to ask.

67) “The Offspring” Season 3, Episode 16 Jonathan Frakes’ directorial debut is a fitting follow-up to season two’s “The Measure of a Man” in raising some great questions.

66) “The Enemy” Season 3, Episode 7 Did you get enough of Geordi last episode? Of course you didn’t. And here he is teaching an uptight Romulan that old prejudices may be wrong. Bonus points for Worf having honest trouble moving past his prejudices and Andreas Katsulas as a great Romulan commander.

65) “Attached” Season 7, Episode 8 The increasingly paranoid aliens are fun and it’s nice to see Picard and Crusher’s relationship explored, but there’s still too much status quo at the end of the episode.

64) “Qpid” Season 4, Episode 20 Worf saying “I protest sir. I am not a merry man!” is one of the best lines in all of Trek. That said, the overall episode is just okay.

63) “The Price” Season 3, Episode 8 An okay episode focusing on negotiations, machinations, and Counselor Troi. Just do not try and be more sensitive or caring than Matt McCoy. He understands your pain at not being as much of a sensitive, new age guy as he is. He really does. He just does it so, so well. Perhaps he can get you a drink and you can tell him all about it?

62) “Brothers” Season 4, Episode 3 We get to see a single android take control of a starship, Brent Spiner have a field day in three similar, but different roles, and there’s a nice little thematic subplot that adds to the dramatic urgency to cut short Data’s unscheduled family time. If The Patty Duke Show was more like this, I’d watch.

61) “Phantasms” Season 7, Episode 6 A nice little Data-centric episode with mystery, misdirection, and some horrific images as Data explores nightmares… or not. Absolute bonus points for Freud analyzing himself in a dream within the dream. This episode deserves cake. With mint frosting!

60) “Clues” Season 4, Episode 14 A solid mystery episode with a great reveal for Data and yet another example of how Worf will like it better on Deep Space Nine, where he’ll actually be able to defeat enemies, rather than just demonstrate how powerful they are.

59) “The Mind’s Eye” Season 4, Episode 24 A suspenseful entry as you know Geordie’s up to something, but even he doesn’t know it. Plus, O’Brien doesn’t suffer, but a simulated version of him is killed, so we’re sort of warming up for DS9.

58) “I, Borg” Season 5, Episode 23 No, ME Borg! Okay, seriously, it’s not a bad episode and it sets us up for “Descent,” has good ethical quandaries, and fencing with Guinan.

57) “The Nth Degree” Season 4, Episode 19 Taking a few flowers from Algernon and many a page from tales of mind-controlling aliens and you have a not entirely unfamiliar tale with a very Trek treatment.

56) “Ménage à Troi” Season 3, Episode 24 I know what you’re thinking: it’s a TNG story with Ferengi and Lwaxana Troi, what can I honestly expect? The answer is “a light, delightful episode” that introduces “oo-mox” to Star Trek canon.

55) “Tin Man” Season 3, Episode 20 The always enjoyable Harry Groener gives a great guest appearance as a telepath tired of his powers being turned up to 11 , Data finds new meaning in his Starfleet family, and we get some wonderful strange new life. Solid.

54) “Second Chances” Season 6, Episode 24 A TNG take on the malfunctioning transporter that gives a look at the different choices that made Riker Riker.

53) “The Vengeance Factor” Season 3, Episode 9 Have we given generational blood feuds the sci-fi treatment yet? No, then let’s do it with a little doomed romance, shall we? Nicely done, with quite a lot of story covered in such a short time, but some demerits for the director’s blocking of the actors at the end.

52) “Night Terrors” Season 4, Episode 17 An inventive and occasionally creepy entry in the “lost starship” category of episodes with enough mystery and twists to deliver us to a satisfying ending.

51) “Gambit” (Parts I & II) Season 7, Episode 4 & 5 An almost too-clever-by-half plot is buoyed by decently paced action, intrigue, and the fact we’re really here for the characters at this point. Plus, the artifact is pretty damn cool.

50) “In Theory” Season 4, Episode 25 You knew we had to do an episode of an android in love at some point, and the resulting story, directed by Patrick Stewart, gives us all the comedy-drama we were expecting.

49) “The Masterpiece Society” Season 5, Episode 13 A great example of what TNG can do with both the Enterprise ensemble and a good guest ensemble while exploring the ethical boundaries of non-interference, self-determination, and so much more. Quintessential Star Trek.

48) “Relics” Season 6, Episode 4 Although the Dyson Sphere gets short shrift — or more to the point, the distinct lack of Dyson Sphere builders does — you’re here to see James Doohan give everyone’s favorite Scottish engineer a curtain call. Well done.

47) “Rightful Heir” Season 6, Episode 23 A surprisingly packed episode that starts with Worf searching for his roots and ends up with possible intergalactic ramifications as well as personal reflections on faith and being, including a great moment between Worf and Data.

46) “Captain’s Holiday” Season 3, Episode 19 Clad in vacation-wear that has launched a thousand memes, Picard manages to get his groove on whilst also dabbling in his love of archaeology and solving a time-travel mystery. I suppose it’s a prerequisite for Enterprise captains to be so overachieving.

45) “Future Imperfect” Season 4, Episode 8 You think it’s an alternate timeline episode, but really, it’s a mind warp episode — and even with that, there’s one more twist that is wonderfully Trekkish.

44) “Timescape” Season 6, Episode 25 A perfectly enjoyable “what’s happened to the Enterprise ?” mystery that also answers questions you didn’t know you had, like “Does Troi do impressions?” and “What happens if Picard doesn’t clip his nails?”

43) “Devil’s Due” Season 4, Episode 13 Another classic Trek idea given the TNG treatment that tackles myth and superstition. Sadly, Marta Dubois’ Ardra does not return (a la Harry Mudd) to torment the crew in a future episode.

42) “Ensign Ro” Season 5, Episode 3 The on-the-nose title notwithstanding, this is a good introduction to Michelle Forbes’ Ensign Ro Laren as well as Bajor, all wrapped up in a tale of intergalactic intrigue with modern Earth parallels.

41) “Déjà Q” Season 3, Episode 13 Corbin Bernsen, ice cream sundaes, and the mariachi band make this a pretty fun Q episode. Don’t tell me you don’t like mariachi bands.

