Now that Netflix has put every series of Star Trek on Watch Instant, I think it is a good time for me to engage(!) in that favorite hobby of Film Club's - list making. Now I realize that the creation of this list does not do me any favors on the girlfriend front. But sacrifices had to be made and I no longer have a problem embracing the title of "Trekkie." Plus, the amount of Star Trek that I had to re-watch in order to get this list right makes it all worth while.
So, grab a cup of tea (earl grey, hot) and enjoy.
- The Inner Light S05E25 - This is one of the finest episodes in all of television. The Enterprise approaches a strange probe and it zaps Capt. Picard into unconsciousness. During the short amount of time he is out, Picard lives an entire life as another person on another world. This episode explores how history is preserved and passed down, empathy for others and what it means to live a fulfilled life.
- Encounter at Farpoint S01E01/02 - This is the episode (well, episodes as this was a two-parter) that started it all. Shortly after Capt. Picard takes command of the Enterprise, the crew is trapped by Q - who will be one of the best recurring characters throughout the series - on their way to pick up Data and Riker. Q informs Picard that humanity has been put on trial for being a savage and inferior species for which Picard must defend against. Not only did this episode develop the type of Captain that Picard would be, it also established one of the best "rivalries" in television.
- All Good Things S07E26/27 - The series finale is a sprawling look into past, present and future in the lives of the Enterprise crew members. It explores many of the themes from the last 7 years and, as it turns out, those years were all still a part of Q's test for humanity. Picard has to piece together information from all the time frames in order to ensure the creation (not destruction) of the human race.
- Darkmok S05E02 - Capt. Picard finds himself stranded on a world with an alien with whom he cannot communicate. Eventually, he realizes that the alien speaks only in metaphors and allegories. Working together they fulfill the reasons for which they are on the planet.
- The Measure of a Man S02E09 - In this episode Data must convince Starfleet that he has the right to self-determination when a scientist wants to take him apart in order to study and possibly learn to build others like him. This episode questions what it means to be human and tackles the issues of AI sentience, consciousness and self-awareness.
- The Best of Both Worlds S04E01/S03E26 - One of the best cliffhangers in the series, this episode continues with the Borg story line that was introduced in earlier seasons. In this episode Capt. Picard is captured by the Borg and becomes Locutus, which will play a significant role in several of the TNG movies. In an epic battle with the seemingly indestructible Borg, the crew of the Enterprise figure out a way to defeat them as they battle around Earth.
- I, Borg S05E23 - The Enterprise finds a lone member of the Borg and have to decide how to deal with him. Issues of just war and morality play out and during the course of the episode the crew members rethink some of their opinions of the Borg (as they existed as individuals before being assimilated).
- Chain of Command S06E10/11 - In this two-part episode the Cardassians, who will be a main enemy during DS9, capture Capt. Picard during a covert mission. He is tortured by the Cardassians while Riker and Picard's replacement on the Enterprise disagree about how to deal with the situation, which eventually leads to Riker being relieved of duty. Picard is told that the torture will end if he simply states that there are 5 rather than 4 lights in the room. However, he never breaks and is released when the replacement Captain and Riker work together to force the Cardassians into retreat.
- Second Chances S06E24 - In this episode Riker discovers that a transporter accident 8 years ago has resulted in the formation of a duplicate of him. They are both exactly the same in every way. Questions of self, the soul and identity take over while the Rikers attempt to discover to what extent experience makes a man.
- First Contact S04E15 - While on a mission to observe an alien species on the brink of discovering deep space travel, Riker is injured and loses contact with the Enterprise. This creates a delicate situation as he has been observing in secret, disguised as a member of the alien species. The crew of the Enterprise end up breaching First Contact rules and discover exactly why they exist in the first place.
In order to make this list I searched through and compiled a list of my favorite episodes. Below are 13 other episodes that I really enjoy and think are some of the better ones from the 7 seasons the show aired but didn't make my top 10.
Honorable Mention:
- Emergence S07E23
- Force of Nature S07E09
- Timescape S06E25
- Frame of Mind S06E21
- Starship Mine S06E18
- The Quality of Life S06E09
- True Q S06E06
- Schisms S06E05
- Cause and Effect S05E18
- Ethics S05E16
- The Nth Degree S04E19
- Q-Who? S02E16
- 11001001 S01E16
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