195 replies to this topic

[Cleo256]

I've always liked Season 5 best. I think it's got some of the strongest episodes and the best production quality. "Darmok", "Disaster", "Unification", "Power Play", Cause and Effect", "I, Borg", "The Next Phase", and "The Inner Light". All classics.

I like "I, Borg". Some people don't care for the humanization of the Borg, but I think it's part of Trek's message. Our enemies, no matter how strange and alien they are or how badly they want to hurt us, are ultimately just people too.

[frenchtoast]

I always liked "I, Borg" as well. I don't know that they humanized the Borg as much as demonstrated what it really meant to be Borg, to essentially be trapped by the Collective and the loss of individuality. By showing Hugh regaining his indviduality it seemed to make more of an statement of what he lost, if that makes any sense.

And Geordi was actually nice in that episode. Hunh.

I can't say which season I liked best, but the episodes you listed are certainly some of my favorites, especially "Darmok", "Inner Light", and the aformentioned "I, Borg".

Edited by frenchtoast, Mar 17, 2005 @ 3:46 PM.

[Curare]

I liked that scene in I, Borg where Picard says, "The moral thing isn't always the right thing." No truer thing has ever been said on TV.

[jazmyne]

I'm in the middle of watching S5, thanks to Spike TV and the big-ass hard drive in our hacked TiVo, and it is full of my favorite episodes. "Darmok," "I, Borg," "The Perfect Mate," "Unification," "Cost of Living." Actually, looking through the list of S5 episodes, there are only one or two that I don't like. I think there's great character development, good stories, and the cast seems to be working well together. Troi's hair is completely out of control, but it was 1992- I think there are a lot of us who were around in the late 80s, early 90s who would have to admit that our hair was a little on the huge side.

[kat_may]

I agree that Season 5 is probably the most solid. Looking through an episode list, they're all quality, most are great. I didn't care too much for "Hero Worship," but that's it. This season probably had the most Ro, too, right? Always good.

[tothemax]

I liked Hero Worship because I just substituted myself for the kid.

[Make It So]

I love "Darmok". It touches me, especially considering that PaulWinfieldAlien dies just to make first contact. Sniffle. MIS, his heart sad, his eyes wet.

Also liked "I, Borg" and "Inner Light".

[cjl]

The Inner Light is my favorite episode of TNG, bar none. It was a profound, life-changing experience for Picard, and even better, the producers acknowledged that impact and (in later seasons) showed how his life as Kamen affected his life as Picard. So many times, a TV character goes through a life-changing experience in an episode, only to have it forgotten in the next.

[tothemax]

So many times, a TV character goes through a life-changing experience in an episode, only to have it forgotten in the next.

This is especially of TNG, especially with the love-of-my-life storylines.

[joanie42]

I agree that 'The Inner Light' is astonishingly good TV. When I first saw this, I commented that it was the best single drama episode I'd ever seen, and after many repeat viewings, I still feel that way. I prefer this style of sci-fi writing to the more violent "shoot-em-up" stuff that is often on TV.

[Gilmel]

I agree that "The Inner Light" is excellent. I think, though, that in addition to the story, the music adds an element of emotion that the other aspects of the episode could not do alone. I don't think the episode would be quite as good without Picard's flute tune.

Edited by Gilmel, Jul 28, 2005 @ 3:26 PM.

[BigBeagle]

My "Inner Light" lurve is boundless -- from the story itself, to Stewart's acting, to the awe-inspiring concept of receiving a lifetime's worth of memories in only a few minutes, to that final scene, showing the Enterprise receding into space while the flute plays in the background.

Gosh, it was an outstanding hour of television.

[lorien829]

"The Inner Light" has got to be one of my all-time favorites. I used to hum the flute tune to get my babies to sleep at night.

Edited by lorien829, Jul 28, 2005 @ 6:48 PM.

[Make It So]

As sad as that is, it was even sadder that they made Ashley Wesley's girlfriend in "The Game". Yeah - that's believable.

[meganishki]

My dad's a teacher (grades 6-12, depending on what he's teaching), and he uses "Darmok" in his English classes to demonstrate metaphor and language. Yeah, Star Trek is a staple in my family's world!

[Harrison Fjord]

As sad as that is, it was even sadder that they made Ashley Wesley's girlfriend in "The Game". Yeah - that's believable.

