The DVD Dissection - The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation

Posted by Chad Webb on 05.13.2009

How does "The Best of TNG" compare to the best episodes "The Original Series" had to offer? Click to find out!

Patrick Stewart: Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes: Commander William T. Riker
LeVar Burton: Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Marina Sirtis: Counselor Deanna Troi
Brent Spiner: Lt. Commander Data
Michael Dorn: Lt. Worf
Gates McFadden: Doctor Beverly Crusher
Majel Barrett: Enterprise Computer
Wil Wheaton: Wesley Crusher
Created By: Gene Roddenberry
DVD Release Date: May 12, 2009
DVD Running Time: 181 minutes
Not Rated

The Series

I was never a Trekkie. When I was growing up, Star Trek: The Next Generation was the current running Star Trek series. I suppose I knew of the original cast members as a child, and was aware of the movies, but a trip to the movies in my youth did not include Star Trek. I ignored it. The Next Generation felt like it was always on television. Whenever I would sit down to watch the tube, chances are an episode would be rolling. Without hesitation, I would change the channel. To me, it seemed boring.

I had a pretty narrow minded perspective of Star Trek during my elementary and middle school years. Not many people in my area enjoyed it, or at least if they did, they never admitted it. My first full glimpse at that universe was 6th grade when we were permitted to do a project on something we collected, or a hobby. One kid brought in all of his Star Trek memorabilia, action figures, models, and VHS tapes. At the time, the franchise was up to Generations. I thought it was funny, and did not think much about it. I did my project on my vast collection of pogs at the time. Who’s laughing now?

More Star Trek movies and shows came and went, and I went on without paying much attention. I never saw an entire episode of any series, and never once watched a movie. But then I was hired to write for 411mania, and I met George Sirois, a passionate Star Trek fan. I had heard him talk about the movies and shows before, and decided it would be wise to finally break down and delve into the franchise. So that’s what I did. I have seen all the movies and a handful of episodes, which makes me more of a casual fan than a full blown Trekkie, which may or may not be a nice term these days.

I’ll say one thing for these “Best of” sets. They won me over because now I would like to purchase and watch the shows from the first season onward. If they weren’t so damned expensive, that would be easy.

The Next Generation premiered September 28, 1987, and was of course created by Gene Roddenberry. The series is set 70 years after the original Star Trek, and the events occur in the 24th century. The premiere drew 27 million viewers, and in first-run syndication, it was the longest running Star Trek series with 178 episodes spanning 7 seasons. It is also very popular in reruns.

Initially, Roddenberry declined to be involved, but changed his mind due to being unhappy with early conceptual work. He hired a number of Star Trek veteran crew members, but the first season was heavily criticized and suffered because of writers disputes with Roddenberry. During the second season, the show underwent significant changes, and eventually took off. The series would go on to be nominated for and win many different awards.

This crew is definitely a bit larger than TOS, and since the show ran longer, many characters entered and exited, so here I will only display the main ones. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) is the Captain and Commanding Officer, William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) is the First Officer, Geordi LaForge (LeVar Burton) is the Chief Engineer, Commander Worf (Michael Dorn) is the Chief of Security and Tactical Officer, Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) if the Chief Medical Officer, Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) is the Ship’s Counselor, and Data (Brent Spiner) is the Second Officer and Chief Operations Officer and Chief Science Officer. Other characters you’ll spot in these episodes are Wesley Crusher (Will Wheaton) the Conn Officer, Miles O’Brien (Colm Meaney) the Transport Chief, and Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) the Bartender.

Patrick Stewart repeats the same voiceover during the opening credits as William Shtaner did in The Original Series. The Enterprise D is a ship meant for exploration and diplomacy, but it also used in combat situations. The series has inspired numerous novels and websites. This DVD set includes 4 of the best episodes for sure. They were not chosen at random. They all deserve to be there.

The Episodes

The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1
Season 3, Episode 26
Original Air Date: June 16, 1990
Directed By: Cliff Bole

Responding to a distress call on one of the Federation's outer-most colonies, the Enterprise arrives quickly, but discovers a big hole in the ground where the town used to be. Admiral J. P. Hanson (George Murdock) boards the ship to investigate this situation. The Borg is suspected. Before this is confirmed, he points out that Commander Riker has turned down the Captain post for the third time because he prefers the Enterprise. Eventually a Borg ship is found, and a battle ensues which has the Enterprise drawing the Borg away. At the same time, a Commander Shelby (Elizabeth Dennehy) has joined the crew, and she and Riker bump heads right away. When the Borg contacts the Enterprise, and requests that Captain Picard to come aboard for discussions, it is apparent that nothing will be discussed. They take him captive, and intend to turn him into a Borg. Suddenly, Riker becomes Captain, and must handle the dilemma on his own.

I’m glad I finally had the opportunity to see this episode. I have heard about it for so long. I always liked the Borg as an enemy. This storyline balanced a lot of sub-plots, and still managed to flow well and be entertaining. Having Picard being turned into a Borg is an outstanding premise, one that was utilized well for a two-parter. Riker’s issues with being Captain were engaging, but Commander Shelby was slightly irritating.

The Best of Both Worlds, Part 2
Season 4, Episode 1
Original Air Date: September 22, 1990
Directed By: Cliff Bole

Riker has no choice but to fire on the Borg ship even though he knows Picard is on board. Picard is now a Borg, and calls himself Locutus. Admiral Hanson says rescue ships are on the way, but soon enough the war finds the ship Hanson is on and it is not going well. Shelby is made first officer, and she and Riker somehow work together. The crew continues to think of ways to successfully land a shot at the Borg, such as random phaser settings. Locutus refuses to meet any terms, and the battle continues. They know that the Borg are aware of everything Picard knew of as Captain, but they want to get him back because he might have information on the Borg. Data and Dorn beam aboard the Borg ship to retrieve Picard/Locutus, and hopefully save him.

