Star Trek's strongest seasons

[Ensign_Redshirt]

TOS: Season 1
While probably contaning as many great episodes as Season 2, it also lacks the real clunkers TOS's second year sometimes suffers from (well, except for "The Alternative Factor", of course). It was a difficult decision, but I dare to say it was a fair one. Notable mentions: "The Menagerie", "Balance of Terror", "Space Seed", "The Devil in the Dark", "The City on the Edge of Forever".

TNG: Seasons 3 through 7
Here I'm starting to be unfaithful to my own premise. However, from Season 3 onwards TNG shows an almost constant level of quality. So, I'm simply nominating all of them. Yeah, I'm lazy. Notable mentions: "Yesterday's Enterprise", "The Best of Both Worlds", "Cause and Effect", "The Inner Light", "Chain of Command", "Tapestry", "Parallels".

DS9: Seasons 5 and 6
Yeah, I'm doing it again. But both season are virtually tied quality-wise. And since they're consecutive, I'm counting them as one. Notable mentions: "Trials and Tribble-ations", "In Purgatory's Shadow"/"By Inferno's Light", "Call to Arms", "Rocks and Shoals", "Favor the Bold"/"Sacrifice of Angels", "Far Beyond the Stars", "In the Pale Moonlight".

VOY: Season 4
I was torn between Seasons 4 and 5, actually. And I even considered to nominate both of them again. But in contrast to DS9's case, Season 4 simply has a slight edge in the end. No bad clunkers (Season 5 has "The Fight", ugh...) and some notable mentions like: "Scorpion" (well, at least Part II counts), "Year of Hell", "Message in a Bottle", "Living Witness".

ENT: Season 4
Enterprise how it should have been from the start. While some deride it as "continuity porn", I'd call it more of a homage and staying true to the premise as a TOS prequel. The standalone episodes usually suck though. Notable mentions: "The Forge"/"Awakening"/"Kir'Shara", "Babel One"/"United"/"The Aenar", "In a Mirror, Darkly".

So, and what's your take?

 

[flemm]

I'd say TOS season 1, the season that started it all, and still one of the best seasons in all of sci-fi.

TNG season 3, this is when TNG came into its own and truly made 24th century Trek worth watching.

DS9 season 5, which would be my pick for best season of modern Trek.

Voyager and Enterprise are nothing to me

 

[The Wormhole]

TOS seasons 1 and 2
TNG seasons 3, 5, and 7
DS9 seasons 3, 5, and 7
Voyager seasons 3 and 5
Enterprise season 4

 

[Kira Nerys]

TOS Dont care for
TNG season 5-7
ds9 1-7
Voy Don't care for

 

[F. King Daniel]

Enterprise season 3. The premise was a little silly, but it turned Enterprise from "more Voyager episodes with different faces" into a show worthy of the name Star Trek.

And the Xindi are some of the coolest Trek aliens ever.

 

[Vonstadt]

TOS : seasons 1 & 2

TNG : seasons 5 thru 7

DS9 : Seasons 1 thru 7

VOY : Um pretty much all the same to me

ENT : I would say season 3 and some of 4

Just my two cents.

Vons

 

[Lord Garth]

TOS Season 1
TOS Season 2

TNG Season 3
TNG Season 4
TNG Season 6

DS9 Season 2
DS9 Season 4
DS9 Season 5
DS9 Season 6

VOY Season 4
VOY Season 7

I can't truly comment on ENT but, from what I've seen, I'll go with the fourth.

If I had to narrow it down to the top five, it would be (in order of series and season):

TOS-1
TOS-2
TNG-3
DS9-4
DS9-6

 

[Luther Sloan]

TOS:

Season's 1-3 (All Season's of TOS were strong)

TNG:

Season's 3-6 were the strongest.

DS9:

Season's 4-7 were the strongest.

VOY:

Season's 4-6 were the strongest

ENT:

Season 3 was the strongest and some of Season 4 was sort of solid.

 

[22 Stars]

I think puting TNG Season 7 on the list is just a joke.

TOS season 1 is the winner for me, followed by TNG season 4.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I'll just pick one season per series.

TOS: Season 1. This is SOLID TREK.

VOY: Season 4. The introduction of 7. Lots of the doctor. 3 excellent double episodes in this season. This is my most rewatched season of Trek. I always seem to be picking eps from this season.

