Star Trek: EVERY Season Ranked Worst To Best

This would be a year of famous faces, with Whoopi Goldberg able to develop Guinan in a deeper way than ever before. Stephen Hawking made a cameo appearance in the series finale, while the great James Doohan returned in Relics, as Scotty is found to be alive.

Chain of Command ranks among the greatest of the Next Generation. The script was written by Frank Abatermarco and Jeri Taylor, taking inspiration from both the film Closet Land and The Silence of the Lambs.

Patrick Stewart, a supporter of Amnesty International, prepared for his torture scenes by watching tapes provided by the charity. He had worked with David Warner before, with both actors delivering a powerhouse performance.

Also this year, John de Lancie returned twice as Q, though most memorably in Tapestry. The episode, dealing with the theme of 'there but for the grace of God', stands alongside the likes of It's A Wonderful Life as examples of learning to live with the choices one makes.

The entire cast are given plenty of room to develop their characters and grow on screen, with both Brent Spiner and writer Ronald D. Moore believing that this was the strongest year that the Next Generation had produced.

The Chase finally offers an answer as to why all of the species in Star Trek look alike, allowing for one shining moment Humans, Klingons, Cardassians and Romulans to stand together. Though brief, the scene perfectly encapsulates everything that Gene Roddenberry had envisaged for his future. This was Star Trek