star trek tng ranks

Star Trek Ranks, Explained

Though primarily peaceful, Starfleet follows a quasi-military protocol, which means a chain of command that ensures all runs smoothly.

Starting with the original series, Star Trek has adopted a quasi-military series of ranks and protocols for its characters. Starfleet is ostensibly a peaceful organization dedicated to exploration and diplomacy, but things can get dangerous on the final frontier. A functioning chain of command is necessary in the event of trouble to ensure that everyone operates at peak efficiency.

It's a bit of a paradox, since Starfleet officers also tend to be rugged individualists, but it makes a good deal of sense and over time has become an indispensable part of the franchise. A given character's rank speaks volumes about their comparative age, their position onboard, and their relationship with the other members of the crew. As with most things Star Trek, rank insignia has evolved over time. Here's a breakdown of Starfleet's ranking system in descending order from the lowliest cadets to the most powerful admirals.

Updated January 18, 2024 by Robert Vaux: Star Trek's ranking system is very stable at this point, and very little tends to change. The article has been updated to include a brief list of prominent members of each rank, along with the series and seasons they held it. It has also been updated to conform to current CBR guidelines.

9 Cadets Are Officers in Training at Starfleet Academy

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Cadets are typically students at Starfleet Academy , spending time onboard a starship as part of their training. They hold no rank and must obey the orders of any crewmen. They're often issued temporary badges or communicators and usually have a supervisory officer to watch over them. Cadets in the 23rd century wear badges with a distinctive black backing. Cadets in the 24th century wear distinctive uniforms denoting their status.

In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, the Enterprise is used as a training vessel, with the crew consisting almost entirely of cadets. Wesley Crusher formally joins Starfleet Academy starting in Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 9, "Final Mission," and spends most of his subsequent appearances at that rank. Similarly, Nyota Uhura joins the Enterprise as a cadet in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, as does Sylvia Tilly in Star Trek: Discovery.

8 Enlisted Personnel/NCO Are Starfleet's Worker Bees

While officers attend Starfleet Academy, the rank-and-file personnel attend the 24th-century equivalent of boot camp. They become the anonymous crew working in the background, performing the countless tiny tasks required to keep a starship running. Their ranks include both enlisted crewmen and petty officers (the equivalent of sergeants) who often play supervisory roles. They typically lack any insignia on their uniforms, though chief petty officers in the Next Generation era sometimes have a black pip or similar marking.

Enlisted personnel often serve as The Original Series ' infamous red shirts : doomed to die in the name of plot exposition. The Next Generation introduces perhaps Starfleet's best-known enlisted man. Miles O'Brien runs the transporters on the Enterprise-D, and later becomes Chief of Operations on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

7 Ensigns Hold The Lowest Rank

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Ensigns are the lowest-ranking officers on Starfleet vessels. Cadets typically receive the rank of ensign immediately upon graduation from Starfleet Academy. While they technically have command authority, they're usually assigned menial tasks beneath the attention of the senior officers. Like NCOs, they lack insignia on their uniforms in The Original Series era. With The Next Generation and later series, ensigns receive a single gold pip on their collar. They're often lumped into the red shirt category.

Harry Kim is probably the franchise's most famous (or infamous) ensign, failing to receive a single promotion through Star Trek: Voyager's seven seasons , despite serving with distinction on the bridge. The Original Series' Pavel Chekov also begins his Starfleet career as an ensign, though he advances at a faster rate. Of course, the four main characters in Star Trek: Lower Decks are ensigns, though they all receive a promotion to lieutenant, junior grade at the beginning of Season 4.

6 Lieutenant, Junior Grade Have More Responsibility Than Ensigns

The next step up the ladder is lieutenant, junior grade. These are officers with more authority and responsibility than ensigns, but who still require seasoning before taking higher command positions. Medical personnel typically receive the lieutenant, junior grade rank after graduating, which reflects their extended training time. The Original Series uses a single dashed bar on the uniform sleeves to denote them, though Strange New Worlds has retconned that with a connected colored bar. T he Next Generation and later series note the rank with a second black pip in addition to the ensign's colored pip.

Both Julian Bashir and Ezri Dax hold the rank of lieutenant, junior grade when they begin their duties on Deep Space 9, though Ezri receives hers as a field promotion in Season 7, Episode 3, "Afterimage." Geordi La Forge starts as a lieutenant, junior grade too, as does Mr. Worf. B'Elanna Torres receives the rank on a provisional basis when she joins the crew of the Voyager, and the Lower Decks crew are all promoted to lieutenant, junior grade in Season 4, Episode 1, "Twovix."

5 Lieutenants Lead the Away Teams and More

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Lieutenants have advanced to the point where they can take on considerable responsibilities. They may lead away teams or control key systems, and they often appear among the bridge crew or even as department heads. The Original Series notes them with a single bar on the uniform sleeve, while Strange New Worlds adds a second thinner bar above the lieutenant, junior grade's insignia. The Next Generation uses two colored pips on the collar — a method emulated by subsequent series.

Worf spends most of The Next Generation's later seasons as a lieutenant (he's promoted to lieutenant commander during the events of Star Trek Generations ) while Ro Laren is promoted to lieutenant shortly before her defection to the Maquis in The Next Generation Season 7, Episode 24, "Preemptive Strike." Lieutenants often occupy the helm position, including Hikaru Sulu in The Original Series, Keyla Detmer in Star Trek: Discovery , and Erica Ortegas in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds .

4 Lieutenant Commanders Head up Departments

Lieutenant commanders hold positions of senior responsibility onboard a starship, even serving as executive officers or de facto captains on small ships. One larger ships, they often serve as the head of specific departments such as science and engineering. In The Original Series , the rank is designated with two stripes on the sleeve — one thick, one dashed — which Strange New Worlds adjusts to two thick colored bands. The Next Generation and subsequent shows note lieutenant commanders with two colored pips and one black one.

Montgomery Scott holds the rank of lieutenant commander in The Original Series , acting as Chief Engineer and even commanding the Enterprise when Kirk and Spock are away on missions. Similarly, Geordi La Forge rises to the rank of lieutenant commander in The Next Generation , joining Data and Deanna Troi at the position, though the latter eventually advances to commander. Worf and Jadzia Dax are both lieutenant commanders when they begin their romance on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Lastly, the original Number One — Una Chin-Riley on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds — is a lieutenant commander.

3 Commanders Aid and Can Take Over the Captain's Dutires

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Commanders are usually the ship's executive officers, "Number Ones," who assist the captain in their duties and step up in the event the captain is incapacitated. Commanders are often viewed as captains in training, and ultimately destined for a ship of their own in the future. In some cases, commanders are the head authority on smaller ships or space stations. Chief medical officers often hold this position as well. They're delineated by two thick bands on their sleeves in The Original Series era and three colored pips on the collar in The Next Generation and later.

Mr. Spock holds the rank of commander during the events of The Original Series , serving double duty as chief science officer as well. He's been followed by the likes of William Riker on The Next Generation and Seven of Nine on Star Trek: Picard . In addition, Beverly Crusher and Leonard McCoy both hold the rank of commander, while Deanna Tori is promoted to commander in Season 7, Episode 16, "Thine Own Self." Ben Sisko also begins his tenure on Deep Space 9 as a commander before being promoted to full captain at the end of Season 3.

2 Captains Command Starfleet's Various Starships

The captain serves as the commander of a starship, with the entire crew ranked beneath them. This affords them a great deal of autonomy, but also equal amounts of responsibility. Starships must often face dangers alone in the far depths of space. It falls to the captain to make the final call when lives are at stake. Occasionally, captains can be found in other duties, such as commanding a star base or holds an administrative position on Earth. Captains are delineated by three stripes on their sleeves in the Original Series era — two thick, one dashed — which Strange New Worlds slightly alters to a single thin band sandwiched between two thicker ones. The Next Generation era uses four full pips on the collar.

Most Star Trek series use a captain as the main character, starting with James T. Kirk in The Original Series . Their ranks include Jean-Luc Picard, Kathryn Janeway, Christopher Pike, and Carol Freeman. In addition, many lower-ranking characters eventually attain the captain's chair, such as Will Riker, Tuvok, and Mr. Spock. Both Ben Sisko and Michael Burnham become captain after several seasons of climbing the ranks, a change from most Star Trek series which tend to begin with their captains in place.

1 Admirals Possess The Greatest Rank and Come to Represent Starfleet Itself

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Admirals are Starfleet's major movers and shakers, placed in charge of entire fleets or overseeing vital operations. As flag officers, they no longer serve onboard starships, though they can claim command of one if circumstances dictate. James T. Kirk takes control of the Enterprise as an Admiral in both Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , while both Kathryn Janeway in Star Trek: Prodigy and Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: Picard are the authority on their respective vessels.

In addition to giving successful captains a cushy desk job, Star Trek often uses admirals as stand-ins for Starfleet itself: either aiding the crew in their endeavors or standing in their way when they go against protocol. They're delineated by a wide variety of methods, and hold varying ranks within the admiralty, such as Vice Admiral and Commodore, that shift from project to project.

The Star Trek universe encompasses multiple series, each offering a unique lens through which to experience the wonders and perils of space travel. Join Captain Kirk and his crew on the Original Series' voyages of discovery, encounter the utopian vision of the Federation in The Next Generation, or delve into the darker corners of galactic politics in Deep Space Nine. No matter your preference, there's a Star Trek adventure waiting to ignite your imagination.

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Star Fleet Ranks (FASA)

• 1.1 Recruit
• 1.2 Specialist 2nd Class
• 1.3 Specialist 1st Class
• 1.4 Chief Specialist
• 1.5 Petty Officer
• 1.6 Chief Petty Officer
• 1.7 Senior Chief Petty Officer
• 1.8 Master Chief Petty Officer
• 2 Warrant Officers
• 3.2 Midshipman
• 4.2 Lieutenant, junior grade
• 4.3 Lieutenant
• 4.4 Lieutenant Commander
• 4.5 Commander
• 4.6 Captain
• 4.7 Fleet Captain
• 4.8 Commodore
• 4.9 Branch Admiral
• 4.10 Rear Admiral
• 4.11 Admiral
• 6 References

In the early 2200s, assignment insignia was located on both sleeves, 3cm below the shoulder seam. Rank stripes and insignia were black, and were 0.5cm wide. The distance between assignment and rank insignia was 3cm. [1]

Recruits could enter Star Fleet at the age of 18 (or age 17 if their first assignment was to a colony world or other non-ship posting). Recruits underwent extensive training and orientation in Star Fleet and Federation life for 18 months at induction centers located on various worlds. They would then receive six months of specialized training appropriate to each individual's potential and cultural background. In the early 2300s, the insignia for a Recruit was a plain, one-piece white uniform design with no decoration except for a standard communicator . [2]

Recruit (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Specialist 2nd Class

Second Class Specialists, known as Enlisted Second Class in the early 2200s, [1] were individuals who had demonstrated leadership and technical competence in a given area of operations. "Spec Twos" could command four to ten junior Specialists, depending on individual duty assignments. In the early 2300s, the insignia for Specialist Second Class was one hollow brass diamond worn on each uniform wrist cuff. [2] [Notes 1]

Enlisted 2nd Class (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Specialist 2nd Class (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Specialist 1st Class

Specialist First Class, known as Enlisted First Class in the early 2200s, [1] were enlisted personnel whose competence and leadership were sufficient to permit them independent control of junior Specialists without direct supervision by officers. In the early 2300s, the insignia for Specialist First Class was one solid brass diamond worn on each uniform wrist cuff. [2] [Notes 1]

Enlisted 1st Class (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Specialist 1st Class (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Chief Specialist

Chief Specialists, known as Petty Officer Second Class in the early 2200s, [1] had advanced technical and administrative skills and could command large groups of enlisted personnel without officers' supervision for extended periods of time. In the early 2300s, the insignia for Chief Specialist was one hollow and one solid brass diamond worn on each uniform wrist cuff. [2] [Notes 1]

Petty Officer 2nd Class (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Chief Specialist (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Petty Officer

The rank of Petty Officer, known as Petty Officer First Class in the early 2200s, [1] was given to non-commissioned officers who had shown exceptional leadership in their own areas. A Petty Officer typically commanded a group of enlisted personnel, often independent of direct supervision by junior officer grades. [2] In the early 2300s, the insignia for Petty Officer was one hollow brass circle worn on the right uniform lapel. [Notes 1]

Petty Officer 1st Class (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Petty Officer (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Chief Petty Officer

The rank of Chief Petty Officer was given to non-commissioned officers who had shown exceptional leadership in their own areas. A Chief Petty Officer typically commanded a group of enlisted personnel, often independent of direct supervision by junior officer grades. In the early 2300s, the insignia for Chief Petty Officer was one hollow gold circle worn on the right uniform lapel. [2] [Notes 1]

Chief Petty Officer (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Chief Petty Officer (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Senior Chief Petty Officer

The rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer was given to non-commissioned officers who had shown exceptional leadership in their own areas. A Senior Chief Petty Officer typically commanded a group of enlisted personnel, often independent of direct supervision by junior officer grades. In the early 2300s, the insignia for Senior Chief Petty Officer was two hollow gold circles worn on the right uniform lapel. [2] [Notes 1]

Senior Chief Petty Officer (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Senior Chief Petty Officer (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Master Chief Petty Officer

The rank of Master Chief Petty Officer was given to non-commissioned officers who had shown exceptional leadership in their own areas. A Master Chief Petty Officer typically commanded a group of enlisted personnel, often independent of direct supervision by junior officer grades. In the early 2300s, the insignia for Master Chief Petty Officer was three hollow gold circles worn on the right uniform lapel. [2] [Notes 1]

Master Chief Petty Officer (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Master Chief Petty Officer (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Warrant Officers

Non-commissioned officers who had displayed exceptional expertise in technical or mechanical areas were awarded this rank. Warrant Officers typically commanded a group of enlisted personnel who acted as technical assistants answerable only to the Warrant Officer. [2] In the early 2200s, stripes were 1cm wide, silver, and located 6cm from the cuff. [1] In the 2300s, Warrant Officers wore one, two, or three gold rectangles on the right uniform collar to indicate Warrant Officer, Chief Warrant Officer, [Notes 2] or Master Warrant Officer. [2]

Warrant Officer (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Chief Warrant Officer (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Warrant Officer (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Chief Warrant Officer (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Master Warrant Officer (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

In the early 2200s, stripes were 1cm wide, gold, and located 6cm from the cuff. [1]

Cadet (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Midshipmen were recent graduates of Star Fleet Academy who had completed their final cadet cruises. These officers were typically assigned duties as junior aides to line officers in either the technical or scientific branches of Star Fleet . Midshipmen might also have been assistants to officers in foreign legions and administrative officers. Such assignments were typically between six and eighteen months in duration, after which promotion was routine. [2]

Midshipman (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Midshipman (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

In the early 2200s, stripes were 2cm wide, gold, and located 6cm from the cuff. [1]

Ensigns served as junior officers in a variety of duty stations both aboard ship and at starbases and ground installations. [2]

Ensign Junior Grade, introduced circa 2300, were typically recent graduates of Star Fleet Academy , and served as technical and administrative assistants. In rare cases, a civilian could receive the honorary rank of Ensign Junior Grade to coordinate enlisted personnel aboard ship for a limited duration. [2]

Ensign (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Ensign, junior grade (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Ensign (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Lieutenant, junior grade

Junior grade Lieutenants aboard ship were responsible for the direct operation of non-bridge duty stations under the supervision of senior personnel. Bridge operations involving navigation and helm control were also assigned to junior grade Lieutenants under the supervision of senior officers. At ground installations, junior grade Lieutenants typically acted as station-keepers under the direction of a senior Lieutenant. [2]

Lieutenant, junior grade (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Lieutenant, junior grade (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Lieutenants served on Bridge command crews and as specialists aboard ships. In the absence of senior officers, Lieutenants also commanded special away teams off ship. Away from the Bridge, Lieutenants served as department heads. At starbases and ground installations, Lieutenants were in charge of specific duty stations, generally supervising from three to twelve junior officers and enlisted personnel. [2]

Lieutenant (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Lieutenant (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Lieutenant Commander

Officers of Lieutenant Commander rank functioned as assistant department heads or specialists. Senior Bridge officers in charge of specific watch commands were usually Lieutenant Commanders. In vessels of Class V or below, a Lieutenant Commander was frequently assigned as first officer to a ship's captain of Commander rank. Staff officers of Lieutenant Commander rank served as aides to senior officers and could, on occasion, represent their superiors on special assignments away from normal duty stations. [2]

