A Matter of Honor (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
As my rating indicates, this is easily the best episode of the series thus far; it's not perfect, but it just towers over the majority of what comes before it. …
The Emissary (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
This episode is a strong enough character piece, and does enough other things really well, that it easily earns a four-star rating, even if its main plot is arguably a…
Peak Performance (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
Apart from one bafflingly glaring, major plot flaw, this is a wonderful episode whose thematic depth/complexity, sophistication, and sheer enjoyableness surprise and impress me each time I watch it. It's…
The Ensigns of Command (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
I have always loved this episode. It's a classic Data story, it continues to showcase the show's emergent new style and identity, and the shipboard half of the plot is…
The Enemy (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
"The Enemy" has proven to be the episode that forces me to define exactly where the line is between four and five stars. I've gone with the lower of those…
The Defector (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
This is the second classic Romulan episode of season three, and like "The Enemy" before it, it's a terrific episode that makes excellent use of everything that is cool about…
Sins of the Father (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
Ah, the first entry in what will develop, via future episodes, into the Klingon civil war storyline! While it's a tad odd structurally, this is a strong character piece for…
Hollow Pursuits (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
This is one of the delightful, relatively low-key sorts of episodes (I mean, okay, the ship almost flies itself apart at the climax, but still) that round out TNG as…
The Most Toys (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
This is another gem of season three that I've always treasured, even if it is marred by one weird, inexplicable moment near the end. TNG rarely went wrong (past season…
Sarek (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
"Sarek" was something of a big event for TNG when it aired, and is an episode that I almost reflexively hold in high regard—and yet, if I'm being honest, I…
Family (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
"Family" was exactly the right sort of episode with which to follow the epic-ness that was "The Best of Both Worlds": something completely different, which represented the show pausing to…
Remember Me (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
This is a delightful episode that I have always really liked. It's also one of a depressingly tiny number of episodes with Dr. Crusher as the featured character, and it…
Reunion (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
I think of this episode as sort of the focal point where all the threads that make up TNG's Klingon saga meet and cross each other. It serves as a…
First Contact (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
This is a gem of an episode that stands out as easily TNG's all-time best "Planet of the Week" story, and that just impresses on every level. For once, instead…
Galaxy’s Child (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
With "Galaxy's Child," season four gives us yet another episode that functions as a direct sequel to a specific episode from a previous season (in this case, season three's "Booby…
The Mind’s Eye (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
Finally! After a depressingly long streak of lesser episodes, here's a solidly enjoyable one. Klingon-Federation relations! An honest-to-god Romulan ploy! Geordi brainwashed, then put in the position of unwittingly investigating…
Redemption: Part I (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
I think the standard view of the "Redemption" two-parter can be summed up as: it's good (a classic, even), but it's no "Best of Both Worlds." The thing is, I…
Redemption: Part II (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
The second half of "Redemption" is a bit all over the place, and honestly, it both could and should have been better than it is. And yet, it's also an…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
Chain of Command: Part I (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
Reversing the usual trend for TNG two-parters, "Chain of Command" gives us a part one that, whatever its merits, is definitively overshadowed by an absolute standout of a part two.…
Ship in a Bottle (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
This is a unique and fun episode that, while never as impactful on subsequent viewings, is a real mind-bender the first time you see it (or it was for me,…
Face of the Enemy (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
Just a few episodes after exchanging her old outfits for a standard Starfleet uniform, Counselor Troi is suddenly given an episode in which she plays an unprecedentedly serious and substantive…
Frame of Mind (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
Poor Commander Riker! Two and a half seasons after "Future Imperfect," he once again finds himself trapped in an illusory scenario that has him running around in reaction-mode for most…
Second Chances (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
"Second Chances" is, in many ways, my kind of Trek. It starts with an awesomely out-there sci-fi premise (the transporter creates a duplicate of one of the main characters!), and…
Gambit: Part I (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
This two-parter seems to have significant contingents of both fans and detractors. Count me among the former; for my money, "Gambit" is just pure fun. I'll try to confine myself,…