TNG Series Wrap-Up! We watched it, now sound off folks–what are your top 10 episodes of TNG?

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8 responses to “TNG Series Wrap-Up! We watched it, now sound off folks–what are your top 10 episodes of TNG?”

1. 

   Randi Cohen

   July 24, 2017

   Measure of a Man — Data on trial. Gotta love it.

   The Emissary – K-ehleyr!

   Best of Both Worlds – I am counting 1 and 2 because I am not choosing

   Sins of the Father – Kurn!

   Family – so that’s why Picard’s all messed up interpersonally

   Ensign Ro – Love her

   I, Borg – Hugh!!!

   The Next Phase – probably my favorite episode… hilarious

   Darmok – you just have to include this one.

   Second Chances – Riker and the road not taken…

   Honorable mentions:

   Frame of Mind – Jonathan Frakes in an insane asylum… what’s not to love?

   Ship in a Bottle – best “Holodeck gone amok” episode… and there have been many…

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2. 

   Kevin Black

   July 24, 2017

   My first cut on the top 10 has 15 episodes, just like the TOS retrospective. My position is that it’s not cheating if you number them. (Numbering them is hard.)

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3. 

   Kevin Black

   July 24, 2017

   I have a top 15, and 15 more episodes I just really like, and might appreciate randomly re-watching just as much or more than the top 15. You know who isn’t in any of these episodes? Q. Although the one where he loses his powers and especially the one with the female Q are pretty good, too. There are a surprising number of Riker-centric episodes. When the episodes were bad, he was bad in them, but give him credit, he was in a lot of good ones.

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4. 

   Kevin Black

   July 24, 2017

   15. “The Drumhead” (4.21)

   14. “The Outcast” (5.17)

   13. “Ensign Ro” (5.3) (so good)

   12. “I, Borg” (5.23) (classic)

   11. “Reunion” (4.7) (standing in for a number of early Klingon episodes–K’Ehlyer, you were with us too briefly)

   10. “Chain of Command, Part I” (6.10) (more for Captain Jellico than the Cardassian interrogator, who was excellent)

   9. “Frame of Mind” (6.21) (bold and weird)

   8. “The Wounded” (4.12) (just superb)

   7. “The Best of Both Worlds” (3.26) (what can I say)

   6. “Family” (4.2) (I put this higher than Best of Both Worlds, because it is so specifically strong in the ways TNG was uniquely strong)

   5. “Yesterday’s Enterprise” (3.15)

   4. “The Inner Light” (5.25) (this again is a story that is so uniquely TNG)

   3. “The Next Phase” (5.24) (inexpressibly delightful!)

   2. “The Measure of a Man” (2.9) (I believe this episode saved the whole series)

   1. “Half a Life” (4.22) (I just don’t like anything better than this)

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5. 

   Kevin Black

   July 24, 2017

   15 Episodes I just like (alphabetical):

   “Attached” (7.8)

   “Data’s Day” (4.11)

   “The Defector” (3.10)

   “Descent, Part I” (6.26)

   “The Emissary” (2.20)

   “The Enemy” (3.7)

   “First Contact” (4.15)

   “Future Imperfect” (4.8)

   “A Matter of Honor” (2.8)

   “The Mind’s Eye” (4.24)

   “The Offspring” (3.16)

   “Second Chances” (6.24)

   “Sins of the Father” (3.17)

   “Tin Man” (3.20)

   “Where No One Has Gone Before” (1.6)

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6. 

   Kevin Black

   July 24, 2017

   Obviously there’s something wrong with me, “Darmok” and “Relics” aren’t here. Those episodes were good. But if I want to see Paul Scofield in Star Trek, I’ll watch The Wrath of Khan. For Scotty, the same or so many others.

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7. 

   Kevin Black

   July 24, 2017

   I probably should have thrown in the one where they get stuck in the time loop that blows up the ship, er, 5.18, “Cause and Effect.”

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8. 

   Randi Cohen

   August 2, 2017

   I like most of these too! But yes, Kev, something is deeply wrong with you for not putting Darmok on any of those lists. 😉 I’m no fan of Relics either… too much an homage, not enough new material.

   Darmok, though… aside from the silly idea that the universal translator somehow randomly breaks down, what’s more awesome than paying with your life (almost) to make contact with an alien way of thinking and find understanding where before there was chaos? Plus, I could listen to Patrick Stewart say “Jelad” all day…

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