C6 | TNG Season 4

Locutus of Borg appearing on the viewscreen

4x01	Original Air Date 24 Sep 1990	Series Episode 74	Franchise Episode 175
The Best of Both Worlds, Part II
Captured and assimilated by the Borg, Picard – now called Locutus – wages a bloody battle against the Federation.

🌌	Iconic episode
🤖	Borg episode
🔵	Condition Blue: Ship Separation
🍿	Cliffhanger: Fans were left without a conclusion to the cliffhanger for three months between June 18 and September 24, 1990. The fate of Picard was truly unknown when the first part aired, because it wasn't certain that Patrick Stewart would remain on the show.
🔗	The Battle of Wolf 359, though not depicted on screen, would have lasting effects for some future Trek characters. Benjamin Sisko's wife Jennifer was a casualty of the battle, as told in DS9 4x01/02: Emissary, and the incident was a traumatic experience for Liam Shaw, as told in PIC 3x04: No Win Scenario.
	Admiral Pips: Pips are awarded to episodes that are the most stand-out, representative examples of the series as a whole.

	Watch Recommendation: This is absolutely essential Trek lore. It not only has lasting repercussions for Picard and the Enterprise crew, but the events of this story affect the lives of other, future characters. This is a “Must Watch”, as well as being the fourth and fifth episodes on the “Bare Minimum” list.

My rating:	★★★★★ 🥈 2nd place episode of the series	Ratings are based on both Parts I and II as a whole	Watch Recommendation 🕶︎ ‼︎ Must Watch Bare Minimum	FINAL SCORE 9.9
SF Debris rating:	10
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	10
Normalized IMDb rating:	9.7	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

Picard in casual clothing walking on a path through dense green foliage

4x02	Original Air Date 1 Oct 1990	Series Episode 75	Franchise Episode 176
Family
While the Enterprise undergoes repairs from the Borg incident, Picard visits his family in La Barre, France. B-plot: Worf's human adoptive parents visit him on the Enterprise. C-plot: Wesley receives a recording made by his father before he died.

🌎	Episode takes place on Earth

	Thoughts: This episode is not your usual TNG story. There isn't really any “sci-fi” here, this is all about character development, and it's a very important follow-up to the previous story – some even consider it to be “The Best of Both Worlds, Part III”. Its slow, relaxed pace and storytelling are in stark contrast to previous episodes' action and suspense, and it's an important reckoning for Picard.
	Nitpickery: As I mentioned before, Chief O'Brien's rank insignia won't really get figured out until he transfers to Deep Space Nine. Here, he wears Lieutenant's pips, despite Sergey somehow recognizing him as a Chief Petty Officer. In later episodes, he'll wear only a single hollow pip.

	Watch Recommendation: If you're looking for a sci-fi space adventure, you won't find it here. Still, Picard's storyline is an important follow-up to the previous adventure. I won't call it “essential” watching, but I'm marking it as “Highly Recommended”.

My rating:	★★★★☆		Watch Recommendation ✔︎+ Highly Recommended	FINAL SCORE 6.8
SF Debris rating:	No Score Given
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	4
Normalized IMDb rating:	7.8	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

Data speaking with his creator, Dr. Soong

4x03	Original Air Date 8 Oct 1990	Series Episode 76	Franchise Episode 177
Brothers
When transporting an ill child to a starbase for critical care, Data inexplicably seizes control of the Enterprise, diverting it so that he can rendezvous with a curious old man.

🔵	Condition Blue: Bridge Evacuation
👨‍👦‍👦	Spoiler » Actor Brent Spiner plays all three parts of the Soong family: Data, Lore, and their creator, Dr. Noonien Soong.

	Nitpickery: I'm certainly not an authority on the proper way to parent, but let's be honest here, wee Willie Potts eating a fruit contaminated with parasites was only circumstantially linked to his brother Jake's prank. I don't know why they're giving Jake such a hard time. Apparently Riker agreed to let the brothers stay on the Enterprise while their parents went on sabbatical, but does that mean they're just left unsupervised? Based on how they treated Jeremy Aster in TNG 3x05: The Bonding after his mother died, I guess it's a regular practice to just let children fend for themselves...

