The BEST Episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation
Every episode ever - ranked by fan votes!
Last Updated: Sep 18, 2021
Network: CBS
A century after Captain Kirk's five year mission, the next generation of Starfleet officers begins their journey aboard the new flagship of the Federation. Commanded by Captain Jean-Luc Picard the Galaxy class starship Enterprise NCC-1701-D will seek out new life and new civilizations - to boldly go where no one has gone before.
#1 - All Good Things... (2)
Season 7 - Episode 26 - Aired May 23, 1994
Stardate: 47988.1 - After his encounter with Q, Picard assembles the senior staff, and wonders if Q is actually giving him a chance to save humanity by showing him that the spatial anomaly also exists in the past. As they talk, the ship reaches the Neutral Zone, then Picard returns to the future, where Beverly's ship is also on the edge of the Neutral Zone. He convinces a reluctant Worf to accompany the group into Klingon territory, and then travels to the past, where he orders the crew into the Devron system. Finally, he returns to the present, where he is able to get Tomalak, the Romulan Commander on the other side of the border, to agree to entering the Neutral Zone together. Now heading for the anomaly in all three time periods, Picard learns that it exists in the present, and is larger in the past, but does not exist in the future.
8.69 
#2 - The Best of Both Worlds (1)
Season 3 - Episode 26 - Aired Jun 18, 1990
Stardate: 43989.1 An Starfleet expert on the Borg, Lt. Cmdr. Shelby, is assigned to the Enterprise to investigate the disappearance of a Federation colony. Picard is abducted by the Borg and assimilated into the Collective, which forces Riker to attempt a rescue mission.
8.50 
#3 - All Good Things... (1)
Season 7 - Episode 25 - Aired May 23, 1994
Stardate: 47988.0 - Shortly after Picard is diagnosed with a long-term, potentially debilitating brain disorder, he starts experiencing bizarre shifts into three main time periods: 25 years into the future, a few days before the Enterprise-D is sent on its mission to Farpoint station, and the present. Picard realizes that Q is behind these shifts through time. Q finally reveals himself that humanity is still on trial, and that Picard must stop an event in the future that will halt the formation of life on Earth four billion years ago.
8.34 
#4 - The Best of Both Worlds (2)
Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired Sep 24, 1990
Riker must pull out all the stops in order to save Earth from a Borg invasion being lead by none other than Locutus - otherwise known as Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
8.32 
#5 - The Inner Light
Season 5 - Episode 25 - Aired Jun 1, 1992
Picard is struck by an energy beam from an alien probe, which renders him unconscious and places him in the life of a citizen on the planet Kataan, with his memory of the Enterprise intact. Although he searches for a way to return, he finally decides to live his life with his Kataan wife, have children & grandchildren, learning to play a flute and completely immersing in the Kataan culture. He finds the planet is dying due to an imbalance of its sun. With no way to evacuate the planet's people, the government builds a probe which will tell others how they lived. The same probe that Picard met. Picard wakes to find himself back on the Enterprise having lived an entire lifetime in just minutes. The probe, having disgorged its memories, gives one last gift: the flute (which shows up in later episodes.)
8.22 
#6 - Yesterday's Enterprise
Season 3 - Episode 15 - Aired Feb 19, 1990
Stardate: 43625.2 A rift in the space/time continuum brings the U.S.S. Enterprise - C forward into the 24th Century, and alters the timeline. In this future, the Federation is at war with the Klingons, Tasha Yar is on the bridge, Worf did not join the Federation, and only Guinan's unique perception of reality may restore the timeline.
8.00 
#7 - The Measure of a Man
Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired Feb 13, 1989
Stardate: 42523.7 When Data's rights as a sentient individual are placed under trial, Starfleet forces Riker into a position where he must prove that Data is only an Android.
7.97 
#8 - The Pegasus
Season 7 - Episode 12 - Aired Jan 17, 1994
Stardate: 47457.1 - Riker is placed on a covert mission to find the missing starship he was once a member aboard, but the mission holds a secret that could destroy the peace treaty between the Federation and the Romulans.
7.96 
#9 - Time's Arrow (2)
Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired Sep 21, 1992
Stardate: 46001.3 - The away team's investigations are hampered by a nosy Samuel Clemens. Picard discovers that he originally met Guinan in the 1890s on Earth.
