The family train that is TNG’s fourth season rolls along with “Brothers”, where we learn why Data and Lore both look like that, and “Suddenly Human,” where we learn what happens when someone stabs Picard in the chest. Spoiler: He lives. Also! Someone splatters Wesley with his cream.
The fourth season of TNG starts off with a bang, as Eric Brasure and Richard Goodness delve into “The Best of Both Worlds Part II” and “Family”. Plus! Did Worf have a bar mitzvah?
Richard Goodness is a bit nonplussed this week, as “Transfigurations” features the return of his old enemy, the energy being. It’s not all bad though, because “The Best of Both Worlds” exists. Plus! Richard wants to meet Tuvok.
TNG finally breaks its rule against bringing back characters from The Original Series, and Eric Brasure and Richard Goodness finally break their rule against liking episodes featuring Lwaxana Troi. Why, it must be time for “Sarek” and “Ménage à Troi”. Plus! The Ferengi. Come on.
Star Trek: The Next Generation goes dark this week. In “Hollow Pursuits”, the flip side of the “all hugging” crew is revealed, while in “The Most Toys”, Data decides that sometimes murder is justified. It’s a good thing the Enterprise-D has such a capable counselor!
This week, on The Golden Girls of Star Trek: “Captain’s Holiday”: Picard (Patrick Stewart) needs a vacation and the crew of the Enterprise convince him to go to Risa, where he has an unexpected adventure. Saturday, 8PM EST
“Tin Man”: Tam Elbrun (guest star Harry Groener) visits the Enterprise, where he’s intrigued by Data and an unexpected romantic possibility. Saturday, 9PM EST
Richard Goodness is starting to get pretty excited about Klingons, and Eric Brasure doesn’t get it, which is a problem, since “Sins of the Father” is all about Klingon politics and honor and ZZZZZZZ. Later, in “Allegiance”, a clone of Picard wreaks sexy havok throughout the Enterprise-D.
Take heart, Treakaboutians: TNG is firing on all cylinders this week. First up, “Yesterday’s Enterprise”, which juggles about 17 different things without dropping a one, and manages to redeem the death of Tasha Yar. Then, in “The Offspring”, Data creates an android daughter, and learns to love.
Oh boy, Q is back, and Richard Goodness and Eric Brasure are both so excited. While Richard is busy coming up with alternate titles for “Deja Q” (top candidate: “Oh, the Qmanity!”), Eric talks about how after this episode, Q really has diminishing returns. Meanwhile, in “A Matter of Perspective”, TNG does Rashomon. Plus! Eric doesn’t know what Rashomon is.
We’re almost halfway through the third season of TNG, and it’s time to realize something: the show can have a “meh” episode that’s still pretty good, as “The Hunted” proves. Later, in “The High Ground”, TNG does space Ireland again, but this time, they don’t blow it. Crap. Bad choice of words.