Star Trek: The Next Generationseason 3 is when the series truly began firing on all cylinders. After some shuffling around of writers and characters throughoutTNGseasons 1 and 2, everyone had finally found their place by the show’s third season. The actors felt more in tune with their characters, and the writers seemed more confident in writing for those characters. WhileTNG’sfirst two seasons had highs and lows,Star Trek: The Next Generationseason 3 (and several of the subsequent seasons) consistently delivered hit after hit.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his USS Enterprise-D crewwere finally beginning to feel like a family, andStar Trek: The Next Generationseason 3 gives different characters their moment to shine.Captain Picard and Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) still regularly steal the spotlight, but every other main character, from Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) to Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), also gets their own starring episodes. In season 3,TNGbecame the show it was always meant to be, firmly cementing its status as one of thegreatest sci-fi shows of all time, thanks to its 10 best episodes.
10"Tin Man"
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 20
When Starfleet discovers a strange new alien lifeform later known as Gomtuu, they send Betazoid emissary Tam Elbrun (Harry Groener) to attempt to communicate with it. Thanks to his extremely powerful telepathic abilities,Elbrun begins talking with Gomtuu, forming a quick connection with the living ship.Gomtuu interests the Romulans as well, who intend to destroy it if they cannot find a way to communicate with it.
Screenwriters Dennis Putman Bailey and David Bischoff wrote “Tin Man” after being disappointed byTNGseason 2’s “Samaritan Snare” and deciding they could pen a better episode.
In the end, Elbrun saves Gomtuu and departs with it, finally finding peace away from the cacophony of thoughts he normally hears.Harry Groener’s strong performance makes Elbun a fascinating guest star,and the episode is smart to pair him withBrent Spiner’s Lt. Commander Data. “Tin Man” may not be a revolutionary episode ofStar Trek,but it delivers a classic story well, and Gomtuu makes for a unique alien-of-the-week.
9"The Most Toys"
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 22
In this Data-focused episode,a trader namedKivas Fajo (Saul Rubinek)kidnaps Data, wanting to add the one-of-a-kind android to his collection. Fajo fakes Data’s death, ensuring that Captain Picard and his crew do not immediately begin searching for him.Data resists Fajo however he can,until the contemptible collector threatens to kill one of his assistants if Data does not comply
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Eventually, Data’s friends on the Enterprise realize that the facts about his supposed death don’t make sense, and they go back for him. After Fajo kills his assistant,Data points a phaser at Fajo, contemplating whether to kill him.Just as the Enterprise beams Data back, the android appears to fire his weapon, even though his programming shouldn’t allow this. Saul Rubinek makes Fajo a particularly memorable guest star, and “The Most Toys” offers a fascinating exploration of Data’s character.
8"The Enemy"
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 7
Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) stars in back-to-back episodes, fairing far better in his second outing than in the first. In “The Enemy,“Geordi winds up stranded on an inhospitable planet with a lone Romulan survivornamed Bochra (John Snyder). Despite being enemies, the two must work together to survive as the planet’s environment wreaks havoc on their bodies.
Meanwhile, on the Enterprise-D, Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) refuses to save a dying Romulan, despite being the only suitable donor.
Geordi is at his most likable in “The Enemy,” as he sarcastically reacts to Bochra’s attempts to hold him prisoner. In the end,Geordi proves why he’s Chief Engineer on the Federation flagship,as he and Bochra come up with creative solutions to locate the beacon left by the Enterprise crew. The episode’s ultimate message about tolerance is a good one, and the story offers fascinating insights into several of the show’s characters.
7"The Defector”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 10
Captain Picard and his crew are skeptical when they rescue aRomulan named Jarok (James Sloyan), who claims to be a defector. Jarok claims the Romulans are amassing an army at a secret base located within the Romulan Neutral Zone, butPicard refuses to trespass into Romulan territory without further proof.Jarok wishes to protect his wife and child from an impending war, and Picard eventually comes to believe the Romulan admiral.
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However, upon finding no secret Romulan base,Jarok realizes that the Romulans fed him false information to lure the Enterprise into a trap.Thankfully, Picard had anticipated this and came accompanied by three Klingon Birds-of-Prey. Tragically, Jarok then takes his own life, knowing that he can never return to his family. “The Defector” is a powerful episode that helps define the Romulans of theTNGera.
6"Deja Q”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 13
When the Q Continuum strips Q (John de Lancie) of his god-like powers, he arrives on the Enterprise-D seeking asylum. Now familiar with Q’s antics, Captain Picard and his crew are understandably skeptical of Q’s claims.Picard assigns Data to keep an eye on Q,and their interactions prove thatStar Trek: The Next Generationshould havepaired Data and Q more often.
