The Top Ten Episodes Of Star Trek: The Next Generation!

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The Basics: The classic science fiction television show Star Trek: The Next Generation is easily available on DVD, VHS and (soon) downloads; here are the ones most worth watching . . .


Star Trek: The Next Generation was easily one of the most popular science fiction series' of all time and with its easy availability in syndication, on VHS, on DVD and via digital download, it seems strange that so few people (outside StarLog Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and people at Star Trek conventions) have offered a comprehensive list of the best episodes of the series for those thinking of dipping into the series or just looking for great television.

In considering the ten BEST episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, there was some pretty stiff competition as figuring out the ten best out of 178 episodes can be a real challenge. There were some worthy near misses from the highly rated pile, including: "Conspiracy," "Clues," "First Contact," "Darmok," "Chain Of Command, Part II," "The Drumhead," and "Family." But if you're going to spend time watching Star Trek: The Next Generation, the episodes you cannot miss are:

10. "The Emissary" / "Reunion" - reviewed here and here! - It seems I always cheat on these top ten lists and squeeze a little something extra in; at least this time I'm getting my cowardice out of the way early! Two Worf stories lead off the list as a perfect pair of episodes that act quite nicely as a two-parter, despite being separated by over a season. These are the two episodes that feature K'Ehleyr, Federation Ambassador to the Klingon Empire, a human-Klingon hybrid and former lover of Lt. Worf. She appears on a mission and reignites the passions of Worf, then returns . . . with Worf's son in two memorable episodes made perfect by guest star Suzie Plakson,

9. "Too Short The Season" – reviewed here! - Easily the most contentious episode on this list, this first season episode is a surprise to those rewatching it these days. Originally despised for the poor special effects, this episode stands up and knocks out the viewer now with the quality of the story and character study of a man going to extreme lengths to right a past wrong. While the Enterprise journeys to a planet to negotiate a hostage situation, the aged Admiral Jameson begins to de-age as he tries to wrest power from a planetary leader who he once was involved with shady weapons dealings with,

8. "I, Borg" – reviewed here! - A similarly quiet episode finds the U.S.S. Enterprise rescuing a Borg teenager and instilling in him the concept of individuality. Clever and an amazing character study and moral play, "I, Borg," presents the arguments behind the conventions of war in a clever way that asks the viewer to look at the humanity of the enemy in a very real way. Jonathan Del Arco and Patrick Stewart give great performances,

7. "The Survivors" - reviewed here! - The penultimate episode that I've never seen in anyone else's top ten list, this is a weird episode with a sharp moralistic sentiment. The Enterprise arrives at a planet to find the whole place utterly destroyed, save two people and their home. While Counselor Troi becomes tormented by telepathic music, Riker and Picard begin to unravel a mystery of how these two survivors could have been spared on a planet devastated by a cunning and brutal enemy. The result is a mystery and a morality play that is brilliant and the judgment of Captain Picard at the episode's climax is enough to found a new religion,

6. "The Vengeance Factor" - reviewed here! - Similarly neglected by virtually every other fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation, this episode becomes something different and amazingly clever. Long before Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Star Trek: The Next Generation offered an episode where known murderer is brought aboard the Enterprise and the crew has to figure out what the audience already knows (who it is) and determine the motive. While the Enterprise crew negotiates between two cultures of aristocrats and scavengers, the episode becomes a simple love story for Riker that is not to be missed,

5. "Measure Of A Man" - reviewed here! - Despite what so many people looking at the series think, it was not always about Picard and Data. Indeed, originally about Riker and Wesley Crusher, it took some time for Picard to break out, and for Data and Worf to follow. The first real episode where Picard and Data explode onto the screen is a masterful episode where Data's rights are determined when a StarFleet scientist wants to disassemble and replicate the android officer. Faced with Data's possible death or a StarFleet filled with an android slave populace, Picard forces a hearing in one of the most directly intellectual hours of the series,

4. "The Best Of Both Worlds" - reviewed here! - And sometimes the lists get it right. When the Borg return to Star Trek: The Next Generation, they seem strangely interested in Captain Jean-Luc Picard in an episode that capped the third season and left the viewers begging for more. Still a nailbiter today, this episode is one of the most clever hours, balancing the Borg menace with the threat of Riker being replaced by a new first officer when he is offered his own command,

3. "Parallels" - reviewed here! - Late in the series, the show got especially clever with a Worf story that explored some of the "roads not taken." When Worf passes through a spatial anomaly, reality begins to bend around him such that he sees elements of his life changing radically, like the state of the Enterprise, his position aboard her, the role of the major powers in the galaxy, and his relationship with Counselor Troi - who he soon finds himself married to. The journey is a clever exploration of the different directions the series could have taken Worf as well as a wonderful lesson on parallel universe theory,

2. "Frame Of Mind" - reviewed here! - Who would have guessed that Jonathan Frakes could dominate an episode that charted this high?! In an incredible Riker story that finds the first officer in a degenerating mental state, the viewer is taken on a reality-bending odyssey that questions whether Riker is the victim of an alien experiment or if he is truly going insane. Blending time aboard the Enterprise where Riker prepares for a play involving his portrayal of a mentally ill man with an incarceration on an alien planet in their mental ward, "Frame Of Mind" keeps the viewer guessing the first time and entertained with the sophistication of how well it is put together each other viewing,

and . . .

drumroll please . . .

1. "The Inner Light" - reviewed here! - Too many people who take on this topic top this list with the phaser battles and intensity of one of the episodes like "Yesterday's Enterprise," but this is the top of the heap for the sophisticated viewer. Picard is doing his normal routine when an alien probe knocks him out. Unconscious on the bridge, he awaken in another place, with another name, on a planet he has never heard of. There he spends over forty years as Kamen, a scientist, artist and father who learns to love, play music and live a different life from that of the starship captain until he finally accepts that his other life was just a dream. Kamen's story is brilliant and an amazing change of pace for the series and a character study that only enhances Captain Picard's stature.

For other Star Trek reviews, be sure to visit the Star Trek Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2012, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Better Than I Remember It, The Lion King Is Still Robbed Of Perfection By Disney Conceits.

The Good: Animation, Great voice acting, Good character journey, Amazing Blu-Ray bonus features
The Bad: One musical number didn't seem to fit, Timon and Pumbaa section seemed more "Disney" than fit the movie.
The Basics: The Lion King lives up to being a (mostly) timeless epic, save where it is constrained by Disney to try to appeal to children.


