As far as I'm concerned, this episode is the best use of Q in the entire series. He's wise here, but still mischievous, and just the right kind of person to get Picard to begrudgingly learn something about himself and human nature. As he's laughing at the end, I like to think that he's not just laughing at the irony of remaking a decision that he's spent his life regretting, but also at the fact that the Q of Hide and Q has been more complicated than he has given him credit for. Extra credit viewing: here's a hilarious take on the alternate reality created by Q, from the minds of Kris and Scott (Scott and Kris).
4. The Best of Both Worlds, Part I - "Mr. Worf, fire."
As I've mentioned before on this blog, this is the episode that sucked me in to TNG. Honorable mention goes to the Picard touring the ship scene with him and Guinan in Ten Forward, but I've got to give the prize to the cliffhanger that it took me over a year to see the resolution for. It is the crowning moment for the "Riker's career" arc from that episode - one that represents a similar dilemma that Michael Piller faced while writing the episode: he was considering leaving the show after the third season. I'm glad he didn't.
3. The Measure of a Man - "Whole generations of disposable people."
What is this? A second season episode? Perhaps the awkwardness of the episodes surrounding it, and even some of the scenes surrounding this one, serve to elevate it just that much more, but it is already awesome. Data's sentience is on trial, and between courtroom scenes, Picard (who is representing Data) stops to talk with Guinan because he is concerned that he is going to lose the case. That's when she drops in his lap what is not the case-winning argument, but the argument he needs for encouragement - that it is not only Data's sentience that is on trial, but the freedom from oppression for anyone like him. And when her point dawns on Picard, the way she coyly denies that she's suggesting that Data would be a slave is absolute perfection.
2. Darmok - "Perhaps that doesn't matter. You want to hear it anyways."
I'm a fan of this whole episode - being a Trek fan among non-trek fans in junior high and early high school gave me a whole cultural narrative to which no one else but my family could relate. To me, this episode is one of the crowning achievements of the alien-a-week format. I know that not everyone likes it as much as I do, but the way in which it is prophetic of the meme-heavy internet culture is pretty cool. But even for people who just can't suspend disbelief enough to accept the metaphor-speaking aliens, the storytelling scene between Picard and Dathon (the Tamarian captain) has to carry some weight. It is the bridging of the cultural gap, the finding of common ground, the seeking of new life and new civilizations; this is what Star Trek is all about.
1. The Inner Light - The Flute
I could populate this whole list with scenes from this episode, it is just that compelling. If you haven't seen this episode, find it, watch it. The way it draws you in to the whole world that it creates in one sitting, the way your experience with the episode parallels Picard's is just incredible. And when he realizes that he still has a part of that life to take with him... I simply do not have any more words.
So, that's ultimately what I'm looking for in Voyager. I hope that these posts help to illuminate what kinds of things I find exceptional. It certainly has been fun to look back on them fondly.
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