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Algernon_Asimov's guide to Star Trek: The Next Generation (startrek.website)

submitted 1 year ago by M_5@startrek.website to c/daystrominstitute@startrek.website

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#Algernon_Asimov's guide to 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'

I've compiled an episode guides for 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'. This shows major milestones and character development - hopefully without giving away too many spoilers.

Whether you want to track the development of Worf during Next Generation, or skip the Wesley-heavy episodes, this is the page for you!

Season 1

Episode	Title	Key points / milestones	Characters featured	Essential?
1 & 2	Encounter at Farpoint	Captain Picard takes command of the Enterprise-D. The new crew faces a dilemma at Farpoint Station, and an unknown adversary called "Q".	All	Engage!
3	The Naked Now	The Enterprise crew is infected with a virus which causes drunk-like symptoms. Data proves himself "fully functional" to Tasha.	All	meh
4	Code of Honor	The leader of the Ligonians wants Yar as a wife. A fight to the death ensues between Yar and the Ligonian's First Wife.	Yar	Avoid
5	The Last Outpost	The Enterprise deals with some Ferengi, and both get caught on a random planet. Introduction of the Ferengi.		meh
6	Where No One Has Gone Before	A Starfleet engineer arrives to upgrade the Enterprise's engines. We meet the Traveller. Picard appoints Wesley an Acting Ensign.	Wesley Traveller	Engage!
7	Lonely Among Us	An energy creature takes over various Enterprise crew.		Avoid
8	Justice	Paradise has thorns. Wesley is sentenced to death.		meh
9	The Battle	The Ferengi present Picard with the wreckage of his old ship, the USS Stargazer.	Picard	Engage!
10	Hide and Q	Q returns, and gives Riker the power of the Q.	Q Riker	Just for fun
11	Haven	Troi has to fulfil her duty - an arranged marriage. First appearance of Lwaxana Troi (Deanna's mother).	Troi Lwaxana	meh
12	The Big Goodbye	Picard plays detective Dixon Hill on the holodeck. Naturally, the holodeck malfunctions.	Picard	Just for fun
13	Datalore	The Enterprise crew find another android, identical to Data: his "brother", Lore. Some background on Data.	Data Lore	Engage!
14	Angel One	Riker has some sexy time in a female-dominated society.	Riker	Avoid
15	11001001	The crew has some downtime while the Bynars upgrade the Enterprise computer. Riker creates a fantasy woman on the holodeck: Minuet.	Riker	Just for fun
16	Too Short a Season	The Federaton negotiator, Admiral Jameson, seems to be getting younger...		Avoid
17	When the Bough Breaks	The Aldeans kidnap some children from the Enterprise during negotiations.	Wesley	meh
18	Home Soil	Terraformers discover unexpected life on a supposedly barren planet.		Just for fun
19	Coming of Age	Wesley sits the exams to enter Starfleet Academy, while an Admiral is investigating the Enterprise.	Wesley Picard	Engage!
20	Heart of Glory	Enterprise takes some Klingons on board. Lots of background on Worf.	Worf	Engage!
21	The Arsenal of Freedom	An automated weapons-selling demo. LaForge in command. Picard and Crusher have a moment.	LaForge Picard Crusher	Just for fun
22	Symbiosis	Two planets and their medicine trade tests the Prime Directive. Worst anti-drug speech EVER.	Picard Crusher	meh
23	Skin of Evil	Data learns about grief after a crew member dies on an away mission.	Data	meh
24	We'll Always Have Paris	Picard meets an old flame, while experiments with non-linear time go awry.		meh
25	Conspiracy	Picard investigates a conspiracy at the top levels of Starfleet.		Engage!
26	The Neutral Zone	The Enterprise is sent to investigate what is destroying outposts along the Romulan Neutral Zone. Three humans from 20thC are unfrozen.		Engage!

