Fellow Niners, this one’s for you.
7Season One (1987-88)
Theres no sugar-coating this.
Star Trek: The Next Generations first season is one of the weakest seasons in the franchise.
There are arguments to be made that it is the worst.
The series premiere, Encounter at Farpoint, did an awkward job introducing the shows core cast.
Even Sir Patrick Stewart looked downright uncomfortable in it.
Not exactly Trekkian philosophy.
Yet pretty much everything else is middling at best, and frequently downright rough.
We thoroughly disagree, but that doesnt mean its all good news.
Speaking of those two legendary characters, Measure of a Man is one of TNGs earliest full-blown masterpieces.
Picard fights in court for the rights of his sentient android crewman in a riveting judicial drama.
And The Emissary is the beginning of a very long, ultimately satisfying, three-series-spanning (!
), arc for Worf.
More pivotally, Q Who?
introduces the Borg, who went on to become arguably Star Treks most memorable and pop-culturally impactful villains.
Much has been made about season sevens noticeably dire offerings.
Emergence is a lame, half-cocked, attempt to give the Enterprise computer frightening agency.
Instead, its a snooze fest.
Its so, so, bad.
Set a course for every almost-captain major character in the series.
Theres so much else to love.
Not every Star Trek captain is created equal these are the best in the series.
First Contact is pure sci-fi goodness.
“Qpid” puts the TNG cast in Sherwood Forest - ‘nuff said, really.
There are some real doozies.
The Loss is poorly-paced and plodding.
Devils Due is a touch too TOS-esque in a way that just doesnt work for TNG.
As in, more consistently so, and with generally higher highs than what came before it.
It all comes to a close with The Best of Both Worlds, Part I.
Most of the mediocre episodes arent even all that mediocre.
That alone is telling, even if we dislike it!
Transfigurations, the penultimate episode, does commit that greatest of TV crimes: Its boring as all get-out.
Ensign Ro introduces the aforementioned fan-favorite Ro Laren.
Oh, and The Cost of Living is Lwaxana Trois finest hour.
If that doesnt sound like an impressive accomplishment, we dont blame you.
But seriously, its good.
Season five still stumbles, but then again, every season has its lesser fare.
Violations isnt the right brand of uncomfortable, if you take our meaning.
Power Play isnt the winner that its mentally-possessed-by-renegades hook could have been.
1Season Six (1992-93)
Most of Next Gens cast regard its sixth season as its best.
There is something special about season six.
This is TNG in its developmental prime.
Here are the best ships in the Star Trek series!
Whats funny here is that there are plenty of fairly pedestrian episodes despite our effusive overall praise.
Even The Descent, Part I, the Borg-fueled finale, could have used a bit of fine-tuning.
Setting a course for home, one season at a time.