Lieutenant Commander (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Lieutenant Commander (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Commanders generally headed up a department aboard ship. A senior flag Commander could have a specialized position, such as first officer or science officer. Commanders also served as ship's captain on vessels below Class V, receiving the technical distinction of Brevet Captain, which bestowed a captain's authority only aboard ship. Staff officers holding Commander rank typically served as aides to senior officers or as special duty personnel for inspection of civilian installations, liaison with native life forms, or provided administrative support. [2]

Commander (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Commander (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Captains commanded Star Fleet vessels above Class V. Captains also directed the day-to-day operational deployment and tactical command of support craft, often without the direct influence of senior commanders. Officers with technical skills in areas such as engineering, science, medicine, or security could also receive Captain's rank and usually served aboard larger vessels. Staff officers of Captain rank typically served in deputy positions on starbases or similar ground assignments, as aides to flag officers or technical advisors to senior Federation personnel. [2]

Captain (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Captain (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Fleet Captain

The position of Fleet Captain is that of a senior officer who has demonstrated exceptional competence and expertise in active service. Fleet Captains were responsible for the overall deployment of specific classes of vessels throughout the fleet; in that capacity, they oversaw the construction, refitting, upgrading, and operational use of a particular vessel design, rather than taking command over individual vessels. In 2303, there were three Fleet Captains; one was responsible for Excelsior and Alaska class heavy warships, the second was in charge of heavy cruiser class designs, and the third oversaw the deployment of Galaxy class and other long-range transwarp combat ships. [2]

Fleet Captain (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Flag officers had generally served in a variety of vital areas, including Exploration, Military Operations, and Fleet Command. Flag officers of Commodore rank commanded Tactical Operations Groups of three to six vessels. A Commodore could also serve as a starbase commander or fleet inspector, reporting to a Rear Admiral. [2]

Commodore (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Commodore (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Branch Admiral

To give greater authority to the most qualified officers in specialized branches of operation, in the late 22nd century Star Fleet revamped its ranking system, extending Admiral's rank and privileges to such positions as Star Fleet Surgeon General. The change gave these offices greater control over implementation of their policies throughout the fleet. Admiral designations were established for Medical, Security, and Engineering branches. In addition, the Star Fleet Inspector General's office promoted some individuals to Branch Admiral to facilitate the inspection of vessels and ground installations throughout the Federation . The insignia for Branch Admiral was a color-coded triangle with the apex facing inward, set on a white shoulder board surrounded by silver oak leaves. Triangle colors reflected branch designations; silver for the Inspector General's office, green for Medical Corps, gold for Security, and red for Engineering. [2]

Branch Admiral (Inspector General) (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Branch Admiral (Medical Corps) (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Branch Admiral (Security) (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Branch Admiral (Engineering) (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

Rear Admiral

The rank of Rear Admiral was similar to that of other senior admirals, but Rear Admirals differed from their superiors in that their positions usually carried a specific geographical area of responsibility, such as a quadrant or sector within Federation space. Rear Admirals also commanded Task Force Groups of eight to twelve vessels, as well as important ground installations or vessels that fell within their specific area of jurisdiction. Rear Admirals could also command Star Fleet ship construction and production facilities or science and weapons labs, primary base security, security for Federation officials, procurement, and scientific analysis (particularly in sensitive areas such as intelligence gathering or clandestine operations). [2]

Rear Admiral (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

The rank of Admiral was the highest in Star Fleet . Admirals were responsible for the deployment of Star Fleet vessels in active operations, particularly fleet operations along the border zones between the Federation and foreign governments. Admirals were also responsible for exploration and training craft, as well as Federation colonization efforts. Staff positions encompassed a variety of roles, ranging from diplomatic and scientific to traditional planning and organizational tasks within Star Fleet. Separate Admiralty Commands included directorship of Star Fleet training operations, diplomatic liaisons with Federation member worlds, and negotiations with newly-discovered worlds. They also included a host of military positions: contingency strategy, weapons research and development, and scientific systems deployment aboard Star Fleet vessels. [2]

Admiral (c.2200) ( FASA2001A )

Admiral (c.2300) ( FASA2012 )

• ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 " Star Trek: The Next Generation Officer's Manual " describes the rank insignia for for Petty Officer, Petty Officer First Class, and Chief Petty Officer being one through three hollow gold circles, respectively. This has been modified to better correspond with the ranks of Petty Officer, Chief Petty Officer, Senior Chief Petty Officer, and Master Chief Petty Officer. Although outside the scope of this entry, this also explains Chief Petty Officer Miles O'Brien wearing a single hollow rank pip in later seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation . Further, the rank of Specialist has been eliminated, which also lines the 24th century enlisted rank structure more closely to that of the 23rd century Star Fleet.
• ↑ " Star Trek: The Next Generation Officer's Manual " listed Warrant Officer ranks as Warrant Officer, Warrant Officer First Class, and Master Warrant Officer. Warrant Officer First Class has been renamed to Chief Warrant Officer for continuity purposes.
• ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 McLimore, Guy W. Jr. et al (Authors). Basic Rulebook . Star Trek: The Role Playing Game . Book 2001A. Box Art and Original artwork by Mitch O'Connell . Ship Deck Plans by Dana Andrews , Ross Babcock , Mitch O'Connell , and Jordan Weisman . FASA Corporation . 1983 .
• ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 Stuart, Rick (Author). Star Trek: The Next Generation Officer's Manual . Star Trek: The Role Playing Game . Book 2012 . Cover design by Jim Nelson . Illustrations by Rob Caswell , David R. Deitrick , A.C. Farley , Dana Knutson , Jim Nelson , Jeff Laubenstein , and Todd F. Marsh . Deck plans by Steve Venters . Cutaway illustrations by David R. Deitrick . Ship illustrations by Dana Knutson . FASA Corporation . 1988 .
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Starfleet ranks (officers)

• Edit source
• View history

The Starfleet rank system has a long history dating back to early space explorers of the Earth Starfleet and its predecessor naval and military forces.

• 1 Flag officers
• 2.1 Senior officers
• 2.2 Junior officers
• 2.3 Provisional officers
• 4 References
• 5 External links

Flag officers [ ]

Officers [ ], senior officers [ ], junior officers [ ], provisional officers [ ], see also [ ], references [ ].

• ↑ 1.0 1.1 Also seen in parallel 2370s and alternate 2390s . Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "2336 Admirals" defined multiple times with different content
• ↑ 2.0 2.1 Also seen in 2383 .
• ↑ 3.0 3.1 Also seen in mirror 2380s .
• ↑ The rank of commodore was mostly phased out in the 2350s in favor of the rank of rear admiral lower half.
• ↑ 5.0 5.1 In the early 2250s , all officers , regardless of rank , wore one stripe. However, the rank scheme was later changed in the late 2250s and Captains wore two stripes, while all other officers still wore one.
• ↑ All ranks except for FCAPT also seen in parallel 2370s .
• ↑ Also seen in parallel 2370s .

External links [ ]

• Starfleet ranks (officers) article at Memory Alpha , the canon Star Trek wiki.
• Federation Starfleet ranks article at Memory Beta , the non-canon Star Trek wiki.
• Starfleet ranks and insignia article at Wikipedia , the free encyclopedia.
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• 2 Dominion War
• 3 USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-G) (Excalibur class)

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Published Aug 23, 2023

The Starfleet Insignia Explained

No Star Trek symbol captures the eye or imagination quite like the delta.

StarTrek.com

"The Starfleet Symbol." "The Arrowhead." "The Delta."

Star Trek uses symbols to convey a lot of things, but none captures the eye or imagination quite like the delta. In the years since The Original Series first aired, fans have tried to determine the meaning behind the various insignia shapes we see in the show. To most, it seems that the iconic delta shape is some sort of ship assignment patch meant to represent the U.S.S. Enterprise .

Some arrive at this conclusion because they see various Starfleet personnel wearing a number of different insignia. However, like any puzzle without a key, it’s impossible to precisely interpret the meaning of these other insignia.

The hidden key to the puzzle was finally uncovered a few years ago. The discovery was a memorandum written by producer Robert H. (Bob) Justman to  costume designer William Ware (Bill) Theiss . The subject? STARSHIP EMBLEMS.

A copy of that memorandum has been digitized from the Gene Roddenberry  Star Trek  Television Series Collection (held in the Library Special Collections division of the Young Research Library at UCLA in Irvine, California) and is shown below:

This memo, written during the production of the episode "The Omega Glory," and referencing Captain Ron Tracey, nullifies the long-held assumption that Starfleet assigned different insignia shapes to starships during TOS. Theiss’ inclusion of an alternate insignia for the  Exeter 's captain and chief medical officer, unfortunately, downplays how genuinely ubiquitous the delta insignia is within the  Star Trek  universe. As a result, fans of the series are left with conflicting visual information regarding the meaning of the insignia worn throughout the original series.

Nearly 50 years after Bob Justman wrote his memo, we now have the opportunity to clarify the use of each and every Starfleet uniform insignia used in   TOS. With a wee bit of Scotty's ingenuity, and a pinch of Vulcan logic, the complete picture of what Gene Roddenberry envisioned for the delta insignia should snap into focus.

There are six Starfleet duty insignia used in The Original Series:

• Starship Duty Insignia (Fleet personnel emblem)
• Spacecraft Duty Insignia (Auxiliary Fleet/ Merchant Marine personnel emblem)
• Outpost Duty Insignia (Outpost and Colony personnel emblem)
• Cadet Duty Insignia (Starfleet Academy student emblem)
• Starbase Duty Insignia (Headquarters,  Space stations, Drydocks, and Ground installation personnel emblem)
• Fleet Command Insignia (Senior field commander personnel emblem)

In the  Star Trek  universe, the delta emblem is a direct descendant of the vector component of the old NASA (and later UESPA) logos in use during Earth’s space programs of the 20th and 21st Centuries. Those symbols were worn by some of the first space explorers and adorned uniforms and ships during humanity’s first steps into the final frontier.

United Earth Space Probe Agency integrated with Starfleet as the leading United Earth space exploration service.

The delta insignia was first drawn in 1964 by costume designer William Ware Theiss with input from series creator Gene Roddenberry. The delta — or “Arrowhead” as Bill Theiss called it — has evolved into a revered symbol and one that's synonymous with  Star Trek  today.

The delta also conveys information about the wearer’s duties aboard ship using a series of division symbols. When paired with a distinctive, elongated “star,” the insignia represents someone assigned to the Command division aboard ship. When it displays the “planet” symbol, it represents the Sciences division, a stylized “e” stands for Engineering (later Operations), and a red “Swiss Cross” is worn by starship personnel assigned to the Nursing Corps.

Captain James T. Kirk wearing the Starship Duty Insignia, Command Division.

Let’s continue our study of  Star Trek ’s insignia with personnel assigned to other starships that are wearing the delta insignia.

Before we knew about this memo, we assumed that each ship had its own unique insignia, but there are problems that theory doesn't account for. For instance, does it bother you, or at least seem odd to see the surly guys in Starbase 11’s Officer's Club (in the episode "Court Martial") giving “their captain” a hard time over the presumed death of their mutual friend Ben Finney? Or, to see deceased crew members aboard the  U.S.S. Defiant  (in the episode "The Tholian Web") wearing the delta insignia?

If different starships had different symbols, why weren't they wearing them? Simple. The memo makes it clear that those Starfleet officers are not assigned to the  Enterprise ; they are simply wearing Starfleet’s standard-issue Starship Duty Insignia.

Non-Enterprise Starfleet personnel in Starbase 11’s Officer’s Club in Court Martial, and Below: Deceased U.S.S. Defiant crew member wearing the Starship Duty Insignia in "The Tholian Web."

By now, you might be saying, “What about U.S.S. Exeter ’s Captain Ron Tracey and his chief surgeon, Dr. Carter?” As these two insignia patches are the error being addressed in the memo, they need no further explanation. They alone are the anomaly (an anomaly Theiss never repeated), which led to the misconception that every ship has its own assignment insignia.

Above: Captain Ron Tracey of the U.S.S. Exeter, and Below: his CMO, Dr. Carter.

As you can see here, Theiss thoughtfully, if erroneously, provided both officers with unique assignment insignia patches, and in keeping with his fastidious reputation, insured both patches included their appropriate division symbols.

Early in TOS, we get our first look at non-delta insignia. In the episode "Charlie X,"  Antares ’ Captain Rampart and his first officer are wearing the Spacecraft Duty Insignia, which indicates that they are assigned to an auxiliary spacecraft serving in Starfleet's Merchant Marine Corps — just as Justman points out in his memo. 

Antares' Captain Rampart, and his XO wearing the Merchant Marine Spacecraft Duty Insignia.

Not long after that, we get a look at another new insignia. The Outpost Duty Insignia is worn by Starfleet personnel assigned to outposts on the very edge of Federation space, the frontier. This emblem is characterized by a gold spikelet against a black background. Warning: Do not put yourself in a situation where this insignia goes on your uniform. Personnel wearing this badge never seem to live happily ever after.

Outpost Crew from "Balance of Terror" & "Arena" pictured wearing the Outpost Duty Insignia.

A few episodes later, the Enterprise takes shore leave and Kirk reminisces about his days at the Academy. Worn by students attending Starfleet Academy, the Cadet Duty Insignia is characterized by a pewter colored, smaller version of the Starbase Duty Insignia.

Second Class Midshipman Finnegan wearing the Cadet Duty Insignia.

First seen in "The Menagerie," the Starbase Duty Insignia is worn by personnel assigned to Federation Starbases, which include Starfleet Headquarters, space stations, drydocks, and other ground installations. The emblem, which is devoid of any departmental symbol, is a stylized representation of an “Evening Starflower” (a flowering plant native to the western hemisphere of Earth).

Above: Admiral James Komack of Starfleet Command - Sector 9, and Below: Admiral Fitzpatrick.

Miss Piper, assistant to Commodore Mendez, and Lt. Areel Shaw Starbase 11 JAG Officer wearing the Starbase Duty Insignia.

So how does Commodore Wesley in "The Ultimate Computer," or Commodore Decker in "The Doomsday Machine," fit into the spectrum of Starfleet insignia?

Well, let’s talk about commodores for a moment. A commodore is a flag officer rank, one position above captain. A starship captain usually commands a single vessel, but a commodore ordinarily commands more than one ship. Usually, commodores command a group of ships (either close to their flagship or distant), or in the case of TOS, they normally command a starbase.

In charge of evaluating the operational performance of the M5 computer while it's in total control of a starship, Commodore Wesley sits in temporary command of the  U.S.S. Lexington  to lead a battle fleet in war games against the  Enterprise . Throughout the episode, Commodore Wesley continues to wear his Starbase Duty Insignia, while the  Lexington  crew would have been wearing the delta.

Commodore Bob Wesley in the transporter room briefing Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock about the M5 computer.

Finally, we come to one of my favorite characters ever — Commodore Matt Decker in "The Doomsday Machine." We saved him for last because we could only properly discuss his insignia and what it means after we talked about Starfleet’s other symbols first.

William Windom as Commodore Matt Decker

Unlike Commodore Bob Wesley, who was only in temporary command of the  Lexington , Matt Decker is a Flag Officer with permanent field command of a starship. In fact, he's the only Flag Officer we see in  Star Trek  with a field command. As a consequence of Commodore Decker's rank and status as Commander of the  U.S.S. Constellation  (his flagship), he wears the Fleet Command Insignia denoting his status as a Flag Officer in the field. If we had seen Commodore Decker's crew (may they rest in peace), we would have seen the delta shape insignia in use on their uniforms. Commodore Decker's own first officer would have held the rank of Captain and worn the Starship Duty Insignia.

It should be noted that "The Doomsday Machine," which was filmed early in Season 2, is not referenced in Bob Justman’s memo. Some speculate that Decker’s absence from the memo is further indication of the inconsistent use of emblems in  Star Trek , but that presupposes that the production staff missed that detail. However, the very existence of the Justman memo, and a whole forest of others just like it, demonstrates that the opposite is true.

The production team of  Star Trek  worked diligently to ensure that every aspect of the future they were busy creating held up under scrutiny. Gene Roddenberry was notoriously rewriting scripts himself to ensure no less than exactly what he wanted ended up on-screen, and that fastidious nature permeated the entire production staff. That Decker’s unique emblem is not mentioned in the production memo indicates that his particular insignia isn't an error at all; but represents something else.

Check out Commodore Decker's insignia. Remember that when Theiss created the insignia for Captain Ron Tracey, he went out of his way to ensure it was emblazoned with a Command Star department symbol. Commodore Decker has no such departmental symbol in his insignia patch, which places it in the same design lineage as the Starbase Duty Insignia, which is also devoid of any departmental symbol.

