The BEST episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3

Every episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3!

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.

Last Updated: 8/28/2024Network: Status: Ended
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The Best of Both Worlds (1)
star
8.43
2548 votes

#1 - The Best of Both Worlds (1)

Season 3 - Episode 26 - Aired 6/18/1990

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.

Directors: Cliff Bole
Watch Now:Amazon
Yesterday's Enterprise
star
7.96
2577 votes

#2 - Yesterday's Enterprise

Season 3 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/19/1990

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.

Directors: David Carson
Watch Now:Amazon
Déjà Q
star
7.70
2222 votes

#3 - Déjà Q

Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/5/1990

Stardate: 43539.1 A Calamarian starts attacking the Enterprise while seeking revenge on a powerless Q.

Directors: Les Landau
Watch Now:Amazon
Who Watches the Watchers
star
7.54
2431 votes

#4 - Who Watches the Watchers

Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/16/1989

Stardate: 43173.5 An away team inadvertently breaks the Prime Directive and reveal themselves to a primitive culture on Mintaka III, causing the inhabitants believe that Captain Picard is a God.

Directors: Robert Wiemer
Watch Now:Amazon
The Defector
star
7.52
2361 votes

#5 - The Defector

Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/1/1990

Stardate: 43462.5 A defecting Romulan warns the Federation about an impending attack by the Romulans, who are secretly establishing bases within the Neutral Zone.

Directors: Robert Scheerer
Watch Now:Amazon
The Offspring
star
7.50
2135 votes

#6 - The Offspring

Season 3 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/12/1990

Stardate: 43657.0 Data becomes a father when he creates a Soong-type android in the form of a daughter named Lal. Issues are complicated when Lal starts showing signs of a more evolved consciousness, including the ability to feel emotions, which attracts the attention of Starfleet scientists who want to take her away from Data and examine her advanced systems.

Directors: Jonathan Frakes
Watch Now:Amazon
Sins of the Father
star
7.49
2052 votes

#7 - Sins of the Father

Season 3 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/19/1990

Stardate: 43685.2 Worf is reunited with his long-lost brother when their father is charged with treason for helping the Romulans. Together they make an appeal to the Klingon High Council to challenge the charges, and have them revoked.

Watch Now:Amazon
Hollow Pursuits
star
7.34
1981 votes

#8 - Hollow Pursuits

Season 3 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/30/1990

Stardate: 43807.4 A nervous and insecure officer, Lt. Reginald Barclay, places the Enterprise in great danger when he neglects his duties in Engineering, and instead spends his time acting out his fantasies on the holodeck.

Directors: Cliff Bole
Writer: Sally Caves
Watch Now:Amazon
Sarek
star
7.33
1979 votes

#9 - Sarek

Season 3 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/14/1990

Stardate: 43917.4 Spock's Vulcan father, Sarek, boards the Enterprise to negotiate political relations with the Legaran. However, Sarek has contracted Bendii syndrome, which causes a Vulcan to gradually lose control, and become overpowered with emotions.

Watch Now:Amazon
The Most Toys
star
7.31
1793 votes

#10 - The Most Toys

Season 3 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/7/1990

Stardate: 43872.2 The crew are shattered by the apparent death of Data in a shuttle explosion, and are prevented from carrying out a detailed investigation when Starfleet gives them orders for a new mission elsewhere. However, the crew don't realize that he was actually abducted and placed on display as part of a collection of rare and valuable items held by a disreputable character.

Directors: Timothy Bond
Watch Now:Amazon
Booby Trap
star
7.25
2352 votes

#11 - Booby Trap

Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/30/1989

Stardate: 43205.6 While investigating an ancient ship left adrift in space, the Enterprise accidentally trips the ancient booby trap that disabled the old vessel over 1000 years ago.

Watch Now:Amazon
The Survivors
star
7.20
2058 votes

#12 - The Survivors

Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/9/1989

Stardate: 43152.4 The Enterprise discovers a planet that has had all life eradicated, except for two mysterious residents and their home, which has been left in perfect condition.

