imdb star trek gambit

Gambit, Part II (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Production history
• 3.2 Story and script
• 3.3 Cast and characters
• 3.4 Production
• 3.5 Continuity
• 3.6 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest stars
• 4.4 Co-star
• 4.5 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.6 Stunt doubles
• 4.7 Stand-ins
• 4.8.1 Library computer references
• 4.9 External links

Summary [ ]

The USS Enterprise -D is hit on the port nacelle with a barrage of fire from the mercenary vessel where Riker is being held prisoner. To Worf 's surprise, the damage was minimal. The same is true when the starboard nacelle is then hit. Troi believes Riker has done something to their weapons, which Data , as acting captain, believes it to be true and sees that they must play along. The Enterprise simulates serious damage and fires back with only minimal phaser power. Picard pretends that phaser hit damaged the vessel's three plasma arrays on their disruptors . This, along with the antimatter containment units buckling forces Baran to order the mercenary ship to withdraw. Data orders the crew to let the ship go, much to Worf's chagrin, assuming that this is what Riker wants them to do.

Act One [ ]

Data is intent on having the Enterprise hold position and continue investigating, rather than send ships to the other two likely planets – Draken IV and Yadalla Prime – to be attacked. Geordi La Forge and Troi attempt to find out more hidden signals in Riker's transmission, and La Forge does detect a pattern in a sub-harmonic analysis of the transmission. Data joins in the investigation and begins to re-sequence the signal. He asks that La Forge begin a search for a decryption key.

On the mercenary ship, Riker and Picard stage a heated argument. Their acrimonious relationship arouses Tallera 's suspicions, and she later interrogates Picard. Her questions stop when Picard's tests reveal that they have found one of the artifacts they are looking for. They immediately notify Baran of their discovery, who is being fooled by Riker's portrayal of a less-than-ideal Starfleet officer. Riker plays on this and tells Baran that he may need to find a new career. Baran says he might like to continue to work with Riker, and tells him that when the time comes, he wants him to be the one to kill Picard.

Act Two [ ]

On the Enterprise , Data determines that the message is a flight plan, indicating the mercenary ship is headed to the Hyralan sector . Worf believes that it would take them at least fourteen hours to be there since their maximum warp factor is 8.7, while La Forge says the Enterprise could be there in five. Data decides to beat them there, to which Worf responds in an irritated tone, which catches both La Forge and Data off guard.

As Worf orders the helm to lay in the coordinates and engage at warp 9, Data asks Worf to join him in the ready room . Once inside, Data berates him over his performance as first officer , most notably, for questioning his decisions in front of the crew. Worf states that he has always felt free to voice his opinions that would differ from Picard or Riker. Data accepts that but in those instances, he was acting as security chief . Data explains the role of the second-in-command is to carry out the orders of the commanding officer. In this case, the latter is Data. Should Worf object to those orders, he should discuss it with him in private, and further states that he doesn't recall Riker ever showing irritation with Picard's orders as he just did with his. Data states that if Worf is not capable of carrying out this role, he will return him to tactical and assign La Forge as first officer instead. Worf elects to remain as first officer, and Data accepts it on the condition he conforms to the guidelines. He also apologizes if this berating has ended their friendship. Worf takes responsibility for it and asks that this incident be overlooked to continue their friendship. Data accepts it and Worf leaves. Once alone, Data simply straightens his uniform.

Alone with Picard in his quarters, Riker fills him in on Baran's plan, including the fact that he is supposed to kill Picard after the authenticity of the final artifact is confirmed. Riker reveals that they are headed to the Hyralan sector to pick up the artifact, which will be Romulan in origin, from a Klingon transport ship. Picard, however, states that the artifacts are actually all Vulcan in origin after looking at glyphs and pictograms from the artifact taken from Calder II .

Picard discusses mutiny with Narik and is repulsed since he assumes Picard would want to be captain. He is favorable to Tallera, though. Then, Tallera bursts in and pulls a phaser on Picard, demanding to be told his true identity.

Act Three [ ]

Tallera reveals that she is a Vulcan intelligence officer named T'Paal on a mission of her own. The artifacts being sought are fragments of the mythical Stone of Gol , a powerful weapon she believes is being sought by a Vulcan isolationist group. She explains that the stone is a psionic resonator , a device that focuses and amplifies telepathic energy . If the stone were reassembled and used by a trained telepath, the weapon could eliminate the entire Vulcan council with a single thought.