At this point in  Star Trek , we’ve seen a number of flag officers; but they have all worn the Starflower shape, which indicates assignment to a starbase, while Matt Decker alone in TOS series serves as a flag officer in permanent command of a starship. He is wearing an insignia that conveys his unique status, the Fleet Command Insignia, and if you look closely, you'll see that Matt Decker’s emblem is visually related to the Starbase Duty Insignia. Decker’s insignia is a stylized representation of an individual petal from the same “Evening Starflower” emblem that comprises the starbase symbol. This insignia isn't mentioned in the production memo because it's not an error at all.

Hopefully, by now, you can see how consistent the  Star Trek  costume department really was in their use of insignia, and that Bill Thiess never repeated the error he made during "The Omega Glory" after it was pointed out by the memo.

Returning to the delta, Roddenberry and Justman intended it to be a very special symbol that communicates something important. The insignia worn on Starfleet uniforms is the equivalent of the badges worn by U.S. Service members — to show how they serve, not where they serve. Both men served with distinction in World War II. Roddenberry was an Army Air Corps pilot and Justman was a radio operator in the Navy. In the air and at sea, they understood the value of visual communication. In uniform, they themselves carried those values on their chests, on their collars, and on their sleeves. Twenty years after they wore their own various insignia, they helped to create something new — a symbol to inspire others. In the 1960s, the Starfleet delta had far more in common with the golden pin awarded to a NASA astronaut than a simple mission patch, and it was intended to equal that proud emblem in both use and sentiment.

The NASA Astronaut Pin. There are two versions of this pin, a silver pin awarded to those who complete their training, and a gold pin awarded only to astronauts who have flown in space.

The delta proclaims that the person wearing it has achieved the goal of every cadet entering the Academy, and the dream of many a devoted fan — to serve aboard a starship and set sail in an endless sea of stars.

Starfleet Insignia Badge, Command Division from Star Trek Discovery

They used to say if man could fly, he'd have wings. But he did fly. He discovered he had to.

Captain James T. Kirk

I am grateful to have an experienced and learned group of expert Star Trek fans who helped with the research on this article — Steve Fronczek, Creative Services Manager, ANOVOS; Lieutenant Commander Michael J. Quigley, United States Navy; and Dayton Ward, Star Trek author.

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This article was originally published on October 7, 2018

John Cooley is a lifelong Star Trek fan.

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How To Tell A Star Trek Character's Rank At A Glance: Rank Pips Explained

This post contains  spoilers for the premiere of "Star Trek: Lower Decks" season 4.

At the beginning of the fourth season of "Star Trek: Lower Decks," the four main characters Boimler (Jack Quaid), Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Tendi (Noël Wells), and Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) are each promoted from the lowly rank of ensign to the only slightly-less-lowly rank of lieutenant junior grade. They still don't have much clout on the U.S.S. Cerritos, but at least now they no longer have to sleep in a hallway. One can see their promotions right away as, on their collars, they wear one solid pip and one empty pip. That, any Trekkie will instantly tell you, is the configuration for a lieutenant junior grade.

It should be noted that "Star Trek" has, since its inception, used extant naval ranks to designate Starfleet officers. Just like in the real United States Navy, officers start at the rank of ensign, then work their way up through lieutenant junior grade, then lieutenant, then lieutenant commander, then commander, then captain, before moving into the various ranks of admiral. "Star Trek" often makes reference to admirals and sometimes vice-admirals. There is also an occasional fleet admiral, the highest rank in both the Navy and in Starfleet. "Star Trek," to my recollection, has never referred to a real admiral, either lower half or upper half. Perhaps by the 22nd century, those ranks will be abandoned. 

To command a starship, one typically has to bear the rank of captain, as we know from Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Janeway, Archer, Freeman, Pike, etc. Although it is not a requirement, a starship's first officer traditionally holds the rank of commander (Riker, Chakotay, Ransom, etc.). 

We're going to do a deep dive into Starfleet ranking, so strap in for some extremely nerdy deep cuts. 

The pips ranking system on "Star Trek" wasn't adopted until the days of "Next Generation," but they are the clearest, so it's a good place to start when educating one's self on Starfleet's chain of command. 

Petty officers wear one empty pip on a starship. These are the enlisted members who didn't attend Starfleet Academy. Engineers, security personnel, yeomen, and the like are petty officers and take orders from the lowest-ranking Academy graduate officers on the ship. If one looks into expanded universe lore, one can find a hierarchy of Starfleet petty officers. There are master petty officers at the top, chief petty officers directly underneath, and several ranks below them. Those ranks, however, are rarely discussed on "Star Trek."

As mentioned above, ensigns wear one full pip, as seen on Wesley Crusher's collar above. Lieutenants junior grade wear one full pip and one empty pip. Lieutenants wear two full pips, and lieutenant commanders wear two full pips and one empty pip. 

Commanders wear three pips, because it is a difficult rank to achieve. 

Captains wear four pips, and are typically given the promotion when they are put in command of a starship. It's understood that only one captain lives on a starship at any given time. 

Admirals have their own ranking system, with solid pips surrounded by boxes.

Commodores (an honorary title) have one boxed pip, rear admirals have two, vice admirals have three, regular admirals have four, and fleet admirals have five. "Star Trek" only deals with admirals from time to time, however, and characters who achieve that rank are often presented as villainous or unduly ambitious; Trekkies have been trained to be suspicious of admirals . 

Other rank insignias

The premise of "Star Trek: Voyager" took a single Federation starship and slung it clear across the galaxy with a group of rebel Maquis members on board. Rather than keep the Maquis in the brig for the 70 years it would take the U.S.S. Voyager to return to Earth, Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) assigned them ranks and made them part of the crew. Because these characters had not been to Starfleet Academy, however, they were given only provisional field ranks, a status reflected in their rank pips. 

One can see the rank of Chakotay (Robert Beltran) in the photo above. He wears an elongated, rounded-edged bar with diagonal stripes. The coloration on the stripes corresponds to the open and closed pips of more traditional ranks. One can be a provisional ensign all the way up to a provisional captain. It's understood that these ranks are temporary. On the latest season of "Star Trek: Lower Decks," the character of T'Lyn (Gabrielle Ruiz) bears a provisional rank as she is an exchange officer from a Vulcan ship. 

In some alternate future timelines (and this is "Star Trek," so there are plenty of those), the franchise's costume designers moved the rank pips from uniform collars to the communicator badges on their chests. Rather than little circular pips, their badges bore one to four elongated stripes behind the familiar Starfleet delta symbol. 

Trekkies caught onto the pip ranking system pretty quickly, and many of us learned all about naval ranks through "Star Trek." The original series, however, was a little more oblique about visual ranking systems. It used to be a code stitched onto officer's sleeves. 

The history of rank insignias

In the picture above, one can see the way ranks used to work on the original "Star Trek." Captain Kirk (William Shatner) had no rank on his collar, but wavy golden stripes around his wrist. Looking around at the crew, one found the following system: ensigns had no stripes on their wrists, while lieutenants junior grade had single "dashed" stripes. Lieutenants had a single solid stripe, and lieutenant commanders had a solid stripe and a dashed stripe (as seen on Scotty above). 

Commanders (see Spock) had two solid stripes and captains (see Kirk) had two solid stripes with a dashed stripe in between them. The stripes were gold, giving the uniforms a pleasingly garish touch. 

The "Star Trek" movies made the ranking code even more oblique. Rather than deal with a series of easily readable pips or stripes, the uniforms seen in "Star Trek II" through " Star Trek VI " bore a formal over-the-shoulder strap that rested on the wearer's right shoulder. Whatever pin you saw affixed to that strap corresponded to the officer's rank. Sadly, there was no intuitive way to discern what that rank might be. Ensigns, for instance, wore a small v-shaped pin. Lieutenants junior grade wore two funnel-shaped pins. Lieutenants wore an hourglass-shaped pin, and lieutenant commanders wore an elongated pennant-like shape with a single stripe through it. Commanders wore the same shape but with two stripes. The captain got to be fancy and wore a pin with three stripes, but also a pair of pointy arrowhead-like symbols affixed to it. 

Only deep-cut Trekkies can suss out the differences. 

That ranking system is an aberration, though. In the early days of "Star Trek: Enterprise" and the latter days of "Star Trek: Picard," the pip system is solidly in place. 

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‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’: Ranking the Crew, From Picard to Pulaski

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Thirty years ago, “Star Trek” proved it wasn’t just a story about Kirk and Spock; it was a story universe rich with possibilities, including a whole new cast of characters.

Ranking the men and women of “ Star Trek: The Next Generation ” is a far more brutal task than initially anticipated because, as the series kept telling us the whole time, this wasn’t a crew. This was a family. That said, let’s be honest. Family might inspire love on an equal playing field, but when it comes to actually spending time with people, favorites do emerge.

This is strictly limited to those who served as actual crew members (sorry, Q and Lwaxana Troi) because one of the best things about “Trek’s” approach to a military structure is how it still allows the show to celebrate individual personalities. Because as much fun as space travel is, a “Trek” series lives or dies by its characters.

17. Dr. Katherine Pulaski

For the record, this is not actor Diana Muldaur’s fault. When Gates McFadden left “Next Generation” at the end of Season 1 (for  a variety of complicated reasons ), the ship needed a new doctor. But while the idea of bringing in a new female character over the age of 40 (Pulaski dated Riker’s dad once!) was conceptually a fresh approach for the genre — hell, for television in general — Dr. Pulaski never gelled with the rest of the crew, and McFadden’s return in Season 3 was a welcome relief.

16. Lieutenant Reginald Barclay

On a ship full of humanity’s best, Barclay was decidedly flawed. In fact, he was set up as essentially a parody of nerd culture (which is pretty rude, considering that “Next Generation” featured a passionate, perhaps even “nerdy” fanbase). More importantly, he caused way more problems than he solved and was never much of a sympathetic character despite his lighter moments.

15. Tasha Yar

A character inspired by Vasquez (Jeanette Goldberg) from James Cameron’s “Aliens,” Yar was the ship’s muscle for much of the first season… until Denise Crosby decided to leave the show. She was essentially replaced by Worf in this regard, which could be seen as an improvement, except that there could always be more badass women in science fiction, especially on “Trek.”

14. Keiko O’Brien

A botanist we first meet as she’s about to marry Miles O’Brien (an in media res sort of move that we have a lot of respect for), Keiko was an interesting example of how the show was able to build a world beyond each week’s missions.

13. Miles O’Brien

Colm Meaney made semi-regular appearances for six seasons of “Next Generation” before becoming a regular on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.” While on that show, the character’s full potential was truly revealed. But while on “TNG” O’Brien had some charming moments, there’s a reason why  one of the best webcomics ever made  is based on the ennui that he must have experienced, humbly operating that transporter pad.

12. Ensign Ro Laren

This tough-as-nails Bajoran officer was our initial introduction to the Bajor-Cardassian conflict, which would be a fundamental foundation of “DS9.” Unfortunately, because Michelle Forbes was infamously skittish about signing up for ongoing series during the ’90s, Ro never got the character development enjoyed by other folk. That said, the episode “Rascals,” where she learned how to have fun as a child was… um. Fun.

11. Ensign Alyssa Ogawa

A very minor character, in theory, but the show’s erstwhile nurse made 16 appearances during the show’s run and had her own arc, with a romantic life that eventually led to her becoming a mother. Nurse Ogawa was always a pleasant presence and much appreciated.

10. Wesley Crusher

Wesley was, um,  a polarizing figure for sci-fi fans at the time , given the fact that as a teen genius who was perhaps rightly labeled as a Marty Sue, he could be a bit grating. But Wesley was also a nice, decent kid, and “TNG” showcased him best by letting that side peek out. The episode where he makes out with Ashley Judd will always be a classic.

9. Deanna Troi

Playing an “empath” is an odd requirement for an actor, and Troi had to deal with a lot of odd storylines. But she occasionally got some meat to chew into, especially given the fact that her rank as a Starfleet officer meant that she was technically more integrated into the military aspects of the series than expected. And she wore some fun jumpsuits! Troi was great.

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'Make it so': Star Trek: The Next Generation's 25 best episodes, ranked

These are the best adventures of Captain Picard's  TNG  crew.

No one expected Star Trek to last longer than the original series’ first three seasons, let alone 55 years. 

Even by 1960s standards, the classic show suffered from low-budget sets and, at times, cheesy effects. But what it lacked in spectacle it made up for with ideas; a thematically-rich exploration of heady sci-fi concepts bolstered by occasional space-based action and some of the finest TV characters ever assembled. Trek ’s legacy would endure and spawn 13 feature films and several series, most notably Star Trek: The Next Generation , which is as popular now (or more) than it has ever been, thanks to streaming. In 2021,  TNG  celebrate some significant milestones: The 30th anniversary of the Season 5 episode "Disaster,"  Trek 's take on disaster movies like  The Poseidon Adventure , the 30th of "Unification, Parts I and II, which marked Mr. Spock's return to television prior to the theatrical release of 1991's  Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , and  Star Trek: First Contact  recently turned 25. 

With everyone coming up  Star Trek: The Next Generation  lately, as well as the franchise itself celebrating its 55th anniversary this year, SYFY WIRE scrolled through our databanks to rank and file the 25 greatest episodes of  TNG . 

25. “Q Who?” (Season 2)

The Borg have never been more scary than they are in “Q Who?”, their first appearance in Star Trek .

When Q is denied a spot amongst Picard’s crew, he punishes the captain’s perceived short-sightedness by snapping his fingers and sending the Enterprise to the unexplored reaches of the Delta Quadrant. There, Picard encounters — and barely escapes — the Borg and their relentless pursuit of perfection by means of assimilation. The moment their cube vessel cuts out a section of the D’s saucer as easily as one would carve a roast, the Borg instantly shot past the Klingons as Star Trek ’s most lethal adversary. Our introduction to the Borg is both bleak and dark, which gives the episode a slow burn, almost haunted house movie-type feel thanks to future X-Files director Rob Bowman’s dread-filled visual style. For the first time on Star Trek , you don’t know how or if the crew will get out of this one. The tension therein makes for one hell of an episode. 

24. “The Next Phase” (Season 5)

“The Next Phase” is further proof that, when it comes to delivering high-concept entertainment, no Trek show did it better than The Next Generation .  

With a plotline rich enough to sustain an entire feature, “Next Phase” pairs the conflict-heavy Ensign Ro (Michelle Forbes) with LeVar Burton’s Geordi LaForge on a mission to free themselves from being phased out of reality before Romulans destroy the Enterprise. Forbes and Burton’s committed performances help ground the out-there premise as the sci-fi complications build to a race-against-time conclusion that is so satisfying, you might catch yourself applauding in approval. 

23. “Ensign Ro” (Season 5)

Season Five’s “Ensign Ro” had the unenviable task of introducing the episode’s titular recurring character as means to tee up the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine spinoff. While more plot heavy than usual TNG episodes, Michael Piller’s teleplay delicately balances out the exposition with essential character development scenes between the infamous Ro Laren and her new captain, Picard.

When we first meet the Bajoran Ro, everything about her says “stay away.” Her rebellious Starfleet record precedes her when she first boards Enterprise, which leads to instant friction between her and Riker as Picard recruits Ro for a mission that concerns her people and their enemy, a Nazi-like occupational force known as the Cardassians. Ro quickly became a fan-favorite, thanks to Forbes’ sympathetic and charming performance in what would become a load-bearing episode for the franchise’s expansion in the ‘90s. 

22. “Brothers” (Season 4)

This Season 4 entry fleshes out Data’s backstory with a one-man show for Brent Spiner as he plays three different characters: Data, his very old creator, Dr. Noonien Soong, and Data’s very evil brother, Lore. 

After Data inexplicably orchestrates a fake disaster aboard the Enterprise and takes control of the ship’s computer, he confronts both the father he thought was long lost and the brother he can’t seem to lose. Soong wants to give Data an emotion chip, to finish what he started before he dies, just as Data’s family reunion jeopardizes the health of a young boy under Dr. Crusher’s care. If Data doesn’t relinquish control of the Enterprise, this kid will die and his brother will suffer from a lifelong case of survivor’s guilt. Looking past the fact that “Brothers” confusingly avoids dealing with any serious questions surrounding Data’s selfish and potentially deadly actions, the episode serves as an extended Emmy reel for Spiner. He effortlessly dons old age makeup and switches between three generations of Data’s family line in what is a definitive moment in the android’s arc. 