40) “Family” Season 4, Episode 2 It’s important in all sorts of storytelling to give the reader or viewer a chance to slow down and breathe while still telling the story. This is that moment. That the producers of TNG realized that they should and could do this is one of the reasons why Next Generation became the excellent series it did.

39) “Who Watches the Watchers” Season 3, Episode 4 Apparently deciding to let everyone know that Season Three was officially stepping it up, this cracking good episode takes a Classic Trek notion of how the Prime Directive should be followed and gives it that thoughtful Next Generation treatment. I love the glimpse of the proto-Vulcan culture, the heartfelt performance by Ray Wise, and the look at science and superstition.

38) “The Survivors” Season 3, Episode 3 One of my favorite versions of a classic Trek idea done in the Next Generation style, definitely benefiting from guest performances by Anne Haney and John Anderson. I love so much of the dialogue, from Worf’s befuddlement to Picard’s nautical commands — and that final reveal about the Husnock has to be one of the best “Holy Nuck Futs!” moments of the whole series.

37) “Final Mission” Season 4, Episode 9 In a sense, we get Wesley Crusher’s last test before he goes to Starfleet Academy and it turns out he’s more than ready.

36) “The Next Phase” Season 5, Episode 24 An inventive and entertaining Romulan story focusing on Geordi and Ro that manages to give just about everyone some good character moments and features one spectacular chase through the Enterprise .

35) “The Most Toys” Season 3, Episode 22 An insidious villain (Saul Rubinek) and a loyal crew that will leave no android behind ably support what turns out to be an absolutely fantastic character study of Data.

34) “Lower Decks” Season 7, Episode 15 We get to see the Enterprise from a whole new vantage point of some of Enterprise ’s 1,000-member crew who aren’t on screen every week. A simple story idea, well executed.

33) “Preemptive Strike” Season 7, Episode 24 Closing up Ensign Ro’s character arc as they wind down the series is a nice touch, with some great character moments and ideas that will get explored further and deeper in DS9.

32) “Sins of the Father” Season 3, Episode 17 The debut of Tony Todd as Kurn sets us off on Worf’s multi-year odyssey to figure out that honor thing. It’s an excellent episode in terms of both theme and worldbuilding.

31) “Cause and Effect” Season 5, Episode 18 The “One where the Enterprise keeps exploding” turns out to be great fun, keeping twists throughout and with a fun cameo at the end.

30) “Frame of Mind” Season 6, Episode 21 The best of the TNG “mind warp” episodes sees Commander Riker debating whether it’s real sci-fi life, or just theater fantasy… and then there’s one twist more. My only quibble is that as a former stage tech, I wanted to see 24th century set construction and strike techniques, but that’s no reason for demerits.

29) “Thine Own Self” Season 7, Episode 16 Data will do as a Data does in this tale that should warm the cockles of any scientist’s heart. Plus, if you think that Starfleet won’t have messed-up psych tests for the ship’s counselor, think again!

28) “Power Play” Season 5, Episode 15 Terrorists trying to seize the Enterprise would make for a good episode alone, but making them body-possessing spirits levels up the whole proceeding — just don’t think about the mechanics of possessing Data too much.

27) “Parallels” Season 7, Episode 11 Worf excels in this thoroughly enjoyable alternate dimension tale with little bits of payoff for longtime viewers. Also, in a truism that I dearly want copied in other alternate dimension stories: when the cake turns from chocolate to yellow, trouble’s afoot.

26) “Data’s Day” Season 4, Episode 11 A quiet epic of an episode built around the ingenious framing device of Data narrating the events of what turns out to be a not-remotely-normal day. You get a wedding, intergalactic intrigue, and tap-dancing. What more do you need?

25) “Starship Mine” Season 6, Episode 18 It was pitched as Die Hard on a Starship , so — Data’s wonderful skills at small talk aside — get ready for a surprisingly high body count and grim humor.

24) “The Hunted” Season 3, Episode 11 A great showcase for Trek as a source of timeless, allegorical tales. In this case, it’s in the form of an action-packed episode about how societies treat veterans.

23) “The First Duty” Season 5, Episode 19 Voted “Episode Most Likely to Be Discussed in a High School Class” when it came out, it’s still a wonderful look at honor, integrity, and, yes, Wesley Crusher’s character arc. But really, you’re here for Picard being the moral rock that you know he is.

22) “The Drumhead” Season 4, Episode 21 It’s depressing how well this episode has aged, but in a sense, it was trying to speak to timeless issues around justice and abuse of power when it was written. Stellar, earnest performances all around give nuance to wonderful shades of grey, yet with a strong ethical center. It’s not a light-hearted rewatch, but an episode that deserves a rewatch every now and then.

21) “The Pegasus” Season 7, Episode 12 Loyalty, moral quandary, and really cool tech make this an episode that scratches just about all your Star Trek itches.

20) “Reunion” Season 4, Episode 7 Setting up much Worf’s “tragic hero” arc (which basically continues into DS9), we get the Duras family’s tradition of dishonor, the first appearance of Gowron, and Klingon loopholes involving duels. Sto’Vo’Kor awaits, K’Ehleyr.

19) “The Measure of a Man” Season 2, Episode 9 Oft cited by fans as one of the best episodes of The Next Generation. Your mileage may vary depending on how much trauma you endured watching the first two seasons, but there’s no denying this is classic Trek as Data’s rights as a sentient being are debated passionately on both sides. Over 30 years on –and ever closer to true artificial intelligence– this episode seems to only grow more relevant.

18) “Silicon Avatar” Season 5, Episode 4 It’s like someone in the writer’s room re-watched “Datalore” and said, “Hold my synthehol.” The crystalline entity is shown to be the danger it truly is, but Starfleet’s efforts to seek peaceful contact is also tested wonderfully… and Data has another banner episode.

17) “The Ensigns of Command” Season 3, Episode 2 While Picard and Troi face off against a rock creature gone rogue from the Jim Henson Company, Data faces off against humans who clearly need Muppets because they take themselves waaay too seriously. An altogether enjoyable episode.

16) “The High Ground” Season 3, Episode 12 I still remember seeing this episode when it was first broadcast and thinking to myself, “Now that I think about it, this season is really cooking with gas. This, this is the Star Trek I’ve been looking for in this new show.” And even though this particular episode of “the new show” is over 30 years old, its themes about armed resistance and terrorism still resonate as well-defined characters on either side try and do the best they can with an ugly, imperfect situation and the Enterprise crew is caught in the middle. Both George Bernard Shaw and Michael Bay will pull up a chair for this one (though Bay will say, “it needs a few more explosions.”)

