Top 10 TNG Episodes

[ThankQ]

I love reading all your lists! Some of you have great taste. Other of you... I guess you loved Voyager S2, or something. Hey, you do you. I know where the bear sits.

Top 10, in no particular order, broken into two catagories:

Because They're Great:
The Defector
Elementary, Dear Data
Yesterday's Enterprise
Cause and Effect
Schisms
Deja Q

Because I Like Them Anyway:
Arsenal of Freedom
Remember Me
The Neutral Zone
Up the Long Ladder

 

[ThankQ]

That's one of the problems with TNG, especially in later seasons, Not TOS-y enough at times. They drifted away from the let's explore space theme to let's come up with dramatic storytelling stuff that could have been inserted into any of a number of non-ST type shows.

I've noticed that recently, myself. While seasons 3-7 are superior in every measure, sometimes I just really enjoy some clunky dialogue and monochrome soundstage skies silhouetting plastic palm trees and styrofoam rocks.

 

[Herbert]

I've noticed that recently, myself. While seasons 3-7 are superior in every measure, sometimes I just really enjoy some clunky dialogue and monochrome soundstage skies silhouetting plastic palm trees and styrofoam rocks.

I strongly disagree that season 3-7 are superior in every measure. Season 6 and 7 alone have much evidence to the contrary.
While I am partial to the early seasons I could do without clearly fake skies and plastic/foam decor. I know there were budgetary constraints but they should have been able to find outdoor locations to film some of that stuff.

 

[Oddish]

By the consensus I've heard...
Season 1 stumbled.
Season 2 walked.
Seasons 3-6 ran smoothly.
Season 7 was exhausted and gasping for breath.

 

[Xhiandra]

Won't rank them, but let's select my ten favourites/best:

- Darmok
- Who Watches the Watchers
- The Enemy
- The Measure of a Man
- The Drumhead
- The Inner Light
- I, Borg
- Chains of Command, part II (part I is slightly weaker)
- All Good Things...
- Lower Decks

A lot of candidates for that 10th spot, though.

I haven’t watched Unnatural Selection since it aired. The very definition of dull and derivative, which are two things I always grated against with TNG. Hated, hated HATED it. Do I need to re-evaluate?

C’mon guys, Datalore is a terrible pile of shit.

Agreed on Datalore, it's so bad. Spiner's acting is the only reprieve from how terrible it is.
Unnatural Selection, I find to be average. It's the definition of "meh" for me. Not much to like, but nothing inherently bad about it.

 

[somebuddyX]

Yesterday's Enterprise
Cause and Effect
Parallels
The Pegasus
Frame of Mind
The Next Phase
Who Watches the Watchers
The Inner Light
Phantasms
The Best of Both Worlds Part 1

 

[Mojochi]

Darmok: Star Trek at its Star Trekkiest Star Trekiness
Sarek: IMHO easily the finest reprisal of a character by any actor in the entire franchise, sharing the screen with maybe the finest actor the franchise has ever known
The Measure of a Man: If there is only one reason to have a character like Data on your show... this is it.
The Best of Both Worlds: Riveting. Just plain riveting. The most riveting episode maybe ever
The Offspring: Perhaps the most heartfelt episode of the whole series
The Enemy: Possibly one of the best usages of their characters they ever conjured
The Defector: It delivers masterfully on every level. A complete triumph in every way
The Wounded: One of the most perfect teleplays & executions they ever had
The Drumhead: In some ways this is entirely what Star Trek was made for
Chain of Command: We are literally still arguing about it 30 years later. Whatever side of the debate you fall on, you have to admit that if a drama can do that, it's bloody good.

 

[Summer Solstice]

In no particular order:
11001001
We'll Always Have Paris
Conspiracy
Rascals
Tapestry
Timescape
Masks
Lower Decks
Preemptive Strike
Symbiosis (I love that Kirk would have handled the situation completely differently to Picard but the outcome for the two planets would have been the same)

(It's really, really difficult to narrow it down to 10!)

 

[Vger23]

In no particular order:
11001001
We'll Always Have Paris
Conspiracy
Rascals
Tapestry
Timescape
Masks
Lower Decks
Preemptive Strike
Symbiosis (I love that Kirk would have handled the situation completely differently to Picard but the outcome for the two planets would have been the same)

(It's really, really difficult to narrow it down to 10!)

