Review of Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 4 (7 Disc Boxset)

Introduction

Here we are again, with another feast of sci-fi entertainment. Yes, the 4th Season of Star Trek: The Next Generation has passed its way through the digestive system of my DVD player and the results of that passage are here to see. You may not know this, but I`m something of a Star Trek fan, if a little disillusioned one. I made my feelings clear during a review of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and I`ll refrain from burdening you with a repetition. Suffice it to say that I find it more and more satisfying to delve back in time to the classic television episodes rather than face the lacklustre offerings that Paramount see fit to provide us with today. The opportunity to watch once again the fourth Season of TNG was one I approached with a warm feeling, and I`m happy to say that I wasn`t disappointed.

As Season 4 began, the cast had settled down and truly become an ensemble and no major changes were made to the cast or the ship. Rather any changes that would occur would from now on be evolutionary rather than revolutionary and would be dictated more by story than by dint of `getting it right`. That said, this Season would see the departure of Wesley Crusher as he finally gains admittance to the Academy, a popular change for many fans. A few new recurring characters would be introduced, mostly Klingons that is. The Klingon Empire would gain a new leader, and Worf would find that he had a son. Transporter chief O`Brien would gain a first and middle name, as well as a wife. More importantly, Colm Meaney`s character finally comes into his own as part of the cast, and while there is barely enough room for another lead actor in TNG, he is destined for better things on DS9. However, the most drastic change is in the mood of the series. Up until now, Star Trek: The Next Generation had been like its forebear, a weekly episodic piece of television, driven by the story. With the thunderous climax of the Borg story in the first episode, it became apparent that the massive trauma inflicted on the Enterprise crew, couldn`t be simply resolved during the week between episodes and that the characters had to be seen dealing with their experiences in a follow up story. Thus was born the episode Family, a departure for Trek, where the characters motivated the story rather than vice versa. The fact that actions and events had lasting consequences for characters was new to Trek, but this philosophy was quickly adopted, and indeed resulted in The Next Generation that fans are most fond of.

So once more, the twenty-six episodes all marked out of ten.

1. The Best Of Both Worlds: Part II
With Captain Picard assimilated and the Borg hell bent on conquering the Federation, Captain Riker and his crew race to repair the battered Enterprise and chase the Borg all the way to Earth`s solar system. But after finding the Federations fleet shattered and derelict at Wolf 359, what can one starship do against the Borg where over 40 have failed? The end of Season 3 was a stupendous cliffhanger written by Michael Piller as his swansong, and he obviously wasn`t concerned about how the story would be resolved. When Piller was persuaded by Gene Roddenberry to stay on, he found that he had written himself into a corner. With such a thrilling first part, any resolution would be a little contrived considering how many storylines were left hanging. Yet Michael Piller manages to create a satisfying conclusion. Obviously budget constraints wouldn`t allow the Battle at Wolf 359 to be shown on screen, but we get the next best thing, the aftermath, but it is still an outstanding effects shot. It`s not as good as Part I, but that would have been nigh on impossible. 9/10

2. Family
After the desperate battle against the Borg, the Enterprise is docked at Earth for repairs. While the ship`s wounds are healed, Captain Picard returns home to heal his own battered psyche. Picard soon slips back into the idyll of his family vineyards, despite his thorny and abrasive brother Robert. In France, he is presented with the opportunity to work on a fascinating project in the Atlantic, and Picard seriously begins to consider a change in career. Only his Luddite brother can convince him of how much healing he still has to do. Meanwhile Worf`s parents come aboard the Enterprise to visit. Family is a significant departure for Star Trek and sees the Enterprise crew in a particularly reflective mood. This is the kind of show that would never have been made previously and is an obvious sign of how well established The Next Generation has become. After the explosive season opener, this is an excellent follow up and for the first time, events have consequences for the characters in the Star Trek universe. Picard`s experience with the Borg will haunt him through the rest of the series up till the First Contact movie. Patrick Stewart is outstanding in this episode, but Worf`s parents, who are a hoot, provide a nice contrast. 10/10

3. Brothers
An innocent prank turns deadly for a child and leaves the Enterprise racing to a Starbase for urgently required treatment. Out of the blue, Data apparently malfunctions and subverts the ships computer, sending the Enterprise hurtling off course at maximum speed. They arrive at an uncharted planet where Data beams down. On the surface he finds his creator, Dr Soong who has activated Data`s recall program by remote. Dr Soong is dying and he wishes to look upon his `son` one last time. When he restores Data`s cognitive functions he presents him with an emotion chip. But Dr Soong`s recall has inadvertently beckoned Data`s `evil twin` Lore. Meanwhile as the ship remains paralysed in orbit, time is running out for young Willie Potts. Brothers continues the family theme from the previous episode, as Data has a reunion with his family. Brent Spiner has to put two extra days in at the office as he plays not one but three roles. The story is entertaining and fills in much of Data`s history. Lore`s character is fleshed out well here and he is a little more three dimensional than in his debut in Season 1. However the story is weakened by the sick child subplot, which just gets in the way of the `good stuff` 8/10

