Nitpicking: The Next Generation

We celebrate the end of one journey and invite you to join us on another. Includes our all-time best and worst 10 episodes, the final version of the lists, and a few words from some of our guests. And please be sure to join us June 2nd for the start of our next adventure!

The story that began with Encounter at Farpoint comes to its inevitable end as we say goodbye to "Star Trek: The Next Generation".

We review the final season, pick our top and bottom episodes, and prepare ourselves for the grand finale.

In this tale of betrayal, we bid farewell to the redoubtable Ro Larren as she finds her loyalties torn between Starfleet and the Maquis.

This bog-standard, tropey episode is like the greatest hits album from the band's back catalogue.

This platonic ideal of a phoned-in episode has a ton of continuity to things you just don't care about.

Alexander's final episode is seventy percent of a good story, ruined by time travel.

In Wesley's final episode, we take an uncomfortable tour through cultural exoticism leading to more trouble with the Cardassians.

Guest commentator Cynthia Taylor joins us for the first episode of TNG she ever saw, in which Crusher resorts to using CRISPR instead of chicken soup.

This Troi episode is a murder mystery involving a gothic romance on a haunted ship that ends in Worf being turned on by murder. Includes guest commentator Ryan Veeder.

The Enterprise is taken over by yet ANOTHER probe, this time turning the ship into the City of the Space Aztecs.

Data practices selective science and Troi finally gets her mind-fuck.

This follow-up to 'The First Duty' gives us a look at how the other half lives.

Join us on Beverly Crusher's -306th birthday as we explore possible THE weirdest relationship in Star Trek history. Recorded before a live studio audience at Giocanni's Room in Philadelphia, courtesy of Philly AIDs Thrift. Includes a Q and A afterwards.

This mockery of 'Who Watches the Watchers' contains what may be our most hated TNG side-character.

In this long-awaited bookend to 'The Icarus Factor,' we finally learn everything we need to know about William Riker.

In an episode of much detail but little plot, we learn that while things generally work out on the Enterprise, events don't conspire quite as well in other universes...

An episode in which we meet Data's mom and find out more about his dad than we ever wanted to know.

This depressing early attempt to grapple with climate change is ultimately a good idea desperately seeking a B-plot.

This episode wraps one of the single best character moments in the whole of TNG in a tortilla of stupid. Includes guest commentator Jill Neff.

The last Lwaxana Troi episode features standout performances by Marina Sirtis and Majel Barrett.

Data started this season by torturing one shipmate and in this science-danger episode, he stabs another.

An episode that almost breaks the two-parter curse with a strong second half, but where we still end up clapping for Tinkerbell.

In this episode of mostly setup, it's another trip to Mos Eisley, except this time the Enterprise crew are the bad guys.

This sad retread of 'Power Play' is a series of opportunities, each one missed.

Once again, shitty aliens fuck with humanity in an attempt to understand them. But at least their intentions were good!

We open the final season of TNG inauspiciously, with the crew dealing with the stupidity they displayed in Part One, all leading to one of the worst examples of the series playing at drama.

In yet another Part One that's mostly setup, Data goes evil again, proving once more that he belongs not in a Starfleet uniform, but in a junkyard.

We say goodbye to one of our favorite characters (Guinan), update our lists, and then take a look ahead at the FINAL season of TNG!

A surprisingly good science-danger puzzlebox with wonderful character moments and a dash of continuity.

When a transport accident (UGH) produces a second Riker, the result is a somehow not-twice-as-bad soap opera plot. Includes guest commentator Cynthia Taylor.

A nice bit of continuity from "Birthright" when Worf's encounter with the second coming of Klingon Jesus threatens to destabilize the political situation on Q'onos.

In one of the best Crusher episodes ever, the doctor finds herself in a gender-swapped noir mystery with a group of alien scientists, none of whom is from a Planet of Hats. Includes guest commentator Ryan Veeder.

A greatest hits of Riker's mediocrity ensues as the unreality of "Future Imperfect" meets the FUBAR of "First Contact" with a light sprinkling of stage insanity.

In this DnD module of an episode, the Enterprise crew searches the galaxy for the answer to a question that doesn't really matter.

Picard gets involved romantically with a fellow crewmember, an episode that promises, but fails to be, to be an interesting coda to 'The Inner Light.'

A 24th-century trip through "Die Hard" as Picard must race against the clock to stop a group of interstellar terrorists, several of whom will die horribly and none of which we will care about. Includes guest commentator Ryan Veeder.

Worf's search for his father ends with speechifying, a not-very-well-kept secret and yet another woman who doesn't get to finish her own story.

The search for Data and Worf's respective fathers, against the backdrop of DS9, becomes two B-plots racing for the bottom.

Q returns to break Picard (and the Nitpicking crew) by crushing us all between a plodding sequence from Picard's past and a horrific, classist take on everyday life in Starfleet. Includes guest commentator Jill Neff.

What do you get when you combine Competent Troi, good writing and the ability to pass the Bechdel Test? One of the best TNG episode EVER! Includes guest commentator Jill Neff. Be sure to stick around at the end for a special musical surprise! (Apologies to "The Patty Duke Show.")

Once again, it's an episode so bad Neil and Dan won't touch it, so it's up to guest commentators Jill Neff and Cynthia Taylor to discuss a murder mystery involving a creepy Geordi LaForge and a Dogus Ex Machina.

Yet another retread when La Forge's inability to lock down his personal files leads to the reappearance of Professor Moriarty. This time with extra recursion!

In our sixth extrasode we take on the last remaining entry in the Star Trek franchise, the Animated Series, with a time-travelling flashback to Spock's childhood.

Picard decides that there are four lights, but we're far more interested in following the trials and tribulations Captain Jellico's thankless work in the ending to this two-parter.

We finally reach the moment that Neil's waited for the entire series: the appearance of Captain Jellico! Oh, and Picard is sent on a secret mission and falls into the hands of the Cardassians or something.

A mash-up of two previous (and pretty good) episodes, minus anything resembling science.

This 24th-century visit to Deadwood is one of the 20% of times that the holodeck tries to murder the crew. Includes guest commentator Victor Rubio.

Two goofy events that would be unlikely anywhere other than on Star Trek lead us to the return of Cranky Picard and guest commentator Cynthia Taylor's favorite line from TNG.

This middle-of-the-road Q episode is the answer to a question no one has asked.