Review of Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 6 (7 Disc Boxset)

Introduction

Well, we finally round the bend and enter the home straight. Only two more seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation to go. Actually season six was initially intended to be the Next Generation`s swansong, as this year would see the debut of Deep Space Nine, but the popularity of the series ensured that the series would go to a seventh season and a feature film. The passing of Gene Roddenberry the year prior, certainly meant changes behind the scenes. Rick Berman took the reins of the franchise in name as well as in fact, but on screen the show was much as before. The only visible differences were in the continuity and a subtle change in tone. Gene Roddenberry preferred shows that stood alone, 45-minute stories that could be enjoyed in their entirety without referring to other episodes. There had been some arcs, and events so traumatic that they had affected characters and subsequent stories, but these were few and far between. In Season 6 though there are many episodes that refer to earlier stories, even if only in passing. The tone though is substantially different, although this probably has more to do with the new stable mate Deep Space Nine, rather than anything else. This was the year that Star Trek got dark. It wasn`t an altogether popular decision, but it was necessary to move the characters and the stories along. Season 5 had seen quite a few episodes that were reminiscent of even earlier shows, and I doubt whether more rehashes could have kept an audience. Tormenting a character or two certainly goes a long way to grabbing the audience attention, and shows like Chain Of Command, Frame Of Mind, Schisms and Descent would take Trek in a whole new direction. It made for great character development, and often delivered a message that shiny, happy Trek could not. Of course every other Trek nowadays is dark, but in season six it still seemed like a fresh idea.

Season six also saw the return of Scotty to the Star Trek fold. A treat for Star Trek fans, the best known engineer in television made his 24th Century debut in an episode that was filled with charm and nostalgia, as well as a whopping great piece of engineering.

Twenty-six episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation are presented on 7 discs, along with a couple of hours worth of extras. The episodes are reviewed individually below.

1. Time`s Arrow Part II
Data`s stuck in the Nineteenth Century, so naturally his crewmates go back to rescue him. Captain Picard joins them to ensure the future unfolds the way it should. Meanwhile aliens from the future are harvesting lives from Earth`s past. The away team try to track down the aliens while searching for Data, even as Data is working on the problem from his own end, luckily he has some help from a familiar face. There is a spanner in the works though, by the name of Samuel Clemens, who becomes an unwitting time traveller. The underlying storyline, that of the aliens from the future is pretty much on the back burner in preference for some time travel hi-jinks. It`s culture shock, as the Enterprise crew have to interact in the 1890s, even as Mark Twain ends up in the 24th Century. Still, that`s the way it should be. You don`t want your enjoyment of the episode interrupted by anything as prosaic as a storyline. For a change though, most of the loopholes in the story are closed. As an aside, the ending is pretty undiplomatically played out, given Starfleet`s high and mighty principles. 8/10

2. Realm Of Fear

The USS Yosemite was investigating a stellar phenomenon when all contact was lost. The Enterprise is despatched on a rescue mission and the transporters are the only way to affect the rescue. The only problem is that Lieutenant Barclay has a transporter phobia. On the Yosemite, they find most of the crew is missing, with just the chief engineer`s corpse remaining. Barclay makes it over there Ok, but when they beam back, something comes back with them, but Barclay is the only one that sees it. He`s reluctant to discuss the experience, and those he does tell are sceptical. Pretty soon Barclay`s convinced he`s a victim of Transporter Psychosis. If you can abide the technobabble then this is a pretty interesting mystery. It`s helped by the return of Dwight Schulz as Reg Barclay, a man whose neuroses make for compulsive viewing. As an added treat, we get to see a transporter beam from the inside. 8/10

