all good things star trek ending

All Good Things... (episode)

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Picard learns from Q that he is to be the cause of the annihilation of humanity and begins an incredible journey through time from the present, to the past when he first took command of the Enterprise , to twenty-five years into the future. ( Series finale , feature-length)

• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 1.7 Act Six
• 1.8 Act Seven
• 1.9 Act Eight
• 1.10 Act Nine
• 1.11 Act Ten
• 2 Memorable quotations
• 3.1 Production history
• 3.2 Story and script
• 3.3 Cast and characters
• 3.4 Sets and props
• 3.5 Production
• 3.6 Editing
• 3.7 Continuity
• 3.8 Reception
• 3.9 Apocrypha
• 3.10 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest stars
• 4.4 Special guest stars
• 4.5 Co-stars
• 4.6 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.7 Stunt double
• 4.8 Stand-ins
• 4.9.1 Other references
• 4.9.2 Unreferenced material
• 4.10 Timeline
• 4.11 External links

Summary [ ]

Worf and Deanna

On the holodeck , Lieutenant Worf and Counselor Troi have just finished a walk on the Black Sea beach at night. Upon exiting the holodeck, Troi gets a bit irritated when Worf refers to their romantic experience as nothing more than "stimulating" and rolls her eyes when he tries to add that it was "very stimulating". On the way back to her quarters , Troi discusses how she doesn't spend nearly enough time on the holodeck, and should go there more often. Worf is about to drop her off at her quarters, but wants to talk about their next date. He feels that they should get approval from Commander Riker before continuing their relationship and is concerned about hurting his feelings, but Troi firmly states that their relationship does not need such approval.

Worf is about to kiss Troi goodnight, when Captain Picard walks off the turbolift . In a hurried mood, he asks Troi for the date, to which Worf answers that it is stardate 47988. Picard confirms the date with himself, before he reveals to Troi that he, without knowing the reason, is somehow moving back and forth through time.

Act One [ ]

In Counselor Troi's quarters, Picard explains the experience. He had the feeling he was somewhere in the past. Troi asks for a description, but Picard says that it is as hard to remember as trying to recall a dream. He remembers that it was years ago , before he took command of the USS Enterprise -D . But then, the experience was that of him in the future, as an old man. He remembers being outside, doing something, but can not remember any specifics. Troi asks him to consider if this was merely a dream, but Picard says that the experience was much more real than a dream. The very touch and smell of things was more real than a dream. Troi asks how long he was in each period, but Picard responds that he is not sure. He remembers feeling disoriented, but this soon passed, and he felt as if everything was perfectly normal. As soon as he tries to explain something, Picard stops speaking in mid-sentence.

Picard finds himself in the future

Picard is now an old man in a vineyard , tying up some vines. As he does this, he hears La Forge 's voice, jokingly complaining about an issue on the Enterprise , " the warp core or the phase inducers … or some other damn thing " as he approaches, smiling warmly. Picard is very delighted to see his old friend and they embrace each other. La Forge is unsure of how to refer to the ambassador . Picard suggests Jean-Luc, but La Forge doesn't feel sure about calling him that, and settles on captain, like he had done twenty-five years prior, the last time they served together on the Enterprise . La Forge offers to help, and tells Picard how to help his plants grow better, saying he picked up some gardening experience from his wife Leah . Picard asks how she is, and how the kids ( Alandra , Bret , and Sidney ) are. La Forge responds that they are just fine, his wife had just recently been named Director of the Daystrom Institute , but their son Bret is applying to Starfleet Academy in the next year. It is at this moment La Forge confesses that he stopped by from Rigel III to see Picard and how he was holding up to his newly contracted Irumodic Syndrome . As they begin to head back to Picard's house for tea , Picard tells La Forge what he thought of his latest novel, but in the middle of a comment on the protagonist , he suddenly sees a strange group of people, dressed in shabby clothes, and supposedly mocking the captain. La Forge apparently does not see the people, but before Picard can say anything, the scene shifts again, to another time period.

On board the shuttlecraft Galileo , Natasha Yar , an old member of the crew, is talking with the captain about any previous experiences he has had with Galaxy -class starships. He states that he has never been aboard one, but is familiar with the blueprints and specifications. Yar comments that Picard is in for a treat, as the Enterprise is quite a ship, and the shuttle is cleared for arrival. Outside the window, the USS Enterprise is docked at McKinley Station , in orbit of Earth . The time shifts back to the "present," in Troi's quarters, and he tells her that he was just with Yar in the shuttle. Picard sits down, seemingly troubled by this.

Act Two [ ]

In sickbay, Dr. Crusher reports that she found nothing to indicate hallucinations . There are also no indications of temporal displacement , and Crusher believes that Picard is enjoying waking people up in the middle of the night, to which he responds that he really just likes running around the ship in his bare feet. Nurse Ogawa gives Crusher bio-spectral results, but these also show no signs of temporal displacement. After asking Troi to excuse them for a moment, she tells Picard about results of a scan for Irumodic Syndrome. There were no signs of the disorder itself, but there is a small structural defect in his parietal lobe that could lead to the syndrome. Although she says that it is possible to live a whole life without developing problems, she is not confident about it. Riker enters to report that Worf has found nothing on his security scans. Worf comes on the comm to report that there is an incoming transmission from Admiral Nakamura . Picard answers it in Dr. Crusher's office, to hear that Nakamura is issuing a fleet-wide yellow alert . Nearly thirty Romulan warbirds have been diverted to the Neutral Zone from Romulus , and there is also some sort of spatial anomaly in the Devron system . The orders are to go to their side of the Neutral Zone, and to find out what the situation is, and what the anomaly is. They cannot, however, enter the Neutral Zone until the Romulans do.

Cambridge in a possible future

Suddenly, the time shifts to the future, but this time, Picard notices the difference. He says that he was somewhere else a few minutes ago, a long time ago, talking to Beverly Crusher. He notices that he was on the Enterprise , in sickbay, but conjectures that it may have been a hospital . La Forge wants to call Picard's doctor, thinking that it is the Irumodic Syndrome, but Picard says that it is not. La Forge then asks what he wants to do about it, and Picard responds that he wants to see Data , to which La Forge agrees. Then, Picard sees the strange, barbaric people again, but doesn't understand yet. Again, La Forge sees nothing, and then takes the captain to go see Data. They go to Cambridge , and Picard explains how real the experience was. Data's housekeeper Jessel offers them tea, and Picard accepts. As Picard and La Forge attempt to exchange seats with Data's cats (who seem to be sitting on every available chair, shelf, or other horizontal surface), Picard starts to compliment Data's home. Data explains that it is one of the perks of holding the Lucasian Chair at Cambridge, the home itself once belonging to Sir Isaac Newton , one of the early Lucasian professors . Data then goes on to explain the change in his hair color, and then Picard remarks that the tea is not Earl Grey , but Darjeeling tea . Data asks Picard about how long it has been since he has seen a doctor about his Irumodic Syndrome. Picard responds a week and that he has been taking peridaxon , which will not cure the syndrome. Picard starts to explain that Data, too, likely thinks that his time shifting is all a delusion, an idea which Data says had indeed crossed his mind. Yet, Data says that because there is no evidence to disprove the captain, they can run some neurographic scans with the equipment he has on campus. He tells the captain that they will get to the bottom of this. As Picard says that this is the Data he remembers and could count on, another time shift occurs.

In the past, Captain Picard just exits the shuttlecraft Galileo with Tasha Yar. Picard then commences to read the orders which placed him in command given by Admiral Norah Satie , but is interrupted several times by the strange people he saw in the future. The assembled crew look around and see no one present. As he finishes reading the orders, he goes to shake hands with Counselor Troi, but is again distracted by the shouting people he sees all around the bay. Deeply disturbed, Picard calls for red alert and orders all crew to battle stations . The crew look puzzled at each other, hardly the reaction they were expecting from their new captain, but Lieutenant Yar barks at them to follow the captain's orders and everyone quickly exits the shuttlebay to comply. Picard, alone, takes hold of himself and with concern, exits as well.

Act Three [ ]

Picard records his secure personal log entry

In the observation lounge , Picard, noting the golden models of the previous Enterprises adorning the wall which had long since been removed from the lounge in his original time frame, makes a notation in his personal log, recorded under security lockout omega 327, stating that he will not tell his crew about his time shifting, afraid of altering the timeline. Other members of the senior staff enter. Yar reports that scans showed no unusual anomalies, and Worf notes that it would be helpful if they could know exactly what they are looking for. Picard does not answer, but asks the counselor if she senses a foreign alien presence, one with great intelligence far superior to their own, but the counselor states that she only senses the ship's crew and families. Picard then asks Worf to issue a level 2 security alert , which surprises Yar, as she is the security chief. Realizing his mistake, Picard promptly corrects himself, and asks Yar to issue the alert. Chief Miles O'Brien then calls the captain to the bridge .

Starfleet has issued an alert, stating that a number of vessels, mainly freighters , are moving to the Neutral Zone between Romulan and Federation space. A large spatial anomaly has appeared in the Devron system, the same place an anomaly was detected in the present. Worf remarks that it could be a Romulan trick to lure their ships in as an excuse for a military strike and O'Brien states that Starfleet has canceled the mission to Farpoint , ordering the Enterprise to the Neutral Zone. Picard however, states that they will continue the mission to Farpoint, despite orders. Yar is surprised at this, but Picard stands firm, even when Worf tells Picard that the security of the Federation could be at stake. He tells Troi that he has no reason, but then correctly guesses that there is a problem with the warp plasma inducers . He asks O'Brien to accompany him to engineering , where he gives the chief instructions to bypass the plasma inducers. O'Brien is hesitant to make any corrections, as this is not his field of expertise, stating that it should be the chief engineer who makes these modifications. However, Picard reminds O'Brien the chief engineer has yet to arrive and puts his full confidence in the chief. As he asks for more help from Fletcher , he states that they will need to "burn the midnight oil," something which the Data of the time states would be inadvisable. He tells O'Brien not to ignite anything as it will set off the ship's fire suppression system and seal off the entire compartment but O'Brien states how it was an expression to relate that they would need to work late. Picard, amused at the reminder of Data's complete unfamiliarity with human expressions, then welcomes the commander on board, and asks for his help on the infusor array . Data identifies the problem, noting they will need a new field induction subprocessor and states that perhaps they will have to "ignite the midnight petroleum " to fix the problem.

Suddenly, Picard shifts back to the present. He starts to describe that he remembers more each time he shifts. He states that at first, he felt that he was in the future, and then he suddenly had the experience of being in the past. Crusher then states that a scan she just did indicates that Picard has somehow accumulated over two days worth of memories in a matter of minutes, evidence that he is indeed traveling through time.

Act Four [ ]

In the observation lounge, Picard tries to put things straight. Troi does not remember any of the events in the past such as the red alert, or the diversion to the Neutral Zone. Data states that there appears to be a discontinuity between time periods as nothing that happens in one affects the others, but Riker states that there appears to be the same anomaly in the Devron system in both time frames, something too coincidental. La Forge theorizes that it may be some kind of temporal disturbance, but Crusher asks what this has to do with the time shifting. Picard says that these are good questions, but he doesn't have the answers yet. He wants everyone to prepare battle readiness reports to cope with the Romulan threat, and ends the meeting. Riker asks Troi if she wants to have dinner before the late night work, but she says that she already has plans with Worf. There appears to be some sort of tension, and this bothers Riker, who loses his awareness for a few moments. Picard then tells Riker that because the time shifts coincide with disorientation, Riker should be ready to take command during a crisis if it should arise. He then goes to his ready room , and Dr. Crusher follows. She gets him some warm milk with a dash of nutmeg , and observing that he's exhausted, orders him to sleep. Picard notices the look of worry on Crusher's face, and she brings up the issue of his possible Irumodic Syndrome. She reminds him that he has been to the future and knows the disease will occur, but Picard takes her hands in his, smiles warmly at her, and says he prefers to view the future as something that is not written in stone. Picard reminds her that a lot of things can happen in 25 years. The two share a tender, but romantic kiss. Crusher then agrees with him and leaves.

The future Admiral William T. Riker

In the future, La Forge wakes the captain, and Picard asks if they have reached the Neutral Zone. He explains to La Forge that he was in the past, and tells him they have to get to the neutral zone in this time period. La Forge asks why, and Picard tells him about the anomaly in the Devron system, but La Forge says that it may all be coincidental. Picard insists that they have to check, and La Forge agrees. However, La Forge brings up a potential problem: there is no neutral zone, ever since the Klingons took over the Romulan Star Empire , and to make matters worse, relations between the Federation and the Klingons at this point are strained. Yet La Forge says that they will need a ship to get to the Neutral Zone, and Picard asks him to contact Admiral Riker at Starbase 247 . Admiral Riker says that he cannot help. Picard asks what if the anomaly is really there, but Riker simply responds that the latest report from Starfleet Intelligence states no unusual activity in the Devron system. Picard refuses to believe this, wanting to go there to see for himself. Riker states that he will have the Yorktown conduct scans, stating that it is the best he can do. He apologizes and ends the transmission, and Picard gets upset that he cannot go. Data however, has an option. They could arrange passage on a medical ship , which has been granted permission to help Romulans fight off a strain of Terrellian plague . Picard supports the idea, and La Forge states that now they need to locate a medical ship. Picard however, can arrange this. He asks Data to find the USS Pasteur , saying that he has some pull with the captain – at least he used to. The Pasteur arrives in orbit with Dr. Beverly Crusher in command. She welcomes the three of them aboard, and tells Picard that his idea is absurd, but then again, she could never say no to him. A member of the bridge crew calls out for "Captain Picard" and both Picard and Crusher respond with a yes. Picard replies to Crusher that she kept his last name, suggesting a marriage and subsequent divorce of these two in this future timeline, hence the captain of the Pasteur is actually Captain Beverly Picard. She says that they need to get clearance to cross the border, and La Forge suggests contacting Worf. Picard immediately agrees, stating that Worf is the answer, as he is governor of H'atoria , a small Klingon colony near the border. Crusher asks Picard to get some rest, but Picard says that he is not an invalid and does not want to be patronized. Crusher apologizes, and then Picard agrees to go get some rest. As soon as he leaves, Crusher asks Data and La Forge about what they think of his story, and all three silently agree that they don't believe it. However, she states that they will go on one more mission if it is what Jean-Luc Picard wants to do. In the turbolift, Picard asserts to himself that they will indeed find the anomaly.