15) “The Wounded” Season 4, Episode 12 The introduction of the Cardassians is immensely satisfying in the tradition of TOS episodes showing the Federation’s detente with the Klingons and Romulans. Plus, it’s like we see O’Brien’s destiny of being tortured on Deep Space Nine birthed in this episode.

14) “Face of the Enemy” Season 6, Episode 14 Troi is called upon to carry not only an episode, but one full of deceit and spycraft… and does so brilliantly. Bonus points for the cold open.

13) “First Contact” Season 4, Episode 15 Not as action-packed as the TNG movie of the same name, this episode is filled with moments of delight and introspection, giving us a fresh take on how the Prime Directive is handled. Both George Coe and Michael Ensign bring their character’s convictions to wonderful life.

12) “The Defector” Season 3, Episode 10 Star Trek does the Cold War, but thanks to a well-crafted script by Ronald D. Moore, this tale has a timeless quality (Shakespeare always helps in that regard, doesn’t it?). The whole cast shines in their respective parts with great guest turns from both James Sloyan and Andreas Katsulas with a great twist and a powerful denouement.

11) “Sarek” Season 3, Episode 23 The welcome return of Mark Lenard as Spock’s father heralds an emotional epic of an episode that’s spectacular Trek.

10) “Tapestry” Season 6, Episode 15 A classic “what if” story that gives us not only satisfying backstory on Picard first hinted at in season 2, but some timeless resonance in exploring the regrets and acceptance that come from choices made — and you see Q in a whole new light.

9) “Unification”  (Parts I & II) Season 5, Episode 7 & 8 Between Sela, Spock and even Stephen Root(!), this is an incredibly satisfying two-parter despite the heartbreaking end of Sarek. For that, you have our gratitude.

8) “Ship in a Bottle” Season 6, Episode 12 One of the more unexpected callbacks to an earlier season results in one of the most ingenious episodes, with Daniel Davis returning as Moriarty who turns out to be every bit the cunning villain he ought to be.

7) “Yesterday’s Enterprise” Season 3, Episode 15 A perennial mainstay on “Best of” lists in part because it scratches that “what if” itch so familiar to fans of classic Star Trek episodes like “Mirror, Mirror” and fans of science fiction in general.

6) “Redemption” (Parts I & II) Season 4 & 5, Episode 26 & 1 Oh, what a long way we’ve come from season one with Klingons… and Worf. Full of action, intrigue, and more than a little political worldbuilding, this sprawling two-parter about the Klingon Civil War is a great watch giving both Picard and Data a chance to shine.

5) “Darmok” Season 5, Episode 2 Often thought of as TNG’s answer to “Arena,” the simple conceit of the universal translator failing in an interesting way (don’t think about it too hard) gives us a great exploration of first contact and validation for mythology geeks who’ve read the Epic of Gilgamesh.

4) “All Good Things…” Season 7, Episode 25 & 26 While I know some find this series finale gave short shrift to the rest of the ensemble –it is a Picard-centric story through and through– I find that ignores what turns out to be an immensely satisfying two-parter, “what if” story, and an altogether pleasing note to end on.

3) “The Best of Both Worlds” (Parts I & II) Season 3 & 4, Episode 26 & 1 The Borg are back and they’re on a mission… which just happens to make for an absolutely riveting adventure. If the second half flags a bit, it’s only because the first half ends with one of the best cliffhangers in all of television history. Stellar all around from the performances to the story to the action.

2) “Chain of Command” (Parts I & II) Season 6, Episode 10 & 11 Not only does this tense two-parter give just about every single member of the main cast a moment to shine — it also shows us the uncomfortable truth that captains like Ronny Cox’s Jellico can be complete assholes, but are going to still be captains in Starfleet for years to come. Oh, and we have the standoff between Picard and David Warner’s Gul Madred that is one for the ages. Phenomenal.

1) “The Inner Light” Season 5, Episode 25 The best Star Trek stories are so often simply great science fiction stories with a strong central premise. Here, the idea of living a lifetime in the space of, oh, let’s say an hour with commercials, is executed so expertly that it never gets old. Thoughtful, haunting, and voted “Most likely to make you stare wistfully into the middle distance” by It’s Dusty In Here magazine.

Every Season Of Star Trek: The Next Generation Ranked Worst To Best

Gene Roddenberry's landmark series "Star Trek" changed the course of science fiction history when it debuted in 1966. Roddenberry imagined that humanity would learn to coexist peacefully in a progressive future , and a few of the series'  coolest gadgets  predicted actual achievements in science. Most importantly, audiences were invested in the characters: Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and the rest of the crew of the USS Enterprise became instant icons in pop culture.

Although "Star Trek" was canceled after its third season, the franchise inspired a loyal fanbase. The saga prospered thanks to the success of the theatrical films, but the story's home was on television. Paramount Pictures assigned Rodenberry to create a follow-up series with a new set of characters. " Star Trek: The Next Generation " premiered on September 28, 1987, with the episode "Encounter at Farpoint."

"The Next Generation" introduced the crew of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), and took place a century after the original series. The new characters included Captain Jean-Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ), first officer William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes), chief engineer Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Klingon security chief Worf (Michael Dorn), medical officer Doctor Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), and the android Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner). The show ran for seven seasons, and the cast returned for four feature films. " The Next Generation " took the saga to new heights and developed more complex storylines than the original series. Here is every season of "The Next Generation," ranked worst to best.

7. Season 1

If you've never watched "Star Trek: The Next Generation" before, you should know that the show had a very rocky start . Eventually, "The Next Generation" would develop its own identity, but it began as a pale impersonation of its predecessor. The later seasons developed more complex narratives, but Season 1 featured a lot of "mission of the week" episodes. While perhaps this could have given the audience time to get to know the characters, the writers did not develop the crew beyond a few defining traits.

Compared to the overwhelming charisma of the original's Captain Kirk, Picard felt cold and obtuse. Data would go on to become a nuanced character, but in the first season, he does little more than crack jokes at his own expense. One of the show's best qualities was its humor, but Season 1 featured an overabundance of comedic episodes. Many of these episodes featured ludicrous premises, such as in "The Naked Now," where the crew becomes infected by a mysterious alien virus, causing them to act like they are drunk.

