“Sins of The Father” (3×17)
This was a game changer, and a real showcase for Michael Dorn’s charisma and star power. It’s strong right from the first act, when Tony...
“Interface” (7×03)
This one has a number of compelling ideas, but they don’t come together into a satisfying and cohesive whole. The cold open in strong: We...
“The Bonding” (3×05)
It’s the nature of life in Starfleet, operating on the galactic frontier, constantly encountering the unknown, that fatalities are inevitable. In the Kirk era, when...
“Symbiosis” (1×22)
This episode was both a wacky, outrageous science fiction story and a very evocative artifact of the Reagan era of America’s War on Drugs. I...
“The First Duty” (5×19)
This episode is a departure in a number of ways. It’s entirely character-driven, our series regulars are relegated to supporting roles, and it has nothing...
“Future Imperfect” (4×08)
This is an unusual time travel episode, because there isn’t really any time travel. And it’s an unusual holodeck episode because there isn’t a holodeck...
“Preemptive Strike” (7×24)
The penultimate TNG story, and the last Ro Laren story for over a quarter of a century, feels more like a DS9 episode: The Cardassians...
“Rascals” (6×07)
It’s kind of a ridiculous lark of a concept, but the writers mine it for some good character work and a satisfying resolution to the...
“Cause and Effect” (5×18)
This episode starts with a literal bang. Ensign Ro plays a very minor role, only appearing in one scene—albeit a scene that repeats many, many...
“Ensign Ro” (5×03)
This episode represents one of the boldest contraventions in the series to date of Gene Roddenberry’s edict about evolved 24th century humanity working in perfect...