4. Suddenly Human
Responding to a distress call, the Enterprise finds a stricken Talarian training ship with a crew of children aboard. The Talarians are foes of the Federation with whom they have an uneasy treaty. A Talarian vessel is on the way to respond to the distress call, but only the Enterprise can hep in time. But when the children are rescued, one of them turns out to be human, and that raises a thorny diplomatic problem. Jono is the sole survivor of an attack on a Federation outpost and has been raised as a Talarian. Picard is empowered by Starfleet to repatriate Jeremiah Rossa, but the Talarian Captain Endar wants his adopted son back. Picard must overcome his instinctive dislike of children and bond with Jono, to convince him to return to the Federation. Oh boy, a custody suit in the 24th Century. This episode looks at the ramifications of ignoring the best interests of a child in favour of petty and political arguments. This is essentially the plot of an afternoon TV movie set in deep space and it often feels that way. However, it is redeemed by a decent performance from Chad Allen as Jono who has a good dynamic with Picard. 7/10

5. Remember Me
Beverly Crusher takes the opportunity of a visit to a starbase to welcome her old mentor Dr Dalen Quaice aboard the Enterprise. A flash of light is an unexpected side effect from Wesley`s science experiment, but when Dalen Quaice vanishes, leaving only Beverly aware of his existence, she naturally becomes alarmed. Gradually the crew of the Enterprise similarly begins to vanish. Meanwhile, Wesley becomes concerned at the results of his experiment and soon realise that there is only one being that can help, a being that vanished three years ago. Finally a decent Beverly Crusher episode sees a great performance from Gates McFadden as her character tries to keep her head in an increasingly irrational world. Her good thread is offset by the Wesley Crusher story that creeps imperceptibly forward in this episode. The Next Generation attempted to put Wesley in the role of Luke Skywalker, giving him mystical powers of the mind. The Traveller who conveniently reappears to save the day, wielding a blade of impenetrable technobabble was cast as Yoda. But this development of Wesley`s character was never satisfying and was rarely mentioned again. Otherwise it`s an entertaining enough story. 8/10

6. Legacy
A distress call from a freighter in orbit of Turkana IV sends the Enterprise racing to the rescue. But the starship is too late and the freighter explodes. The crew however has escaped to the planet`s surface. Unfortunately Turkana IV is a lawless colony, ruled by ruthless gangs who have severed contact with the Federation. Turkana IV is also the birthplace of the late Tasha Yar. On the surface, an away team encounters one of the gangs who offer to help them recover the missing men in exchange for weaponry. When those weapons aren`t forthcoming, the gang leader offers the assistance of one of his followers, one Ishara Yar. Ishara beams aboard the Enterprise where she learns of her sister`s life in Starfleet and experiences a better way of life. However Ishara finds her feelings conflicted with her hidden agenda. The brutal story of Tasha Yar was only hinted at previously, but here we get to see the world that formed her character. Ishara is a compelling character and the ending is admirable downbeat. 8/10

7. Reunion
The Enterprise`s scientific studies are interrupted when a Klingon cruiser abruptly decloaks. Worf`s lover Ambassador K`Ehleyr beams aboard with an urgent mission for the Enterprise. Much to Worf`s surprise, accompanying her is Alexander, their son. While Worf is coming to terms with a son he never knew existed, and trying to balance his role as father with his dishonour from the Klingon Empire, Picard must arbitrate the succession of the Klingon leadership. K`m`pec is dying, poisoned by one of the leadership candidates and Picard must judge between the two candidates to see who is worthy of leading the Empire. The two candidates are Gowron and Worf`s betrayer, Duras. This is an outstanding episode, which heralds big changes for the Star Trek universe. Worf`s personal life sees massive upheaval and introduces two new recurring characters in his son Alexander and Gowron. Worf has to choose between his cultural heritage and his Federation loyalties. The choice he makes illustrates why Worf is such a popular and enduring character. Robert O`Reilly also creates a brilliant character in Gowron, whose presence in Star Trek is always welcome. The explosive story shows once and for all that the Next Generation has come of age, with complex and involving storylines with far reaching consequences. 10/10