Even though the original series had established the importance of the Prime Directive, the episode "Justice" made fun of the Starfleet code. The obnoxious Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) accidentally steps on a flower bed on the planet Rubicun III and is sentenced to death. Picard must decide whether the crew should violate the Prime Directive to spare his life. The first season also contains some offensive elements, like the episode "Code of Honor," which featured stereotypical Black characters and  offended viewers.

6. Season 2

Season 2 was a major improvement over the first season, but "The Next Generation" was still finding its footing. There were a few change-ups to the cast due to the inconsistent writing . Lieutenant Natasha Yar (Denise Crosby) was killed off in the first season, and Doctor Crusher temporarily left the series. The new medical officer, Doctor Katherine Pulaski (Diana Muldaur), was introduced, but her discriminatory behavior did not mesh well with the rest of the characters. As a result, Crusher returned in Season 3 . 

One of the bright spots of the season was the first appearance of the fan-favorite character Guinan, played by the legendary actress Whoopi Goldberg , who was a massive fan of the original series. She said that she was inspired to begin acting after she saw a positive portrayal of a Black female character, Nichelle Nichols' Lieutenant Uhura. Although she initially appears as the ship's bartender, Guinan is actually an ancient being with mystical abilities. She added an aura of wisdom, and a sense of humor, to the show.

Some of the episodes in Season 2 also rank among the best in the entire series. In "The Measure of a Man," Commander Bruce Maddox (Brian Brophy) visits the ship and demands to "disassemble" Data for research purposes. Data refuses the order and states that he is an individual, not a piece of property. Picard must defend Data in a trial to determine if he is a legal citizen. It was one of the franchise's best moral dilemmas.

5. Season 7

The original series was canceled after its third season, preventing the characters from getting a proper send-off. There was potential to continue their stories, but it was squandered. "The Next Generation" had the exact opposite problem; the show ran for too long, and by the last season, the writers struggled to find new ideas. As a result, Season 7 took some of the characters in uninteresting directions.

A strange romance between Worf and Troi was introduced. It was an odd pairing, mainly because the previous seasons had not hinted at any romantic chemistry between them. While the show definitely did a great job developing the Klingon culture, the Worf-centric episodes that focused on his heritage in Season 7 were lackluster. Worf and his son attend a ritual ceremony in the episode "Firstborn," and later Worf deals with his brother's misbehavior in the episode "Homeward." These familial conflicts felt melodramatic.

Some of the episodes from the final season were actually embarrassing. The episode "Sub Rosa," for example, featured a confusing storyline in which Doctor Crusher is possessed by her grandmother's spirit. The overt sexual themes were very uncomfortable to watch. "Star Trek" fans voted the episode as one of the worst in any of the shows, not just "The Next Generation." However, Season 7 did have a great ending with the two-part finale "All Good Things..." The time-jumping adventure centered on Picard, who is transported between the past, present, and future by Q (John de Lancie). It was a perfect closing note for the series. 

4. Season 6

By its sixth season, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" had settled into the definitive versions of its characters. While Season 6 didn't have as many strong villains, it did a great job fleshing out each member of the crew. Picard had been put through the emotional ringer in the previous two seasons, and Season 6 allowed more insights into his past. The episode "Tapestry" showed flashbacks to Picard's experiences as a young officer, and explored an early mistake that has haunted him ever since. The season premiere episode, "Time's Arrow, Part II," revealed how Picard first met Guinan, and how different their relationship was in the beginning. Additionally, even though Picard continued to struggle with his feelings for Doctor Crusher, he also fell in love with the cartographer Lieutenant Commander Nella Daren (Wendy Hughes) in the episode "Lessons."

Meanwhile, Riker considered what was in store for his future. The episode "Second Chances" featured flashbacks to his youth and introduced a doppelganger of Riker from a different timeline. The story showed how Riker's lifelong desire to become a captain began, and how he first fell in love with Troi. Their early flirtations were certainly amusing. 

"The Next Generation" did a great job of forging its own path, but Season 6 featured a fun homage to the original series. Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) appeared in the episode "Relics." Scotty didn't just appear for nostalgia's sake, though; the character played an important role in the story.

3. Season 3

After the underwhelming first two seasons, "The Next Generation" finally turned things around in Season 3. Instead of pitting the crew against small-scale threats that could easily be solved by the end of an episode, the third season introduced more profound stakes. Each of the characters is tested emotionally, and the writers did a great job giving them each showcase episodes.

Data's desire to become human was developed in an interesting way. In the episode "The Offspring," Data creates a child that he names Lal (Hallie Todd). He learns about the responsibilities of parenthood, and begins to develop his own emotional attachments. Data's importance to the crew was also solidified when he's captured in the episode "The Most Toys."

Season 3 also allowed "The Next Generation" the chance to rectify one of its early mistakes. After she was abruptly killed off towards the end of Season 1, Natasha Yar returned for the episode "Yesterday's Enterprise." The beautiful story gave Denise Crosby a proper goodbye and showed how her death had affected the crew.

The final episode of the season, "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I," began the most important storyline in the entire series. After they were teased in earlier episodes, the fearsome villains the Borg attacked the Enterprise and kidnapped Picard. Picard's fate was left in the balance until the beginning of Season 4. It was the first time that "The Next Generation" truly felt like event television, and the cliffhanger was the perfect way to draw in skeptical viewers.

2. Season 5

Season 5 was the most emotional of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." It was the first season to air after the death of Gene Roddenberry, who died of cardiac arrest on October 24, 1991. Patrick Stewart decided to temporarily halt production during the filming of the episode "Hero Worship" so the cast could take a moment to honor the franchise's original creator.

Stewart gives his best performance in the fifth season. In the episode " The Inner Light, " Picard falls into an unconscious state after he is struck by an alien laser blast. Picard awakens in another world, where he has the name "Kamin." As Kamin, Picard experiences an entire lifetime on the non-Federation planet Kataan. He lives for 40 years as a family man before he is revived back on the bridge of the Enterprise, only moments after falling unconscious, and returns to his duties as captain. "The Inner Light" explored a familial side to Picard, which he had hidden from the rest of the crew.