3. Man Of The People
The Enterprise comes to the aid of a stricken transport ship carrying Ambassador Ves Alkar and his mother. The two of them beam aboard for refuge, and the Enterprise is assigned to help the ambassador complete his mission. Not long after, the ambassador`s mother passes away. Deanna agrees to help conduct the Lumerian death ritual. Soon after Deanna begins acting irrationally and showing signs of premature aging. A rather unrewarding episode, where Deanna gets to do the whole woman scorned bit, after the ambassador does his thing with the creepy rocks. It`s one of those dull and pointless stories that fill the gaps in series. Although this episode is notable for a subtitling error, Imzadi gets written as `anxiety` 4/10

4. Relics
The Enterprise encounters an amazing phenomenon, a Dyson Sphere. A Dyson Sphere, named for Freeman Dyson who postulated the concept, is a vast sphere of planetary material that is constructed to surround a star. A sphere with a radius of 100 million miles, whose entire inner surface area provided living space for countless quadrillions of inhabitants. Even more amazing is the crashed Starfleet ship on the surface. The USS Jenolen, missing for 80 years holds a remarkable survivor. Having spent the last 80 years whizzing around the ship`s transporter, the Enterprise crew are surprised when the form of Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott rematerialises on the transporter pad. Scotty soon has trouble adjusting to life in the 24th Century and is feeling useless and homesick, but when the Enterprise-D gets into trouble investigating the sphere, it`ll take a miracle worker from the original Enterprise to save the day. James Doohan created an iconic character in Scotty, whose popularity is enduring. So it`s a special treat to see him on the Next Generation. The show is truly Star Trek magic as it pays homage to a much loved character and there are moments galore that fans will enjoy, culminating in perhaps the best use of the holodeck ever. Unfortunately the net loss from all this nostalgia is the Dyson Sphere, a science fiction concept that deserves more attention than the brief glimpse afforded here. The story would have been far better served by a two-part episode. As it is, it`s just great fun. 9/10

5. Schisms
Riker`s having trouble sleeping, and he`s not the only one. Data`s Ode to Spot isn`t helping, but it`s not android poetry that is to blame. As concerns grow, it becomes apparent that some external agency is interfering with certain crewmembers and the crew is in danger. UFO abductions are part of US cultural mythology, with tales of alien experimentation and missing time related by abductees. This episode neatly transfers this mythology to the 24th Century and it`s nice to see that an X File can afflict even the Enterprise crew. It isn`t too often that Star Trek actually wholeheartedly embraces a sci-fi staple and Schisms makes a nice change, especially as it does it pretty well, with a decent use of the holodeck as a narrative device, unfortunately though it leaves an unresolved cliffhanger. 8/10

6. True Q
The Enterprise is hosting a special guest; Amanda Rogers is a whiz kid with multiple specialities. She`s put to work as soon as she`s aboard while the Enterprise aids a colony in distress. Amanda has more remarkable abilities though, far beyond those of a normal human, she`s an orphaned Q. When Picard`s regular nemesis Q shows up to reclaim the continuum`s own, he comes with an ultimatum. This is a rather odd episode. I suppose that it would be termed a Mary-Sue, when a character with amazing abilities shows up with amazing abilities, coming aboard and dazzling the regular crew, outshining them and generally shaking up the status quo. There`s not a lot of Trekking going on in this episode, and it`s more of a Q-fest. John de Lancie is good value as always, but the story is uninspiring. A pretty average space filler. 5/10

7. Rascals
Picard, Ro Laren, Guinan and Keiko O`Brien are returning to the Enterprise when their shuttle is damaged in one of those pesky anomalies. An emergency transport manages to retrieve the four, but they materialise as children. Captain Picard`s teenaged form doesn`t quite command the same authority though, and the crew is uncomfortable… Then the Ferengi attack. Oh Good Grief! Give a writer future technology like a transporter to play with, and eventually you end up with this sort of foolishness. I`m not exactly sure if this is a joke or not. Child actors are variable at the best of times, and young Captain Picard just doesn`t cut it. The O`Briens are just icky, and only young Guinan and Ro provide some entertainment. Starfleet conveniently forgot they had a practical rejuvenation process, and most of Trekdom forgot this episode ever existed. It`s still a guilty pleasure on a certain level though. 6/10