Meanwhile, in the Hyralan sector, the Enterprise is surprised to encounter a Klingon ship, Toron -class . Suspicious, they seek options on how to bring the craft over since the treaty with the Klingons gives its pilot, Koral free movement in Federation space. Worf suggests the treaty does stipulate the right to conduct inspections for health and safety reasons. Data points out that using the treaty in this manner might not be in keeping with its spirit. Worf swallows his protests and concedes before Data notes that if Koral wishes to protest, he can file such a protest with the office of the Judge Advocate General , and gives the order to bring the shuttle aboard.

Koral is greeted by Dr. Crusher and Worf to conduct the "inspection". Koral scoffs at the notion, but Crusher carries out the inspection, nervously trying to conceal their real objective.

When the mercenaries learn what has happened, Baran reluctantly prepares a team to board the Enterprise . Picard balks at the notion and asks how many security officers would serve on such as ship as that. Dismissing him, Baran orders Riker to lead the team to invade the Enterprise and retrieve the artifact. Acting out his role, Picard shows serious doubt in Riker's loyalty, which Baran allays by assigning him to Riker, then secretly pulls the commander aside and tells him that he expects him to kill Picard after the raid.

Act Four [ ]

" I'm sure the health and safety inspection won't last much longer. "

Koral is sitting in the observation lounge with Troi and Data, who are overly-friendly with him, much to Koral's annoyance, who just sits with them in silence. Data offers him some Klingon bloodwine that Worf programmed into the replicator to his liking. Instead, Koral simply looks at the beverage, picks it up, and pours it on the floor.

Worf and Crusher are running out of time and excuses for the inspection, and have found nothing substantial. Before they can continue, the mercenary ship beams Riker and his team in the shuttle bay, with Riker stunning an operations crewman who was just entering. He explains to Crusher that he decided to make a career change.

Picard demands Worf reveal the location of the artifact, but Riker believes Koral has it and demands his location, giving Crusher a look. Picking up on this, Crusher reveals his location, and Worf says security won't let them get there but by using the shuttlecraft Justman , they can simply beam in without encountering them. Riker apologizes and stuns both Worf and Crusher; the latter seems to startle Picard a bit.

While Data and Troi continue to fail at their attempts at conversation with Koral, the mercenary team beams in, which surprises all three of them. Picard walks over to Koral and retrieves the artifact from his clothing and prepares to leave. Data warns Riker that his actions would bring charges of theft, assault, piracy and treason on him. Riker shrugs it off and decides to add one more to the list: murder. He fires at Picard who rolls out of the way, and returns fire, sending Riker falling to the ground. Troi and Data rush to his aid and tells Picard that Riker is dead, which Picard expresses pleasure in. They then return to the mercenary ship and Riker comes to as he was only stunned. Data admits that he feels a similar sensation to Riker's. Dazed, Riker explains it will take time to explain everything.

Back on the mercenary ship, Picard delivers two items to Baran: the artifact, and a vicious punch to the face. Narik explains that Riker turned on the team, which they believe was acting on Baran's orders. This forces Picard to incite a mutiny on the ship, which he succeeds as the crew turns their back on Baran and follows Picard. Baran reaches for his device stating that while he has it, he's still in command and will use it to kill Picard.

Act Five [ ]

When Baran attempts to activate Picard's patch, he kills himself instead. Picard then explains that he switched the transponder codes. He destroys the control device and takes command. Next, he orders the crew to deliver the artifacts as planned.

On the Enterprise , Riker notifies Vulcan security minister Satok that their operative is on her way, and learns from the minister that the Vulcans have no operative stationed on any mercenary ship. Meanwhile, Picard talks with Tallera about the two pieces, taking note of the symbol of War and Death and notices that the there seems to be an important glyph missing from between them. Tallera then says when they arrive that she will take the pieces and go to collect the payment. She says she must go alone, since she is Vulcan, to avoid suspicion. Picard then reveals that he asked Riker to contact Vulcan security, which unnerves Tallera but she plays along, telling Picard that it was a wise precaution.