Season 2

Episode	Title	Key points / milestones	Characters featured	Essential?
1	The Child	Troi gets impregnated by an alien. Staff changes: Dr Crusher gone, Dr Pulaski arrives; Worf is Chief of Security; LaForge becomes Chief Engineer; Guinan runs Ten-Forward; Riker grows a beard. Data: "One is my name; the other is not." Uniform change: no collar stripes.	Troi	meh
2	Where Silence Has Lease	A curious energy entity toys with the Enterprise. Musings on death.		Just for fun
3	Elementary, Dear Data	LaForge challenges the holodeck to create an adversary to match Data's Sherlock Holmes. It does: Moriarty.	Data Moriarty	Engage!
4	The Outrageous Okona	A charming rogue inspires Data to investigate comedy.	Data	Just for fun
5	Loud As A Whisper	Troi is attracted to a deaf negotiator.	Troi	meh
6	The Schizoid Man	The man who mentored Dr Noonian Soong, Data's creator, tries to take over Data's body. This is the only time we see Doctor Selar.	Data	Engage!
7	Unnatural Selection	Pulaski catches an old-age disease from genetically engineered children. The Transporter Chief, who we've seen five times before, finally gets a name: O'Brien.	Pulaski	meh
8	A Matter of Honor	Riker serves aboard a Klingon ship.	Riker	Engage!
9	The Measure of a Man	A hearing to determine Data's personhood. Widely acknowledged as the best episode of the first two seasons of TNG, and one of the best of the series.	Data Picard	Engage!
10	The Dauphin	Wesley falls in love with a girl who's destined to rule a planet.	Wesley	Avoid
11	Contagion	Enterprise infected by a computer virus. Discover Iconian gateways. First mention of 'Earl Grey'.		Just for fun
12	The Royale	Crew discovers a real-life replica of a hotel from an old book.	Riker	Avoid
13	Time Squared	A duplicate Picard from six hours in the future arrives and "present" Picard must prevent the destruction of the Enterprise.	Picard	Engage!
14	The Icarus Factor	Riker is offered a promotion. His estranged father visits. Worf celebrates anniversary of his Rite of Ascension.	Riker Worf	Just for fun.
15	Pen Pals	Data corresponds with a young girl from a doomed planet. Prime Directive.	Data	Engage!
16	Q Who	Q transports Enterprise to meet... the Borg!	Picard Guinan Q	Engage!
17	Samaritan Snare	Picard and Wesley bond while on a shuttle together. Enterprise and Pakleds.	Picard Wesley	Just for fun
18	Up The Long Ladder	~~Irish~~ Bringloidi refugees help a colony of clones.		Avoid
19	Manhunt	Lwaxana has a hyperactive sex-drive, and is looking for a man. Picard hides in the Dixon Hill holodeck program.	Lwaxana	Just for fun
20	The Emissary	Worf meets an old flame, K'Ehleyr, and old feelings re-ignite.	Worf	Engage!
21	Peak Performance	Picard versus Riker in war games. Data out-competes someone in a table-top game: "I 'busted him up'!"	Data Riker	Just for fun
22	Shades of Grey	Worst! Episode! Ever! Due to a writers' strike: a clip show.	Riker	AVOID!

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[–] M_5@startrek.website 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Season 5