The day after I was supposed to be able to present my wife with The Lion King as an anniversary gift, the film finally arrived for us on Blu-Ray, which has led to some truly troubling customer service calls with the Disney Movie Club. Yeah, I'm opening my review of The Lion King with a bit of griping, both because the fabulous gift didn't arrive in time and because I think it's just indicative of Disney's "make money at all cost" attitude that I find troubling beyond belief. That and the fact that as we watched the movie, my wife nudged me and noted, "I bet that would look cool in 3-D;" this after I had bugged her for the last three weeks to let me take her out to the movie, one of her all-time favorites, but she declined repeatedly. But even the 3-D release of The Lion King is part of what I am irked about in terms of Disney's ultra-capitalist agenda. Having announced months ago the DVD/Blu-Ray release, the studio made sure the 3-D version hit theaters for a limited release in the weeks prior. What's the point? Disney released the 3-D film as, essentially, a paid advertisement for the Blu-Ray release. Keeping the film fresh in viewers' minds, they released the Blu-Ray after the audience was primed. It's a smart move and I am sure they sold a surprising number of the 3-D Blu-Ray discs to the viewers who did not read the fine print and realize that one must have the 3-D television and player to make use of that disc.

Outside that, there is surprisingly little to gripe about with The Lion King, so I'll get to why this isn't a perfect film in my book right off the bat and then lavish the film with the praise it actually does deserve. When I reviewed Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (here!), one of my immediate gripes with the movie was the inclusion of Pintel and Ragetti, a duo that I define as a "Disney Conceit." The sidekick characters appear for comic relief and are more or less unnecessary for the story. They are, however, consistent with the formula Disney has come up with to create a successful movie. It is disappointing in The Lion King that that formula is adhere to, instead of defied, and the section of the film that has Timon and Pumbaa robs Simba of a genuine character journey and replaces it with a plot-convenient answer to where Simba is for years. The film (and viewers) deserve better, despite the quality of the song "Hakuna Matata." That and Scar's song "Be Prepared," which felt less congruent with the character than some of the other songs, rob the film of perfection.

That said, it is easy to see why The Lion King has been beloved by fans of Disney films and modern cinema. It is easy to see how it became a world-famous musical play and while the story is universal enough to arguably survive without being a musical, it is an engaging one with a soundtrack that is exceptionally easy to recognize.

In the savanna in Africa is an area the animals call Pride Rock, where the king of Pride Rock oversees the animals and shows off his newly born son, Simba. Mufasa is proud of his heir and frustrated when his brother, Scar, refuses to show proper respect to Simba. Mufasa teaches Simba about the interconnected nature of life on the plains, as well as about the responsibilities of being a good leader. He also forbids Simba from going to a dark area on the edge of the kingdom. Simba mentions this to Scar and Scar manipulates Simba, and his friend Nala, into going there. At the elephant graveyard, Scar lets a trio of hyenas attack Simba, who is rescued by Mufasa.

Observing their reactions, Scar determines how he may best ascend to the throne. Making a pact with the hyenas, Scar lures Simba into a canyon, where he has the hyenas cause a stampede with wildebeests. When Simba becomes trapped, Scar lures Mufasa there to kill him and then manipulates Simba into fleeing. Setting the hyenas upon him, Scar assumes the kingdom while Simba finds himself saved by a warthog and merecat and spends the next years lazing about in denial of his potential. But when Simba and Nala are reunited, Simba must decide whether or not to run from his responsibilities or depose Scar and his hyena army.

The Lion King tells a pretty universal story of the importance of understanding both the nature of power and the ecological interconnectivity of all things. Mufasa is a smart, responsible king who tries to educate Simba on how life in all of its aspects needs to be kept in balance. Unfortunately, Scar's machinations upset Simba's education and he is thrown off balance, becoming a loafer instead of a king in his exile. But fortunately, enough of the seeds of Mufasa's lessons stick in order to make it realistic for Simba to have a conflict when Nala re-enters his life.

The characters in The Lion King are interesting and the film is one of the few Disney movies with an all-animal cast. Mufasa, Scar, Simba, Nala and Simba's mother Sarafina, are all lions and the animators give them enough coloring and mannerism differences to make them easy tell apart from one another, save Nala and Sarafina (at least once Nala is an adult). The rest of the animals are distinctive enough that they can be easily recognized, though in the action shots, it is pretty difficult to tell which of the three hyenas is which. The Lion King is very easy for children to follow, then. The film largely focuses on Simba and his character arc from young and eager to disillusioned (in what would be his teens) is decent and he is likable throughout, even though a more complicated character arc is not forthcoming. Supporting characters like Rafiki and Zazu are distinctive, smart and funny enough to make Timon and Pumbaa unnecessary.

Thematically, there is little to draw children to the film and part of the problem with the movie is how Disney and the twenty-nine credited writers try to make it into more of a young adult film as opposed to keeping it as an adult fable. The maniacal quality of Scar is unlikely to truly upset children these days and directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff show most of the brutality of Scar and the hyenas off-screen.

The vocal acting in The Lion King is universally exceptional. James Earl Jones makes Mufasa come alive with his deep, distinctive voice and Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Matthew Broderick help Simba evolve well from a child to an adult. Robert Guillume give an interesting performance as Rafiki and Jeremy Irons brings his predictable power to his performance as Scar. But the real surprise for me was how Rowan Atkinson dominated the role of Zazu, Mufasa's advisor. Atkinson has a wonderful voice and in addition to having amazing comic timing, he is great at seriously conveying information as Mufasa's advisor. That Atkinson is so seldom associated with the film is unfortunate as his performance is original and homogeneously entertaining.

On Blu-Ray, The Lion King truly comes alive with so many bonus features that viewers will spend far more time on them than the actual film. The movie has multiple commentary tracks and a handful of deleted scenes with the co-directors discussing just why the scenes were left out of the film, which is both interesting and informative. Other bonus features include sing-along subtitles in the film and a production gallery with notes on how the characters were designed. For those looking for a thorough knowledge of how the movie was developed, The Lion King delivers a great number of bonus features that are actually worth the money.

Ultimately, The Lion King succeeds because what it has in it is not only universal, but presented in a way that maintains its universal qualities. The film does not make dated references and the songs are a safe brand of pop-rock that makes them easy to enjoy and listen to. In other words, were it not for the film trying to be trendy and formulaic, The Lion King could have truly lived up to its potential as a timeless movie.

For other Disney animated films, please visit my reviews of:
Tangled
Toy Story 3
A Christmas Carol
Up
WALL-E
The Incredibles
Monsters, Inc.
The Little Mermaid
Lady And The Tramp
The Sword In The Stone
Sleeping Beauty
Fantasia

8.5/10

For other movie reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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"Suspicions:" Killers For The Advancement Of Technology

The Good: Intriguing plot, Nice acting, Interesting character development
The Bad: Some of the direction, Somewhat obvious narrative technique
The Basics: When Dr. Crusher gets involved with a Ferengi scientist determined to prove his worth, she ends up in the middle of a murder mystery in "Suspicions."