When they arrive at Vulcan , Picard stops her as she prepares to go, ordering her to leave one piece behind. Tallera then reveals to the rest of the crew his true identity as a Starfleet officer. They start to turn on him but he then reveals that Tallera is going to use the pieces to make a volatile weapon, there's no money waiting for them at all, and she is going to double cross them to escape. Vekor aims her weapon at both of them and says she is only interested in the money, and she and Narik will go with them to the surface. All they want is their reward and after they are paid, they do not care where Tellara goes.

" The resonator cannot be stopped by phasers and shields… but it can be defeated by peace. "

They find the third resonator piece in a cave in the abandoned T'Karath Sanctuary on the Vulcan homeworld. Vekor finds that that the bounty money is "less than half of what we were promised", and she and Narik demand payment in full. Tallera completes the device and proceeds to kill Narik and Vekor. She turns on Picard just as Riker, Worf, and two security guards materialize in the cave. Picard orders them to drop their weapons and to clear their minds of aggressive thoughts. He tells them that he now recognizes the missing glyph, which is Peace, and can defeat the effects of the weapon. Tallera tries to use it on Riker, but he clears his mind and the weapon fails. Picard says that when the Vulcans realized that peace could defeat war and death , the weapon was dismantled. Tallera, angry, tries the weapon on Worf, but also fails. After a last failed attempt on Picard, who has knelt in front of her, he gently takes it from her. She is taken into custody, and the resonator is given to the Vulcans, and they assure Captain Picard that they will destroy all three fragments.

A stoic Data escorts Riker to the brig after not getting Picard's joke

Once back on board the Enterprise , Picard is ready to move on and orders Riker to leave orbit. Data is dismayed that the Stone of Gol will be destroyed, as it is from a "remarkable period of history". Riker smiles and reminds Picard that he been officially declared 'dead' and therefore cannot give him orders. Data then reminds them that technically Riker has been declared a renegade, facing twelve court martial offenses and cannot give orders either. Picard decides to stay 'dead' a little longer and goes to take a nap in his quarters and jokingly suggests that Data ought to put Riker in the brig for his transgressions. As Picard enters his quarters and the door closes behind him, Riker laughs too, until Data starts dragging him away without getting the joke.

Memorable quotes [ ]

"What's wrong, Commander? You having second thoughts about betraying your comrades? 'Cause that's what you've done: betrayed them. Betrayed them in order to save yourself. You used to be just a second-rate officer. Now you're a traitor and a coward. How does that feel?" [Riker decks Picard] "I don't know. How did that feel?"

" If we had not let them escape, this would not be necessary. " " That is correct, but I believe Commander Riker wanted us to let them escape. "

" May I inquire as to your destination? " " No. " " May I ask the purpose of your journey? " " No. "

" Mr. Worf, I am sorry if I have ended our friendship. " " Sir, it is I who has jeopardized our friendship, not you. If you will overlook this incident, I would like to continue to consider you my friend. " " I would like that as well. " " Thank you, sir. "

" Oh, what a tangled web we weave. "

" Will, you always seem to be after my job. "

" He's alright, he's only stunned. " " I must admit, I am experiencing a similar sensation. " " This is going to take a little time to explain. "

" It would take them at least fourteen hours to reach that position. " " We could be there in five. " " Make it so. " " Finally. "

" I am not certain that using this clause as an excuse to conduct a search would be consistent with the spirit of the Treaty . " " Yes, sir. " " However, if Koral wishes to contest our actions, he can file a protest with the Judge Advocate General 's Office. Bring the shuttle aboard. "

" You were right, Tallera. The resonator cannot be stopped by phasers and shields… but it can be defeated by peace. "

" Number one, will you set a course for Starbase 227? I'll join you on the bridge shortly. " " Wait a minute. You've been declared dead. You can't give orders around here. " " If we are to adhere to the exact letter of Starfleet regulations, then technically sir, you have been declared a renegade. In fact I believe you are facing twelve counts of court martial offenses. You cannot give orders either, sir. " " That's quite right. And as I am supposed to be dead, I'll go and get some sleep, and Mr. Data, I suggest that you escort Commander Riker to the brig. " " Aye, sir… " (Data grabs Riker to lead him towards the brig) " this way, sir. " " Data, he was joking. You know that, right? … Data? "

Background information [ ]

Production history [ ].