8. A Fistful Of Datas
It`s time for a little relaxation aboard ship and Alexander has convinced his father to enjoy a special holodeck program. No more Klingon callisthenics when a Klingon`s got to do what a Klingon`s got to do. It`s a Wild West program with more than a few surprises, especially when Data causes a glitch in the Matrix. You wait a whole season for a comedy episode, and then two come along at once. Of course Rascals missed the mark in more ways than one, but A Fistful Of Datas has its tongue firmly in cheek with no pretence to seriousness at all. It`s almost a parody as it plays on a staple Trek cliché, the malfunctioning holodeck and just has fun with it. Seeing the taciturn Klingon in a Western is funny enough, but when Data`s multiple personalities invade the program, it descends into another level of silliness. There`s a nice touch with the Enterprise sailing off into the sun. 8/10

9. The Quality Of Life
The Enterprise is sent to evaluate a new mining technology. A particle fountain can conduct its mining from orbit, but the test station isn`t performing up to specifications. Dr Farallon, the chief scientist has developed a revolutionary new tool, the exocomp to assist in actualising the particle fountain. The exocomps are incredibly intelligent and versatile tools, but Data becomes convinced that they are alive, much to the consternation of Dr Farallon. After 10 years the props look tacky indeed, but the story is all too familiar. You know a series is getting tired when it starts recycling ideas. This problem of machine life was addressed in Season 2`s The Measure Of A Man when Data was on trial for his existence. In comparison this episode is pretty redundant. 7/10

10. Chain Of Command: Part 1
The Enterprise has a new Captain, Edward Jellico. He`s a stickler for the rules, career military who expects obedience, discipline and efficiency. His formal demeanour rubs the ship`s crew the wrong way who have difficulty coming to terms with the change of command. As for Picard, he, Dr Crusher and Worf have been reassigned and are training for a covert mission. While the Enterprise heads for the Cardassian frontier to conduct tense treaty negotiations, Picard`s team slip behind the border to confirm reports of a bioweapon development programme. The Cardassians were Star Trek`s new bad guy and were being hyped up for the forthcoming Deep Space 9. This first part certainly builds up the tension and the intrigue, and there is certainly drama in the change of command. Veteran actor Ronny Cox is outstanding as Captain Jellico, but there is a little implausibility in the Enterprise crew`s reaction to the new disciplinarian. Riker in particular is shown as throwing a very teenage sulk at the change in circumstances. 7/10

11. Chain Of Command: Part 2
Worf and Beverly barely manage to escape, but Picard is in the hands of the Cardassians. Meanwhile at the frontier, Jellico`s negotiating position is looking exceedingly weak, especially when the Cardassians announce that a noted Federation Captain has been captured in the act of espionage. Jellico is unwilling to yield his position, even if it means the loss of Picard. Picard is facing his most chilling adversary, the sadistic Gul Madred, as what begins as an interrogation grows into a battle of wills between the two. Oh my! This is the point where Star Trek became dark. A trend that informed the spin-off DS9, this marked a radical departure in philosophy from the usually rosy optimistic future predicted by traditional Trek, with the Federation in the wrong, Starfleet officers committing espionage, and the heroes failing. David Warner guests as the charismatic and disturbing Gul Madred, the Cardassian who tortures and humiliates Picard. That`s right, the hero of the show is tortured and humiliated. This show is harrowing to watch, the makers consulted Amnesty International to make an authentic depiction. The way that the torture is depicted isn`t graphic, but its inhumanity is far more sickening than any graphic violence. I always find it amazing that this episode manages a PG rating. It shows a darker side of Trek previously unimagined; henceforth nothing would be the same again. 10/10