Episode	Title	Key points / milestones	Characters featured	Essential?
1	Redemption II	The Klingon Civil War continues. Data struggles to be accepted as Captain. Picard is... surprised... at who's behind it all.	Worf Duras Picard Data surprise.....!	Engage!
2	Darmok	Picard and a Tamarian captain learn to communicate with each other. One of the quintessential episodes of this series.	Picard	Engage!
3	Ensign Ro	The Bajoran, Ro Laren, is reinstated as an Ensign in Starfleet to help Picard deal with Bajoran terrorists. Introduction of Bajorans. First appearance of Ro.	Picard Ro	Engage!
4	Silicon Avatar	The Crystalline Entity returns. A mother grieves for her son, lost in the previous Entity attack, and turns to Data.	Data	meh
5	Disaster	A disaster wipes out most systems on the Enterprise, with people stranded all over the ship. Troi has to take command on the bridge, and deal with Ro. Worf delivers Keiko's baby. Picard leads a crew of children.	Troi Picard	Just for fun
6	The Game	Wesley vists the Enterprise, and finds everyone addicted to a video game. Wesley (and Data) save the day.	Wesley	meh
7	Unification I	Ambassador Spock has gone to Romulus, and Picard and Data have to get him back.	Spock! Sarek Picard Data	Engage!
8	Unification II	Picard and Data learn why Spock is on Romulus, and they work together.	Spock Sela Picard Data	Engage!
9	A Matter Of Time	A historian from the future comes back to witness a historic event involving the Enterprise.		Just for fun
10	New Ground	Worf has to make decisions about his son Alexander. The Enterprise tests the soliton wave as a form of propulsion.	Worf	Engage!
11	Hero Worship	An orphaned boy emulates Data.	Data	Just for fun
12	Violations	A telepath mind-rapes members of the Enterprise crew, starting with Troi.		Avoid
13	The Masterpiece Society	A genetically engineered perfect society may be in more danger from the Enterprise than the problem the Enterprise is helping with.		Engage!
14	Conundrum	The Enterprise crew all lose their memories, but not their personalities, and must deal with an unknown alien ship.		meh
15	Power Play	Data, Troi, and O'Brien are possessed by unknown entities, and take over the ship.		Avoid
16	Ethics	Worf is permanently paralysed. Is it ethical to commit suicide? Is it ethical to perform untried medical procedures?	Worf Crusher	Engage!
17	The Outcast	A person from a sexless androgynous species chooses to be female, and is cast out as a pervert.	Riker	Engage!
18	Cause and Effect	The Enterprise cycles over and over again through the same events leading to its destruction.		Just for fun
19	The First Duty	A member of Wesley's squad at Starfleet Academy is killing in a training accident. Picard visits an old friend at the Academy, Boothby. Picard's famous "first duty" speech.	Picard Wesley	Engage!
20	Cost of Living	Worf is having difficulty being a parent, and asks Troi for help. Lwaxana takes a maternal interest in young Alexander; she's good with children.	Lwaxana Alexander Worf Troi	Just for fun
21	The Perfect Mate	An empathic metamorph causes quite a stir among the male crew members, especially Picard.	Picard	meh
22	Imaginary Friend	A little girl's imaginary friend becomes a lot less imaginary.		Avoid
23	I Borg	The Enterprise crew find a single Borg, and try to find out if they can use it to defeat the Borg. In the meantime, the Borg learns about individuality and friendship. Guinan confronts her fears. Picard has an ethical dilemma.	Hugh LaForge Guinan	Engage!
24	The Next Phase	LaForge and Ro become "ghosts" after a transporter accident.	LaForge Ro	meh
25	The Inner Light	Picard lives a full life, with family and friends, as "Kamin". Widely acclaimed as one of the best episodes of the series.	Picard	Engage!
26	Time's Arrow	The Enterprise crew find Data's head which was buried nearly 500 years ago, then investigate a threat to 19th Century San Francisco, and meet Mark Twain and a younger Guinan. [Another cliffhanger season-ending.]	Data Guinan	Just for fun