While the show established Picard's resilience, he is also at his most vulnerable in Season 5. In the episode "Darmok," Picard is stranded on a desolate planet and forced to communicate with the bizarre Tamarian aliens. Picard also begins to slowly get over his aversion to children, bonding with a group of elementary school students when they are stranded together in the episode "Disaster." Additionally, Season 5 features the memorable return of Leonard Nimoy as Ambassador Spock. In the two-part episode "Unification," Picard and Data travel to Romulus to investigate Spock's whereabouts and his disappearance.

1. Season 4

Season 4 opened with a thrilling conclusion to Picard's capture in "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II." The premiere episode established Picard's post-traumatic stress disorder following his experiences with the Borg. Picard's remaining animosities toward his kidnappers became the central theme of the 1996 film "Star Trek: The First Contact," the second and best of the film series that starred "The Next Generation" cast. The fourth season did not let Picard rest easy, but he got the chance to reunite with his family in France in the next episode, "Family." The slowly-paced episode showed that "The Next Generation" was capable of more mature stories, which didn't require a lot of action.

There were also storylines that explored the franchise's political themes. In the episode "The Drumhead," Jean Simmons guest-starred as Norah Satie, the former admiral of Starfleet Command's Legal Division of its Support Services Section. Satie becomes convinced that there is a Romulan spy onboard the ship, and insists on investigating each member of the crew. She even accuses Picard of being a traitor. Satie refuses to set aside her investigation, even after Geordi and Data discover evidence that proves her wrong. It was a scary parallel to totalitarian regimes.

Season 4 also continued to develop the Klingon culture. In the season finale, "Redemption, Part I," Worf is forced to temporarily abandon his post in order to participate in a Klingon civil war. It set up an exciting story for the next season.

10 Background Characters Star Trek Fans Love

• Background characters in Star Trek add depth to the universe, making it feel lived-in and real.
• Beloved regular faces like Lt. M'Ress, Nurse Ogawa, and Mr. Mot enhance Star Trek shows.
• From Lt. Linus to Dr. Migleemo, each background character brings their own unique charm to the series.

There's something about beloved Star Trek background characters that really helps its universe feel lived-in and real. While the primary action is taking place, it's up to the background actors to make the sets look like genuine places where people are going about their business. These are the folks at the bridge stations who aren't in the opening credits. They're the assistants to the main characters. They're the beloved regular faces spotted among the crowds in establishing shots, and the names floating around duty rosters and civilian gossip that remind viewers that there's more to Star Trek than the captains and chief engineers.

There are so many background characters from all of the Star Trek shows who are beloved by fans, of course. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Promenade is full of colorful background characters without names or personal histories, like the singing Klingon chef (Ron Taylor). Star Trek: Voyager features recurring background characters, since being stuck in the Delta Quadrant means no new Starfleet officers can join the crew. Star Trek: The Next Generation features background characters who sometimes level up to become proper guest stars , and in one famous case, a series regular: the "most important person in Starfleet" and original lower-decker, Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney). Here are 10 background characters Star Trek fans love.

20 Best New Star Trek Characters Of The Last 20 Years

Lt. m'ress (majel barrett), star trek: the animated series.

Lt. M'Ress is a Caitian officer with a seat on the USS Enterprise bridge, created for Star Trek: The Animated Series when Star Trek 's jump to animation meant that the aliens in Star Trek were no longer restrained by what the makeup department could physically create. As the first Caitian in Star Trek , M'Ress sets the standard for the feline alien species , later echoed by Star Trek 's other animated Caitian, Dr. T'Ana (Gillian Vigman) in Star Trek: Lower Decks .

Like many background characters, M'Ress' cool character design is a top reason for her appeal, but M'Ress earns her spot on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise by being a capable officer. M'Ress' duties as relief communications officer include communication within the Enterprise as well as to outside vehicles, along with scientific duties as situations arise, similar to the duties of primary communications officer Lt. Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols).

Lt. M'Ress appeared in 2 episodes of the "anything but canon" animated web series Star Trek: very Short Treks, voiced by Cristina Milizia.

Lt. T'Veen (Stephanie Czajkowski)

Star trek: picard.

The starship action of Star Trek: Picard season 3 takes place primarily aboard the USS Titan-A, and as such, introduces a brand-new bridge crew of younger Starfleet officers, one of which is the Vulcan Lt. T'Veen. T'Veen stands out as both a woman and a Vulcan for her striking bald appearance , marking her look as both novel and unique. Actor Stephanie Czajkowski suggests that T'Veen may have some Deltan ancestry, but in reality, T'Veen's lack of locks comes from Czajkowski's own battles with cancer.

When Vadic (Amanda Plummer) commandeers the Titan in Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 8, "Surrender" , T'Veen is one of the Titan bridge officers used as leverage against Vadic's request for Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers). At this point in Picard , the Titan's crew are painted as candidates for a potential spinoff show, but Lt. T'Veen's shocking death at Vadic's hand sends the message that no one is safe.

Sonya Gomez (Lycia Naff)

Star trek: the next generation, star trek: lower decks.

The original claim to fame for Ensign Sonya Gomez (Lycia Naff) is being the eager young engineer who unfortunately spills hot chocolate on Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in Star Trek: The Next Generation , season 2, episode 16, "Q Who". Serving on the USS Enterprise-D with Lt. Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) is Gomez's dream job, and the chocolate-covered Captain isn't going to earn her any high marks. La Forge recognizes Gomez's talent as an antimatter specialist, and helps Sonya focus, despite the gaffe.

Lycia Naff makes a triumphant return to Star Trek as Captain Sonya Gomez in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2, episode 10, "First First Contact", commanding the USS Archimedes with the same compassionate focus on problem-solving that La Forge had as Gomez's mentor. Captain Gomez's story is proof that Star Trek characters do learn from their earliest mistakes , and can come out on top in the end.

Mr. Mot (Ken Thorley)

Star trek: the next generation.

In an interesting twist, Mr. Mot is a barber working on the USS Enterprise-D, and happens to be a Bolian, a species that has no hair of their own. Nonetheless, Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) says that the civilian Mot is the best barber in Starfleet . There's more to being a barber than just cutting hair, after all, and Mot's listening ears are available to anyone who comes to sit in his barbershop chair, as long as they don't mind receiving a little free advice on the side.

The Bolian barber became an entrepreneur.

After providing excellent service to the crew on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Mot grew even more successful. The Bolian barber became an entrepreneur, which is evident by the presence of Mr. Mot's Hair Emporium as one of the many businesses in Stardust City, on the planet Freecloud, as seen in Star Trek: Picard season 1, episode 5, "Stardust City Rag".