As he exits the turbolift, he is in the past, asking for a report. O'Brien states that they are nearing the coordinates he was given, and Picard asks Data to scan for something unusual, a strong barrier of some sort, with a large plasma field that is highly disruptive. Data reports that there is nothing there. Picard states that this is the right place, and the right time, but "he" is not here. Yar asks who, and Picard yells for Q . He states that he knows Q is there, but there is no response. Picard again asks the counselor if she senses an alien presence, and Worf asks Yar what is a "Q," who responds that all she knows is that it is a letter of the alphabet. Picard doesn't understand why history is not happening the way it should, but he suddenly shifts to the courtroom in which he had his first encounter with Q. He finally recognizes the barbaric people he has been seeing, and Q appears as he did seven years prior, stating that he thought Picard would never figure out it was Q who was behind it.

Act Five [ ]

In the courtroom, Picard demands to know what is going on. Q asks Picard if he doesn't know, based on where he is. Picard then recounts that seven years ago, the last time he was standing in that courtroom, he was accused for being the representative of a savage race. Picard stated that they had agreed that the "trial" was over, but Q says that he will not help connect the dots, thinking it would be boring. He then offers Picard the chance to ask ten yes-or-no questions, and he will answer. Q states that he is not putting mankind on trial again. He does say, however, that there is a connection between the trial seven years ago and these events. The anomaly is related to what is going on, but it is not a Romulan creation to start a war. Q also states that he did not create the anomaly, but that he is responsible for Picard's time shifts. Picard however, loses his chance to asks more questions when he asks why. Q then states that the trial never ended, and that they have been ruled guilty. Q states that the Human race has failed to expand their minds. Picard defends that humanity is what it is, but Q states otherwise. Their trek through the stars will soon be terminated, and humanity will be denied existence. Picard states that even Q is incapable of such an act, but Q then says that it will not be him who destroys humanity, it is Picard. Q states that Picard is doing it, has done it, and will do it again. Q then closes the court, and Picard is sent back to the present. Heading directly to the bridge, he reports to Commander Riker that they have a much bigger problem than they thought. He calls immediately for red alert, and a senior staff meeting.

Act Six [ ]

In the observation lounge, the senior staff discusses the situation. La Forge thinks it is another one of Q's tricks, but Picard disagrees. He believes Q to be deadly serious, but both Crusher and Troi say that there is an apparent confusion in Q's statement about that fact that he has already caused, and is now causing, the destruction of humanity. However, Data points out that the discontinuities in the three time periods make Q's statement accurate, if confusing. Now Picard wonders out loud doubtfully whether he should lock himself up in a room in all three time periods, but Riker says that action in itself might cause humanity's destruction. Counselor Troi warns them not to second guess, and believes that the best course of action is to proceed normally and handle each situation as it arrives. Picard agrees, and then goes on to describe a curious side note. He states that Q admitted being responsible for his time shifts, and believes that there may be a way to actually save humanity. Riker asks why, and Picard responds that Q has always had more than just passing interest in humanity and with Picard in particular. Data agrees and points out that Q's interest in Picard has always been similar to that of a master and his beloved pet. Getting looks from all of the senior staff, Data tells Picard that it is only an analogy. An officer states over the comm that they are approaching the Neutral Zone. Data scans, and finds four Romulan Warbirds holding place on the Romulan side. The USS Concord and USS Bozeman are waiting on the Federation side. Worf hails the lead Warbird, but a time shift occurs, placing Picard in the future.

Worf joins his former crewmates on one final mission

Governor Worf is now on the viewscreen of the USS Pasteur . Crusher and Worf exchange quick greetings, and then Crusher asks if he has had time to read their request. Worf reports however, that he is no longer a member of the Klingon High Council , and that he must refuse, for their own safety. If they had a ship with a cloak, it would have been safer, and criticizes Riker for not helping them, but Picard doesn't care. He needs to get to the Devron system. Picard then tells Worf that the Worf he remembered was more concerned with honor and loyalty rather than regulations. But Picard remarks that this was a long time ago, and that perhaps Worf has changed. Worf gets outraged at this, and Worf reluctantly allows them to cross the border, provided that he comes with them. Picard accepts these terms. Beverly tells Picard, though, that if they run into any trouble, she is pulling them out and returning to Federation space. As soon as Worf is aboard, she sets course for the Devron system, warp 13. She allows Picard to sit in the command chair and give the order to engage, but as he does, he shifts back to the past.

Picard contacts Riker at Farpoint Station

O'Brien asks where to engage to, and Picard responds to engage to the Devron system, warp 9. Yar states that the Devron system is in the Romulan neutral zone, but Picard disregards the warning. Counselor Troi then asks Picard to speak to her privately in his ready room. Picard also asks Yar to contact Farpoint Station and states that he wants to speak to Riker. In Picard's ready room, Troi tells him that the crew is a bit confused with his irrational orders, and some don't trust him. She says that it takes time for a crew to get to know their captain, and vice-versa, but Picard stands firm that he knows what they are capable of. Troi also says that it is hard to operate in the dark, without knowledge as to what they are doing, and Picard sympathizes with this but feels that he does not have a choice. Yar then tells Picard that she has Commander Riker on subspace. Picard accepts the call, and informs Riker that they will be briefly delayed in picking him up at Farpoint. Riker asks how long, but Picard is unsure. He then tells Riker to deliver the message to the rest of the crew, and ends the call. It is at this time that Counselor Troi reveals the romance in the past that she had had with Commander Riker, but Picard states that he is confident in her abilities to deal with the situation.

Tomalak confronts Picard in the present

Suddenly, Picard is in the present, talking with Commander Tomalak . He proposes sending one ship from each side into the Neutral Zone to investigate the anomaly. Tomalak agrees as soon as he hears Starfleet has not approved the plan, and reminds the captain to only send one ship. Picard sets the course to the Devron system, warp 5. They arrive shortly, and sensors pick up a large subspace anomaly. Picard orders a full scan, wanting as much information as possible.

In the past, the Enterprise arrives at the same location, and also picks up the same anomaly. However, it is larger that it just was in the present. He orders another full scan of the anomaly. In the future, Picard orders the anomaly on screen. However, Data regretfully reports that there is no anomaly to see.

Act Seven [ ]

Continuous scans in the future report no anomalies within a light year of the Devron system. Worf also reports that several warships have been dispatched to their location to investigate a renegade Federation vessel. Crusher wants to leave, but Picard wants to try a different way to scan for the anomaly. Data suggests using an inverse tachyon pulse to scan beyond the subspace barrier. He starts modifications, but Crusher makes it clear that if they don't find anything in six hours, they are heading back to Federation space. Picard tells the ensign not to leave in six hours, but Crusher overrules him. She then asks to see him in her ready room. Picard goes, and Crusher scolds him for questioning her orders. She states that he would never tolerate that behavior on the Enterprise , and she wouldn't here. Picard agrees, but reminds Crusher about the fact that humanity's fate is at stake. But Crusher says that he might not be saying anything that is the truth. She reveals that he has advanced Irumodic Syndrome, and that it is possible that the entire journey is in his mind. However, she reminds him that if it were anyone else, they wouldn't be here, and then she leaves for the bridge. Picard is about to follow, but Q appears again, this time in the guise of an old man. Picard demands to know where the anomaly is, but Q does not give him the answer. However, Q reminds Picard that he is not alone in this; who he is, who he was and who he will become are always with him. Picard realizes that the answer to the problem lies in his time shifting, and then asks Q if the anomaly destroys humanity, but Q reminds Picard that it is he is what will destroy humanity, not the anomaly.

In the present, Data has a preliminary report of the anomaly. It is a massive temporal displacement, emitting the energy equivalent to ten G-type stars. However, they cannot scan the interior of the anomaly, and cannot find the source. Picard then suggests the inverse tachyon pulse that the future Data suggested. Data is amazed at the captain's knowledge, and agrees to make the modifications. He and La Forge work on rerouting power and initiate the tachyon pulse. However, soon afterward, La Forge experiences some pain, and trouble with his VISOR . Data calls sickbay, and Crusher determines that La Forge is growing new eyes. Nurse Ogawa reports that they have reports from two crew members stating that old scars are healing themselves. Data then offers a partial explanation. The anomaly is a multiphasic temporal convergence in the space-time continuum, an eruption of anti-time . The relationship between time and anti-time is analogous to the relationship between matter and anti-matter, and upon contact, the two would annihilate each other, causing the rupture in space.

In the past, Picard explains to Data that if they scan the anomaly with an inverse tachyon pulse, they will see that the anomaly is a rupture between time and anti-time. He orders Data to make the modifications, and is still trying to figure out why the anomaly is larger in the past. He then goes to his ready room. In the future, the Pasteur is under attack from two Klingon attack cruisers.

Act Eight [ ]

The Enterprise -D in the future

Under attack, the USS Pasteur attempts to escape. Warp power is off-line, so they try to evade the attacks. The impulse drive is fluctuating, and shields are down to 30%. The Pasteur 's weapons are no match for the Klingon ships, and La Forge can't get warp power. Shields are failing, and Crusher attempts to explain that they are on an errand of mercy. The Klingons don't listen, and Worf signals a surrender. As shields fail, helmsman Nell Chilton is killed and a ship decloaks. It is the USS Enterprise -D , still in service and now upgraded as well as being heavily armed. Admiral Riker hails them, and offers to help with the Klingons. He takes out one ship, and draws the fire of the other. The Pasteur 's warp core, however, has destabilized, and there is a warp core breach in progress. Riker beams the Pasteur 's crew aboard, and then angrily scolds Worf for letting the Pasteur enter hostile territory, and putting their friends in jeopardy. Worf retaliates, saying that if Riker had helped them in the first place, none of this would have happened, before Picard breaks up the argument by reminding them that the Pasteur is seconds away from exploding, and that they need to get to a safe distance. Riker orders them out of range of the Pasteur , narrowly escaping the blast caused by the ship's explosion, and then engages the Enterprise out of Klingon space. The cloak is down, so they will go the old fashioned way and engage at warp 13 back to Federation space. Picard is outraged, and demands that they stay, yelling that everything depends on it, but Crusher administers a sedative to Picard.

In the present, Picard accidentally bumps into a crew member on his way to sickbay. Inside sickbay, several time-reversing phenomena are occurring. La Forge's visual acuity is improving by the minute, and Alyssa Ogawa lost her baby. Picard enters, and Crusher explains that the baby somehow grew backwards, until the DNA itself broke down. However, the temporal energy seems to be affecting the entire crew, causing everyone to "grow backward," and it could eventually kill all of them. In the observation lounge, Picard asks the senior staff to contact the nearest starbase to see how widespread the effect of the temporal reversion is. Data is about an hour and 45 minutes away from completing his tachyon scan, and Picard wants to find some way to collapse the anomaly, then dismisses the senior staff. After they leave, Q appears musing that Picard has a difficult decision ahead of him… an anomaly he knows nothing about but will be somehow responsible for the end of humanity; the question is will collapsing it save humanity or destroy it. Q decides that Picard needs the proper perspective to solve the puzzle, and clicks his fingers.

Earth, 3.5 billion years ago of the past Picard created

Picard suddenly finds himself back on Earth with Q, about 3.5 billion years in the past. Q shows Picard the sky, which shows that the anomaly is so large that it can be seen from Earth and spreads across the entire Alpha Quadrant . Picard then realizes that the anomaly is expanding as it moves back in time. Q then shows Picard a pool of green sludge, a pool of amino acids . They are about to combine to form the first proteins , however, the disturbance from the anomaly stops the combination as it happens. Life on Earth doesn't start, and the anomaly stopped the creation of humanity. Realizing from Q's words that he somehow created the anomaly, Picard is transported back to the past Enterprise now knowing that if the anomaly isn't collapsed then humanity will cease to have ever existed.

Act Nine [ ]

In the past, Picard wants to know how the anomaly was formed. Data says that their information is limited; they would need to be able to scan the center to get an idea of its creation. Picard asks if there is any way, but nothing aboard could do the job. Data says that a tomographic imaging scanner with multiphasic resolution could do the scan, however the device is still in the experimental phases at the Daystrom Institute .

In the present, Data uses the imaging scanner (which, by this point in time, is completed) to scan the anomaly, but gets very unusual readings. He has found three tachyon pulses with the same amplitude modulation converging at the center of the anomaly. It is as if all three pulses came from the Enterprise . Picard then deduces that three pulses from three time periods, converging at one point in space may have caused the anomaly.

In the future, Picard wakes up from a nap, and heads to Ten Forward to talk to Admiral Riker about this new information. In Ten Forward, La Forge compliments on how well Enterprise has held up over the years. Riker says that Starfleet tried to decommission her five years ago, but the advantage of being an admiral was that he got to choose his own ship. Crusher then asks Riker how long the tension between him and Worf is going to continue. Riker thinks that after twenty years, it would be too hard to stop, but Data says that the last thing Troi would have wanted is for her best friends to be alienated. Riker says that he tried to put it behind them at Troi's funeral and make peace, but Worf refused to even talk to him. As they talk about this, Picard enters Ten Forward, to the surprise of everyone there. Picard tells Riker that he knows why the anomaly is being caused. He tries to explain the creation like the problem of the chicken and the egg. Data deduces that the captain is describing a paradox . Data finds that it is possible they caused the anomaly they have been looking for, and that if they hurry, they may be able to see the initial formation of the anomaly. Riker agrees to head back, and tells the bridge to go back to the Devron system at maximum warp. As Riker leaves, he cautiously asks Worf for a helping hand on the bridge, to which Worf agrees.

Act Ten [ ]

Three Enterprise s enter the anomaly

The Enterprise enters the Devron system, and does indeed pick up a small temporal anomaly off their port bow, an anti-time eruption. Picard was right, and proposes to stop it before it can travel back through time. Riker asks Data for any ideas. Data suggests that the tachyon pulses should be shut down in the other time periods. Picard shuts down the pulse in both the present and the past, but the anomaly remains unaffected. The only way to stop the eruption is to seal the rupture at the convergence point, by using a static warp shell. In the past, Picard orders the Enterprise into the anomaly, and Tasha Yar refuses to put the ship in jeopardy. She asks for an explanation, but Picard can not give an explanation. He tells them what they have to do, take the ship to the center of the anomaly, and create a static warp shell. He tells them that they may not survive, but that this has to be done, because what is at stake is far more than any of them could imagine. He tells them about the faith he has in them, and asks for their trust in return. They agree, and make preparations to go in.

In the present, Data makes the same suggestion, and Picard orders the Enterprise in. In the future, the same is done, as the Enterprise heads towards the anomaly. Temporal energy interferes with main power once they enter, but they attempt to stabilize it. At the center, all three ships initiate the warp shell, and a new subspace barrier forms. All three time periods overlap, and there are now three Enterprises visible. The warp shell is working, but the temporal energy ruptures the past Enterprise 's warp containment system, causing an anti-matter eruption, destroying the ship. On the present ship, the containment system also goes, and the present Enterprise is destroyed. On the future Enterprise , as La Forge reports that the anomaly is nearly gone. Q also appears to Picard, telling him that he will miss him and he had potential but " then again, all good things must come to an end. " At that point, the containment system is lost, and the ship is destroyed, along with the anomaly.

