Star Trek: The Next Generation – Descent, Part II [7.1]

Data, under Lore’s thrall, conducts experiments on Geordi as part of Lore’s vision to destroy all organic life forms.  Realizing that in addition to feeding him emotions, Lore has also has dismantled Data’s ethical programming, Picard and the others attempt to find a way to restore it. 

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Six Summary

Season Six of Next Generation is beginning to show a few signs of growing thin, but overall still makes for enjoyable viewing.  The thin-ness is really the same as for Season Five – there are no big story-arcs winding up.  Indeed, there aren’t really any big story-arcs winding down either.  Those all finished a couple of years prior, and the new ones are really being saved for Deep Space Nine.  We also see the roles of various regular fixtures on board the ship sort of peter out, such as Guinan, Alexander, Ro, and the O’Briens.  Though some will show up one more time next year, basically their presence as regular parts of the Next Generation landscape end on a whimper this year.

What we do get is a bunch of stand-alone episodes, including some great of ones. 

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Descent [6.26]

During a battle with the Borg, Data unexpectedly finds himself experiencing a flash of anger.  Confused and concerned by his newly discovered capacity for emotions, Data finds himself lured by a Borg prisoner to set him free and escape with him to join his mysterious leader. 

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Five Summary

There is a lot to like in Season Five of Next Generation, including some of the series’ very best episodes.  At the same time, you can sense that we’re moving past the show’s “golden age”.  With the Klingon Civil War plot coming to an end, and the Borg in the background for the moment, there’s no real sense of a forward-moving storyline. 

Star Trek: The Next Generation – I, Borg [5.23]

The Enterprise picks up a wounded Borg drone, and in spite of Picard’s misgivings, end up calling him Hugh.  Picard wants to take advantage of the situation to use the drone as a way of carrying  destructive virus back to the Borg collective, but the crew becomes increasingly uncomfortable with this plan as Hugh develops more and more individual characteristics. 

Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Best of Both Worlds, part 2 [4.1]

Because of the knowledge they’ve gained from the assimilated Picard, the Borg are able to render Riker’s attack useless.  This forces Riker to develop brand new strategies

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Three Summary

Some argue that Season 3 is the best season of Next Generation.  I am withholding such judgments until I finish reviewing the whole series, but it is certainly miles ahead of what went on before.  Where Season 2 definitely displayed an overall upswing of quality, it’s with Season 3 that the show truly hits its stride, producing more than just a handful of truly “great” episodes.

Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Best of Both Worlds [3.26]

As they finally arrive in Federation space, the Enterprise encounters the Borg, who have specifically targeted Picard to be their “spokesperson” to humanity prior to their assimilation.  Commander Riker clashes with Lt. Commander Shelby, who is spearheading Starfleet’s attempts to develop a response to the Borg. 

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Two Summary

So here we are, at the end of the second season of Star Trek:  The Next Generation.  22 episodes, a smaller compliment than any other season, because of a writer’s strike.  The result is a show that has improved a lot in terms of direction, pacing, tone and overall production value, and yet is wildly inconsistent in terms of writing and storytelling.

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Shades of Gray [2.22]

When Riker is infected by a mysterious infection, the only way to stop it from killing him is to stimulate his memories.  That’s it.