21. “Deja Q” (Season 3)

The second best of Q’s visits to the Enterprise, “Deja Q” is a brilliant elevator pitch — what if Q lost his powers — executed to its richest and most dramatically satisfying potential. Stripping Q of his omnipotence gives the mischievous a newfound sense of vulnerability and humility, one he only previously experienced when observing the subjects of his torments. While Q’s appreciation for what it means to be human is brief, it gives John de Lancie interesting opportunities to invest his iconic baddie with more nuance as Q goes from selfless to selfish in this entertaining (and very meme-friendly) outting. 

20. “Reunion” (Season 4)

Worf-centric episodes of TNG like “Reunion” or “Sins of the Father” are to Star Trek what the last two Captain America movies are to Marvel: World-building game changers. “Reunion” pushes major plotlines whose consequences will eventually ripple effect throughout the next three decades of Star Trek , as Worf’s personal vendetta against his rival, the Duras family, brings more intrigue to the Enterprise and tragedy to our favorite Klingon. 

It also pushes Worf into a relationship with his estranged son, Alexander, as the two must learn to live together when a conspiracy that threatens to tear the Klingon Empire apart results in the death of Alexander’s mom and Worf’s over, K'Ehleyr (the scary-talented Suzie Plakson). The mystery plot here clicks into place like safe tumblers, but “Reunion” truly excels in the moments spent with Worf as his obligations as a Starfleet officer get in the way of his code as a Klingon warrior. Especially when, during one of Trek ’s darkest moments, Worf exercises his right to avenge his one true love by straight-up murdering her dishonorable killer. 

19. “The Drumhead” (Season 5)

As bottle episodes go, they don’t get much better or more powerful than “The Drumhead.” 

It’s The Crucible on the Enterprise as Picard spars with one of the Federation’s legendary legal minds and investigators when she suspects there is a Romulan conspiracy taking root on the flagship. The circumstances surrounding her suspicions achieve Red Scare-levels of paranoia as TNG puts McCarthyism through a revealing and unyielding sci-fi lens to tell a very timely story of how far people will go to find the truth — even if it means fabricating a version of it. 

18. “Lower Decks” (Season 7)

Before the comedic adventures of the animated Star Trek: Lower Decks , Star Trek ’s first attempt to explore the lives of the rank-and-file officers aboard a starship occurred in “Lower Decks,” one of the few standout episodes from the underwhelming Season 7. 

“Lower Decks” devotes most of its screentime to a small group of pals who aspire to be on the Enterprise bridge or among the senior staff’s away missions. They soon end up in “be-careful-what-you-wish-for” territory when Picard plucks one of the young officers, the Bajoran Ensign Sito (Shannon Fill), to help him execute a dangerous mission involving the Cardassians. “Lower Decks” acts as a pseudo-sequel of sorts to “The First Duty,” where Picard first encountered Sito during a court martial that tarnished the then-cadet’s career before it started. Her chance at redemption via Picard’s mentorship gives the episode its beating heart, which ultimately breaks ours in the final moments when this earnest officer we’ve been rooting for becomes another casualty under Picard’s command. With this final dramatic twist, “Lower Decks” goes from a welcomed departure from TNG ’s usual story template to one of the show’s most effective episodes. 

17. “The First Duty” (Season 5)

Wesley Crusher continues to give Picard more headaches than anyone is worth, but at least this time it results in a standout episode of Trek . 

Ron Moore’s attempt to do A Few Good Men , Star Tre k -style, centers on Crusher and his fellow cadets. On the eve of their graduation from Starfleet Academy, they find themselves in the middle of a tribunal that intends to get to the truth behind why their friend and fellow cadet, Josh, died during a flight exercise. The lies Wesley and his friends tell to escape justice only puts them under more scrutiny when Picard goes digging around the shady circumstances surrounding Josh’s death. That search yields a show-stopping scene between Picard and Wesley, with one hell of a monologue that still gives us chills. “The First Duty” adds some much needed depth and ethical greys to Wesley’s squeaky-clean image, while also affording TNG the rare chance to challenge its “perfect” utopia by proving that even the best of us can succumb to our lesser angels. 

16. “The Defector” (Season 3)

“The Defector” is another exceptional episode from (shocker) writer Ron Moore, which puts a Romulan defector front and center with tragic consequences.

This defector, who Picard struggles to believe is just some low-level officer, risks never seeing his family again in an effort to save his people and Earth’s from what appears to be another costly war brewing between the two adversaries. In the course of vetting the defector’s statements, Picard finds more questions than answers. That investigation comes with one hell of a gut punch: Eventually, the Romulan officer realizes his people betrayed him . They used him as bait, leaking somewhat false information as a way to test his loyalty to the Empire and gleam intelligence off Starfleet’s response to their partial ruse. “The Defector” is a powerful tale of one man’s journey from brave hero to duped traitor, with a mystery plot that keeps audiences at the edge of their seats as the final scenes send them reaching for some tissues. 

15. “Disaster” (Season 5)

Designed as an homage to classic disaster movies like The Poseidon Adventure , Ron Moore’s underrated “Disaster” gives the Enterprise the Irwin Allen treatment when the starship is crippled after a collision with two quantum filaments (think space potholes). With the ship powerless and adrift, “Disaster” splits up the crew and mines their individual crises for maximum tension by putting these characters outside their comfort zone or into conflict-rich pairings. For example, an injured Picard is forced to help and work with people he normally can’t stand, children, while Counsellor Troi finds herself both in command and way over her head as her inexperience clashes with that of the better-trained Ensign Ro. “Disaster” is the rare Trek outing with no moral or lesson to learn, just good ol’ fashioned, keep-the-plates spinning tension that is just as rewatchable as the epic movies that inspired it.

14. “Relics” (Season 6)

The Next Generation thankfully loosened up on its “no classic Star Trek actors” guest star policy for Season 6’s “Relics,” a thrilling episode written by Ron Moore that brings James Doohan’s Scotty into the 24th Century. 

Prior to Scotty, only McCoy and Spock mingled with Picard’s crew, but Scotty’s episode arguably makes the best use out of revisiting these iconic characters. Here, Scotty struggles with being a man out of time and a fish out of water when he is thrust into a conflict of engineering styles with Geordi as the two must work together to free the Enterprise-D from the massive confines of a Dyson sphere. The episode spends considerable time contrasting the two engineer’s styles, giving Doohan more meaty acting moments in this one hour than any episode or movie did before. Scotty, accustomed to saving the day and with plenty of old war stories to prove it, quickly realizes he’s less of an asset on this Enterprise and more of a has-been. He begins to find his place and relevance once again by sharing a drink with Picard on the bridge of The Original Series ’ Enterprise (albeit a holodeck recreation of it).

“Relics” wisely invests Scotty with a rich exploration of what would really happen if one of the 23rd Century’s most famous heroes finds himself questioning his usefulness in the 24th Century. Moore’s script uses one Trek icon to push and challenge his TNG equivalent, giving fans one of the show’s most exciting adventures.

13. “Chain of Command, Parts I & II” (Season 6)

“Chain of Command” is arguably TNG ’s darkest hour, and one of its most thrilling. This two-parter kicks off with one of the shortest teasers in Trek history: Captain Picard loses command of the Enterprise when Starfleet re-assigns him to lead a Black Ops-esque team on a mission deep into enemy territory. That enemy? The Cardassians. Picard’s job is to find out if these baddies are creating a deadly bio-weapon and but his mission goes sideways; he is soon captured and tortured as a POW by a sadistic Cardassian (David Warner) as Riker bristles against the brash command stylings of Picard’s replacement, Captain Jellico ( RoboCop ’s Ronnie Cox.) 

The second half of this intense storyline is the strongest and most memorable for fans, as it features the infamous “There are four lights!” interrogation scene. Here, a gaunt and delirious Picard combats his captor’s psychological torture as the Cardassian gaslights Picard into submission by promising him freedom if Jean-Luc will admit he sees five lights when there are only four. This battle of wills is fraught with more tension than any space battle could muster, as “Chain of Command” provides a sobering dose of political commentary by tackling the issues of war crimes and genocide in ways only Star Trek could.

12. “The Wounded” (Season 4)

The first appearance of the villainous Cardassians (complete with their funky and quickly-abandoned head gear) is Star Trek: The Next Generation ’s sci-fi take on Coppola’s Apocalypse Now . Only instead of venturing “up river” to terminate a rogue colonel, Picard and Chief O’Brien (Colm Meany) are forced to work with “the bloody Cardys” in pursuit of O’Brien’s former captain, Maxwell ( Shawshank Redemption ’s Bob Gunton). Maxwell has seemingly gone rogue, using his starship to attack what appears to be non-military Cardassian targets.

O’Brien, having fought the Cardassians during a violent war years ago, must grapple with his hate and his duty in an episode that gives the supporting character his first real dramatic showcase. When O’Brien finally has some alone time with the cornered and defeated Maxwell, “The Wounded” earns its namesake as the two sing a melancholic song after sharing war stories of comrades lost that Maxwell’s vengeful PTSD can’t ever bring back. This haunting scene tugs on the heartstrings moments before Picard discovers that the supply ships Maxwell attacked were indeed part of Cardassian efforts to re-arm themselves. It is a revelation that validates Maxwell’s career-ending crusade while also giving the episode one of Trek ’s most bittersweet finales. 

11. “The Offspring” (Season 3)

Data’s earnest endeavors to be more human reach a turning point in “The Offspring,” an emotionally-charged episode of TNG where Data creates his daughter, Lal. 

Just as the android bonds with his child, a veteran Starfleet admiral arrives on Enterprise threatening to pull them apart when he challenges their right to be a family at all. Star Trek: TNG often finds success in exploring Data’s humanity

through the lens of the very humans who would try and take it away from him. “The Offspring” offers an excellent and tearful portrayal of that conflict as the crew comes to their friend’s aid just as Lal suffers a life-threatening issue. It’s a five-boxes-of-tissues affair when Data and the admiral work offscreen to save Lal. No matter how fast Data’s hands move, they fail to prevent Data from having to learn the hardest of humanity’s lessons: Loss. 

10. “Measure of a Man” (Season 2)

Real talk: Star Trek: The Next Generation ’s first two seasons are noble misfires. Their weekly installments have more lows than highs, but one of the few outstanding hours from the series’ early days is the Data-centric “Measure of a Man.” 

When another jerkoff Starfleet scientist comes looking to dissect Data to see what makes him tick, Picard must defend his officer’s sentience in court, and settle once and for all if this android is indeed alive or merely Federation property. The stakes couldn’t be higher — Data either gets to live on the Enterprise or under a microscope — and the drama that unfolds from this classic Star Trek premise is riveting. “Measure of a Man,” Melinda M. Sondgrass’ first writing credit for the show, is full of great dialogue and speeches that spark numerous ethical debates: Who is Starfleet to say that Data is sentient or not? Is their mission to explore new life or to play God when they find it? “Measure” never shies away from debating such topics, which have always been at the heart of Star Trek . It all builds to Picard’s passionate, climactic defense in favor of his colleague and friend — a scene that ranks near the top of Patrick Stewart’s long list of great acting achievements.

9. “Darmok” (Season 5) 

Credit: © Paramount Television/courtesy Everett Collection

Picard’s diplomatic skills are put to the test in “Darmok,” when he is taken against his will and paired with an alien commander who only communicates via metaphor. This “only-on- Star-Trek ” premise offers a potential minefield of narrative obstacles that could easily derail the drama in their execution, but Joe Menosky’s exceptional script for this Season Five episode pulls it off effortlessly. 

Picard, stranded on a mysterious planet with Dathon (Paul Winfield), quickly finds that language can be both a tool and a barrier for success, but only after failing several times in his attempt to communicate with his new alien friend. The two can hear each other's words, but not comprehend their meaning, which eventually leads to one of Picard’s finest moments: A campfire story recounting the tale of Gilgamesh. (But only after Dathon tells the mythic story of Darmok and Jalad, at Tanagra). Here, the two strangers forge a strong alliance — just in time to combat a savage threat. “Darmok” deservedly takes its time to tell a story about how similar we are despite our linguistic differences, and every rewatch of this seminal TNG episode never fails to make that point resonate as deeply as it did when it first aired. 

8. “I, Borg” (Season 5)

The value of life has been a thematic staple of many Star Trek episodes, but few have tackled it with the high-stakes drama like “I, Borg” does.

When the crew of the Enterprise finds an injured Borg drone, Picard must make a choice: Nurse it back to health or use it as a Trojan Horse that can infect the Borg Collective with a fatal virus. When Picard leans closer to condemning this Borg’s life to save millions of others, “I, Borg” thrusts the captain and his crew into a passionate moral debate that results in one of the series’ most powerful moments when Picard confronts the naive drone, one that Geordi has affectionately named “Hugh”. Up until this moment, Picard was hellbent on using Hugh to destroy the alien race that once assimilated him. But the captain has a change of heart while talking to Hugh as Locutus, Picard’s former Borg self. Here, Hugh breaks from the collective by speaking firmly from the “I” instead of “we,” which sends Picard into a wrestling match with his conscience. 

Star Trek rarely colors its heroes in such dark shades, but “I, Borg” succeeds by realistically portraying how someone like Picard isn’t wrong , per say, for wanting to kill those that turned him into a killer. For wanting to punish the Borg for crimes against humanity (and the galaxy) that they have committed and will likely commit again. But can you still be a hero if you do to your enemy what they did to you, and alter and weaponize them? “I, Borg” argues that there are no easy answers to those questions, but the discussion they spark makes for a very profound hour of television. 

7. “Tapestry” (Season 6)

Star Trek goes full It’s a Wonderful Life with “Tapestry”, which is arguably the best of the standalone Q episodes.

After a near-death experience, Picard is shown the life he could have lived had he played it more “safe” in his youth. The path not taken leads Picard away from command and into a blue uniform with a career so unremarkable, even Troi struggles to find something nice to say about it. On the road to nowhere fast, Picard turns to Q for a second chance to get back the only life he knows, even if it means dying to get it. “Tapestry,” written by the inestimable Ron Moore, takes an almost Twilight Zone -y approach in telling this story, which is full of heartfelt moments and surprisingly laugh-out-loud comedy. The lesson Picard learns here, about how rewarding taking risks can be, is a universal one — which explains why "Tapestry" often finds its way near the top of fans’ “must-watch” lists. 

6. “Family” (Season 4)

Honestly, it’s a mini miracle that “Family” got made. 

Before this exceptional episode from TNG ’s fourth season, the series largely steered clear from serialized storytelling. At the time, executive producer Rick Berman and Paramount television were strongly against “sequelizing” any TNG storylines; “no serialized stories” was an unofficial “rule” of television back then. But writer Ronald D. Moore thankfully saw an opportunity to break that rule with a story that he couldn’t pass up: How would Picard deal with the emotional fallout of his time with the Borg? 

With no phaser battles or even a trip to the Enterprise bridge (the only episode in Star Trek ’s run to never have a scene set on the command deck), “Family” pulls off an engrossing hour of television that peels back the curtain on who Picard was, and who he is struggling to be, in the the aftermath of the two-parter “Best of Both Worlds”. Mostly set on Earth, the episode introduces Picard’s family vineyard into Trek canon, as Picard confronts his estranged brother and debates whether or not to leave Starfleet. The only person who can help Picard deal with his trauma is the last person he can stand being with, his brother. Only through their constant bickering does Picard find a sense of satisfying resolution, which gives Stewart one of his most heartbreaking scenes when he finally acknowledges the emotional scars the Borg left him with. 

5. “Cause & Effect” (Season 5)

After a jarring teaser that culminates with the fiery destruction of the Enterprise, “Cause & Effect” unfolds with time loop after time loop as Picard and his crew struggle to free themselves from suffering the same terrible fate. 

Written by Brannon Braga, TNG ’s go-to scribe for high-concept stories, “Cause & Effect” pulls a Groundhog Day two years before the movie was even a thing. It breaks the show’s traditional storytelling mold by repeating the same disaster and making each loop through a new puzzle that both the audience and the crew must solve. Fans were so “in it” with their favorite characters that many called their local affiliates during the original broadcast with concern that something was wrong with the satellite feed as the episode kept repeating scenes. While audiences take the “time loop concept” for granted today, “Cause & Effect” pioneered it in a way that still registers as one of its best and most entertaining executions. 

4. “The Inner Light” (Season 5)

This surprising tearjerker ranks high for fans, thanks in large part to Patrick Stewart’s compelling performance as “The Inner Light” explores the concept of being a living witness to an extinct civilization. In this classic episode, Picard finds himself living the life of a long-deceased man named Kamin, after being zapped by a probe that is seemingly all that remains of Kamin’s civilization. 