Season 6

Episode	Title	Key points / milestones	Characters featured	Essential?
1	Time's Arrow, Part II	More shenanigans in 19th Century San Francisco	Data Guinan	Just for fun
2	Realm of Fear	Barclay is nervous about using the transporters - and then sees a creature during transport.	Barclay	Avoid
3	Man of the People	An empathic ambassador and his crazy old mother take an interest in Troi.	Troi	meh
4	Relics	The Enterprise finds a Dyson sphere - and rescue Captain Montogmery Scott ("Scotty") from a ship crashed on the sphere's surface.	Scotty LaForge	Engage!
5	Schisms	Members of the crew are getting edgy and skitterish. Includes Data's famous 'Ode to Spot'.		Avoid
6	True Q	A young woman who's been raised as human learns that she is actually a Q.	Q	Just for fun
7	Rascals	Picard, Ro, Guinan, and Keiko are accidentally turned into children. This is the final appearance of O'Brien on the Enterprise, before his off-screen transfer to Deep Space Nine.	Picard Ro	meh
8	A Fistful of Datas	The holodeck breaks (surprise!) while Worf, Troi, and Alexander are playing a Wild West program - with Datas appearing everywhere.	Data	Just for fun
9	The Quality of Life	Exocomps - small drilling machines designed to learn and reproduce - are acting unexpectedly.	Data	Just for fun
10	Chain of Command, Part I	The Cardassians are mobilising. Picard, Crusher, and Worf are removed from the Enterprise and sent on a secret mission. Captain Jellico is put in command of the Enterprise (first appearance of Admiral Nechayev) to negotiate with the Cardassians. Jellico doesn't get along with the crew or the Cardassians - but he does make Troi start wearing regulation uniforms.	Riker Troi	Engage!
11	Chain of Command, Part II	Jellico relieves Riker of duty; Data becomes First Officer. Picard is captured by the Cardassians and tortured: "There! Are! Four! Lights!"	Picard	Engage!
12	Ship in a Bottle	Barclay discovers Moriarty in the holodeck's memory and re-activates him. Moriarty holds Picard and the Enterprise hostage, to achieve his freedom.	Moriarty Picard	Engage!
13	Aquiel	LaForge falls in love with a woman who is suspected of murdering a fellow Starfleet officer.		Avoid
14	Face of the Enemy	Troi wakes up and discovers she now looks like a Romulan. She's been kidnapped to help Romulan dissidents by impersonating a Major in the Tal Shiar. First mention of the Tal Shiar. Some good Troi development.	Troi	Engage!
15	Tapestry	Q lets Picard change a key moment in his past - and see the consequences of that change.	Picard Q	Engage!
16	Birthright, Part I	Data starts having visions of his "father" Doctor Noonien Soong. Worf investigates a rumor that his father Mogh is alive in a Romulan prison camp. Appearance by Bashir: the Enterprise is at Deep Space Nine.	Data Worf	meh
17	Birthright, Part II	Worf finds the prison camp, and teaches the children of the captured Klingons about their Klingon heritage.	Worf	Engage!
18	Starship Mine	Terrorists capture the Enterprise and its crew while the ship is undergoing maintenance.	Data Picard	Engage!
19	Lessons	Picard learns the difficulties of having an "office romance" in Starfleet.	Picard	Just for fun
20	The Chase	Picard's mentor, Professor Galen, has learned something amazing that connects all humanoid species. [This episode gives the in-universe explanation for why most Star Trek aliens look humanoid.]		Engage!
21	Frame of Mind	Riker is on the Enterprise rehearsing a play about being an insane man in an asylum, and he's in an insane asylum having delusions about being on the Enterprise.	Riker	Avoid
22	Suspicions	Crusher has committed unethical acts while investigating a possible murder.	Crusher	meh
23	Rightful Heir	Worf goes to a Klingon monastery for a spiritual retreat, where he meets someone who claims to be the legendary Klingon hero Kahless.	Worf	Just for fun
24	Second Chances	A transporter accident eight years ago created a duplicate Riker - now called "Tom" (from their shared middle name). We see how "our" Riker has matured and changed over the past eight years; plus, "Tom" Riker is still in love with Troi. Real-life astronaut Dr Mae Jemison has a cameo appearance in this episode.	Riker Troi	Engage!
25	Timescape	Picard, Data, La Forge, and Troi have to find out why a time-frozen Romulan warbird is firing on an equally time-frozen Enterprise.		Just for fun
26	Descent	The Enterprise encounters some individual Borg - who have been influenced by Hugh. Data starts getting emotional. [Another cliffhanger season-ending.] Includes a cameo appearance by Dr Stephen Hawking.	Data	Engage!