Bolians are named for Star Trek director Cliff Bole, who directed a total of 42 episodes between his work on Star Trek: The Next Generation , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and Star Trek: Voyager .

10 Star Trek Characters Fans See Themselves In

Groundskeeper boothby (ray walston), star trek: the next generation, star trek: voyager.

Mr. Boothby is a positive influence on generations of Starfleet officers at Starfleet Academy, but one would be wrong to assume that Boothby is an accomplished instructor working to shape young minds, because Boothby works at Starfleet Academy as the head groundskeeper. Groundskeeper Boothby's no-nonsense approach to the natural development of the Academy's flora also applies to how Boothby interacts with Starfleet cadets .

Boothby's influence on the USS Voyager crew was evident in Star Trek: Voyager season 5, episode 4, "In the Flesh", when a Species 8472 leader took on the guise of Boothby in a Starfleet Academy simulation, instead of a high-ranking Admiral.

Sometimes, Boothby's advice is harsh, as was the case with Jean-Luc Picard as a Starfleet Academy cadet. But in the end, Boothby always has an uncanny sensibility for knowing exactly how to cultivate the best forms of both botanical specimens and future Starfleet officers.

Lt. Kayshon (Carl Tart)

Star trek: lower decks.

Lt. Kayshon has the honor of being the first Tamarian in Starfleet , debuting in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2, episode 2, "Kayshon, His Eyes Open", as the USS Cerritos' new security officer. The Tamarians, first seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5, episode 2, "Darmok", have a puzzling metaphorical language reliant on background knowledge of Tamarian culture. The Tamarian phrases from "Darmok" have been adopted by Star Trek fans as a fun way to signal our fandom to each other, so it makes sense that a Tamarian officer should show up on Star Trek: Lower Decks , itself a celebration of Star Trek 's own weird and wonderful moments.

Kayshon spends more time in the background after his first episode, still part of the USS Cerritos' security team. The years between "Picard and Dathon at El-Adred" and Kayshon's assignment to the USS Cerritos in Star Trek: Lower Decks mean the communication gap between Kayshon and the rest of the USS Cerritos' crew is much smaller than it might have been in the past. Kayshon communicates in Federation Standard, but still slips into Tamarian metaphor from time to time, which just adds new phrases to the Tamarian lexicon.

Dr. Migleemo (Paul F. Tompkins)

In Dr. Migleemo, Star Trek: Lower Decks continues the tradition that was established with Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) on Star Trek: The Next Generation by having a counselor aboard the USS Cerritos . Strictly speaking, Migleemo is not the galaxy's best counselor , with a whole plateful of food metaphors that don't always land butter-side-up, but Migleemo's heart is always in the right place.

As a bird-like alien of an unspecified species, Dr. Migleemo's character design pays homage to Star Trek: The Animated Series , since a bird man in a tweed suit may not translate that well to live action, but works perfectly for animation.

Even though Migleemo is bad at his job, it's in a way that's not actively harmful, but makes you want to root for him, just like any other lower decker on the Cerritos. Sometimes Migleemo gets it right , after all, like counseling Ensign D'Vana Tendi (Noël Wells) in the senior science officer training program in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3, episode 3, "Mining the Mind's Mines".

Nurse Alyssa Ogawa (Patti Yasutake)

Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) usually has assistants in the background of the USS Enterprise-D's sick bay, and one of these, Nurse Alyssa Ogawa, is a regular background character starting in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4. Ogawa grows as a character over the course of TNG 's final four seasons , receiving a full name as of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5, episode 18, "Cause and Effect", and developing as a character through Ogawa's casual conversations with Dr. Crusher about Alyssa's dating history.

Nurse Ogawa gets more to do when Ogawa is one of the four USS Enterprise-D junior officers at the heart of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7, episode 15, "Lower Decks" , focusing on the friendship between often-overlooked characters. Ogawa's story focuses on Alyssa's relationship with Lieutenant Andrew Powell, and culminates in their off-screen engagement.

Nurse Alyssa Ogawa also appears in two Star Trek movies: Star Trek: Generations and Star Trek: First Contact .

Lt. Linus (David Benjamin Tomlinson)

Star trek: discovery.

With Lt. Linus, Star Trek: Discovery shows in a casual, but meaningful way what it looks like to actively include someone with unique needs . Arriving in Star Trek: Discovery season 2, Lt. Linus is a Saurian science officer who never fails to provide a little levity just by being himself. By all accounts, Linus is well-liked among the USS Discovery's crew , with plenty of crew members referring to Linus and Saurian customs relatively favorably.

Lt. Linus is accepted as someone whose needs are a little different to most human officers'.

Starfleet easily makes accommodations available for Linus' differences in biology , granting personal time set aside for annual shedding, and providing heat lamps in Linus' quarters as needed. After Star Trek: Discovery 's time jump , Linus takes a little more time to understand the new 32nd-century technology, but he's never admonished for catching up to the learning curve. Instead, Lt. Linus is accepted as someone whose needs are a little different to most human officers'.

Every DS9 Alien In Star Trek: Discovery

Morn (mark allen shepherd), star trek: deep space nine.

Morn is a fixture in Quark's Bar from the start of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , the perennial barfly occupying the same seat at the end of the table. According to the other patrons at Quark's, Morn rarely shuts up, but the joke is, of course, that Morn is always cut off before delivering any speaking lines. Instead, the picture of who Morn really is slowly comes together through other people's comments and conversation about Morn, with the speculation about Morn's true identity finally coming to a head in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 6, episode 12, "Who Mourns for Morn". Morn's apparent death is a blow to the community and all who knew him, but also reveals surprising facts about DS9 's Morn , like Morn's secret riches and tactical mind, confirming that there was more to the enigmatic Lurian than Morn's signature bar stool.

True to form, Morn is seated at Quark's Bar when the USS Cerritos visits Deep Space Nine in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3, episode 6, "Hear All, Trust Nothing".

Sometimes the Star Trek characters who aren't major players become some of the most beloved characters. When background characters on Star Trek attract the eyes of viewers with interesting character designs or memorable moments, they may wind up in expanded roles as their Star Trek shows go on. These featured background characters will get lines and names, and might even have a major part in an episode or two, but most live out their lives off-screen. From the bridge crew to the lower decks, from Starfleet officers to civilians, it's the unsung heroes in the background who keep Star Trek moving while the main action is taking place.

Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Lower Decks are all streaming on Paramount+.

Screen Rant

I'm glad star trek: tng never did a mirror universe episode.

The Mirror Universe worked great on Star Trek: The Original Series, but it would have felt out of place on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

• TNG's moral crew would clash with a dark Mirror Universe, making an episode feel out of place.
• Mirror Universe concept worked for TOS but wouldn't fit TNG's serious and optimistic tone.
• TNG found other ways to explore alternate realities without resorting to Mirror Universe episodes.

Star Trek: The Next Generation never did a Mirror Universe episode, and that ultimately worked in the show's favor. Star Trek's Mirror Universe first debuted in the classic Star Trek: The Original Series episode, "Mirror, Mirror," in which Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and some of his crew find themselves in a dark alternate universe that mirrors their own. In the Mirror Universe, the ISS Enterprise serves the Terran Empire instead of the USS Enterprise as part of the United Federation of Planets' Starfleet. Crew members are tortured when they make a mistake and the chain of command is often determined by officers murdering their superiors.

Despite the divergence of events in Star Trek' s Prime Universe and the Mirror Universe, many people ended up in the same place in both realities. For example, the entire crew of the USS Enterprise was the same in both universes, but their personalities were drastically different. Simply put, t he Mirror Universe is a world of opposites , although Spock (Leonard Nimoy) is logical in every universe. While the Mirror concept worked well for a one-off story with Captain Kirk and his Enterprise crew , the Mirror Universe would have felt out of place on Star Trek: The Next Generation for a number of reasons.

In Star Trek: Picard season 2, Q (John de Lancie) altered the past of the Prime Universe, which resulted in the

Confederation of Earth, a "xenophobic authoritarian regime" much like the Mirror Universe.

Star Trek 10’s Best Mirror Universe Variants

Why a star trek: tng mirror universe episode wouldn't have worked, the mirror universe clashes with the tone of tng and its characters..

Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation represent the most moral Star Trek crew, and "evil" versions of those characters would have felt cartoonish. The Mirror Universe worked with the campy tone of Star Trek: The Original Series and Kirk was already an emotional Captain, so it wasn't that hard to imagine an evil version of him. TNG , on the other hand, had a more serious and optimistic tone, and an evil Captain Picard would have likely been either too dark or too over-the-top. TNG did tell alternate universe stories, such as "Yesterday's Enterprise" and "Parallels," but they did it in a way that was new and unique rather than rehashing TOS ' Mirror Universe concept.

Although Star Trek: The Next Generation had some callbacks to Star Trek: The Original Series in its early seasons, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry wanted to distance TNG from TOS . "Mirror, Mirror" is generally regarded as one of classic Star Trek's best episodes, and it would have been difficult for any TNG episode to live up to that. Despite not doing a Mirror Universe episode, TNG found other ways to allow its actors to play different, and even evil, versions of their characters. Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner), for example, faced off against his evil twin brother Lore more than once, and multiple characters were possessed by alien entities.

Various non-canon tie-in novels and comic books have told Mirror Universe stories with Star Trek: The Next Generation's characters, beginning with Diane Duane's novel Dark Mirror in 1993.

Some Star Trek Shows Overused The Mirror Universe

The mirror universe began as a good concept but offers diminishing returns..

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine had five Mirror Universe episodes, beginning with DS9 season 2, episode 23, "Crossover." This episode revealed that Mirror Universe Spock had reformed the Terran Empire after Captain Kirk and his crew visited there in "Mirror, Mirror." Although his reforms initially proved successful, they led to the occupation of the Empire by the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance, which then became the dominant power. In the Mirror Universe, Terok Nor (space station Deep Space Nine) was commanded by Intendant Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) , and Nana Visitor clearly had fun playing an evil version of Kira. However, with its overly sexualized characters and general campiness, the Mirror Universe storyline offered diminishing returns after the novelty wore off.

Star Trek: Enterprise's two-part "In a Mirror, Darkly" faired a bit better than DS9's Mirror Universe adventures, as it presented a self-contained story that took place entirely in the Mirror Universe and connected with TOS.

The Mirror Universe made more sense combined with the darker tone of Star Trek: Discovery , but it sometimes felt like too much for a Star Trek show. Still, the Mirror Universe of Discovery did provide the characters of Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) and Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), two of Star Trek's best new villains. After its appearance in multiple Star Trek shows, the Mirror Universe began to feel too much like a gimmick. It's a concept that works better when used sparingly, and it would have felt tonally out of place on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Enterprise, & Star Trek: Discovery are available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

240 episodes

Podcast… the final frontier! "Star Trek: The Next Generation" devotee and authority Matt Mira leads Next Gen skeptic Andrew Secunda into the deepest reaches of the series episode by episode. Listen as they discuss, debate, and enjoy all the legendary show's strengths, failings, and innovations. Email us! [email protected] Twitter/X/TikTok/Youtube: @StarTrekTNC Web: startrektnc.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/startrektnc

Star Trek The Next Conversation - a semi funny trashfire of a Star Trek podcast currently about TV's Deep Space Nine DS9 (or Matt Mira and Andrew Secunda

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DS9 s2e24 “The Collaborator”

Is this episode a nuanced tale of political intrigue or b-b-b-boring?  Or both?  Andy sings the praises of Louise Fletcher’s villain who makes Nurse Ratched seem palatable, the boys debate Vedek Bareil’s pecs.   [Episode discussion begins around 50:00ish] Premium bonus content, including Star Trek: Voyager, Enterprise, Discovery, Strange New Worlds, and Marvel movies (MCU) discussions, on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startrektnc

• 1 hr 52 min
• APR 19, 2024

DS9 s2e23 “Crossover” - a semi funny Star Trek podcast currently about TV's Deep Space Nine

It's a trip back to Mirror Town, and one of our hosts loves it and one hates it! But will they be replaced by a reverse version of themselves by the end? Also: what does it take to kill a goo man? [Episode discussion begins 1:05ish]

• 2 hr 35 min
• MAR 19, 2024

DS9 s2e22 “The Wire”

A tour de force from recurring character Garak in bizarrely play-like long scenes hooks Andy and Matt, as Mr. Fasc-tastic (Mr. Fascistastic? Mr. Fascistic?) Odo checks the cameras he's hidden all around DS9. [Episode discussion begins around  58:00, takes a Letterman detour, then actually begins at 1:06ish]