	Watch Recommendation: This is an important chapter in Data's life that shouldn't be missed. I'm calling this one a “Must Watch” episode.

My rating:	★★★★☆		Watch Recommendation 🕶︎ Must Watch	FINAL SCORE 6.8
SF Debris rating:	8
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	4
Normalized IMDb rating:	6.7	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

4x04	Original Air Date 15 Oct 1990	Series Episode 77	Franchise Episode 178
Suddenly Human
After coming to the rescue of a Talarian ship in distress, the Enterprise finds a teenage human boy among her crew.

🔬	Tucker Tubes!
“	Seldom have I heard an explanation so... well-rehearsed. — Troi, regarding Picard's objection to mentoring the boy.

	Watch Recommendation: It's an average episode, and it's really the only one where we'll interact with these Talarians. No recommendation.

My rating:	★★★☆☆		Watch Recommendation -	FINAL SCORE 4.8
SF Debris rating:	4
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	5
Normalized IMDb rating:	4.1	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

Dr. Crusher hanging on desperately as she is lifted horizontally by a powerful vortex

4x05	Original Air Date 22 Oct 1990	Series Episode 78	Franchise Episode 179
Remember Me
People start disappearing from the Enterprise, and it seems that Dr. Crusher is the only one who remembers them.

👭	Alternate Reality
🔗	The Traveler first appeared in TNG 1x06: Where No One Has Gone Before.

“	If there's nothing wrong with me, maybe there's something wrong with the universe! — Dr. Crusher

	Watch Recommendation: This is a good episode, and it brings back an interesting character. I'm marking this as “Recommended”.

My rating:	★★★★☆ ♥︎ Personal Favorite		Watch Recommendation ✔︎ Recommended	FINAL SCORE 7.3
SF Debris rating:	6
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	8
Normalized IMDb rating:	6.9	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

4x06	Original Air Date 29 Oct 1990	Series Episode 79	Franchise Episode 180
Legacy
The Enterprise crew must infiltrate a stronghold on Turkana IV to rescue two captured civilians, and they are aided by an unexpected ally: Tasha Yar's sister.


	Watch Recommendation: It's an average story-of-the-week without much impact on the rest of the series. No recommendation in this case.

My rating:	★★★☆☆		Watch Recommendation -	FINAL SCORE 5.2
SF Debris rating:	Unrated
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	5
Normalized IMDb rating:	4.7	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

K'Ehleyr and Worf having an intense conversation

4x07	Original Air Date 5 Nov 1990	Series Episode 80	Franchise Episode 181
Reunion
When the leader of the Klingon empire is killed, Picard must determine who his successor will be: Gowron or Duras. Meanwhile, K'Ehleyr has arrived with a surprise for Worf.

⚔️	This is the first appearance of the Klingon bat'leth, a weapon which will be used many more times throughout the franchise as an important part of Klingon culture.
🙋‍♀️	This is the second appearance of K'Ehleyr. Her first was in TNG 2x20: The Emissary.
🙋‍♂️	This is the first appearance of Gowron. He will appear in 3 more episodes of TNG, and then 7 episodes of DS9.
🙋‍♂️	This is the first of eight appearances by Alexander in TNG and four in DS9.

	Watch Recommendation: This is an important follow-up to TNG 3x17: Sins of the Father, with events that are important to the future of several characters. As such, this is a “Must Watch”.

My rating:	★★★★☆		Watch Recommendation 🕶︎ Must Watch	FINAL SCORE 7.7
SF Debris rating:	7
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	8
Normalized IMDb rating:	7.8	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

An aged Riker regarding himself in the mirror

4x08	Original Air Date 12 Nov 1990	Series Episode 81	Franchise Episode 182
Future Imperfect
After being injured on an away mission, Riker wakes up sixteen years later in an unfamiliar future, with no memory of anything that has happened.


	Thoughts: This episode could have easily earned a five-star rating if it weren't for the ending. Spoiler » While I do like the idea of the double fake-out, I wish they had come up with something just a little more clever for the reveal. See, I can accept an alternate future that never really happened if it had actually been a Romulan ploy to get sensitive data from Riker, but to have an entire episode be not real and the explanation is just, “some kid dicking around,” that's a little disappointing.