8. Future Imperfect
Strange signals from a planetoid mean that Riker must lead an away mission to search for possible Romulan activity. However the away team is rendered unconscious on the planetoid. When Riker awakens in sickbay, he finds that sixteen years have passed and he has lost any memory of the intervening years. He finds that he is now Captain of the Enterprise on a peace mission to the Romulans. Admiral Picard and his aide Deanna Troi arrive to brief Riker, but Riker is reluctant to proceed, citing his memory loss. In an attempt to help Riker recover, Deanna introduces him to his son Jean Luc, but he becomes suspicious when he tries to learn about his wife. The computer presents him with an image of Minuet, a holographic character Riker was infatuated with four years prior. Another good episode, which sees the potential future of the Enterprise. When I first saw this episode, I was impressed with the subtle aging effects, but with ten years hindsight and the cast aged for real to compare with, the characters look like skunks in this episode. The story is good and takes some intriguing twists and turns all the way to the climax. 9/10

9. Final Mission
Wesley Crusher has finally been accepted to Starfleet Academy, and as a treat Captain Picard asks Wesley to accompany him on a final mission to mediate a mining dispute. Meanwhile the Enterprise races to help a world stricken with an abandoned radioactive ship. The Enterprise has barely left when the cargo ship transporting Wesley and the Captain malfunctions and crashes on an uninhabited desert moon. Lacking any food or water, Picard, Wesley and the recalcitrant shuttle captain make for the mountains in hope of shelter. But when they find shelter, a cave-in grievously injures Captain Picard, and Wesley must keep him alive while dealing with the stubborn shuttle pilot and searching for water. The survivors are reliant on the Enterprise for their eventual rescue, but Commander Riker has his own problems to deal with. Wesley Crusher finally, finally gets a decent episode, and it would be Wil Wheaton`s last one as a regular cast member. His character really matures in this episode as he finds that the lives of the shuttle survivors depend on him. He`s a 3-dimensional character here that is fundamental to the story, rather than just an eager `space cadet`. The cinematography of this episode is impressive with some excellent special effects and location shooting. 9/10

10. The Loss
The Enterprise is drawn into mortal peril when it encounters a strange field of 2-dimensional life forms. The Enterprise is soon mired in a sort of stellar Sargasso Sea and is being pulled along inexorably with the creatures. Simultaneously, Deanna loses her powers of empathy leaving her reeling with shock. She has difficulty coming to terms with the loss and finds herself unable and unwilling to continue with her duties. However she doesn`t have long to wallow in self-pity as the crew learn that they are being pulled towards a cosmic string, guaranteeing destruction for the ship. Deanna must put aside her loss and find a way to communicate with the creatures. In Season 1, Deanna Troi`s role was mostly to pronounce whether she was sensing pain or joy and little else. Here Marina Sirtis carries the episode, as she has to deal with the loss of her abilities. Rather than lapsing into sadness, her character becomes admirably bitchy, taking out her resentment on her closest friends. An initially unpromising character often got some excellent episodes later on in the series. The Loss is a prime example of that 9/10

11. Data`s Day
A day in the life of an android. To help a cyberneticist, Data relates the events of a typical day on the Enterprise. On this particular day, Chief O`Brien is to marry Keiko and Data is to serve as father of the bride. This will also require Data learning how to dance. Ship`s business also involves transporting a Vulcan ambassador to a diplomatic meeting with the Romulans. However Data finds his day complicated by a reluctant bride in Keiko, and when a transporter accident claims the life of Ambassador T`Pel, Data has to investigate. This story is a departure from the usual Treks, as the story is told from the point of view of one character. Data provides the narration as he relates his view of the events, but beneath the different storytelling style, the tale is a familiar one of Romulan double-dealing. But the sub-plot of O`Brien and Keiko`s wedding is more compelling. Chief O`Brien gets a full name and indeed in future episodes he is practically a regular cast member. Data`s attempts at dancing are quite humorous and we are also introduced to Data`s amazing transgender cat, Spot. 9/10

12. The Wounded
The peace treaty between the Federation and the Cardassians is barely a year old when the Enterprise encounters an irate Cardassian warship. After an ineffectual exchange of fire, the Cardassians pause to parley. Gul Macet claims that another Federation ship has broken the treaty and has destroyed a Cardassian outpost. Starfleet confirms that the USS Phoenix and her Captain, Ben Maxwell have indeed gone rogue, and the Enterprise with three Cardassian observers is tasked to hunt down the renegade. Miles O`Brien previously served with Ben Maxwell and Picard asks for his assistance in the search. But O`Brien has distressing memories of his experiences in the Cardassian War and finds working with Gul Macet and the observers difficult. An explosive episode that sees the debut of the Cardassians, DS9`s eventual foes. Gul Macet is played by Marc Alaimo, who would go on to memorably play Gul Dukat. We also get to see the happily married couple of the O`Briens in their wedded bliss. O`Briens character gets a great back story as his history in the Cardassian war is relayed, and Colm Meaney really comes to prominence in this episode. The story is a study in the effects of war and loss. The loss of his family drives Captain Maxwell on his destructive path, and Bob Gunton`s portrayal of the broken and haunted man is moving. The dynamic between Maxwell and O`Brien makes the conclusion only more poignant. 10/10

