FULL DISCUSSION - TNG Season 6 Recap & Top 10 Episodes

I always used to say season 6 was my favourite, partly because everyone else loved season 4. But after watching through season 4 with you, I started to think maybe everyone was right... Thankfully, season 6 has been newly reaffirmed as my favourite season of TNG! It was a pleasure watching it alongside you, seeing your reactions, and hearing your discussions.

The thing I don't like about Chain of Command is the torture. It's well done, all that, I just don't enjoy watching torture. I skip that 2 parter on rewatches for that reason.

I wonder if TA has a separate comment section where we fans could talk between ourselves about them watching the show. We'd be able to talk openly about things to come without spoiling anything to them. It that too meta? lol

I remember reading an interview with Brent Spiner in one of the Star Trek fanzines in which he said that Season Six was his favorite season. I have to admit that watching this season through Josh’s and Alex’s eyes gave me a greater appreciation of Six. For me, Season Three will always be my favorite, but Season Six is definitely a close second!

Remember guys, the whole purpose of Science Fiction is to look at ourselves thru a vastly unique perspective. Not the technobabble, not the fancy special effects, only the human experience.

Nothing pisses me off more than when the spoiling numbnuts think they're so smart...

I guess I forgot how stacked this season was until I started prewriting all my patron takes. Still doesn't beat season 3 for me, I just love the vibe of that season. But this might take a close second.

Second best TNG season for me after No. 3. Great roundup!

I'm surprised 'Face of the Enemy' didn't score higher with either the TA or the patrons. "I WILL HAVE YOU EJECTED INTO SPACE, IS THAT CLEAR SUB COMMANDER?!!" This was a breakout performance for Troi that had her find a confidence and resolve that she had never deferred to before. Compare this to how passively she commanded O'Brien and Ro, or how she withdrew when she lost her empathic powers. In this we see her rise to an impossible occasion, in a performance made stellar by her range and growth over just 40 minutes. I know no one hates it, honorable mentions in a stacked season and all, but seeing Troi go toe to toe with a powerfully adversarial Romulan Commander on their own turf and bluff her way to victory is unlike any thing short of Kirk in the 'Corbonite Maneuver' and I'm shocked it didn't rate higher. If you are naming the key memorable episodes in TNG I can't fathom many in season 6, (obvious merits aside), touching your tongue in conversation before the one where Troi steals command of a Romulan Warbird and lives to boast about it. 'A Fist Full of Datas' is just awesome, 'Frame of Mind' is great TV, but 'Face of the Enemy' is Troi's 'Tapestry' and she blows it out of the water.

Definitely the best season of TNG. Much more consistent throughout than season five which for whatever reason is considered the best by a lot of people.

Two Q episodes plus a new “Q” character; two Barclay episodes; the return of Professor Moriarty; Scotty; visit to DS9 & Dr Bashir; Stephen Hawking; Thomas Riker; Lessons; and THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!!!

Seasons 4 & 6 of TNG are my favorites. The only episodes of S6 that I didn’t like were “Man of the People” and “Aquiel”.

Also, I'm gonna say, regarding Nu'daq(however the guy's name is spelled) from The Chase, I'm not saying you have to like the character, but at least the attempt to add some variety to the klingons deserves some respect. Sure, it doesn't always work great, like in The Chase or Unification. Gowron is a much better example of a unique klingon that works. But if EVERY klingon had the same "rah, rah, muh honor" schtick, it would get fucking boring fast. There's a million different kinds of people in the world. Humans aren't in any way monolithic, and aliens shouldn't be either. Romulans can't all be Machiavellian schemers, Cardassians can't all be space nazis(see Duet), and Klingons can't all be stereotypical space vikings. You gotta add variety. If you're doing that, some attempts will fall short.

I'm really, really surprised that S6 (second half) wasn't hyped for you both beforehand.

Josh Alex Patrons 10 - Suspicions Schisms Schisms 9 - Relics Fistful of Datas Timescape 8 - Ship in A Bottle Relics Frame of Mind 7 - Frame of Mind Quality of Life Face of the Enemy 6 - Fistful of Datas Chain of Command Second Chances 5 - Quality of Life Frame of Mind Ship in A Bottle 4 - Second Chances Ship in A Bottle Relics 3 - Chain of Command Lessons Lessons 2 - Tapestry Tapestry Tapestry 1 - Lessons Second Chances Chain of Command I'm honestly a little shocked. 3 top 10 lists, and only 13 episodes between them, and even the eps that were only on 1 list were still in the honorable mentions. This is probably the closest that all 3 lists have aligned yet. I would have thought for sure that with the prevalence of high quality eps in S6 there would have been more variety, but I guess we all agree that even in a season this good, the eps listed above still stand out from the pack.

I'm glad Suspicions made your top 10 Josh, i loved it, and it was my 11th.

i don't know exactly how the filming coincided, but you mentioned Michelle Forbes, in 93 she starred in the film, Kalifornia alongside my favourite actress, Juliette Lewis. It's my second favourite movie that year after True Romance.

I hate Aquiel so much I didnt watch your reaction. Sorry :)

If Picard never tells anyone about what happened to him in Inner Light, he just shit on the last hopes of a dying world.