	Watch Recommendation: I still think this is a fun watch, but since it has zero impact on the rest of the series, I'm not giving it a recommendation.

My rating:	★★★★☆		Watch Recommendation -	FINAL SCORE 7.5
SF Debris rating:	Unrated
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	8
Normalized IMDb rating:	6.7	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

Picard, Wesley, and a third man on an arid plain

4x09	Original Air Date 19 Nov 1990	Series Episode 82	Franchise Episode 183
Final Mission
When a shuttle crash-lands on an inhospitable planet, Picard, Wesley, and the pilot must fight for survival. B-plot: The Enterprise must tow a radioactive garbage scow away from an inhabited planet, a rescue operation that prevents them from joining the search for the missing shuttle.

🙇‍♂️	This is Wesley Crusher's final appearance as a series regular. After this episode, he will only make four guest appearances in the rest of the series.

	Watch Recommendation: A squarely average story, with little impact on the rest of the series. No recommendation here.

My rating:	★★★☆☆		Watch Recommendation -	FINAL SCORE 5.1
SF Debris rating:	5
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	5
Normalized IMDb rating:	4.7	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

Troi and Data viewing a schematic of the two-dimensional beings on a viewscreen

4x10	Original Air Date 31 Dec 1990	Series Episode 83	Franchise Episode 184
The Loss
When the Enterprise is inadvertently ensnared by two-dimensional beings, Troi loses her empathic abilities.


	Watch Recommendation: Nothing special here; no recommendation.

My rating:	★★☆☆☆		Watch Recommendation -	FINAL SCORE 3.2
SF Debris rating:	Unrated
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	3
Normalized IMDb rating:	3.3	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

Data and Dr. Crusher tapdancing in the holodeck

4x11	Original Air Date 7 Jan 1991	Series Episode 84	Franchise Episode 185
Data's Day
Data makes a record of his day, which includes the transportation of a Vulcan ambassador and the O'Brien wedding.

🙋‍♀️	This is the first appearance of Rosalind Chao as Keiko Ishikawa-O'Brien. She will appear in 7 more episodes of TNG and 19 episodes of DS9.
🐈	This is also the first of eight appearances of Data's cat in TNG, two appearances in movies, and one appearance in Star Trek: Picard. In this season, he is a Somali, but he'll eventually turn into a female orange tabby somehow (perhaps a transporter accident?).
💃	Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher) is an accomplished tap dancer and performed all of her own choreography in this episode. Much of Brent Spiner's (Data's) choreography was performed by a body-double.
🔗	Data records the events of his day in the form of a letter Dr. Bruce Maddox, the cyberneticist who wished to use Data as a template for the creation of his own androids in TNG 2x09: The Measure of a Man.

	Thoughts: The episode does a surprisingly good job of taking this letter-writing concept and working in the two different stories of the mysterious ambassador and the drama around the O'Brien wedding. It even has a little time for a bit of comedy in the dance lesson scene.
	Watch Recommendation: I can't quite put my finger on why I'm recommending this, but I am. Enjoy!

My rating:	★★★ ★☆ ☆		Watch Recommendation ✔︎ Recommended	FINAL SCORE 6.7
SF Debris rating:	Unrated
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	6
Normalized IMDb rating:	7.5	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

Miles O'Brien and his former CO discussing the situation

4x12	Original Air Date 28 Jan 1991	Series Episode 85	Franchise Episode 186
The Wounded
When O'Brien's former captain goes rogue, attacking Cardassian ships and outposts, the Enterprise must apprehend him before he starts another war.

