Each Main Actor's Best Performance?

[Mojochi]

Opinions on the episodes that each main actor gave their best performance

My choices
Patrick Stewart - The Inner Light
Brent Spiner - Brothers
Jonathan Frakes - Frame of Mind
Levar Burton - I Borg
Michael Dorn - Ethics
Marina Sirtis - Face of The Enemy
Gates McFadden - Suspicions

 

[Rebel Scum]

Patrick Stewart - The Drumhead
Brent Spiner - Redemption Part 2
Johnathan Frakes - The BoBW
Levar Burton - The Enemy
Micheal Dorne - Sins of the Father
Marina Sirtis - Disaster
Gates McFadden - Cause and Effect

 

[Mutai Sho-Rin]

Oh, this will be fun. I’m eager to see people’s choices and any explanation y’all may offer.

 

[The QyptiQonundrum]

Patrick Stewart - Yesterday's Enterprise or Conspiracy (both for speeches and other Picardisms that just nail it, but will add The Best of Both Worlds pt1 and Q Who for honorable mentions for the same reason)

Brent Spiner - Datalore, with ease and for showing the widest range of acting attributes and playing Lore with the most relish as well as viciousness (he's done triple roles, but for pure range, you don't get anything wider than the pure Data and the vile Lore)

Jonathan Frakes - The Pegasus and A Matter of Honor for character nuance (honorable mention The Best of Both Worlds pt1 (for taking command reins so well))

LeVar Burton - Elementary Dear Data or The Arsenal of Freedom

Michael Dorn - Heart of Glory (takes the role's reins and runs with it) or Ethics (his subplot and acting of a contentious issue was sublime)

Marina Sirtis - Tin Man or The Child

Gates McFadden - Symbiosis or The High Ground (but honorable mention to The Arsenal of Freedom for some nuances that could be easily overlooked)

 

[Laughing Dragon]

Patrick Stewart - Chain of Command
Brent Spiner - Brothers
Marina Sirtis - Disaster
Jonathan Frakes - Best of Both Worlds
Gates McFadden - The Host
Levar Burton - Interface
Micheal Dorn - Ethics

 

[Ragitsu]

Levar Burton - "The Mind's Eye" is a good example of Levar's acting sans eyes (although, the episode is largely an ensemble piece).

 

[Tosk]

Just off the top of my head/gut reaction, so I reserve the right to change my answers.

Patrick Stewart - Generations. For two reasons. The shell-shock he carries in the early scenes, and the reveal scene with Marina. Patrick can sometimes bring slightly too much to an emotional scene, where it almost borders on ham (but without crossing over) and for me, his emotional delivery during that scene is on the money.

Jonathan Frakes - Second Chances. Nothing too showy, but I appreciate the subtle differences he tries to bring to Will and Tom.

LeVar Burton - Identity Crisis. Again, maybe not the episode that displays his range at its best, but I think he does solid work and some good no-lines stuff after fully transforming. He sells the hell out of that hug at the end without speaking or really even being easily seen.

Denise Crosby - Yesterday's Enterprise, thankfully. (Although it's not like she's outstanding in it.) Otherwise I'd have to pass.

Michael Dorn - It's hard to pick a TNG, my thoughts are overshadowed by DS9 choices. Maybe Sins of the Father?

Gates McFadden - Gates doesn't get a lot of stellar eps (or great moments in other eps for that matter) so I'll go with Remember Me, simply because she obviously carries that episode, and well.

Marina Sirtis - Marina also gets the short end of the stick, but Face of the Enemy let her do her thing. Honorary mention for an odd choice, Gambit part I. Her scene with Riker where she's gentle with him at first but then ends up having to tear him a new one for being so selfish.

Brent Spiner - Brothers lets Spiner do his thing but by virtue of being Lore and Soong, his tendency to go over the top when not playing Data doesn't impact the episode.

Wil Wheaton - Hrm. It's hard. I don't want to dunk on Wheaton, but I think his acting actually got worse as he aged. He's very good in Stand By Me, and less so each year after that. Especially average as an adult. The First Duty, even though he's just okay in it.

 

[Mojochi]

Jonathan Frakes - Second Chances. Nothing too showy, but I appreciate the subtle differences he tries to bring to Will and Tom.

I was very close to choosing that one for him, myself. I went with Frame of Mind because its probably the more obvious choice to start off with, but yes, there is definitive performance subtleties that he does very well as both Riker's. I lean toward considering Frakes the 2nd best actor in the show, for his deliberate acting choices, which seem contrary to what other actors might glean from the scripts. It's him deciding Riker's personality more than anything, which is often why it feels like he's not really the same guy the original season espouses him to be, in the dialogue. Frakes takes him his own direction

Wil Wheaton - Hrm. It's hard. I don't want to dunk on Wheaton, but I think his acting actually got worse as he aged. He's very good in Stand By Me, and less so each year after that. Especially average as an adult. The First Duty, even though he's just okay in it.

To be fair, I suspect the environment on Stand By Me was better suited to getting a good performance from him, rather than his skills changing. He was surrounded by peers, all giving their best, & an award worthy director, who knew how to get the best from them.