When Star Trek The Next Generation tries its hand at a murder mystery, the viewer knows there must be some form of science fiction twist. In "Suspicions," Dr. Crusher becomes both a scientific diplomat and a private investigator. The plus side is, in general, this is a strong episode and it stands up fairly well upon rewatching.

"Suspicions" opens with Dr. Crusher, who has been confined to quarters, being visited by Guinan who is suffering from "tennis elbow." Dr. Crusher reluctantly treats her and Guinan insists on learning how she came to be confined to quarters. Dr. Crusher, it seems, tried to be ambitious and became a "scientific ambassador" to a Ferengi scientist who was working on a technology called metaphasic shielding. This type of shield would allow ships to fly into stars and represents a significant leap forward. Dr. Reyga is ridiculed by most for his ideas, but Dr. Crusher sees his potential and tries to arrange a meeting between him and other, more reputable, scientists. When the first test of the metaphasic shielding kills the alien scientist who attempts to use it, Dr. Reyga apparently kills himself. Crusher, convinced he was not suicidal, wants to do an autopsy, which is denied to her by his family. Unable to find a motive for murder among the remaining suspects, Crusher does the autopsy anyway and finds herself in more jeopardy than she has ever been in.

Dr. Crusher here has a chance to do some great character work. She is a fairly neglected character and here she steps up to both try her hand at being an ambassador and a sleuth. Crusher has never shown any inclination toward either and their inclusion in "Suspicions" feels very organic and realistic. It makes sense that a scientist who needs to be clever to do things like defeat viruses would be willing and able to do some detective work.

What seems terribly contrived is the use of Guinan in the episode. That's not to say it is not a pleasure to see Guinan, but we've never seen her do anything remotely physical save fencing against the captain once. The idea that Guinan plays tennis, especially enough to develop tennis elbow, is somewhat ridiculous. Thus, when we learn at the end of the episode that it is an excuse, we are not surprised and we wonder how Dr. Crusher, who successfully investigates Dr. Reyga's murder, can be so gullible.

Also problematic is some of the direction. The director does fine when doing simple pans around the suspects faces and the last scene where the villain is revealed and is shot repeatedly through the chest comes out looking great. But there are several shots that seem obvious and in your face, like the image is just going to be forced at you no matter what. The one that comes easiest to mind is when Kurak, the Klingon scientist aboard, charges Dr. Crusher. The image seems very forced and it's almost silly in the way her face rushes at the screen. Fortunately, never has a Klingon been shown at such an unflattering angle and lighting again.

Outside that, this episode is a winner. The murderer is an intriguing bit of science fiction and it works well at keeping the viewer intrigued right up until the revelation. Dr. Crusher has a chance to get out of Sickbay and everything adds up in the end. And, as a bonus, metaphasic shielding comes back in future episodes.

This is the chance to see Gates McFadden act at the peak of her game. In "Suspicions," she breathes life into Dr. Crusher, making her more than the bland, "yes man" doctor that she has been since her son, Wesley, left the ship a few seasons back. McFadden has a quality to her that is refreshing to see exhibited. In this episode, she uses her body language well, especially in the scenes she shares with Whoopi Goldberg. She adequately creates a determined character that has been broken somewhat.

Whoopi Goldberg is great as always, though she is trapped working in a script that is poor for her character. Strangely better is actor James Horan. Horan plays the scientist Jo'Bril, who is killed while doing the metaphasic shield test. His brief time on screen is wonderfully acted, with a great sense of presence to infuse the character with real menace. Trapped beneath quite a bit of make-up and prosthetics, Horan uses his deep voice and emotive eyes to bring personality to the alien.

In the end, "Suspicions" is a pretty tight hour of television wherein the viewer is treated to a science fiction murder mystery that has a great deal of character growth in it. As well, the episode is very accessible to those who are not traditionally fans of Star Trek The Next Generation as everything the viewer needs is right in the episode. It's a decent work and one that is entertaining as well as intriguing.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Sixth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the penultimate season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

6.5/10

For other Star Trek episode, movie and DVD set reviews, please visit my index page on the subject by clicking here!

© 2011, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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"Rascals:" Command Children On The Enterprise

The Good: Humor, Acting, Moments of character
The Bad: Ridiculous plot, Silly scientific explanation
The Basics: With a strong science fiction plot, "Rascals" survives the de-aging of a few key people by keeping an emphasis on character.


Star Trek The Next Generation did so much right that it was hard to accept when they did something so terribly wrong. And "Rascals" is on the edge of that. They have one of the weakest ideas, but they pull it off surprisingly well, making us believe in the circumstances. So, in a situation that is almost impossible to suspend our disbelief, Star Trek The Next Generation gets away from the phenomenon and focuses on the characters it affects instead.

In "Rascals," Ensign Ro, Guinan, Keiko O'Brien and Captain Picard become trapped in a phenomenon while returning to the Enterprise in a shuttlecraft. When they are beamed out of it, they are de-aged. They are all preteens and the ramifications of this are diverse: Picard is unable to keep the respect of his officers to command, Miles O'Brien feels distanced from Keiko, Ro's childhood issues resurface, and Guinan decides to enjoy it. When the Enterprise is attacked by Ferengi privateers, it's up to the children to liberate the ship.

So, this is a fairly ridiculous idea; de-aging the crew. The last time this was attempted, it was in the Star Trek Animated Series. If you haven't heard of it, you're not alone. I'm fairly sure those episodes are not considered Trek cannon. Anyway, this is a silly idea, de-aging the crew. But even with the most foolish idea, Star Trek The Next Generation manages to pull it off in a practical way. Instead of being caught in a phenomenon that affects the entire crew, only a few people are affected and the transporter is quite convincingly blamed. This, then, becomes an issue for the transporter, not some ridiculous spatial anomaly.

And the characters that they chose are interesting ones to pick. Picard makes an obvious choice, because we need someone to care about. Guinan is a fun choice because we know she is quite old and it makes sense to have someone enjoying the predicament. But Ro is a clever choice; she's not used to such bizarre occurrences and this throws her in a way that seems very realistic. As a result, her place in the episode is one of the more interesting. But the one that is most damaging and intriguing is Keiko. Being married and having a daughter, the greatest number of consequences ensue from her being de-aged. The scenes with her and O'Brien, where Miles is hesitant to even touch her because of the implications of her being a preteen are quite powerful.