1️⃣	This is the first franchise and canonical appearance of the Cardassians (excepting one Cardassian body in ENT 2x04: Dead Stop).
💁‍♂️	Gul Macet is played by Marc Alaimo, who will become better-known for his recurring role as the Cardassian Gul Dukat in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

	Thoughts: I only gave this episode an average rating where others have marked it higher. There's just some things about it that I don't like. Besides the nitpicks I write about below, where is the rest of the crew of the Phoenix? How is the Captain getting away with this at all? O'Brien really waffles on his opinions of the Cardassians... and I didn't care for anyone's renditions of The Minstrel Boy. Ha!
	Nitpickery: There are a number of silly inconsistencies and oddities in this episode. For one, the Cardassians want to know the exact location of the Phoenix. At first, Picard withholds the information, but when the situation escalates, he orders Worf to transmit the Phoenix's prefix codes to the Cardassians. Worf rightly objects, saying that the Cardassians could dismantle the Phoenix's shields. Indeed, it was established in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan that a ship's prefix code essentially allows someone to issue remote commands to the ship. It's incredibly unclear why they thought it was necessary to give this information to the Cardassians instead of just relaying the ship's coordinates. Further, Picard makes it a point to demonstrate that they are “doing everything in [their] power to reach the Phoenix” and resolve the situation. However, after the Phoenix destroys two Cardassian ships, it's only then that Picard orders the Enterprise to warp 9. They had only been traveling at warp 4, which indicates a lack of urgency despite the situation, and certainly does not demonstrate “doing everything in their power”. Toward the end of the episode, O'Brien uses technobabble to beam through the Phoenix's shields, but no one thinks to use those prefix codes they talked about earlier to just disarm the Phoenix.
	Watch Recommendation: There's a great story here, I just don't think they did it quite right. It may be the first appearance of the Cardassians in the franchise, but I'm only rating it as “Recommended”.

My rating:	★★★☆☆		Watch Recommendation ✔︎ Recommended	FINAL SCORE 6.7
SF Debris rating:	9
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	6
Normalized IMDb rating:	7.5	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

A woman claiming to be Ardra, lounging with her feet up in the Captain's chair

4x13	Original Air Date 4 Feb 1991	Series Episode 86	Franchise Episode 187
Devil's Due
Picard litigates the rights of a planet that has come under claim by Ardra, a woman claiming to be the planet's version of the “devil”.

(⚖️)	Courtroom episode (partly)
“	The advocate will refrain from making her opponent disappear. — Data
“	I like the tremors! — a powerless Ardra


	Watch Recommendation: Despite Ardra's final words, “Until we meet again”, we will never see Ardra again. No recommendation.

My rating:	★★★☆☆		Watch Recommendation -	FINAL SCORE 5.3
SF Debris rating:	6
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	4
Normalized IMDb rating:	5.7	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

La Forge performing a diagnostic on Data in engineering

4x14	Original Air Date 11 Feb 1991	Series Episode 87	Franchise Episode 188
Clues
After the Enterprise encounters a wormhole which renders the crew unconscious for about 30 seconds, clues start to pop up around the ship that tell a different story. At the heart of this mystery is Data, who is acting very strangely.


	Watch Recommendation: Despite this one not really having an impact on the overall series, it is a fun mystery worth a watch. I'm marking it “Recommended”.

My rating:	★★★★☆		Watch Recommendation ✔︎ Recommended	FINAL SCORE 7.6
SF Debris rating:	7
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	8
Normalized IMDb rating:	7.7	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

4x15	Original Air Date 18 Feb 1991	Series Episode 88	Franchise Episode 189
First Contact Disambiguation: This episode should not be confused with the eighth Star Trek film, Star Trek: First Contact, nor with the Prodigy episode with a similar title, PRO 1x07: First Con-tact, both of which tell entirely different and unrelated stories.
While performing undercover reconnaissance, Riker is severely injured and rushed to a hospital on an alien world, forcing Picard to accelerate his first contact with the locals in order to find him.


	Thoughts: This episode successfully flips the roles of humans and aliens to tell a story about what might happen on Earth in this century if aliens were to make themselves known. It's the sort of political commentary that Trek was born for.

	Watch Recommendation: Definitely recommended.

My rating:	★★★★☆		Watch Recommendation ✔︎ Recommended	FINAL SCORE 7.8
SF Debris rating:	8
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	8
Normalized IMDb rating:	7.5	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

La Forge being scolded by an angry Leah Brahms

4x16	Original Air Date 11 Mar 1991	Series Episode 89	Franchise Episode 190
Galaxy's Child
The real Leah Brahms visits the Enterprise, but she butts heads with Geordi because she believes he has messed up her engine designs. The two eventually come together to help wean a space-borne infant entity which had imprinted on the Enterprise.