12. Ship In A Bottle
In the Season Two episode Elementary My Dear Data, Moriarty came to life on the holodeck. Picard promised to find a way to give him an existence in the real world, and promptly forgot about him. Now Lieutenant Barclay has been at the holodeck, and Moriarty is unleashed once more to wreak havoc in the Enterprise. This time he wants freedom for himself and a friend. There is another glitch in the Matrix. After the bleakness of the last episode, this is the light-hearted story to lift the mood. It`s a worthy sequel, with the ship in peril, Moriarty pulling the strings and time running out. It`s one of those wheels within wheels stories that is easy to lose track of, and Barclay`s final statement is wryly apt, although a cheesy wink to the audience does let it down a bit. Guest starring Dwight Schulz and Stephanie Beacham 8/10

13. Aquiel
A communication station near the Klingon border that has lost contact is visited by the Enterprise. They find cellular residue on the station as well as a pet dog, but none of the station`s crew. It`s a murder mystery! Lieutenant Aquiel Uhnari is assumed to be the victim, and Lt. Keith Rocha is the prime suspect, until the victim turns up on a Klingon ship. Now Aquiel has to prove her innocence. Geordi falls in love with a disembodied voice and an image on a screen. A painfully dull episode isn`t helped by a woeful performance from the guest actress. 1/10

14. Face Of The Enemy
Deanna Troi wakes up with a splitting headache, and looks in the mirror to see a Romulan looking back at her. She`s on board a Romulan ship as a member of the Tal Shiar with no idea what she is doing there. She learns that a member of Spock`s dissident movement has abducted her to help complete an essential mission. Now Troi must pull off the role of a Tal Shiar officer in the face of a hostile warbird commander. Finally Deanna Troi gets a meaty episode. The Romulans are always associated with mystery and intrigue and their Trek appearances are all too few. This episode gives Deanna Troi a much-needed backbone, and a tantalising glimpse into an oppressive Romulan society. It also introduces the draconian Tal Shiar, the Romulan secret police who add another shade of grey to the Star Trek universe. An exciting episode. 9/10

15. Tapestry
Or It`s A Wonderful Trek. An alien attack leaves Picard mortally wounded. As he fades away on the diagnostic bed, Q welcomes him to the afterlife. Q shows Picard the fused artificial heart that caused his demise and wonders if Picard has any regrets. Picard realises that a reckless fight in a bar had cost him his heart and consequently his life. Q offers Picard the chance to change history, but life with a heart isn`t all its cracked up to be. A throwaway line in Season 2 neatly sets up the premise for this story, although it is quite familiar, exploring the road not travelled by a favourite character. We get to see what kind of man Picard was in his youth, and naturally when he changes the past he regrets the future that results. If the story is clichéd, it is redeemed by the interplay between Picard and Q; it`s an enjoyable episode if a little pointless. 7/10

16. Birthright: Part 1
The Enterprise visits Deep Space 9 where Worf encounters an Yridian who claims that his father survived the Khitomer massacre. Worf is violently sceptical, but the Yridian convinces Worf that the Romulans captured his father who is still being held captive in a Romulan colony world twenty years on. Worf takes time off for a rescue mission. Meanwhile, Dr Bashir decides to use the Enterprise facilities to examine a Gamma Quadrant artefact, which when it malfunctions shocks Data, and activates a whole new subroutine devoted to dreams. James Cromwell is a guest star, but he`s unrecognisable under piles of latex. Sometimes the Klingon episodes are the better TNG offerings, especially the empire shaking political ones. However the more personal Worf episodes can turn into tedious soap opera. Worf`s search for his father and his personal soul-searching get tiresome quickly, and quite frankly Data` search for meaning in his dreams is far more interesting. 7/10

17. Birthright: Part 2
Worf has found more than he bargained for, held captive among a colony of Klingons governed by Romulans. Worf is shocked to find that the children have no knowledge of their heritage. Of course Worf takes it upon himself to instruct them in the Klingon way, causing friction with the Romulan overseers. No dreaming android to provide a distraction, the Klingon story has to stand on its own. Fortunately the aspect is broader than in the previous episode. A pretty honourable attempt at peaceful coexistence between two groups is sabotaged when the Klingons reclaim their heritage. 7/10