It's always been clear to me that River Phoenix outright dwarfs Wheaton's acting skills, in those scenes, but Wheaton holds his own, because he had Phoenix to elevate his performance & a good director there, coaching them & then picking the best work. I doubt he was under such excellent stewardship on TNG, with a different director every week, a crunched time table, & some dodgy season one writing. As kid jobs go, he's really hung out to dry on TNG IMHO. It was honestly a bad career move

I always personally liked him best in Final Mission. His performances tend to be elevated when he's playing off better actors, with good material. Having Stewart be there must've brought out some good performing, especially knowing how special it was, being his potentially last episode as a regular, & sharing it with him.

IMHO, Wheaton's acting skills were always mediocre, which as a younger child was considerably more useful, beneficial & seemingly good, or more forgivable. However, as one ages, that stops being as impressive, if it doesn't develop, which I think it didn't, in his case.

 

[Tosk]

However, as one ages, that stops being as impressive, if it doesn't develop, which I think it didn't, in his case.

Re: Stand By Me. Same goes for Corey Feldman. River and Jerry both improved as they aged past twelve (to varying degrees), whereas Wil and Corey did not.

 

[JamesRye]

Patrick Stewart in Chain of Command. Some amazingly written and intense scenes. Stewart is amazing in so many episodes. But the way he delivers this line in particular.....

"In spite of all you've done to me, I find you a pitiable man"

It's not one I've seen many times because it's not a 'fun' or easy watch. But it sticks with you.

 

[Mojochi]

Patrick Stewart in Chain of Command. Some amazingly written and intense scenes. Stewart is amazing in so many episodes. But the way he delivers this line in particular.....

"In spite of all you've done to me, I find you a pitiable man"

It's not one I've seen many times because it's not a 'fun' or easy watch. But it sticks with you.

It kind of goes back to actors elevating each other's performances. You really can't do better than playing off David Warner. He's magnificent as Madred. It's by far his best Star Trek character, even though he was great in Undiscovered Country

 

[Ragitsu]

Patrick Stewart in Chain of Command. Some amazingly written and intense scenes. Stewart is amazing in so many episodes. But the way he delivers this line in particular.....

"In spite of all you've done to me, I find you a pitiable man"

Judging by Madred's reaction, words stabbed deeper than the finest Cardassian steel.

 

[Mojochi]

Judging by Madred's reaction, words stabbed deeper than the finest Cardassian steel.

At this point in his career he admittedly hasn't had a subject like this in a long time. They probably haven't had much call for him, in recent times, & Picard is spot on with his analysis. That's exactly his payoff on doing this. He got right in there where he lives. It was his own mistake in letting his own guard down by sharing the egg story & giving insight into himself. Played by both actors pitch perfect

 

[JamesRye]

Brent Spiner, got to be The Offspring, a great performance in which he manages to convey paternal pride, and heartbreak, all without breaking his android persona. Like Chain of Command, the writing in this one is sublime. The memorable quote doesn't go to Spiner, but to the Admiral....

"His hands were moving so fast they were a blur. In that lab, there was no android. There was only a father, trying to save his child."

I'm not crying, you are!

 

[Mojochi]

Brent Spiner, got to be The Offspring, a great performance in which he manages to convey paternal pride, and heartbreak, all without breaking his android persona. Like Chain of Command, the writing in this one is sublime. The memorable quote doesn't go to Spiner, but to the Admiral....

"His hands were moving so fast they were a blur. In that lab, there was no android. There was only a father, trying to save his child."

I'm not crying, you are!

I wrestled with whether to choose that one as well. There's even some comedy he does in that one

 

[JamesRye]

I think the most underrated actor in TNG is Marina Sirtis. I really like The Child and when they're in the briefing room, she flat out states that she's having the baby. End of conversation. She's great in that one.

I really like her in Face of the Enemy, it's probably her best episode. Maybe the best Romulan story in TNG too. Shout out to Power Play and Night Terrors too, especially when she talks Worf out of suicide.

Man, this is reminding me just how well written TNG was.

 

[Mojochi]

I think the most underrated actor in TNG is Marina Sirtis. I really like The Child and when they're in the briefing room, she flat out states that she's having the baby. End of conversation. She's great in that one.

I really like her in Face of the Enemy, it's probably her best episode. Maybe the best Romulan story in TNG too. Shout out to Power Play and Night Terrors too, especially when she talks Worf out of suicide.

Man, this is reminding me just how well written TNG was.

Well, she struggled with how they wrote her IMHO. I do think she had sold acting skill, that often went overlooked or awkwardly represented by the show.

Good point about Power Play. I feel like we got to see some rare range from her, whenever they snuck a possession plot on her. The same can be said of Clues. She landed those alien body snatcher characters quite well. She actually made a good villain.

 

[tomalak301]

Patrick Stewart - Chain of Command II
Jonathan Frakes - Frame of Mind
Michael Dorn - Reunion
Denise Crosby - Yesterday's Enterprise
Marina Sirtis - Face of the Enemy
Brent Spiner - The Offspring (Though no one will mention Masks, but I liked his performance in that)
Diana Mulder - Shades of Grey (Yeah, it's the clip show, but i thought she was great in it and wish she would have stayed in Season 3, or at least guest starred in the premiere)
LeVar Burton - Relics
Gates McFadden - Remember Me
Wil Wheaton - Final Mission

 

[Tosk]

He's magnificent as Madred. It's by far his best Star Trek character, even though he was great in Undiscovered Country

Justice for St. John Talbot!

 

[JamesRye]

Justice for St. John Talbot!

Don't know if you've seen this, but even the great David Warner can't save a poorly written scene!

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