Set over a century after the original Star Trek, the Next Generation features some of the best stories in ST as well as the whole sci-fi genre, serving as inspiration for many. This list covers the most essential TNG episodes.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Watch Guide

TNG is long, very long. Spanning 176-178 (Depending on how you count them) 45-50 minute long episodes across seven seasons, it'll take close to 140 hours to watch them all! And not all of it is great, as with 26 episodes a season it's difficult to produce all good stories.

LetsWatchStarTrek have compiled a list of The Essential 20 bare minimum episodes to watch, as well as their ratings. DenOfGeek have their own top 25. Having watched all of star trek in college (well, I had nothing else to do :p), this is my list of the essential episodes to catch up on TNG or to re-watch.

The marked episodes are a must watch.

Season 1

• 1x01, 1x02 — "Encounter at Farpoint"
• 1x14 — "Datalore"
• 1x19 — "Coming of Age"
• 1x21 — "The Arsenal of Freedom"
• 1x22 — "Symbiosis"
• 1x23 — "Skin of Evil"
• 1x25 — "Conspiracy"
• 1x26 — "The Neutral Zone"

Season 2

• 2x01 — "The Child"
• 2x03 — "Elementary, Dear Data"
• 2x07 — "Unnatural Selection"
• 2x08 — "A Matter of Honor"
• 2x09 — "The Measure of a Man"
• 2x11 — "Contagion"
• 2x13 — "Time Squared"
• 2x15 — "Pen Pals"
• 2x16 — "Q Who"
• 2x20 — "The Emissary"
• 2x21 — "Peak Performance"

Season 3

• 3x04 — "Who Watches the Watchers"
• 3x05 — "The Bonding"
• 3x07 — "The Enemy"
• 3x10 — "The Defector"
• 3x12 — "The High Ground"
• 3x13 — "Deja Q"
• 3x14 — "A Matter of Perspective"
• 3x15 — "Yesterday's Enterprise"
• 3x16 — "The Offspring"
• 3x17 — "Sins of the Father"
• 3x19 — "Captain's Holiday"
• 3x23 — "Sarek"
• 3x26 — "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I"

Season 4

• 4x01 — "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II"
• 4x02 — "Family"
• 4x03 — "Brothers"
• 4x05 — "Remember Me"
• 4x07 — "Reunion"
• 4x09 — "Final Mission"
• 4x11 — "Data's Day"
• 4x12 — "The Wounded"
• 4x14 — "Clues"
• 4x20 — "Qpid"
• 4x24 — "The Mind's Eye"
• 4x26 — "Redemption, Part I"

Season 5

• 5x01 — "Redemption, Part II"
• 5x02 — "Darmok"
• 5x03 — "Ensign Ro"
• 5x05 — "Disaster"
• 5x07, 5x08 — "Unification"
• 5x09 — "A Matter of Time"
• 5x14 — "Conundrum"
• 5x16 — "Ethics"
• 5x17 — "The Outcast"
• 5x18 — "Cause And Effect"
• 5x23 — "I, Borg"
• 5x24 — "The Next Phase"
• 5x25 — "The Inner Light"
• 5x26 — "Time's Arrow, Part I"

Season 6

• 6x01 — "Time's Arrow, Part II"
• 6x02 — "Realm of Fear"
• 6x04 — "Relics"
• 6x05 — "Schisms"
• 6x09 — "The Quality of Life"
• 6x10, 6x11 — "Chain of Command"
• 6x12 — "Ship in a Bottle"
• 6x14 — "Face of the Enemy"
• 6x15 — "Tapestry"
• 6x18 — "Starship Mine"
• 6x21 — "Frame of Mind"
• 6x25 — "Timescape"
• 6x26 — "Descent, Part I"

Season 7

• 7x01 — "Descent, Part II"
• 7x04, 7x05 — "Gambit"
• 7x06 — "Phantasms"
• 7x11 — "Parallels"
• 7x12 — "The Pegasus"
• 7x15 — "Lower Decks"
• 7x16 — "Thine Own Self"
• 7x19 — "Genesis"
• 7x24 — "Preemptive Strike"
• 7x25, 7x26 — "All Good Things..."

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