What "Rascals" hinges on, then is the character development and the acting. Captain Picard's character development is crucial to the believability of this episode. After all of his years of disliking children, he finds himself one again and that's a difficult place for him to be. Finding limitations in using the computer and relating to his former subordinates, puts a reasonable and realistic amount of stress on the captain and it is dealt with with maturity and sensibility.

The acting in the episode is a mixed bag. Isis Jones, who plays the de-aged Guinan, is bland and lacks Whoopi Goldberg's facial control or subtle vocal abilities. As a result, her portrayal of the young Guinan is somewhat disappointing. In a similar vein, Caroline Junko King, who plays the younger Keiko delivers excellent lines and had good body language, but lacks the ability to produce Keiko's cadences and vocal styles enough to suspend our disbelief entirely.

Megan Parlen, in contrast, has Ro Laren completely nailed. She is able to pull off irritable quite well and she manages to get around several difficult lines with the sense of annoyance that characterizes Ro. She makes us believe she is Ro. Similarly, David Tristen Birkin picks up on enough of Picard's idiosyncrasies to sell us on truly being him. Birkin has a posture of dignity that ultimately throws this episode over into the recommend field.

"Rascals" is an episode that turns off many viewers immediately by its very hard, rather obvious science fiction plot. There's no way to escape that this is science fiction and if you don't like the genre, this is not the episode to sell you on it. But if you do, this is a piece that rather effectively takes a campy science fiction plot and makes something pretty worthwhile out of it with good acting in the key places and a strong emphasis on character.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Sixth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the penultimate season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

5/10

For other Star Trek reviews, please check out my index page on the subject!

© 2011, 2008, 2003 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Return To The Past To Open The New Season: “Time’s Arrow, Part II!”

The Good: Good use of the ensemble cast, Does what it needs to do
The Bad: Not terribly intriguing, No superlative acting, No character development
The Basics: When the crew of the Enterprise returned for a sixth season, they opened with a time travel mystery that simply resolves the prior season's finale.


When the fifth season of Star Trek The Next Generation ended, it was with a note of uncertainty and a vague sort of threat in "Time's Arrow" (reviewed here!) When the main bridge crew went through a spatial anomaly to arrive in San Francisco in the past, it left few people guessing how the sixth season of the show would begin. And the sixth season opened with "Time's Arrow, Part 2" and all that seemed surprising was there was a sense that some time had passed since we last saw our heroes and the beginning of the season. That is, the second part did not begin at the same instant the first left off.

Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) is stirring up trouble for Data and Guinan in San Francisco's past as they attempt to put a stop to the time traveling Devidian's plans to feed off Earth's populace. The main crew of the Enterprise has had little luck locating the Devidians, though they have found more victims, people thought dead from cholera. As Picard, Riker and Dr. Crusher monitor the situation, they finally encounter the Devidians and when the opportunity arises, they attempt to get back to the Enterprise, but the process becomes complicated when Picard is stranded in the past with Data's head and Samuel Clemens ends up on the Enterprise-D.

What "Time's Arrow, Part II" does well is finish the plot established in the season finale. Unfortunately, it simply does what it needs to do and that is all. Instead of exploring the origins of the Devidians or making them more of a menace, this episode simply finishes them off and is done with it; it's a fairly standard time travel adventure without much of anything else to it.

Beyond simply finishing the story begun in the first part, the second part of "Time's Arrow" manages to keep the same flavor of the finale by using the entire ensemble cast. All of the different characters have something to do here: Riker is hunting down the Devidians while searching for Data, Picard is negotiating with the landlord, Dr. Crusher is searching for evidence of the Devidians, Data is trying to stop the Devidians on his own, Geordi is coming up with a detection method and Troi is along for comic relief until Clemens comes into the picture when she becomes vital to adapting him to the 24th Century. Despite the weak feel to the episode, everyone does have something to do and that's nice for a balanced effect that keeps the pace from dragging.

But here, the joys of "Time's Arrow, Part II" end. There's only one performance of note in the episode and that is Jerry Hardin's portrayal of Samuel Clemens. He recreates Clemens with charisma and style, body language and poise that far exceed what one might expect for a guest actor. Hardin is the exception to the rule in this episode and the rule here is that no one is doing anything spectacular. That is not to say that the acting is bad; it's not. However, no one shines, no one steps out and pushes the limits of what they may do as an actor or actress.

Add to that, there is no real character development. While the first part had the potential menace of Data's death and inspired the crew to react to that potential, "Time's Arrow, Part II" lacks anything of significant character development. Instead, it's our heroes acting heroic. There's a stretch. The unfortunate aspect of this is that the first time Picard and Guinan meet is introduced in this part and it is largely glossed over and it lacks the magnitude that one might expect from this important event. Guinan seems more self serving in the future and more naive in the past in this episode.

The special effects in the episode are decent at worst. The Devidians move about using morphs that are fairly sophisticated for the time and are still entertaining to see. In the end, though, this is not a high special effects episode. The most special effect, however, is the costuming and it does stand out as worthwhile. The garb our heroes find themselves in in the episode's opening work quite nicely to convince us of their time and place. And Guinan's outfit is simply fabulous.

But there's not much to "Time's Arrow, Part II;" it resolves the time travel mystery begun in the first part and beyond that, it does not add new insight to the characters, challenge the actors, or say anything particularly meaningful. While essential, perhaps, to those who saw the first part, there is nothing to recommend this part to those who have not seen "Time's Arrow" or who do not like science fiction or time travel stories.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Sixth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the penultimate season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

4.5/10

For other Star Trek episode, movie and DVD set reviews, visit my index page with a complete list of all of this type of review I have written by clicking here!

© 2011, 2008, 2003 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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A Star Trek The Next Generation Field Trip To Find Data's Head: “Time’s Arrow, Part 1”

The Good: Intriguing plot, Good acting, Nice character work
The Bad: Obvious setup episode, Villains without sensibility, General weakness in writing
The Basics: Closing out the fifth season of Star Trek The Next Generation is a piece where Data loses his head and the whole cast works to help him get it back.


Finding an appropriate season finale for a show may be a difficult thing. One wants to have a satisfying episode in and of itself, and yet, there needs to be a hook to bring the viewer back for the next season. Star Trek The Next Generation was inconsistent with its season finales; ending the first season with an awkward episode that did not lend itself well to inspiring the audience to return and a horrible second second season finale balanced with an amazing cliffhanger for season three and a similarly good end to season four. Season five's end, with "Time's Arrow" was not as strong as the previous two and not as weak as the first two.

