Category: TNG Season 4

We’re more than half way home! Season four is in the books, and while it’s not the best season the series ever did, it has it’s fair share of memorable moments. A heavily family focused year, we met the relatives of Picard, Worf, Yar and Crusher. We also fleshed out the crew, with Miles O’Brien getting a full name and a wife! This episode of the podcast will feature a break down of the season, some awards, and the 5 best and 5 worst episodes!

The long running Klingon civil war story line returns, and we get introduced to Lursa and B’etor! A shadowy Romulan also appears, and Worf decides to give it all up and become a farmer! It’s the end of season four, and it’s been a hell of a ride so far!

Time for some more Trek romance! When an emotionally needy crew member falls for Data’s robotic charms, it’s up to Data to construct the perfect romantic subroutine. Also, some B plot involving a subspace anomaly happens and Picard steers a shuttlecraft. We got a formula to maintain, people!

Give me something with a Latin beat! When Geordi is kidnapped by Romulans, he’s brainwashed into a killing machine! It’s a race against time as Data needs to figure out a solution before an evil plan comes to fruition. Modi helps break down Klingon-Romulan relations, Geordi vision, and dramatic pacing.

Like BB King said, the Trill is gone, baby, it’s gone away from here. When Dr Crusher falls for a mysterious diplomat, it’s soon revealed that the poor guy is more than anyone expected! A slug then gets stuck inside Riker and everything is topsy-turvy! Modi stops by to discuss TNG romance, changes in DS9, and the problems with a stand alone episode.

The vibrant Lwaxana Troi returns to the Enterprise and falls in love with a scientist who has only a short time left to live! Clay, Sean and Tana stop by to discuss issues with the elderly, character choices, and whether or not it’s appropriate to picnic in the middle of a civilization ending crisis!

Kangaroo court in the 24th century! When an overzealous admiral tears the ship apart looking for a conspiracy that doesn’t exist, Picard is put on trial in a court of public opinion! Clay, Sean and Tana lead a discussion about shades of grey, made up quotes, and the effectiveness of Klingon spies!

A Q episode that features a somewhat relevant title! When Picard’s fling from Risa, Vash, makes her way on board the Enterprise, Q decides to turn their love affair into a Robin Hood themed adventure! Modi returns to discuss weird tones, guest stars who need to go, and the comedic styling of Worf!

Barclay returns, and he’s super smart! When an alien probe zaps Barclay and turns him into a super intelligent being, Barclay becomes a threat to the ship and crew! Modi stops by to discuss Barclay as an actor, plot lines that beg for their own episode, and laser beams!

Brannon Braga gives us his first solo script, and as a result we end up with a slightly high concept episode that revolves around Geordi transforming into a monster! Clay and Sean drop by to discuss holodeck CSI, cool guy Geordi’s swinging bachelor lifestyle, and the battery life of shuttlecraft!

“Eyes in the dark, one moon circles.” When a lack of REM sleep leads to the Enterprise crew slowly losing their minds, it’s up to Data and Troi to get to the bottom of the mystery! Clay and Sean stop by to discuss a not-quite-Troi episode, Data again in control, and Patrick Stewarts excellent portrayal of a man who hasn’t slept recently!

A space ravioli attacks the ship, so Picard is forced to brutally murder it with his bare hands! Well… not quite, but something similar happens. Plus, Geordi gets to go full creeper as his holographic crush appears on board the Enterprise and is shockingly disinterested in his lecherous advances!

The Prime Directive is the guiding principle of Starfleet, but is it ethical? When a pre-warp alien civilization becomes aware of “aliens” on their planet, Picard must try to sort through the confusion and fear to come to a peaceful resolution. Plus, we get to meet the most ethical doctor in the galaxy!

Life is full of little mysteries, like that time our android friend lied to us and told us we’d been asleep for 30 seconds when in fact we were in a biostasis for about a day! Crazy times! I love episodes that explore the non-humanity of Data, and Clues is a creepy hour of deceit and blank stares. It’s a lot of fun.