" The trial never ends. "

" The continuum didn't think you had it in you Jean-Luc, but I knew you did. "

Picard is now back in the courtroom with Q, sitting with his head in his hands. Upon hearing Q's voice, he learns that the anomaly was indeed collapsed, and humanity was saved, once again, and everyone is safe. Picard then proceeds to thank Q for helping him get out of it. Q admits that he got Picard into it (under orders from the Continuum ), but it was his choice alone to give him a helping hand. Picard hopes that he never finds himself in the courtroom again, causing Q to ask if Picard has been paying attention… the trial never ends. The Continuum wanted to see if humanity could expand their mind and horizons and for one brief moment Picard did, when he realized the paradox. Q tells Picard that during that one moment, his mind was open to possibilities that he had never considered before. That is the journey that truly awaits humanity, exploring the unknown possibilities of existence. Picard asks Q if there's something he's trying to tell him, and it appears for an instant that Q is going to tell Picard something meaningful, but at the last second pulls back simply stating that he'll find out… and that he'll be watching, and may even drop in from time to time. " See you… out there", the omnipotent entity states to Picard before disappearing.

" I should have done this a long time ago. " " You were always welcome. "

Back on the Enterprise , Picard is at the beginning of his journey, leaving a turbolift and walking into a corridor towards Counselor Troi's quarters. He asks the date, very much the same way he did at the beginning, and upon hearing that he is back where he started, Picard quietly laughs to himself. He goes back to bed, saying that he could use some sleep, leaving both Troi and Worf dumbfounded. As he records his log, he states that he is the only one who remembers the events of the entire journey, and that there is no anomaly in the Devron system.

The Enterprise continues to explore the final frontier…

In Riker's quarters, Riker, Worf, Crusher, Data, and La Forge are playing their weekly game of poker . At the end of a round (and the usual friendly banter), Crusher begins to wonder why Picard shared the information about the future he encountered with them. La Forge says that it sure goes against the rules they've always heard about not polluting the timeline, but Data believes that this case is different. Since the anomaly never occurred, the future they encounter will be radically different from the one Picard experienced. Riker thinks that Picard told them so that they would not make some mistakes twice, as he looks towards Worf meaningfully. Worf agrees, and they silently affirm their friendship. At this point, Troi enters, and joins the game. A few moments later the door chimes again and to everyone's surprise, Picard is at the door. Riker calmly asks the captain if there is a problem. Picard says that there is no problem, but wants to join them for the game. The pleasantly surprised crew make room for him and Data gives Picard the cards to deal. As Picard starts to shuffle the deck, he takes a moment's pause to regard his crew and friends and notes that he should have done this a long time ago. Troi tells him he was always welcome, and Picard starts to deal the cards.

The Enterprise then heads off into space, to continue exploring the final frontier.

Memorable quotations [ ]

" Now that was an incredible program. " " I am glad you approve. I have always found the Black Sea at night to be a most… stimulating experience. " " Worf, we were strolling barefoot along the beach while balalaika music played in the air… ocean breeze washing over us… stars in the sky… a full moon rising… and the most you can say is "stimulating"? " " It was… very stimulating. "

" I… I don't know how or why, but I'm moving back and forth… through time. "

" Captain Picard to the bridge. Captain, we've got a problem with the warp core or the phase inducers or some other damn thing. "

" How do you like your tea? " " Tea? Earl Grey, hot. " "' Course it's hot! What do you want in it ? "

" It appears we will be required to ignite the midnight petroleum, sir. "

" Do you really think he's moving through time? " (La Forge and Data exchange dubious glances) " I'm not sure I do, either. But, he's Jean-Luc Picard and if he wants to go on one more mission that's what we're going to do. "

" Q! We're here! This has gone on long enough! "

" Q! What is going on here? Where is the anomaly? " " Uh, where's your mommy? Well, I don't know. " " Answer me! "

" This anomaly we're looking for, will that destroy humanity? " " You're forgetting, Jean-Luc, you destroy humanity. "

" What is a 'Q'?" " It's a letter of the alphabet as far as I know. "

" Oh, you'd like me to connect the dots for you, lead you from A to B to C, so that your puny mind could comprehend. How boring. "

"Five questions down! " " That's only four! " " Is it a Romulan plot? Is it a ploy to start a war? Those are separate questions. "

" Q's interest in you has always been very similar to that of a master and his beloved pet. That was only an analogy, captain. "

" Oh, I expected as much. You're such a limited creature – a perfect example of why we made our decision. The trial never ended, captain. We never reached a verdict. But now we have. You're guilty. " " Guilty of what? " " Of being inferior. "

" You obtuse piece of flotsam! "

" Humanity's fate has been sealed. You will be destroyed. "

" May whatever god you believe in… have mercy on your soul. This court stands adjourned. "

" It is not for you to set the standards by which we should be judged. " " Oh, but it is, and we have. "

" Has Starfleet Command approved this arrangement? " " No. " " I like it already. "

" Strange, isn't it? Everything you know, your entire civilization, it all begins right here in this little pond… of goo. "

" It's time to put an end to your trek through the stars. "

" Damn it, I'm not stupid! "

" I know it is difficult for you to understand, but we have to take the ship into the very center of the phenomenon and create a static warp shell. Now, this will put the ship at risk. Quite frankly, we may not survive. But I want you to believe that I'm doing this for a greater purpose and that what is at stake here is more than any of you can possibly imagine. I know you have your doubts about me… about each other… about the ship. All I can say is that although we have only been together for a short time, I know that you are the finest crew in the fleet and I would trust each of you with my life. So, I am asking you for a leap of faith… and to trust me. "

" Mister Data, you're a clever man. In any time period. "

" Two down, one to go… "

" Goodbye, Jean-Luc. I'm gonna miss you… you had such potential. But then again, all good things must come to an end… "

"The Continuum didn't think you had it in you, Jean-Luc. But I knew you did." "Are you saying that it worked? We collapsed the anomaly?" "Is that all this meant to you? Just another spatial anomaly, just another day at the office? " " Did it work? " " Well you're here, aren't you? You're talking to me, aren't you?" "What about my crew?" "The anomaly, my ship, my crew! I suppose you're worried about your fish too?"

"You had a hand in helping me get out of this." "I was the one that got you into it; a directive from the continuum. The part about the helping hand… was my idea."

" That is the exploration that awaits you; not mapping stars and studying nebulae, but charting the unknown possibilities of existence. "

" Q, what is it that you're trying to tell me? " " You'll find out. "

" See you… out there. "

" Four hands in a row… how does he do it? " " I cheat. " (Data glares) " I'm kidding! "

" So, five-card stud, nothing wild… and the sky's the limit. "

Background information [ ]

Production history [ ].

• Final draft script: 10 March 1994 [1]
• Filmed: 11 March 1994 – 5 April 1994 (17 days)
• Premiere airdate: 23 May 1994
• First UK airdate: 19 June 1996

Story and script [ ]

Winrich Kolbe directing Patrick Stewart and John de Lancie on the set of "All Good Things…"

• This episode was the series finale for Star Trek: The Next Generation .
• Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore wrote "All Good Things…" and later drafts of Star Trek Generations simultaneously. This often led them to mix the stories up.
• Early versions of this story included the Borg attack at Wolf 359 as a fourth main timeline. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (3rd ed., p. 299)) According to Brannon Braga, Hugh would have appeared as well, helping to rescue Picard from the Borg in this timeline. ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 281) The story also originated from a pitch by Ronald D. Moore early in the season in which Q had gone insane, causing the universe to come unraveled. The other characters found themselves in a bizarre place, with Q as a homeless guy sitting in a corner next a garbage can muttering "I used to be a superbeing. I used to be a superbeing." Although Michael Piller did not want to do this story, he did like the idea of bringing Q back and using him to bookend the series. ( TNG Season 7 DVD – "The Making of 'All Good Things…'")
• Michael Piller had an influence on the writing of the second half of this episode. " The first draft of 'All Good Things' was very similar for an hour, but the second hour wandered around without a clear story direction, " Piller recalled. " I wanted Ron [D. Moore] and Brannon [Braga] to get more ambitious and suggested the idea of Picard working with different versions of himself in the different time periods to solve the crisis. " ( AOL chat , 1998 )
• A line cut from the 2364 portion of the episode would have established Dr. Selar as being aboard at that time, acting as chief medical officer pending Crusher's arrival. [2]
• The episode's final line – " So, five-card stud, nothing wild... and the sky's the limit " – was coined by Brent Spiner. ( Making It So , p. 375)

Cast and characters [ ]

The older crew

The actors during filming

• According to Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Continuing Mission (1st ed., p. 206), John de Lancie , upon hearing that The Next Generation was ending with the seventh season, approached Rick Berman . The book quotes him as saying, " I actually felt motivated and sentimental enough to go to Rick [Berman] and say, 'You know I've never asked you for a job, but I did the first episode, and I understand you're doing a two-hour last episode, and I'd love to be in that. " Rick Berman is said to have replied, " 'Say no more. You're already in it anyway, whether you like it or not.' " However, when asked about this story in a 2012 interview, de Lancie denied that he had ever approached Berman. [3]
• Denise Crosby ( Natasha Yar ), Colm Meaney ( Miles O'Brien ), John de Lancie ( Q ), Richard Sarstedt ( Enterprise -D officer ), and David B. Levinson ( post-atomic court spectator ) are the only actors, besides the regulars, to appear in both this episode and the pilot " Encounter at Farpoint ", although Crosby was a regular at the time of the pilot.
• Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard ) and Jonathan Frakes (Commander William T. Riker ) are the only actors to appear in every episode of the series.
• This is the only season finale for which Denise Crosby filmed scenes as Tasha Yar, since the character had been killed prior to the end of the first season. Yar appears in " Shades of Gray " via stock footage and Crosby also appeared in the fourth season finale " Redemption " as Sela .
• The Romulan commander used, Tomalak , had not appeared since Season 4. This was the only time that Andreas Katsulas appeared on Star Trek during his run as Ambassador G'Kar on Babylon 5 (he later played another character on Star Trek: Enterprise after the end of Babylon 5 ). With Colm Meaney guest-starring in "All Good Things…", this was a rare occurrence when regulars on competing shows Babylon 5 and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine appeared in the same episode during the run of both shows.
• Colm Meaney commented about this episode, " It was strange, very nostalgic. I thought it was a very powerful way for ST:TNG to go out. I thought it was a great story and a terrific episode. It covered a lot of ground and left you thinking. " ("An Enlisted Man", Star Trek Monthly  issue 16 ,  ? )

Sets and props [ ]

Filming on the shuttlebay set

• Several changes were made so that the sets would appear as they did in season one for the past sequences. The striping behind the captain's chair was removed, the ops and conn chairs were returned to a more reclined position, and the equipment lockers on either side of the bridge were also changed. The captain's chair itself, as well as the rest of the command chairs, were not changed back to their season one appearance. The master systems display table in main engineering, as well as the "plugs" blocking the second set of corridor entrances, were also elements that were added after "Encounter at Farpoint" that weren't removed.
• The past Enterprise restores the wood paneling to the equipment lockers on the sides of the bridge and the reclining chairs for the ops and conn stations as well as the gold ship models in the observation lounge , which were present in the first season . However, the Captain's Chair retains the configuration introduced in the second season . Additionally, as the past Enterprise enters the anomaly, the camera angle used that contains O'Brien and Data in front of the viewscreen has the non-reclining chairs for the conn and ops position introduced in season 2 being used.
• The bird sculptures in Q's courtroom previously appeared in the pilot episode " Encounter at Farpoint ". They can also be seen in Karnas ' office in the first season episode " Too Short A Season " and in the bar on Qualor II in the fifth season episode " Unification II ".
• The two-step raised platform for the future Enterprise bridge was re-used for Star Trek Generations , and elements of that bridge had been seen before in " Parallels ".
• The bridge of the USS Pasteur is a redress of the bridge of the mercenary vessel that appeared in " Gambit, Part I " and " Gambit, Part II ".
• The console Romulan Commander Tomalak leans over to address Picard through the viewscreen is a reuse of a stock set element that previously appeared as a central console on the mercenary vessel's bridge in " Gambit, Part I " and " Gambit, Part II ".

Production [ ]

Director Winrich Kolbe and Denise Crosby on set

Brent Spiner and his costumer Deborah Hall

John de Lancie filming a special effects scene

• "All Good Things…" entered production on Friday 11 March 1994 . The episode was scheduled to be filmed over sixteen days.
• The vineyard scenes with Picard and Geordi were filmed at Callaway Vineyard & Winery in Temecula, California on 21 March 1994. ("Starfleet Moments & Memories Year Seven – A Unique Family", TNG Season 7 DVD special feature)
• Production on Star Trek Generations began while this episode was being filmed. The scenes filmed were on the Enterprise -B sets. ( TNG Season 7 DVD )
• Journey's End: The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation was mostly filmed during production on this episode too. This led to friction amongst the cast and production team, including an argument between Patrick Stewart (exhausted from having directed the previous episode, as well as appearing heavily in this one) and an Entertainment Tonight camera crew. ( [4] ; Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (3rd ed., p. 300))
• This is the only Star Trek finale of the 1990s and 2000s not to be directed by Allan Kroeker , who directed DS9 : " What You Leave Behind ", VOY : " Endgame ", and ENT : " These Are the Voyages... ". Terry Matalas later directed " The Last Generation ".
• Despite having been scheduled to be filmed over just sixteen days, this episode's shoot required a seventeenth day, which was Tuesday 5 April 1994 . On that day, filming took place on Paramount Stage 16 , representing Q's courtroom, and on Paramount Stage 18 , representing primordial Earth. As such, the only cast members to be involved in any of the day's filming were Patrick Stewart and John de Lancie. ("All Good Things…" call sheet )
• There are only three scenes in the episode that don't include Picard at all: the opening scene that ends with Troi and Worf getting on the Turbolift, a scene with Data and Geordi in Engineering and the scene on the future Enterprise in Ten Forward when the group discusses Riker and Worf's feud.

Editing [ ]

• The footage of the 2364 Riker reporting is a reused shot taken from " The Arsenal of Freedom ". In that episode, the man featured behind Riker is established as Paul Rice (played by Marco Rodriguez ) or at least the holographic version of Rice. He was digitally removed when the episode was remastered in 2014 .
• Early in the 2364 sequence, O'Brien reports that a number of ships have been reported entering the Neutral Zone. Several scenes which were ultimately deleted (but are included in the episode's remastered Blu-ray release, as well as being included in the novelization of the episode) that expanded upon this by having a section where Picard discovers a group of Terellian vessels trying to take advantage of the anomaly's healing and rejuvenation properties.

