Star Trek: The Next Generationgot off to a bit of a rocky start with its inconsistent first season, but it still delivered some solid episodes that hinted at the show’s future greatness. WhenStar Trek: The Next Generationbegan in 1987, it ushered in a new golden era ofStar Trekthat would continue throughout the next decade. TheStar Trek: The NextGenerationcharacterseventually became just as beloved as Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and his crew had been.
It may have taken some time forTNGto become truly great, butits first season did a solid job of introducing the characters and establishing their world.For much ofStar Trek: The Next Generationseason 1, it felt like the show was still trying to find its footing, and many of the actors were still finding their characters. Plus, the show’s writers' room became notoriously chaotic, with writers coming and going with surprising regularity. Still, all of the elements were there forTNGto become a success, and certain episodes hinted at the show’s potential.
10"Hide And Q"
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1, Episode 10
John de Lancie’s Q debuted inStar Trek: The Next Generation’spremiere, “Encounter at Farpoint,” and he returns ten episodes later to pull the Enterprise-D crew into one of his games. Q reveals that the Q Continuum wants to testCommander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes)to see if he is worthy of their god-like powers.Riker is momentarily tempted by these powersbut ultimately rejects them.
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John de Lancie’s Q made such an impression on Star Trek: The Next Generation that the franchise keeps bringing him back for more adventures.
While John de Lancie is always great as Q, pairing him with Riker doesn’t work as well as pairing him with Picard. Proving this point, the scene whereQ and Picard quote Shakespeare at one anotheris an episode highlight. In some ways, “Hide and Q” feels like an episode ofStar Trek: The Original Series,which comes with both positives and negatives.
9"Home Soil"
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1, Episode 18
“Home Soil” tells a classic science fiction heavy story that bears similarities to a classicStar Trekepisodecalled “The Devil in the Dark.“When the Enterprise visits a terraforming colony,they stumble upon an inorganic crystalline lifeform that may be intelligentliving on the planet. The lifeform, which is unfortunately dubbed"microbrain,“is suitably alien, and the episode ends in a classicStar Trekway.
“Home Soil” seems to forget about the silicon-based Horta from “The Devil the Dark,” but otherwise,it’s an interesting story with some cool sci-fi concepts.In one fun scene, Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) uses his android reflexes to avoid an automatic laser, and later agrees with the crystalline lifeform that humans are"ugly giant bags of mostly water.”
8"The Neutral Zone”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1, Episode 26
The Romulans made theirStar Trekdebut in the excellentTOSepisode “Balance of Terror,” and they make theirTNG-era return in “The Neutral Zone.” The episode begins withan away team discovering the bodies of three cryogenically frozen humansin an old Earth space capsule. Captain Picard then returns from an emergency Federation conference and orders the ship to the Neutral Zone to investigate a series of destroyed Federation outposts.
“The Neutral Zone” was originally meant to be part of a trilogy that introduced the Borg, but production was derailed by the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike.
As Riker, Data, and Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) attempt to help their newly awakened passengers,Captain Picard remains on high alert as the Enterprise approaches Romulan territory.Before long, a Romulan Warbird arrives under the command ofCommander Tebok (Marc Alaimo)and reveals that Romulan outposts had also been destroyed. The two plotlines of “The Neutral Zone” never quite come together, but the episode has some fun moments.
7"Datalore”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1, Episode 13
From the very start, Lt. Commander Data was one ofStar Trek: The Next Generation’sbest characters, and “Datalore” dives into the android’s backstory. When the Enterprise visits Omicron Theta, the planet where Data was originally found,they discover the disassembled body of Data’s brother, Lore (Brent Spiner).Lore wreaks havoc on the Enterprise before Data and Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) beam him into space.
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“Datalore” may not be a perfect episode ofStar Trek,but it lays the groundwork for many of the Data stories that come after. Plus,Brent Spiner gets to have a lot of fun as Lore,who is much less subtle and more expressive than Data. Lore’s future episodes are better than “Datalore,” but the season 1 episode is fun nevertheless and provides interesting insight into Data as a character.
6"Heart Of Glory"
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1, Episode 20
Star Trek: The Next Generation’sfirst Klingon episodereveals more about Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) andlays the groundwork for the honor-based society of theTNG-era Klingons.When the Enterprise rescues three Klingons from a damaged freighter, Worf discovers that not all Klingons have the same ideas about what it means to be a warrior. When one of the Klingons dies, Worf learns that the warriors were not being truthful about how they ended up in their predicament.
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Although the remaining two Klingons try to get Worf to join them, he refuses. Both Klingons end up dying, one by Worf’s hand, when they attempt to take over the Enterprise.“Heart of Glory” reveals that Worf was raised among humansand marks the beginning of his journey to reconcile his Klingon heritage with his Starfleet duties.Star Trek: The Next Generationwill deliver better Klingon episodes, but none of them would have been the same without the backstory established in “Heart of Glory.”