• Final draft script: 6 August 1993 [1]
• Filmed: 9 August 1993 – 17 August 1993
• Premiere airdate: 18 October 1993
• First UK airdate: 7 February 1996

Story and script [ ]

• Ronald D. Moore commented, " I felt we ran out of story in 'Part II'. There were places where I was treading water. We had to find the lost ark and I didn't know what the lost ark was. Instead, we had a device from ancient Vulcan myth that had mythic properties that you explain are telepathic focusing properties. I was trying really hard to make this thing work and in the end, I just said, 'All right, maybe we should just go for it and make this a classic Gene [Roddenberry] kind of message and go for "think happy thoughts" and make it something which tied into the backstory of Vulcan and of Surak and peace.' I thought it would fit in nicely. I'm not sure if it did. It might have just fallen in on its own gooeyness. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 292)
• In early drafts of the script the psionic resonator was much more powerful, capable of killing millions of people at a time. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 267))
• Naren Shankar based the Vulcan subplot here on Spock's admission in TOS : " Journey to Babel " that a Vulcan could kill for a logical reason. He decided to take a different tone for the Vulcans: " We went for people who very logically felt that Vulcan's problems were linked to contamination by illogical people, so in a logical sense you say 'Get rid of them'…a very logical way to arrive at racism. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., pp. 266-267))
• Initially the Vulcan god of death was bald, until Rick Berman ordered hair to be etched on to avoid resemblance to Patrick Stewart in close-ups. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 267))

Cast and characters [ ]

Filming with James Worthy

• NBA star James Worthy 's appearance as Koral came about due to a chance meeting with Robert O'Reilly on an airplane. Worthy admitted his desire to appear on the show. At O'Reilly's urging, Worthy met with Rick Berman and Michael Piller , who in turn asked Jeri Taylor for suitable cameo roles. This timed perfectly with the need for filler elements in this episode, and thus Koral was created. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 266))

Production [ ]

• "Gambit, Part II" was filmed between Monday 9 August 1993 and Tuesday 17 August 1993 on Paramount Stage 8 , 9 , and 16 .
• Ronald B. Moore , effects supervisor, is incorrectly credited with an initial "D" in the end credits, which confuses him with writer and producer Ronald D. Moore.

Continuity [ ]

• It is revealed in this episode that Vulcan is one of the founding worlds of the Federation . It would not be revealed until ENT : " Zero Hour " (which aired a decade later) that the other three are Earth , Andoria and Tellar , though these four worlds had been mentioned as the founding planets in several non-canon publications and fan works.
• Yadalla Prime was originally Yonada , to be the presumed destination of the people in TOS : " For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky ", but it was changed to meet the need for presumed Romulan origins.
• Barradas III was a homage to Beratis , one of the names for the Redjac entity in TOS : " Wolf in the Fold ".
• Ron Moore named the Stone of Gol after the plateau where Spock studied in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . Shankar joked that the weapon might colloquially be called the "Gol Stone".
• Draken IV was previously mentioned in TNG : " Face Of The Enemy ", also written by Shankar.
• According to Tallera , the T'Karath Sanctuary has been abandoned for centuries after being used as an " underground stronghold for one of the factions during the last civil war ". ENT : " Awakening ", which aired a decade later, depicted the same sanctuary as a Syrrannite stronghold during the Vulcan Reformation of 2154 .
• The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 267) comments that elements of this episode suggest the Vulcan-Romulan schism may predate Surak .
• After Data reprimands Worf in the ready room , he imitates Picard's tugging of his shirt when standing up (commonly referred to as a Picard Maneuver ).
• The weapon wielded by Tallera when confronting Picard is a re-use of the Varon-T disruptor from " The Most Toys ". A Varon-T disruptor prop also makes an appearance, as Kelsey 's personal weapon in " Starship Mine ".
• The statue seen in Arctus Baran's room can later be seen in the commander's office aboard Terok Nor in DS9 : " Shattered Mirror ".
• The mercenary vessel's bridge is later redressed as the bridge of the USS Pasteur in TNG : " All Good Things... ". One of the central consoles was a stock set element that also appeared in "All Good Things…" when the Romulan Commander Tomalak leans over it to address Picard through the viewscreen .
• While the chain of command of bridge officers from Picard through to Data has been clear-cut, Data's first officer was Worf, a line officer, rather than Troi or Crusher, both staff officers, despite Beverly holding the rank of Commander , being bridge certified and having commanded the Enterprise in TNG : " Descent, Part II ", and Deanna holding the rank of Lieutenant Commander over Worf's Lieutenant rank. Troi's rank and bridge certification would become pertinent in TNG : " Thine Own Self ". La Forge is also a line officer and also outranked Worf but is needed most in Engineering and rarely takes command.