The probe allows Picard to live a lifetime in 20 minutes, and experience all the things Picard denies himself to be — namely a husband and a father. The majority of the episode takes place on an alien world as it is slowly undone by Star Trek ’s equivalent of global warming, with Kamin trying to help save his planet from pending doom the way Jor-El tried with Krypton. And like his Superman counterpart, Kamin fails — but he succeeds in providing a glimpse into a society that, while being nothing more than a blip in the galaxy’s grand scheme, still has a legacy worth being remembered. That’s the heartfelt and poignant endnote “Inner Light” imparts on viewers, which explains why this episode still resonates decades after it first aired.

3. “Yesterday’s Enterprise” (Season 3) 

When the long lost Enterprise-C travels through a (what else?) temporal anomaly that alters history, Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D find themselves in the darkest timeline and at war with the Klingons. The only way to stop this war is to send the C’s Captain Garrett back to when she came from and change history. The only catch? In order to save millions of lives, nearly everyone aboard the Enterprise-C must sacrifice theirs.  

That moral and ethical dilemma at the heart of “Yesterday’s Enterprise” makes this hour more than just a novel “What If…?” detour for the show to explore. It affords TNG a chance to give its main characters a more desperate edge as they debate the notions of fate as participants in a reality that should not exist. At the heart of this drama is Picard, who is more militant and beleaguered than ever as he debates with Whoopi Goldberg’s Guinan (and her time-sensitive intuition) about whether or not to send the other Enterprise’s crew to certain death. 

The return of Denise Crosby’s Tasha Yar gives her character the proper (and heroic) sendoff she deserves, which gets complicated as Tasha falls in love with a member of the C’s crew around the same time she discovers she died in the original Enterprise-D timeline. The internal struggle over restoring the way things were meant to be, by sacrificing lives history already recorded as lost, is a classic Star Trek premise that “Yesterday’s Enterprise” explores to a very satisfying, and action-packed, conclusion. 

2. “The Best of Both Worlds, Parts I & II” (Season 3 & 4) 

Star Trek ’s first-ever season-finale cliffhanger is one of television’s greatest. More than three decades later, fans still get chills at the end of “Best of Both Worlds, Part I” when Riker gives the chilling order to “fire” on the Borgified version of his former Captain Picard. 

The wait for this iconic storyline’s resolution made the Summer of 1990 a very long and agonizing one for Trek fans, but it was worth it. “Best of Both Worlds, Part I” has TNG mining similar character drama as Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan did, with Commander Riker forced to confront why he keeps passing up one promotion to Captain after another — just as his Captain is taken by the Borg in a violent attempt to turn Picard into Locutus, the public face of their campaign to assimilate Earth and all of humanity. The episode is a nail-biter, thanks to a perfect script from the late writer Michael Piller. The former TNG showrunner takes a bigger-than-usual swing with the characters to tell a story somewhat outside of the series’ comfort zone. While “Part II” falls a bit short of the dramatic highs of “Part I,” it finds great success in dramatizing the crew’s struggle to get their Captain back (even if their final solution is ultimately more convenient than inspired.)

The Enterprise crew’s second encounter with the evil cybernetic beings would have consequences throughout the next 30-plus years of Star Trek , especially in 1996’s Star Trek: First Contact . The hit movie serves as a big-screen, action packed therapy session for Picard to deal with the trauma of his assimilation into the Borg collective.

1. “All Good Things…” (Season 7)

“All Good Things…” is the best Star Trek series finale ever and The Next Generation ’s crowning achievement. 

Written by Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore, “All Good Things” proved to be a better cinematic-worthy adventure than The Next Generation crew’s first movie, Star Trek: Generations . The briskly plotted, feature-length episode — and its complex storyline involving paradoxes and second chances — finds a disoriented Picard struggling to uncover why he is moving back and forth through time. He slips in and out of three key time periods: The past, just before the launch of Enterprise-D’s first mission; the present, and the future. In the future, Picard is a very retired, very old man, who runs his family’s vineyard. He also is afflicted with a debilitating neurological syndrome that makes it hard for his former shipmates to believe him when he starts pulling a Sliders across multiple timelines. Picard’s mission — which, of course, is being manipulated by the omnipotent Q — forces the captain to convince all three versions of his crew to work together in each timeline in order to stop an anomaly from unraveling existence as we know it. 

TNG gives the beloved cast and their characters a perfect final episode that brings them together as a family in ways the series left surprisingly unexplored for most of its run. As impressive as the action is in “All Good Things”, especially the scene where the futuristic Enterprise-D flies on its Z-axis while blasting newly-mounted phaser cannons, the episode’s best scenes are the quieter ones spent with these characters. The finale truly shines in its final moments, when Picard joins his crew for the first time at their regular poker game. Picard’s arrival at the poker table resonates with his crew as deeply as it does for fans, which is a testament to the finale’s commitment to giving Next Generation the emotional send off it deserves. 

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Star Trek Ranks & Podcast

From @enterprisenxtra.

Episode 181

We celebrate the actors that have helped make Trek what it has been for 58 years by celebrating the “Top 5 Recurring Actors.” We cover a lot of ground in this one. From unknown gems to recognizable names, these incredible performers give life to the words on the page and have been integral to the success of Trek.

CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF EVERY STAR TREK EPISODE

Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Voyager

Star Trek: Enterprise

Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Picard

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: Short Treks

Star Trek: Lower Decks

Star Trek: Prodigy

Star Trek: The Animated Series

Star Trek: Movies

Top 14 Things About Being on Star Trek

My Day on Star Trek

Firing the Phasers

Search for the Missing Reel

@EnterpriseExt ra             @TrekRa nks

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Personal musings, Professional Updates, and Maybe (just maybe), Useful Information

• The 11 Laws of Showrunning by Javier Grillo-Marxuach
• Have We Tried Burning it All Down?
• Finding the Right Routine
• “…Maybe the Industry Deserves to Die.”
• Different Proportional Voting Options

Every Episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Ranked (with comments)

Main Page TOS  |  TAS  | TNG |  DS9  |  VOY  |  ENT  |  DSC  |  ST  |  PIC  | LD Whole Enchilada

TNG Ranking by Titles Only

Watching “Encounter at Farpoint” — to say nothing of slogging through the first two seasons, who would have thought that this spinoff would have, itself, created spinoffs? And yet it has… and for a significant number of fans who didn’t watch the original series when first broadcast or in syndication, this is their Trek.

That also means some serious ribbing is in order, which I will delegate to the Screen Junkies:

(Not convinced by the Screen Junkies that you need to watch the one with the space ghost? Want to skip most of the slog of the first two seasons with a binge watch? Check out the new viewing guide !)

Note: Everything below may contain spoilers and definitely contains some snark.

Jean-Luc Picard People who like to debate “Kirk vs. Picard” forget that Picard has Kirk’s zeal for truth, justice, and the Federation way. Like Kirk, he has his own particular tortured backstory. He just doesn’t have any ounce of cowboy (although Patrick Stewart does ). Also, no flying leg kicks. Still, it works.

William T. Riker Bearded or clean-shaven, Riker’s ready to step over a chair, sit down, and let you know how it’s done. And “it” could be starship operations or some sort of consensual intimacy. He’s a renaissance Riker.

Geordi La Forge You can look. It’s in a book… or technical manual. Unless it’s about romantic relationships. Sorry, Geordi, you’ll have to wait for Ensign Kim in Voyager to be more hapless in that department. In the meantime, keep speaking technobabble like a boss. I’m so glad they switched you to Engineering.

Worf Much like Spock was the quintessential Vulcan who turns out to be a very atypical Vulcan, so too is Worf the Klingon’s Klingon who… was not raised by Klingons, has a greater sense of honor than just about any other Klingon we meet, and generally only kicks ass off screen. Sigh. Hang on until DS9, Worf.

Beverly Crusher Over 30 years later, and I’m still wondering about the wisdom of naming a doctor “Crusher,” but, I mean, she’s capable, compassionate, and… we’re never going to resolve that thing between her and Picard, are we?

(Update circa 2023: Terry Matalas says “Hold my synthehol!”)

Deanna Troi One of those characters that grew on me in the rewatch. I wish they had made her de facto role of cultural/alien contact specialist and diplomat more formal from the get-go, but I guess the priority was form-fitting clothing and inconsistent sensing of emotions.

Data Not just an emotionless Vulcan stand-in, considering the number of episodes the Enterprise is saved by having this android aboard makes him kind of a “machina ex deus ex machina.”

Wesley Crusher It took waaay too long to take this character from annoying airlock fodder to intelligent, but flawed officer-in-training… and in a sense, they didn’t fully succeed on that journey. He does have some good moments though, so ease up.

168) “Code of Honor” Season 1, Episode 4 So let’s say you haven’t seen this episode since it first aired in 1987, so you feel you need to give it a fair shake. And you know that the entire cast reviles this episode as a racist piece of filth and the director was evidently a piece of work too. But you try and approach it with the same open mind you try and approach a friend’s indie film because there’s usually something good in those and then OH MY GOD: I JUST THREW UP IN MY MOUTH. Yeah, not good.

167) “Shades of Gray” Season 2, Episode 22 I really don’t want to hate this one as much as conventional fan wisdom demands because a) there’s flashbacks to episodes that don’t suck and b) we get to see Worf and Riker battle Skeletor’s cousin at the beginning. But the fact remains that clip shows are inherently unsatisfying and a clip show in the second season of anything is a singular failure which should not be rewarded. Bad Trek! No biscuit!

166) “The Last Outpost” Season 1, Episode 5 In which the new Main Bad Guys, the Ferengi, are introduced and everyone wisely decides they don’t qualify as the Main Bad Guys. Besides the Enterprise being unable to engage in combat due to Starfleet thrift, you are left with waiting for something, anything, to happen. Eventually, some actor –evidently escaping a production of the Ring Cycle– appears to disrupt the Ferengi’s weird performance art. Unless you really want to see actors who later play Ferengi play proto-Ferengi, this is an episode you can skip without any shame whatsoever.

165) “Where No One Has Gone Before” Season 1, Episode 6 Look, producer-writers, we’re not sure how much we want to deal with the Mary Sue character that is Wesley Crusher and now you want to make him Mozart of the Warp Drive? Next, the episode title is a play on “Where No Man Has Gone Before” aka one of the most action-packed episodes of the Original Series. Heck, it’s the second pilot that allowed there to be a Star Trek. Seriously, couldn’t you have done something with the Romulans or Klingons or something? Blah.

164) “The Royale” Season 2, Episode 12 Viewers used to modern television and its shortened seasons will not understand why this episode exists. But simply knowing this is here for padding a season’s episode count doesn’t excuse the plodding pseudo-holodeck story and it’s another one that’s easy to skip.

163) “The Battle” Season 1, Episode 9 Failing to present the Ferengi as any sort of physical threat, the creative team sees if they can present the Ferengi as duplicitous schemers. Still pretty weak, but at least they re-affirm the Ferengi’s love of profit over revenge (unless revenge is a dish that can be served at a considerable markup).

162) “Force of Nature” Season 7, Episode 9 Picard : We admit that we were wrong in our assumption that warp travel doesn’t damage space. We’ll make sure a better equipped vessel studies this and I will personally make sure the findings are not swept under a 24th century rug. Serova : I’m going to ignore the words you’re saying because you’re not acceding to illogical demands I haven’t even stated — and then I’m going to kill myself. [Kaboom] Picard : Rabal, your sister Serova has just ruptured space-time endangering 1,000 men, women, and children on this ship because we said we’d help her. Can you help us without going crazypants? Rabal : No captain, I’m afraid all I can contribute is my flat acting. Picard : Well, the hell with this episode then!

161) “11001001” Season 1, Episode 15 The few pluses of this episode, like the idea of a computer-dependent civilization, a massive starbase, and Catherine McCormack, are more than erased by glacial pacing typical of season one and, of couse, next to no action whatsoever — even in terms of meaty philosophical discourse. Both George Bernard Shaw and Michael Bay give this a pass and so should you.

160) “Manhunt” Season 2, Episode 19 Though not entirely objectionable, Lwaxana Troi experiencing the Betazoid version of Pon Far is not my idea of a good time. A nice twist at the end, I suppose, but meh.

159) “When the Bough Breaks” Season 1, Episode 17 The Enterprise encounters an alien race advanced enough to cloak their planet, but not advanced enough to do root cause analysis. You know, if you’re going to steal all the children and force us to watch a Wesley-centric episode, you ought to work harder. Bonus points for that cool wood-carving tool though.

158) “Justice” Season 1, Episode 8 The Enterprise tries to mix first contact with shore leave on the spa world of blonde models. It’s somewhat interesting in portraying the difficulties of the Prime Directive in the face of what amounts to unquestioning obedience to religious authoritarianism, but although it ends decently, the whole episode is inelegant.

157) “Lonely Among Us” Season 1, Episode 7 An intriguing premise and some reasonably cool-looking –if rubbery– aliens runs into early Next Generation’s tendency to awkwardly ape the Original Series as well as the beginning of Data’s Sherlock Holmes fascination. In the end, it just doesn’t gel.

156) “The Neutral Zone” Season 1, Episode 26 “We’re the Romulans. We just wanted you to know.” Oh man, you young whipper-snappers binge-watching this on Netflix probably have no idea how we waited all season to see some of the classic bad guys. “Heart of Glory” gave us a very tiny taste of the Klingons, who were no longer bad guys anyway, dangit. And then we get this? A Romulan courtesy call?!? And we have to spend the rest of the episode with 80s Uptight Banker, Nashville Doofus, and Angst-Mom. Not the worst, but absolutely not the best.

155) “Coming of Age” Season 1, Episode 19 The one incontrovertible fact we learned from both the plotlines of this episode? That whether they call it an “Inspector General’s Report” or a “Psych Eval,” Starfleet will find whatever reason they need to get all up in your yang and be dicks about it. Additional demerits to re-using the spaceport from Buck Rogers which goes one cost-cutting method too far.

154) “Man of the People” Season 6, Episode 3 The “Dorian Gray” episode. Too on the nose and simplistic to be interesting.

153) “Eye of the Beholder” Season 7, Episode 18 With a mystery fit for an empath and a guest turn by Mark Rolston, this should have been a decent if not great episode, but it just doesn’t catch fire (probably good, this close to warp plasma).

152) “Pen Pals” Season 2, Episode 15 A so-so Prime Directive episode dominated by Wesley learning Very Important Lessons about leadership blunting some of the poignancy of Data’s storyline.

151) “The Schizoid Man” Season 2, Episode 6 If you wanted to see Data be a creepy old man, here you go.

150) “Hollow Pursuits” Season 3, Episode 21 Those of you who thought, “Man, why isn’t there an epidemic of Holodeck addicts in the 24th century? I’d certainly be one,” this is the After-School special for you. Okay, it’s not that bad, but would I miss this episode at all? No, no I would not.

149) “Home Soil” Season 1, Episode 18 The premise of this episode isn’t bad and very Trek: we get to see terraformers in action, but a murder and mystery unfolds, which results in a first contact situation. The pacing is slow, as it is through much of the first two seasons, as if the writers are allergic to starting a scene as late as possible and finishing as early as possible. Also, even though we get one of the few instances of a character named Bjorn on American television, he’s pretty much a wanker covering up de facto genocide. His impressively cleft chin doesn’t make up for this. If you find the namesake and chin demerits subjective (which, frankly, you should), you can also point to some wooden acting and overly 80s costuming on the part of the terraformers. I will give points to the Velarans being entertaining, even if they do think of us as “ugly giant bags of mostly water.” Also, has anyone else noted that between LaForge and Troi, there’s two people on the Enterprise who can detect when anyone lies? Really, we need to do a Star Trek police procedural.

148) “The Naked Now” Season 1, Episode 3 I guess the braintrust thought it’d be good to start with a callback to the original series, but instead of a charming callback to the past, we get a dire forecast of the season ahead. The reek of a moralistic 80s PSA has abated somewhat, but they clearly wanted younger viewers to know Alcohol Is Bad. Also still evident, season one’s general glacial pace and clumsy characterization. And speaking of characterization, what is it with these sci-fi shows doing episodes where the characters “act weird” when we’re just getting to know them? Don’t they know they’ll be a better payoff when both we and the actors know them better? Hey, we can’t all be Farscape . Anyway, bonus points for reasonably cool stellar phenomena and starship explosions.

147) “Hide and Q” Season 1, Episode 10 A tedious episode starting with Q going all Squire of Gothos on the Enterprise crew and ending with awkward, one-dimensional wish fulfillment. Extra demerits to the writers who apparently didn’t have the budget for a thesaurus and insisted on calling humanoid creatures in Napoleonic uniforms “animal things.” Blah.

