Support NeoGAF

[SpaceWolf]

To celebrate the recent release of the trailer for the new Star Trek: Discovery.

I have three, coincidentally all from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Star Trek: The Next Generation
The Inner Light
Season 5, Episode 9

Goes without saying, really. When zapped by a mysterious probe aboard the Enterprise, Picard awakens to find himself living a completely different life amidst an alien civilisation. An undisputed classic and a truly touching story which showcases that Star Trek can often perform at its best when the story is stripped down to its most human essentials. Also, Patrick Stewart delivers one of his most affecting performances. The poignant ending never fails to make me tear up.

Star Trek: The Next Generation
The Outcast
Season 5, Episode 17.

Bit more of left field choice this one. In this episode, Riker encounters the representative of an androgynous species before the two inadvertently end up falling for one another. Always a sucker for a good tragedy, I also really love this episode for its world-building, exploring the horror and tragedy of a society that treats gender identification as a kind sickness, a disease that needs to be stamped out at all costs. I also thought the central relationship was really interesting, plus this was an episode where we got to see Riker at his roguishly charming best!

Star Trek: The Next Generation.
The Drumhead.
Season 4, Episode 21.

A really great episode, that has become as timely now as at the time of its first airing. An explosion on the Enterprise, leads to a rigorous internal investigation launching by a visiting, high ranking Admiral. As the Admiral openly encourages a climate of suspicion, division and paranoia to take over among his own crew, an increasingly alarmed Picard decides to take a stand against her. I'd definitely recommend a first-time viewer of the show checking this one out. A very tense, thoughtful episode...capped off with some excellent speeches, once again delivered by a Patrick Stewart totally on top of his game.

What about you guys? Any favourite episodes?

 

[NotSelf]

The Inner Light is one of my favorites as well. I also like all the ones with Q especially the ep Tapestry it's when a young picard picks a fight with the nausicaans.

 

[Balphon]

The City on the Edge of Forever.

Ironically I don't really like TOS much overall, though.

 

[SlipperyFishes]

Lower Decks

It's always interesting to see how the junior officers deal with current ongoing missions, life and their career.

 

[Escape Goat]

I have to go with All Good Things. We get to go back to the beginning and see the end of our characters. Q returns. And we finally see Picard let his hair down and join the crew for a game of pinochle.

Also, Enterprise with 3 engines = faster I guess.

 

[Ashby]

In the Pale Moonlight.

"I can live with it..."

 

[firehawk12]

Star Trek: The Next Generation
The Outcast
Season 5, Episode 17.

Bit more of left field choice this one. In this episode, Riker encounters the representative of an androgynous species before the two inadvertently end up falling for one another. Always a sucker for a good tragedy, I also really love this episode for its world-building, exploring the horror and tragedy of a society that treats gender identification as a kind sickness, a disease that needs to be stamped out at all costs. I also thought the central relationship was really interesting, plus this was an episode where we got to see Riker at his roguishly charming best!

The funny thing is that everyone hates the ending to this one. Even Frakes.
Of course, nowadays it's an example of regressive Trek.

For TNG, the Best of Both Worlds "Trilogy" is probably the peak. Unification, even beyond the Spock cameo, is a good two parter too. I also like Relics, but that's definitely more because of nostalgia than the quality of the episode.

DS9 has In the Pale Moonlight, although having watched it again recently, Brooks REALLY overacts in the episode.

Voyager has decent episodes, usually involving the Doctor. But nothing jumps out to me as must watch.

I've scrubbed Enterprise from my brain. lol

Oh right, TOS. Doomsday Machine is the one that always stand out to me. A lot of episodes have good "moments", but Doomsday Machine is an episode that stands out to me as a whole.

 

[NotSelf]

Oh ya the one barclay becomes a genius I love that ep.

 

[Patryn]

In the Pale Moonlight.

"I can live with it..."

Yep, Sisko's monologue at the end is just gold. (Warning, serious spoilers for DS9)

Of course, it's so memorable partially because it's almost literally the antithesis of everything Trek was supposed to be. It's definitely the episode that drags Trek the most into the grey (almost to the black).