5"The Arsenal Of Freedom"
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1, Episode 21
When the Enterprise-D travels to Minos to investigate the disappearance of the USS Drake,they find the planet guarded by a powerful automated weapons system.Soon after Riker, Data, andLt. Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby)beam down to the planet, Riker is trapped in a strange force field. This prompts Captain Picard and Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) to beam down, but they fall into a bit when the sentry probes attack again.
While Picard and an injured Crusher are trapped in a cavern, they almost confess their feelings for one another, but Gene Roddenberry reportedly nixed the final confession.
Meanwhile,Lt. Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) is left in commandof the Enterprise.Geordi rises to the occasion, adeptly defending the shipagainst a defense probe while dealing with an insubordinate officer. In an anticlimactic ending, Picard shuts down the system by assuring the automated salesman (Vincent Schiavelli) that he’ll make a purchase. But the episode is nevertheless enjoyable and has some fun moments as the crew avoids the increasingly powerful attacks from the planet.
4"11001001"
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1, Episode 15
In “11001001,” fouraliens known as Bynarscome aboard the Enterprise to perform a routine maintenance check and upgrade some of the ship’s systems.The Bynars live and work in pairs,and every member of their species is connected to a supercomputer on their homeplanet. When a supernova threatens this computer, the Bynars attempt to hijack the Enterprise to save their people.
The Bynars have not appeared in live action again but are mentioned inStar Trek: Enterpriseand later return inStar Trek: Lower Decksseason 4.
As the Bynars work, they upgrade the holodeck, producing a particularly lifelike program to distract Commander Riker and, later, Captain Picard.Riker becomes entranced by a holodeck woman named Minuet (Carolyn McCormick),who is more realistic and sophisticated than any other holodeck character he has encountered. The Bynars are fascinating aliens, and “11001001” delivers a solid sci-fi story with some fun moments.
3"The Big Goodbye"
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1, Episode 12
Star Trek’sfirst holodeck episodesets the precedent for future holodeck stories, for both good and ill. The story followsCaptain Picard as he embarks on a holodeck adventure as hard-boiled detective Dixon Hill.Accompanied by Data, Dr. Crusher, and historian Dr. Whalen (David Selburg), Picard works to solve a classic murder mystery. However, when an alien probe scans the Enterprise, a power surge in the holodeck causes it to malfunction.
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With the security protocols disabled, Whalen gets shot by a real bullet, and Dr. Crusher works to treat his wound. Unable to leave the holodeck or communicate with anyone outside of it, Picard and his friends must stay alive until the rest of the crew finds a way to save them.“The Big Goodbye” is an incredibly fun episode of televisionthat makes great use of the holodeck even as it establishes some of the problems that will continue to plague holodeck stories.
2"Conspiracy"
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1, Episode 25
After Picard uncovers some strange orders sent out by Starfleet, the Enterprise returns to Earth to investigate a possible conspiracy. Dr. Crusher eventually discovers thatbug-like parasitic lifeforms have infected several top Starfleet officialsand are controlling them. Picard and Riker follow one of the parasites to Lt. Commander Dexter Remmick (Robert Schenkkan), who is serving as the host for the giant mother parasite.
Originally, this episode featured a conspiracy of regular Starfleet officers, but Gene Roddenberry insisted on including the parasites, not wanting to tarnish Starfleet in that way.
In a surprisingly violent scene, Picard and Riker fire their phasers at Remmick, destroying his body as well as the giant parasite living inside of him.The ending of “Conspiracy” hints that the parasites will return,but the plotline was ultimately dropped, and the parasitic creatures were replaced with the Borg. It’s a solid episode that leans more into horror than most episodes ofStar Trek: The Next Generationand is a definite high point in the show’s first season.
1"Where No One Has Gone Before"
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1, Episode 6
The sixth episode ofTNG’sfirst season, “Where No One Has Gone Before,” marks the first real hints of the show’s future success. When a Starfleet propulsion expert visits the Enterprise, accompanied by a powerful alien known as the Traveler,they inadvertently send the ship to the edge of the known universe.The Traveler sees potential in theyoung Wesley Crusherand urges Captain Picard to nurture him.
Wesley leaves to join the Travelers inTNGseason 7 and returns several years later inStar Trek: Picardseason 2 before making a more significant return inStar Trek: Prodigyseason 2.
Wesley ends up helping the Traveler return the Enterprise to the Milky Way galaxy. The Traveler himself returns inTNGseasons 4 and 7 to check in on Wesley, becoming an important part of hisStar Trekstory. With strong performances from the guest stars, a fascinating new alien, and cool sci-fi concepts, “Where No One Has Gone Before” remains one of the highlights ofStar Trek: The Next Generationseason 1.