146) “Haven” Season 1, Episode 11 This is the first episode to feature Lwaxana Troi, who in general does not herald banner episodes, but this particular one about an arranged marriage is not without its charms, including an intelligent plant for a pet, Data’s investigation of petty bickering, and a plague-ridden Daryl Hannah impersonator.

145) “The Outrageous Okona” Season 2, Episode 4 Let’s be clear: Jem and the Holograms are truly outrageous. This episode is what you get when a company’s HR department wants to plan a “zany event.”

144) “Too Short a Season” Season 1, Episode 16 The premise of an aging Admiral making an essentially Faustian bargain in order to relive glory days and defeat an old foe seems the stuff of an epic two-parter or even a movie, but the execution seems rather clumsy and features the 24th century version of Viewmaster as part of the conclusion.

143) “Symbiosis” Season 1, Episode 22 Having done something of an after-school special with “The Naked Now” and the dangers of alcohol, Trek now deals with drug addiction. While the sci-fi scenario does present it in a potentially interesting light, the whole situation is too on the nose for enjoyable repeat viewing. But who doesn’t enjoy the moment when Captain Picard drops the hammer on the smug drug peddlers?

142) “The Big Goodbye” Season 1, Episode 12 Farscape has its “there’s something wrong with Moya” episodes and this is the first of what will prove to be many “there’s something wrong with the holodeck” episodes which span multiple series. At least they figure out some good concepts to explore in future episodes. Even with interesting production design and some great guest actors like Dick Miller, we’re left wanting.

141) “Samaritan Snare” Season 2, Episode 17 While the Pakleds have a marginally interesting twist, I refuse to believe the implied notion that said Pakleds were able to successfully blackmail the Romulans or the Klingons. The Pakleds ceasing to exist as a living race in the galaxy is far more likely. Also, apparently not content with ignoring Guinan’s warnings about the Borg in the previous episode, the crew ignores Troi aka Their Very Own Lie Detector. Seriously guys, what’s wrong with trusting these women? Bonus points for Picard’s confiding in Wesley, though we get a better treatment of his heart condition and youthful choices in “Tapestry.”

140) “Aquiel” Season 6, Episode 13 It’s like someone decided to do an awful version of “The Thing” and show Geordi have more romantic troubles in one episode. Why?

139) “The Game” Season 5, Episode 6 Don’t hate Ashley Judd. Hate the game.

138) “The Dauphin” Season 2, Episode 10 True, we get to see some true bug-eyed monsters and Worf face off against Gozer the Gozarian, but overall, this Wesley-centric episode isn’t too strong. Bonus points for faux flirting between Riker and Guinan plus indicating truly alien forms at the end.

137) “Datalore” Season 1, Episode 13 The lack of inventiveness doesn’t end with the title (“crystalline entity form,” anyone?). While I suppose any Star Trek character is entitled to an Evil Twin episode, certainly Brent Spiner, this one seems less than inspired — especially the way Lore posing as Data argues the aforementioned snowflake monster will be impressed by blowing up trees.

136) “Homeward” Season 7, Episode 13 Hearkening back to the bad old days of television when family relations never mentioned in years of a show suddenly pop into existence, we get Paul Sorvino as Worf’s human brother. Unsatisfying.

135) “The Child” Season 2, Episode 1 One of the re-purposed old scripts, from the canceled Star Trek: Phase II series, which Marina Sirtis gamely tries to make work, but it doesn’t quite seem to mesh.

134) “Elementary, Dear Data” Season 2, Episode 3 Yes, it’s another holodeck-centric episode, and probably worth skipping. However, if you do rewatch it for a sense of completeness, you will be rewarded by a great model of the sailing vessel HMS Victory , plus an even greater performance by veteran actor Daniel Davis as Moriarty.

133) “Ethics” Season 5, Episode 16 A laudable, but forced exploration of medical ethics is buoyed by exploring injury as seen by Klingons — and some nice moments between Worf and his son, Alexander.

132) “The Loss” Season 4, Episode 10 Some earnest attempts to explore issues of life-changing injuries and how telepaths or empaths deal with the loss of their abilities, but it’s like we only get the part of the movie where Troi is a schmuck and not the part where she learns the valuable life lessons.

131) “Emergence” Season 7, Episode 23 Sigh. I know some people really want to celebrate this episode as a meta commentary on what TNG has meant to everyone as the series draws to a close, but for me it just strikes me as one more “Holodeck-gone-wrong” episode combined with a “Oh-something’s-wrong-with-the- Enterprise ” episode — which season 7 already has in abundance. It also tells us “There’s one less episode in which you can see the crew do cool stuff.”

130) “The Arsenal of Freedom” Season 1, Episode 21 One of the better episodes of season one TNG due to a plot structure designed to build suspense and a standout performance by guest star Vincent Schiavelli who manages to both creepy and charming at the same time. La Forge’s conflict with This Week’s Chief Engineer is a bit forced, but just wait a few minutes and you’ll get Vincent Schiavelli again.

129) “Where Silence Has Lease” Season 2, Episode 2 The poetical title that hearkens to the Original Series also gives us a familiar problem: the powerful alien testing the Enterprise crew. It’s interesting to see how the Enterprise -D peeps deal with it, but it’s eclipsed by many episodes later in the series.

128) “Skin of Evil” Season 1, Episode 23 This is another early episode whose premise that, upon rewatching, I can’t help but wonder what the actors and producers would have done with in a later season. The oil-slick-as-villain Armus could have been some sort of Sci-Fi One Ring, that would tempt and torment the Enterprise crew, potentially in a lovely two-parter. As it is, everyone seems to be doing their best, but it’s still just meh.

127) “Realm of Fear” Season 6, Episode 2 Barclay’s paranoia about the transporter is put to good use. Bonus points for O’Brien getting to torment someone else for a change.

126) “Interface” Season 7, Episode 3 I was all ready to learn more about Geordi’s family and what made him tick, but this episode just doesn’t deliver.

125) “Cost of Living” Season 5, Episode 20 The sweetness of Lwaxana Troi connecting with Alexander mitigates this generally forgettable episode, but you probably forgot about that, didn’t you?

124) “The Quality of Life” Season 6, Episode 9 The episode was clearly meant to play as another meditation on artificial intelligence and what rights they might have, but instead comes across as a marketing gimmick to sell toy versions of the Exocomp.

123) “Schisms” Season 6, Episode 5 Some mysterious subspace species is experimenting on the Enterprise crew and giving them all really bad hair. Oh, and occasionally killing them.

122) “We’ll Always Have Paris” Season 1, Episode 24 I don’t mind a romance episode. Especially this late in the season where both we and the actors have warmed up to the characters. I don’t even mind them trying to have the higher ratio of romance plot to space-time danger plot even though the episode title would lead you to never guess that space-time shenanigans or fencing make an appearance. But the execution just isn’t there, so this becomes another First Season episode to get a “meh.”

121) “Journey’s End” Season 7, Episode 20 Either the tale of Wesley Crusher taking a different path or the tale of the Enterprise (and Picard) facing disturbing historic parallels in forcibly evacuating ethnic Native Americans is interesting. Sadly, neither one comes off and they really don’t work well together.

120) “Bloodlines” Season 7, Episode 22 Ha! Joke’s on you Picard. We’ve spent all this time with a son who isn’t really your son not for a Ferengi revenge plot, but to infuriate viewers who know there’s only a few episodes of this series left, and we just wasted one. Mua ha ha ha!

119) “Dark Page” Season 7, Episode 7 Another seventh season story that tries and fails to give satisfying backstory to one of the characters, in this case Troi and her mother. Oh look, Kirsten Dunst!

118) “Remember Me” Season 4, Episode 5 Dr. Crusher finds herself in something of a Twilight Zone kind of episode as her reality collapses and those of you who were wanting the reappearance of the Traveler are rewarded.

117) “Masks” Season 7, Episode 17 Brent Spiner gets to act up a storm and Patrick Stewart recalls some mask work from his theater days. Look, the anthropologist in me finds some of this fascinating, but that doesn’t make it a good episode.

116) “The Chase” Season 6, Episode 20 An oddly disjointed episode which can’t decide if it’s going to be a backstory drama (as per the confrontation with Norman Lloyd’s Galen), an archaeological adventure, or something else. At least most of the characters are as dissatisfied at the end as we are.

115) “Unnatural Selection” Season 2, Episode 7 While I was happy enough to see the return of Dr. Crusher, I also didn’t mind the brief season 2 tenure of Dr. Pulaski. Her take on a curmudgeonly yet dedicated physician seemed a clear homage to Dr. McCoy. She’s never better than in this episode, where her working relationship with Captain Picard is tested. Plus, we get to see Colm Meaney handle technobabble like the chief he is.

114) “Suddenly Human” Season 4, Episode 4 The allegory and the drama of this human raised by non-humans never quite comes together. And if you’re going to stab Picard, give us an episode like “Tapestry.”

113) “Up the Long Ladder” Season 2, Episode 18 Come for the Space Irish, stay for the evil David Byrne impersonators. Not a bad episode per se –especially for fans of impractical sweaters– but would you be better served by watching The Quiet Man and “Stop Making Sense?” Probably.

112) “Suspicions” Season 6, Episode 22 A mystery episode that would have been ten times more effective if we didn’t have alien races with unknown abilities that could easily come into play in the last act. I’m still open for Dr. Crusher solving mysteries in retirement, though. Just putting that out there.

111) “Sub Rosa” Season 7, Episode 14 You want this to be a rattling cool ghost story, but it just comes across as half-baked melodrama. Bonus points for Governor Maturin feeling kinship for Scotland and for fog on the Enterprise .

110) “Imaginary Friend” Season 5, Episode 22 When you’re spending more time looking at the cool scarlet strands entangling the Enterprise and considering how good the VFX team has gotten, it’s not the best of episodes.

109) “Angel One” Season 1, Episode 14 Yes, this is season one, which means a strong 80s vibe and sluggish pace are there. In fact, it seems like they add the virus subplot simply because not much is happening on the planet of power-shouldered matriarchs, but wait: the plotlines intersect and the virus becomes a key point in denying an easy solution. Plus, Riker strikes a blow for chest hairs everywhere.  Definite demerits for teasing us about the possibility of seeing Romulans though. (we need to wait for the rest of the season before that happens). Also, there’s an inherent plot issue of the Enterprise not extricating Federation citizens to prevent an interstellar incident simply because they’re not in Starfleet. I guess some legal precedents were set by the time we got around to the Maquis.

108) “The Icarus Factor” Season 2, Episode 14 In retrospect, it’s actually not a bad reflective/soap opera episode, although some of the dialogue gets a bit on-the-nose at times. Still, Anbo-jyutsu looks pretty cool, obnoxious exposition about it notwithstanding. Definite demerits for never revisiting it or Papa Riker in the TV series.

107) “The Host” Season 4, Episode 23 This exploration about identity and, more importantly, how to love when someone you love changes drastically is intriguing and very worth a sci-fi treatment. It’s also nice to see Dr. Crusher explore a relationship. However, Odan has systematically lied for at least 30 years to the Federation and others about his true nature (the alternative is to buy his claim that he didn’t understand just about every other sentient race he met and negotiated with wasn’t paired with a symbiote). A pity, as other moments are quite nuanced

106) “Hero Worship” Season 5, Episode 11 Your patience with this episode is proportional to how much you like Data and can deal with kids as being the epitome of unreliable narrators.

105) “A Fistful of Datas” Season 6, Episode 8 If you’re willing to hitch your wagon to another holodeck tale that rustles up some excuses to have an infinite number of Datas, you’ll be all right, partner. Otherwise, best leave town… or, you know, watch another episode.

104) “Lessons” Season 6, Episode 19 The idea of Picard attempting a serious relationship and bumping against some of his self-imposed (and external) constraints makes sense this deep into the series. It’s well enough executed, with good performances by both Patrick Stewart and Wendy Hughes as  Lt. Cmdr. Daren. However, since TNG was still quite cautious in terms of serial storytelling, that means we have the whole love-and-loss arc within one episode. Therefore, our connection to Daren is minimal.

103) “Disaster” Season 5, Episode 5 Okay, let’s be clear: this episode is not a disaster. Putting the now familiar characters in situations they would never ordinarily want to be in is ambitious and enjoyable — with Worf delivering Keiko’s baby being a standout.

102) “Loud as a Whisper” Season 2, Episode 5 Coming off as a Very Special Episode when it first aired, it’s aged decently, though since I’m not a member of the deaf community, I may not pick up on disliked tropes or not. Still, deaf and mute actor Howie Seago gives a great performance and the thoughts on abilities, disabilities, and where we find our strength are intriguing.

101) “Genesis” Season 7, Episode 19 The kid in me wants more Harryhausen monsters and the anthropologist in me wants more scientific accuracy. Both of us are disappointed, but the episode remains pretty entertaining.

100) “Conspiracy” Season 1, Episode 25 Finally! Some action. Wait, did they just phaser that guy’s head until it exploded?!? Talk about overcompensation. Enjoyable when it first aired because something was actually happening –and who doesn’t like a good conspiracy?– it really doesn’t hold up well for the aforementioned incongruity of some gross-out special effects, the stereotypical evil aliens (“we only eat stuff that’s nasty to humans just because”), and a storyline that is completely, utterly dropped (although I understand they revisit it in some non-canon novels). Worth a curiosity watch, I suppose, but there’s better paranoia and stop-action animation elsewhere.

99) “Liaisons” Season 7, Episode 2 A comical take on diplomatic contact (well, except for poor Picard) that is uneven, but not without its moments.

98) “True Q” Season 6, Episode 6 A solid enough entry in Q’s appearances as it explores a young woman’s acceptance (or rejection) of her Q powers.

97) “Rascals” Season 6, Episode 7 I will be the first one to voice my displeasure at Worf getting overwhelmed by Ferengi, and the episode has no right to be as fun as it is, but it is . I’m not saying it’s my number one episode, but I have to admit I always enjoy rewatching it.

96) “Birthright” (Parts I & II) Season 6, Episode 16 & 17 Both Data and Worf explore their past — and while Data’s storyline is pretty “blah,” Worf’s is reasonably interesting. I’m just not sure it merits a two-parter.

95) “Inheritance” Season 7, Episode 10 Data gets to know more of his family and how telling the truth is not alway cut and dried. Solid.

94) “Identity Crisis” Season 4, Episode 18 Mystery and transmogrification is always welcome in sci-fi. Nicely done.

93) “Firstborn” Season 7, Episode 21 An important character-based wrap-up of Worf and his son Alexander. Yes, it basically gets undone by DS9, but it’s still worthwhile.

92) “The Emissary” Season 2, Episode 20 The entertaining premise of wartime Klingons waking up isn’t bad, nor is the personal drama between Worf and his paramour, though moments such as retrieving the warp probe and some of Suzie Plakson’s snark seem a bit too precious at times.

91) “Peak Performance” Season 2, Episode 21 There’s some enjoyment to be had with the whole war games scenario, but involving the Ferengi at the end just kind of sours the fun. Also Stratagema is an abstract letdown. Finally, the Dominion War called and wanted you to know that your assertion that “Starfleet is not a military organization” is absolutely adorable.

90) “Heart of Glory” Season 1, Episode 20 Ermegerd, Klingons! In reflection with the rest of the series, this is a whole lotta inconsequential nothing, but at the time, it was incredibly welcome action and world-building — because previous to this, we basically understood the Federation was at peace with the Klingon Empire solely so Worf could be hanging out on the Enterprise . Bonus points for the build-your-own-disruptor kit the Klingons had hidden in their armor.

89) “New Ground” Season 5, Episode 10 Another step Trek takes towards more realistic family issues as Worf needs to deal with the fact he’s a dad. Not a banner episode, but not awful. Bonus points for Jonathan Frakes convincingly handling puppets.

88) “Evolution” Season 3, Episode 1 Some great special effects and the welcome introduction of far less spandex in the uniforms is mitigated by Wesley giving rise to a new sentient life form and endangering the entire ship due to his pulling an all-nighter. What an irresponsible yet studious scamp!

87) “Q Who” Season 2, Episode 16 The first appearance of the totally non-Swedish Borg isn’t all bad. However, when the Enterprise just hangs out in front of the massive Borg cube that was carving it up for dinner earlier, I have to question Picard’s tactical acumen — not to mention inviting Guinan to tell them more about the race that annihilated her homeworld and then ignoring her advice.

