Star Trek The Next Generation: Every Season Ranked

4. Season 7

Star Trek The Next Generation All Good Things
CBS

The Next Generation has the distinction of having the best finale in the Trek franchise to date. The final season of the show took its time in rounding out the stories of the main characters and there were missteps along the way.

Episodes like Sub Rosa, Emergence, Bloodlines and Interface do not show the series at its best, yet Dark Page, Parallels, The Pegasus, Lower Decks, Preemptive Strike and All Good Things all fall in the one season, blowing away any doubt over the quality of the show at that stage.

Here was a year that detailed endings. Troi and her mother finally become as close as they have ever been. Secondary crew members become heroes. Reality bending journeys take Worf into other universes and the wonderful Ro Laren depicts the true conflict that those officers of peace in the Galaxy must feel when they are duty-bound to turn a blind eye to suffering.

However, the show's finale is the pinnacle of the season and very nearly of the series altogether. This was a loving tribute to the show, using time travel to bring back old characters and visit future events. While Star Trek Picard has acknowledged (and undone) some of what was offered here, there are few shots in the Next Generation which can rival the final card game, played by the bridge crew for the last time as the Enterprise flies off into the unknown.

A wonderful ending for a wonderful series.

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"