Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
Episode:201
"The Child"
Jack's Rating:
Dr. Pulaski joins the Enterprise while La Forge prepares the Enterprise to transport dangerous plague specimens; Deanna spontaneously becomes pregnant and gives birth to a mysterious child.
Features:
Stardate: 42073.1
Air Date: 11/21/88
Director: Rob Bowman
Jack's Notes
This has long been one of the episodes I skip during a binge-watch. It's actually a good classic Trek episode, but the kid....man, there is something that makes me cringe with the kid. Oh well, still worth a watch.
Episode:202
"Where Silence Has Lease"
Jack's Rating:
The Enterprise becomes trapped in a "hole in space", where the crew encounter strange spatial phenomena and crewless ships materialising in and out of existence. The crew suspect they are akin to lab rats.
Features:
Stardate: 42193.6
Air Date: 11/28/88
Director: Winrich Kolbe
Episode:203
"Elementary, Dear Data"
Jack's Rating:
After Data easily solves an ordinary Sherlock Holmes holodeck mystery, Geordi asks the computer to make a Holmes villain capable of defeating Data. The resultant Professor Moriarty soon becomes far more powerful than expected.
Features:
The Holodeck
Stardate: 42286.3
Air Date: 12/05/88
Director: Rob Bowman
Episode:204
"The Outrageous Okona"
Jack's Rating:
The Enterprise encounters a flamboyant space rogue on the run, while Data explores humor with the help of a holodeck comedian (played by Joe Piscopo).
Features:
Stardate: 42402.7
Air Date: 12/12/88
Director: Robert Becker
Jack's Notes
I am a big Billy Campbell fan - great actor, loads of on-screen charisma...which is evident in this interesting sci-fi take on Gulliver's Travels. Campbell's wandering scoundrel, Okona is so fun it almost makes me want to leave the Enterprise and follow him for a few episodes....Can't wait to see the character again in the new Prodigy series.
Episode:205
"Loud as a Whisper"
Jack's Rating:
The Enterprise hosts a deaf, telepathic ambassador who mediates difficult peace negotiations with the assistance of his trio of telepathic interpreters.
Features:
Stardate: 42477.2
Air Date: 01/09/89
Director: Larry Shaw
Jack's Notes
An interesting episode overall, but it feels a bit forced at times. There are some parts that really annoy...and others that are genuinely good. Odd bit of trivia - the fellow that plays the muse representing the artist/scholar is Randy Oglesby, who plays Degra in Star Trek Enterprise's third season.
Episode:206
"The Schizoid Man"
Jack's Rating:
A brilliant scientist and former mentor of Data's creator, Dr. Ira Graves, cheats death by uploading his memories and personality into the android Data.
Features:
Stardate: 42437.5
Air Date: 01/23/89
Director: Les Landau
Episode:207
"Unnatural Selection"
Jack's Rating:
The Enterprise receives a distress call from the USS Lantree where the crew find all hands dead from, apparently, old age. The cause of the accelerated aging must be found before scientists on a research colony suffer the same fate.
Features:
Stardate: 42494.8
Air Date: 01/30/89
Director: Paul Lynch
Episode:208
"A Matter of Honor"
Jack's Rating:
Will Riker is assigned to a Klingon vessel via an officer exchange program.
Features:
The Klingons
Stardate: 42506.5
Air Date: 02/06/89
Director: Rob Bowman
Episode:209
"The Measure of a Man"
Jack's Rating:
When Data refuses orders to be dismantled for research purposes, a hearing is convened to determine if he is a legal citizen or property of the Federation.
Features:
Stardate: 42523.7
Air Date: 02/13/89
Director: Robert Scheerer
Episode:210
"The Dauphin"
Jack's Rating:
The Enterprise hosts a young world leader and her mysterious chaperone. Wesley soon falls in love with the young leader.
Features:
Stardate: 42568.8
Air Date: 02/20/89
Director: Rob Bowman
Episode:211
"Contagion"
Jack's Rating:
A dangerous alien computer virus runs rampant through the Enterprise after causing the destruction of her sister ship, the USS Yamato.
Features:
The Romulans
Stardate: 42609.1
Air Date: 03/20/89
Director: Joseph L. Scanlan
Episode:212
"The Royale"
Jack's Rating:
Riker, Worf, and Data investigate a structure on an icy gas giant. Inside, they find a casino reconstructed from a bad Earth novel.
Features:
Stardate: 42625.4
Air Date: 03/27/89
Director: Cliff Bole
Episode:213
"Time Squared"
Jack's Rating:
Picard encounters his future self, when the Enterprise becomes caught in a time loop.
Features:
Time Travel
Stardate: 42679.2
Air Date: 04/03/89
Director: Joseph L. Scanlan
Jack's Notes
When I first saw this episode, I thought it was the best ever. After several viewings, I can say that it honestly doesn't make much sense. While still a very neat idea, there is too much left unexplained. The original idea was to have Q appear to be behind the anomaly, but Roddenberry didn't allow it for the story.
Episode:214
"The Icarus Factor"
Jack's Rating:
Riker's estranged father visits to brief him on the command he has been offered, and Worf's friends discover he is about to miss an important Klingon rite of passage.
Features:
Stardate: 42686.4
Air Date: 04/24/89
Director: Robert Iscove
Episode:215
"Pen Pals"
Jack's Rating:
Data befriends a child from a doomed planet, breaking the Prime Directive.
Features:
Stardate: 42695.3
Air Date: 05/01/89
Director: Winrich Kolbe
Episode:216
"Q Who?"
Jack's Rating:
Q flings the ship 7,000 light years from Federation space and introduces the crew of the Enterprise to the deadly Borg.
Features:
The Borg The Q Entity
Stardate: 42761.3
Air Date: 05/08/89
Director: Rob Bowman
Episode:217
"Samaritan Snare"
Jack's Rating:
A group of dimwitted aliens, the Pakleds, kidnap Geordi to fix their malfunctioning ship.
Features:
Stardate: 42779.1
Air Date: 05/15/89
Director: Les Landau
Episode:218
"Up the Long Ladder"
Jack's Rating:
Picard must find a way to bring two radically incompatible cultures together, lest both of them face extinction.
Features:
Stardate: 42823.2
Air Date: 05/22/89
Director: Winrich Kolbe
Episode:219
"Manhunt"
Jack's Rating:
Deanna's mother seeks a new husband, and she has her eyes on Picard.
Features:
Stardate: 42859.2
Air Date: 06/19/89
Director: Rob Bowman
Episode:220
"The Emissary"
Jack's Rating:
Worf's former lover comes aboard Enterprise to help deal with a cryogenically frozen Klingon crew from 70 years in the past.
Features:
The Klingons
Stardate: 42901.3
Air Date: 06/29/89
Director: Cliff Bole
Episode:221
"Peak Performance"
Jack's Rating:
The Enterprise and USS Hathaway face off in simulated combat maneuvers. Data fails to beat a humanoid at a game of Strategema.
Features:
The Ferengi
Stardate: 42923.4
Air Date: 07/10/89
Director: Robert Scheerer
Episode:222
"Shades of Gray"
Jack's Rating:
Riker is poisoned by an alien plant and, as he lies comatose, he relives various memories of his life serving the Enterprise.
Features:
Stardate: 42976.1
Air Date: 07/17/89
Director: Rob Bowman
Jack's Notes
Clip show! Clip show!