In this episode, we meet the Klingon Devil and he has a huge mouth! When the Enterprise encounters a con woman posing as an immortal demon, it’s up to Picard to convince a planet that her powers are just an act. A light hearted episode that was originally a Phase II script!

Chief O’Brien just got married, so let’s probe the depths of his soul and examine the species that he hates with the burning passion of a thousand suns! The Wounded introduces the Cardassians, who would go on to be a major adversary for the Federation. When a rogue Starfleet captain begins attacking Cardassian vessels, the Enterprise must stop him before he starts a war! Trekabout’s Eric and Richard stop by to chat about replicated meals, space racism, and the tone of TNG!

A day in the life of Data! When our favorite android writes a letter to the man who tried to disassemble him in season two, he decides to talk about weddings and espionage! It’s a slice of life episode that introduces Keiko O’Brien and reminds you that Miles O’Brien is the most dashing man in Starfleet!

The producers of Star Trek: The Next Generation took a bold step in this episode: they decided to turn the useless character of Troi into a more shrill, and even more useless character! When the Enterprise gets caught up in a two dimensional sea of aliens, Troi loses her empathic abilities and starts shouting at everyone! Modi stops by to help me understand how things have gone so wrong for Troi, why 2D is better than 3D, and podcast scheduling!

Wesley Crusher, it is time to say good bye. We hardly knew you, but that didn’t stop you from being extremely obnoxious. When Wesley and Picard crash land on a desert planet, they’ll have to figure out how to deactivate alien technology to get a sip of water! Meanwhile, the Enterprise has to drag some nuclear waste into a nearby star! Fun times! It’s the final regular appearance of Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher!

When Riker wakes up 16 years in the future, he’s suddenly the captain of the Enterprise and has a bunch of grey streaks in his beard! What a disaster! Tana and Sean stop by to talk about the future, Riker’s choice of musical instrument, and Picard being late to a party. Podcast Perfect!

It’s time to talk Klingon realpolitik! When Worf’s lover, the feisty K’ehleyr, returns to the Enterprise, she brings along a tiny miracle (bear with me) named Alexander! In the meantime, Picard is forced to choose who should take the head seat at the Klingon High Council when K’empec is murdered. Worf! Duras! Gowron! Let’s get it on!

They’ve replaced the rape gangs with laser tag, but the late Tasha Yar’s home planet is still a thorn in the side of the Federation! Clay stops by to discuss Tasha’s sister Ishara, how much Yar is too much Yar, and how the writing for Data has either improved or plateaued. Also, is Ishara actually Linda Hamilton from the Terminator timeline?

Finally, an episode of Star Trek that was written by Sarah McLachlan! We’ve been waiting for so long! In this episode, Dr. Crusher starts to notice that members of the crew are slowly vanishing from the Enterprise, but it seems like she’s the only person who notices. The co-hosts of Trekabout join me to discuss the character of Dr. Crusher, the return of a season one character, and whether or not this is a mystery that can carry 45 minutes of screen time!

There’s a race of highly hostile aliens in our area? And they set booby traps and have killed members of the Federation before? And they’re ships are no match for ours? Why don’t we just blow them up? When the Enterprise discovers a human boy in the company of violent Talarians, Picard must decide to either bring him home or return him to his adoptive Talarian father, Captain Endar. What will he choose? And… why?

Data loses his mind! Data hijacks the Enterprise! Data meets… himself? When Dr. Noonian Soong summons his android creation to a distant planet, a small boy’s life hangs in the balance! The Soong family reunion is complete when the evil android Lore appears, and Dr. Soong reveals that he summoned Data to give him the gift of emotion. Tana and Clay are here to break down Data’s power level, old age make up, and excessive dinosaur props!

It’s been a rough couple weeks! The Federation was decimated by the Borg, Picard was kidnapped and forced to indirectly kill 11,000 people, and Riker’s beard trimmer broke! So while the Enterprise is docked at Earth undergoing repairs, the crew get to have some valuable family time. Picard goes home, Worf’s adoptive parents visit the ship, and Wesley gets a gift from his late father!

The newly-minted Captain Riker must save the Federation from utter destruction at the hands of the Borg.