The Game (⭑⭑⭑)
"The Game" seems to be a highly divisive episode that some fans enjoy but many others heartily loathe. I can understand both reactions. Apart from the teaser, and notwithstanding some…
Unification: Part I (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
This episode easily earns four stars for its commendable mix of big ambitions, continuity nods both to multiple previous TNG episodes and to the larger legacy and history of Trek…
Unification: Part II (⭑⭑⭑)
Oof. There is some good stuff in this episode, and the whole of it is perfectly watchable, but its plot makes basically no sense, and it doesn't come close to…
A Matter of Time (⭑⭑⭑)
In a nutshell, "A Matter of Time" is an episode that I have always more or less liked but that I have never felt particularly strongly about. It's funny; three-star…
New Ground (⭑⭑⭑)
I'm honestly not sure that I can muster up too terribly much to say about this episode. It's kind of just there: not bad, really, but certainly not great, either.…
Hero Worship (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
This is a rare instance of an episode that I quite like, yet don't recall making a strong impression on me "back in the day," and thus don't tend to…
Violations (⭑⭑)
"Violations," I'm sorry to say, is an episode that has "Jeri Taylor" written all over it (she co-wrote the teleplay with an intern, but I inferred her hand in it…
The Masterpiece Society (⭑⭑⭑)
"The Masterpiece Society" is by no means a masterpiece. It's misguided in various ways, its handling of issues is too easy in several respects, and some of the character relationships…
Conundrum (⭑⭑⭑)
I enjoy this episode, and I remembered it fondly enough that I imagined possibly giving it four stars, but after re-watching, I can't justify that. Its plot doesn't hold up…
Power Play (⭑⭑⭑)
I find "Power Play" to be a surprisingly compelling episode given its limited ambitions and lack of anything that could be called "depth." It doesn't really try to be anything…
Ethics (⭑⭑)
This episode is a total mess. There are some worthwhile conflicts and ideas in it, but it lacks a consistent focus, and it's full of shoddy characterization and narrative cop-outs.…
The Outcast (⭑)
This episode, I think, is widely regarded as having been well-intentioned but fundamentally flawed. I remember thinking of it in that way myself, once upon a time. Looking back on…
Cause and Effect (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
"Cause and Effect" is an undeniable TNG classic. It's always been one of the first episodes that come to mind when I reminisce in a general way about TNG in…
The First Duty (⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑)
The second, and hands-down the best, of the three episodes to feature Wesley Crusher subsequent to his departure back in season four, "The First Duty" is gripping character drama that…
Cost of Living (⭑)
One is almost tempted to speculate that this episode was intended as a practical joke, as in: What would happen if we paired up our show's two least compelling/palatable recurring…
The Perfect Mate (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
I have always loved this episode. My fondness for it has never blinded me to the problematic aspects of its premise, which do need to be factored into any overall…
Imaginary Friend (⭑)
Which season are we in here, again? How in the world did this amateurish, ill-conceived drivel find its way into the latter part of season five—sandwiched, no less, between the…
I, Borg (⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑)
When I saw "I, Borg" for the first time, back when it originally aired, I considered it to be the best episode TNG had ever given us. I wouldn't go…
The Next Phase (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
Another classic of late-fifth-season TNG, "The Next Phase" has always struck me as iffy in the sci-fi logic department but really solid in terms of character and tone, and just…
The Inner Light (⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑)
Many fans, myself included, rank "The Inner Light" at or near the very top of their personal lists of overall best TNG episodes. This is an absolute masterpiece that puts…
Time’s Arrow: Part I (⭑⭑⭑)
I have so many mixed feelings about this episode that it's hard to know where to begin. It strikes me as fundamentally ill-conceived on some levels, and most of its…
Time’s Arrow: Part II (⭑⭑⭑)
I'm not sure if I should count "Time's Arrow" among the TNG two-parters whose second parts fail to live up to the first, or not. I mean, I do for…
Realm of Fear (⭑⭑⭑)
"Realm of Fear" works reasonably well as a character story, but its plot is decidedly unsatisfactory. There are some good Barclay moments here, and watching this always-fun and always-relatable minor…
Man of the People (⭑)
What we have here is a god-awful piece of trash. It would maybe be going a little too far to say that it feels like a first-season TNG episode that…
Relics (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
Season six's first real "hit" exhibits the usual strengths and weaknesses to be expected from a Ron Moore TNG episode: a fairly thin plot featuring somewhat underdeveloped sci-fi concepts, paired…
Schisms (⭑⭑⭑)
This is the third episode that I've rated with three stars so far this season, and each has been wildly different. The season premier was half-baked, frivolous fun; "Realm of…
True Q (⭑⭑)
This is the worst Q episode since season one's "Hide and Q," with which it has entirely too much in common. To be fair, it's not nearly as bad as…
Rascals (⭑⭑⭑)
"Rascals" is an episode with a beyond-absurd premise and an insultingly implausible plot, but one that somehow manages to be entertaining enough that I actually don't hate it. When you…
A Fistful of Datas (⭑⭑⭑)
There aren't a lot of TNG episodes that aim almost exclusively for comedy; even "Rascals," the episode immediately before this one, has some non-comedic aspirations, despite its ridiculousness. But "A…
The Quality of Life (⭑⭑⭑)
I've now given three-star ratings to a full two thirds of the nine sixth-season episodes that I've reviewed so far, culminating with this one. This wasn't the first time that…