Continuity [ ]

• Past-Data seems to imply that the anomaly was formed by the convergence of the tachyon pulses from the three Enterprise s (though his exact words are "It is as if all three originated from the Enterprise") In the future, it is in fact the Pasteur , not the Enterprise , that fires the tachyon pulse. Ronald D. Moore later said of this: " This is an error that no one caught until the episode was on the air. And who caught it first? Rick Berman's ten-year-old son. Kind of humbling. " ( AOL chat , 1997 ).
• It is clear that there is no more warp 5 limit in the future. This limit was set in " Force of Nature ". In addition, ships in the future timeline are able to go above Warp 10, up to at least Warp 13. This would appear to contradict " Threshold ", where it is stated that Warp 10 is the theoretical limit. It is, however, possible that the warp scale was recalibrated in this future.
• Data begins a high-speed rant while attempting to comprehend the meaning of "burn the midnight oil." This is a reference to earlier seasons, where Data would similarly "babble". ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  ( ? ed., p. ? ))
• Due to a costuming error, Data wears lieutenant junior grade insignia in the 2364 portion of this episode. This is despite the fact that he is referred to as commander and the fact that he wore lieutenant commander insignia in " Encounter at Farpoint ", during which that part of the episode is set. Furthermore, Chief O'Brien wears a full ensign pin.
• In the future timeline, Data can use contractions, and appears to understand idioms, as he deciphers the captain's reference to "the chicken and the egg", which he was unable to in the past (as explained earlier, where he did not understand "burning the midnight oil").
• This was only the third Q episode to not have "Q" in the title. The previous episodes were " Encounter at Farpoint " and " Tapestry ". Later, the Star Trek: Voyager episode " Death Wish " and the Star Trek: Lower Decks episode " Veritas " also featured Q without having "Q" in the title, as does the entirety of Q's appearances in Picard Season Two , beginning in The Stargazer .
• Picard, Data, and Worf are the only crewmembers to actively participate in all three time periods (although Riker only briefly appears on screen during the early timeline).
• This is one of three episodes where Picard is seen occupying the first officer 's chair instead of his usual command chair , the other two being " The Naked Now " and " Too Short A Season ".
• In the past timeline, Picard refers to a young Miles O'Brien and his passion for building model starship engines, a fact first revealed in the third season episode " Booby Trap " (though the former episode discussed "ships in bottles", not "model starship engines" per se).
• The USS Enterprise -D 's possession of a cloaking device gives a hint that the Treaty of Algeron 's agreement for the Federation to not use any cloaking devices may no longer be in force in the alternate timeline of the anti-time future in 2395 . Given that the Klingons have conquered the Romulans in that timeline, it could mean the entire treaty was defunct.
• After this episode, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine very briefly became the sole carrier of the Star Trek franchise with the exception of the film Star Trek Generations . This began with " Tribunal " and ended with " Past Tense, Part II " in January 1995.
• The conversation in the conference lounge around the mid point of the episode has some parallels to a similar conversation in " Cause And Effect ". In both conversations the crew discuss an impending catastrophe related to time travel, said catastrophe is apparently a result of the actions or failure to act of one or more members, and in both cases Riker argues that an attempt to avoid the forthcoming disaster may in fact be what causes it to happen.
• It is unclear how Picard ascertains which of the three time periods he is moving between is the "correct" one. He has the information that the three timelines do not have continuity and are independent of each other. Yet he discloses that he is traveling between time to the crew of 2395 and 2370, but not to the crew of 2364. One reasoning could be that when Q convenes the court, he mentions that it has been 7 years, so that could be used as a frame of reference on which of the timelines is correct, but this is not discussed onscreen.
• When Q gives an opportunity to Picard to ask 10 yes or no questions, one of the questions Picard asks is whether Q is responsible and Q answers no. But as revealed at the end, it was Q who got Picard into the situation in the first place on the orders of the Continuum.

Reception [ ]

• After production wrapped on "All Good Things…", The Next Generation had its series wrap day on Wednesday 6 April 1994 . The cast got a ten-day break before jumping back in to commence work on Star Trek Generations . ( TNG Season 7 DVD )
• In between the "Journey's End" documentary and the finale, there was a Star Trek: The Next Generation Viewers Choice Marathon that revealed the top five episodes as picked by the fans.
• During a discussion between Chase Masterson and Brannon Braga on the website "The Fandom" in August 2005, Braga stated that he thought this episode was the best Star Trek script he had ever written. [5]
• In their joint 2004 commentary for the Star Trek Generations (Special Edition) DVD , Braga and Moore admitted that they felt "All Good Things…" turned out to be better than Star Trek Generations .
• This is also one of Rick Berman 's favorite episodes. He called it "the best season-ender we ever did." [6]
• Damon Lindelof , the producer of Star Trek and co-creator of Lost , took inspiration from this episode when writing an episode for the latter called The Constant , where Desmond Hume was moving back and forth through time just like Picard. [7]
• This episode won the 1995 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.
• This episode was also nominated for four Emmy Awards , a distinction it shares with only three other episodes. It won for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Special Visual Effects and was also nominated for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) ( Dennis McCarthy ), Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing for a Series – Single Camera Production, and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Series.
• Entertainment Weekly ranked this episode #5 on their list of "The Top 10 Episodes" to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation . [8]
• The book Star Trek 101 (p. 74), by Terry J. Erdmann and Paula M. Block , lists this episode as one of the "Ten Essential Episodes" from Star Trek: The Next Generation .
• In Canada, in addition to the episode's broadcast on CityTv , the episode was viewed at the Toronto baseball stadium, then called SkyDome, to an audience of 40,000 fans.

Apocrypha [ ]

• This was the only TNG episode adapted into a comic book , " All Good Things... ".
• This episode was also novelized . The novelization includes the scenes depicting Picard's discovery of a Terellian fleet attempting to use the health benefits of the anomaly.

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 89 , catalog number VHR 2921, 26 September 1994 ; released as the two-part, non-feature length, version of the episode
• UK collector's edition VHS (including Journey's End: The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation ): catalog number VHR 2923, 5 December 1994
• As part of the UK VHS release Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Full Length TV Movies : Volume 10, catalog number VHR 4110, 22 May 1995
• As part of the TNG Season 7 DVD collection
• As part of the Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete TV Movies collection
• As part of the Star Trek: Fan Collective - Time Travel and Star Trek: Fan Collective - Q collections
• As part of the TNG Season 7 Blu-ray collection
• As part of the All Good Things (Blu-ray) release
• As part of the Star Trek: The Picard Legacy Collection Blu-ray release

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William T. Riker

Also starring [ ]

• LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
• Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf
• Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
• Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data

Guest stars [ ]

• John de Lancie as Q
• Andreas Katsulas as Tomalak
• Clyde Kusatsu as Nakamura
• Patti Yasutake as Alyssa Ogawa

Special guest stars [ ]

• Denise Crosby as Tasha Yar
• Colm Meaney as O'Brien

Co-stars [ ]

• Pamela Kosh as Jessel
• Tim Kelleher as Lt. Gaines
• Alison Brooks as Ensign Chilton
• Stephen Matthew Garvin as Ensign
• Majel Barrett as Computer Voice

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• David Keith Anderson as Armstrong
• Aspen as Data's cat
• Bacall as Data's cat
• Bandit as Data's cat
• Teda Bracci as a post-atomic court spectator
• Buffy as Data's cat
• Caesar as Data's cat
• Cameron as Kellogg
• Tracee Lee Cocco as Jae
• Marijane Cole as a female operations officer
• Nyra Crenshaw as a male operations officer
• Crystal as Data's cat
• Brian Demonbreun as Andrew Powell
• Fido as Data's cat
• Holiday Freeman as a command officer
• Ogegko Gatoman as a post-atomic court spectator
• Keith Gearhart as an operations ensign
• Martha Hackett as Androna ( deleted scene )
• Bill Hagy as a sciences officer
• Fumiko Hamada as a command officer
• Justin as Data's cat
• Lauren C. Kim as an operations officer
• Geri Lee as a post-atomic court spectator
• David B. Levinson as a post-atomic court spectator
• Michael Moorehead as a sciences ensign
• Tom Odom as a future command officer
• Pauline Olsen as an operations ensign
• Jerry Quinn as a future Ten Forward waiter
• Joycelyn Robinson as Gates
• Marco Rodriguez as Paul Rice (archive footage; not in remastered version)
• Rick Ryan as Fletcher
• Richard Sarstedt as a command ensign/lieutenant j.g.
• Sascha as Data's cat
• Shelley as Data's cat
• Sinbad as Data's cat
• Lou Slaughter as an operations officer
• Leslie Stump as post-atomic court spectator
• Noriko Suzuki as an operations ensign
• Mary Thompson as an operations officer
• Uma as Data's cat
• Guy Vardaman as Darien Wallace
• Tim Wachsner as a post-atomic court spectator
• Wendy as Data's cat
• Zeke as Data's cat
• Bridge officer (off-screen voiceover)
• Conn officer
• Docking officer (off-screen voiceover)
• Eleven future Enterprise -D crewmembers
• Female sciences officer
• Fletcher (voice)
• Four Pasteur crewmembers
• Gates (voice)
• Post-atomic court spectators
• Six command officers
• Two operations officers

Stunt double [ ]

• LaFaye Baker as stunt double for Alison Brooks

Stand-ins [ ]

• David Keith Anderson – stand-in for LeVar Burton
• Debbie David – stand-in for Brent Spiner
• Michael Echols – stand-in for Michael Dorn
• Kerry Hoyt – stand-in for Tim Kelleher
• Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
• Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden
• Richard Sarstedt – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes and John de Lancie
• Dennis Tracy – stand-in for Patrick Stewart
• Guy Vardaman – photo double for Brent Spiner

References [ ]

3.5 billion years ago ; 2364 ; 2375 ; 2386 ; 2390 ; 2395 ; ability ; accusation ; acetylcholine ; Alpha Quadrant ; alphabet ; alternate timeline ; amino acid ; analogy ; anomaly ; anti-time ; anti-time Data's cats ; anti-time eruption ; anti-time future ; anti-time past ; anti-time present ; antimatter containment ; ape-like race ; area of expertise ; attack cruiser ; bacillus spray ; balalaika ; battle readiness report ; battle stations ; beach ; bearing ; Betazed ; biometrics lab ; Black Sea ; Black Sea at Night ; blood gas analysis ; " bloody "; boatswain's whistle ; Bozeman , USS ; Brahms, Leah ; building blocks ; card player ; career ; chicken and the egg ; Cambridge University ; cat ; cerebral cortex ; Chateau Picard ; civilization ; cloaking device ; Concord , USS ; cooking ; D'deridex -class ; cup ; Darjeeling tea ; dash ; Daystrom Institute ; dealer ; deflector dish ; department ; Devron system ; Devron system sector ; DNA ; Earl Grey tea ; Earth ; Earth Station McKinley ; emergency power ; English language ; etymology ; expression ; Farpoint Mission ; Farpoint Station ; Federation ; Federation space ( Federation territory ); figure of speech ; fireplace ; fire suppression system ; focal point ; force field grid ; France ; G-type star ; Galaxy -class ; Galaxy class decks ; Galileo ; governor ( vah'cha ); H'atoria ; hippocampus ; hovercar ; Human history ; Humanity ; ice pick ; idiom ; infusor array ; inverse tachyon pulse ; Irumodic Syndrome ; judge ; judge's bench ; Klingon ; Klingon Empire ; Klingon language ; Klingon territory ; La Barre ; La Forge, Alandra ; La Forge, Bret ; La Forge, Sidney ; Lake Cataria ; leaf miner ; Lee ; level 2 security alert ; level 4 neurographic scan ; Livingston ; long range sensor scan ; Lucasian Chair ; Luna ; maid ; McKinley -type ; McKinley Station ; medical tricorder ; medical ship ; microscope ; mind ; mission of mercy ; multiphasic temporal convergence ; Munoz ; Negh'Var warship ( Klingon attack cruisers ); neurological disorder ; Newton, Isaac ; nightmare ; novel ; number one ; nutmeg ; ocular implant ; Olympic -class ; optic nerve ; oxygen isotope ratio ; paradox ; parietal lobe ; Pasteur , USS ; peridaxon ; petroleum ; phase inducer ; phenomenon ; plasma coil ; plot ; ploy ; poker ; pond ; post-atomic horror ; priority one message ; protagonist ; protein ; psychogenic ; puzzle ; Q ; Q Continuum ; red alert ; renegade ; replicator (aka replication system ); representative ; Rigel III ; Rippert ; Romulan ; Romulan Neutral Zone ; Romulan space ; Romulan Star Empire ; Romulus ; Satie, Norah ; secondary plasma inducer ; senile ; senior officer ; shearing force ; skunk ; sky ; Sol ; spacedock ; space-time continuum ; spatial anomaly ; species ; stakes ; star ; Starbase 23 ; Starbase 247 ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Academy ; Starfleet Command ; Starfleet Intelligence ; Starfleet Medical ; static warp shell ; subspace scan ; surrender ; synaptic pathway ; tea ; temporal anomaly ; temporal energy ; temporal lobe ; temporal mechanics ; temporal paradox ; temporal reversion ; Ten Forward ; Terrellian plague ; Terix ; throne ( judge's throne ) tomographic imaging scanner ; trial ; tryptamine ; Type 6 shuttlecraft ; VISOR ; warm milk ; warp core breach ; warp drive ; warp factor ; warp plasma inducer ; yellow alert ; Yorktown , USS

Other references [ ]

• USS Pasteur dedication plaque: Advanced Technologies ; Aesculapius ; Agalsoff, Greg ; Apollo ; Berman, Rick ; Blackman, Bob ; Charnock, Jr., Ed ; Cooper, Ed ; Curry, Dan ; D'Angelo, Dick ; Drapanas, Wendy ; Engineering Division ; Fenin, Alex ; Fleet Operations ; Fleck, Jerry ; Fukai, Arlene ; Gausche, Jr., Steve ; George, Bill ; Howard, Merri ; James, Richard ; Knox, Ronnie ; Lauritson, Peter ; Livingston, David ; Magdaleno, Jim ; Marin County Starfleet Yards ; McCrystal, Cary ; Mees, Jim ; Neskoromny, Andrew ; Nesterowicz, John ; Nielsen, Louise ; Piller, Michael ; Purser, Tom ; Roddenberry, Gene ; Roller, Tim ; Rossi, David ; Silvestri, Steph ; Simmons, Adele ; Smutko, Alex ; Speckman, Gary ; Stimson, Mark ; Skywalker Division ; Tactical Systems ; Taylor, Jeri ; Trotti, David ; USS Pasteur dedication plaque ; Vernon, Dana ; West, Jonathan ; Westmore, Michael ; Yacobian, Brad
• Starship mission status : Ajax , USS ; Alderaan ; Alpha Laputa IV ; Ambassador -class ; Apollo -class ; Aries , USS ; Berlin , USS ; Beta Cygni system ; Bradbury , USS ; Bradbury -class ; Charleston , USS ; Constellation -class ; Excelsior -class ; Fearless , USS ; Goddard , USS ; Hood , USS ; Korolev -class ; Merced -class ; Merrimac , USS ; Monitor , USS ; Nebula -class ; New Orleans -class ; pulsar ; Renaissance -class ; Repulse , USS ; Romulan Neutral Zone ; sector ; Sector 21396 ; Sector 21538 ; Sector 22358 ; Sector 22846 ; Sector 22853 ; Sector 23079 ; Starbase 134 ; Starbase 434 ; Thomas Paine , USS ; Trieste , USS ; Victory , USS ; Vulcan Science Academy ; warp drive ; Zhukov , USS
• Spacecraft Systems Status : Bussard collector ; captain's yacht ; class M ; gross vehicle mass ; impulse engine ; main shuttlebay Mars ; navigational deflector ; observation lounge ; phaser bank ; service docking port ; shuttlebay 2 ; shuttlebay 3 ; torpedo launcher ; umbilical connect port ; Utopia Planitia ; warp nacelle

Unreferenced material [ ]

Androna ; merchant ship ; Selar ; Terrellian transport ship

Timeline [ ]

External links [ ].