🔗	Geordi's first encounter with the holographic version of Leah Brahms was in TNG 3x06: Booby Trap.

	Nitpickery: When Geordi walks in on Leah in the holodeck, he very daringly turns her anger right back on her, somehow suggesting that this was all her fault, and then HE'S the one to storm out? The audacity! Also, after trying to separate the creature from the hull by decompressing the shuttlebay, the creature starts to syphon even more energy. Riker orders all decks to go to “emergency level seven”. Jonathan Frakes' next line should be “life support and critical operations only”, but he delivers the line with an extra pause, making “life” and “support” sound like two different items in his list. And that's why this section is called “nitpickery”!

	Watch Recommendation: I'll mark this “Optional” if you'd like to see the second of two episodes with Leah Brahms, otherwise there's not too much here to write home about.

My rating:	★★☆☆☆		Watch Recommendation ♦︎ Optional Leah Brahms	FINAL SCORE 4.4
SF Debris rating:	4
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	6
Normalized IMDb rating:	5.3	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

Dr. Crusher surrounded by several corpses that are sitting upright on their tables

4x17	Original Air Date 18 Mar 1991	Series Episode 90	Franchise Episode 191
Night Terrors
Adrift in a remote region of space, the Enterprise crew start to suffer disturbing hallucinations when they're unable to reach REM sleep.

😱	Scary episode
“	Eyes in the dark. One moon circles.

	Watch Recommendation: I'm not giving it a recommendation since it doesn't really have any impact on the rest of the series, but it would be a good one to watch if you're looking for something spooky.

My rating:	★★★☆☆		Watch Recommendation -	FINAL SCORE 4.7
SF Debris rating:	5
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	2
Normalized IMDb rating:	5.5	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

A recording of La Forge and Susanna Leijten from a years-old mission

4x18	Original Air Date 25 Mar 1991	Series Episode 91	Franchise Episode 192
Identity Crisis
Geordi returns to a planet he investigated five years prior when members of his team start disappearing.


	Nitpickery: An ultraviolet light is not an uncommon device... it's strange that Data has to take significant time constructing one at a work bench with so many parts.

	Watch Recommendation: It's an adventure-of-the-week with no significant impact. No recommendation.

My rating:	★★★☆☆		Watch Recommendation -	FINAL SCORE 5.5
SF Debris rating:	6
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	6
Normalized IMDb rating:	4.7	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

Barclay, in the holodeck, with an impressive array of instrumentation and gadgets, including several laser beams that seem to be reading his mind

4x19	Original Air Date 1 Apr 1991	Series Episode 92	Franchise Episode 193
The Nth Degree
After a strange probe knocks Barclay unconscious, he finds an all-new confidence.

🥦	Episode features Reginald Barclay

	Watch Recommendation: Again, an adventure-of-the-week with little impact on the series. No recommendation.

My rating:	★★★☆☆		Watch Recommendation -	FINAL SCORE 6.2
SF Debris rating:	7
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	6
Normalized IMDb rating:	7.1	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

Picard and the senior staff in costumes resembling Robin Hood and his merry men

4x20	Original Air Date 22 Apr 1991	Series Episode 93	Franchise Episode 194
Qpid
Q transports the senior staff to a re-creation of Sherwood Forrest to play out the roles of Robin Hood and his merry men, and to save Maid Marian – or, in this case, Picard's love interest, Vash.

Q	Q episode
🎭	Comedy/Lighthearted Episode
🔗	Vash first met the captain on Risa during his vacation in TNG 3x19: Captain's Holiday. After this story, Vash will make her third and final appearance in DS9 1x07: Q-Less.
“	We all make mistakes. — Picard, in response to Q saying that he would have taken his own life if not for Picard's help.
“	Sir, I protest! I am not a merry man! — Worf

	Watch Recommendation: While not the strongest of Q episodes, I'm still recommending this one because it is memorable, and the interaction with Q and Vash is amusing, at least.