DS9: Season 5. This was difficult to pick. I actually enjoy Season 7 better but the question was which was strongest. Season 5 has the war, Dukat development, excellent Ferengi eps, Eddington (I think..) Thinking about it made want to watch DS9 again..

ENT: Season 4. Many self contained story arcs that furthered character development while taking us to new places. Augments, Andorian arc (woot!), Vulcan's Forge arc, Mirror Universe double, and Demons/Terra Prime finale. Excellent diverse well developed Trek.

Can't do TNG, it is my least favorite and I have not watched it consecutively for some time. Should have an opinion by the end of the year though, lol.

 

[Shatnertage]

From the OP, I'd cut TNG 6-7 and add ENT 3. While we're being generous, I'd add TOS 2.

 

[Admiral Shran]

My top three....

DS9 Season Six

Easily the best season Trek has offered. There were only two episodes from the season which I didn't like - Valiant and Profit and Lace.

ENT Season Four

Comes in a close second. It had it's stinkers as well - Daedalus and Bound. But the way the season ended keeps it from topping DS9 Season Six.

TNG Season Three

With episodes like The Survivors, The Enemy, The Defector, The Hunted, A Matter of Perspective, The Offspring, Sins of the Father, Allegiance, Hollow Pusuits, The Most Toys, Sarek, and The Best of Both World, Part One, how can you go wrong.

 

[indolover]

TOS - never liked it.

TNG - Season 1 was largely poor, though The Neutral Zone, DataLore, Heart of Glory and Hide and Q were good episodes I feel. Season 2 picked up, and seasons 3 to 7 were gold.

DS9 - Similar to TNG. Season 1 so-so, Season 2 picked up, and it IMO hit off when the Dominion became a steady threat.

VOY - The Kazon arc in Season 2 was good. IMO season 4 was best.

ENT - The Xindi season.

 

[GalaxyClass1701]

TOS: Season 2
TNG: Season 5
DS9: Season 6-7
VOY: Season 4
ENT Season 3

 

[Pemmer Harge]

DS9 Season 5. Most DS9 seasons apart from 1 and maybe 2 are up there, along with, I guess, Seasons 3 to 6 of TNG and Season 1 of TOS.

 

[Damask]

DS9: Season 5. My pick for the best season of all Trek. Though I'm a fan of season 2 also.

 

[Jefferies]

To me the hight of Star Trek are DS9 seasons 4 5 and 6. They eclipse all else by a significant margin.

However if one levels the playing field a little I would include:
Star Trek - Season 1, maybe season 2 aswell.
TNG - sorry even though I love this show only season 3 was really good.
DS9 - all seasons were strong except the first one, which was okay. Season 3 is a bit of a let down when compared to the rest but still as good as TNG's 3rd season.
Voyager - Season 4 was good, maybe season 1. The rest wasn't terrible but not exactly strong either.
Enterprise - alas this series had no strong seasons and only a handful of strong episodes. Therefore, it just cannot measure up to the rest.

 

[I am not Spock]

I pretty much concur with Ensign Redshirt's choices here. TOS season one is remarkably consistent, with only one stinker in the bunch (The Alternate Factor) IMO.

TNG seasons 3-6 are very consistent in quality.

DS9 pretty much from season 4 onwards. It never looked back in terms of quality (except maybe Profit and Lace )

VOY peaked in its fourth season, IMO.

ENT seasons three and four were the best of that show. Four is often called fanboyish, but what fanboyism!

 

[Keith1701]

TOS seasons 1 and 2
TNG seasons 3, 5, and 7
DS9 seasons 3, 5, and 7
Voyager seasons 3 and 5
Enterprise season 4

I agree.

 

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

I find it hard to recall which episode was in which season during the TNG "middle years"... basically, S3 to 5 I believe. I remember all of those being really strong years. I think TNG S3 was the one that really wow'd people.

S5 and S6 of DS9 are ridiculously strong in terms of consistent quality as well. The DS9 equivalent of TNG S3.
If S6's finale had been better, with less pah-wraith nonsense, it would have won but S5 is just strong all the way through. Not as many WOW episodes, but just consistently high quality. I particularly like unsung hero episodes like Business As Usual, A Simple Investigation, Rapture, Soldiers of the Empire, and my personal favorite, In the Cards. Call to Arms is very much the "DS9 Best of Both Worlds", one of those seminal cliffhangers that defines the show.