I appreciate the love for “We’ll Always Have Paris”

It’s not in my top 10, but I seem to like it much more than most people do.

 

[Oddish]

I think it's nice that "Masks" gets some love. I think it's a decent episode. If nothing else, it lets Brent Spiner stretch a bit.

 

[dupersuper]

I appreciate the love for “We’ll Always Have Paris”

It’s not in my top 10, but I seem to like it much more than most people do.

Yeah, it's nowhere near my top 10, but it's a fun little episode.

 

[tomalak301]

I like We'll Always have Paris. It's a nice sci fi type story with a little romanticism included. The scene with the 3 Datas in the lab was actually well done for 1988.

 

[STEPhon IT]

A friend asked what my Top 10 were and I had to think about it. What would be among your Top 10?

Honestly, its a revolving door for me. There are so many TNG episodes I could choose my top 10 based on the mood I'm in. For this thread, and it will change again when this conversation drops in again, in no order:

Haven

We'll Always Have Paris

The Icarus Factor

Time Squared

The Dauphin

Up The Longer Ladder

Pen Pals

Captain's Holiday

A Matter of Perspective

Devil's Due

I'm sure not many fans have those in their Top anything list but these episodes on my list were based on how I felt. They're character driven stories and from my perspective I thought they were moving stories. Devil's Due was a hoot of an episode; Picard once again has to deal with an adversary who is confident and sure of herself, there were times I had questions he was asking amongst the crew about the current dilemma, and they were all valid and the ending had a nice touch. If you dismissed my listing, I would ask to take a look at them again, probably not in my order. Maybe try one of these episodes along with the ones you really like, just to cleanse the palette, but give them another chance. They're really good episodes IMO.

 

[dupersuper]

Honestly, its a revolving door for me. There are so many TNG episodes I could choose my top 10 based on the mood I'm in. For this thread, and it will change again when this conversation drops in again, in no order:

Haven

We'll Always Have Paris

The Icarus Factor

Time Squared

The Dauphin

Up The Longer Ladder

Pen Pals

Captain's Holiday

A Matter of Perspective

Devil's Due

I'm sure not many fans have those in their Top anything list but these episodes on my list were based on how I felt. They're character driven stories and from my perspective I thought they were moving stories. Devil's Due was a hoot of an episode; Picard once again has to deal with an adversary who is confident and sure of herself, there were times I had questions he was asking amongst the crew about the current dilemma, and they were all valid and the ending had a nice touch. If you dismissed my listing, I would ask to take a look at them again, probably not in my order. Maybe try one of these episodes along with the ones you really like, just to cleanse the palette, but give them another chance. They're really good episodes IMO.

None of those would be near my top ten, but I like most of them fine...but then Up the Long Ladder and Pen Pals show up. Pen Pals is only barely above Homeward for me among episodes that take the prime directive to a horrific extreme that turns our "heroes" into monsters.

 

[Vger23]

Haven

We'll Always Have Paris

The Icarus Factor

Time Squared

The Dauphin

Up The Longer Ladder

Pen Pals

Captain's Holiday

A Matter of Perspective

Devil's Due

Again, I'm happy to see some contrarian opinions, and not the usual "Best of Both Worlds, Yesterday's Enterprise" shout-outs. I really like "Time Squared," "We'll Always Have Paris," and "Captain's Holiday." Even "A Matter of Perspective" and "Devil's Due" are total guilty pleasures and fun to watch.

 

[Oddish]

Even "A Matter of Perspective" and "Devil's Due" are total guilty pleasures and fun to watch.

Totally. "Perspective" and Voyager's "Ex Post Facto" make a good whodunit double feature.

 

[ThankQ]

I think it's nice that "Masks" gets some love. I think it's a decent episode. If nothing else, it lets Brent Spiner stretch a bit.

He gets to stretch plenty.

 

[Disco]

He gets to stretch plenty.

he's probably played as many characters as Jeffrey Combs

 

[Vger23]

Masks will never be a favorite of mine, but I don't put it toward the bottom like a lot of fans do.

I'm never a fan of Spiner being all hammy.

 

[Oddish]

he's probably played as many characters as Jeffrey Combs

Can you imagine those two together?