18. Starship Mine
The Enterprise is docked whilst it undergoes a procedure to rid it of excess baryons. This requires a complete evacuation of the ship and it`s a chance for the crew to take some time off, although the command crew have been invited to a reception. Picard changes his mind at the last minute when he learns there is a chance to go riding. Staying behind to retrieve his saddle, he gets caught on board when the lethal Baryon sweep commences, and encounters a group of thieves attempting to steal a dangerous compound. Soon Picard has to fight alone to save his ship. Meanwhile those at the reception have their own problem. Die Hard on the Enterprise with Picard as John McClane. It`s a fun episode, though I get the feeling that when a show is looking to popular cinema for inspiration, then it`s hitting the point of diminishing returns. It guest stars Tim Russ who would later play Tuvok on Voyager. 8/10

19. Lessons
Picard meets a new officer in Stellar Cartography while roaming the ship in the middle of the night. He finds Lt Nella Daren charming, she`s a passionate scientist, a musician, genteel and forthright, and Picard quite naturally falls for her. But it`s never wise for a commanding officer to have a relationship with one of his crew, and soon his command responsibilities conflict with his personal life. It`s a charming enough tale. The developing relationship is shown is a quite sweet way built around a mutual passion for music, and there is a nice nod to the Season 5 episode, The Inner Light. In the end, it`s a story that doesn`t really go anywhere, and is overkill just to make a point. 6/10

20. The Chase
Picard`s former archaeology professor Galen comes to the Enterprise with a gift and a challenge. He`s on an expedition piecing together clues in alien DNA from multiple worlds, which point to a common ancestor. He wants Picard to drop everything and assist him on his search. Naturally Picard cannot drop his responsibilities and it`s an acrimonious farewell when Galen leaves. It`s made even more tragic when the professor`s shuttle is attacked. Picard decides to pick up the trail and complete the professor`s quest. There are powerful adversaries pursuing the professor`s goal however, in search of a secret that will shake the galaxy to its very foundations, and they will stop at nothing to get there first. Have you ever wondered why the only thing that differentiates Star Trek aliens is the design of the bumps on a forehead? (Beyond the make-up budget of course) The chase provides an elegant solution to the question in an episode that is both gripping and entertaining. The coda of the story is quintessential Trek, but like all good ideas in Trek, it`s never followed up in any subsequent stories. Still, it`s one of my all time favourites. 10/10

21. Frame Of Mind
Beverly Crusher is producing a play, and Will Riker has the starring role as an asylum inmate trying to prove his sanity. It`s a difficult role that`s causing Riker more than a few sleepless nights. He starts seeing an unfamiliar alien on the ship. Then he finds that he actually is an inmate in a psychological facility, accused of murder and being treated for delusions about an imaginary life aboard an imaginary starship. It`s always fun when a main character is tormented just a tad, and this time it`s Riker who has the mind bending experience. A show that is deliciously dark. 8/10

22. Suspicions
Dr Crusher has been suspended from duty, pending disciplinary action. It all began when she heard of a Ferengi scientist who had claimed to develop a revolutionary shielding process. His claims were considered laughable among his peers, so Dr Crusher arranged for a meeting of like minds aboard the Enterprise to examine the Ferengi`s theories, and see the technology in action. Then someone was killed. Beverly Crusher isn`t my favourite character, so a whole episode devoted to her is never going to make me sit up and pay attention. This is your typical whodunit, motivated by plenty of technobabble and with an awfully contrived ending. 6/10

23. Rightful Heir
Worf is having a crisis of faith, so he goes to the spiritual retreat of Boreth in search of a vision of Kahless. Kahless was the one who united the Klingon people millennia ago, but the vision that appears to Worf is a little too tangible. Kahless has truly returned to once again lead the Klingon people. The Klingons already have a leader though, and Gowron doesn`t want to see the Empire torn apart in another civil war. A nifty bit of technobabble resurrects the central figure of Klingon belief, just to throw a little conflict in the Star Trek universe. The story is enjoyable enough, but the father of the Klingon Empire looks a little comical to be an Emperor. One of these days, a scientist is going to get a hold of the Turin Shroud. 7/10