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When one of Q’s old enemies attacks the Enterprise, Data is electrocuted fending them off.Q is genuinely affected by Data’s act of self-sacrifice,prompting the formerly omnipotent being to leave the Enterprise on a shuttlecraft in an attempt to draw his enemies away. This selfless act impresses the Q Continuum enough that they return Q’s powers, after which he grants Data a moment of genuine laughter as a thank you.
5"Sins Of The Father"
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 17
Although the Klingons were introduced back inStar Trek: The Original Seriesseason 1, theirhome planet of Qo’noSwas not shown on screen until 1990’s “Sins of the Father,” whicha great introduction not only to the Klingon homeworldbut also to the shifting Klingon politics ofTNG’s 24th centuryera. The story begins when Worf’s brother, Kurn (Tony Todd), shows up on the Enterprise as part of the officer exchange program.
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Kurn informs Worf that their family’s honor is being called into question, and Worf convinces Captain Picard to take the Enterprise to Qo’noS.When Kurn is injured during an ambush, Picard steps in as Worf’s Cha’DIch(or second), illustrating how much he respects and supports his crew members. “Sins of the Father” is an incredibly strong episode that teaches Worf the hard lesson that not all Klingons value honor as highly as he does.
4"Sarek"
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 23
Gene Roddenberry initially did not wantStar Trek: The Next Generationto referenceStar Trek: The Original Series, but he began to soften to the idea over time. While Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy) himself will make an appearance inTNGseason 5, it’s hisfather, Ambassador Sarek (Mark Lenard), who gets the spotlight in season 3. Soon afterSarek boards the Enterprise for an important conference,the ship’s crew begins experiencing odd emotional outbursts.
While Mark Lenard is most remembered for portraying Sarek, he also appeared as a Romulan Commander in “Balance of Terror” and a Klingon Captain inStar Trek: The Motion Picture.
Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) eventually discovers that Sarek is suffering from a Vulcan neurological disease known as Bendii syndrome. to maintain his composure during the conference,Sarek agrees to mind meld with Captain Picard,allowing the Enterprise captain to take on Sarek’s strongest emotions. Mark Lenard and Patrick Stewart both deliver powerful performances throughout the episode, with the mind meld scene being a particular highlight.
3"The Offspring"
In another stand-out episode for everyone’s favorite android, Data decides to create an android daughter for himself named Lal (Hallie Todd). After allowing Lal to choose her own gender and appearance,Data spends the rest of the episode teaching Lal how to be human,with hilarious and heartwarming results. When Lal’s programming begins to surpass Data’s, she experiences a cascade failure that even Data cannot repair.
“The Offspring” was the directorial debut of Jonathan Frakes, who has since become one of the franchise’s most beloved and prolific directors.
In one ofStar Trek’ssaddest endings, Lal dies despite everything Data does to save her. Data preserves her memories within his own positronic brain, ensuring that she lives on in some way. After watching “The Offspring,“it’s impossible to deny that Data experiences feelings of some kind,regardless of his protests otherwise. Nearly everything about the episode works, thanks in large part to stellar performances from Brent Spiner and Hallie Todd.
2"Yesterday’s Enterprise”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 15
When the USS Enterprise-D encounters the USS Enterprise-C emerging from a rift in spacetime, the entire future of the Federation is altered. The Enterprise-D is now a warship locked in a years-long conflict with the Klingons, andLt. Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby), who died inTNGseason 1, is back as the ship’s weapons officer.As the Enterprise-D works to repair the C, Yar develops a connection with the ship’s helmsman, Lt. Richard Castillo (Christopher McDonald).
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Captain Picard eventually convincesCaptain Rachel Garrett (Tricia O’Neil)that she has to return through the rift with the Enterprise-C even if it means certain death. The sacrifice of Garrett and her crew will prevent a war with the Klingons that has cost billions of lives.It’s a great premise executed brilliantlythat not only gives viewers the chance to see Yar again but also reveals more about the history of ships named Enterprise.
1"The Best Of Both Worlds, Part I”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 26
Star Trek: The Next Generationseason 3 saved the best for last, delivering a truly spectacular season finale.“The Best of Both Worlds"pits the Enterprise-D against the Borg, who waste no time capturing Picard and assimilating him into their mouthpiece, Locutus.The tension perfectly builds throughout the episode,leading to the moment when Commander Riker gives the order to fire on the Borg cube, knowing that it would mean the death of his captain.
“The Best of Both Worlds, Part I” is a near-perfect hour of television that proves Star Trek: The Next Generation is something truly special.
It’s the perfect cliffhanger ending that left viewers wondering for months whether or not Captain Picard would ever return to the Enterprise. FewStar Trekmoments have become as iconic as the image of Locutus of Borg on the Enterprise viewscreen, telling his friends and former crew members that"Resistance is futile.““The Best of Both Worlds, Part I” is a near-perfect hour of television that provesStar Trek: The Next Generationis something truly special.