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 79, 9 May 1994 .
• In feature-length form, as part of the UK VHS release Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Full Length TV Movies : Volume 9, catalog number VHR 4109, 8 May 1995 .
• As part of the US video collection Star Trek - The Greatest Battles : 3 April 1997 .
• As part of the UK video collection Star Trek - Greatest Battles : 16 November 1998 .
• As part of the TNG Season 7 DVD collection.
• In feature-length form, as part of the Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete TV Movies collection.

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 [ ]

• Richard Lynch as Arctus Baran
• Robin Curtis as Tallera / T'Paal
• Caitlin Brown as Vekor
• Cameron Thor as Narik
• James Worthy as Koral
• Sabrina LeBeauf as Giusti

Co-star [ ]

• Martin Goslins as Setok

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Majel Barrett as Narrator
• Steve Blalock as operations division officer
• Eugenie Bondurant as alien mercenary
• Steven Boz as operations division ensign
• Cullen Chambers as command division officer
• Kevin Indio Copeland as alien mercenary
• Goldie Ann Gareza as command division officer
• Paul Genick as Human mercenary
• Kerry Hoyt as operations division ensign
• Michael Moorehead as science division ensign
• Keith Rayve as command division ensign
• M. Smith as Human mercenary
• Noriko Suzuki as operations division ensign
• Mary Thompson as operations division officer
• Baran's mercenary ship computer voice
• Command division ensign (voice)

Stunt doubles [ ]

• Maria Kelly as stunt double for Caitlin Brown
• Dennis Madalone as stunt double for Richard Lynch
• Joe Murphy as stunt double for Cameron Thor
• John Nowak as stunt double for Patrick Stewart
• Mark Riccardi as stunt double for Jonathan Frakes

Stand-ins [ ]

• David Keith Anderson – stand-in for LeVar Burton
• Debbie David – stand-in for Brent Spiner and Richard Lynch
• Michael Echols – stand-in for Michael Dorn
• Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis and Robin Curtis
• Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden and Caitlin Brown
• Richard Sarstedt – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
• Dennis Tracy – stand-in for Patrick Stewart

References [ ]

4th century ; 2355 ; 2369 ; ability ; alphabet ; archaeological expert ; assassin ; Baran's mercenary ship ; bearing ; Beta Quadrant ; bloodwine ; brig ; Calder II ; Cardassian ; career ; carrier wave ; clause ; commercial orbital lane ; contamination ; coordinates ; court martial offense ; Draken IV ; emotional need ; energy weapon ; extremist ; Federation ; Federation space ; Ferengi ; flight plan ; friend ; Galaxy class decks ; glyph ; God of War ; head of security ; health hazard ; health and safety inspection ; Hyralan sector ; inertial damper ; inflection ; irritation ; Judge Advocate General ; Justman ; Klingon ; labor camp ; leader ; Milky Way Galaxy ; magic ; masquerade ; mythology ; number one ; periapsis ; pictogram ; psionic resonator ; radiation leak ; renegade ; reprimand ; Romulan ; Romulan language ; security officer ; Seven other planets ; ShiKahr District ; Starbase 227 ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Command ; Stone of Gol ; supernatural ; symbology ; T'Karath Sanctuary ; Taugan system ; telepathic ability ; thought ; Toron -class ; traitor ; treason ; Treaty of Alliance ; V'Shar ; Vulcan ; Vulcan (planet) ; Vulcan cities ; Vulcan Isolationist Movement ; Vulcan language ; Vulcan security forces ; weapon ; weapons control ; weave ; Yadalla Prime

Library computer references [ ]

Starship mission status : Ajax , USS ; Alderaan ; Alpha Laputa IV ; Ambassador -class ; Apollo -class ; Aries , 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

External links [ ]

• " Gambit " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Gambit " at Wikipedia
• "Gambit, Part II" at StarTrek.com
• " "Gambit" " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• "Gambit, Part II" script  at Star Trek Minutiae
• 1 Star Trek: Discovery

Screen Rant

Star trek tng: every two-part episode, ranked according to imdb.

Sometimes, the stories on Star Trek TNG were too big to be contained in one episode. This is every TNG two-part episode, ranked by IMDb score.

