Season 2 – Episode List & Guide

2.01 – The Child: D

The Child is a rather shaky beginning for the second season. Though the first season was inconsistent due to new characters having to find themselves and their own niches within the show, one would expect the second season to build on the camaraderie that was developed during the first. Unfortunately, The Child plays much more like an early season one episode, with characters struggling to find a rhythm within themselves and within the crew.

2.02 – Where Silence Has Lease: C

Season two continues its early struggles with Where Silence Has Lease. This episode is a clear improvement over The Child, but then again, so is nearly every other episode of the series. Where Silence Has Lease suffers from a story that just doesn’t go anywhere and has a crew that seems hopelessly inept at handling a stressful situation.

2.03 – Elementary, Dear Data: A-

Elementary, Dear Data is a return to everything that there is to enjoy about TNG. There is humor, adventure, danger, science fiction and a deeply profound philosophical question about what life is. All of these qualities are perfectly balanced into a story that is easily one of the best episodes of the series so far.

2.04 – The Outrageous Okona: B+

The Outrageous Okona is fun, pure and simple. From the opening, irreverent shot of Okona’s backside to the final utterance of Data’s “Take my Worf, please,” this episode goes where no other episode of the series has gone before: pure fun, purely funny.

2.05 – Loud as a Whisper: C

Loud as a Whisper is barely an above-average episode. The concept of Riva and his chorus, along with their untimely, and rather unexpected, demise are intriguing. As is Riva’s decision to make the learning of sign language as the entry point for peace negotiations. Unfortunately, the concepts look much better in summary than they do played out over an entire episode.

2.06 – The Schizoid Man: C+

The Schizoid Man is an episode that just doesn’t fire on all cylinders. The character of Dr. Graves is exceptionally irritating and the story, while plausible within the realm of science fiction, doesn’t do enough to highlight the real message of the episode: that Data is just as valuable a life form as Dr. Graves.

2.07 – Unnatural Selection: D

Unnatural Selection could almost be a companion piece with Too Short a Season. Indeed, Unnatural Selection is almost as much of a failure. Slightly better writing and acting save it from complete failure, but otherwise, this episode is just plain abysmal.

2.08 – A Matter of Honor: A-

This is TNG at its best. A Matter of Honor is an excellent concept that is executed to near perfection. Riker’s character really comes into his own in this episode, and even better? We get the Klingons.

2.09 – The Measure of a Man: A+

The Measure of a Man is easily one of the best episodes of the entire series. Its dialogue, courtroom drama, and performances (most notably from Picard), are centered around themes that force us to look at civil liberty, and slavery. As a secondary benefit, these themes also highlight the role of the courts in protecting those inherent freedoms that we believe are the right of any sentient being.

2.10 – The Dauphin: C+

The Dauphin is an uneven episode that actually plays out better than one might expect — especially considering that it is, essentially, a teenage love story centered on Wesley.

2.11 – Contagion: B

Contagion a very good episode. Combining elements of science fiction, drama, action, humor and a little bit of archaeology, this episode is a harbinger of what this series will become: good solid adventure episodes that somehow always seem to teach us something.

2.12 – The Royale: D

While I’ve had a nostalgic enjoyment of the The Royale, I must admit that it is a poorly conceived and very poorly written episode.

2.13 – Time Squared: D-

Time Squared is an incredibly flawed and pointless episode. There are serious editing and continuity mistakes throughout the episode. And that doesn’t even begin to touch upon the problems with the story and acting.

2.14 – The Icarus Factor: C

The Icarus Factor is an uneven episode that features humor, camaraderie, and an angst-ridden conflict between Riker and his father. The Riker story line is just too difficult to watch to be of any value. Fortunately, the Worf story gives us enough of a reason to watch this episode.

2.15 – Pen Pals: D+

In many ways, Pen Pals is similar to The Icarus Factor. Both are flawed, uneven episodes whose secondary storylines are both more compelling and more plausible than the main storylines. Unfortunately for Pen Pals, its main storyline is a critical inconsistency for the characters and the TNG series.

2.16 – Q Who?: A

Q Who? is a nearly perfect episode of TNG. It’s a brilliantly constructed story that literally sets the stage for rest of the series. After Q Who?, nothing is ever the same again.

2.17 – Samaritan Snare: C+

Samaritan Snare continues season two’s pattern of having a secondary storyline be more compelling than the main one. And thus, the woes of season two continue. That being said, Samaritan Snare is a step in the right direction and it successes foreshadow a what will become a strength of the series: the ability to weave interpersonal stories into an adventure set piece. Unfortunately for us, we will have to wait a bit longer to see that success realized on-screen.

2.18 – Up The Long Ladder: C+

Up The Long Ladder is entertaining, but it just isn’t very good, either.

The scenes involving the Bringloidis provide for the best entertainment of the episode. Seeing a chicken fly out of the Transporter Room is good for a few laughs — as is seeing Danilo Odell drink a Klingon alcoholic beverage. As Picard says: “sometimes … you just have to bow to the absurd.” And so we do, for the sake of the episode, but unfortunately the humorous moments, unlike The Outrageous Okona, serve very little overall purpose.

2.19 – Manhunt: D-

Manhunt is very nearly a complete failure. There are a just enough scenes of humor, and of course Dixon Hill, to keep it from becoming a complete misery. But just barely. From start to finish this episode is difficult to watch. And unless you are dead set on watching every episode of the series, it is in your very best interests to skip it.

2.20 – The Emissary: C

The Emissary begins with a strong enough premise, however, its execution keeps this episode from becoming a classic. Specifically, the Worf – K’Ehleyr relationship suffers from K’Ehleyr’s performance. In fact, her performance is on par with Lwaxana Troi’s performance in the previous episode. The difference between the episodes is, clearly, the story surrounding the performances.

2.21 – Peak Performance: B+

Peak Performance is easily one of the most enjoyable episodes of season two. Offhand, that isn’t saying much. So I’ll go on to say that Peak Performance could easily have been one of the most enjoyable episodes of any season. The story, the acting, the action and the challenge all make this an episode that any TNG fan will enjoy.

2.22 – Shades of Gray: F

Ugh. Shades of Gray almost doesn’t even deserve a review. This episode fails primarily, but not exclusively, because it is a clip show. While I understand the circumstances that necessitated this kind of episode, the result is still an abject failure.