My rating:	★★★☆☆		Watch Recommendation ✔︎ Recommended	FINAL SCORE 4.5
SF Debris rating:	4
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	2
Normalized IMDb rating:	5.7	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

Admiral Satie and Picard in his ready room

4x21	Original Air Date 29 Apr 1991	Series Episode 94	Franchise Episode 195
The Drumhead
Admiral Satie is brought out of retirement to investigate a suspected act of sabotage on the Enterprise, but Picard has grave concerns when her inquiry starts to go too far.

⚖️	Courtroom episode
🦹‍♀️	Badmiral: Satie
	Vice-Admiral Pips: Pips are awarded to episodes that are the most stand-out, representative examples of the series as a whole.
🔗	When Satie and her team are questioning Picard, they mention events from several past episodes. Sabin starts by asking about stardate 44390, when a Romulan spy posing as a Vulcan diplomat was unknowingly delivered back to her people in TNG 4x11: Data's Day. Sabin then asks if Picard thinks it's wise to have a security chief whose father was a Romulan collaborator. Worf accepted discommendation from the Klingon Empire for this lie in order to protect the empire, in TNG 3x17: Sins of the Father. Satie and her staff are not aware of the truth behind these events. Satie next asks if Picard has fully recovered from the Borg incident, citing the immense loss of life that came as a result. She is referring, of course, to the events of TNG 3x26 & 4x01: The Best of Both Worlds. ▼ Keep Reading ▼
🎤	Patented Picard Speeches: “This is not unlike a drumhead trial. Five hundred years ago, military officers would upend a drum on the battlefield. They'd sit at it and dispense summary justice. Decisions were quick, punishments severe, appeals denied. Those who came to a drumhead were doomed.” “We cannot take a fundamental principle of the Constitution and turn it against a citizen.” “The road from legitimate suspicion to rampant paranoia is very much shorter than we think.” “I am deeply concerned by what is happening here. It began when we apprehended a spy, a man who admitted his guilt and who will answer for his crime. But the hunt didn't end there. Another man, Mister Simon Tarses, was brought to trial – and it was a trial, no matter what others choose to call it – a trial based on insinuation and innuendo. Nothing substantive offered against Mister Tarses, much less proven. Mister Tarses' grandfather is Romulan, and for that reason his career now stands in ruins. Have we become so fearful? *Have we become so cowardly that we must extinguish a man because he carries the blood of a current enemy?* [emphasis added] Admiral, let us not condemn Simon Tarses, or anyone else, because of their bloodlines, or investigate others for their innocent associations. I implore you, do not continue with this proceeding. End it now.” “You know, there are some words I've known since I was a school boy. ‘With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably.’ Those words were uttered by Judge Aaron Satie as wisdom and warning. The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged.” “We think we've come so far. The torture of heretics, the burning of witches, it's all ancient history. Then, before you can blink an eye, it suddenly threatens to start all over again.” “But she, or someone like her, will always be with us, waiting for the right climate in which to flourish, spreading fear in the name of righteousness. Vigilance, Mister Worf, that is the price we have to continually pay.” ▼ Keep Reading ▼

	Thoughts: This episode is a wonderful example, in my mind, of how Star Trek can be compelling, engaging, and entertaining, without the use of fight scenes, explosions, sex, special effects, or other gimmicks. This episode is mostly talk but it is quite successful in creating an intriguing conflict. I'm also impressed by the way Admiral Satie slowly goes from ally to enemy, and how at each step of the way she gets just a little more “evil”, until she finally snaps – a credit to actor Jean Simmons. I'm giving this episode a General Award for these accomplishments and the important message the episode conveys, no matter the century.

	Watch Recommendation: For all of the reasons discussed above, I'm marking this episode as “Highly Recommended”.

My rating:	★★★★ ★☆ 🎖️ General Award ♥︎ Personal Favorite		Watch Recommendation ✔︎+ Highly Recommended	FINAL SCORE 8.2
SF Debris rating:	8
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	7
Normalized IMDb rating:	8.0	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

Lwaxana flirting with Timicin in the turbolift

4x22	Original Air Date 6 May 1991	Series Episode 95	Franchise Episode 196
Half a Life
Lwaxana Troi is devastated when she learns that the man she's fallen in love with is bound by his people's tradition of ending their lives with dignity at age 60.