13. Devil`s Due
The planet Ventax II is an idyllic world, whose people attribute their well being to a deal made with Ardra, who promised a millennium of peace in exchange for eternal slavery. A thousand years have passed and the citizens of Ventax begin to panic when the prophecies appear to come true. The Federation science team on the planet is taken hostage and the Enterprise goes to secure their release. Picard tries to convince the Ventaxians that the signs are just a coincidence, when Ardra actually appears, demanding payment in full. The original series gave Captain Kirk a mischievous nemesis in Harry Mudd, whose personality and playful one-upmanship with Kirk created two excellent episodes. The character of Ardra is a similar one, created to provide an impish foil for Picard. Unfortunately, while Ardra is playful and mischievous, she is nowhere near flamboyant enough to carry the episode. Also the treatment given to the story is far too dry and serious, and there is no chemistry between Picard and Ardra. Besides, the Next Generation already has an infuriating sprite in the form of Q. 6/10

14. Clues
The crew`s relaxation time is interrupted when a nebula yields a strange planet. However exploring the nebula is problematic when the ship is engulfed in a wormhole. The crew is rendered unconscious for 30 seconds and the ship is transported a days travel distant. Data counsels that further examination of the planet could prove hazardous and concurring, Picard orders the launch of a probe and the ship continues on its way. But gradually evidence comes to light that more than 30 seconds have passed. Indeed a whole day is unaccounted for. The crew begins to investigate, but Data keeps arguing against the findings. More than that, he is being deliberately obstructive and actually lying. This is a good mystery and it`s interesting to watch the crew`s paranoia grow as Data`s obfuscations increase. It is a well-acted character study, but the conclusion is a little anticlimactic. 8/10

15. First Contact
The Prime Directive is in jeopardy when Commander Riker is injured while observing a primitive alien race on the verge of interstellar space flight. Doctors at a hospital soon realise that Riker is indeed a strange alien. Riker attempts to explain that his differences are down to genetic abnormalities, but the staff at the hospital reacts with xenophobia, fearing that their world is under observation from the stars. Picard must make an unorthodox first contact in an attempt to rescue his first officer, and ease the terrified government into galactic society. This is a brilliant turnabout episode. One of Science Fiction`s staple concepts is humanity`s first meeting with extra-terrestrials. The fear and paranoia has been recounted many times in popular media, and is a thriving industry in itself. (X-Files anyone?) First Contact neatly turns the concept on its head, with an alien race being observed by sneaky alien humans. All the `little green men` clichés are deftly applied to Picard and Riker. This is a wonderful episode that is entertaining throughout. 9/10

16. Galaxy`s Child
Once when the Enterprise was in dire straits, Geordi La Forge created a facsimile of an engineer, Dr Leah Brahms to help save the ship. In the process Geordi fell in love with the hologram. (Season 3 episode, Booby Trap). Geordi is naturally excited when he learns that the real Dr Brahms is to visit the Enterprise. Unfortunately when she arrives, she turns out to be rather brusque, and incensed that Geordi has been meddling with `her` engines. Despite his best efforts to charm her, she remains unimpressed. Things only get worse when she stumbles across Geordi`s holographic recreation. When a space dwelling creature attaches itself to the Enterprise and starts draining the ship`s energy, Leah and Geordi must put aside their differences and work together to save the ship. You really have to feel for Geordi, the man never has any luck in love. It`s almost painful watching him get in over his head with Leah Brahms in this episode. Fortunately his personal agony is leavened somewhat by a fascinating tale of the orphaned space creature nursing at the breast of the Starship Enterprise. 8/10

17. Night Terrors
When the Enterprise locates the missing science vessel USS Brattain, the away team finds that the entire crew has been brutally murdered, with a catatonic Betazoid the only survivor. Deanna finds it difficult to break through to him, but as the Enterprise remains to investigate, they find the ship`s energy being drained and soon they are unable to leave. The crew begins to suffer from sleep deprivation and hallucinations, but on the other hand Deanna is suffering from a recurring nightmare. It becomes apparent that the enterprise has been caught in the same snare that left the Brattain derelict. This is the Next Generation`s first attempt at a horror story and it almost pulls it off. Indeed, ghost ships and the like have been staples of fiction since man first ventured on the oceans. As the ship remains near the derelict and the crews irritation and hallucinations increase, so does the tension, and the mood is suitably creepy. Once again this is Deanna`s episode and she does indeed get to save the ship, but the pacing is uneven and the story does drag in places. Still, it`s an entertaining enough episode. 7/10

