5 Best 'Star Trek Next Generation' Episodes

If you’re in search of great TV storylines, look no further than the five best “Star Trek: The Next Generation” episodes. As an update of Gene Roddenberry’s classic franchise, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” broke new ground in TV science fiction with memorable characters and compelling plotlines.

1. “Encounter At Farpoint” (Season 1): The premiere entry in the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” series, this episode was broadcast all the way back in 1987. On an investigative mission to a remote space station, the crew encounters Q, an omnipotent being with a sour disposition and surly sense of humor. Q puts the Enterprise crew on trial for the crimes of humanity, causing a chain of peculiar events that Captain Picard and the crew must endure to save themselves.
2. “The Nth Degree” (Season 4): After being hit by a pulse from an alien probe, shy and awkward Lieutenant Barclay gains super-human intelligence in this action-packed episode. Overcome by power and arrogance, Barclay syncs his brain with the Enterprise’s computer, causing Picard and the crew to devise a way to break the connection without killing Barclay or destroying the ship.
3. “Q Who?” (Season 2): As the most intriguing character on the list of the five best “Star Trek: The Next Generation” episodes, Q is once again the ornery protagonist in this 1989 entry. After an argument with Captain Picard, Q banishes the Enterprise to a remote region of space. There they encounter a robotic collective called the Borg, who are a seemingly undefeatable enemy.
4. “The Game” (Season 5): Starfleet Cadet Wesley Crusher takes his place as an important member of the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” cast in this 1991 episode. After a vacation, Commander Riker brings a strange and addictive game back to the ship. Soon after, nearly everyone on board is playing, ignorant to the fact that the game is a mind control device. As one of the few crew members not under the game’s spell, Crusher must unravel the mystery of the device before being discovered.
5. “All Good Things” (Season 7): Proving once again that his character is the most memorable on the show, Q makes a third appearance on the list of the five best “Star Trek: The Next Generation” episodes. This was a two-part episode, serving as the show’s series finale. Q returns to once again put Picard on trial for the crimes of humanity. He sends Picard on a zigzagging trip through time to piece together the existence of a strange cloud in space.