Synopsis:  McCarthyism, circa 2367.

Memory Alpha Summary:  With the first link, the chain is forged.

Review:  I am so glad they waited until season four to do something like this.  Had this been set in season one, the preachy factor would have been through the roof.  As it stands, Picard realizes that humans are still capable of yielding to their most destructive fears, even in the 24^th century.  Jean Simmons is an awesome guest star.  And while Earl Billings doesn’t even get a line as Admiral Henry, his role is awesome as well.  Courtroom scenes can be so gauche, yet the writers here pull out another gem, partly because they knew to give all the best lines to Picard.  It’s not quite as emotional as in Measure of a Man, but it’s more realistic and perhaps more relevant to our times.

Synopsis: Wesley finally gets his ass handed to him.

Memory Alpha Summary: He had to kill someone to do it, but still.

Review:  Not coincidentally, it is easily the best Wesley episode out there.  He actually acts like a real kid who fucks up instead of Superboy.  He doesn’t act like he’s in authority when he’s not.  In fact, he’s Tom Paris’s Nicolas Locarno’s bitch.  He gets appropriately punished.  Picard’s admonishment is fantastic, his anger terrifying. Beverly still feels her son is Superboy up until he admits the truth, but she’s probably still got the guilt complex over not being home enough, so hey.

One thing that felt off to me is that Picard was notified of Crusher’s near death before his mother was.  In fact, Picard was essentially told to tell Beverly what happened.  That’s just weird.

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.