24. Second Chances
On a mission to Nervala IV to retrieve some scientific equipment, the Enterprise encounters the result of a transporter accident, a duplicate of Commander Riker. Lieutenant Riker was left stranded on the planet and has lived there alone for eight years. He believes that life has continued without him and is shocked to find another man has lived his life. The two men are suspicious of each other, especially when Lieutenant Riker wants to pick up where he left off with Deanna. An overdose of Treknobabble means a transporter accident effectively clones a character. Unlike most such stories where one of the clones ends up killing the other, this is a more intelligent take on the concept, and a better examination of the characters, of the path not taken. It also sets up a great DS9 story. 8/10

25. Timescape
Returning from a conference, Picard, Troi, Data and La Forge encounters fractures in time. Pockets of time are frozen, some are accelerated, and it`s as if the space-time continuum has been shattered. Tracing the source of these fractures leads them to a horrific tableau. Frozen in time, the Enterprise is locked in combat with a Romulan Warbird. The runabout crew have their work cut out to rescue their ship. A wonderful science fiction episode provides an interesting puzzle. First impressions are misleading in this case and it makes for compelling viewing as the characters discover the truth. For once the story is good enough to make you forgive the excess of technobabble. 9/10

26. Descent: Part 1

It`s the end of another season, so it`s time for another cliffhanger episode. The Borg are back and meaner than before. This time they are individuals, aggressive, vengeful and fast. As they attack Federation outposts, the Enterprise is ordered to counter them, and it`s during an away mission that the impossible happens, Data feels rage. It gets worse though, as when they capture a liberated Borg, it has an exacerbating effect on Data`s nascent emotions. He frees the Borg and they escape in a stolen shuttle through a subspace conduit. The Enterprise pursues them to an uninhabited planet, cloaked in an energy field that renders their sensors useless. The majority of the crew go to the planet to search for their missing officer, leaving Dr Crusher in command of a skeleton crew. Picard, Troi and La Forge walk into a trap, where they meet the new leader of the Borg. With a guest appearance from Stephen Hawking, this season finale is certainly well written, full of suspense and keeps things exciting. The cliffhanger is suitably tense and makes you want more. But the new liberated Borg are a pale shadow of their many-voiced menace, and the emphasis on Data`s growth towards humanity is beginning to get tiresome. Additionally, it`s the second season climax in a row that features the pale skinned android. 7/10

Video

The picture is your standard 4:3 regular ratio familiar from countless American television series from the eighties and early nineties. The transfer is perfectly adequate, matching the programme as I remember it first broadcast. In other words, low resolution and quite grainy from time to time. American television of the period was hardly pin-sharp, and as the years pass, I begin to wonder what The Next Generation would have looked like were it produced in hi-definition widescreen. The difference between television made in the eighties and television made today is quite remarkable, it`s just that image quality doesn`t necessarily translate into the quality of the stories. I almost made it through the review without making a dig at Enterprise.

Audio

In a departure from previous seasons, there is a change to the soundtracks available on this release. The DD 5.1 English track is still there, but the foreign language tracks are now available in DD 5.1 German, DD 2.0 Surround, French and Spanish as well as DD 2.0 Italian. I still appreciate hearing Trek enhanced for widescreen, although for European fans getting the episodes in Surround sound after 5 seasons of mono blandness must be a little galling. There are subtitles in many languages, for the episodes and the extras.

Features

The packaging is identical to the other Seasons, making for a nice collection on your DVD shelf. 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. This set of discs has menus based on the Bridge science station, but the layout has pretty much the same LCARS look. The extras are once again quite substantial in amount.

The Mission Overview for year six takes 17 minutes to look at the season`s notable episodes with input from the cast and crew. Special emphasis is paid to episodes like Time`s Arrow, Relics, Chain Of Command and Descent among others. Mention is made of DS9`s debut, and for a change there is some behind the scenes footage on this disc of Relics, with a brief interview with Scotty a.k.a. James Doohan.