18. Identity Crisis
Five years ago, Geordi La Forge was a fresh young ensign on the starship Victory. He was part of a landing party that beamed down to investigate the disappearance of all members of a colony on a distant planet, disappearances that were never solved. Now three members of that landing party have vanished, last seen heading back to that planet. The final member of that team, Susanna Leitjen comes to the Enterprise to investigate the disappearances in the hope of preventing the same thing happening to her and Geordi. Then both she and Geordi begin to change. There is a cool concept in this where aliens reproduce by altering the DNA of other races. The story is a good one too, with the crew racing against time to solve the problem as Geordi and Susanna mutate, perhaps irreversibly. The holodeck is put to creative use in solving the mystery. 8/10

19. The Nth Degree
Lieutenant Barclay is still the painfully shy and clumsy systems engineer we first encountered a year ago (Hollow Pursuits), but with the aid of Beverly Crusher`s acting workshop, he is beginning to open up to people. When the Enterprise visits the Argus array to repair its malfunction, an alien probe in the vicinity renders Barclay unconscious with a burst of light. When Barclay wakes up in sickbay, he is a new man. Forthright, self-confident and possessing a dazzling intellect, the probe has helped him in ways that Beverly`s acting classes could never do. The new Barclay initially proves a hit amongst the crew, and even flamboyantly saves the ship. But his intellect is growing and soon Barclay is a threat to the Enterprise. Dwight Schultz makes a triumphant return to the Next Generation. Barclay is a remarkably popular character considering how few appearances he makes in the series, and much of that is down to Schultz` characterisation. The Nth Degree is reminiscent of the original series pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before", with Barclay taking the role of the nascent superman. The crew`s response to the situation is similar, but Barclay is far more likeable than Gary Mitchell and the episode is entertaining. The conclusion has a twist worthy of the Twilight Zone. 9/10

20. Qpid
The Enterprise is hosting an archaeological conference at which Captain Picard is due to deliver the keynote speech. However it is double the trouble as first Vash and then Q appear on the Enterprise. Picard`s old flame wishes to rekindle their romance as a pretext to visit some interdicted ruins, but she is a little hurt when it appears that Picard is ashamed of their association. Then Q appears overflowing with gratitude for Picard`s assistance during their previous encounter (Deja Q). In fact Q is determined to express his gratitude whether Picard wants it or not. This is one of the funnier episodes in the Next Generation as Vash wreaks havoc among the Enterprise crew. Then when Q arrives, the farce goes to another level. It helps when a character is omnipotent as it means that all rules go out the window. The fact that the crew are magically transported to a Sherwood Forest straight out of Disney`s vision of Robin Hood is perfectly acceptable. The audience doesn`t bat an eyelid when familiar characters are suddenly cast in the roles of Robin Hood and his merry men. The characters are subtly subverted in this episode, but the mood of the story allows for any liberties taken with them. Deanna`s bowmanship is laughable and you can`t help but feel sorry for Geordi the minstrel. But this episode is a tour de force for Worf, yielding many classic one-liners. "Sir I protest, I am not a merry man!" 9½/10

21. The Drumhead
When the Enterprise warp drive is sabotaged and design specs transmitted to the Romulans, suspicion falls on a visiting Klingon scientist. While an investigation is being conducted, retired Admiral Satie arrives to open an inquiry on behalf of Starfleet. Admiral Satie is a highly motivated woman who is determined to root out the truth. When the Klingon scientist admits to espionage but denies sabotage, Admiral Satie infers that a deeper conspiracy must exist on the Enterprise. Her investigation deepens and begins to focus on the Enterprise crew. When medical technician Simon Tarses is questioned, his nervous manner and evasive replies deepens the suspicions of the inquiry. Soon an atmosphere of mistrust pervades the ship. Some of Star Trek`s strongest dramas have taken place in the courtroom. The confrontational nature of the genre provides instant and electric drama, and its no surprise that legal dramas are so popular. In Star Trek, this kind of story is just as entertaining and has the added advantage of being effects light and more importantly, cheap. The Drumhead is an excellent example of when the legal process goes horribly wrong. The witch-hunt that ensues when paranoia is allowed free reign is shown brilliantly here. Much of this is down to the inspired casting of veteran actress Jean Simmons as Nora Satie. She plays a competent and charismatic advocate whose honeyed words convince Picard and especially Worf of the strength of her cause. Yet the obsession that drives her is chillingly portrayed and is relevant to the spirited media witch-hunts that take place in our society today. 10/10