• " All Good Things... " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " All Good Things… " at Wikipedia
• "All Good Things…, Part I" at StarTrek.com
• "All Good Things…, Part II" at StarTrek.com
• " "All Good Things…" " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• "All Good Things..." script  at Star Trek Minutiae
• 1 Abdullah bin al-Hussein

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

All Good Things...

• Episode aired May 23, 1994

Capt. Picard finds himself shifting continually into the past, future and present and must use that to discover a threat to humanity's existence. Capt. Picard finds himself shifting continually into the past, future and present and must use that to discover a threat to humanity's existence. Capt. Picard finds himself shifting continually into the past, future and present and must use that to discover a threat to humanity's existence.

• Winrich Kolbe
• Gene Roddenberry
• Ronald D. Moore
• Brannon Braga
• Patrick Stewart
• Jonathan Frakes
• LeVar Burton
• 63 User reviews
• 12 Critic reviews

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard

• Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker

• Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge

• Lieutenant Worf

• Doctor Beverly Crusher

• Counselor Deanna Troi

• Lieutenant Commander Data

• Adm. Nakamura

• Nurse Alyssa Ogawa

• Lieutenant Natasha 'Tasha' Yar

• Chief Miles O'Brien

• Ensign Chilton
• (as Stephen Matthew Garvin)

• Enterprise Computer

• Cmdr. Tomalak
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes are the only actors to appear in every episode of the series.
• Goofs The anomaly is said to grow backwards in time. Yet, in the future when created by the tachyon beam it seems to grow normally in time as it is larger sometime after the creation.

[last line of the series]

Capt. Picard : So, five-card stud, nothing wild. And the sky's the limit.

• Alternate versions There are two versions available on video (UK). One on the series tapes with both parts appearing as separate episodes, the other as a re-edited feature length 'movie'. The latter has additional footage including an additional appearance by Q in the old Picard's bedroom just before he goes to 10 forward with new theories regarding the anomaly. This version makes more sense as you see where Picard gets his theory from.
• Connections Edited from TrekCulture: 10 Greatest Final Lines In Star Trek Episodes (2022)
• Soundtracks Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User reviews 63

• Sep 6, 2008
• May 23, 1994 (United States)
• United States
• HR article describing this episode as one of the top 25 from the series.
• Official Site
• Star Trek: The Next Generation-All Good Things, Part I
• Callaway Vineyards, Temecula, California, USA (Picard's vineyard)
• Paramount Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 45 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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Screen Rant

Tng’s classic series finale was originally even better than what fans saw, say star trek actor & producer.

Star Trek: The Next Generation's ending is considered one of TV's best finales, but Brent Spiner and Brannon Braga say it could've been even better.

• The first draft of Star Trek: The Next Generation's finale was considered extraordinary and could have been the greatest Star Trek episode ever.
• Executive producer Michael Piller made changes to the draft, adding technobabble and removing character scenes that he didn't like.
• Despite the changes, "All Good Things..." is still a very good episode, but the original draft had moments that were exciting and had wonderful character interactions.

Star Trek: The Next Generation 's series finale is considered one of TV's greatest final episodes, but actor Brent Spiner, who played Lt. Commander Data, and co-writer Brannon Braga say "All Good Things..." was supposed to be even better. Braga and Ronald D. Moore penned the two-part finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation while also writing the first TNG movie, Star Trek Generations . "All Good Things..." is considered to be far superior to Star Trek Generations by fans, and it continues to be the gold standard for every Star Trek series finale.

In the Star Trek oral history "The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years" by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, Brent Spiner and Brannon Braga detail the first draft of Star Trek: The Next Generation 's series finale that Braga and Ron Moore wrote, and how executive producer Michael Piller made changes that led to the "All Good Things..." that aired. Read Spiner and Braga's quotes below:

Brent Spiner: The first draft that Ron and Brannon wrote was extraordinary. It would have easily have been thought of as the greatest Star Trek episode of all time. Michael came in and added a few thousand words of technobabble to it and took out some of the character scenes, which he is not keen on. There were moments when I read the first draft that my heart jumped into my throat, because I was so excited. There were some wonderful moments between Picard, Geordi, and Data. Nonetheless, it’s still a very good episode.

Brannon Braga: In the future, they went to the Starfleet Museum where the Enterprise is with a bunch of other ships and they get a guided tour. The tour guide doesn’t even know who they are and they have to commandeer the Enterprise to go on this crazy mission Picard wants to go on. But just as they’re about to go, Admiral Riker comes in with a bunch of security people. They end up going anyway, of course, but to me that was a lot of fun. There was a lot of good character work that was lost. Did we need Geordi’s VISOR to hold the key to the mystery? We’ve seen that about twenty-five times in the show. Do we really need his eyes to be getting younger? Would it have been better to have more character at the risk of meandering a little bit? Yes, I think so. But that’s just my opinion. Michael Piller’s opinion is probably just as valid and I believe the show works either way. I’ll tell you, it was a lot more fun to write the scene of the crew stealing the Enterprise than it was to write tech about people getting younger, and I believe what’s more fun to write is more fun to watch.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Cast & Character Guide

Star trek: picard season 3 did some of tng finale's original story, both episodes also ended with a poker game..

Elements of the first draft of Star Trek: The Next Generation 's series finale, "All Good Things..." are remarkably similar to key events in Star Trek: Picard season 3 . Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his crew visit the Starfleet Museum in the original draft of TNG 's finale, and they commandeer the USS Enterprise-D. A version of this happened in Star Trek: Picard season 3; Jean-Luc and the USS Titan-A also visit the Fleet Museum on Athan Prime , but Commodore Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) surprises his old crew with the rebuilt USS Enterprise-D.

Geordi's eyes don't factor into Star Trek: Picard season 3 as La Forge traded his VISOR for ocular implants decades prior in Star Trek: First Contact .

Of course, Star Trek: The Next Generation 's finale, "All Good Things...", ends with Captain Picard joining his crew for a poker game , a symbolic gesture that Picard considers them not just his friends but his family. The theme of family is touchingly reinforced in Star Trek: Picard season 3's ending , which wraps up with Picard encouraging one more poker game with the people who have meant so much to him for almost 40 years. It's doubtful Star Trek fans would argue against the greatness of Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "All Good Things...", but it's fascinating to learn what might have been in the episode, and that elements of it were adapted into Star Trek: Picard season 3.

Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Picard are available to stream on Paramount+.

Source: The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to J. J. Abrams: The Complete, Uncensored, and Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation : “All Good Things… ”

Related content.

“All Good Things… ” (season 7, episode 25; original aired 5/23/1994)

Or The One Where We Come To The End

The truth is, most television shows die hard. Unlike film or literature, a television show is a narrative which is started without a definitive conclusion in mind. The continuation of their main narrative is dependent on the whims of the public, and the commitment of the creative and financial team which keeps the series going. There are exceptions, of course, and it’s getting more common now for shows to announce their own end-date ahead of time, to allow for greater closure (and ratings), but this is still a rarity. With most shows we watch, the odds of getting a satisfying ending, one that works as an episode of television and manages to tie up narrative lose ends in a compelling way, is slim to none. The longer a series airs, the more the audience investment grows, and the more difficult it becomes to maintain the expected level of quality. The central cast becomes more expensive; performances go from nuanced to caricature-based; characters are cheapened by writing that’s quickly running out of ideas; plots are more and more likely to be tedious reheats of older classics. This is just as true about cult shows as it is about any other—more true, in fact, as I doubt the fans of NCIS are going to have their hearts broken any time soon. But Community ? Fringe ? Even a Mad Men or a Breaking Bad is not immune to gravity, because let’s face it, the better the show, the trickier the high wire act of making entertaining television becomes. We grouse about imperfections. Some of us are paid to do so. But the simple fact of the matter is, great television should be nearly impossible, and the longer it goes on, the longer the fall back to reality.

By these standards, the success of “All Good Things… ” is a minor miracle. It’s not a perfect episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation , and it’s not the best episode the show ever produced; if this double-sized entry had shown up earlier in the season, or during some other year of the show, I’d probably still enjoy it, but it wouldn’t have meant as much as it does, for obvious reasons. In all honesty, judged as an episode and not a finale, this is sitting on the B+/A- line. It’s more towards the A-, but the science fiction McGuffin that drives most of the action doesn’t quite work, and while the final scenes are strong, the various thematic implications they attempt to pull together aren’t as fully realized as they should be. But “All Good Things… ” isn’t just another episode of TNG . It’s the finale, the last ever, the concluding onscreen voyage of Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s Enterprise , unless you count the movies, and, if my review schedule didn’t already make this obvious, I don’t. As endings go, I’ve seen worse. I’ve seen better, sure, but that’s nothing for TNG to be ashamed about, and considering the limitations of the show, and the largely fumbling seventh season, this is better than I, or anyone, could have hoped for. Like I said, minor miracles. As a reviewer, I can criticize, but as a fan, well, it’s a little dusty in here, isn’t it? Shut up, it’s just something in my eye.

Of course, it isn’t enough. How could it be? I wanted more Riker, more Worf, more Data, more Beverly, more Geordi, more Troi. And more Picard, even though “All Good Things… ” is all about Picard, in the same way so many great hours of the show have been. After two months of struggling to find new ways of saying, “This isn’t very good, really,” and getting more and more excited about finally finding my way to the end of a project that has taken up so much of my time and effort, I got to that last poker game, and Picard’s casual final line (so perfect, and so beautifully un-stressed; the significance is to us, not the characters), and all I wanted was 10 more minutes. Five, even. I’d take a stupid Data joke, or Troi talking about “sensing” something, or Worf being mocked, or, ugh, Lwaxana freakin’ Troi—anything, for it not to be over. Not quite yet. Because when you live with a show this long, it becomes something more than a bunch of actors standing around spewing techno-babble. Relationships deepen, affections grow stronger, and even the slightest gesture takes on greater significance. This is what television shows have that no other medium can truly replicate: time. No book or movie, however long, can wear down our defenses through sheer attrition, setting its hooks, and becoming a part of our lives without us ever realizing it. Sure, we’re all adults, and we understand the distinction between fiction and reality because most of us (fingers crossed) are still on our meds. But with great art, emotions don’t really distinguish between reality and fiction. It’s all affecting, and it all matters, and even though I never thought I’d give Picard a call or go drinking with Riker, saying goodbye to these people isn’t a meaningless gesture. Stories are intangible objects, but they have weight, and they leave a hole in their absence.

“All Good Things… ” works in part because writers Brannon Braga and Ron Moore don’t oversell its significance. Yes, it’s a double-sized episode, and yes, we have a couple of special guest stars in the form of John de Lancie’s Q and Denise Crosby as pre-dead Tasha Yar. Yes, there’s time travel, and yes, the fate of the whole human race is at stake. But while we see Picard dealing with a potential future and his past alongside his present, and while there are occasional references to the show closing its doors, the finale never becomes overly consciousness of its own importance. The ensemble gets to shine, but it’s not a conspicuous shine, and we don’t waste a lot of time on big speeches or game-changing emotional confessions. This makes sense, as for all its drama and occasional mind-bending crises, TNG is, at heart, a low-key show. Well, maybe not exactly “low-key,” but barring Tasha’s death in season one, the paradigm shifts have been more by implication. There are plenty of drawbacks to low-key serialization, but it’s strength plays into one of the key reason television has become so important in people’s lives: it creates a comforting continuity, a place you can always come back to when you need to escape. TNG is people doing a job they love, and getting through the day. They have strong principles, and ideals they’d give their lives for, but this isn’t a universe that regularly requires such a sacrifice.

It makes sense, then, for all its devastating possibilities, that “All Good Things… ” doesn’t do much to change the established status quo. Part of this is undoubtedly because of the movies; Star Trek: Generations was being filmed when the show ended, and that limited the degree of shake-up the writers could pull. That doesn’t make it any less fitting, though, and any finale that didn’t end with the crew of the Enterprise hanging out and getting ready to go on another adventure would, I think, have been a lie. Here’s what happens in the episode: Picard becomes unstuck in time. He travels through three distinct periods, the show’s present, the past, and the future. In the past, he’s just coming on board the Enterprise to take command of the ship, alongside Tasha Yar and a not-quite-complete crew. In the future, he’s an old man with a vineyard, alone, who only gets visits from friends when he’s diagnosed with a fatal disease. At first, he doesn’t know why he’s jumping around, and, since he can’t retain his memories and no one notices the transition, he isn’t even sure anything is happening. But it goes on, and the memories get easier to hold on to, and he realizes there’s a problem in the Devron System, just inside the Neutral Zone. Something has created a temporal anomaly, and it’s getting larger; worse, it’s getting larger as it goes backwards through time. Even before Q shows up to belittle him, Jean-Luc realizes this can’t be good.