Star Trek: The Next Generation   took fans into the 23rd century and presented some of the most compelling science fiction in TV history. Occasionally, the exploits of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D were too much for one simple episode, and the stories branched out over two.

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Whether it was gripping tales of The Borg invasion, or Worf's personal journey within Klingon society, the two-part episodes of  TNG  were often some of the most exciting of the entire series. Although all of the two-part episodes are memorable in their own right, some garnered much higher scores on IMDb .

Birthright Part 1 & 2 - 7.6/7.3

Worf's struggles with his Klingon heritage was one of the most compelling arcs in  TNG , and the episodes "Birthright" brought it to the forefront once again. While visiting Deep Space Nine, Worf learns that his father is still alive and he is determined to track him down. Worf's search leads him to a former prisoner of war camp where Klingons and Romulans live in peace with one another.

Worf is doubly challenged in the episodes because he must reconcile his desire to clear his family name, with his overwhelming distrust of Romulans. Generally considered one of the best episodes about the Romulans , "Birthright" shows a different side of both alien races, and proves that peace is an option between them. Fortunately for fans, Worf would return in  Deep Space Nine and they would get a chance to follow his quest for acceptance once again.

Gambit Part 1 & 2 - 7.8/7.9

Usually,  TNG 's two-part episodes had important implications for the show moving forward, but occasionally they would simply tell a compelling story that was too long for one episode. "Gambit" takes place after the apparent death of Captain Picard, and Riker is put in charge of the intense investigation. When he is suddenly kidnapped by a group of archeological thieves, Riker finds that the Captain has seemingly joined with them.

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Further fleshing out Picard's intense love of history and archaeology, the episodes are a fun adventure romp that sees the Captain and his first officer working together. Picard was not often put in the action hero role, but he excelled on the few occasions that he was. While the story might not be as earth-shattering as other two-part episodes, it was an intriguing adventure that harkened back to the earlier days of the  Star Trek  franchise.

Descent Part 1 & 2 - 8.1/7.8

While they only appeared a few times in  TNG,  The Borg proved to be one of the strongest alien races in the entire franchise. "Descent" finds the crew once again in conflict with the Borg, but to everyone's surprise, both the Borg and Data experience a range of human emotions that they hadn't previously shown. Digging into why they are suddenly feeling things, the crew encounters another old foe in the form of Data's brother, Lore.

Data's flirtation with human emotion was a thread throughout the entire series, and it was interesting to see him experience them in the episodes. The Borg are just as frightening as ever, but the added wrinkle of emotion adds an element of humanity that lessened their usual impact. The heart of the episodes was Brent Spiner's terrific turn as both Data and Lore, and he was able to imbue both characters with their own distinct personalities on screen.

Unification Part 1 & 2 - 8.2/8.3

In one of the best episodes about the Vulcans , "Unification" reunited  Trek  fans with their favorite pointy-eared hero. Ambassador Spock has gone deep into Romulan territory, and the Enterprise has to track him down in order to ascertain why he seemingly defected from the Federation. Once on Romulus, Picard learns of Spock's ambitious plan to bring peace between the Romulans and their distant Vulcan cousins.

Giving fans their first up-close look at Romulan society, "Unification" was an absolute treat for longtime  Trek  viewers. The usually secretive race was laid bare in the episodes and the tense negotiations have lofty implications for the future of the Federation. Despite all that, the biggest selling point of the two-part story is the return of Leonard Nimoy as Spock.  The veteran actor plays the character with an interesting grace that is indicative of 80 years of aging since  The Original Series .

Time's Arrow Part 1 & 2 - 8.4/8.2

Time travel has been a part of  Star Trek  since the beginning, and few episodes had as much fun with the concept as the two-parter "Time's Arrow". While investigating an archeological site on earth, the Enterprise crew discovers that there is evidence that an alien race may have been on earth in the 1800s. When Data is sent back in time to the turn of the century, the crew must attempt to rescue him, as well as get to the bottom of the alien menace.

The most memorable part of the episodes is the appearance from famous author Mark Twain, but there is a lot more to the episodes than simple fan service. The story does a great job of playing with the difficult concepts of time travel, and it explores timelines through the mysterious bartender Guinan. Eventually destined to meet, Whoopi Goldberg excels at playing a younger, and slightly less wise version of her character, centuries before she encounters Jean-Luc Picard.