22. Half A Life
The flamboyant Lwaxana Troi returns to the Enterprise and is just as desperate for a man as ever. Naturally she is there in her diplomatic capabilities to welcome Dr Timicin aboard. Dr Timicin`s reclusive people live on a world orbiting a dying star and Dr Timicin has devised a way to revitalise such stars. He has asked the Federation`s help in testing the theory, hence his presence on the Enterprise. Dr Timicin is a rather introverted character that becomes rather taken with Lwaxana, and they end up spending much time together. However when Timicin`s experiment fails he has to return home. Going home is a death sentence for him though, as his planet has a strict tradition of euthanasia for the over 60`s to ease the burden on successive generations. When Lwaxana learns of this she is distraught, and she urges him to break with his people`s time honoured tradition. Naturally this is against the Prime Directive. On the surface this is another lecture from the old school of the Prime Directive, but look deeper and you can find a rather touching tale. Star Trek handles another ism; in this case ageism in a rather blunt way, but the love story between the colourful Lwaxana and the gentle Timicin is wonderfully portrayed by Majel Barrett and David Ogden Stiers. The conclusion is a contradiction between empowering the aged and respecting cultural mores. There is also an early appearance from Michelle Forbes who would return in Season 5 as Ensign Ro Laren. 8/10

23. The Host
The Trill ambassador Odan is aboard the Enterprise to mediate an interplanetary dispute. Odan has also found time to fall in love with Beverly Crusher. Unknown to the Enterprise crew, the Trill is a joined species, with a humanoid host carrying a slug like symbiont, which is passed on from host to host along with the collective experiences and memories. When Odan is injured in a shuttle accident and the host dies, a shocked Beverly Crusher has to keep the symbiont alive. The only way to do this is to find a new host, if only temporarily. Riker volunteers, but when he takes on Odan`s personality, Beverly finds herself falling in love with this new incarnation of Odan. This is the first appearance of a Trill in Star Trek prior to a larger role in DS9 for Jadzia Dax. However the fascination of the unique nature of the Trill is used to explore the definition and boundaries of love, and Beverly is put through the emotional wringer in this episode. It`s a good enough concept, but the execution leaves a little to be desired. Basically, 45 minutes is too short a time to adequately explore a new alien. The Trill will go through a few changes between now and DS9. Spots will replace the bumpy forehead, the transporters that are fatal to Trill in this episode won`t be again, and the personality of the host won`t be completely subsumed by the symbiont. 7/10

24. The Mind`s Eye
Geordi La Forge is looking forward to a relaxing time when he attends a scientific conference on Risa. His shuttle trip is rudely interrupted though, when it is intercepted by a Romulan warbird. Taken captive, Geordi undergoes a brainwashing under the guidance of a mysterious Romulan female. Meanwhile the Enterprise is assigned to mediate an internal dispute in the Klingon Empire. One of the Klingon planets is in revolt and the governor of the world claims that the Federation has been supplying arms to the rebels. Geordi returns as Captain Picard and the Klingon ambassador meet with the governor. The governor gives them a phaser rifle taken from the rebels and challenges Picard to prove the Federation`s innocence. But there are greater concerns than a rebellion on a minor planet, and the negotiations are in great danger. This is Star Trek`s take on The Manchurian Candidate and it is a gripping story. It`s all the more effective as it`s a member of the regular cast who is the unwitting threat. It`s a race against time as the crew attempt to uncover the machinations before disaster strikes. It`s a classic story told in an innovative way, and also hints at a mysterious character that will have a greater and more shocking impact on the Season finale. 9/10

25. In Theory
The Enterprise is all set for a lengthy survey of a Dark Matter nebula. Data is helping his friend Jenna D`Sora get over her relationship while they study the nebula. Jenna sees more than just a fellow officer in Data and expresses an interest in pursuing a relationship with him. Ever eager to examine new aspects of humanity, Data agrees and rapidly creates a subroutine in his programming just for the purpose. However all doesn`t go well as data fails to grasp the subtle nuances of being in a relationship. Meanwhile the Dark Matter nebula is wreaking havoc on the ship. This is a light-hearted episode before things get heavy for the Season finale. Data`s first love results in some funny moments with the episode often verging on the ridiculous. It never crosses that line thanks to a sweet performance from Michele Scarabelli as Jenna D`Sora. The Dark Matter subplot is a bit of a distraction though. 7/10

26. Redemption: Part 1
Gowron is to be installed as leader of the Klingon High Council and Picard and the Enterprise are invited to witness. It is also an opportunity for Worf to remove the stain of discommendation and clear his family name once and for all. However the Enterprise is unexpectedly intercepted by Gowron`s flagship who explains that the Empire is teetering on the brink of civil war. The sisters of Duras, L`Ursa and B`Etor are raising substantial opposition against Gowron. Worf and his brother Kurn implement a plan to regain their honour, but it is a hollow victory as the High Council fractures and the Empire plunges into civil war. To support Gowron, Worf resigns his commission and joins the Empire, but his foes are greater than he can possibly imagine, for supporting the Duras family is a Romulan with a shockingly familiar face. The machinations in the Klingon Empire come to a bloody head in this, the finale of Season 4. This is an exciting episode with some thrilling action. The ongoing storyline is one of the best things about Star Trek: The Next Generation. Worf`s loyalties are truly tested in this episode and his choice is the emotional cliffhanger that ends the show. Robert O`Reilly is brilliant once again as Gowron, and Denise Crosby returns as a chilling character with an improbable background. 9/10

Video

The 4th Season of Star Trek: The Next Generation is presented like all the others in 4:3 regular format. I could once again regale you with the deficiencies of the American broadcasting system, but suffice it to say that the picture is of a similar standard to previous releases and is more than acceptable.