86) “The Outcast” Season 5, Episode 17 Gender identity gets the Star Trek allegorical treatment here that also serves to build out Riker’s character more.

85) “Time Squared” Season 2, Episode 13 An intriguing episode dealing with doppelgangers, bending space-time, and the choices we make, but these ideas are much better handled in later episodes.

84) “The Bonding” Season 3, Episode 5 A thoughtful episode that explores the grief, loss, and the cost of exploration. The execution doesn’t quite measure up to the ambition.

83) “A Matter of Perspective” Season 3, Episode 14 The Next Generation does Rashomon ! It’s a fun enough conceit that adapts to science fiction quite nicely — albeit with a technobabble twist at the end.

82) “Transfigurations” Season 3, Episode 25 You may remember this as the one with the amnesiac, spandex-wearing Space Jesus or simply the one where Geordi gets his groove on. Also, you also get to see the pros and cons of having Worf as your wingman. I’m not saying skip it, but you’re probably fast forwarding a few scenes so you can get to “The Best of Both Worlds.”

81) “Allegiance” Season 3, Episode 18 Picard’s doppelganger has way too much fun on the Enterprise while actual Picard riddles out his captors designs elsewhere. Decent.

80) “A Matter of Honor” Season 2, Episode 8 After season one’s all-too-brief look at the 24th century Klingons, this was a great chance to delve deeper… and it’s great fun to see Riker adapt to life aboard a Klingon ship while being himself. Still, the Klingon commander seems paranoid to a degree unsupported by the script and the Benzite subplot on the Enterprise, while a nice thematic counterbalance of cultural misunderstandings, is rather boring.

79) “Half a Life” Season 4, Episode 22 A great allegorical treatment of mortality where Lwaxana Troi’s marrow-sucking lifestyle is a perfect match for the theme and David Ogden Stiers’ performance. Thoughtful and heartbreaking.

78) “Legacy” Season 4, Episode 6 Tasha Yar gets some backstory, we an enjoyably plotted tale, and Data gets some heartbreak as only an android can.

77) “The Perfect Mate” Season 5, Episode 21 A potentially clunky episode about arranged marriages, men and women, destiny, and duty benefits greatly from a performance by Famke Jannsen supported by the welcome appearance of Tim O’Connor (sans Dr. Theopolis ). Even the bumbling Ferengi do not derail the proceedings (though they certainly try). Picard does a formidably stoic Hornblower impression that Kirk would well understand.

76) “Booby Trap” Season 3, Episode 6 Geordi wants to make beautiful music with faux Dr. Brahms, but they have to save the ship before everyone’s irradiated.

75) “Contagion” Season 2, Episode 11 The generic and inaccurate title covers up what turns out to be an absolutely action-packed episode featuring the Space Cruiser Yamato, Carolyn Seymour as a Romulan coveting power and ancient secrets, and a long-lost interstellar empire that has secrets aplenty to covet. My only complaint is they could have cut Geordi being a bouncy ball in the turbolift so we’d have time for a good denouement to the episode. Plus, we don’t get to learn more about the Iconians for ages.

74) “Encounter at Farpoint” Season 1, Episodes 1 & 2 Clunky? Yes, but pilots are often clunky. Not as good as the pilots that followed? Yes, but the pilots that followed were made because of the voyage that started with the Enterprise D here. You’ll see me be pretty tough on a lot of early TNG episodes because let’s face it: we had seen Star Trek II and Star Trek IV. We remembered how good individual episodes of the original series were. We wanted this series to boldly go. Well, it doesn’t pull it off for this first outing. Still, this episode is part of the payoff for the series finale, so even if you want to skip a lot of the first two seasons, you still ought to Vulcan up and check this out.

73) “Descent” (Parts I & II) Seasons 6 & 7, Episode 26 & 1 The return of both the Borg and Lore and the manipulation of Data and his nascent emotions sounds like the making of an epic two-parter. It has its moments, but isn’t as engaging as most of the other two-parters.

72) “Galaxy’s Child” Season 4, Episode 16 What with Star Trek already saving Earth whales in “The Voyage Home,” we knew it was only a matter of time before Star Trek did space whales and the result is pretty good. Also, Geordi is still unlucky in love, which is kind of like TNG’s “O’Brien must suffer.”

71) “Violations” Season 5, Episode 12 Yes, a modern version of this story would take the freakiness and discomfort up to 11 , but in the context of having a reasonably family-friendly syndicated broadcast TV show, this tale of intrusive telepaths is pretty darn engaging.

70) “A Matter of Time” Season 5, Episode 9 It’s really sad to see Edison Carter turn to a life of time-travel crime, but it does make for a good episode.

69) “Time’s Arrow” (Parts I & II) Season 5 & 6, Episode 26 & 1 Much like “Descent,” this two-parter has oodles of potential from Guinan’s backstory to Data causing temporal paradoxes and it’s not a bad watch — but it’s not a great watch.

68) “Conundrum” Season 5, Episode 14 This episode proves that you will watch an okay episode with great characters. Because let’s face it, the plot is preposterous. The length the villainous Satarrans need to go to in order to trick the Enterprise crew into destroying their enemy is quite absurd. If this was a season 1 story, we would all talk about this episode in the hushed tones of embarrassment we refer to “Home Soil” And yet, the episode is tremendous fun. We get a great deal of introspection and we get to see the essential nature of each and every one of the main cast come through despite losing their identities. It doesn’t advance the concept that reptilian-humanoids are people too, but hey, that’s perhaps too much to ask.

67) “The Offspring” Season 3, Episode 16 Jonathan Frakes’ directorial debut is a fitting follow-up to season two’s “The Measure of a Man” in raising some great questions.

66) “The Enemy” Season 3, Episode 7 Did you get enough of Geordi last episode? Of course you didn’t. And here he is teaching an uptight Romulan that old prejudices may be wrong. Bonus points for Worf having honest trouble moving past his prejudices and Andreas Katsulas as a great Romulan commander.

65) “Attached” Season 7, Episode 8 The increasingly paranoid aliens are fun and it’s nice to see Picard and Crusher’s relationship explored, but there’s still too much status quo at the end of the episode.

64) “Qpid” Season 4, Episode 20 Worf saying “I protest sir. I am not a merry man!” is one of the best lines in all of Trek. That said, the overall episode is just okay.

63) “The Price” Season 3, Episode 8 An okay episode focusing on negotiations, machinations, and Counselor Troi. Just do not try and be more sensitive or caring than Matt McCoy. He understands your pain at not being as much of a sensitive, new age guy as he is. He really does. He just does it so, so well. Perhaps he can get you a drink and you can tell him all about it?

62) “Brothers” Season 4, Episode 3 We get to see a single android take control of a starship, Brent Spiner have a field day in three similar, but different roles, and there’s a nice little thematic subplot that adds to the dramatic urgency to cut short Data’s unscheduled family time. If The Patty Duke Show was more like this, I’d watch.

61) “Phantasms” Season 7, Episode 6 A nice little Data-centric episode with mystery, misdirection, and some horrific images as Data explores nightmares… or not. Absolute bonus points for Freud analyzing himself in a dream within the dream. This episode deserves cake. With mint frosting!

60) “Clues” Season 4, Episode 14 A solid mystery episode with a great reveal for Data and yet another example of how Worf will like it better on Deep Space Nine, where he’ll actually be able to defeat enemies, rather than just demonstrate how powerful they are.

59) “The Mind’s Eye” Season 4, Episode 24 A suspenseful entry as you know Geordie’s up to something, but even he doesn’t know it. Plus, O’Brien doesn’t suffer, but a simulated version of him is killed, so we’re sort of warming up for DS9.

58) “I, Borg” Season 5, Episode 23 No, ME Borg! Okay, seriously, it’s not a bad episode and it sets us up for “Descent,” has good ethical quandaries, and fencing with Guinan.

57) “The Nth Degree” Season 4, Episode 19 Taking a few flowers from Algernon and many a page from tales of mind-controlling aliens and you have a not entirely unfamiliar tale with a very Trek treatment.

56) “Ménage à Troi” Season 3, Episode 24 I know what you’re thinking: it’s a TNG story with Ferengi and Lwaxana Troi, what can I honestly expect? The answer is “a light, delightful episode” that introduces “oo-mox” to Star Trek canon.

55) “Tin Man” Season 3, Episode 20 The always enjoyable Harry Groener gives a great guest appearance as a telepath tired of his powers being turned up to 11 , Data finds new meaning in his Starfleet family, and we get some wonderful strange new life. Solid.

54) “Second Chances” Season 6, Episode 24 A TNG take on the malfunctioning transporter that gives a look at the different choices that made Riker Riker.

53) “The Vengeance Factor” Season 3, Episode 9 Have we given generational blood feuds the sci-fi treatment yet? No, then let’s do it with a little doomed romance, shall we? Nicely done, with quite a lot of story covered in such a short time, but some demerits for the director’s blocking of the actors at the end.

52) “Night Terrors” Season 4, Episode 17 An inventive and occasionally creepy entry in the “lost starship” category of episodes with enough mystery and twists to deliver us to a satisfying ending.

51) “Gambit” (Parts I & II) Season 7, Episode 4 & 5 An almost too-clever-by-half plot is buoyed by decently paced action, intrigue, and the fact we’re really here for the characters at this point. Plus, the artifact is pretty damn cool.

50) “In Theory” Season 4, Episode 25 You knew we had to do an episode of an android in love at some point, and the resulting story, directed by Patrick Stewart, gives us all the comedy-drama we were expecting.

49) “The Masterpiece Society” Season 5, Episode 13 A great example of what TNG can do with both the Enterprise ensemble and a good guest ensemble while exploring the ethical boundaries of non-interference, self-determination, and so much more. Quintessential Star Trek.

48) “Relics” Season 6, Episode 4 Although the Dyson Sphere gets short shrift — or more to the point, the distinct lack of Dyson Sphere builders does — you’re here to see James Doohan give everyone’s favorite Scottish engineer a curtain call. Well done.

47) “Rightful Heir” Season 6, Episode 23 A surprisingly packed episode that starts with Worf searching for his roots and ends up with possible intergalactic ramifications as well as personal reflections on faith and being, including a great moment between Worf and Data.

46) “Captain’s Holiday” Season 3, Episode 19 Clad in vacation-wear that has launched a thousand memes, Picard manages to get his groove on whilst also dabbling in his love of archaeology and solving a time-travel mystery. I suppose it’s a prerequisite for Enterprise captains to be so overachieving.

45) “Future Imperfect” Season 4, Episode 8 You think it’s an alternate timeline episode, but really, it’s a mind warp episode — and even with that, there’s one more twist that is wonderfully Trekkish.

44) “Timescape” Season 6, Episode 25 A perfectly enjoyable “what’s happened to the Enterprise ?” mystery that also answers questions you didn’t know you had, like “Does Troi do impressions?” and “What happens if Picard doesn’t clip his nails?”

43) “Devil’s Due” Season 4, Episode 13 Another classic Trek idea given the TNG treatment that tackles myth and superstition. Sadly, Marta Dubois’ Ardra does not return (a la Harry Mudd) to torment the crew in a future episode.

42) “Ensign Ro” Season 5, Episode 3 The on-the-nose title notwithstanding, this is a good introduction to Michelle Forbes’ Ensign Ro Laren as well as Bajor, all wrapped up in a tale of intergalactic intrigue with modern Earth parallels.

41) “Déjà Q” Season 3, Episode 13 Corbin Bernsen, ice cream sundaes, and the mariachi band make this a pretty fun Q episode. Don’t tell me you don’t like mariachi bands.

40) “Family” Season 4, Episode 2 It’s important in all sorts of storytelling to give the reader or viewer a chance to slow down and breathe while still telling the story. This is that moment. That the producers of TNG realized that they should and could do this is one of the reasons why Next Generation became the excellent series it did.

39) “Who Watches the Watchers” Season 3, Episode 4 Apparently deciding to let everyone know that Season Three was officially stepping it up, this cracking good episode takes a Classic Trek notion of how the Prime Directive should be followed and gives it that thoughtful Next Generation treatment. I love the glimpse of the proto-Vulcan culture, the heartfelt performance by Ray Wise, and the look at science and superstition.

38) “The Survivors” Season 3, Episode 3 One of my favorite versions of a classic Trek idea done in the Next Generation style, definitely benefiting from guest performances by Anne Haney and John Anderson. I love so much of the dialogue, from Worf’s befuddlement to Picard’s nautical commands — and that final reveal about the Husnock has to be one of the best “Holy Nuck Futs!” moments of the whole series.

37) “Final Mission” Season 4, Episode 9 In a sense, we get Wesley Crusher’s last test before he goes to Starfleet Academy and it turns out he’s more than ready.

36) “The Next Phase” Season 5, Episode 24 An inventive and entertaining Romulan story focusing on Geordi and Ro that manages to give just about everyone some good character moments and features one spectacular chase through the Enterprise .

35) “The Most Toys” Season 3, Episode 22 An insidious villain (Saul Rubinek) and a loyal crew that will leave no android behind ably support what turns out to be an absolutely fantastic character study of Data.

34) “Lower Decks” Season 7, Episode 15 We get to see the Enterprise from a whole new vantage point of some of Enterprise ’s 1,000-member crew who aren’t on screen every week. A simple story idea, well executed.

33) “Preemptive Strike” Season 7, Episode 24 Closing up Ensign Ro’s character arc as they wind down the series is a nice touch, with some great character moments and ideas that will get explored further and deeper in DS9.

32) “Sins of the Father” Season 3, Episode 17 The debut of Tony Todd as Kurn sets us off on Worf’s multi-year odyssey to figure out that honor thing. It’s an excellent episode in terms of both theme and worldbuilding.

31) “Cause and Effect” Season 5, Episode 18 The “One where the Enterprise keeps exploding” turns out to be great fun, keeping twists throughout and with a fun cameo at the end.

30) “Frame of Mind” Season 6, Episode 21 The best of the TNG “mind warp” episodes sees Commander Riker debating whether it’s real sci-fi life, or just theater fantasy… and then there’s one twist more. My only quibble is that as a former stage tech, I wanted to see 24th century set construction and strike techniques, but that’s no reason for demerits.

29) “Thine Own Self” Season 7, Episode 16 Data will do as a Data does in this tale that should warm the cockles of any scientist’s heart. Plus, if you think that Starfleet won’t have messed-up psych tests for the ship’s counselor, think again!

28) “Power Play” Season 5, Episode 15 Terrorists trying to seize the Enterprise would make for a good episode alone, but making them body-possessing spirits levels up the whole proceeding — just don’t think about the mechanics of possessing Data too much.

27) “Parallels” Season 7, Episode 11 Worf excels in this thoroughly enjoyable alternate dimension tale with little bits of payoff for longtime viewers. Also, in a truism that I dearly want copied in other alternate dimension stories: when the cake turns from chocolate to yellow, trouble’s afoot.

26) “Data’s Day” Season 4, Episode 11 A quiet epic of an episode built around the ingenious framing device of Data narrating the events of what turns out to be a not-remotely-normal day. You get a wedding, intergalactic intrigue, and tap-dancing. What more do you need?

25) “Starship Mine” Season 6, Episode 18 It was pitched as Die Hard on a Starship , so — Data’s wonderful skills at small talk aside — get ready for a surprisingly high body count and grim humor.

24) “The Hunted” Season 3, Episode 11 A great showcase for Trek as a source of timeless, allegorical tales. In this case, it’s in the form of an action-packed episode about how societies treat veterans.

23) “The First Duty” Season 5, Episode 19 Voted “Episode Most Likely to Be Discussed in a High School Class” when it came out, it’s still a wonderful look at honor, integrity, and, yes, Wesley Crusher’s character arc. But really, you’re here for Picard being the moral rock that you know he is.

22) “The Drumhead” Season 4, Episode 21 It’s depressing how well this episode has aged, but in a sense, it was trying to speak to timeless issues around justice and abuse of power when it was written. Stellar, earnest performances all around give nuance to wonderful shades of grey, yet with a strong ethical center. It’s not a light-hearted rewatch, but an episode that deserves a rewatch every now and then.

21) “The Pegasus” Season 7, Episode 12 Loyalty, moral quandary, and really cool tech make this an episode that scratches just about all your Star Trek itches.

20) “Reunion” Season 4, Episode 7 Setting up much Worf’s “tragic hero” arc (which basically continues into DS9), we get the Duras family’s tradition of dishonor, the first appearance of Gowron, and Klingon loopholes involving duels. Sto’Vo’Kor awaits, K’Ehleyr.

