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#Algernon_Asimov’s guide to ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’

I’ve compiled an episode guides for ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’. This shows major milestones and character development - hopefully without giving away too many spoilers.

Whether you want to track the development of Worf during Next Generation, or skip the Wesley-heavy episodes, this is the page for you!

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Season 1

Episode Title Key points / milestones Characters featured Essential?
1 & 2 Encounter at Farpoint Captain Picard takes command of the Enterprise-D. The new crew faces a dilemma at Farpoint Station, and an unknown adversary called “Q”. All Engage!
3 The Naked Now The Enterprise crew is infected with a virus which causes drunk-like symptoms. Data proves himself “fully functional” to Tasha. All meh
4 Code of Honor The leader of the Ligonians wants Yar as a wife. A fight to the death ensues between Yar and the Ligonian’s First Wife. Yar Avoid
5 The Last Outpost The Enterprise deals with some Ferengi, and both get caught on a random planet. Introduction of the Ferengi. meh
6 Where No One Has Gone Before A Starfleet engineer arrives to upgrade the Enterprise’s engines. We meet the Traveller. Picard appoints Wesley an Acting Ensign. Wesley Traveller Engage!
7 Lonely Among Us An energy creature takes over various Enterprise crew. Avoid
8 Justice Paradise has thorns. Wesley is sentenced to death. meh
9 The Battle The Ferengi present Picard with the wreckage of his old ship, the USS Stargazer. Picard Engage!
10 Hide and Q Q returns, and gives Riker the power of the Q. Q Riker Just for fun
11 Haven Troi has to fulfil her duty - an arranged marriage. First appearance of Lwaxana Troi (Deanna’s mother). Troi Lwaxana meh
12 The Big Goodbye Picard plays detective Dixon Hill on the holodeck. Naturally, the holodeck malfunctions. Picard Just for fun
13 Datalore The Enterprise crew find another android, identical to Data: his “brother”, Lore. Some background on Data. Data Lore Engage!
14 Angel One Riker has some sexy time in a female-dominated society. Riker Avoid
15 11001001 The crew has some downtime while the Bynars upgrade the Enterprise computer. Riker creates a fantasy woman on the holodeck: Minuet. Riker Just for fun
16 Too Short a Season The Federaton negotiator, Admiral Jameson, seems to be getting younger… Avoid
17 When the Bough Breaks The Aldeans kidnap some children from the Enterprise during negotiations. Wesley meh
18 Home Soil Terraformers discover unexpected life on a supposedly barren planet. Just for fun
19 Coming of Age Wesley sits the exams to enter Starfleet Academy, while an Admiral is investigating the Enterprise. Wesley Picard Engage!
20 Heart of Glory Enterprise takes some Klingons on board. Lots of background on Worf. Worf Engage!
21 The Arsenal of Freedom An automated weapons-selling demo. LaForge in command. Picard and Crusher have a moment. LaForge Picard Crusher Just for fun
22 Symbiosis Two planets and their medicine trade tests the Prime Directive. Worst anti-drug speech EVER. Picard Crusher meh
23 Skin of Evil Data learns about grief after a crew member dies on an away mission. Data meh
24 We’ll Always Have Paris Picard meets an old flame, while experiments with non-linear time go awry. meh
25 Conspiracy Picard investigates a conspiracy at the top levels of Starfleet. Engage!
26 The Neutral Zone The Enterprise is sent to investigate what is destroying outposts along the Romulan Neutral Zone. Three humans from 20thC are unfrozen. Engage!

Season 2

Episode Title Key points / milestones Characters featured Essential?
1 The Child Troi gets impregnated by an alien. Staff changes: Dr Crusher gone, Dr Pulaski arrives; Worf is Chief of Security; LaForge becomes Chief Engineer; Guinan runs Ten-Forward; Riker grows a beard. Data: “One is my name; the other is not.” Uniform change: no collar stripes. Troi meh
2 Where Silence Has Lease A curious energy entity toys with the Enterprise. Musings on death. Just for fun
3 Elementary, Dear Data LaForge challenges the holodeck to create an adversary to match Data’s Sherlock Holmes. It does: Moriarty. Data Moriarty Engage!
4 The Outrageous Okona A charming rogue inspires Data to investigate comedy. Data Just for fun
5 Loud As A Whisper Troi is attracted to a deaf negotiator. Troi meh
6 The Schizoid Man The man who mentored Dr Noonian Soong, Data’s creator, tries to take over Data’s body. This is the only time we see Doctor Selar. Data Engage!
7 Unnatural Selection Pulaski catches an old-age disease from genetically engineered children. The Transporter Chief, who we’ve seen five times before, finally gets a name: O’Brien. Pulaski meh
8 A Matter of Honor Riker serves aboard a Klingon ship. Riker Engage!
9 The Measure of a Man A hearing to determine Data’s personhood. Widely acknowledged as the best episode of the first two seasons of TNG, and one of the best of the series. Data Picard Engage!
10 The Dauphin Wesley falls in love with a girl who’s destined to rule a planet. Wesley Avoid
11 Contagion Enterprise infected by a computer virus. Discover Iconian gateways. First mention of ‘Earl Grey’. Just for fun
12 The Royale Crew discovers a real-life replica of a hotel from an old book. Riker Avoid
13 Time Squared A duplicate Picard from six hours in the future arrives and “present” Picard must prevent the destruction of the Enterprise. Picard Engage!
14 The Icarus Factor Riker is offered a promotion. His estranged father visits. Worf celebrates anniversary of his Rite of Ascension. Riker Worf Just for fun.
15 Pen Pals Data corresponds with a young girl from a doomed planet. Prime Directive. Data Engage!
16 Q Who Q transports Enterprise to meet… the Borg! Picard Guinan Q Engage!
17 Samaritan Snare Picard and Wesley bond while on a shuttle together. Enterprise and Pakleds. Picard Wesley Just for fun
18 Up The Long Ladder Irish Bringloidi refugees help a colony of clones. Avoid
19 Manhunt Lwaxana has a hyperactive sex-drive, and is looking for a man. Picard hides in the Dixon Hill holodeck program. Lwaxana Just for fun
20 The Emissary Worf meets an old flame, K’Ehleyr, and old feelings re-ignite. Worf Engage!
21 Peak Performance Picard versus Riker in war games. Data out-competes someone in a table-top game: “I ‘busted him up’!” Data Riker Just for fun
22 Shades of Grey Worst! Episode! Ever! Due to a writers’ strike: a clip show. Riker AVOID!
  • M-5OPB
    2•1 year ago

