While certain episodes ofStar Trek: The Next Generationare known for being great, many other episodes are better than you may remember. Throughout its seven seasons,TNGhad far more good episodes than bad, meaning a lot of solid episodes rarely make it onto best-of lists. Episodes like “The Best of Both Worlds” and “The Inner Light” are memorable because of how great they are, and also have significant ramifications forTNG’scharacters. Even casual fans have likely heard of these episodes, butTNGhas many other good episodes that often fly under the radar.
Star Trek: The Next Generation’sworst episodes, likeseason 1’s “Code of Honor"are undoubtedly memorable as well, for entirely different reasons. Most ofTNG’s 178 episodes, however, fall somewhere in between great and terrible,and many get lost in the conversations that focus on both extremes. These episodes may not have been revolutionary or life-altering for the characters, but they nevertheless tell compellingStar Trekstories.TNG’sgreatest strength is its characters and every episode has at least some character moments worth watching.
10"Home Soil”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1, Episode 18
Star Trek: The Next Generationseason 1may be the show’s weakest season, but there are a few hidden gems scattered throughout the season. In “Home Soil,” the USS Enterprise-D checks in on a terraforming colony on Velara III and discovers a new and unique life form.“Home Soil” feels like true science fiction, andit embraces the wonder of discovering new life. Nearly every main character gets something to do as they search for a way to communicate with the strange life form.
The crystalline life form in “Home Soil” is silicon-based, like the Horta fromStar Trek: The Original Seriesepisode, “The Devil in the Dark.” Despite this, “Home Soil” makes no mention of the Horta, acting as though silicon-based life has never been discovered before.
In a particularly fun scene, Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) proves why he is such an asset to the Enterprise crew by dodging a powerful laser. Data is the one who first discovers the crystalline life form, and Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) immediately takes the discovery seriously, calling out the terraforming crew for continuing their work despite potential signs of life.The life form describes humans as"ugly giants bags of mostly water,“which Data agrees is"an accurate description of humans.“This hints at the humor thatTNGwill lean into in future episodes.
9"The Royale”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2, Episode 12
“The Royale” proves that someStar Trek: The Next Generationepisodes can simply be fun without having to tackle complex moral issues or break new ground in the franchise. When Commander Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) leads an away team to a supposedly uninhabitable alien planet, they encounter a strange hotel straight out of Earth’s history.Riker and Data have fun gambling in the casino,as they work to determine the circumstances of their predicament.
With some genuinely funny moments and a compelling mystery,“The Royale” makes for a solid and entertaining episode ofTNG.The final reveal - that aliens created the entire scenario for one lost astronaut based on a bad novel he happened to have on him - is both hilarious and devastating at the same time. Throughout much ofTNG’searliest episodes, the show took itself a bit too seriously,making “The Royale"feel like a refreshing change of pace.
8"Sins of the Father”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 17
In one ofStar Trek: The Next Generation’sfirst true Klingon episodes, the Enterprise travels to theKlingon homeworld of Q’onoS, so Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) can defend his family’s honor.Worf’s long-lost brother, Kurn (Tony Todd), visits the Enterpriseto inform Worf that their father, Mogh has been branded a traitor. When Worf challenges the Klingon High Council, he quickly learns that Klingon politics are more complicated (and less honorable) than he thought.
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Star Trek: The Next Generation’s “Sins of the Father” establishes several storylines that will continue to affect Worf all the way throughStar Trek: Deep Space Nine. The Klingon political unrest hinted at in this episode continues to simmer until it boils over into a Klingon Civil War inTNGseason 4.Worf has one ofStar Trek’smost interesting character journeysand several aspects of his story have their roots in this episode.
7"Clues”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 14
When the Starship Enterprise encounters a wormhole, everyone on the ship besides Data loses consciousness. When they awaken, Data assures them they were only out for thirty seconds, but clues around the ship tell a different story. AsCaptain Picard and the crew begin to suspect that Data may be lying,they eventually discover that a xenophobic race called the Paxans stunned the crew and explained the situation.
“Clues” leaves the viewer guessing until the satisfying final reveal.
Picard then ordered Data to conceal the truth, but the Enterprise crew members left too many clues behind. With a fascinating mystery, “Clues” leaves the viewer guessing until the satisfying final reveal. Not only does “Clues” tell a solid science fiction story, butit also highlights the intelligence and perceptiveness of the Enterprise crew.When their curiosity is piqued, they will not let up until the mystery is solved, no matter how much Data protests.
6"The High Ground"
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 12
In one ofDr. Beverly Crusher’s (Gates McFadden) strongest episodes, the Enterprise doctor gets kidnapped by a group of terrorists. As Picard and the Enterprise crew work to save Beverly, she begins to sympathize with the terrorists even as she abhors their methods. Terrorists or not,Dr. Crusher cannot bear to see people in pain and she does her best to help them,proving why she is one ofStar Trek’sbest doctors.
