Episode 38
Friday 22 July 2022
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Series 4, Episode 12
Stardate: 44429.6
First broadcast on Monday 28 January 1991
Our Irish lad to the war has gone
On the deck of the Phoenix you’ll find him.
He’s got a song that goes on and on
And a sad backstory behind him.
Marc Alaimo’s here in a silly hat
He’s missed some bits while sha-a-ving.
And Captain Maxwell has shown us that
He’s a dick and he isn’t worth saving.
Episode 75
Friday 28 July 2023
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Series 4, Episode 23
Stardate: 44821.3
First broadcast on Monday 13 May 1991
Star Trek: The Next Generation makes another ill-judged attempt at romance this week, as Beverly Crusher has an eventful two-week relationship with an alien ambassador, Commander Riker, and an attractive young woman, who are all somehow the same person. It all goes as well as you would expect in a series where every episode returns reliably to the status quo before the credits roll.
(Warning: after the closing credits, there are some incidental spoilers for Strange New Worlds Series 2, Episode 7, Those Old Scientists.)
Episode 49
Friday 21 October 2022
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Series 5, Episode 2
Stardate: 45047.2
First broadcast on Monday 30 September 1991
They were victorious. But Enkidu fell to the ground, struck down by the gods. And Gilgamesh wept bitter tears, saying, “He who was my companion, through adventure and hardship, is gone forever.”
Now this is what Star Trek is about — kind, competent people solving a space problem, while learning about the importance of storytelling, connection and understanding. Magnificent.
Episode 110
Friday 17 May 2024
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Series 5, Episode 5
Stardate: 45156.1
First broadcast on Monday 21 October 1991
In this week’s outstanding instalment of Competent People Solving Space Problems, the Enterprise is hit by an unexpected and dangerous premise which separates the crew into five distinct subplots and forces each of them to confront their greatest fears. Deanna contends with yet another fibriform space anomaly, Geordi faces the horrors of a Gilbert and Sullivan patter song, Worf takes on the unlikely and challenging role of midwife, Data finds himself having to leave his genitals in another room, and Picard is trapped in a confined space and compelled to be nice to people for a while.
Episode 97
Friday 9 February 2024
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Series 5, Episode 9
Stardate: 45349.1
First broadcast on Monday 18 November 1991
The absence of Robin Williams and the presence of Rick Berman are both keenly felt this week, as a normal day at the office for the Enterprise-D becomes merely a mildly diverting day at the office. The cause: an elegantly named time-travelling confidence trickster, who nicks a bunch of stuff so he can put it on eBay and pretends that everything here is much more thrilling than it actually is. Let’s say three-and-a-half stars, but two of those stars are for Marina Sirtis’s performance.
Episode 66
Friday 26 May 2023
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Series 5, Episode 13
Stardate: 45470.1
First broadcast on Monday 10 February 1992
This week, the Enterprise crew worry unnecessarily about upending the lives of people living under a weird-ass conservative regime, only to find that those people are desperate to get out and there is no good reason at all to prevent them. Also, Deanna has sex, with unfortunate results.
Episode 25
Friday 22 April 2022
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Series 5, Episode 15
Stardate: 45571.2
First broadcast on Monday 24 February 1992
This week, on Untitled Star Trek Project, Joe and Nathan sit down to watch a sentimental sci-fi favourite from their youth, only to discover that it’s really just a police procedural where some of the regular cast get to do funny voices. Still, they get to see Marina menacing people with a gun, so there’s that, I guess.
Episode 12
Friday 21 January 2022
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Series 6, Episode 26 / Series 7, Episode 1
Stardate: 46982.1
First broadcast on Monday 21 June 1993
and Monday 20 September 1993
After their critically acclaimed attack on Earth on Stardate 44001.4, the Borg are back with a terrifying new plan — to pad out the the running time of the Star Trek: The Next Generation Series 6 finale and Series 7 opener. Meanwhile, Deanna is amused by Data’s porn consumption, Nathan is impressed by Beverly’s approach to command, and Joe is distracted by the memory of much more enjoyable Star Trek episodes.
Episode 24
Friday 15 April 2022
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Series 7, Episode 14
Stardate: Unknown (2370)
First broadcast on Monday 31 January 1994
This week, Star Trek takes its first ill-judged stab at the Gothic romance genre. Will Beverly fall for her dead grandmother’s lover (sorry), a rangily unattractive anaphasic ghost who encourages her to give up her job and to stand by helplessly while he attacks her friends? Or will she learn a valuable lesson about not dating sociopathic men? (Temporarily and no respectively, it turns out.)
Episode 71
Friday 30 June 2023
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Series 7, Episode 19
Stardate: 47653.2
First broadcast on Monday 21 March 1994
Well, everyone hates Genesis obviously, but why? It’s silly, of course, it doesn’t attempt to get the science right, and everyone recovers beautifully during the last ad break. But that’s just Star Trek, isn’t it? Isn’t it?