Well,
Redemption II: Moore's weakest script ever, Data ends up being out of character and is that really due to "programming change/emulating discipline"? But even the best writers have to have an off day.
Darmok is grossly overrated. It's like they rewatched "The Ensigns of Command" with the 30 second cup scene between Troi and Picard, did the simplest form of sentence restructuring possible, and stretched it to a 40 minute episode. The premise is decent, but the execution is iffy at best. Then add in the magic invisible monster and voila: It's rubbish.
Ensign Ro: The first gem of the season. Loved Guinan's response to meeting her.
Silicon Avatar: Not bad, but from recollection Riker didn't seem to care too much about the old man. Or was it his fling o' the week trying to save the geezer that got under his craw? (Interesting metaphorical moral take on cuttlefish and eating different species)
Disaster: Yes, it is. Next, please.
The Game: Corny but worthy. Just about a gem.
Unification - overrated, especially part two. Shark jump.
A Matter of Time: Great episode overall. Matt Frewer sells the part of Rasmussen well, but Robin Williams was meant for the part and that would have been a sweeps week extravaganza to see.
New Ground = apart from the in-joke to Doctor Who with "soliton", the episode tries to emulate the TV trope "Cousin Oliver" with Alexander (new characters to ostensibly refresh the show). I feel bad for Alexander, humans didn't want him and Worf didn't seem to for a while either.
Hero Worship: I'll stick to the B-52s song of the same title.
Violations: Nice psy-horror piece. Another season 5 gem.
Masterpiece Society: Masterpiece in oversimplified fail.
Conundrum: Reuse of Edo deity f/x aside, not a bad premise and execution. Almost a gem but doesn't quite make it there.
Power Play: The music sucks but is largely a great action episode.
Ethics: More oversimplified fail to where the petty peachiness gets overbearing.
Outcast: Interesting premise, that of a society relying on test tube babies instead of flinging bodily fluids at one another because of STDs and other problems because none of them had enough ethics to stay together in relationships where they had consideration for one another. (The intended premise was rather different, but the suits rejected the notion. Even Jonathan Frakes said Riker should have had a male interest lusting after him.)
Cause and Effect: Brannon Braga and his high concept pieces are always fun. This one does a time loop from a new perspective and largely succeeds. And is the Fletcher/catwalk reference due to the infamous Lifecall commercial of the time where (any of the half dozen actresses playing) Mrs. Fletcher calls Lifecall and says she can't get up?
First Duty: Wow, Wesley isn't perfect?! And Tom Paris with his original name, of course.
Cost of Living: Take "Contagion", rewrite the template for critter that eats away at starship systems, find a quick and convenient solution, and then to make the story interesting camp it up with lame wedding stories that save on attire costs by having no attire... forgettable episode.
Perfect Mate: Janssen is good but the story is forgettable.
Imaginary Friend: How can such a bad episode have such great f/x? It's not that bad an episode. It's more plausible than "Darmok", even if viewers start to have flashbacks of "If an adult said it they'd believe him". It's underrated as a story, but not really a gem. More a "middle of the pack"...
"I, Borg": Similar to "The Way to Eden" in terms of characters being altered for the sake of the story, "The Way to Eden" is far more engaging AS a story as well as being less hateful: Ent-D crew de-Borg an isolated Borg, make friends with him, teach him new tricks, carry a bone, bark on command, etc, and then use him cruelly despite all the "he's an individual now, respect him" fluff. Guinan and Picard seem out of character. Shame Voyager didn't take that opportunity but that would be something Ronald D Moore might look at (and with pessimistic/dystopic results, LOL). Instead, they send him back in some silly hope that his being disconnected and learning about being human will do anything, much like how the Borg Collective learned nothing for when they assimilated Picard as Locutus. Jonathan Del Arco nails it and convinces as "Hugh", however. And why not take Picard's original idea up regarding asylum? The Borg will keep attacking regardless of the outcome (duh) and, as always, only with one ship and proving how the Borg really didn't adapt in TNG... Asylum is a half-corny solution but far better one than what became the messy (no pun intended) "Descent". The "virus" the Ent-D crew planned to make would have been a better cause of the Borg falling apart than "third of five, status report"/"Well, call me Hugh and--"/"The designation 'Hugh' is illogical and futile. You are being assimilated. Unit 32768 of 33554432, inject the Focusyn medication into cranial port 7." Done. Sigh, so many missed opportunities and contrivances.
As for the claim of Picard and Guinan "overcoming prejudices", that's a little one-sided. When do the Borg deal with their prejudices - whatever the alleged prejudices are anyway? The Borg takes and adapts everyone and in technical (and technological) terms do improve their lives. But that's what the Borg is - a gestalt entity with a single unified mindset, being comprised of numerous species and races, all working together for the same goal... and they have no room for tolerance for those that disagree with them. Is that the prejudice the Borg have to face, learning tolerance for those not wanting to become Borgified? Case in point: In Voyager, every time Janeway tried to work with them or tell them they didn't want to become Borgified, the Borg wouldn't be bothered to listen... Anyway, Picard's movie outing also is quick to pretend that "I Borg" and its half-baked sequel "Descent" never took place. So was "I Borg" a story championing the Borg? Whatever it's trying to say in terms of non-Borg having prejudices doesn't hold water since it's okay for the Borg to do what it does but it's wrong for Picard and Guinan and Sisko (who clearly had prejudices of his own as well as Picard showing his at the time as well, Picard had to expect some officers would not be sympathetic and he just sidelines it all in the height of irony) and others to feel the way they had since it's the same entity did to them that what it wants to do with everything else and not others via loose association? Again, asylum for (an exception to the rule) was the more logical outcome. A lot of people may have tuned-in back in 1992 because of the word "Borg" but that doesn't mean it's a good story.
"The Next Phase": More high concept goodness and a solid action piece, ignore the flimsy physics - which is easy to do. Am surprised they made the Romulans in the typical "conquering, complete with mustache twirling" mode as opposed to "Hughing them up" even more than what "Unification" tried, it's as if they went back to basics after stumbling with "Unification". Great music as well. It's also a gem of an episode, especially given the low points of season 5...
"Inner Light" - needed a slight rewrite at the end (really, the probe seeks out one person and gives out one flute and it's done? Wouldn't the egocentric society try to tell as many beings as it could find? No problem with no replicator, the probe isn't a pez dispenser for flutes) but isn't that bad a story.
"Time's Arrow" - not as much of a glitzy event as BOBW or Redemption, but is fun. And compared to season they nixed the K-mart mannequin head circa 1981 with that hairdo and got a proper head shaped like Spiner's this time. More mystery into Guinan as well (compared to "Generations", certainly), it's an underrated little season finale and almost a gem.
