Synopsis:  Picard has to impress a McGuffin by greeting them in their difficult language.  Naturally, he’s trapped on the holodeck.

Memory Alpha Summary: In the 20th century no less!

Review:  This is the first great episode of TNG, and other than nitpicking the vagaries of the universal translator, I can’t find anything negative to say about it.  The pulp environment that’s created is great fun, and I like the character of Cyrus Redblock.  I also love it every time his stooge says, “I really really want to shoot him!” The sheer joy on Picard’s face while interacting with this environment is a similar joy to see, as we’ve been mainly privy to him being stressed and demanding.  Crusher is simultaneously gorgeous and adoringly awkward in her 1930’s attire.  Wesley manages to be helpful but in a self-conscious, realistic fashion.  Just wonderful, and a harbinger of things to come.

Synopsis: In where “Deja” makes no sense in context but hey, “Q!”

Memory Alpha Summary:  Ignore the cameo by Corbin Bernsen

Review:  While not an extraordinarily memorable episode from a conflict standpoint, John De Lancie gives his absolute best performance to date on the show.  This episode is non-stop laughs from start to finish and writer Richard Danus took the “god becomes mortal” concept and executed it with style.  Q is so infectious that every time I watch this episode I shout out in unison:

“Au contraire, mon capitan!  Heeeeee’s baaaack!”

Synopsis: Finally, proof that Picard really is from France.

Memory Alpha Summary: The English accent part of France, but it’s definitely France.

Review: While this episode has virtually nothing to do with space or science-fiction, it had to be done.  After an intense battle where the entire Federation could have been decimated, you can’t just jump right back into more danger.  The crew would need time to decompress, Picard especially, since you know, he was raped and forced to kill thousands of his own people.

The Wesley and Worf subplots are okay; they do address a couple of emotional things that needed addressing, though I wasn’t particularly moved.  Wesley listens to an 18-year old message from his Dad, and I’m like, okay, let’s get back to Picard.  And what another triumph for Patrick exploring his character.  Not only is his steel resolve finally broken (and by probably the most appropriate person—his brother), but it’s made obvious this is something he’ll carry with him his whole life.

Synopsis: Where we learn violence and revenge brings you great rewards!

Memory Alpha Summary:  You don’t mess with the Nausicans.

Review:  I think my one criticism of this episode is that, like Q Who, Q just shows up too damn often.  Granted, it’s his personality to come in and out of scenes when nobody wants him there.  But the more he shows up, the less I can believe that Picard is actually in the past than just reenacting a scene in a play (for Q’s amusement).  Otherwise, every scene is good, and Q is funny as usual (John Luck Pickard!) though I find it kind of off-putting how quickly Marta throws away their friendship without even so much as having a conversation about the one-night stand.  But then, this is the 24^th century where almost nobody in space seems to have relationships, so yeah.  I also didn’t like how Picard more or less calls the jobs of most of the crew that works under him dull and tedious.  Kind of makes you want to be an astrophysicist!

But despite the episode as a whole didn’t sit perfectly with me, I feel the ending moral Picards tells Riker really hits home.

There are many parts of my youth that I’m not proud of… there were loose threads… untidy parts of me that I would like to remove.  But when I pulled on one of those threads…it had unraveled the tapestry of my life.

Synopsis: Data’s asked to forgive Lore for trying to kill all of them.

Memory Alpha Summary: Will and Thomas Riker have a harder time with it

Review:  This is our third episode where Brent plays more than one version of himself, and this is easily the best one.  Not only does he play three different actors on screen, it never becomes painfully obvious, like say, Back to the Future II.  The scene where Data commandeers the ship, impersonating Picard, is brilliantly done.

I find it interesting that Data is okay receiving a computer chip from his creator in order to feel emotions and be more human, but is not okay with Q helping him become more human.

Money Quote by Lore:  Often Wrong’s got a broken heart.  Can’t even tell his boys apart.

Synopsis:  Data’s head comes off.

Memory Alpha Summary: You may now give birth

Review: A very contrived episode, an homage to disaster movies, yet still very fun.  Riker carrying Data’s head around is freaking awesome.  Worf delivering a baby gives him a succession of great one-liners.  And Picard stuck in an elevator shaft with three young children is just ripe a situation as one can get.  Troi commanding the bridge was good for her character development, but not for Ro’s.  And I was annoyed by the Geordi/Beverly situation, especially because they inhale before decompressing the cargo bay.  Nobody on the writing team realized that carrying oxygen in your lungs when exposed to space is a bad idea?

