Favourite TNG story arc

[FederationHistorian]

Hey everyone! I’m doing a poll on what everyone’s favourite story arcs are in various Star Trek series.

Story arcs qualify if they are two-parters, three-parters, multi-episodes, and non-consecutive.

This poll will be looking at TNG story arcs. Multiple votes are allowed.

Vote and discuss your choices.

 

[Orphalesion]

Christ, I never realized this, but the story arcs weren't TNG strongest suit, eh?

(voted Borg by the way)

 

[Alexander Corrino]

I've always liked how Q starts and ends TNG, so he gets my vote. But I would also like to give an honorary mention to an arc that isn't on the list - the "Coming Of Age/Conspiracy" one about the infamous Dexter Remmick and his... umm... children?

 

[Angry Fanboy]

I think we're playing pretty fast and loose calling some of these options 'story arcs' to be honest.

Time's Arrow? That's just a two-part episode. The Maquis appeared in what, one TNG episode? Is Dixon Hill a story arc?

 

[Mutai Sho-Rin]

I think we're playing pretty fast and loose calling some of these options 'story arcs' to be honest.

Time's Arrow? That's just a two-part episode. The Maquis appeared in what, one TNG episode? Is Dixon Hill a story arc?

It is the choice and opinion of the OP. No need to be a sidewalk critic.

Carry on.

 

[tomalak301]

Some of these arcs were kind of one in the same, like Sela, Worf/Duras, and the Klingon Civil War. TNG wasn't known for it's arcs (It was airing at the time when Episodic TV was still popular) but the Klingon stuff ending with Redemption II was great.

 

[TimeIsAPredator]

I liked the late introduction of the Cardassians but voted for the Borg who were the real defining story of TNG

 

[FanST]

The Borg

 

[JesterFace]

When it comes to Q and the trial of humanity, even if Q doesn't appear in every episode, episodes can be seen as something Q keeps an eye on, basically every episode is a part of humanity's trial story arc, kind of. I think TNG did well with that story arc thing, little bit here and there, but everything they do doesn't revolve around it. For example Data's quest to be human, it's something that is revisited occasionally, but other things can happen too that have nothing to do with it. Somehow a series being a trial of humanity gives the entire series meaning. It's not just starships and laser weapons.

 

[FederationHistorian]

I think we're playing pretty fast and loose calling some of these options 'story arcs' to be honest.

Time's Arrow? That's just a two-part episode. The Maquis appeared in what, one TNG episode? Is Dixon Hill a story arc?

If two-parters in ENT can be considered story arcs, then there’s no reason “Time’s Arrow” can't be one.

Plus, its more difficult to find story arcs for TNG (and TOS for that matter) because the series engaged in episodic story telling. Meaning the majority of story arcs would take place in non consecutive episodes if they happened.

I don’t think its anything to get hung up on.

Memory Alpha was my guide, although its not the definitive final definition for Star Trek story arcs. You won't find Sarek Family Drama episodes listed for DSC, after all.

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Story_arcs

 

[Qonundrum]

Q, Sela, Moriarty got my vote:

Archetypes like Q are always the most entertaining. Okay, some people love them as much as they love looking at a random number generator's output all day, but that's up to the individual and Q always ruled the show (oh, very well, I'll add "IMHO" for this one ).

Sela had one of sci-fi's most awesome and inventive origins. Ever. Then she's reduced to throwaway homage fodder.

Moriarty's follow-up episode quaintly ignores a little too much from his premiere episode (since there was no dramatic potential in the Countess throwing a tantrum over Moriarty's love of Pulaski until she's told Pulaski is no longer on the ship, and to be honest - lack of Pulaski follow-up aside, how the Countess was written was pretty decent already.)

A couple honorable mentions:

The season 2 arc of Pulaski warming up to Data and accepting and even siding with him as opposed to "it is a robot it can't say anything humanoids already do because it cannot comprehend or actually think", and Data slowly becoming more humanesque (before season 3 deciding once and for all he's a true android and not as much Pinnochio) both won me over, over time, the latter more recently but I can see why they went the route they had for season 3 anyway - it was technically stronger or at least more consistent.

 

[XCV330]

Q I guess. He's the bookends on the series

 

[TV's Frank]

The Worf/Duras and Klingon Civil War is a story arc that really dovetailed together, so I voted for the latter. What's amazing is how the story elements introduced in the S3 episode "Sins Of The Father" carried all the way until the final episodes of DS9, if you consider the addition of Klingon High Council and Gowron. Gowron was a great character shared by both TNG and DS9, continuing his own arc along with Worf's, making for quite a rich Klingon tapestry

 

[Mojochi]

My favorite story arc is the artificial lifeform civil rights arc, that gets rolling in The Measure of A Man, continues in The Offspring, & even gets touched on once again in The Quality of Life. It also has other hints throughout the show, as in Data's exchanges with Hobson in Redemption. (At least until Star Trek Picard got ahold of it)

I'm not sure if it's a legit arc, but I always like the sly gambit with Tomalak, where he gets humbled in The Enemy, & tries to get payback in The Defector

 

[DS9forever]

I went for Vash's episodes. I would prefer Picard marry her and not boring Bev Crusher.

 

[TV's Frank]

My favorite story arc is the artificial lifeform civil rights arc, that gets rolling in The Measure of A Man, continues in The Offspring, & even gets touched on once again in The Quality of Life. It also has other hints throughout the show, as in Data's exchanges with Hobson in Redemption. (At least until Star Trek Picard got ahold of it)

I'm not sure if it's a legit arc, but I always like the sly gambit with Tomalak, where he gets humbled in The Enemy, & tries to get payback in The Defector

Great choice, I hadn't thought about this being such a ongoing story arc in TNG and it has merit, especially considering it's the main thematic element explored in "Picard".

 

[Picard578]

The Borg, definitely. They are actually introduced in a rather understated and subtle manner, before being built up to their climax in The Best of Both Worlds.

 

[FederationHistorian]

Q, Worf vs Duras, Sela, The Borg, Lore, Cardassians vs Maquis, and Vash got my vote.

 

[Vger23]

Honestly ( not trying to be "that guy" on purpose)...I think besides the Borg arc...the best story arc was the "Coming of
Age / Conspiracy" arc.

 

[WarpFactorZ]

I voted both Borg and Q. I really liked the Borg arc up to Family, because it had so much character development. I suppose I'll throw in "I, Borg", too, because of the introduction of Hugh and his appearance in "Picard". Beyond that, though, I can do without the crap with Lore (and yes, I never really cared much for Voyager and 7 of 9).

As for the Q arc, what someone else said -- he bookends the series and really, the series is Picard's journey to prove Q wrong. Note also Q introduced them to the Borg, so really the Borg arc is part of the Q arc.

 

[CaptainVarley]

Borg, Worf/Dura's/Civil war, and probably Q my favorites so I am right on trend. I think with the Civil War you need to expand and count Worf defending his father and the succession as well, plus Word and Alexander's mother. They tied all of those stories together extremely well.