• 2 hr 12 min
• MAR 4, 2024

DS9 s2e21 “The Maquis, Part II”

The second part of this Maquis de Sade-centric two-parter, one of the few Treks to follow the possible Best of Both Worlds/Godfather II template of 2 being better than 1.  To Andy's shock, Odo show the Mr. Fantastic powers he always assumed he was hiding, and Dukat starts to live up to his (future) legend.   [Episode discussion begins around 1:00ish]

• 1 hr 59 min
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DS9 s2e20 “The Maquis, Part I”

Is Bernie Casey a badmiral or a badactor?  Or neither?  And Dax is dating a Ferengi offscreen - is it Quark, who we are led to believe is making a turn from creep to charmer?  Meanwhile, Matt has HAD it with the Maquis.  Even though this is their first episode.   [Episode discussion start 1:08ish]

• 2 hr 17 min
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DS9 s2e19 “Blood Oath”

Jadzia gets tangled in a Klingon plot with bat'leths and convos about honor galore and Andy loves it!  Matt, predictably, feels otherwise.  Also predictably: Trill Talk!™ [Episode discussion begins around 1:15ish]

• 2 hr 16 min
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Lower decks' cancelation: is star trek is afraid to bodly go to new frontiers.

With the rise of adult animation, such as Rick and Morty , on streaming services, it may surprise many Star Trek fans that their adult animated show has been canceled by Paramount +.

However, there is some good news about the show.

Season 5 will still be released, the show's final season.

Many fans of the show and Star Trek fans do not understand why Paramount + has decided to cancel the show as the Star Trek universe seems to be on the rise.

We'll explore why.

What is Star Treks: Lower Decks Animated Show?

Before we examine why the Star Trek: Lower Decks animated show was canceled, let's talk about what it is about and how it fits into the whole Star Trek lore.

Star Trek: Lower Decks takes place in the year 2380, around ten years after the Next Generation series ended in the Star Trek universe.

It's named after one of the episodes from Star Trek: The Next Generation and focuses on one of Starfleet's least essential starships, the USS Cerritos.

The USS Cerritos was a 24th-century Federation starship that was a second contact and support ship. Captain Carol Freeman (Daenn Lewis) was the ship's captain. 

Star Trek: Lower Decks focuses on the support crew of the USS Cerritos.

There is Ensign Marniner (Tawny Newsome), Ensign Brad Boilmer ( Jack Quaid ), and Engisn Tendi (Noel Wells).

The show follows the crew as they deal with anomalies and situations but with more adult humor.

It also has well-known Star Trek actors such as George Takei, Wil Wheaton, Marina Sirtis, and Jonathan Frakes .

There are also other quite famous guest stars and recurring voice actors who join the list of characters on the deck of the USS Cerritos throughout the show.

Why Was 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Canceled?

Even with the star-studded list of voice actors and guest stars lending their voices to the show, Paramount+ will cancel it after the next season.

This cancelation from Paramount+ may follow the trend of networks and streaming services canceling adult-themed cartoons for various reasons. 

Adult animations or adult-themed cartoons used to be edgy with witty and adult-geared humor that distanced themselves from kid cartoons .

These shows presented more opportunities for more imagination with fewer budget restrictions. 

For example, an entire armada space battle is far easier to animate than produce with live-action. 

So, why was it canceled? 

If you look closely at the animation style of these shows, such as Lower Decks, Inside Job, Solar Opposites, and Hoops, they all copy or are influenced by Adult Swim's Rick and Morty Show.

This may be because studios know fans are familiar with the art style, and clearly, it's a popular option. 

You can also see this trend in other successful adult cartoons that copy the Simpsons, like Family Guy and American Dad.

The reason for cancelation for the cancellation also encompasses these other tender points. 

Firstly, Star Trek: Lower Decks is a departure from other Trek shows of the past, which were monologue-heavy and had serious tones, like Deep Space Nine. 

This animated show is more slapstick, like Rick and Morty. 

Secondly, much of the fan base is older. With Star Trek being a legacy brand, its fan base is primarily adults who had difficulty connecting with the show's ADHD-esque presentation.

The animated series didn't grab critics attention like other shows, even though the reviews it did receive were good. It has a 92% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

However, lackluster viewing times and a fan base who were not ready for this new Star Trek show surely helped along its cancellation.

Star Treks: Lower Decks was a big step forward for the franchise to tread some new ground -- a step that Paramount+ and Star Trek fans didn't want to take. 

Star Trek's Future in Animation

It is not all doom and gloom regarding Paramount+ and animated shows.

The studio may be afraid to continue its adult-style animated show, but it has a second animated Star Trek show on Netflix.

The show is called Star Trek: Prodigy and is meant for kids. This may be great for some older fans, but it can feel slightly weird watching children-themed shows as the storylines are very basic and very much for kids.

Even Star Trek: Prodigy, which started on Nickelodeon, had a tough time finding its footing before its move to Netflix.

You can not fault Paramount+ for taking the risk of making an adult-themed Star Trek show.

But it is safe to say the Star Trek universe is in safe hands with the current set of heavy-hitting albeit live-action shows such as the now-completed Picard series, Strange New Worlds, and the upcoming Starfleet Academy show.

But it would be nice to get a new, more mature, animated Star Trek show to enjoy. It doesn't need to be a show about vulgar topics; it just needs to have a bit more mature and adult comedy in it.

So whether you are upset or not about the cancelation of Star Trek: Lower Decks animated series, it can also allow other new Star Trek shows to come out.

Plus, who knows if Paramount+ may bring back the show if it sees a demand.

What do you think? Was the streamer right to cancel Lower Decks? 

Jason Collins is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. You can follow him on X .

Boimler: Romulan whiskey is against regulations! Mariner: Yeah, because it's awesome. Permalink: Yeah, because it's awesome. Added: August 05, 2020

First contact is a delicate, high-stakes operation of diplomacy. One must be ready for anything humanity is interacting with an alien race for the first time. But we don't do that. Our specialty is SECOND contact. Still pretty important. We get all the paperwork signed, make sure we're spelling the name of the planet right, get to know all the good places to eat... Boimler Permalink: First contact is a delicate, high-stakes operation of diplomacy. One must be ready for... Added: August 05, 2020

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