The Enterprise is recalled to Earth when an archaeological team discovers Data's head in an abandoned cavern below San Francisco. Curious as to how it ended up there, the crew takes the head and leaves. As Geordi, Riker and Troi deal with the repercussions of knowing Data will die - and possible soon - Picard reassigns Data to lesser duties. When another clue to the mystery surfaces, the Enterprise arrives a Devidia II where they find temporal anomalies they cannot explain. Due to a piece of hardware Data has in his positronic brain, Data joins the Away Team and in the process, disappears. While the Enterprise crew searches for him, Data finds himself in turn of the century San Francisco sharing the company of Guinan and Samuel Clemens.

What doesn't work is the overall sensibility of the episode. It becomes clear that the time-shifted Devidians are harvesting human "souls" or energy for consumption. The problem with that premise is that when the Devidians exist out of phase with humans, they cannot even see us. This becomes a bit of a momentous stumbling block when one considers the implication of a race that feeds off the living energy of others. It is utterly unbelievable that a race could grow to feed on the energies of a race that is thousands of light years away and out of temporal sync with them. It's roughly equivalent to saying there's a fish on Earth that evolved such that it's only source of food is two-hundred year old Martian Algae. It makes no sense. The writers ask us to excuse this flaw and I am unable to.

And it is not the only obvious flaw the writers ask us to accept. While talking with Geordi about his potential death, Data writes the event off as something that might happen in the distant future. That would be a solid analysis if the Enterprise was not doggedly investigating the matter, a fact that substantially raises the odds the event will occur in the near future. Finally, this entire episode feels like it is working up to a cliffhanger and in that regard, it delivers exactly that.

The interesting aspect of "Time's Arrow" is that while it is setup as a Data episode, it ends up being a piece that utilizes almost the entire ensemble cast. So, while Data is back in the past, the crew is working hard to save him and Guinan is waxing philosophic with Picard. It's an intriguing idea to try a cliffhanger where the whole group is used and in that regard, "Time's Arrow" comes together nicely, even if Worf barely is in it.

The acting in "Time's Arrow" is spread around such that it feels more like a group effort as well and the cast is doing a good job here, though no one does anything terribly superlative. Marina Sirtis plays Troi impersonating Data in a scene that is quite memorable and she seems quite good at. Whoopi Goldberg is excellent, as always, as the quiet, mysterious Guinan. And leads Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner give worthwhile performances to allow us to believe in their characters.

The best acting, however, comes in the form of guest star Jerry Harding. Harding is best known to viewers of science fiction as "Deep Throat" on The X-Files. Here, Harding portrays Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain). Harding is a perfect match for the crotchety writer and his performance is the stand out of the episode, instantly capturing the attention and imagination of the audience. Harding dominates each scene he is in.

The one bit of writing to note is related to the Samuel Clemens character. The writers of Star Trek The Next Generation introduce Clemens by having him reciting a bit about oysters. It is to the credit of the writers of "Time's Arrow" that they chose one of Twain's most obscure works to cite. The passage he is quoted from is from Twain's oft-neglected great work Letters From The Earth (reviewed here!).

"Time's Arrow" is not ideal for those who are not fans of science fiction as the bulk of it revolves around attempting to solve a time puzzle. But for fans of Star Trek The Next Generation, it is a fair example of the entire cast and the crew of the Enterprise working together toward a common goal, even if it doesn't have a great hook to bring us back for the next season.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Fifth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the fifth season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

5.5/10

For other Star Trek reviews, please click here to visit my index page!

© 2011, 2008, 2003 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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When the Borg Return, Picard's Character Grows In "I, Borg!"

The Good: Acting, Character, Intriguing plot
The Bad: Nothing tangible, Actually
The Basics: When the Enterprise finds a wounded Borg, Picard must put morality ahead of his own personal vengeance.


Fans of Star Trek The Next Generation anticipated, in the wake of the events in "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II" (reviewed here!) that when the Borg returned, it would be a very Picard-centered event. After all, being assimilated by the cybernetic creatures and forced to kill thousands of humans was a rather traumatic event for the Captain and it's hard to heal that in a single episode. Strangely, when the Borg did return, it ended up being a remarkable ensemble piece, as opposed to just a story about Captain Picard.

When the Enterprise responds to a distress call, they find a damaged Borg ship and a severely wounded Borg youth. Dr. Crusher insists on saving the Borg's life and when Picard sees it, he decides to use the opportunity to learn all he can about the Borg through Third of Five. Ad Geordi and Dr. Crusher study the boy, they name him "Hugh" and he exhibits signs of individuality. When Data designs a way to use Hugh as a weapon against all of the Borg, Picard is faced with an ethical dilemma: destroy an enemy or do right by Hugh?

"I, Borg" is a great example of Star Trek The Next Generation doing what it does best without seeming boring. Here we have a rather tight ethical dilemma to explore and the person most trusted in the series is compromised. The tension between Picard and Geordi in this episode works very well at establishing a mood that keeps the pace surprisingly tight for an episode that is essentially a morality play.

And the morality play comes across best through Picard's character. Of anyone on the ship, Picard has the most reason to hate the Borg. Essentially, he was raped by the Borg and here the story becomes, what justice exists in revenge? This is an episode that highlights what might be the best in human ethics. Given the opportunity to destroy those who wronged him, Picard may take the high road and his journey to that point is compelling and - when viewed from a psychological perspective - terrifying. In particular, one of the later scenes in the episode where Hugh and Picard speak and Picard assumes his Borg identity is rather disturbing from a psychological/character perspective.

It's also an opportunity for Patrick Stewart to do some great acting. Here, he makes Picard angry and compassionate, splitting the character into both a cold warrior and a victim. Stewart plays it perfectly, negotiating the strange dichotomy with a completely altered physical presence depending on the scene. His eyes become steely in the scenes where he is fighting against Hugh and sad and lighter when he comes around. It's a magnificent performance by the accomplished actor.

Yet, as I mentioned, this is an ensemble piece and the acting and character beyond Patrick Stewart as Picard is extraordinary. Whoopi Goldberg gives a very convincing performance as Guinan, expressing anger for the first time in that role. Goldberg uses her facial expressions and tones of voice to realistically portray Guinan opening up to Hugh. Similarly, Gates McFadden earns her keep in "I, Borg" by infusing her character with a rebellious spirit. At every step of the way, Dr. Crusher opposes using Hugh as a weapon and McFadden manages to make her character's objections sound reasonable and dignified as opposed to whiny and annoying.

The standout character of "I, Borg" is Hugh. Hugh puts a face and name to a villain that has been menacing and cruel and senselessly conquering in the Star Trek universe. Hugh embodies a freedom that the Borg have never had and he makes for a compelling character. Jonathan Del Arco, who played Hugh, makes his mark with wonderful facial control that bleeds away during the episode. As his character becomes more human, Del Arco masterfully infuses more facial and vocal expression into his performance, illustrating the change well beyond the lines.