💁‍♀️	Timicin's daughter, Dara, is played by Michelle Forbes, who will become better-known for her future recurring role of Ro Laren.

	Watch Recommendation: It's an average episode with no real impact on the overall story. No recommendation.

My rating:	★★★☆☆		Watch Recommendation -	FINAL SCORE 5.4
SF Debris rating:	5
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	5
Normalized IMDb rating:	5.9	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

4x23	Original Air Date 13 May 1991	Series Episode 96	Franchise Episode 197
The Host
Beverly Crusher falls in love with a visiting Trill diplomat.

👽

This is the first appearance of the Trill species in the Star Trek franchise, and their only appearance in The Next Generation. There are significant differences between the early design of the Trill in this episode, and the Trill that we'll come to know and love in Deep Space Nine, specifically in the person of Jadzia Dax. Obviously, there was a cosmetic change. Instead of Odan's forehead ridges seen in this episode, Trills in DS9 and beyond have distinctive spots running down the sides of their heads, over their shoulders, and down the rest of their body. Other than that, Odan's symbiont seems to fully take over the body, mind, and personality of its host, while in DS9 the relationship is described as a “blending”, where both the host and symbiont contribute their own personalities into a new, combined being. Finally, Odan is unable to use the transporter because it would damage the symbiont, but this limitation is never mentioned or maintained in DS9. None of these discrepancies have been given a canon explanation.

►
S
H
O
W

C
L
I
P
►

◄
H
I
D
E

C
L
I
P
◄

Thoughts: There is only one valid explanation for what happened... Crusher wanted to bang Riker. How long has she secretly been wanting to bump uglies with the first officer? We don't know, but I can guarantee you that she's thought about it. Seriously! Put yourself in her situation. Imagine the love of your life and that giddy feeling you have every time you see them. Now imagine that that person is temporarily in the body of one of your coworkers. Would you have sex with that person? Or do you think you could control your libido for a few days until they're out of your coworker's body? Imagine the situation with a few different coworkers. If you said “no” about Coworker‑A but you said “maybe” or “yes” about Coworker‑B, guess what, you kinda wanna play hide the sausage with Coworker‑B.

But look at this from Riker's perspective! Riker consented to hosting the symbiont in a life-or-death situation. He consented to Odan using his body to complete the peace talks. He did not consent to Odan using his body to pork the doctor. And what about Troi! Troi is just like “Yeah, you should absolutely take this opportunity to use my ex-boyfriend's body to feed the kitty. Definitely use that oar to paddle your pink canoe while he can't consent. I see nothing wrong with this.” Are you kidding me?? How can Crusher and Riker even look at each other after this encounter? Either Riker would have been appalled at what happened, or he secretly reciprocated Crusher's lustful thoughts. I'm not being a prude, right? It's really not okay for Odan and Crusher to have just used Riker's body like that, right??

Watch Recommendation: I would normally recommend this episode because it introduces the Trill species, but since it's only a one-off for this series and the Trill would be dramatically changed for the series DS9, it turns out that this episode isn't all that important. Also, it is too stupidly casual about a really questionable sexual encounter. No recommendation.

My rating:	★ ★☆ ☆☆☆		Watch Recommendation -	FINAL SCORE 3.1
SF Debris rating:	5
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	2
Normalized IMDb rating:	4.1	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

La Forge undergoing brainwashing at the hands of the Romulans

4x24	Original Air Date 27 May 1991	Series Episode 97	Franchise Episode 198
The Mind's Eye
Geordi is kidnapped by Romulans and brainwashed to assassinate a Klingon politician.

