10 Dumbest Things In Star Trek: The Next Generation

In “Balance of Terror,” Dr. McCoy advises dear Captain Kirk that, “In this galaxy, there's a mathematical probability of three million Earth-type planets. And in all of the universe, three million million galaxies like this. And in all of that, and perhaps more, only one of each of us.” Just one, you say, Bones?

The Next Generation proves the lie to that pep-talk. We run into Data’s “dad” (Dr. Noonien Soong), Data’s evil twin (Lore, who shows up repeatedly!), and a simulacra of Data’s “mother.” We also run into Riker’s dad (who, it turns out, had a go with Dr. Pulaski). Worf runs into both his Klingon brother, Kurn, and his adopted human brother, Nikolai. Picard runs into his mentor, Galen, and Jenice Manheim, an old flame from his Starfleet Academy years. A few years after Tasha Yar’s shocking death, the crew runs into her sister, Ishara. Troi’s mother finds a way to show up a record six times (it helps if you’re married to The Great Bird, we suppose). What are the odds? 

But that’s not all. In the course of seven years, the Enterprise-D crew encounters several major players from the original series, including Leonard McCoy, Montgomery Scott, Mr. Spock, and Spock’s father, Ambassador Sarek. It’s kind of a wild coincidence considering the show takes place seven decades plus after the original series.

Good thing no one ever asks Data what the odds are on all these chance encounters—they’re so astronomical, if the good android had to calculate them, even he would have to blush.