The Measure of a Man (⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑)
"A Matter of Honor," the episode immediately prior to this one, was, when it first aired, the best episode that the series had yet produced—but this one easily topped it,…
Q Who (⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑)
I said in my review of "Pen Pals" that most of the best and worst episodes of this season are clustered together in its final third. Nothing illustrates this better…
Who Watches the Watchers? (⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑)
I wrestled with myself on this one for some while before deciding to go with my gut and award it a five-star rating. I've always regarded it as one of…
Deja Q (⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑)
This pure classic is unique among TNG's Q episodes in that it's the only one that's actually fundamentally about Q; rather than serving as a foil, a guide, or a…
Yesterday’s Enterprise (⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑)
What an absolutely fantastic episode this is! A true classic, beyond any doubt. I almost don't even know where to begin in talking about it. Despite the many cool ideas…
The Best of Both Worlds: Part I (⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑)
"The Best of Both Worlds" is assuredly TNG's best-known installment and the biggest "event" episode of its entire run. It's also a phenomenal piece of work. I'm not saying anything…
The Best of Both Words: Part II (⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑)
There is a conventional wisdom—not universally agreed upon, by any means, but certainly subscribed to by many fans—according to which this second half of TNG's epic two-part Borg extravaganza does…
Data’s Day (⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑)
This has always been one of my personal all-time favorite TNG episodes, and I perhaps can't really evaluate it "objectively" at this point (not that any such assessment is ever…
Darmok (⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑)
This is an episode that has, it seems to me, gradually attracted ever-increasing attention and admiration over time—and rightly so. It's not at all the sort of episode that becomes…
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…
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 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…
Chain of Command: Part II (⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑)
This episode is widely regarded as one of TNG's most impressive, and rightly so. The scenes between Picard and his Cardassian torturer, Gul Madred, are disturbing, compelling, and complex, and…
Tapestry (⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑)
"Tapestry" may be my personal pick for all-time favorite TNG episode. A philosophical exploration of how our pasts (including the parts of them that we're least proud of) shape us…
Lower Decks (⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑)
I'm almost speechless over how good this episode is. I remembered it as fantastic, and I went into the re-watch prior to writing this review fully expecting to give it…
All Good Things… (⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑)
One of the biggest paradoxes of TNG is that it was a show that, at face value, no one would have expected to come up with a really satisfying, pull-the-whole-show-together…
Emissary (⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑)
Deep Space Nine's pilot episode is nothing less than a masterpiece. I could call it the best pilot episode of any Trek series (as many, though for some reason not…