"Space, the final frontier..."
Star Trek is my favorite show. I have made sure to watch every single iteration of it. From the movies to the spin offs. They have a vast character base, many rich story lines, and a great array of futuristic tech. My all time favorite, however, is Star Trek The Next Generation. There are a lot of memorable characters whom were brought to life by amazing actors. We meet some awesome aliens and fall in love with the stories. If you have not had the pleasure of watching any of the shows, please check them out on Netflix.
I know everyone has an opinion on what is the best version or who was the best captain. But for the sake of this blog I am listing MY favorite episodes from the Next Generation. Not to be confused with a debate on what should be classified as the best. Just ones that I personally enjoy watching. Don’t get me wrong, I love them all. But some just stick with you far longer than the rest.
1. "The Neutral Zone" - Season 1 Episode 26
Data and Worf find an old satellite that seems to have cryogenically frozen humans stored on it. They were frozen at the height of the fad back in the 20th century. Since medical advancements they were cured of whatever disease they had suffered from and brought back to life. I just like how they play off how odd the people from the 20th century would be to the future. It made me laugh. The whole first season I could probably list to be honest. But this one stuck out to me.
2. "The Royale" - Season 2 Episode 12
While exploring a part of space, the Enterprise finds pieces of an old United Stated shuttle. The planet surrounding it has a volatile atmosphere, except for one area that has air to breath. Commander Riker, Commander Data and Lieutenant Warf find themselves in the middle of a novel playing out in an old casino setting. Some people hate this episode, but I find it fun. I like how Data is able to gamble away at the craps table and get the money that is needed. Definitely check this one out.
3. "Hollow Pursuits" - Season 3 Episode 21
This episode introduces us to Lieutenant Reginald Barclay. One of my favorite characters. He plays a shy team member in engineering. He is very smart but cannot seem to get the social aspect correct. Instead of talking to someone he takes to the holodeck. This is where it gets really funny and why the holodeck is a dream of mine to become a reality.
4. "Devil's Due" - Season 4 Episode 13
A world that has experienced 1000 years of peace is now due to be taken over by the preverbal devil. A being able to seemingly shape shift is calling in their contractual dues. This is a great episode to see Picard show off his attorney court room skills. I love the ending to this one as well. Like I said, I honestly love them all.
5. "The Inner Light" - Season 5 Episode 25
The episode where Captain Picard learns to play the Ressikan Flute. The Enterprise finds a probe that seems dormant, but when they approach it becomes active and Picard enters into a world of memories. It is an awesome story and tugs at your heart. Great episode.
Honorable Mentions
“11001001” – Season 1 Episode 14: Here we meet Minuet and the Bynars. An interesting take on an alien race as well.
“Time’s Arrow” Parts 1 & 2 – Season 5 Episode 26 and Season 6 Episode 1: I like when they go back into the old west, but in this case it is outside the holodeck. We meet people like Mark Twain and other historic figures.
“Sub Rosa” Season 7 Episode 14: If you like ghost stories with romance mixed in, this is the episode for you. We learn about Dr. Crusher’s past as a child and what her grandmother got up to.
Besides watching the shows, I also collect a lot of memorabilia and items base on the show. I recently purchased a Borg cube for my desk from Amazon. It lights up and plays sounds from the show. Most notably “Resistance is futile.” Check it out with the link here!