 

[weemadarthur]

I enjoy Louis Zimmerman as a character, so all the episodes in each series where he shows up are cool. Robert Picardo somehow manages to give charisma to an unpleasant sort of person, and let you root for him despite the handicap of his personality.

From Voyager, like everyone else, my favorite character is the Doctor.
Therefore, I like the episodes
Tinker, Tailor, Doctor Spy
Virtuoso
Message in a Bottle
And that one where he is a relic on an alien planet and they have a hate on for Voyager for screwing up their entire society

From DS9, there are lots of episodes I enjoy, it's hard to pick them out. But not the ones featuring Ferengi, except maybe House of Quark.

 

[MCN]

TOS: City on the Edge of Forever

TNG: The Inner Light

DS9: In The Pale Moonlight

VOY: Year of Hell parts 1&2

ENT: In A Mirror, Darkly parts 1&2

 

[Dizzy-4U]

Duet

Cardassian war criminal gets arrested and Kira has to conduct the investigation. By far my favorite episode of all the series.

 

[Jackpot]

TNG The Defector

A great "Cold War" episode with an action-packed opening and intense interrogations and subterfuge.

DS9 Improbable Cause/The Die is Cast 2-parter

The least human-focused plot in Star Trek and consequently one of its best. Focus on 2 great characters - Odo and Garak. First half is Odo doing his no-nonsense investigating. Second half is all Romulans and Cardassians, with Trek's first fleet battle. Story has wide impacts on all the empires.

Garak's scene pleading with Tain during the Battle of the Omarion Nebula is spell-binding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSSBiDgE6-g

TNG Starship Mine

It's Die Hard with Picard as John McClaine.

You have the funny intro with Data trying to mimic small-talk, the running gag with the saddle, and Picard determinedly taking down a gang of thieves one at a time.

 

[firehawk12]

Duet

Cardassian war criminal gets arrested and Kira has to conduct the investigation. By far my favorite episode of all the series.

Somewhat related to this, in terms of "Kira growth", but Ties of Blood and Water is a nice episode as well.

 

[- J - D -]

Tapestry (the one where Picard's heart is gravely injured). Inner Light is also really high up there. I also really like Yesterday's Enterprise for giving tasha Yar a proper send off.

 

[SpaceWolf]

I also really like Yesterday's Enterprise for giving Natasha Yar a proper send off.

....before later undoing said send-off by having the character get kidnapped and turned into a sex slave who later gets promptly murdered off-screen.

Poor Tasha.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

TOS:
City on the Edge of Forever
The Doomsday Machine
The Trouble With Tribbles
Errand of Mercy

TNG
The Survivors
Q Who
Measure of a Man
Chain of Command

DS9
Tacking into the Wind
In the Pale Moonlight
Rapture
In The Cards
Way of the Warrior
The Visitor
Trials and Tribblelations

 

[StalkerUKCG]

TNG: S02E09 Measure of a Man

It's pure star trek at it's best to me.

That said I have a fondness for ones with unusual elements.

Tuvix
Relativity
Hope and Fear
Unification

Additionally Mirror Universe episodes are also appealing to me.

 

[- J - D -]

....before later undoing said send-off by having the character get kidnapped and turned into a sex slave who later gets promptly murdered off-screen.

Poor Tasha.

Aw shit I totally forgot about that, lol.

RIP in peace, Tasha

 

[hobblygobbly]

TNG: The Inner Light, The Measure of A Man, Tapestry, Darmok.

DS9: Duet, The Visitor, In the Pale Moonlight, The Siege of AR-558, Our Man Bashir (the best holodeck/holosuite episode of all shows?).

If I had to choose a single one... it would go to The Inner Light. I bought a tin whistle just to learn how to play the song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZaFNFyuv2w

My opinions of the best changed upon second rewatch but they are reflected above, for TNG and DS9 in particular, The Inner Light and Duet respectively will always be my favourites.

 

[Himynameischris]

I can't pick just one...so I'll break down by series lol

DS9
Far Beyond The Stars or In The Pale Moonlight

TNG
The Best of Both Worlds or All Good Things

TOS
The Menagerie, Part 1 and 2 or The City On The Edge Of Forever

ENT
In A Mirror Darkly or Anything with Shram

VOY
I just finished season 1...so I guess Eye of the Needle or Caretaker?