Let’s get the elephant out of the room right off, shall we? Yes, it’s a fairly large plot hole that Future Picard is able to see, and ultimately interact (via Admiral Riker’s Enterprise ) with the anomaly. Supposedly, the anomaly was created when three different ships hit the same area of space with a tachyon beam, and it began with future Picard; since Future Picard doesn’t realized what’s happened until after the anomaly was created, and since the anomaly, being made of anti-time, is moving backwards, there shouldn’t be anything to see when Admiral Riker brings his Enterprise back to the Devron System. But because he needs to see something in order for the episode to work, to give us the great climax of all three Enterprise s sacrificing themselves to save humanity, I’m willing to let it slide. (There’s also the fact that the episode states that the anomaly was created by all three Enterprise s firing the tachyon pulse at once, but it was actually Captain Beverly Picard’s ill-fated USS Pasteur which fired the initial beam in the future.) More problematic is the somewhat underwhelming nature of the finale’s central mystery. It’s fine, but it’s no more than fine, and given the ambition of so much of the rest of the episode, the reliance on tech-babble for the solution is a little disappointing. The fact that Picard causes all of this because he’s traveling in time is odd as well; Q indicates that this is a test by the Continuum, which works passably well as justification, but plot and character don’t gel as powerfully here as they did on the series’ best hours.

Thankfully, if the plot isn’t great, the execution is. As mentioned, the finale, with all three ships destroying themselves one after the other is thrilling, and the episode moves at a good clip throughout; for the first time in ages, we have a two-part episode that never feels overly padded or self-indulgent. (It also never feels like a two-part episode, since it was designed to be shown as a single unit.) Each separate time period has a distinct, easily recognizable vibe, even when characters are standing on the same sets in both, and it’s impressive how ably Patrick Stewart manages to shift his performance between each of the three Picards. The change is more obvious in Future Picard, a old man made bitter by years of obsolescence and loneliness, but even Past Picard is distinct, the somewhat cold, distant leader the character was at the start of the show. As for the other characters, the future comes off the clearest, and also the most depressing, a not-completely awful place which is nonetheless disappointing. Yay, Picard and Beverly got married! Boo, they’re divorced. Yay, Data is a professor at Cambridge! Boo, he’s turned into kind of a dick. (I can’t decide if this is a subtle reference to the emotions chip or just more evidence that the future kind of blows.) Yay, Worf and Riker have risen in power! Boo, they’re estranged, and even worse, they’re estranged because Troi is dead. In “All Good Things… ,” tomorrow is a lonely place, and while the ending of the episode strongly implies that this future is avoidable, it’s still bracing to see Future Picard ranting like a lunatic while his former shipmates look on in discomfort.

The return of Q is the best choice the writers make, especially as this is a return of the slightly-scary, threatening Q of the earlier part of the show’s run. “Things” doesn’t overuse him, either building to his first appearance by making Picard aware of his involvement before even we are. (I guess if you were really clever, you might notice that the people who keep taunting future Picard were the peasants from the trial scene in “Encounter At Farpoint.” ) Q gets some of the best lines in the episode, and he and Picard play off each other as beautifully as they always do. Better, his involvement in the finale goes a long way towards justifying the plot. Everything Picard goes through is the latest stage in humanity’s on-going trial, and it’s all designed to force him to think of time differently than the way we foolish mortals so often do; not as a line, in which events proceed in orderly fashion one after the other, but as a great, well, tapestry, in which every moment of our lives and ever moment of everyone else’s life informs everything. Nothing exists in isolation; everyone matters. It’s a fascinating idea, one worthy of a show that’s spent so many years building its ensemble and working to create a universe in which each different species come together and fight and struggle towards common understanding. Exploration doesn’t end at space, just as human progress didn’t end at the night sky. There will always be new frontiers. At one point, Q takes Picard back to the very beginning of life on Earth, and it’s such a staggering, wonderful moment, to think of how far we’ve come, and how far we can go. There’s a nagging part of my brain that doesn’t think the actual storyline quite lives up to this, but I’m just going to hum loudly until he shuts up.

It all ends with a poker game, as is only fair. Out of every scene in the episode, Picard’s final conversation with Q, and the poker game, are my favorite. The chat with Q sets up the possibilities, opening the door to the next step, but, well, it’s a little scary out there. The stairs are steep, the air is thin, and the way is dark. There is a time for boldness, for stepping through the door and fighting your way up higher and farther, but there’s also a time when you need to come home. That’s all the poker game is, really. There’s no amazing twist, no heartbreaking revelations. There are just friends. Picard finally decides to sit in, and in a way, it’s almost like the entire episode has been building to this moment, all the drama and the danger and the crisis contrived to get Picard ready to take his seat with Riker, Troi, Beverly, Geordi, Worf, and Data, and deal out the next hand. Yes, the future is bright and there are so many places we may go tomorrow. But today is for the people we love and the lives we share with them. With this crew by our side, anything is possible. With a good ship and better company, the sky’s the limit.

Stray Oobservations:

• Thank you. I feel fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to write these reviews, and even more fortunate for the engaged, creative, and frequently hilarious commenters. I’m going to follow the finale’s lead and not get too sentimental here, but it’s been a pleasure working for and with you all, and I hope to see you sometime early next year for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

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http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS7E24AllGoodThings

Recap / Star Trek: The Next Generation S7 E24 "All Good Things..."

Edit locked.

Original air date: May 23, 1994

Worf and Counselor Troi are just coming off a date, and Worf brings up his unease over the Riker situation, when suddenly Captain Picard rushes in demanding to know the date . When Worf tells him, he announces that he’s become unstuck in time. We soon see that he's shifting between three different time periods: past, present, and future. The past timeline begins as he's traveling to first take command of the Enterprise , and the future time is twenty-five years after he left the Enterprise . He feels like he belongs in each time once he’s there, and has trouble remembering what happened in the other time periods after he’s left them, as if they were dreams. He relates his concerns to Troi but jumps to the future before he can finish.

In the future, Picard is an old man, retired to his vineyard. Geordi, now much older and sporting a pair of bionic eyes, greets him after a long time apart. Geordi reveals that he's now an author and married to Leah Brahms . After Picard presses him, Geordi admits that he came to visit because Picard has recently been diagnosed with a degenerative brain disease called Irumodic Syndrome. In the middle of their discussion, Picard sees three people in strange clothes standing in the vineyard, taunting and laughing at him. A moment later, both Geordi and those people are gone, and he's in the past, flying to the Enterprise aboard a shuttlecraft with Tasha Yar. He then shifts back to the present with Troi.

Doctor Crusher runs some tests on him, finding no indications of anything that would cause hallucinations, or any evidence of temporal displacement. She then reveals that a deep brain scan has has revealed that he has a brain defect that could develop into Irumodic Syndrome, but Picard is confident that he has a long, full life ahead of him. Worf then contacts Picard to tell him that Admiral Nakamura is waiting to speak with him. Nakamura informs him that the entire fleet is officially on Yellow Alert, as the Romulans have recently started acting aggressive in reaction to some sort of spatial anomaly that has appeared in the Neutral Zone. Picard is ordered to investigate the anomaly without entering the Neutral Zone.

Picard shifts back into the future, and the shift leaves him confused. He starts to rant, trying to remember what happened in the present. Geordi interprets this as an attack of his Irumodic Syndrome, but Picard angrily tells him that what’s happening is real. He insists on talking to Data, who now holds the Lucasian Chair at Cambridge. Data admits that he has not dismissed the possibility that Picard is simply going senile from his disease, but he also says that nothing has disproven Picard’s claims either. He announces his intention to get to the bottom of the mystery and prepares to run some tests on Picard’s brain. At this point, Picard shifts into the past, to the point at which he officially took command of the Enterprise and met his crew. As he makes his introductions, he again sees a number of strange, barbaric people laughing at him. He orders the ship to Red Alert.

A security sweep turns up nothing, and Troi can’t sense any sort of alien presence on the ship, but strangely the ship gets word from Starfleet about the same spatial anomaly that appeared in the present. Starfleet orders the Enterprise to the Neutral Zone, canceling its mission to Farpoint Station , but Picard ignores the command and orders the ship to Farpoint anyway, refusing to explain why for fear of revealing too much about the future. He shifts back to the present, where Crusher scans his brain again to find that he’s accumulated two days’ worth of memories in what was, to her, a matter of minutes.

Picard finds that he remembers more about the other time periods the more he shifts, and he remembers a few specific details from his last few shifts. None of the other crew remember the changes in the past timeline that he cause, so Data concludes that Picard’s time shifting is not actually changing the course of history. The anomaly in the Neutral Zone seems to be the only connection. Geordi suggests that it might be some kind of time disturbance. Picard turns over the bridge to Riker and heads to his ready room. Doctor Crusher follows him, ordering him to drink some warm milk and get some sleep. As they talk, she admits that she’s worried about him getting Irumodic Syndrome in the future, but Picard tells her that he doesn’t look at the future as something set in stone, and that anything could happen. She kisses him tenderly.

Back in the future, Geordi tells Picard that the brain tests are ready, but Picard says that now he wants to go see the anomaly in the Neutral Zone. Geordi reminds him that there is no Neutral Zone anymore. In the future, the Klingons have conquered the Romulan Empire and are now at a standoff with the Federation again. But Geordi gives in, and gets Picard in touch with now-Admiral Riker in hopes of finding a ship. Riker refuses, saying that the area has been scanned and no anomaly was detected. Picard is hurt that Riker wouldn’t pull any strings for him, but Data suggests they can get around the rules by hopping onboard a medical ship. Picard tells Data to contact the USS Pasteur , under the command of Captain Beverly Picard.

Picard and Crusher were married and are now divorced, but she's kept his name. While they’re understandably a little awkward around each other, they’re evidently on pretty good terms. The collection of old comrades discuss how to get into Klingon territory, so they decide to get a hold of Worf. As Picard heads off to get some sleep, Beverly, Dara and Geordi all note their skepticism over Picard's story, but they're willing to indulge him.

Back in the past, the Enterprise reaches the coordinates where they first encountered Q. Picard orders a scan shouts for Q to show himself, but there's no sign. Picard retreats to his ready room, at which point he finds himself back in the courtroom where Q put him on trial for humanity’s crimes. Q appears as judge, just like he did before, and Picard demands to know what's going on. Q wants him to figure it out for himself and only agrees to answer ten ten yes-or-no questions.

During questioning, Q denies creating the anomaly but admits to being the one responsible for shifting Picard through time. He then states that humanity's trial never ended, and he's reached his verdict: for failing to show any sign of improving themselves, humanity will be erased from existence. Picard says that he doesn't believe even Q would be capable of such an act, but Q replies that he isn’t the one that will do it. Picard is. He refuses to explain and plops Picard back in the present to wonder just what the hell any of this means. Picard holds a conference where it’s decided they can’t second-guess themselves and should just do whatever they were going to do for the time being.

In the future, Beverly makes contact with Worf, who is now a high-ranking Klingon governor and former member of the High Council. He takes some persuading, but Picard knows him too well and soon convinces him to let them cross the border on the condition that he accompanies them. Beverly gives the command to cross the border, then decides to give up her captain’s chair to Picard "for old time’s sake." Back in the past, Picard orders the Enterprise to head towards the anomaly as well. In the present, he finds himself negotiating with his old pal Tomalak, and they agree to send one ship from each side to investigate the anomaly. In the present, and again in the past, the Enterprise encounters the anomaly and begins to scan it. Picard notices that it’s larger in the past. In the future, he finds no anomaly at all.

Picard demands that they search the area until they find the anomaly, but the Klingons are getting antsy, and Beverly doesn’t want to egg them on. Data concludes that the best way to search for temporal anomalies is to emit an inverse tachyon pulse, and Beverly gives him six hours to give it a shot. Picard demands more time, but Beverly refuses, chastising him for questioning her orders and reminding him that this still could all be a hallucination brought on by his mental disorder. Back in the present, the scans of the anomaly aren’t turning up anything useful, so Picard suggests the inverse tachyon pulse to Data. As soon as they begin the pulse, Geordi feels an intense pain in his temples. He’s taken to Sickbay, where Crusher finds, to her astonishment, that his eyes are spontaneously repairing themselves. Data explains that this is because the anomaly is a collision of time and "anti-time" and is thus emitting waves that disrupt the normal flow of time. Geordi's eyes are reverting to how they were before they went blind.

In the past, Picard again orders an inverse tachyon pulse to be emitted into the anomaly so that they might find the cause of the time/anti-time collision. Back in the future, the Klingons attack the Pasteur , easily overpowering it. They are about to destroy the ship when the Enterprise , commanded by Riker, decloaks and scares them off. Riker hails them, saying he had a feeling Picard would find his way across the border, then he beams them all aboard the Enterprise before the Pasteur is destroyed by a warp core breach and turns back for Federation space. Picard shifts to the present, where he orders Data to find a way to collapse the anomaly. Q appears, taunting him with the conundrum he’s faced with: collapsing the anomaly could be what destroys humanity, or maybe leaving it alone is what does it. Q takes Picard back to primordial Earth to show him that the anomaly fills the entire quadrant of the galaxy in that time. Then he points to a puddle of goop, telling him that it is where life on Earth first formed, but that because of the anomaly it has failed to happen.

When Picard returns to the present, he has Data scan the center of the anomaly, and Data finds three identical tachyon pulses converging. Picard realizes that the three pulses are from the three different time periods. He shifts to the future and explains to Riker that it was the pulse from the Pasteur that started it all. Data catches on, putting together that the converging tachyon pulses caused an anti-time reaction, which due to the nature of anti-time happened in reverse to the normal timeline – getting larger as it moved backwards in time. They convince Riker to head back to the anomaly. When Picard shifts back to the present and the past, he orders the tachyon pulses to be stopped. This isn’t enough to collapse the anomaly, though. In the future, Data says the only way to stop it is to send the ship into the anomaly and create a static warp shell. It has to be done in all three time periods, so Picard gives the order in the past, but the past crew is getting tired of his seemingly irrational orders and refusal to explain himself, so he has to give them one last brilliant speech to convince them.

He gives the order in the present as well, and all three Enterprises head in. The warp shell begins to collapse the anomaly, but the strain it puts on the ships is intense. The past Enterprise experiences a warp core breach and explodes. The present Enterprise soon follows. The future Enterprise begins to lose containment as well, and as all seems lost, Q shows up to say goodbye and remind him, " All good things must come to an end ". As the final Enterprise explodes, Picard appears in the courtroom again. Q congratulates him on saving humanity. Picard thanks Q for helping him, and Q admits that he did go out of his way to give them a fighting chance. When Picard says that he hopes never to find himself in this courtroom again, Q tells him that the trial never ends. He goes on to say that the exploration that awaits humanity isn’t space travel, but exploring the possibilities of existence, as Picard did when he realized the paradox. He then fades away, promising to watch over humanity and maybe drop by from time to time, "See you, out there...".