Rounding out the performances is Levar Burton as Geordi La Forge. Burton gives a wonderful performance beyond what he has done on this series since "The Mind's Eye" (reviewed here!). Here, he is not being tormented physically or psychologically, but as he becomes the person who is expected to carry out the captain's orders to use Hugh as a weapon, it becomes obvious he is morally tortured and that works well. It's a different angle for him to explore and here he makes Geordi interesting. As a side note, I find it mildly amusing that the writers of Star Trek The Next Generation lifted Geordi's relationship with a Borg separated from the Collective from a novel entitled Vendetta (reviewed here!) but failed to make the necessary connection that author Peter David did; a Borg would naturally interface with Geordi because of his cybernetic VISOR!

There is a lot to enjoy about "I, Borg," but it is not perfect. The performances are all great and as a result the piece has the feeling of being polished so close to perfection, but it's closer to a 9 in my book. It's just something intangible that keeps it from being the very best television can be. But, it ought to be more than enough for anyone who likes a good debate on the ethics of war. It's also an excellent study of healing and getting to a point beyond vengeance for being wronged. And that's something everyone might enjoy.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Fifth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the fifth season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

9/10

For other Star Trek episode or DVD set reviews, please click here to visit my index page!

© 2011, 2008, 2003 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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And The Children On The Enterprise Say "La La La:" "Imaginary Friend" Fizzles!

The Good: Special effects, Perspective
The Bad: Acting, Lack of character, Somewhat silly plot development
The Basics: When a child meets her imaginary friend, the Enterprise is put in jeopardy.


Innovation was a familiar thing around the set of Star Trek The Next Generation. This series was on the cutting edge of computer animation technology and other special effects. Sometimes, that's all an episode of Star Trek The Next Generation had. "Imaginary Friend" is one of those episodes.

Clara Sutter, a child aboard the Enterprise, has an imaginary friend. As a result of shifting from ship to ship, Clara has come up with Isabella. Isabella suddenly manifests herself when the Enterprise is exploring a strange spatial phenomenon. Isabella begins to manipulate Clara and when the Enterprise comes into real peril, it becomes instantly clear that Isabella is involved.

What "Imaginary Friend" has going for it is the perspective. There have not been any other episodes where the adventures of the starship Enterprise have been experienced through the eyes of a child. And given that there are civilians aboard the Enterprise, it makes sense that this was a perspective that would be explored. Unfortunately, this episode falls flat, even in presenting the Enterprise from a child's perspective.

The problem is that it's too obviously set up. Because we have a character that is a child and who has an imaginary friend, the moment Isabella becomes visible, we know there's something wrong. The episode becomes about Isabella and who and what she is as opposed to Clara's view on the machinations of the Enterprise. Add to that, the sensibilities of the adults in "Imaginary Friend" seem quite dated. Instead of feeling like enlightened parents that are part of the same philosopher caste that is created in Star Trek The Next Generation, (especially in the first few seasons) these feel like 90s parents trying to do their thing on the Enterprise. It's as if there has been no corresponding growth between the human development and parenting in the future.

Another Problem "Imaginary Friend" runs into is the acting. Noley Thornton plays Clara and she seems very overwhelmed by the position. Thornton is a child and here she comes across as a child trying to be an older child. She falls short and often it seems she's struggling around her lines more than anything else. Add to that, Marina Sirtis is given a role that seems to undervalue her acting talents. Sirtis plays Troi as clueless and while she uses her counseling skills, her empathetic abilities are completely neglected in this piece. Her character seems gullible and Sirtis seems to be content to play Troi here as completely charmless.

The only acting that succeeds is from Shay Astar who plays Isabella. Astar is recognizable to audiences today as one of the recurring guest stars on Third Rock From The Sun and she is creepy in "Imaginary Friend." In this episode, she has presence and an instantly recognizable diabolic nature that makes her perfect for the role of manipulating alien. Unfortunately, she's so completely creepy that it becomes difficult to see how Clara is even remotely charmed by her. That is, if my imaginary friend appeared and looked like a psychopath, I would be worried.

Unfortunately, "Imaginary Friend" had the chance to do a unique thing with perspective and it fell flat. There's nothing to recommend this episode to people who are not fans of Star Trek The Next Generation. Add to that, there's little to recommend the episode to people who are fans of science fiction, save the special effects and even those are pretty old now.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Fifth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the fifth season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

3.5/10

Want to see how this episode stacks up against others in the franchise? Check out my organized listing by clicking here!

© 2011, 2007, 2003 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Adding Conflict To The Mix Of Star Trek The Next Generation: "Ensign Ro" Works!

The Good: Good character development, Excellent acting, Special effects
The Bad: Weak plot
The Basics: Star Trek The Next Generation adds some conflict in the form of a new character who rubs everyone the wrong way in the political intrigue episode "Ensign Ro."


By the time the fifth season of Star Trek The Next Generation was underway, there was the idea around Paramount that there would be another Star Trek series and while Star Trek Deep Space Nine was being developed, the series that was on the air did what it could to set up the new series. While Star Trek Deep Space Nine would use the Trill from the fourth season's "The Host," it would retune that race. While "The Wounded" was essential to understanding the origins of the Cardassian and Federation conflict, the first true, direct allusion to what Star Trek Deep Space Nine would be was "Ensign Ro." Here we have two elements that would be integral to the new series: conflict between characters and the Bajoran Occupation.

"Ensign Ro" begins with the Enterprise responding to the destruction of Cardassian property, a terrorist act claimed by the Bajorans. The Enterprise enlists the aid of Ro Laren, a Bajoran who had once been a member of StarFleet, but was cashiered from the service for disobeying orders. Ensign Ro leads the Enterprise to a planet where Bajoran refugees have been stuck to try to help Picard find those responsible for the terrorist acts. But Picard's mistrust for Ensign Ro quickly becomes a liability in the larger plot all of the principles find themselves in.

It's unfortunate that the DVD versions of the Star Trek The Next Generation episodes do not contain commentary; one of the most insightful statements ever made about "Ensign Ro" comes on a bonus disc where one of the producers reveals that Guinan's instant bonding with Ro is an attempt to help the audience accept the character better. It makes so much sense and yet, after years of watching this episode, I had not picked that up and it works so well. By the end of this episode, despite Ensign Ro's brusque manner and irritated demeanor seems to fit in with this irritatingly homogenous group we've been watching for four years.