    Season 7

    Episode Title Key points / milestones Characters featured Essential?
    1 Descent, Part II Data joins the Borg and their leader, and starts “experimenting” on LaForge. Crusher is left in command of the Enterprise - and flies it into a sun! Data Hugh surprise…! Engage!
    2 Liaisons Iyaaran diplomats test Worf’s limits, and Troi’s limits, on the Enterprise, while Picard is stranded on a desert planet where he finds a woman who says she loves him. Worf Troi meh
    3 Interface LaForge uses an experimental interface that links to his VISOR to investigate a wrecked starship, and sees his supposedly dead mother. LaForge meh
    4 Gambit, Part I Riker investigates Picard’s death - and ends up kidnapped and working for a crew of mercenaries. Riker Picard Just for fun
    5 Gambit, Part II Naturally, Picard isn’t actually dead. He and Riker work together to infiltrate the mercenaries. Picard Riker Just for fun
    6 Phantasms Data starts having nightmares. This includes the “Data answering his own phone” scene. Avoid
    7 Dark Page Lwaxana is moody and depressed. Troi tries to find out why, and learns a dark secret from their past. We see Troi’s Human father for the only time. Lwaxana, Troi meh
    8 Attached Picard and Crusher are captured, and have implants attached to their brains, connecting them to each other. Interesting Picard/Crusher insights. Picard Crusher Just for fun
    9 Force of Nature Using warp drive is damaging space itself. This is the episode which introduces speed limits for starships. meh
    10 Inheritance Data meets Dr Noonien Soong’s wife, Juliana - his “mother”. We learn about prototypes made before Lore and Data. Data Engage!
    11 Parallels Worf keeps slipping between alternate quantum realities, leading to an awesome climactic moment. Also… Worf… and Troi? Worf Troi Engage!
    12 The Pegasus It’s “Captain Picard Day”! Riker works with his former captain to retrieve the ‘Pegasus’, a ship they worked on which carries a dark secret, before the Romulans find it. Riker Engage!
    13 Homeward Worf’s Human foster brother breaks the Prime Directive. Worf Picard Engage!
    14 Sub Rosa Crusher’s grandmother dies, and Crusher falls in love with the same ghost her grandmother was having a fling with. Crusher Avoid
    15 The Lower Decks The Enterprise from the point of view of four Ensigns. Engage!
    16 Thine Own Self Data gets amnesia while on a low-tech world where he’s supposed to save the population. Troi decides to work towards a promotion - and fails the test. Data Troi Just for fun
    17 Masks Data is possessed by multiple personalities, while the Enterprise becomes a temple. Avoid
    18 Eye of the Beholder Troi investigates empathic impressions of a death on the Enterprise. And… yes… Worf and Troi. Troi Worf meh
    19 Genesis The crew de-evolves into amphibians, lemurs, lizards, apes… Avoid
    20 Journey’s End The Enterprise negotiates handing a colony back to the Cardassians. Wesley visits - and finds a new destiny. The end of Wesley’s story. Wesley Traveller Just for fun
    21 Firstborn Worf’s son Alexander is approaching the Klingon Rite of Accession, but isn’t interested, until a mysterious Klingon warrior helps out. Lursa and B’Etor are scheming again. Quark makes an appearance. Worf Alexander Just for fun
    22 Bloodlines Daimon Bok (from first season’s ‘The Battle’) has returned again to seek revenge against Picard. This time, he is going to kill Picard’s son [It’s okay - Picard didn’t know about him, either.] like Picard killed Bok’s son. Picard Just for fun
    23 Emergence The Enterprise’s computer is developing self-awareness… in the holodeck program to end all holodeck programs. Just for fun
    24 Preemptive Strike Ro goes undercover to infiltrate the Maquis. The end of Ro’s story. Ro Picard Just for fun
    25 & 26 All Good Things… Picard is jumping randomly between time periods: his first days on the Enterprise; today; decades in the future. He has to solve the same problem in all three time periods, with Q “helping”. “It’s time to put an end to your trek through the stars.” <sob> Engage!

    Season-by-season ratings

    Season Engage! Just for fun meh Avoid Engage! (%) Just for fun (%) meh (%) Avoid (%)
    Season 1 8 5 8 4 32% 20% 32% 16%
    Season 2 8 7 3 4 36% 32% 14% 18%
    Season 3 15 3 5 3 58% 12% 19% 12%
    Season 4 14 7 3 2 54% 27% 12% 8%
    Season 5 12 6 5 3 46% 23% 19% 12%
    Season 6 11 7 4 4 42% 27% 15% 15%
    Season 7 7 9 5 4 28% 36% 20% 16%