Bold New Directions also lasts 17 minutes, and focuses on Patrick Stewart`s direction of A Fistful Of Datas and the LeVar Burton helmed show, Second Chances. Again there is some behind the scenes goodness, which makes a change from the usual clips-fest.

The Departmental Briefing this year takes 15 minutes to look at the production of shows like Relics, Birthright, Rascals, Tapestry, Chain Of Command and Frame Of Mind.

Dan Curry is profiled. 19 minutes is spent with the Visual Effects Producer, and he shares his input on props, matte paintings, artwork, and models and with great eagerness, bladed weapons.

There is a Special Crew Profile focussing on Lt Commander Data, and how the character was developed over the seven years. Brent Spiner takes 18 minutes out of his life to share his insights.

Select Historical Data looks at the minutiae of The Next Generation. 17 minutes are spent on Gowron, music, props, and Data`s photo double, the introduction of CGI, sound effects and editing.

12 minutes are spent exploring the vast caverns that contain the sets and props of Star Trek.

Finally there are trailers for the DS9 DVD boxsets and Star Trek: Nemesis.

Yet again I can lament the absence of commentaries, deleted scenes and bloopers. But I also notice a degree of inconsistency in the extras. There`s no continuity between Seasons. Out of the blue we get a Special Crew Profile for Data the android, yet the other seasons thus far have remained clear of similar profiles for other main characters. It`s as if the extras were thrown together piecemeal at the last instant, rather than any particular thought taken. For instance, a lot of what is on this release actually refers to other seasons, or other incarnations of Trek altogether. Still, there is a decent amount here that will keep fans interested for a few hours.

Conclusion

Season Six is certainly an improvement over the previous year, with a greater degree of consistency in the quality of the episodes. However that also means that there are fewer episodes that really stand out. Consequently there are fewer stinkers as well, so I guess that is a blessing in disguise. The stinkers first, and the ones to avoid must include Aquiel, one of the worst TNG episodes of the series, and Man Of The People, which is hampered by its premise, but hamstrung by some over the top performances, especially from Marina Sirtis as the counsellor scorned. True Q rarely rises above average, but certainly isn`t a bad episode. By contrast the must see episodes in this run include, Relics, the Chain Of Command episodes, Face Of The Enemy, which is a story in which Marina Sirtis shines, Timescape, and The Chase, one of my own favourites.

Most of the episodes in this run are certainly watchable, although I don`t know whether the consistency in quality implies a level of attainment maintained through the run, or a sense of complacency in the writers. Certainly in season six, it becomes evident that there are stories that the writers fell back on, dead certs in other words that were guaranteed to get an audience. I think the most obvious of these were the ones that were based on Data or Worf. Every so often there would be a story in which Data would explore an aspect of humanity, or Worf would try to reconcile another aspect of his Klingon heritage. It`s with a certain degree of hindsight that I realise just how contrived these episodes were, near the end of The Next Generation`s run. Birthright, Rightful Heir and Descent are stories that begin to seem like filler 10 years on.

Another annoyance that makes its presence felt in season 6 is the dreaded technobabble. If you thought that it was bad in season 5, then you`ll be shocked at the prevalence of the dreaded gobbledegook in season 6. If they actually trimmed it from the script, the shows would lose 5 minutes of run time. I find now that my brain automatically bleeps it out, as if it is some kind of profanity. The Next Generation is nothing; you should watch an episode of Voyager for the abuse of the English language.

Still, season six of Star Trek: The Next Generation provides 19 hours of decent quality sci-fi, and maintains the standards set by the earlier seasons. This season is certainly more consistent than most, and shifts the tone to the dark side of the Trek. It`ll get even darker in the final season, but that`s for another review. The picture quality is similar to earlier seasons, and the foreign language soundtracks now come in varying degrees of Surround. The extras are a little eclectic, but there are more of them than in the earliest releases. What more could any Trekkie want?