This was supposed to be a 3-part episode, but budgetary concerns prevented that. The script was written by Michael Piller, a writer who only signed on for the show for one year, but Gene Roddenberry was so impressed with the cliffhanger episode that ended season 3, that he hired him to contribute more. Having that cliffhanger at the end of a full season, forcing fans to wait months is torture. Nonetheless, this was an excellent pair of episodes, ones that covered responsibility, strategy, and getting along with co-workers. Riker was always one of my favorite characters on this series, and this was certainly his time to shine. The action was magnificent here as well.

Yesterday’s Enterprise
Season 3, Episode 15
Original Air Date: February 17, 1990
Directed By: David Carson

A rift in space causes the Enterprise C to enter the Enterprise D’s time and location. As they enter this new time period, the Enterprise D, with Picard as Captain, changes immediately. Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby) is back on the crew, and the ship is not meant for peace, but for war, with the Klingons specifically. The only person that understands that something has gone wrong is Guinan, who can only attempt to convince Picard due to her instincts. Meanwhile, the Enterprise C’s Captain is severely injured, and her first officer, Lt. Castillo (Christopher McDonald) is basically in charge. He and Lt. Yar form a connection. In the end, Picard must decide on the course of the Enterprise C, and whether or not to believe Guinan's advice.

This story is intriguing because it experiments with time, something the new Star Trek film does as well. Time travel is an easy subject to delve into, especially with a series set in space. What I loved about this episode is how it addresses the necessary questions. How would anyone know the present has been changed? Should things be changed back to normal even if it means death? The Original Series played with this too, but this episode was just as effective. Plus, it has Shooter McGavin, and that is always a bonus. The performances in this one were terrific by everyone, especially the guest stars. One of the best things the Star Trek saga has done is touch and examine the past and future, thus expanding and deepening its own universe.

The Measure of a Man
Season 2, Episode 9
Original Air Date: February 11, 1989
Directed By: Robert Scheerer

Commander Bruce Maddox (Brian Brophy) is on board the Enterprise, and his goal is to disassemble Data in hopes that the intricacies of his head will give him the information he needs to create more androids similar to Data. Data refuses this proposition, but it quickly becomes an order. Instead of being subjected to Maddox’s experiments, which he believes are not intelligently thought out, he resigns from Starfleet. The problem is, maybe he can’t resign. JAG Captain Phillipa Louvois (Amanda McBroom) determines that he is the property of Starfleet, and consequently cannot make his own decisions. Picard challenges this, and the matter goes to court, where the policy causes Riker to act as the prosecution. Meanwhile, the fate of Data, and all the experiences and friendships he has acquired, hang in the balance.

This is easily the best episode of this disc, and I would wager, one of the best of The Next Generation series. I’ll explain why. Knowledge of most characters, and the details of this universe are not as necessary, and that makes this accessible. Anyone, even people who have never cared for Star Trek could watch this episode and be entertained. The courtroom sequences are riveting, and I was mesmerized by how this story forced certain characters in positions that were uncomfortable. This explores Picard’s temper, and Riker’s adherence to the rules in a most adept fashion. As I have always said with movies set in the courtroom, it gives the actors a better chance to flaunt their skills, and Patrick Stewart takes full advantage of that. Riker’s performance was superior in the court I feel because it was subtler and understated. The ending verdict could have resulted in an over the top reaction from Maddox, but thankfully the way they chose to wrap it up made sense.

The Video

Star Trek: The Next Generation has not had all that many releases, on DVD, but was readily available on VHS. It has yet to appear on Blu-Ray. This show did not require as much treatment and cleansing as The Original Series. The production values were better and the special effects make for superior picture quality. Nevertheless, this has been worked on and the result is surprisingly clear, detailed, and colorful. The special effects blend seamlessly with the proceedings. You will not notice wear and tear related to the age of the series, and you will not be bothered by any washed out look. This was an update given special care and consideration. The enhancements are fantastic, and they have presented in a full frame format.

The Audio

The original mono soundtrack has been improved to a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, which spices up the audio marvelously. Star Trek has plenty of explosions that are rendered loud and distinct, but the whizzing by of the ship, the background noise, and other sound effects likes the phasers and whatnot, are all solid in the sound department. The dialogue is incredibly lucid and understandable, the subtitles are adequate, and the audio is free of unnecessary distortion. The rich sound gives the speakers a nice workout. Overall, not much has been altered since the first upgrades to these DVDs, and it really makes no difference because it looks gorgeous for standard players. This contains subtitles in English.

The Packaging

The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation is distributed in a standard black keep case. Inside are advertisements for future Star Trek releases. The cover art is fairly general, but sleek and cool looking at the same time. The menu screens are very easy to navigate.

The Extras

No bonus features have been included unfortunately.

The Show: 9.5/10.0
The Episodes: 10.0/10.0
The Video: 9.0/10.0
The Audio: 8.0/10.0
The Packaging: 7.5/10.0
The Extras: 0.0/10.0

The 411: I’m not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but if I had to pick the superior show between The Original Series and The Next Generation, based on these episodes which are meant to be the best they have to offer, I would go with the latter. The characters on The Original Series are more engaging, but the production efforts and writing of TNG are more improved from the 1966 series. As I said before, this is a superb DVD set if you are just getting into Star Trek. The episodes are entertaining, and you will not be confused by the plots. This DVD, like the other one, is around $10 or $15 depending on where you shop, and considering the quality of the storylines, you are getting your money’s worth.

Final Score:  8.5   [ Very Good ]