19) “The Measure of a Man” Season 2, Episode 9 Oft cited by fans as one of the best episodes of The Next Generation. Your mileage may vary depending on how much trauma you endured watching the first two seasons, but there’s no denying this is classic Trek as Data’s rights as a sentient being are debated passionately on both sides. Over 30 years on –and ever closer to true artificial intelligence– this episode seems to only grow more relevant.

18) “Silicon Avatar” Season 5, Episode 4 It’s like someone in the writer’s room re-watched “Datalore” and said, “Hold my synthehol.” The crystalline entity is shown to be the danger it truly is, but Starfleet’s efforts to seek peaceful contact is also tested wonderfully… and Data has another banner episode.

17) “The Ensigns of Command” Season 3, Episode 2 While Picard and Troi face off against a rock creature gone rogue from the Jim Henson Company, Data faces off against humans who clearly need Muppets because they take themselves waaay too seriously. An altogether enjoyable episode.

16) “The High Ground” Season 3, Episode 12 I still remember seeing this episode when it was first broadcast and thinking to myself, “Now that I think about it, this season is really cooking with gas. This, this is the Star Trek I’ve been looking for in this new show.” And even though this particular episode of “the new show” is over 30 years old, its themes about armed resistance and terrorism still resonate as well-defined characters on either side try and do the best they can with an ugly, imperfect situation and the Enterprise crew is caught in the middle. Both George Bernard Shaw and Michael Bay will pull up a chair for this one (though Bay will say, “it needs a few more explosions.”)

15) “The Wounded” Season 4, Episode 12 The introduction of the Cardassians is immensely satisfying in the tradition of TOS episodes showing the Federation’s detente with the Klingons and Romulans. Plus, it’s like we see O’Brien’s destiny of being tortured on Deep Space Nine birthed in this episode.

14) “Face of the Enemy” Season 6, Episode 14 Troi is called upon to carry not only an episode, but one full of deceit and spycraft… and does so brilliantly. Bonus points for the cold open.

13) “First Contact” Season 4, Episode 15 Not as action-packed as the TNG movie of the same name, this episode is filled with moments of delight and introspection, giving us a fresh take on how the Prime Directive is handled. Both George Coe and Michael Ensign bring their character’s convictions to wonderful life.

12) “The Defector” Season 3, Episode 10 Star Trek does the Cold War, but thanks to a well-crafted script by Ronald D. Moore, this tale has a timeless quality (Shakespeare always helps in that regard, doesn’t it?). The whole cast shines in their respective parts with great guest turns from both James Sloyan and Andreas Katsulas with a great twist and a powerful denouement.

11) “Sarek” Season 3, Episode 23 The welcome return of Mark Lenard as Spock’s father heralds an emotional epic of an episode that’s spectacular Trek.

10) “Tapestry” Season 6, Episode 15 A classic “what if” story that gives us not only satisfying backstory on Picard first hinted at in season 2, but some timeless resonance in exploring the regrets and acceptance that come from choices made — and you see Q in a whole new light.

9) “Unification”  (Parts I & II) Season 5, Episode 7 & 8 Between Sela, Spock and even Stephen Root(!), this is an incredibly satisfying two-parter despite the heartbreaking end of Sarek. For that, you have our gratitude.

8) “Ship in a Bottle” Season 6, Episode 12 One of the more unexpected callbacks to an earlier season results in one of the most ingenious episodes, with Daniel Davis returning as Moriarty who turns out to be every bit the cunning villain he ought to be.

7) “Yesterday’s Enterprise” Season 3, Episode 15 A perennial mainstay on “Best of” lists in part because it scratches that “what if” itch so familiar to fans of classic Star Trek episodes like “Mirror, Mirror” and fans of science fiction in general.

6) “Redemption” (Parts I & II) Season 4 & 5, Episode 26 & 1 Oh, what a long way we’ve come from season one with Klingons… and Worf. Full of action, intrigue, and more than a little political worldbuilding, this sprawling two-parter about the Klingon Civil War is a great watch giving both Picard and Data a chance to shine.

5) “Darmok” Season 5, Episode 2 Often thought of as TNG’s answer to “Arena,” the simple conceit of the universal translator failing in an interesting way (don’t think about it too hard) gives us a great exploration of first contact and validation for mythology geeks who’ve read the Epic of Gilgamesh.

4) “All Good Things…” Season 7, Episode 25 & 26 While I know some find this series finale gave short shrift to the rest of the ensemble –it is a Picard-centric story through and through– I find that ignores what turns out to be an immensely satisfying two-parter, “what if” story, and an altogether pleasing note to end on.

3) “The Best of Both Worlds” (Parts I & II) Season 3 & 4, Episode 26 & 1 The Borg are back and they’re on a mission… which just happens to make for an absolutely riveting adventure. If the second half flags a bit, it’s only because the first half ends with one of the best cliffhangers in all of television history. Stellar all around from the performances to the story to the action.

2) “Chain of Command” (Parts I & II) Season 6, Episode 10 & 11 Not only does this tense two-parter give just about every single member of the main cast a moment to shine — it also shows us the uncomfortable truth that captains like Ronny Cox’s Jellico can be complete assholes, but are going to still be captains in Starfleet for years to come. Oh, and we have the standoff between Picard and David Warner’s Gul Madred that is one for the ages. Phenomenal.

1) “The Inner Light” Season 5, Episode 25 The best Star Trek stories are so often simply great science fiction stories with a strong central premise. Here, the idea of living a lifetime in the space of, oh, let’s say an hour with commercials, is executed so expertly that it never gets old. Thoughtful, haunting, and voted “Most likely to make you stare wistfully into the middle distance” by It’s Dusty In Here magazine.

Screen Rant

Every star trek: the next generation season ranked worst to best.

Star Trek: The Next Generation had some amazing highs and embarrassing lows over its seven seasons, but it stands as a science fiction masterpiece.

Star Trek: The Next Generation achieved some amazing highs and embarrassing lows over its seven seasons, but it ultimately stands as an unimpeachable science fiction institution that gave the Star Trek franchise a greater life on television. As the movie franchise featuring the cast of Star Trek: The Original Series was thriving on the big screen in the mid-80s, Paramount decided it was time for a new iteration of the final frontier. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry was brought onboard to imagine a new version of the USS Enterprise.

Roddenberry developed TNG to tell the story of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his new crew of the USS Enterprise-D, set roughly a century after the events of TOS . The show's very existence was loudly protested by longtime fans, who couldn't fathom a version of Star Trek working without the likes of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy). Despite a rocky start, TNG would eventually prove the critics wrong, as it became a massive success and spawned several successful spinoffs like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager . Over seven seasons, TNG expanded the scope of what Star Trek could be and set the stage for the franchise's short-term and long-term future.

Related: Picard Season 3 Sadly Reminds Us Of Nemesis' Biggest Mistake

7 TNG Season 1

Picking the best of TNG is a tall task, but picking the worst is pretty easy. Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1 is a shambles, and its behind-the-scenes chaos may be more entertaining than any of its actual episodes. Many of the episodes felt like warmed-over TOS plots , the characters were woefully undeveloped, and the entire affair had the feeling of a knockoff of the original article. Roddenberry, who was in poor health and unaccustomed to the rigors of modern television production, simply wasn't up to the task over overseeing the new series.

Episodes range from the mediocre, like "Datalore" and "The Neutral Zone," to the legitimately offensive, like "Code Of Honor" and "Angel One." Actor Denise Crosby became so fed up with the show's shoddy treatment of her character, Lieutenant Tasha Yar, that she quit the show, and her character was unceremoniously killed off in "Skin Of Evil." The lone bright spot in TNG season 1 is the evident talent of the cast, who would of course go on to see better days.

6 TNG Season 2

TNG season 2 is an ever-so-slight uptick in quality from season 1, which may or may not be thanks to Commander William Riker's (Jonathan Frakes) new beard . There are still more bad episodes than good ones in season 2, but there are at least a few gems, like "The Measure Of A Man," the defining moment for the android Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner), and "Q Who," the suitably ominous introduction of the greatest TNG villains, the cybernetic zombies known as the Borg. The addition of the empathic bartender Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) is also delightful.

The show still had plenty of problems though. Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) was gone, replaced by the prickly Dr. Katherine Pulaski (Diana Muldaur). The show was still prioritizing its often mind-numbing sci-fi plots over any real character development. The season 2 finale "Shades Of Gray," a cost-cutting clip show, is perhaps the season's lowest moment.

Related: The Reason Guinan Wasn't In TNG Season 1

5 TNG Season 7

The producers of TNG season 7, the show's last , have admitted to somewhat taking their eye off the ball. They were simultaneously developing both Star Trek Generations , the first Trek movie featuring the TNG cast, and the upcoming spinoff series Star Trek: Voyager . The result is a highly uneven season that doesn't feel worthy of being such a great show's final bow.

There are still a handful of great episodes in season 7, like "Parallels," which finds Klingon Lieutenant Worf (Micheal Dorn) jumping between realities, and "The Pegasus," where Commander Riker must confront a dark secret from his past. But there's also a surprising amount of dull filler, like "Eye Of The Beholder" and "Interface." Season 7 is often remembered as better than it is because of the pitch-perfect series finale "All Good Things," where the omnipotent trickster Q (John de Lancie) sends "Mon Capitan" Picard on a time-hopping journey through his past, present, and future.

4 TNG Season 6

TNG season 6 is another somewhat uneven cycle of the show, but the good far outweighs the bad. Season 6 is a bit more fun than TNG had traditionally been, experimenting with some zanier concepts than the show was accustomed to, like "Rascals," which saw Picard and other crew members transformed into children, and the holodeck romp "A Fistful Of Datas." "Relics" saw the much-welcome return of Captain Montgomery Scott (James Doohan), who imparted some sage engineering wisdom to Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) .

Season 6's two biggest achievements are a pair of harrowing Picard-centric episodes. "Tapestry" sees Q take a critically injured Picard on a journey through his past to determine what kind of man he was destined to be, and the two-parter "Chain Of Command" features Picard enduring brutal torture at the hands of a brutal Cardassian interrogator. The latter is arguably Stewart's best performance of the series, which is saying something.

Related: Why Worf Looked Different After TNG Season 1

3 TNG Season 3

Season 3 is the creative turning point of TNG . New head writer Michael Piller re-prioritized the writing of the series to focus on character over plot, and the show never looked back. Season 3's instant jump in quality is head-spinning; "The Offspring" saw Data create a synthetic daughter , Lal, a concept that reverberated so intensely it would eventually become the basis for Star Trek: Picard season 1. "Sins Of The Father" did more to develop Worf and the Klingons as a species than the rest of the previous 25 years of the franchise. Perhaps most impressively, the alternate reality epic "Yesterday's Enterprise" actually made Tasha Yar's death meaningful.

TNG Season 3 is not perfect. There are still some clunkers, like the unfortunate "Booby Trap" which makes Geordi seem like a bit of a creep, and "Menage A Trois," one of the lesser Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett-Roddenberry) entries. But it's hard to complain when a season ends with "The Best Of Both Worlds, Part 1," the white-knuckle thriller that features the much-anticipated return of the Borg and one of the greatest cliffhangers in television history.

2 TNG Season 4

After sticking the landing with "The Best Of Both Worlds Part II," TNG season 4 downshifted to a quieter, small-scale story with "Family," which saw Picard return to Earth in an attempt to move on from his monstrous treatment at the hands of the Borg. It's an all-timer, even if Gene Roddenberry hated it. The rest of the season largely kept up the quality with the likes of "Brothers," where Data was reunited with his creator, Dr. Noonien Soong, and his evil brother Lore, and "Remember Me," an anxiety-inducing mystery where everyone on the ship begins disappearing and only Dr. Beverly Crusher can remember them.

The season's best entry is likely "The Drumhead," where a retired Starfleet Admiral ostensibly tasked with investigating an explosion on the Enterprise begins spinning a complex web of conspiracy and paranoia. After a terrified young crewman is accused of collaborating with Romulans, Picard makes a bold stand to defend the rights of the innocent in the face of those who wield their power to prey on the vulnerable. Picard's closing speech during his own interrogation gets to the very heart of what Star Trek stands for.

Related: Why Didn't Picard Save His Family In Star Trek Generations?

1 TNG Season 5

There are essentially no weak spots in TNG season 5, the show's best. After wrapping up the Klingon civil war in "Redemption Part II," the show offers up an instant classic with "Darmok," where Picard and an unintelligible alien struggle to communicate with each other on a dangerous planet. "Ensign Ro" would introduce Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes), one of the show's most beloved recurring characters, and set the stage for the Bajoran/Cardassian conflict that defined much of DS9 . Picard would also famously meet Ambassador Spock in the two-parter "Unification."

"Cause And Effect" is an ingenious story of the Enterprise stuck in a time loop, while "I Borg" would redefine the Federation's deadliest enemy in surprisingly sympathetic ways. But the season's crowning achievement, and arguably the show's overall, is "The Inner Light," where Picard lives out an entire lifetime over the span of about 25 minutes. It's the perfect combination of a beautiful science fiction story and top-shelf acting from Stewart; Picard's final embrace of his flute is emotionally devastating. Star Trek: The Next Generation was simply never better.

More: Every Star Trek Movie Villain Explained

• View history

Admiral was a flag officer rank above vice admiral but below fleet admiral , the equivalent of which was used by the service organizations including Earth 's Royal Navy , as well as in Starfleet ranks and Romulan ranks . ( TNG : " The Defector ", et al.) The Cardassian Union 's rank of legate was comparable to an admiral. ( DS9 : " The Maquis, Part II ")

• 1.1 Federation Starfleet
• 1.2 Royal Navy
• 1.3 Romulan military
• 1.4 Terran Empire Starfleet
• 2.1 United Earth Starfleet
• 2.2 Federation Starfleet
• 3.1 See also
• 3.2 Background information
• 3.3 External links

Admirals by grade [ ]

Federation starfleet [ ].

• Admiral Rick Berman
• Admiral Bullock
• Admiral Katrina Cornwell
• Admiral Beverly Crusher
• Admiral Alonzo Freeman
• Admiral Gorch
• Admiral Richard James
• Admiral Kathryn Janeway
• Admiral Edward Jellico
• Admiral Robert H. Justman
• Admiral Les Landau
• Admiral Peter Lauritson
• Admiral David Livingston
• Admiral Owen Paris
• Admiral Parker
• Admiral Jean-Luc Picard
• Admiral Michael Piller
• Admiral Gene Roddenberry
• Admiral Marvin Rush
• Admiral Susan Sackett
• Admiral Strickler
• Admiral T'Lara
• Admiral Charlie Whatley
• Admiral Sally Whitley
• Admiral Christopher Pike
• Admiral William T. Riker

Royal Navy [ ]

• Horatio Nelson

Romulan military [ ]

• Alidar Jarok

Terran Empire Starfleet [ ]

Admirals by title [ ], united earth starfleet [ ].

• Brett Anderson
• Robert April
• Jonathan Archer
• Richard B. Barnett
• Daniel Curry
• Mark Jameson
• Edward Jellico
• J.R. Jennings
• Gerald Kawaoki
• James Komack
• Marcia Meldal-Johnsan
• Kurt Nelson
• Gregory Quinn
• William J. Ross
• Zus Tlaggul
• Kathryn Trimble
• Westervliet
• Richard Barnett
• Nensi Chandra
• Gretchen Lui
• Rick Berman
• Brettner (holodeck simulation)
• Merri Howard
• Peter Lauritson
• David Livingston
• Michael Piller
• Gene Roddenberry
• Jeri Taylor
• Brad Yacobian

Appendices [ ]

See also [ ].

• Starfleet flag officers

Background information [ ]

TNG Season 1 introduced three unique, seemingly sequential, yet undefined admiral insignia designs that appeared in " Too Short A Season ", " Coming of Age ", " Conspiracy ", and in archive footage from the aforementioned in " Shades of Gray ".

All of the admirals seen wearing this style of insignia (Savar, Aaron, Quinn, and Jameson) were only referred to by their "admiral" title, with Quinn being described as a "senior admiral", despite of having the lowest apparent grade insignia.

Following the first season, Robert Blackman 's production notes during described this rank as "4 Starfleet Admiral, gold framed bar w/4 dots." [1] (X)

The Star Trek Encyclopedia  (3rd ed., p. 210-211) labeled this rank as "admiral" referring to the late 2270's-2350's uniforms , and "admiral, four star" referring to its use on 2350s-2370s , late 2360s-early 2370s , and 2370s uniforms .

Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 10 , p. 99, mistakenly identified the late 2270's-2350's rear admiral insignia as the admiral insignia.

External links [ ]

• Admiral at Wikipedia
• Admiral at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works