TAS
The Infinite Vulcan (Haven't finished series either)

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

TNG: S02E09 Measure of a Man

It's pure star trek at it's best to me.

That said I have a fondness for ones with unusual elements.

Tuvix
Relativity
Hope and Fear
Unification

Additionally Mirror Universe episodes are also appealing to me.

Did you see the bluray extended version of measure? It's really good.

 

[Lucky Forward]

Star Trek: The Next Generation
The Outcast
Season 5, Episode 17.

Bit more of left field choice this one. In this episode, Riker encounters the representative of an androgynous species before the two inadvertently end up falling for one another. Always a sucker for a good tragedy, I also really love this episode for its world-building, exploring the horror and tragedy of a society that treats gender identification as a kind sickness, a disease that needs to be stamped out at all costs. I also thought the central relationship was really interesting, plus this was an episode where we got to see Riker at his roguishly charming best!

While I like the message of the episode, I just never found Riker's actions very believeable (IIRC, he was willing to shirk his duty and walk away from starfleet for his new love.)

I thought a better story might have been having a young officer whom Riker was mentoring be the one to fall in love with the alien (it would play better with the impetuousness of youth) and then Riker would play the Worf role by reluctantly helping the young man try to be with his love. Just a thought.

 

[kess]

The Corbomite Maneuver is one of my favorite episodes, a Statement of Intent for Trek as a whole.

 

[FeenixRising]

DS9:

In the Pale Moonlight
The Visitor
Far Beyond the Stars
Rejoined
Trials and Tribblelations

 

[StalkerUKCG]

Did you see the bluray extended version of measure? It's really good.

Not yet, I'm resistant to buying them on Bluray because I'm a completionist and without DS9 or VOY I'll just be annoyed.

I'll have to check it out

 

[DeadlyParasite]

There's a bunch of Voyager episodes I have a fondness for but liking the show itself is a bridge too far here and throughout the trek community so I'll refrain from posting them.

The most recent one from another series I can remember really liking was in DS9, the episode "The Siege of AR-558".

 

[Jotaka]

Best episode for me: The Inner Light

OFF TOPIC: Best white noise ever!
Star Trek TNG Ambient Engine Noise
I listen to it for a long time.

 

[Dizzy-4U]

Somewhat related to this, in terms of "Kira growth", but Ties of Blood and Water is a nice episode as well.

That was the one with the dying Cardassian who in a previous episode thought Kira was her daughter, right? I need to rewatch that, it's been long.

 

[Beartruck]

Season 2 episode 15:Threshold(voyager) is the most enjoyable piece of Star Trek media ever produced. So many belly laughs over what a huge piece of shit that episode is.

Real talk though, "Far beyond the stars" is probably my favorite DS9 episode.

 

[liquidtmd]

A close tie between Darmok and All Good Things...both TNG

Darmok because it fundamentally captured the very essence of something alien, coupled with the best elements of Patrick Stewart's diplomatic and problem solving Picard.

All Good Things is perhaps one of the best Season Finales I've seen of any show in terms of wrapping things up as well as being a satisfying puzzle in its own right.

So much confidence in the entire production of both episodes with all cast at the top of their game

Edit: Voyagers 'Threshold' is indeed aces. Watched drunk even better. Janeway and Paris turn into lizard people, fuck, have babies, they get turned back into human, they laugh and never mention it again.

 

[The Boom Camel]

The Visitor is my favorite episode of any television show ever.

 

[drspeedy]

I have to go with All Good Things. We get to go back to the beginning and see the end of our characters. Q returns. And we finally see Picard let his hair down and join the crew for a game of pinochle.

Also, Enterprise with 3 engines = faster I guess.

It's got that space overdrive!


Best: Trouble With Tribbles

 

[Schlorgan]

Q, Who?

Best of Both Worlds (both parts)

I, Borg

Tapestry

Starship Mine

Yesterday's Enterprise

Cause and Effect

The Trouble With Tribbles (TOS)

 

[moondoggerr]

Best of Both Worlds.