When Picard returns to the Enterprise , he finds that he’s been returned to the point in time just before all this time travel business started. Relieved, he decides to get some sleep. In his final log entry, he reports that no anomaly was ever reported and everything’s peachy. In the final scene, we return one last time to that familiar poker table. Riker, Geordi, Crusher, Data, and Worf play their usual game, eventually joined by Counselor Troi. They wonder why they were told about the future by Picard, to which Data theorizes that the timeline is already changing and the Captain told them about it to prevent them from drifting apart.

Then Picard comes in, asking if there’s room for him to join them. They welcome him warmly, and he remarks to himself that he should have done this years ago . He then delivers the last line of the series: "Five card stud, nothing wild, and the sky’s the limit."

Tropes featured in "All Good Things...":

• And the Adventure Continues : In the post-courtroom denouement, Q informs Picard that the trial still has not ended , and that the nature of the adventure is not merely plotting stars and charting anomalies, but the expansion of the mind and humanity's horizons.
• Picard retired from Starfleet to his vineyard, but rather than resigning in disgust over Starfleet's abandonment of the Romulan people in their hour of need, he simply chose to retire of his own will. He's still dealing with Irumodic Syndrome. Additionally, he and Beverly got married in this timeline, but eventually divorced, whereas their Prime selves failed to reconcile their relationship, which might explain why she never told him about the child they conceived together .
• Riker was promoted to Admiral and kept the Enterprise -D from being decommissioned by making her his personal flagship, refitting her with a third nacelle and heavier-grade weapons, rather than the D crashing into Veridan III and spending the next 30 years undergoing a heavy restoration back into service . He never married Deanna and had children like in the Prime reality, as she died under unspecified circumstances—the fact that both he and Worf were courting her caused a strain on the two men's relationship, and they've hated each other since.
• Worf never lost his standing with the Klingon High Council for standing in opposition to them, but they did diminish his role to a small governorship over the years.
• Crusher never left Starfleet and instead became Captain of the Pasteur .
• Geordi still got married and had children, but he married Dr. Leah Brahms and had three kids instead of marrying an unseen wife and having two daughters, like he did in the Prime Reality. Instead of becoming Curator of the Fleet Museum and being promoted to Commodore, he became an author. Despite this, he is one of the only characters who actually has anything in common with his counterpart from this timeline: both of them have a pair of daughters named Sidney and Alandra.
• Data never perished on the Scimitar and had to be resurrected twice over , instead holding the Lucasian Chair at Cambridge. He still evolved to become more human-like, and even added a grey streak to his hair to experience aging, but it was his own personal evolution and not the result of a merged Golem of him and three other personalities in a body designed to look older.
• The Romulan Empire was not destroyed by the Hobus Supernova , but instead conquered by the Klingons and left victim to a plague on their capital. And unlike in the Prime Timeline, where relationships with the Klingons are seemingly okay for now, the Klingon Empire of this future is on the verge of another war with the Federation.
• Ambiguous Situation : Data says that he keeps his housekeeper around because she makes him laugh. We never see Data laughing in the future, but he does use contractions, so it's not clear whether he has evolved to be able to laugh or if he's just using an expression to fit in.
• Amicably Divorced : Picard and Beverly in the alternate future. She even keeps his last name, leading to a moment where a Bridge Bunny says "Captain Picard" and both she and Picard respond, "Yes?" (This moment is revisited in Picard Season 3.)
• Apocalypse How : Class 5 or (implied) a Class 6. Due to the size of the anomaly in the past, Q points out that the first proteins never formed and as a result, no life evolved on Earth. It's not mentioned whether this affected other planets in the quadrant, but definitely no humans.
• Applied Phlebotinum : The Next Generation has never shied away from using some pseudo-science when it's plot-convenient, but even within the show's standards the whole concept of "anti-time" is slightly ridiculous.
• As You Know : Geordi reminds Future Picard that relations between the Klingons and the Federation are not good. Picard snaps that he already knows that. Justified in that everyone in the future timeline thinks Picard has gone senile
• Back for the Finale : Denise Crosby as Tasha Yar and Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien for the 2364 sequences. Also Andreas Katsulas as Tomalak, in a brief cameo.
• Back to the Early Installment : We see Captain Picard travel back to the events of the series' pilot, "Encounter at Farpoint." Tasha is still alive, Data is still acting spritely, and everyone is wearing the old uniforms.
• Bad Future : While things turn out fine for Data and Geordi in the alternate future, Picard and Beverly are divorced, Picard is suffering from Irumodic Syndrome, Troi is dead, Riker and Worf's friendship has fallen apart, and war looms between the Federation and the Klingon Empire.
• Batman Gambit : Invoked by Future Worf, when he grumbles that Picard always used honor to get him to do what he wants. Picard barks back that the reason it works is that Worf is one of the few Klingons who really do believe in honor.
• Big Damn Heroes : The future Enterprise saves the Pasteur from Klingons.
• Book Ends : Invoked, as the last episode of the series shares much with the first. Additionally, as he got the first line in the first episode, Picard gets the last line here.
• When Picard takes command of the Enterprise , the signature on the orders is of Admiral Norah Satie, the same rear admiral who tried to destroy Picard's career in "The Drumhead" .
• In the past, Picard persuades past O'Brien to work with him in engineering by mentioning his love of making ships in bottles, in reference to the season 3 episode "Booby Trap" . He tells him that he found this out from reading Capt. Maxwell 's log entries for the USS Rutledge .
• The Bozeman is one of the ships deployed to the Neutral Zone.
• Picard finds himself once more brought before Q in a show trial modeled after the Post-Atomic Horror, just like in the series premiere.
• Geordi is married to "Leah" in the future, a reference to his would-be girlfriend Leah Brahms from " Booby Trap " and " Galaxy's Child ."
• The remodeled Enterprise bridge seen in the future resembles the one seen on the last two alternate Enterprises in " Parallels ".
• In some ways the Bad Future resembles the one seen in Peter David 's (non-canon) novel Imzadi , especially Future Riker's appearance and characterisation.
• Arguably also the future Enterprise , which appears to be based heavily on the Dreadnought class ship shown way back in 1975's Star Fleet Technical Manual .
• Cassandra Truth : None of the future or past Enterprise crews can see the Q-Continuum yelling at Picard, and the future crew think he's just going senile . At first.
• Complete-the-Quote Title : "All Good Things" ... must come to an end .
• Convection, Schmonvection : When Picard visits primeval Earth. Justified as he's with a Reality Warper who can cancel out whatever laws of physics he likes.
• Cool Ship : The refit future- Enterprise is some kind of Galaxy-class Dreadnought, with a powerful phaser pulse cannon beneath the saucer, extra phaser arrays, three warp nacelles and a cloaking device ; the Klingon attack cruisers also count, the model even made its way into Deep Space Nine as the Klingon flagship Negh'Var . Finally, Captain Beverly Picard's hospital ship, the USS Pasteur with its unusual spherical primary hull instead of the usual saucer section is worth noting for being one of the more unique Starfleet ships depicted on-screen note  It was based on early designs of the original starship Enterprise , before the decision was made to give it a saucer-shaped primary hull .
• Curb-Stomp Battle : The Klingon attack cruisers deliver one to the Pasteur , right before the Enterprise arrives and dishes out one of her own .
• Damned by Faint Praise : After sharing a romantic holodeck program with Worf, Deanna is annoyed that he can't come up with a better way to describe it than "stimulating." (Well, it was " very stimulating"...)
• Dare to Be Badass : Future Picard goads Future Worf into letting them cross the Klingon border. Picard: Well, I know that I am an old man and I am out of touch. But the Worf that I remember was more concerned with things like honor and loyalty than rules and regulations. But that was a long time ago, and maybe you're not the Worf I once knew.
• Disposable Pilot : The Red Shirt flying the Pasteur bites it when the helm console explodes .
• Don't Call Me "Sir" : In the alternate future, Geordi asks Picard if he prefers being called "Captain" or "Ambassador", or possibly "Mr. Picard". Picard asks him to call him Jean-Luc. Geordi decides that he couldn't get used to that, and he and Data both default to "Captain".
• Doomed by Canon : An In-Universe example, and discussed by Bev who notes that while present!Picard isn't showing signs of Irumodic Syndrome, his brain shows that it is a high probability in the future, and distressedly sighs that Picard has proof it's going to happen, having seen the future.
• "Eureka!" Moment : Picard has two re the Negative Space Wedgie . The first is when he sees what it will do ( and already did ) if left unchecked, and the second is when he realizes how it was formed.
• Exact Words : Q offers to truthfully answer ten yes-or-no questions. The wording of one of Picard's questions causes Q to regard it as two and he ends it the moment Picard asks "why," as it's not a yes-or-no question.
• Explosive Instrumentation : When the Pasteur is attacked, the helm console explodes and kills the Disposable Pilot . She has the "honor" of being the last Red Shirt killed on TNG proper (not including the movies).
• Finale Production Upgrade : Compared to the start of the show, the final season and episode gained a softer and more-even lighting scheme, higher-budget special effects, and for this episode alone, gained a two-hour timeslot, upped the stakes to the fate of the entire galaxy, as well as also bringing back dearly-departed characters, seeing the past and a possible future, and closing the original storyline that started the series: humanity on trial.
• Freeze-Frame Bonus : There is a plaque on Beverly's medical ship that has the Hippocratic Oath inscribed on it ("I swear by Apollo the healer, by Aesculapius, by Health and all the powers of healing...")
• Funny Background Event : Future Data’s office is loaded with cats, and it’s even rumored that more were added between each shot. Made funnier by how Picard and Geordi don’t even seem to notice, like they’re well used to it by now.
• Grand Finale : Though everyone knew the cast would continue on in movies, the series goes out with a bang.
• Green-Eyed Monster : Riker reveals that he really is uncomfortable with Worf dating Troi in spite of his protestations in previous episodes.
• Greeting Gesture Confusion : Aboard the Pasteur , Future Picard and Beverly, being divorcees, have trouble picking whether they should hug or shake hands, with Picard saying "Let's just pick one..." and they hug.
• Heroic Sacrifice : Collapsing the anomaly results in the destruction of all 3 iterations of the Enterprise . Slightly averted in that collapsing the anomaly hits the Reset Button , but none of tem knew going in that it would happen.
• Hypocritical Humor : On the Pasteur , Picard snaps at Beverly when she tries to get him to take a nap in his quarters, going on a diatribe about how he's not an invalid and won't be treated like a child. Then he finishes it off by saying he's going to get some rest.
• I Can't Hear You : After Beverly Crusher/Picard tells the elderly Picard that she'll give him six more hours and tells him that if it were anyone else, they wouldn't even be there, an elderly Q appears and pulls this on Picard. Q : ( holding ear trumpet ) Eh? What was that she said, sonny? I couldn't quite hear her. Picard : Q? What is going on here? Where is the anomaly? Q : Where's your mommy? Well, I don't know.
• Improbable Infant Survival : The anomaly causes Ogawa to suffer a miscarriage of sorts (the fetus keeps growing younger, eventually seperating back into a sperm and ovum). When everything is reset, she's pregnant again, since none of it ever happenend.
• Instant Sedation : Picard falls unconscious immediately when he's given a sedative by Beverly mid-rant.
• I Should Have Done This Years Ago : Picard, when joining the poker game for the first time.
• Kindhearted Cat Lover : In the future, Data keeps at least a dozen cats around his home.
• Layman's Terms : Crusher asks Data to translate his Techno Babble regarding anti-time. Data: It appears to be a multispectral temporal convergence in the space-time continuum. Crusher: In English, Data.
• Loophole Abuse : In the final scene, Riker and the rest of the command crew wonder why Picard told them all about the future he saw (and how they all drifted apart and/or became estranged after leaving the Enterprise ). After all, under normal circumstances, Picard would be breaking the Temporal Prime Directive by sharing such details. It's Data who realizes, just as Picard did, that this is actually a unique situation. Because the Anti-Time Anomaly now never came into existence, events are already diverging and unfolding differently. What Picard saw is thus only a possible future and so he can safely share those details without any fears of contaminating the timeline.
• Leaning on the Fourth Wall : "It's time to put an end to your trek through the stars..."
• Manipulative Bastard : Future Worf calls out Picard on this. Picard doesn't deny it. Worf: You have always used your knowledge of Klingon honor and tradition to get what you want from me. Picard: Because it always works, Worf! Your problem is that you really do have a sense of honor and you really do care about trust and loyalty! Don't blame me for knowing you so well.
• The first season Enterprise is recreated pretty well, with Troi in her miniskirt "skant" uniform and a less-socially adept Data, though Worf is seen with his season 2+ forehead ridges, however he still wears the TOS-era Klingon sash.
• During a briefing, Picard mistakenly orders past Worf to conduct a security scan, which makes Tasha mildly annoyed, since she was the security chief toward the beginning.
• Men Get Old, Women Get Replaced : In the Bad Future , Will, Geordi, and the other male members of the core cast are older, wrinklier, and greyer of hair; Deanna is dead. (Beverly, who was already a widow of mature years with visible signs of aging, survives and is in command of her own starship, which suggests something about how this trope is applied.)
• Mid-Season Upgrade : The future Enterprise-D is revealed to have been outfitted with a number of new features, most notable a third nacelle and a mean looking "phaser lance" that runs most of the undercarriage of the saucer. Dialogue indicates Starfleet was ready to decommission it but Admiral Riker personally oversaw the refit and kept it as his flagship.
• Moment Killer : Picard is this to Troi and Worf with his What Year Is This? question at the beginning of the episode. (And then he relives that moment again at the end.)
• Mythology Gag : The shuttle Picard and Yar take to first approach Enterprise is the shuttlecraft Galileo . Galileo is the best known of the shuttlecraft in Star Trek: The Original Series , but this name had never been used on The Next Generation before.
• Non-Linear Character : The Q. Q invokes it when Picard states he and his crew were put on trial seven years ago. Q: "Seven years ago". Must you be so linear , Jean Luc?
• Non-Standard Character Design : The Future Enterprise-D was modified with a third nacelle with added stardrive space, an underslung "phaser lance" and bulbous devices mounted near the bridge. All of this goes against standard Starfleet ship designs, which tend to favor smooth hull lines and even numbered nacelles. Being a one-off design of questionable canonicity , it's generally overlooked.
• Noodle Incident : Troi is dead in the alternate future, though the exact circumstances remain unknown.
• Off the Rails : Picard being informed not to head to Farpoint Station tips him off to something being very wrong.
• Pardon My Klingon : Worf loudly curses in Klingon when Picard starts guilt-tripping him.
• Pet the Dog : By his own admission, Q gave Picard a helping hand in the test to give him a better chance of passing it.
• Putting the Band Back Together : In the alternate future, Picard brings the Enterprise crew together, except for Troi, who's been dead for years.
• Real Award, Fictional Character : In the future, Data holds the Lucasian Chair of Mathematics at Cambridge. This post has been held by such real-world luminaries as Isaac Newton, Stephen Hawking, and Charles Babbage.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech : Q: The trial never ended, Captain. We never reached a verdict, but now we have. You're guilty. Picard: Guilty of what? Q: Of being inferior. Seven years ago, I said we'd be watching you, and we have been—hoping that your ape-like race would demonstrate some growth, give some indication that your minds had room for expansion. But what have we seen instead? You worrying about Commander Riker's career, listening to Counselor Troi's pedantic psychobabble, indulging Data in his witless exploration of humanity. Picard: We've journeyed to countless new worlds. We've contacted new species. We have expanded our understanding of the universe. Q: In your own paltry, limited way. You have no idea how far you still have to go. But instead of using the last seven years to change and to grow, you have squandered them.
• Rebuilt Set : A subtle example, as the set hasn't exactly been "rebuilt", but several set dressings that were seen only in earlier seasons are reintroduced during the 'past' segments, such as the original brown colored bridge lockers and the "ships of the line" in the briefing lounge. However, the Captain's Chair lacks the flip panels that it has in Season 1.
• In the future, Picard and Crusher got married... and divorced.
• While it was implied in " Genesis ", this episode confirms that Worf and Troi are dating. However, in the future Picard sees, it's revealed that it never went anywhere due to Riker's jealousy , which ended up destroying his friendship with Worf. * It never really goes anywhere in the actual future either, as Worf transfers to DS9 and ends up marrying Jadzia Dax while Riker and Troi get back together, but that's another story.
• Riddle for the Ages : We don't find out how Troi died in the future timeline. She doesn't seem concerned about it in the present, so we might assume that it wasn't some unavoidable health issue.
• Ripple-Proof Memory : Toyed with. When jumping through time, Picard is aware of the discrepancies between the time periods, i.e. Data remembers the Farpoint mission as it happened as opposed to Picard changing the events. However, when he jumps to the future, he has memories of 'past' events such as Data teaching at Cambridge and his marriage and divorce with Beverly.
• Rousing Speech : How Picard convinces the past Enterprise crew to enter the anomaly. Picard: Now, this will put the ship at risk. Quite frankly, we may not survive. But I want you to believe that I'm doing this for a greater purpose and that what is at stake here is more than any of you can possibly imagine. I know you have your doubts about me... about each other... about the ship. All I can say is that although we have only been together for a short time, I know that you are the finest crew in the fleet and I would trust each of you with my life. So, I am asking you for a leap of faith... and to trust me.
• Screw You, Elves! : Picard states that Q Continuum have no right to judge whether or humanity should live or die. Q responds that they do.
• Secret Test of Character : The whole ordeal was a test to see if Picard could solve the puzzle and open his mind to new possibilities.
• Set Right What Once Went Wrong : Picard tells the senior staff everything he experienced in the alternate future to ensure they don't drift apart.
• Stock Footage : When Picard contacts past Riker to inform him the Enterprise will be delayed from Farpoint, a close-up of a beardless Riker from "The Arsenal of Freedom" was reused. In the original edit of the episode, you could still see the hologram of the other guy behind him, making it even more obvious, yet for the Blu-Ray they digitally painted him out of the shot to make it less so, since he shouldn't have been there.
• The Summation : Data takes Picard's clue about the three pulse beams and explains the mystery to everyone, having solved it. Sherlock Holmes would be proud.
• Technology Marches On : In-Universe — in the past, Data mentions a device called the tomographic imaging scanner, said to still be a prototype at the time. When Picard shifts to the present, he asks again and Data mentions that they have one on board now that they can use.
• There Is No Cure : Picard's older self in the Bad Future is suffering from Irumodic Syndrome, a degenerative neurological disease which causes delusions, and which has no known cure.
• Thousand-Yard Stare : The effect of jumping through time periods can leave Picard in any time period he left possibly looking like this. In a time jump back to the present, Commander Tomalak had to get Picard's attention when he initiated a conversation with him through the viewscreen to snap him out of the daze.
• Throwing Off the Disability : Long-term exposure to the anomaly causes Present Geordi to have his sight restored.
• Time-Passage Beard : Future Picard sports a beard, and Future Geordi has grown a mustache.
• Another for the episode itself: Q: Goodbye, Jean-Luc. I'm gonna miss you. You had such potential, but then again, all good things must come to an end.
• Trickster Mentor : Q keeps popping up to offer Picard cryptic clues about the anomaly. He was directed by the Continuum to put Picard through this ordeal. Q: The part about the helping hand, though... was my idea.
• Two Scenes, One Dialogue : Happens between the three Enterprises when they enter the fissure. Tasha: The temporal energy's interfering with main power. Switching to... Geordi: ...auxiliary power. I'm having trouble keeping the impulse engines online. I've got power fluctuations all across the board.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom : Picard is manipulated into triggering the events that will doom humanity. Q: You're doing it right now. You did it before, and you'll do it yet again.
• Warm Milk Helps You Sleep : Crusher replicates Picard a glass of warm milk with nutmeg while ordering him to get some sleep .
• We Used to Be Friends : Riker and Worf in the alternate future. Riker opposed Worf's budding relationship with Troi because he wanted to get back together with her, which made Worf back off. As Troi later died, both blamed the other for preventing a relationship. Riker noted that he tried to mend fences at Deanna's funeral but Worf refused to talk to him. Both quickly blamed the other for putting the rest of them at harm's way.
• We Will Meet Again : A friendly variant at the end: Q: In any case, I'll be watching. And if you're very lucky, I'll drop by to say hello... from time to time. I'll see you... out there!
• Wham Shot : Picard figures Q is behind everything, angrily yelling so on in the bridge. Nothing happens, and he storms off to his ready room... only to find himself in the Q court.
• What Happened to the Mouse? : Picard and Tomalak agree that each side will send one ship into the Neutral Zone to investigate the anomaly. However, we never hear about a Romulan ship entering the Devron system, and they disappear from the story after this.
• What Measure Is a Non-Human? : The usual inversion by the Q. They claim to have deemed humanity unworthy of even existing. Q also has a little fun with it when he takes Picard into the past. Q: A group of amino acids are about to combine to form the first protein; the building blocks (chuckles) of what you call 'life.' Strange, isn't it? Everything you know, your entire civilization, it all begins right here in this little pond of goo. Appropriate somehow, isn't it?
• What Year Is This? : Picard asks this of Troi and Worf at the beginning of the episode, and again at the conclusion, forming a set of Book Ends . The first time, he's distressed; the second time, it's a sign to him that all is as it should be.
• Wowing Cthulhu : Humanity is on trial again by Q. Picard thinks he's The Chew Toy but Picard is a representative of humanity. Picard wins the trial by winning the heart and mind of the judge and Q views Picard as a Worthy Opponent .
• You Are Not Alone : Q reminds Picard of this. Q: You're not alone, you know. What you were, and what you are to become, will always be with you.
• Picard first figures out the tachyon pulses are causing the anomaly in the future. Unfortunately, Future Picard is an old man struggling with the beginnings of dementia, and his wild ravings about "everything starting here in the future" are less than convincing to his old shipmates.
• Something similar happens when he goes back to the past, in that he knows he is time-travelling, but his new shipmates aboard the Enterprise have had no time to get to know him, and all they see is an unfamiliar captain acting irrationally.
• On the other hand, it's solidly averted in the present, where the crew more willingly accept what Picard is telling them — especially when he reveals that Q is involved, meaning that absolutely anything is possible.
• Your Days Are Numbered : Of a sort. In the future, Picard is suffering from a dementia-like condition known as "Irumodic Syndrome". Crusher's scans of him in the present indicate that he does indeed have a high probability of developing it, although Picard replies that he would prefer to think of the future as something not written in stone. * This would go on to be a plot point in Star Trek: Picard .
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TREKNEWS.NET | Your daily dose of Star Trek news and opinion