Redemption Part 1 & 2 - 8.4/8.4

Proving to be the perfect fodder for two-part episodes, "Redemption" brings together both the Klingons and Romulans for one of the most tense stories in the series. Worf's allegiances are put to the test when the Klingon empire descends into bloody civil war. Deciding to leave the Federation behind, Worf goes off to fight for his family name. Meanwhile, Captain Picard unravels a Romulan plot that may be at the heart of the entire conflict.

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Worf's emotional journey throughout the story is gripping, and it was genuinely shocking to see him turn his back on the Federation. As always, the dastardly Romulans prove to be tricky adversaries and it is ultimately Picard's insistence on peace that saves the day. As the name implies, Worf is out for a measure of redemption, and he earns some respect within his community because of his selflessness.

Chain Of Command Part 1 & 2 - 8.3/8.9

Fleshing out the ruthless Cardassians, "Chain of Command" was one of the darkest storylines in  Trek  history and challenged Captain Picard like never before. Sent on a top-secret mission into Cardassian space, Captain Picard is replaced on the Enterprise with a humorless and unpopular fill-in named Jellico. Picard is captured and tortured, while Jellico attempts to stop a full-scale Cardassian invasion of Federation space.

Showing the guileless Cardassians at their most evil, the episodes prepare viewers for what to expect in  Deep Space Nine . As for the story itself, Picard's journey is harrowing, and it is interesting to see the ship's dynamic when the beloved captain is replaced by an inferior substitute. Jellico is a fascinating (if unlikable) character, and shows that Starfleet doesn't always produce the best and brightest.

Best Of Both Worlds Part 1 & 2 - 9.3/9.2

"Best of Both Worlds" goes far beyond simply being a great two-part episode, and it shines as one of the best episodes of  The Next Generation , and all of  Trek  in general. When responding to a distress call at the outer reaches of Federation space, the Enterprise encounters a decimated colony that has apparently been destroyed by the Borg. When Picard is assimilated, Riker and the rest of the crew must find a way to save their captain and defeat the Borg menace.

The episodes deftly weave together several narrative threads that pay off brilliantly throughout the two parts. Riker is tempted by the call of higher command, while Picard's strategic mind is brought into the Borg collective which makes them doubly dangerous. While not the introduction of the Borg in the series, "Best of Both Worlds" really established them as the biggest baddie in all of the  Star Trek  universe.

NEXT: The Best Star Trek Series, Ranked According To IMDb

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Gambit, Part I

Captain Picard infiltrates a smuggling ring that is searching for Romulan artifacts.

Richard Lynch

Julie Caitlin Brown

Alan Altshuld

Cameron Thor

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Star Trek: The Next Generation

