What episodes of TNG should I watch before First Contact?

[Nibbz]

Nearly finishing up with TOS movies and would like to continue onward to TNG movies. Just wondering what episodes I should watch to get enough backstory to understand and appreciate First Contact to the fullest. Thanks.

[Dream]

Q Who

Best of Both Worlds
Best of Both Worlds part 2


You should eventually check out the rest of TNG since it is a very good show.

[DalekJim]

Dream wrote:

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Q Who

Best of Both Worlds
Best of Both Worlds part 2

Just these. I was going to add the other Borg episodes but they'd actually be detrimental to your viewing as you'd be wondering why the Federation are suddenly concerned about sending Picard to fight the Borg when they've already ordered him to post-Best of Both Worlds.

Or where Picard's weird obsession and grudge has come from when in the previous Borg encounter he barely acknowledged they were even there.

[R. Star]

Guess you could throw I, Borg in there, but it's not essential.

[Tosk]

You should also watch Family. As well as being a great follow up to BoBW, it's backstory for Generations. And then you should watch Datalore, Brothers and Descent 1 & 2 so that the Data stuff has context.

Really you should just watch all of TNG.

[Nibbz]

Speaking of Generations, which episodes should I watch before that?

[DalekJim]

There's nothing you can watch that will prepare you for Generations . Up until 2009, it was the worst Star Trek movie.

Seriously though, you don't need to have seen any TNG before it really. It's self-contained unlike First Contact which has a backstory.

[Mr Silver]

Nibbz wrote:

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Speaking of Generations, which episodes should I watch before that?

Family - Picard
Q Who - Guinan and El-Aurians
Descent Part 1 and 2
Brothers
Datalore
Silicone Avatar
The Mind's Eye

Each of those will prep nicely for GEN.

[Dream]

DalekJim wrote:

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Seriously though, you don't need to have seen any TNG before it really. It's self-contained unlike First Contact which has a backstory.

Agreed.

All TNG movies with the exception of First Contact felt like they were made for newcomers who never saw the show.. First Contact was the only TNG movie that became better if you knew the backstory.

[Tiberius]

And after you watch First Contact, check out an episode of Enterprise in season 2 named "Regeneration".

[tomalak301]

I would also include Family and The Drumhead to Dream's list. Both show the effects and denial Picard went through leading up to the movie.

[BillJ]

Threshold.

After watching it you won't even notice the plot holes in First Contact.

[Greg Cox]

Honestly, all you really need is "The Best of Both Worlds," both parts.

Everything else is supplemental, like reading the sidenotes in the Annotated Shakespeare or whatever. Interesting, if you want to explore the text in more depth, but not essential if you just want to watch "Romeo & Juliet."

[Paper Moon]

Greg Cox wrote:

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Honestly, all you really need is "The Best of Both Worlds," both parts.

Everything else is supplemental, like reading the sidenotes in the Annotated Shakespeare or whatever. Interesting, if you want to explore the text in more depth, but not essential if you just want to watch "Romeo & Juliet."

I agree, except that I really think you should include "Family" with "BOBW," because they really do create a trilogy, and "Family" establishes the emotional context Picard has about the Borg going into First Contact.

But yeah, everything else is supplemental, I agree.

[Mojochi]

Nibbz wrote:

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Speaking of Generations, which episodes should I watch before that?

You might want to check out Redemption 1&2 for an introduction to Lursa & B'Etor