Actually, I think it totally is. Both of them are outrageous MarySues. Better they hook up with each other than dilute the gene pool for the rest of humanity.

Actually, even in first run, I hated the game, but I was in love with Robin (didn't realize what an MS she was until later). I was kind of hoping that she might have come back for Nemesis, but since Wes' scenes were all cut, hers would have been too.

Edited by Harrison Fjord, Jul 30, 2005 @ 1:44 PM.

[Make It So]

Mary Sue. Heh.

They did make Ashley kind of a geek in those eps, so I guess the Wesley pairing was a bit believable, since he was the uber geek.

[Cleo256]

I thought Ashley Judd was super-adorable in "The Game". As I've always said, as annoying as Wesley can be, he has excellent taste in women.

[Harrison Fjord]

Watching "Cause and Effect". I love time-loop stories, almost just on principle. Don't know why. This one is no exception, even though it doesn't feature any scenes nearly as classic as playing golf through the StarGate.

It reminds me of something I loved about the 5th season though: the opening credits, when they added the streaks coming off the title card. I remember thinking, back in '91, just how awesome that was, largely because it was a change, and Trek just didn't change back then, except for uniforms.

Sadly, I would grow to realize over the next decade that opening credit and uniform changes were about the limit to which any Trek, except DS9, would be allowed to change beyond its premise.

[Cleo256]

It reminds me of something I loved about the 5th season though: the opening credits, when they added the streaks coming off the title card.

I actually just saw an episode the other day with the streaks and remembered how much I hated them. I think they changed them back later, right? They're only around for part of the 5th season or so.

[dbrugg]

That and Picard's uniform jacket.

[joanie42]

Just finished watching 'The Inner Light' on Spike, and I'll say it again: simply the best episode of TV ever made. Every time I watch it, I notice new tiny nuances in the acting. Just astonishingly good. And of course, it always makes me cry. I'll take this type of sci-fi over the shoot em ups and Scotty-stuck-in-the-transporter any day!

[AdrienneP]

Wow, so glad to find this thread.

Darmok and The Inner Light are my 2 fav episodes; my favorite of any particular day depends on my mood when you ask me.

Darmok, that a whole species would go to such lengths for simple communication, understanding, just floored me. I always imagined Paul Winfield's character to be the Picard of his world, and his quiet, inner strength and fierce desire to connect still resonate with me.

The Inner Light. Man, I cried when I first saw that one. With almost the same principle as Darmok, that a race of people would want so much to connect and share themselves, and have something of them live on in the memory of another... And I agree, that flute at the end does it to me every time. I'm getting teary now just typing.

I don't always catch TNG on Spike, but those are the first 2 episodes I look for. They don't seem to show them as much as other episodes, but when they ARE on, I call my sisters, my mom... "Shaka, when the walls fell" is a family quote.

Okay, today's favorite episode is The Inner Light. I'd say it, and the Six Feet Under finale this past Sunday night are probably 2 of the best episodes ever on television.

Too bad TNG never got the awards/Emmy recognition it deserved.

Edited by AdrienneP, Aug 26, 2005 @ 6:24 PM.

[Cleo256]

TNG did get nominated for best drama at the Emmy awards for its final season. That's an honor that few other sci-fi shows can claim.

Edited by Cleo256, Aug 29, 2005 @ 3:40 PM.

[Yountfan]

It's a shame that nomination came during one of the top 2/3 weakest seasons.

[Cleo256]

It was really more of an honorary nomination for the series as a whole. For the kind of quality they had in Season 5. (Hooray for finding a path back to the topic!)

[Cybaritique]

Just watched "Conundrum" this afternoon. Is it just me, or does the Lysian's command center look a lot like the Edo's God from season 1's "Justice?" Shame on TNG for shameless prop recycling! ;-)

Troi's hair is completely out of control, but it was 1992

Actually, I thought that Season 5 was the first season that Troi's hair looked halfway decent. Season 1 of course had her in that ridiculous bun, but seasons 2 through 4 just had her hair hanging kind of limp and ratty. At least in S5, she got some curl and some volume. I also enjoyed watching her give that telepathic rapist quite the butt-kicking in "Violations" (even if he did eventually toss her across the room). Heh...maybe she started taking Worf's self-defense classes after "QPid," when she discovered that she was only good for bashing flower pots against people's heads.