💁‍♂️	The Romulan in charge of Geordi's conditioning is played by John Fleck. Although the script gives his character a name, it is never uttered aloud, so I think it's more fun to imagine that this is a younger Koval, at an earlier point in his career before we see him again as Chairman of the Tal Shiar in DS9 7x16: Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges. Fleck is also well-known for his recurring Suliban character Silik in Star Trek: Enterprise.
👤	There is another Romulan observing the procedure from the shadows. While the person in the shot was a body-double, the voice might sound familiar if you listen closely enough. This character will step out of the shadows at the end of TNG 4x26: Redemption (Part I), and her identity will be revealed in the following episode.

	Nitpickery: I don't care if he's a senior officer and a main character: Geordi should have been investigated further when he was the only one on the suspect list without an alibi. This was a failure of ship's security.

	Watch Recommendation: There is a small tease for an upcoming character in the two-parter TNG 4x26 & 5x01: Redemption, but I don't think it's enough to earn this otherwise-average episode a recommendation.

My rating:	★★★☆☆		Watch Recommendation -	FINAL SCORE 5.9
SF Debris rating:	6
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	6
Normalized IMDb rating:	6.7	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

4x25	Original Air Date 3 Jun 1991	Series Episode 98	Franchise Episode 199
In Theory
Data tries to be a good partner when a coworker starts to fall for him. B-plot: The Enterprise navigates a nebula that is causing parts of the ship to phase in and out of reality.

🎶	Classical Musical Selection: The wind quintet plays Anton Reicha's Op. 88 No. 2

	Thoughts: I had to mark this as below average, because it's frustrating to watch Data go from someone who is merely inexperienced in understanding the nuances of human emotion and communication to an episode like this one where he's entirely ignorant to much more straightforward concepts.

	Watch Recommendation: I find some of the A-plot scenes actually a little painful to watch. No recommendation.

My rating:	★★☆☆☆		Watch Recommendation -	FINAL SCORE 4.2
SF Debris rating:	5
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	4
Normalized IMDb rating:	5.5	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

Gowron and Worf in the Enterprise observation lounge

4x26	Original Air Date 17 Jun 1991	Series Episode 99	Franchise Episode 200
Redemption (Part I)
While Worf seeks the restoration of his family name, Picard must conclude his role as Arbiter of Succession in hope of preventing a Klingon civil war. Things become complicated when the Duras sisters challenge Gowron's claim to the throne and Picard suspects they are being aided by the Romulans.

👩‍🤝‍👩	First appearance of the Duras sisters, Lursa and B'Etor. We'll see them again later in this series, in one episode of DS9, and the film Star Trek Generations.
👤	The identity of the Romulan who hid in the shadows in TNG 4x24: The Mind's Eye is revealed and explained in Part II. Spoiler » Sela is the half-Human, half-Romulan daughter of Tasha Yar. This was made possible when, in an alternate timeline, Picard allowed Yar to travel into the past and back into the prime timeline, where she survived the battle of Narendra III and was taken prisoner by Romulans. That story is told in TNG 3x15: Yesterday's Enterprise.
🔗	Picard's duties as Arbiter of Succession are continued here from the episode TNG 4x07: Reunion. Worf accepted discommendation from the Klingon Empire in TNG 3x17: Sins of the Father.

	Watch Recommendation: This two-parter is a continuation of the Worf versus Duras saga, putting it on the “Must Watch” list.

My rating:	★★★★☆	Ratings are based on both Parts I and II as a whole	Watch Recommendation 🕶︎ Must Watch	FINAL SCORE 8.1
SF Debris rating:	8
Ex Astris Scientia rating:	9
Normalized IMDb rating:	8.0	Understanding Ratings and Recommendations

Full Episode List
Season 1 • Season 2 • Season 3 • Season 4 • Season 5 • Season 6 • Season 7

Full Episode List
Season 1 • Season 2 • Season 3 • Season 4 • Season 5 • Season 6 • Season 7

Full Episode ListSeason 1 • Season 2 • Season 3 • Season 4 • Season 5 • Season 6 • Season 7

Full Episode ListSeason 1 • Season 2 • Season 3 • Season 4 • Season 5 • Season 6 • Season 7

Full Episode List
Season 1 • Season 2 • Season 3 • Season 4 • Season 5 • Season 6 • Season 7

Full Episode List
Season 1 • Season 2 • Season 3 • Season 4 • Season 5 • Season 6 • Season 7