Top 10 Best Star Trek: The Next Generation Episodes

Star Trek: The Next Generation is the first spin-off series of the original Star Trek from the 1960s. It follows the adventures of the USS Enterprise in its exploration of the Milky Way galaxy. It aired in syndication from 1987 to 1994. It featured Patrick Stewart (as Captain Picard) and Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data).
The Top Ten
1 The Inner Light

So beautiful and heartbreaking. The first time I watched it, I thought it was kind of mediocre, but the second time I loved it and almost cried.

I don't know if it's my all-time favorite, but it's certainly up there!

Hands down the best. I love both "The Best of Both Worlds," but this is one of the few episodes of any show that still makes me cry. And YES, I am a man!

Patrick Stewart at his absolute best. Simply the best Star Trek has produced since The City on the Edge of Forever.

2 The Best of Both Worlds (Parts 1 & 2)

An amazing two-parter where Picard is captured by the Borg and becomes their leader. He knows all the Starfleet tricks, so how will they defeat him? Now the Borg cube heads for Earth to destroy it. A final stand is put up by Starfleet, the Klingons, and the Romulans, but all are destroyed.

Also, a one-time character, Shelby, shows up, and her feud with Riker adds to the tension. Speaking of Riker, he has to step up as captain, and he is certainly not too happy about it, but he rises to the challenge. I won't spoil the ending, but this is truly worth watching.

3 Yesterday's Enterprise

Incredible. I like that it brought back Yar in a meaningful, plausible way that lets you see more about her character without it seeming forced.

I love the way they continue that story in Redemption (Parts 1 & 2), especially since Picard has zero recollection of those events occurring. It also brilliantly showcases Guinan's mysterious intuitive capabilities.

Explores an alternate timeline in which the Federation is still at war with the Klingons.

4 Tapestry

Q allows Picard to travel back in time and undo some regretfully impulsive decisions. The resulting future Picard is more cautious but less successful.

5 All Good Things

An awesome series finale that shows all the series events culminating in this moment. The characters go out with a bang.

6 Parallels

Very intriguing. I thought it actually improved on "Mirror, Mirror" from the Original Series.

I liked a lot of the really subtle changes that they made throughout the universes, as well as the huge, mind-blowing ones. Worf and Troi was such an incredible thought. I loved the way it ended.

7 The Measure of a Man

Data asserts his human right to not get dismantled. Starfleet puts him on trial to determine whether androids are free beings or mere property.

Deep and thought-provoking. Very interesting, plus it's a Data episode.

8 Datalore
9 Cause and Effect

Incredible. It's funny because this theme is used in the movie Edge of Tomorrow (sometimes referred to as "Live, Die, Repeat"), but somehow Star Trek managed to do a much better job in one-third of the run-time.

It's fascinating to watch the crew slowly grow aware of what's happening to them, piecing the situation together using the overwhelming sense of déjà vu that is afflicting them.

The Enterprise gets stuck in a time loop that repeatedly ends in its destruction. The teaser with the Enterprise exploding is the best ever.

10 Chain of Command (Parts 1 & 2)

I really enjoy darker themes like this in Star Trek (as in Schisms, Frame of Mind, and kind of Phantasms), so I thought the torture element was brilliant.

It exposes so much about Picard, revealing incredible strengths and crushing weaknesses, and overall lets us view him as the mind-blowing character he truly is.

We see what a great man Picard is, even when he's not safe and comfortable on his bridge but under pressure and in distress.

It really showed more of his "real" self and his humanity, including his limits.

The Contenders
11 Darmok

No other Trek episode has tackled the nature of language so well.

12 Q Who
13 The Most Toys
14 The Perfect Mate
15 Data's Day
16 I, Borg

Does the impossible task of humanizing the cold-hearted, mindless Borg. When one Borg demonstrates individuality, the protagonists reevaluate their flawed worldviews.

The best episode. "Geordi would rather die than be assimilated. He does not wish it." I absolutely adore this one.

17 Conundrum
18 Time's Arrow (Parts 1 & 2)
19 Who Watches the Watchers

Great Prime Directive episode. Very optimistic and inspirational.

20 Conspiracy

Easily the best episode of Star Trek. I always wished they had followed up on the plotline.

21 First Contact
22 Lower Decks
23 Frame of Mind

I'm not a huge fan of Riker, but I love him in this episode. It takes his strong, dutiful, and level-headed character and plunges him into intense psychological torture that nearly pushes him over the brink of insanity.

In my opinion, this is the best Riker episode ever.

24 Face of the Enemy

Troi in her prime. They take her soft, somewhat disinterested character and shove it into an intense situation that truly tests her mettle.

25 A Fistful of Datas
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