For a change, and for something more to write, I watched the majority of the episodes on my PC. Let me just take this moment to thank God for the convenience of the DVD player. Watching a disc on my computer would take a greater effort than I previously realised. First I had to make sure that my power save feature was disabled, as well as any screensaver, then after a couple of episodes that looked as washed out as the first series, I realised that the colour was set to 16 bit and not 24 bit on my graphics card. Once my hardware was suitably configured, I was left to the tender mercies of my software. Of course the software is nowhere near as good as the hardware in a DVD player, and the error correction leaves a little to be desired. Every spot of pixellation would have me running to my lounge to check the disc on my TV, where it would be miraculously absent. A couple of times my PC would throw in the towel, and a crash would result in freeze frame and stuttering sound, once ironically making Data stammer like a malfunctioning robot. The biggest drawback of them all though was the monitor itself. A PC monitor, despite being based on the same CRT technology that makes good old-fashioned television possible, is not at all designed with the moving picture in mind. The physical resolution and refresh rates of a monitor may be far higher than required by a television set, but the resolution of a DVD played back on a monitor is worse than that of a television. The picture is blurry and prone to ghosting. Every moving image in a scene leaves a sort of trail behind that while almost imperceptible, is enough to make you want your money back. I`ll let you into a little secret. For years I thought DVD was a technological dead end, and I refused to consider investing in it solely because the only demonstrations I ever saw in shops of DVD technology were on PCs. What else could they do when the only use for the ubiquitous DVD ROM in a world where no software was published on that format was to show DVD movies? Fortunately the players dropped in price and shops started demonstrating the technology the way it should have been from the outset, and I haven`t looked back since.

The show itself took the biggest and probably final noticeable leap in improving the quality of the special effects. In Seasons 1, 2 and 3, the effects were significantly improved year upon year and the shows would look successively better and better. In year 4 and in successive years that trend would naturally continue, but in year 4 what is most noticeable is that the effects have faded away into the background. Previously scenes with spacecraft would be carefully budgeted for and would be built up from an ever-increasing amount of stock footage. The shot of the Enterprise would be the same, but the planet it would be orbiting would change colour from week to week. In Season 4 it feels as if every special effects shot has been created and shot especially for that particular show and what the writers want, they get. This is obviously an exaggeration, but the result is that every show stands alone in terms of the effects, and because the artists have become so proficient in giving life to these diverse ideas, that they fade into the background and the story becomes more important than the eye candy.

Audio

The Sound is once again available in 5 different flavours English DD 5.1 and DD mono in French, German, Italian and Spanish. It`s still wonderful to hear Star Trek in its surround sound glory and the benchmark set in previous releases is adhered to by Paramount. The Borg are particularly threatening in their many-voiced menace.

I have copied the above paragraph from my Season 3 review. It applies equally well to Season 4. What is noticeable is that there is an evolution in the incidental music used in many episodes and often has a feel that is unique to that story. The score for Night Terrors is suitably spooky, while some of the more action-oriented episodes develop some quite exciting music. A couple of episodes also use some music that almost predicts the Deep Space Nine theme.

Features

The familiar packaging makes a welcome return. A digipack houses the seven discs, with graphics of cutaway sections of the ship lovingly rendered on the discs and the cardboard. This all slips neatly into a rugged plastic case, identical to the ones used for previous and subsequent seasons. Also in the box, you will find the obligatory booklet, detailing the 26 episodes. Stuck in the discs and you are presented with the shiny new Paramount logo (Happy 90th birthday Paramount), after the familiar intro sequence, the menus appear. Another variation on the LCARS graphics used in the television series gives you a choice of episode. The submenu will let you select sound, subtitles and chapter, all accompanied with a graphic representation of a warp field schematic, shiny blue wavy lines for the uninitiated.

The number of extras has increased from previous seasons, but follow the familiar format. You can find these all on disc seven with the final two episodes.

Mission Overview (16 mins) is a look at the memorable episodes with input from the crew and cast members. There are some great memories of Qpid and there also is a glimpse at the celebrations of the 100-episode milestone.

Selected Crew Analysis (16 mins) looks in depth this season at Wil Wheaton (Wesley), Marina Sirtis (Deanna) and Jennifer Hetrick (Vash)

Departmental Briefing: Production (16 mins) takes a look at Patrick Stewart`s directorial debut with "In Theory" and also Jonathan Frakes two stints for "Reunion" and "The Drumhead". There is also a look at some of the make up used for Brent Spiner as Dr Soong and the lizard make up that LeVar Burton had to endure.

