11001001 (⭑⭑⭑)
This is unquestionably the best episode of the first season—so much so that it’s actually hard to wrap one’s brain around its presence in the same season of the same…
Elementary, Dear Data (⭑⭑⭑)
This is one of the first genuinely good and flat-out enjoyable episodes of the series (notably, only the second one that I have rated above two stars). Its main weakness…
The Dauphin (⭑⭑⭑)
Despite its having significant weaknesses and being the sort of episode that many fans of the show automatically dislike (a love story for Wesley!), I personally enjoy this episode too…
The Royale (⭑⭑⭑)
The third consecutive episode to which, based on what I've read elsewhere, I think I react somewhat differently than many other fans, this one is admittedly kind of a "turn…
The Icarus Factor (⭑⭑⭑)
This is yet another episode that, based on what I've read elsewhere, I gather that a lot of fans don't like very much, but of which I have always been…
Evolution (⭑⭑⭑)
With the start of season three, TNG finally attains its full maturity. As with "The Child," I can't really discuss this episode without also offering some broader observations—this time about…
The Bonding (⭑⭑⭑)
This is a rare instance of an episode that has actually grown on me over time. It's far from perfect, but whereas it once stood out to me chiefly as…
Booby Trap (⭑⭑⭑)
This is another difficult episode for me to rate; it's really on the line for me between two and three stars. I first went with three, then later downgraded it…
The Vengeance Factor (⭑⭑⭑)
Though not an installment that has ever particularly stood out to me, this strikes me as a solid, watchable, and reasonably entertaining episode. It has some flaws, but it also…
The Hunted (⭑⭑⭑)
This episode can perhaps best be described as "routine." Despite a few minor gripes, there's nothing terrible about it...but nothing great, either. That the "promising prospective Federation member world" turns…
A Matter of Perspective (⭑⭑⭑)
This represents a sort of archetypical three-star episode and is better than many others to which I've thus far given three-star ratings (often somewhat reluctantly or with misgivings). It's a…
The Offspring (⭑⭑⭑)
Argh. How does one rate an episode that entangles a delightful and moving story with an ill-conceived and irritating one? I so very, very much want to like this one.…
Allegiance (⭑⭑⭑)
The thing about TNG's third season is that by this point, the writers had figured out the show and its characters, and mastered the basics of telling a story, well…
Brothers (⭑⭑⭑)
A number of questionable plot issues lurk around the perimeter of this episode, but the encounter between the three characters (all played by the same actor) at its core is…
Legacy (⭑⭑⭑)
This is a pretty routine, down-the-middle, three-star episode: not without its charms, but somewhat frustrating in some ways, and overall, kind of nothing special. Plot-wise, there's nothing particularly interesting or…
Future Imperfect (⭑⭑⭑)
This episode had great potential, and most of it is quite enjoyable, but its ending is a pretty big disappointment, and ultimately there's just not enough "meat" here to make…
Final Mission (⭑⭑⭑)
I'm calling this one a three-star installment for having a reasonably solid character/emotional core, surrounded by a whole lot of nonsensical plot contrivances. It's also, of course, the show's farewell…
The Loss (⭑⭑⭑)
"The Loss" is a little-loved and admittedly fairly mediocre episode for which I nevertheless have always had a bit of a soft spot. It suffers both from Marina Sirtis's limitations…
The Wounded (⭑⭑⭑)
"The Wounded" is very much a borderline offering, right on the line between three and four stars for me. There is a lot to like about it, but there are…
Clues (⭑⭑⭑)
I don't especially like this episode, but I'm not sure that I can adequately justify my reaction to it. I also have a somewhat different relationship to this one than…
Night Terrors (⭑⭑⭑)
There are some really cool ideas at the heart of this episode, and parts of it have always worked for me, but there is also a lot of missed potential…
The Nth Degree (⭑⭑⭑)
As much as I like Lieutenant Barclay, I've always found "The Nth Degree" to be a mostly disappointing follow-up to "Hollow Pursuits." (Oddly, I seem to be somewhat at odds…
Qpid (⭑⭑⭑)
"Qpid," I think, is an episode that you either find enough silly humor in to make you willing to overlook its many flaws just enough to more or less enjoy…
Half a Life (⭑⭑⭑)
It has plenty of flaws, but "Half a Life" is remarkable for making Lwaxana Troi relatable and "human" (yes, I know, she's actually Betazoid, but whatever) for the first time.…
In Theory (⭑⭑⭑)
Dammit. I so, so want to love this episode. Parts of it are really good, and I do absolutely love what it is trying to do. If only it didn't…
Ensign Ro (⭑⭑⭑)
This is a complicated, tricky episode, and teasing out the intricacies of what works and what doesn't is going to take some doing. There's a fair amount, I feel, that…
Disaster (⭑⭑⭑)
This is one of those episodes that I personally have always really enjoyed, but that seem to be surprisingly (to me) unpopular among fans in general. I mean, sure, it…
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 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…