Star Trek: The Next Generation
Cast & Key People
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Our Review
The impossible sequel that surpassed its parent. TNG gave the Trek premise a new family: Picard (Patrick Stewart, making diplomacy the most compelling thing on TV), Riker, Data (the android chasing humanity, the show’s philosophical engine), Worf, Troi, Crusher, and Geordi. Season 1 is famously rough, skip to season 2 or 3, but from Yesterday’s Enterprise onward the show runs a peak most series never touch.
The Best of Both Worlds (Picard assimilated, Riker’s “Mr. Worf, fire”, the best season cliffhanger ever aired), The Inner Light (Picard living a whole lifetime in 25 minutes, the best episode of Trek in any series), Darmok, Chain of Command (four lights!), Tapestry, and the finale All Good Things, the only Trek finale that works as a complete thesis on the whole series. Seven seasons, 178 episodes, the gold standard of episodic sci-fi.
Verdict: Essential. Engage.
