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…
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…
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…
Suddenly Human (⭑⭑)
I can understand parts of what this episode was trying to do, but I have never found "Suddenly Human" particularly effective—or enjoyable. Its main guest character, Jono/Jeremiah, never really comes…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Devil’s Due (⭑)
Oof. There is probably no other episode of TNG that seems more out of sync with the rest of the season in which it occurs than "Devil's Due," which in…
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…
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…
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…
Identity Crisis (⭑⭑)
This episode has multiple flaws, but I've always felt that its #1 problem is simply that it is unbelievably boring. It's got a sci-fi premise about weird, basically invisible aliens…
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…
The Drumhead (⭑⭑)
I have generally remembered this episode as well-meaning but a bit too "easy," and I expected (before re-watching it) that I would give it three stars. I imagined commenting that…
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.…
The Host (⭑⭑)
Season four has some great episodes, and I think of it as a good season of TNG overall, but there's no denying that its latter third contains a dismayingly long…
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…
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…
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…