[–] M_5@startrek.website 2 points 1 year ago

Season 7

Episode	Title	Key points / milestones	Characters featured	Essential?
1	Descent, Part II	Data joins the Borg and their leader, and starts "experimenting" on LaForge. Crusher is left in command of the Enterprise - and flies it into a sun!	Data Hugh surprise.....!	Engage!
2	Liaisons	Iyaaran diplomats test Worf's limits, and Troi's limits, on the Enterprise, while Picard is stranded on a desert planet where he finds a woman who says she loves him.	Worf Troi	meh
3	Interface	LaForge uses an experimental interface that links to his VISOR to investigate a wrecked starship, and sees his supposedly dead mother.	LaForge	meh
4	Gambit, Part I	Riker investigates Picard's death - and ends up kidnapped and working for a crew of mercenaries.	Riker Picard	Just for fun
5	Gambit, Part II	Naturally, Picard isn't actually dead. He and Riker work together to infiltrate the mercenaries.	Picard Riker	Just for fun
6	Phantasms	Data starts having nightmares. This includes the "Data answering his own phone" scene.		Avoid
7	Dark Page	Lwaxana is moody and depressed. Troi tries to find out why, and learns a dark secret from their past. We see Troi's Human father for the only time.	Lwaxana, Troi	meh
8	Attached	Picard and Crusher are captured, and have implants attached to their brains, connecting them to each other. Interesting Picard/Crusher insights.	Picard Crusher	Just for fun
9	Force of Nature	Using warp drive is damaging space itself. This is the episode which introduces speed limits for starships.		meh
10	Inheritance	Data meets Dr Noonien Soong's wife, Juliana - his "mother". We learn about prototypes made before Lore and Data.	Data	Engage!
11	Parallels	Worf keeps slipping between alternate quantum realities, leading to an awesome climactic moment. Also... Worf... and Troi?	Worf Troi	Engage!
12	The Pegasus	It's "Captain Picard Day"! Riker works with his former captain to retrieve the 'Pegasus', a ship they worked on which carries a dark secret, before the Romulans find it.	Riker	Engage!
13	Homeward	Worf's Human foster brother breaks the Prime Directive.	Worf Picard	Engage!
14	Sub Rosa	Crusher's grandmother dies, and Crusher falls in love with the same ghost her grandmother was having a fling with.	Crusher	Avoid
15	The Lower Decks	The Enterprise from the point of view of four Ensigns.		Engage!
16	Thine Own Self	Data gets amnesia while on a low-tech world where he's supposed to save the population. Troi decides to work towards a promotion - and fails the test.	Data Troi	Just for fun
17	Masks	Data is possessed by multiple personalities, while the Enterprise becomes a temple.		Avoid
18	Eye of the Beholder	Troi investigates empathic impressions of a death on the Enterprise. And... yes... Worf and Troi.	Troi Worf	meh
19	Genesis	The crew de-evolves into amphibians, lemurs, lizards, apes...		Avoid
20	Journey's End	The Enterprise negotiates handing a colony back to the Cardassians. Wesley visits - and finds a new destiny. The end of Wesley's story.	Wesley Traveller	Just for fun
21	Firstborn	Worf's son Alexander is approaching the Klingon Rite of Accession, but isn't interested, until a mysterious Klingon warrior helps out. Lursa and B'Etor are scheming again. Quark makes an appearance.	Worf Alexander	Just for fun
22	Bloodlines	Daimon Bok (from first season's 'The Battle') has returned again to seek revenge against Picard. This time, he is going to kill Picard's son [It's okay - Picard didn't know about him, either.] like Picard killed Bok's son.	Picard	Just for fun
23	Emergence	The Enterprise's computer is developing self-awareness... in the holodeck program to end all holodeck programs.		Just for fun
24	Preemptive Strike	Ro goes undercover to infiltrate the Maquis. The end of Ro's story.	Ro Picard	Just for fun
25 & 26	All Good Things...	Picard is jumping randomly between time periods: his first days on the Enterprise; today; decades in the future. He has to solve the same problem in all three time periods, with Q "helping". "It's time to put an end to your trek through the stars." <sob>		Engage!

Season-by-season ratings

Season	Engage!	Just for fun	meh	Avoid	Engage! (%)	Just for fun (%)	meh (%)	Avoid (%)
Season 1	8	5	8	4	32%	20%	32%	16%
Season 2	8	7	3	4	36%	32%	14%	18%
Season 3	15	3	5	3	58%	12%	19%	12%
Season 4	14	7	3	2	54%	27%	12%	8%
Season 5	12	6	5	3	46%	23%	19%	12%
Season 6	11	7	4	4	42%	27%	15%	15%
Season 7	7	9	5	4	28%	36%	20%	16%