Ensign Ro adds something that was needed in Star Trek The Next Generation; the sense that not everyone, even in the 24th Century, gets along. Riker's instant prejudice against Ro reads as very realistic and very human. It's refreshing to see after years of philosopher kings running around space that they actually do still have feelings and moods. Much of the sense in the series before Ro arrives has been that everyone is on a constant high and gets together within the crew.

Part of what makes this episode worthwhile and accessible is the acting. While Jonathan Frakes is completely overshadowed, his performance as someone with an instant dislike works quite well. He has a talent for using his body language to clearly convey his moods and in "Ensign Ro" he uses that expertly. Whoopi Goldberg's portrayal of Guinan is earnest and without humor and it reminds us of what a great actress she is. Knowing her comedic talents, here it is impressive to see how well she is able to immerse herself into the role.

Patrick Stewart manages to very convincingly play Captain Picard as suspicious, wary and disappointed without having an over-the-top feel to him. That balance is quite difficult to maintain and it's a testament to the greatness of Stewart's acting. The real pleasure to watch is Michelle Forbes, who plays the title character. Forbes has an immensely difficult task of assimilating into a very established cast and she manages to insinuate herself in masterfully. In scenes with Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes, she holds her own, maintaining a screen presence that would cause most actors to recoil. She convinces us that she has a right to be here and we ought to open up to her presence. That's no small task and Forbes' movement and voice aid greatly in getting us there.

What does not work so well here is the plot. There's a rather contrived bit of activity involving political intrigue and the journey the Enterprise takes to try to find the true terrorists feels like an attempt to introduce a new character and keep it interesting. The plot feels a little contrived, like they are stretching to do something. Star Trek The Next Generation has a problem with attempting plots that are unnecessarily complex and here the viewer is forced to ask, "Why is the Federation involved?" We need to know "Why don't the Cardassians just deal with this themselves?"

The second episode with the Cardassians introduces the Bajoran/Cardassian conflict and it is enough to set up "Star Trek Deep Space Nine." It's a good thing Ensign Ro stuck around, because she added something to the cast and made the new series much more believable.

Unfortunately, this episode is not as accessible or interesting to those who are not fans of the series. This is a payoff for fans of the Star Trek universe and people who are not already there find this episode confusing with the specific allusions that are permeating this episode, even though most of the information is new to all of the viewers. "Ensign Ro" has a great deal of information in it and if you're not used to the Star Trek lingo, it can be overwhelming.

In the end, this is a nice addition to the Star Trek The Next Generation story and it does a necessary bit of work which is, essentially, to add a realistic sense of conflict that has been lacking to the series. Refreshingly, this is not an entire retooling of the series, merely an experiment and a successful one at that.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Fifth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the fifth season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

6.5/10

For other Star Trek episode and DVD set reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2007, 2003 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



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"Redemption, Part 2:" War Among The Warriors

The Good: Character, Pace, Acting, Special effects
The Bad: Obvious plot resolutions
The Basics: Picking up where the season finale left off, "Redemption, Part 2" begins a more serialized season with a series of important plot and character developments.


When the fourth season of Star Trek The Next Generation ended, Worf had left to go join the Klingons and the Klingon Empire had degenerated into a Romulan-inspired Civil War. This left a rather compelling cliffhanger and a lot for the series to resolve right away. Indeed, trying to top the previous season's "The Best of Both Worlds" cliffhanger, "Redemption, Part 1" (reviewed here!) gave it a run for its money by setting up more threads, if not better threads.

"Redemption, Part 2" does what it needs to in resolving the various plots. The Klingon Civil War is a huge obstacle to overcome and it takes most of the episode. Worf's participation in that gives us an anchor; it provides us with someone to watch that we actually care about. As Worf debates between his StarFleet sensibilities and his Klingon heritage, the mysterious Romulan figure introduced as the end of the first part is encountered by the Enterprise and explored. As Picard engineers a Federation blockade of the Romulan/Klingon border, a new thread is created which is Data taking command of a ship in the blockade. As Worf fights for Gowron and the legitimate Klingon government, the Romulan-led insurgency threatens to destabilize the Quadrant. And Data is put in command of a starship that might be all that can stand between hope and failure.

With all of the different threads, the last choice seems an odd one for the writers and producers to pursue. The conflict between Data and his first officer, Commander Hobson, seems somewhat forced and tacked on, as if the episode fell about five minutes short and they needed to add something to it. However, fans of the series, at the beginning of this season which is more serialized than the show has been, will appreciate Data's first command experience and the results of his place in the blockade will be alluded to again.

The genuine problem with Hobson and Data is that it seems like it ought to be old news. Data is such a well-defined character by this point in the series that the viewer often needs a reminder that he is an android. As a result, he is put in situations where he might take a piece of his equipment out of his arm to cause a distraction or have his head detached or such, but here we're reminded of his lack of humanity by a simple anti-racism message. It's pretty tired for the Star Trek universe as established. This is supposed to be a colorblind future where people are judged on their merits, yet Hobson uses some of the oldest rhetoric in the book. That said, it's a very short portion of the episode, which is why it has a somewhat tacked on feel.

The explanation of the mysterious Romulan is dealt with as well as it could be. Harkening to the events of "Yesterday's Enterprise" (reviewed here!), the new Romulan Commander makes an auspicious entrance and her arrival makes for a good story and ultimately works. Commander Sela is the logical consequence of the convoluted time-travel episode and it's the best idea that the writers could come up with if they were going to use that storyline. Fortunately, the machinations of the genesis of the Romulan commander are not belabored and instead the episode simply uses her. She is an intriguing character.

Worf's character is challenged the greatest here and as he experiences the Klingon Civil War, he grows by a strange integration of his initial characterization with his experiences over the prior four years. That is, Worf comes to acknowledge that he is an outsider and accept it better than he did while he was discommendated. So, rather than simply tie up the loose ends, this episode nicely progresses the Worf character. Worf actually grows! That's the best we may hope for from television and it also sets Worf up as a more serialized character (things in his character arc tend to have consequences).

The acting in "Redemption, Part 2" is a nice use of the talents of those involved. Tony Todd plays Kurn, Worf's brother, far more aggressively than in the first part and it works quite well, creating a vital character through harsher tones and more physical acting. Todd wonderfully contrasts Dorn's cooler, more depressed and conflicted portrayal of Worf.

Barbara March and Gwynyth Walsh create memorable characters of Lursa and B'Etor, which is probably they continue to return to the Star Trek universe. Even more compelling is the portrayal by Denise Crosby of Sela. Crosby makes Sela an interesting villain and creates a coolly hostile character distinctly different from her first season character Tasha Yar.