“The High Ground” was written by Melinda M. Snodgrass and directed by Gabrielle Beaumont.
The earliestStar Trekepisode written and directed by women,“The High Ground” also features compelling guest stars and a nuanced look at both sides of a conflict.Unlike manyStar Trekepisodes, not everything in “The High Ground” works out in the end. While the Enterprise does rescue Dr. Crusher, the terrorist leader is killed in front of her, and the unrest on the planet remains unresolved.
5"Allegiance"
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 18
In “Allegiance,” Captain Picard wakes up in a cell with three strangers, while aclone of Picardtakes command of the Enterprise. The real Picard immediately takes control of his situation, keeping the other prisoners calm as he works to determine who has taken them and why.Picard proves why he makes such a great starship captainby quickly assessing his situation and figuring out that one of the prisoners is actually a captor in disguise.
“Allegiance” not only acts as a character study of Jean-Luc Picard, but it also makes for a compelling mystery.
Meanwhile, Commander Riker and the Enterprise crew take note of fake Picard’s odd behavior, eventually taking command away from him. Still,the actions of Picard’s doppelganger reveal a lot about the real Picard,as the aliens that made him perfectly copied his memories. “Allegiance” not only acts as a character study of Jean-Luc Picard, but it also makes for a compelling mystery.
4"Schisms"
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 6, Episode 5
In one ofStar Trek: The Next Generation’screepiest storylines, several Enterprise crew members begin having trouble sleeping and experiencing other strange symptoms. They eventually discover thata strange alien race has been kidnapping various crew members and experimenting on them.In a particularly horrifying development, Dr. Crusher even notes that Commander Riker’s arm has been completely removed and reattached.
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Like several otherStar Trek: The Next Generationepisodes on this list,“Schisms” delivers a compelling mystery and gives almost every main character something to do.Although “Schisms” feels like true horror in some ways, it also delivers one ofData’s most charming moments, as he delivers his poem, “Ode to Spot,“during the episode’s cold open.Star Trekdoes not dip into the horror well that often, but “Schisms” proves the franchise can be plenty scary when it wants to be.
3"Tin Man”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 20
InTNG’s"Tin Man,“a Betazoid diplomat named Tam Elbrun (Harry Groener) comes aboard the USS Enterprise-D to communicate with a strange new alien lifeform. Unlike anything the Federation has encountered before, the lifeform is a living ship referred to as Tin Man. Unique even among the telepathic Betazoids,Elbrun hears the thoughts of everyone around him all the time,leading him to form a connection with Data, whose thoughts he cannot hear.
Not only does “Tin Man” feature a unique alien and a captivating and well-acted guest star in Tam Elbun, but the episode also marks an important step for Data. The android is troubled that Elbun cannot hear his thoughts, butTam assures Data that he is merely different from those around himand that there is nothing wrong with that. By the end of the episode, Data realizes that he truly belongs on the Enterprise-D, just as Tam finds a place with the alien called Tin Man.
2"The Enemy”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 7
Star Trek: The Next Generationdoes not have as manyepisodes dedicated to Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge(LeVar Burton) as it does some of the other characters, but “The Enemy” is one of the best. When Geordi gets stranded on a dangerous planet during a storm,he and a Romulan named Bochra (John Snyder) must rely on one another to survive. Geordi gets more personality in “The Enemy” than in mostTNGepisodes, as he’s funny, clever, and sarcastic in his interactions with Bochra.
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“The Enemy” also humanizes the Romulans, showing Bochra as a dedicated soldier who fears death just as much as anyone else. On the Enterprise, Dr. Crusher discovers Worf to be the only suitable donor for an injured Romulan, butWorf allows the man to die rather than help him.While this makes sense for Worf as a character, it’s a shocking conclusion for aStar Trekstoryline and makes “The Enemy” even more compelling as an episode.
1"Pen Pals”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2, Episode 15
Another Data-centricStar Trek: The Next Generationepisode, “Pen Pals” follows the Enterprise crew as they must violate the Prime Directive to save a planet from certain destruction. WhenData begins communicating with a young alien girl named Sarjenka(Nikki Cox), he inadvertently involvesCaptain Picard in a complicated ethical situation. Data learns that Sarjenka’s planet will soon destroy itself due to geological activity, and he urges Picard to help.
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Picard eventually relents after hearing Sarjenka’s plea, and the Enterprise saves the planet without any of the inhabitants knowing.Sarjenka’s relationship with Data is adorable,as she refuses to leave his side after they arrive on the Enterprise. In the end, Dr. Katherine Pulaski (Diana Muldaur) erases Sarjenka’s memories of the events, but Data cannot help but leave her a small memento. Not only does “Pen Pals” highlight Data’s very human sentimental side, but it also tackles the kinds of ethical questionsStar Trek: The Next Generationdoes so well.