New Life and New Civilisations (13 mins) discusses the sets and locations used to make the 24th Century real. There also is a look at how the Borg episode was created.

Chronicles From The Final Frontier (18 mins) explains how this season began by focussing on the characters and how that related to the writing process.

Select Historical Data (10 mins) looks at some of the special effects used in TNG, and in particular the debut of CGI imagery in Galaxy`s Child. There is also an easy guide to how to make your own starship.

Finally, Inside The Star Trek Archives (10 mins) has a brief look at Bebe Neuwirth`s cameo in First Contact, Gates McFadden`s pregnancy, the Emmy award victories and the world of Dixon Hill.

By now the Star Trek The Next Generation extras have settled down into a routine appearance at the end of every digipack. There is over an hour and half of material here and it isn`t to be sniffed at. There is also some information for everyone, from the Star Trek newbie to the grizzled veteran and I would be lying if I didn`t find it interesting. However the dependence on the interview format alone is a little stifling. Where are the commentaries, the outtakes, and deleted scenes? I`m probable sounding like a broken record, with the same criticism for each season, but that`s only because I care.

Conclusion

If I went to TV executives today, and said I had a great idea for a TV series, but it`ll take until the fourth season for it to find it`s niche, I would be laughed out of the office. Then I would be shot, probably. But this is exactly what happened with The Next Generation. Season 1 was creaky to say the least and Season 2 was barely an improvement, but Season 3 has some of the best-remembered classic episodes and after 3 years, the fourth season of The Next Generation would finally reach the level of excellence and consistency that it maintained until the end of its run. The change in emphasis that I mentioned earlier, from story to character and from episodic to long term storylines really paid off. The realisation that audiences would be invested in the long-term development of characters results in a new feel to the show and no longer would the Next Generation be living under the shadow of its elder brother. You can see this especially in the first nine or so episodes of the run. There is a common theme of family that runs through the stories as we focus on character changing events for the cast of the Enterprise. After the emotional catharsis of Family, we explore other aspects in stories like Future Imperfect and Suddenly Human, where Picard and Riker explore what fatherhood would mean to them. Speaking of fathers, Data gets to meet his in Brothers, while Worf becomes a single parent in Reunion. Finally Wesley flies the coop and leaves the Enterprise in Final Mission, eliciting feelings of regret and pride in his father figure, Picard. It`s this realisation that character driven stories are ultimately more interesting that shows that Star Trek had finally matured.

As for the cast, they have long ago settled into the ensemble that you see here. Patrick Stewart is the consummate professional as always but he gets some standout shows here, notably family. Season 4 is definitely where individual cast members got to shine and several episodes are structured around them. Jonathan Frakes shines in Future Imperfect, while Brent Spiner gets several including Data`s Day, In Theory and Brothers. LeVar Burton impresses in Galaxy`s Child and The Mind`s Eye, while Marina Sirtis` best episode is easily The Loss. Gates McFadden has one good episode, Remember Me, but The Host suffers from some lacklustre writing. It`s notable that for much of Season 4, she was concealing a pregnancy behind an ever-expanding lab coat. Wil Wheaton gets an excellent send off, in Final Mission. It`s a shame really, because if the character had been written as well as that in the first seasons, I doubt he would have left the series. But the star of Season 4 and indeed when he became my favourite Next Gen character is surely Michael Dorn as Worf. He surely progressed from a short-term character in Season 1 to a stalwart by Season 4 because he is the most interesting of the characters. His Klingon background has been explored in detail, and that exploration pays dividends now. His search for personal honour and the trials and tribulations he faces really make Worf a conflicted character. While he must deal with these abstracts of his heritage he also has to face more down to earth problems, like losing his wife and gaining a son, as well as balancing his loyalties between the Federation and the Empire. It`s criminal that all the character has been reduced to in the most recent film is a crass one-liner. Memorable guest stars include Jean Simmons who was excellent in The Drumhead, Bob Gunton who is better known as the prison governor in The Shawshank Redemption, as well as the return of Dwight Schultz as Barclay.

This Season of TNG is of sufficiently high quality that it is difficult to narrow down my favourite episodes. I feel that Family, Reunion, The Wounded and The Drumhead all stand out as exemplary examples of a consistently first-rate season, but like every TV series Season 4 does have its stinker, and in this case it is Devil`s Due, which harks back to the simple storylines of Season 1. Night Terrors suffers from some uneven writing and The Host is unsuccessful in its intent, but these are minor flaws in a must have box set.

This is the year that The Next Generation came of age, and with the excellent presentation on these seven discs it`s well worth a purchase.