This episode is an essential part of the Worf character story and the plot is integral to the Klingon and Romulan plots that are developed in the future. "Redemption, Part 2," however, is almost impossible to view without the first part and is almost entirely inaccessible to those who are not fans of Star Trek The Next Generation. This is very insular, alluding to specific events in the Star Trek universe and the characters that have not been explored in the two parter but are essential to understanding why the characters do what they do.

Featuring a cameo by Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg), "Redemption, Part II" compellingly opens the fifth season with an exploration of consequences and the nature of being an outsider among ones own people.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Fifth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the fifth season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

7.5/10

For other Star Trek episode and movie reviews, please be sure to check out my index page on the subject by clicking here!

© 2011, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.




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A Season Of Stride: Star Trek: The Next Generation Season Five Is Wonderful!

The Good: High amount of continuity and good episodes, Excellent acting, Decent special effects, Good character development
The Bad: Mostly just "Hero Worship."
The Basics: A strong season of Star Trek The Next Generation give the whole cast more of a crew feeling while still focusing strongly on their best individual assets.

Most television shows take a while to hit their stride, but when they do . . . they just sprint for as long as they can before falling completely to pieces. Some series' get into the right rhythm and then manage to do an endurance run to keep running. Star Trek The Next Generation is an example of the latter type of series.

In the fifth season of Star Trek The Next Generation, there are twenty-six episodes and most all of them are at least good and the vast majority are worth recommending. In fact, the series' best episode, "The Inner Light" appears in the fifth season. There's a lot to celebrate in the fifth season.

The first and only major change to Star Trek The Next Generation is that a new character is introduced. In the third episode of the season, a Bajoran character named Ro Laren comes aboard the Enterprise and mixes some conflict in with the rather bland and stable crew. Ensign Ro appears in five other episodes of the season and plays as a foil to the sometimes out of touch enlightened crew. That is, Ro provides an anchor for the viewer, someone we may readily identify with. After four years of seeing the philosopher Picard, the gallant Riker, the super-intelligent Data and the inhuman Worf, it's nice to see someone who is a little off balance, someone with a temper and who has had difficulties.

But the fifth season uses Ro as a foil in only some of the episodes while maintaining and expanding the fine qualities of the crew in the other episodes. The fifth season has more of a sense of serialization than any of the previous seasons and it works to foreshadow Star Trek Deep Space Nine. So, what is the fifth season all about?

In the fifth season of Star Trek The Next Generation, the Klingon Civil War ends with the exposure of the Romulan connection ("Redemption, Part 2"), the Bajoran situation is introduced ("Ensign Ro"), and the Crystalline Entity returns ("Silicon Avatar"). The Enterprise gets nearly destroyed ("Disaster"), Spock returns ("Unification Part 1 and 2"), and some of the characters are possessed ("Power Play"). But the season continues strong with Worf being injured ("Ethics"), Picard raising a family on an alien planet ("The Inner Light") and Data being found dead in San Francisco ("Time's Arrow").

But more important than what the season is about is what happens to the characters. Picard makes the most significant leaps forward in character in the continued trend to humanize the distant philosopher. Finally, Picard opens up to children in "Disaster" and falls in love in a compelling way ("The Perfect Mate") and gets a family ("The Inner Light"). Picard continues a great tradition of meaningful first contacts ("Darmok," "The Masterpiece Society" and "Imaginary Friend").

Picard is not the only one who undergoes character growth. As has been happening, Data and Worf continue to follow Picard in the number of episodes focused on them. Data experiences more bemusal and personal horror ("Silicon Avatar"), command ("Redemption, Part 2"), an undercover mission ("Unification"), a taste of parenthood (the below-average "Hero Worship") and even death in the season finale ("Time's Arrow"). Worf opens the season with an exploration of his Klingon heritage ("Redemption, Part 2) and he continues to grow through emergency medical experience ("Disaster"), the return of his son ("New Ground") and his growth as a parent ("Cost of Living"), being violently overpowered ("Power Play") and critically wounded ("Ethics").

More than anything, the fifth season of Star Trek The Next Generation embraces the idea of the Enterprise as a functional crew and its cast as an ensemble. As a result, there are fewer episodes that focus on a single character. Out of twenty-six episodes, only thirteen focus primarily on a single character. Indeed, even the season finale which is motivated by Data becomes more of a complete cast finish.

The plot and characters continue to grow, but more than that, the acting reaches new heights. Brent Spiner gets a chance to expand his talent by playing a violent criminal ("Power Play") and Patrick Stewart infuses Picard with compassion and love in three of the episodes. It's a welcome change on both parties and they are not exclusive; Levar Burton plays with more action in "The Next Phase" and Michael Dorn gives a truly passionate performance in "Ethics." Marina Sirtis, though, gets the greatest leaps. In season five, Sirtis has the chance to play authoritarian ("Disaster"), criminal ("Power Play") and Data ("Time's Arrow") and she plays them all expertly.

Fans of Star Trek The Next Generation know what to expect; continual character growth and great acting as a result of individual missions. Here, however, they get an added bonus, a sense of continuity and consequences: the Klingon Civil War ends and there are lasting ramifications that come back up, in "Unification" for example. "I, Borg" explores the consequences of Picard's victimization by the Borg.

Those who are not fans of Star Trek The Next Generation will discover some of the best that science fiction may produce. There are interesting characters and they grow and change over the season. There are decent special effects, especially in the area of make-up in this season and the acting is above most dramas on television. But this is also the season that Gene Roddenberry died during and as a result, there is a marked increase in phaser fights and violence. That's not a criticism, just an acknowledgment of the truth; with Roddenberry's passing, the new team that took over saw the opportunity to do more than talk their way out of situations. This makes this season of Star Trek The Next Generation far more accessible to the people who have not classically been a fan of the series.

While this is an excellent season and the DVD has some real nice behind the scenes extras (Patrick Stewart singing to Gene is precious and worth the DVD price alone), it's not perfect. Still, it's closer than most television series' ever get.

Because the boxed set DVDs assume the viewer know what is inside without providing a decent listing, here is what the fifth season of Star Trek The Next Generation consisted of:
Redemption, Part 2
Darmok
Ensign Ro
Silicon Avatar
Disaster
The Game
Unification, Part 1
Unification, Part 2
A Matter Of Time
New Ground
Hero Worship
Violations
The Masterpiece Society
Conundrum
Power Play
Ethics
The Outcast
Cause And Effect
The First Duty
Cost Of Living
The Perfect Mate
Imaginary Friend
I, Borg
The Next Phase
The Inner Light
Time's Arrow

9/10

For other television reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2007, 2003 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



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