The stakes were just so high.

 

[JeffZero]

I'll post a top five later. Trek is my jam, so I gotta go all out. I'll do mini-reviews and stuff.

 

[ErasureAcer]

Inner Light is not episode 9 OP. It's the second to last of the season, Ep 23 I think.

Edit-25th.

 

[oneida]

To celebrate the recent release of the trailer for the new Star Trek: Discovery.

I have three, coincidentally all from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Star Trek: The Next Generation
The Inner Light
Season 5, Episode 9

it's this one

ps it's episode 25 not 9

 

[gforguava]

Valiant (DS9) - Where Nog and Jake end up on the titular ship that is crewed only with cadets.

 

[ErasureAcer]

Our Man Bashir (the best holodeck/holosuite episode of all shows?).

Was on Heroes and Icons last night. Good ep but Garak should have attempted to kill Bashir when he wouldnt go along with his plans towards the end. Instead u have Bashir taking fire at Garak for not going with his plan. Seemed off.

 

[funkystudent]

Best of Both Worlds is probably GOAT but IMO I kinda feel like it fell apart during the second half of episode 2 once they get picard back.

Valiant (DS9) - Where Nog and Jake end up on the titular ship that is crewed only with cadets.

I watched this again a year or so ago and the way Red Squad commanded the ship is basically Star Trek 2009 logic.

 

[Harlock]

Voyager has the best single episode histories from star trek. Most episodes are regular. But 5 or 6 are the best sci-fi concepts in star trek universe.

 

[sulik]

Voyager: Threshold

 

[Fast Forward]

TOS
Space Seed
Trouble with Tribbles
The City on the Edge of Forever

TNG
The Measure of a Man
Drumhead
Cause and Effect
Timescape
The Inner Light
Tapestry
The Pegasus
All Good Things

DS9
Duet
The Visitor
In the Pale Moonlight
It's Only a Paper Moon
Trials and Tribble-ations

Voyager
Timeless
Living Witness
Latent Image

Enterprise
Carbon Creek
The Andorian Incident
Demons/Terra Prime

 

[firehawk12]

That was the one with the dying Cardassian who in a previous episode thought Kira was her daughter, right? I need to rewatch that, it's been long.

Yep!

 

[Teren_Kanan]

Only clicked this thread to reply "Inner Light"

OP had me covered.

 

[ClivePwned]

TOS
City at the Edge of Forever
Arena
Space Seed
Trouble with Tribbles
A Piece of the Action
Amok Time

TNG
Conspiracy
Q Who
Measure of a Man
Yesterday's Enterprise
Best of Both Worlds
inner Light
Cause and Effect
All Good Things

DS9
Children of Time

Voyager
The Anomalous Anomaly
The Beige Incident
The Neutral Factor
Grey, Grey, Grey, Grey, Grey
the Meh of Eh

Enterprise
The One where Ross and Rachel were on a break.

 

[Yoshi]

My three favourites:

Deep Space Nine: In the Pale Moonlight

The Next Generation: The Worth of a Man

The Next Generation: Who Watches the Watchers?

The philosophical episodes are defintely the best in Star Trek .

 

[LoveCake]

There are so many, I have limited myself to three for each show.

TOS.
A Piece of the Action.
The Trouble with Tribbles.
The City on the Edge of Forever.

TNG:
Tapestry.
The Inner Light.
The Measure of a Man.

DS9:
The Assent.
The Magnificant Ferengi.
In the Pale Moonlight.

VGR:
Blink of an Eye.
Worst Case Scenario.
Living Witness.

ENT:
In a Mirror, Darkly.
Broken Bow 1.
Broken Bow 2.

Movie.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

Best singular performance:
Gul Darheel / Aamin Marritza DS9 'Duet'

Best character:
Garak, the most mysterious and complex character, also it could be argued that he single handedly saved his home world and ultimately people, due to his various key actions throughout the war.
Bringing the Romulus into the war, exposing the Bashir changeling, re-enforcing the resistance movement, leading the final assault, Garak went from exiled outcast to the saviour of his civilization.

 

[Count Dookkake]

The Motion Picture