Directors: Les Landau
Watch Now:Amazon
Evolution
star
7.18
2380 votes

#13 - Evolution

Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/25/1989

Stardate: 43125.8 A system-wide computer malfunction places the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise in grave danger while they are escorting a scientist to a star in the process of exploding.

Directors: Winrich Kolbe
Watch Now:Amazon
The Hunted
star
7.14
1988 votes

#14 - The Hunted

Season 3 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/8/1990

Stardate: 43489.2 A potentially new member of the Federation enlists the help of the Enterprise to track down a wanted criminal who has a reputation for his excessive violence. However, the fugitive's actions may not be of his own will.

Directors: Cliff Bole
Watch Now:Amazon
The Ensigns of Command
star
7.13
2147 votes

#15 - The Ensigns of Command

Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/2/1989

Stardate: 43133.3 A human colony is forced to evacuate a planet when the original inhabitants return and threaten the colonists with annihilation if they do not leave within four days.

Directors: Cliff Bole
Tin Man
star
7.11
2001 votes

#16 - Tin Man

Season 3 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/23/1990

Stardate: 43779.3 The Enterprise encounters a 'living' ship in the Neutral Zone, and risks breaking the Romulan Federation alliance in order to bring it into contact with a Betazoid emissary.

Directors: Robert Scheerer
The Enemy
star
7.08
2216 votes

#17 - The Enemy

Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/6/1989

Stardate:43349.2 A blind Geordie is trapped on a hazardous planet with a paranoid and severely injured Romulan. In orbit, a Romulan Warbird is preventing the Enterprise from attempting a rescue mission.

Directors: David Carson
Allegiance
star
7.05
2079 votes

#18 - Allegiance

Season 3 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/26/1990

Stardate: 43714.1 Picard is secretly abducted and switched with an alien double. The crews' suspicions are raised when he starts exhibiting unusual behaviour, and is relieved of command.

Directors: Winrich Kolbe
Captain's Holiday
star
7.03
1949 votes

#19 - Captain's Holiday

Season 3 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/2/1990

Stardate: 43745.2 While on vacation on Risa, Captain Picard encounters two Vorgons from the 27th Century who claim they are searching for a powerful weapon hidden somewhere on the planet.

Directors: Chip Chalmers
Transfigurations
star
6.97
1902 votes

#20 - Transfigurations

Season 3 - Episode 25 - Aired 6/4/1990

Stardate: 43957.2 Dr. Crusher becomes attracted to an injured alien with mysterious powers, who is being tracked down by his government like a wanted criminal.

Directors: Tom Benko
The Vengeance Factor
star
6.96
2207 votes

#21 - The Vengeance Factor

Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/20/1989

Stardate: 43421.9 The Enterprise crew tries to mend the relationship between a race known as the Acamarians and a faction known as the Gatherers.

Directors: Timothy Bond
Writer: Sam Rolfe
The High Ground
star
6.87
1978 votes

#22 - The High Ground

Season 3 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/29/1990

Stardate: 43510.7 Dr. Crusher is abducted by a group of terrorists while delivering crucial medical supplies to a planet ravaged by civil war.

Ménage à Troi
star
6.86
1698 votes

#23 - Ménage à Troi

Season 3 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/28/1990

Riker and Deanna, both on shoreleave, are unexpectedly joined by Deanna's mother, Lwaxana, on Betazed. Shortly, all three are kidnapped by the Ferengi who want to study Lwaxana's telepathic abilities.

Directors: Robert Legato
The Price
star
6.85
2149 votes

#24 - The Price

Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/13/1989

Stardate: 43385.6 The Enterprise hosts the negotiations for the rights to a newly discovered, stable wormhole to the Delta Quadrant. One of the negotiators, Devinoni Ral, becomes attracted to Deanna Troi, but he holds a dubious secret.

Directors: Robert Scheerer
A Matter of Perspective
star
6.85
1970 votes

#25 - A Matter of Perspective

Season 3 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/12/1990

Stardate: 43610.4 Riker is accused of murder when a scientist is killed in an explosion. Picard must recreate the recent events in the holodeck to prove his commander's innocence.

Directors: Cliff Bole
Writer: Ed Zuckerman