7.94 
#10 - Time's Arrow (1)
Season 5 - Episode 26 - Aired Jun 15, 1992
Stardate: 45959.1 - Data's head is uncovered in an archaeological dig on Earth, where evidence is also found that aliens may have been on Earth as early as the 19th Century. Using modified technology, an away team follows Data into the late 1890s to investigate.
7.93 
#11 - Q Who?
Season 2 - Episode 16 - Aired May 8, 1989
Stardate: 42761.3 Q hurls the Enterprise into the Delta Quadrant and introduces the Federation to a powerful new enemy that may destroy the Alpha Quadrant: The Borg.
7.90 
#12 - Cause and Effect
Season 5 - Episode 18 - Aired Mar 23, 1992
Stardate: 45652.1 - While exploring the Typhon Expanse, the Enterprise is caught in a time warp in which they are repeatedly destroyed while colliding with another starship.
7.84 
#13 - Relics
Season 6 - Episode 4 - Aired Oct 12, 1992
Stardate: 46125.3 - Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott is discovered suspended in a transporter beam 75 years after he disappeared. After the Enterprise crew re-materialise him, he has a hard time adjusting to the new society.
7.83 
#14 - Chain of Command (2)
Season 6 - Episode 11 - Aired Dec 21, 1992
Stardate: 46360.8 - Picard is captured and tortured by the Cardassians, while Riker tries to prevent a Federation attack on Cardassia.
7.81 
#15 - Timescape
Season 6 - Episode 25 - Aired Jun 14, 1993
Stardate: 46944.2 - Picard, Geordi, Troi and Data return from a Federation conference to find the Enterprise frozen in time and under attack from a frozen Romulan Warbird.
7.79 
#16 - Parallels
Season 7 - Episode 11 - Aired Nov 29, 1993
Stardate: 47391.2 - Worf returns from a Klingon competition to find that he is shifting through different realities.
7.76 
#17 - The Chase
Season 6 - Episode 20 - Aired Apr 26, 1993
Stardate: 46731.5 - Picard's old archaeology professor is found murdered, the crew try to complete his research. Soon, the crew must compete with Romulans and Klingons and Cardassians to uncover the truth behind his discoveries.
7.75 
#18 - I, Borg
Season 5 - Episode 23 - Aired May 11, 1992
Stardate: 45832.1 - An injured Borg is discovered and brought back to the Enterprise where he is 'repaired' by Dr. Crusher and befriended by Geordi, who names him 'Hugh.' Soon, Hugh starts showing signs of individuality while Picard must choose between destroying him or returning him to the collective.
7.75 
#19 - Déjà Q
Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired Feb 5, 1990
Stardate: 43539.1 A Calamarian starts attacking the Enterprise while seeking revenge on a powerless Q.
7.75 
#20 - Ship in a Bottle
Season 6 - Episode 12 - Aired Jan 25, 1993
Stardate: 46424.1 - While performing holodeck maintenance, Barclay accesses the stored hologram of Professor Moriarty, who wreaks havoc on board the Enterprise.
7.72 
#21 - Unification (2)
Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired Nov 11, 1991
Stardate: 45245.8 - Picard and Data find Spock and discover the reason behind the secret meetings. However, a darker scheme planned by the Romulans is also uncovered in the process.
7.71 
#22 - Encounter at Farpoint (1)
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired Sep 28, 1987
Stardate: 41153.7 The new captain of the recently built U.S.S. Enterprise-D, Captain Jean Luc Picard, takes the crew on their first mission: to discover the secret of Farpoint Station. During their journey, they encounter an omnipotent being known as Q, who accuses humanity of barbarism, and places them on trial. Jean-Luc must prove otherwise, or the human race will be annihilated.
7.70 
#23 - Gambit (2)
Season 7 - Episode 5 - Aired Oct 18, 1993
Stardate: 47160.1 - Picard and Riker covertly work together in an attempt to find out why the criminals are looting archaeological digs.
7.68 
#24 - Contagion
Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired Mar 20, 1989
Stardate: 42609.1 A strange power source disables the Enterprise's computer systems, damages Data's programming and leaves the ship and crew vulnerable to a Romulan attack.
7.66 
#25 - Redemption (1)
Season 4 - Episode 26 - Aired Jun 17, 1991
Worf must choose between his people and the Federation when a civil war threatens to destroy the Klingon Empire.
7.66