New photos from Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 4 “Face the Strange”

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John de Lancie Talks “All Good Things…” and the End of TNG

With this month’s release of Star Trek: The Next Generation ‘s seventh and final season on Blu-ray , John de Lancie, who appeared multiple times as Q, recently reflected on his time as the omnipotent character, the series finale “All Good Things…” and the everlasting impact of the series.

When asked if he would have believed the impact TNG would have on his life and career twenty years ago, de Lancie said:

Of course, I’m omnipotent, right? I knew about all of this stuff. No. No, no, no. No, no. Star Trek is the gift that keeps on giving. It is the touchstone for what every other show would like to have as their legacy — and it’s quite extraordinary. And it’s made even more so when you think that, for TNG, I only did seven or eight episodes.

Discussing the new HD transfers of the show, de Lancie said:

The technology is amazing. I have a large television and it’s a little startling. It really looks terrific. I wish that technological could extend into real life so that I would look somewhat like I did back that, but that isn’t the case. And I do think the episodes, especially “All Good Things…,” really hold up. That was a difficult one when you consider that it was so highly anticipated. I think it delivered, other than the fact that they said “anomaly” too many times. I thought it was a really, really good show.

While filming the series finale, the first TNG film Generations was already in production. De Lancie talked about how that parallel was viewed on set.

You know what? I was outside of that loop. I wasn’t in Generations, so for me, “All Good Things…” was THE show. And, for me, because my job is somewhat myopic, in a way… I’m only tracking what I’m doing, and even then I don’t have real control of it… I looked at each scene as an opportunity to polish up a facet that had been etched already or lay down a new facet on my little Q stone. So, in that respect, while I didn’t have a lot to do, I felt each scene progressed my character, the arc and the story in a really nice way. So I was happy about it then and to this day, looking at it again, now, I still go, “That all holds up.”

Q’s appearance in “All Good Things…” acted as the perfect bookend to the series, which began with “Encounter at Farpoint” in 1987. When as if he was surprised to get the call to do the finale, De Lancie said:

I didn’t know whether or not I was going to be involved. As I’ve explained in the past, (with acting) it’s somebody else’s dinner party. You can spend a lot of time hoping you’re going to get invited and wondering why you’re not. In my case, I knew that there’d be a dinner party that was called the last episode, and I didn’t know if I’d be involved. Then I got a call saying, “You are going to be involved,” and I said, “Oh, great.” Then, like all the other shows that you do, you wait – anxiously in this case – to find out, “Am I going to really be happy being involved in it?” For me, I think the episodes with Q worked best when the story was really big, and this was a really big story that my involvement meant something to on a philosophical level. It was a weighty script in that respect, so I was just really pleased.

De Lancie recently appeared on an episode of The Mentalist and is working on a film called Mind Puppets .

photo: CBS Home Entertainment

via StarTrek.com

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How Star Trek: TNG's 'All Good Things' Broke All the Series Finale Rules

TNG's series finale is considered a Star Trek classic, but it broke all the rules for grand TV endings, proving those rules aren't needed.

If one of the biggest shows on TV today aired a finale that resolved no romantic plots, did not feature a true final confrontation with the main villain, didn't directly follow up on storylines, and focused on a mainly one-off storyline, fans would probably be outraged, declaring the finale a disaster that failed to provide any closure or deliver a satisfying resolution. Yet this is exactly what Star Trek: The Next Generation did in 1994 with its beloved series finale, "All Good Things." The final episode of the iconic sequel series breaks all the traditional rules for TV finales and is all the better for it.

"All Good Things" mainly follows Picard (Patrick Stewart) as he blinks back and forth through time attempting to track down an anomaly that appears in each period, slowly growing bigger the further back in time Picard goes. From his first mission on board the Enterprise (including a cameo by Tasha Yar) to the present to a possible future, Picard encounters this strange anomaly and soon discovers his time hopping is because of Q (John DeLancie), who is delivering his verdict from the Pilot's Trial. To stop his own actions from ending all mankind, Picard must understand Q's puzzle and potentially pass his trial.

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How TNG's 'All Good Things' Breaks All the Rules

In this grand finale episode of a gigantic TV show, all the typical rules and expectations for a series finale on television are broken. First, as mentioned, there isn't much resolution to any of the show's major romantic plots. While Troi (Marina Sirtis) and Worf (Michael Dorn) have been going out, it's clear Riker (Jonathan Frakes) still loves her; the triangle is a mess in the future, and the characters don't seem sure of what they want. Picard and Beverly Crusher 's (Gates McFadden) romance in the future timeline ends in divorce, but for the present, it's not clear where they'll go. While some of these threads were resolved in the movies, no definitive conclusion was reached in the finale itself.

Secondly, there is no grand, final confrontation with a Big Bad. Unlike most finales, which might have had the Enterprise finishing off the Borg, for instance, or even resolved the final confrontation with Q with Picard finally vanquishing his first foe, TNG instead has no such thing. No grand final duel between hero and villain results in the villain being vanquished; indeed, Q in the episode acts more as a mentor figure than a true antagonist, with the real foe in a way being Picard himself and his own struggles to understand what actions or mistakes could have led to the events therein.

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Why TNG's 'All Good Things' Can Get Away With It

Finally, the episode also has very little closure for any of the supporting cast. While the alternative future reality presents possible endings for the support characters, they don't end up being canon in the subsequent films, and the present day of the characters has them more as a cautionary tale rather than a genuine future prediction. Picard experiences the whole scope of the episode, but the supporting cast does not. Riker doesn't leave for a new ship; Data (Brent Spiner) doesn't fully achieve human emotions; Worf has no final confrontation with his Klingon heritage ; Troi doesn't face up to her past with her mother, and there is no reunion with Wesley (Wil Wheaton). Picard's journey is less about concluding his preexisting arcs and more about discovering that the real "trek through the stars," as Q puts it, is the journey of new discoveries. There is no ultimate resolution to the character arcs, which to modern fans would be near sacrilege.

While it's harder to see this given the multiple movies and sequel series that came out after "All Good Things" that provided the closure the episode itself did not, this really was a subversive and different kind of series finale. It was cerebral, confusing and metaphorical rather than literal. It was character-focused on Picard rather than the ensemble. And it was driven by emotions rather than exciting action scenes. This kind of TV finale, if released today, would probably provoke much fan anger at the lack of closure and resolution to the various character arcs -- but given how beloved "All Good Things" is, perhaps those typical finale tropes aren't needed to make a show end well.

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Star Trek: Picard - All Good Things Must Come to an End

Initiate shutdown sequence.

SPOILER WARNING: This clip may contain spoilers for the series finale of Star Trek: Picard, Season 3, Episode 10 "The Last Generation"!

In "The Last Generation," Jean-Luc Picard, Will Riker, and Geordi La Forge reflect on how many times the Enterprise -D has saved the world. She's always taken good care of them.

In addition to streaming on Paramount+ , Star Trek: Picard also streams on Prime Video outside of the U.S. and Canada, and in Canada can be seen on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave. Star Trek: Picard is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.