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Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 6 Review

The sixth season of Star Trek: The Next Generation is the most uneven one in the show’s run where the first half of it was rather weak and the second half was actually terrific.

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“It’s going to take…

a little time to explain, Number One“

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Time’s Arrow, Part II is the conclusion to the finale of the last season which I did not care for and the same goes for this one. It’s too silly and stupid. The weakest episode of the season for sure. Realm of Fear is not bad, but it’s rather forgettable. Man of the People is a pretty solid episode with Deanna being the center of it thankfully.

Relics is overly action-oriented whereas Schisms is pretty strong and hallucinatory with Riker being so memorable in what is his most heavy season where he got many great installments. True Q is better than most episodes of his, but I still don’t care for his character. Rascals is so ludicrous that I can’t even begin to describe how unfitting it is for this particular show.

A Fistful of Datas has a winning premise well utilized in its span of forty five minutes. The Quality of Life is another Data-heavy episode which explores his morality very strongly. Chain of Command is quite good in Part I, and Part II features some of the most brutal and dark scenes in the history of the show for solid effect. Ship in a Bottle is another forgettable Holmes episode.

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Aquiel is actually a pretty solid Geordi episode, even if it’s regular in the sense it includes him falling in love with a dangerous woman once again. Face of the Enemy features for once action-oriented role for Deanna and I really liked it. This is where the season starts being great.

Tapestry features the finest use of Q yet by far and his conversations with Picard here are terrific. Both Part I and Part II of Birthright are strong hours of drama television with Worf being particularly well utilized here. Lessons is rather romantic and wonderfully acted by Patrick Stewart. The Chase is more scientific in approach which I really dug.

Frame of Mind is trippy and weird with Riker being once again superb. I love how much they used him in this season as he’s one of my faves. Suspicions is awesome! Here Beverly Crusher must solve the murder of a Ferengi scientist and she killed it here. The acting is great, but I loved how smart and capable she was written to be here and genuinely heroic. It’s by far her finest hour in the entire show and it’s a shame that she did not get more to do otherwise.

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Rightful Heir is one of those dramatic Worf storylines which again works because it’s so well written in dialogue and in characterization. Second Chances is the weakest and most uninspired Riker episode of this bunch. Timescape is terrific though as it explores superbly the concept of a time freeze and it’s a thrilling story for sure. I also really liked The Descent, Part I which served well as the finale and is so well scripted, albeit somewhat difficult to buy when it comes to Data being sadistic.

Overall, this season started off rather clumsily, but it eventually became better to the point of becoming great in some awesome episodes. Riker is particularly strong here whereas both of the women got more proactive roles which was certainly a nice change in pace.

Worst Episodes: Time’s Arrow, Part II and Rascals.

Best Episodes: Suspicions and Timescape.