Season 7 will give you these same "payoff" rewards and come back to lovingly close some loops in ways that I think will give you Joy. It's not season 6, and there are some season 5 vibes, but there are a handful of episodes that are BETTER, and hopefully leave you asking why we didn't explore these stories before! ☄️

an extra: "Season six is the best" reason. It has the only two realistic (or maybe believable) examples of Star Trek falling in love instantly. Second chances: not really instantly BUT kind of instantly. Thomas was still in love but Troi fell hard (again) quickly. So this is an sorta instant. Lessons: I COMPLETELY bought Picard falling for her. She is exactly the person I would think Picard would do a hard quick plunge for. They actually gave it just enough time for me.

You guys do realize that there are about as many people who believe the Earth is flat that believe Star Trek 6 is a bad movie? It's a matter of opinion, so I'm not going to say you're wrong, but.....you're wrong. ;

My top 10 (technically 11 as one is a two-parter), also these are my only (only, 10 of them) S tiers from me: 10 Starship Mine, 9 The Chase, 8 Frame Of Mind, 7 Realm Of Fear, 6 Relics, 5 Rascals, 4 Chain Of Command, 3 Face Of The Enemy, 2 Tapestry, and 1 Timescape. As well as Timescape being my Season favourite, it's also my 5th favourite episode of TNG.

So, speaking about comparing seasons, my scientifically calculated ranking of TNG's seasons is: 6, 3, 7, 5, 4, 2, 1. Glad that's settled now.

Guys... don't be sad... 20 years ago I made a personal list of the 100 best episodes of Trek and noticed that EVERY series (TOS, TNG, DS9, VOYAGER and ENTERPRISE) each had around 20 S-tier episodes. TNG is great, but the best is yet to come. Seriously. How you're feeling now about TNG, you'll feel the same for all of them.

I am so glad that you guys are able to understand what many people in your generation cannot because they have an experienced it, which is see what an incredible institution Star Trek the next generation was and why we revere it so much

Stop listening to the haters. Don't worry about season 7. It's got my favorite episode.

Good list guys. I’m ready for season 7 Some of my favorite episodes. It’s been a fun ride so far.

I hate Aquiel even more than it deserves to be hated as an isolated episode, because it threw a wrench in what would otherwise be an absolutely perfect season of Trek. Damn you, Geordi! (But really, damn you writers who can't figure out how the hell to write his character properly up to now). One thing I am happy about my own psyche, if a performance from a singular guest actor is a bit over the top (like the Klingon in The Chase or Mark Twain in Time's Arrow), it doesn't bring the episode down much for me, as much as it does for you guys. I'm so glad you both appreciate The Quality of Life, viewing it as a sequel to Measure of a Man, of course Data would try to protect his own form of life if he believed it sentient too. And Josh with your great memory, remembering the name of their "species", Exocomps. Sounds silly, but we should remember it. Frakes of Mind, stealing that one lol Your reactions pushed Lessons up a few notches in my mind. Always liked it, but I should have loved it and now I do. Also for a TNG best of list, probably Top 25 makes the most sense? Although that'd be extremely competitive. Maybe top 30-40.

We binge watched Season 6 in germany, because the first TV station stopped airing TNG with episode 83 and as the second TV station picked up the show, in the US they were already airing the end of season 7... So, to catch up before the first TNG movie arrived at the cinemas all remaining episodes have been aired on workday basis - imagine: 5 times a week a new TNG episode! Back than, I could not distinguish between different seasons, but on DVD rewatches of single episodes it became obvious how often the discs had the "season 6" lable on it ;) btw with Star Trek, there is no real "peak" with a single season. But there is a peak in the form of the number of one's friends who have watched and discussed the show, how many have attended monthly Trek dinners or joined fan clubs. And for me personally... this "peak" is between season 4 TNG and Season 5 Voyager. TNG was watched by a lot of friends who weren't interested in SciFy or Star Trek at all and became somehow mainstream. The binge airing first run of TNG I mentioned before had an average of 1,5 million viewers (out of 81 millions people in germany) and it aired in the afternoon... So if somene points to a peak for a single episode its only a personal experience...

I always thought it was kind of funny that Picard has to be super close to someone or fall in love with them to tell them about his other life. But the whole purpose of the probe was to find someone to share their story. He should write a book about it.

These two guys, my fellow Trekkies, have become full blown Trekkies as well. It shows.

S7 isn't without its moments. I'd say about half of it is firmly in the good quality category (for me). Even the lows are entertaining... Just in a more "The Room/Troll 2" kind of way. I overall prefer DS9 s2 to it, but the high points of TNG s7 are truly great and I am looking forward to it.

"as a SEASON", S2 suffers from having Dr Pulaski. I'll die on that hill

For a series retrospective, a top 25 would be a nice round number. Also, any thought about the actual finale --- maybe a live watch-a-long on Patreon? Could be fun. Looking forward to TNG 7 and DS9 2 --- keep up the great reactions!

I'm going to disagree with Josh that TNG season 2 is better than season 5, but I do tend to like season 2 more than most fans.

Season 5 over season 2??? As Spock would say... "Fascinating"!

Love season 6 and 7 is another great one. Did anyone ever recommend the Silo series to you guys? If not it is now by me. :)