Star Trek: The Next Generationseason 1 is generally regarded as the show’s weakest season, and some of the season’s episodes can be skipped entirely. Set about one hundred years after the events ofStar Trek: The Original Series,TNGintroduced the world toCaptain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his crewaboard the USS Enterprise-D. WhileTNGwould go on to become one of the greatest science fiction television series of all time, it struggled to find its footing throughout the first season.
Star Trek: The Next Generationseason 1 wasn’t all bad, as it introduced some amazing characters and laid the groundwork for everything that came after. Still, a handful of season 1 episodes are better left forgotten. Borrowing some of the worst aspects ofStar Trek: The Original Series,theseTNGepisodes are at best boring and nonsensical,and at worst downright offensive. Even Patrick Stewart’s always compelling performance as Captain Picard couldn’t saveTNG’sworst episodes, but thebest episodes ofTNGseason 1showed glimpses of the greatness to come.
6"Code Of Honor"
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 1, Episode 4
SeveralStar Trek: The Next Generationcast members have named"Code of Honor" as the series' worst episode, and it’s difficult to argue with them. When the Enterprise visits Ligon II, the planet’s leader, Lutan (Jessie Lawrence Ferguson), becomes infatuated with Lt. Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby) and kidnaps her. From the weird gender roles to the fight-to-the-death,“Code of Honor” employs many ofStar Trek’sworst clichés.
While a story centered on Tasha Yar was welcome, “Code of Honor” doesn’t reveal anything new about the character.Pretty much everything about the episode falls flat,and the decision to cast only Black actors as the primitive Ligonians makes the whole thing feel racist. Aside from a brief scene whereLt. Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton)tries to teach Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) about the nuances of humor, you won’t miss much by skipping this one.
5"Lonely Among Us"
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 1, Episode 7
“Lonely Among Us” may not be as glaringly bad as some of the episodes on this list, but it’s incredibly forgettable and doesn’t offer much that makes it worth watching. The episode centers arounda non-corporeal alien entity that takes possession of several Enterprise crew memberswhile the ship is on the way to a conference. When the Assistant Engineer Singh (Kavi Raz) turns up dead, Captain Picard launches a murder investigation.
In his firstStar Trekappearance, Marc Alaimo portrays Badar N’D’D, one of the Antican delegates. Alaimo would go on to portray a Romulan, a Cardassian, and a human onTNGbefore landing the recurring role of Gul Dukat onStar Trek: Deep Space Nine.
The two alien delegations on board are prime suspects, butData embraces his inner Sherlock Holmesto determine that they are not responsible. At one point,Picard merges with the entity and briefly becomes pure energy,before Data restores him using the transporter. Ultimately, “Lonely Among Us” is mostly just padding, and aside from Data’s newfound love of Sherlock Holmes, the episode doesn’t reveal anything new or interesting about its characters.
4"Justice"
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 1, Episode 8
Wil Wheaton’s Wesley Crusher became one ofStar Trek: The Next Generation’sleast popular characters, and episodes like “Justice” certainly did not help endear him to fans. When Wesley breaks a law on Rubicun III by accidentally crushing a flower bed,the Edo people sentence him to death.Captain Picard must then find a way to save Wesley without completely disregarding Starfleet’s Prime Directive.
While there is an interesting ethical question buried somewhere in “Justice,” the episode never really finds its footing. The premise is silly (and the Edo’s outfits certainly don’t help), and the use of thePrime Directive is inconsistentat best. WhilePicard delivers a decent speech,the Enterprise captain will deliver much stronger ones in the future, leaving “Justice” as an episode that can easily be skipped.
3"Angel One"
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 1, Episode 14
Like “Code of Honor,” “Angel One” remains one ofStar Trek: The Next Generation’smost criticized episodes. The story centers onCommander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes)as he embarks on a romance with the leader of a society controlled by women. While “Angel One” was ostensibly attempting to critique traditional roles,the final result ends up being incredibly sexist,with very few redeeming qualities.
According toCaptains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages,TNGproducer and writer Maurice Hurley described “Angel One” as:“Terrible. Just terrible. One of the ones you’d just as soon erase.”
“Angel One” employed some of the worst tropes fromStar Trek: The Original Series,producing an episode thatmanages to be simultaneously boring and offensive.Any attempt at celebrating women is undercut by the fact that Riker is the one who delivers the final speech and saves the day. Aside from mentioning Romulans for the first time onTNG,“Angel One” has few connections to the greaterStar Trekuniverse, making it a prime candidate to skip.
2"Too Short A Season"
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 1, Episode 16
While there are some interesting elements in “Too Short a Season,” the episode ultimately doesn’t have much to offer. When Admiral Mark Jameson (Clayton Rohner) comes aboard the Enterprise to deal with a hostage negotiation, he begins taking a drug that reverses his aging.Captain Picard and his crew take a backseat to Jameson,but the admiral does not make a compelling lead, and Rohner’s performance is not strong enough to carry the episode.
One would think a drug that can reverse aging would warrant more interest from the Federation, but the drugs Jameson uses are never referenced again.
WhileJameson’s history with Karnas(Michael Pataki) and the people of Mordan IV has the potential to be a compelling story,Jameson comes across as incredibly unlikable throughout the episode.Because Jameson’s story takes up most of the screen time, “Too Short a Season” doesn’t even have any nice character movements with the regular cast to make it worth watching. Trust us when we say you won’t miss much by skipping this one.
1"We’ll Always Have Paris"
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 1, Episode 24
While there’s nothing particularly terrible about “We’ll Always Have Paris,” it’s a forgettable episode that ultimately doesn’t add anything to the overall story ofStar Trek: The Next Generation. The episode features the return of one ofCaptain Picard’s former flames— a woman named Jenice (Michelle Phillips), who is now married to scientist Dr. Paul Manheim (Rod Loomis). WhenManheim’s experiments begin causing strange temporal distortions,Data and the Enterprise crew work to find a solution.
It’s interesting to get a glimpse into Picard’s life before the Enterprise, but “We’ll Always Have Paris” doesn’t reveal much, and Jenice is never referenced again. The time skips that happen throughout the episode are kind of fun, but ultimately, “We’ll Always Have Paris” falls flat and ends with a whimper. While not every episode ofStar Trek: The Next Generationneeded to offer profound insight about humanity, some episodes don’t have much of anything to offer and can easily be skipped.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Cast
Star Trek: The Next Generation follows Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew aboard the USS Enterprise NCC-1701D as they embark on interstellar explorations, seeking out new worlds and civilizations.
