Star Trek: Every Q Episode Ranked Worst To Best
2. All Good Things
This episode stands as one of the greatest Star Trek episodes of all and the best series finale of any of the shows to date. It serves as the culmination of not only the Next Generation but also the arc of the trial of humanity that began all the way back in Encounter at Farpoint. Judge Q returns, this time offering not just his scathing wit but his help, however cryptic that help comes through.
Varying reports say that de Lancie approached the producers out of a sense of nostalgia and sentimentality upon hearing the show was coming to an end. What is clear is that, perhaps more so than any of the other shows, this finale bookends the show perfectly.
Writer Brannon Braga worked on both this and Star Trek Generations, which was already in production at the same time. All Good Things, in his opinion, ended up being the stronger story of the two. Perhaps this is because it focuses entirely on hitting the right nostalgic beats while still advancing the story.
It is the notion of philosophical exploration that Q manages to encourage here, calling back to the pure Sci-Fi that Roddenberry wanted for the Motion Picture back in '79. While Q may be dismissive of the trials and tribulations of the crew's everyday life, it is only by using the knowledge they have all accumulated in seven years that allows the threat to be overcome.
This episode has continual rewatch value, featuring one of both Patrick Stewart and John de Lancie's finest turns in character.