Gambit, Pt. 1

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Robin Curtis

Julie Caitlin Brown

Cameron Thor

Alan Altshuld

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Gambit, Part II

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• Riker and Picard must find out why this intergalactic gang is looting archaeological sites.
• The officers' ploy has succeeded: Riker won intergalactic piracy captain Baran's confidence while sparing the Enterprise. Picard works out the stolen archaeological artifacts are not Romulan but pre-logical Vulcan. This is confirmed by the only pirate who guessed their game, an undercover agent who must prevent them being used as a terrible weapon. Meanwhile Data is in temporary command, dealing with Worf's initial lack of respect and Klingon Koral's ship, until the pirates beam aboard with a whole series of mainly hidden agendas and deceptions Data's crew also plays into. — KGF Vissers
• The officers' ploy has succeeded: Riker won intergalactic piracy captain Baran's confidence while secretly sparing the Enterprise. Riker had changed the energy configuration of their weapons, so even though the Enterprise had no shields, the weapons only caused minimal damage. Baran is forced to withdraw when Tallera realizes that even though damaged, The Enterprise has superior fire-power. Although Tallera is now suspicious of Picard since Picard stopped firing on the Enterprise due to an issue with Disruptor power system (even though it could be bypassed) and he continues to pick fights with Riker, as though they are deliberate. Picard makes a positive energy signature match with one of the stolen artifacts. Baran tells Riker that they need just one more artifact and after that he wants Riker to kill Picard. Meanwhile Picard had used the carrier wave Riker used to send his access codes to the Enterprise to send a coded message to the ship. Data finds the coded message which are coordinates to the Hyralan sector. Data takes the Enterprise there. Picard works out the stolen archaeological artifacts are not Romulan but pre-logical Vulcan. This is confirmed by Tallera who guessed their game, an undercover agent who must prevent them being used as a terrible weapon. Tallera reveals that her name is T'Paal and she is from the Vulcan security agency. She found the encoded message from Picard to the Enterprise and confronts him saying that he is a Starfleet officer and not Galen. The weapon she says is a Psionic regulator that amplifies negative telepathic thoughts and can havoc great destruction in the hands of its wielder. Tallera says Baran needs another 2 pieces to complete it Meanwhile Data is in temporary command, dealing with Worf's initial lack of respect. The Enterprise reaches the Hyralan sector before Baran where it finds Klingon Koral's (James Worthy) ship. Koral was supposed to meet Baran and refuses to answer any of Data's questions. Data can't board his ship since he has free rights of navigation as per the treaty with the Klingons. But Worf suggests conducting a "Health and Safety" search, which is under the terms of the treaty. Koral had send a message to Baran saying that he has been detained by the Enterprise. Baran sends Riker with Galen and crew to retrieve the artifact with a raid on the Enterprise. Baran wants Riker to kill Galen during the raid. Riker retrieves the artifact, but when he tries to kill Galen, Galen shoots him first. Riker is only stunned but appears to be killed. Baran crew returns to the ship and mutinies against Baran. With support from Tallera, Galen kills Baran and assumes control of the ship. Their mission now is to determine where to deliver their cargo. Riker contacts Vulcan security head Satok (Martin Goslins) and informs him that the ship with T'Paan is headed to Vulcan and not to fire on it. Satok informs Riker that there is no Vulcan operative working with Baran at all. T'Paan says that the artifact is to be delivered to Vulcan isolationists on the planet Vulcan, who want to combine the 3rd piece to complete the artifact and use it to rid the Vulcan society of all alien influences. Picard tells T'Paan that he had Riker already inform Vulcan defenses that their ship is approaching, so that they are not mistakenly shot at. T'Paan knows her game is up and exposes Picard as a Starfleet officer to her crew. The crew goes with T'Paan to the surface of Vulcan to collect their payment. But when T'Paan completes the weapon, she turns on them, as dispatches them one by one. But Picard empties his mind of all violent thoughts, and the weapon doesn't work on him. The resonator only amplifies negative thoughts, if there are no negative thoughts, it is powerless. T'Paan is defeated and taken into custody. The resonator is destroyed.

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Published Apr 17, 2014

FIRST LOOK: The Q Gambit

It hasn't happened yet on the big screen, but it's about to go down in comic book form. Come July, as part of IDW Publishing's six-part adventure dubbed The Q Gambit , the current U.S.S. Enterprise crew -- as seen in Star Trek (2009) , Star Trek Into Darkness and IDW's ongoing Star Trek tales -- will come face to face with Q, the omnipotent Next Generation villain and longtime fan favorite. The Q Gambit will kick off with Star Trek issue #35, as the mischievous Q sends James T. Kirk on a quest that will witness the Enterprise joining forces with familiar faces from Trek lore, beginning with the crew of a very familiar space station.

Leading the charge on The Q Gambit is veteran writer Mike Johnson. He's written Countdown to Darkness, After Darkness, Khan and many other Trek comics. Complementing his efforts on The Q Gambit will be Tony Shasteen, making his debut as an IDW Star Trek artist after having worked on Vampire Diaries and Batman: Arkham Unhinged , among other properties.

“Part of the fun of the new Star Trek movie franchise is seeing how beloved characters are different in the new timeline,” Johnson said in a statement. "But one iconic adversary remains unchanged: Q. His fascination with humanity and his penchant for mischief remain the same across the multiverse, and now he's come to take the Enterprise crew on an adventure that will bring new meaning to the phrase ‘no-win scenario.’”

“Like so many fans, Q captured my attention as soon as he appeared on the deck of the Enterprise,” Star Trek comic editor Sarah Gaydos noted in a separate statement. "We’re excited to explore just how Q will react to our Captain Kirk…and how Kirk will handle one of the most powerful, witty characters ever to appear in the Star Trek universe. We’re also very eager for everyone to see the stellar work Tony Shasteen is doing!”

Keep an eye on StarTrek.com for additional news about The Q Gambit.

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