I’m also shaking my head at Picard opening episodes with, “As we’ve finished early with x assignment, our wait for our next assignment will provide a nice respite for the crew.”  That just screams disaster right there.

I love the final scene when the kids present the captain with the plaque.  Heartstring city right there.

Synopsis: Geordi finally gets smooth with a lady.  She’s a hologram, but he totally nails it.

Memory Alpha Summary: I wonder what a hologram looks like through his visor.

Review: Geordi’s utter incompetence on a date is hilarious, and his sidebar comments about it throughout the episode are golden.  “Another woman who won’t get personal with me on the holodeck,” he tells the computer.  Love it.  And I love how he more or less falls in love with his own warp engines.  What a stud.  That said, Susan Gibney does a marvelous job at playing his holographic love interest.

Picard makes a fairly cold comment when told there is no life signs upon an ancient ship, expressing gratitude for it belongs in a museum.  Unfortunately, it winds up being destroyed without a fight with Indiana Jones regarding which museum.  Fortunately, Picard and O’Brien bond about making ships in bottles.  Man, do these guys know how to have a good time, or what?

I also love how Guinan explains to Geordi that physical attraction is the first thing that often matters when it comes to mating.  Good lesson.

Finally, Wesley’s expression when Picard relieves him of the conn is priceless.  “If we all die, it’s not my fault,” is what he is obviously thinking before stepping aside.  It might be Wheaton’s best acting on the series run.

Synopsis: Double your pleasure, double your fun!

Memory Alpha Summary:  Imzadi is back!

Review:  Having two Rikers around is probably dangerous for potential father-in-laws everywhere, but it’s twice as much fun for the rest of us.  Well, except for yet another gushy “Boys! Tee hee!” moment that Troi and Crusher share.

This episode is such a feast for the visuals.  Two Rikers on one screen is nice, but the best parts are the looks William Riker shares with both his twin and Troi throughout the episode.  Like Back to the Future, I feel this episode dances on the edge of some seriously uncomfortable romantic subjects but allows the viewer to sort through them as they please.

I also love how the episode effectively discusses the psychology of finding out one has a twin.  I would imagine it would be easy to be disappointed in what the other person represents about you, and this is played out for all its worth.

My only quibble:  why is this database down on the planet so damn important?  If it’s worth risking the lives of some very important Star Fleet members (including Data, your lone android), it would be nice to know what it is.  As it stands, it’s just a MacGuffin.

Money Quote by Worf:  Fold!!     I love the running joke throughout the series.  Worf never wins a hand.  Never.  And then he draws four cards and Data glares at him like he’s nuts.

Synopsis:  Famke Janssen is hawt.

Memory Alpha Summary:  And was born solely for the purpose of being an ambassador’s arm candy.

Review:  This episode was highly contingent on the actress not only being physically attractive, but being a damn good actress, believably becoming attracted to all sorts of different men.  Janssen knocks it out of the park, as this is for me the most sexually charged episode of the series, while still being dramatic at the same time.  The ending is simply heartbreaking as Picard looks the most vulnerable he’s been since Family.

I read Janssen was considered for Jadzia Dax.  Ferrell was good, but oh man Janssen could have cornered the teenage boy market.  Instead of watching DS9 when I was a teen, I played Final Fantasy.

Money Quote:  Riker to bridge, if you need me I’ll be in Holodeck 4

Depressing Quote:  Ambassador, have a safe trip home.

Synopsis:  The right of machines are questioned, and a Federation scientist is impatient and willful.  Craaazy stuff.

Memory Alpha Summary:  All for one and one for all?

Review: Hey a poker game with a real bet!  Seeing Worf with his beard shaved would have been awesome, but Crusher as a brunette?  No thanks.

The episode starts slow but slowly builds into a fantastic crescendo, reminiscent of its cousin, The Measure of a Man.  Not surprisingly, I find myself moved by another Spiner performance.  Data’s decision to be insubordinate to save the exocomps actually holds some water, and the solution and subsequent climax are perfect.  When Picard tells Data “It was the most human decision you’ve ever made,” I couldn’t agree more.