My Star Trek Year

TNG - The Schizoid Man

The Schizoid Man
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season 2, Episode 6

In which a brilliant but egocentric and crotchety (and totally stereotypical) old scientist transfers his essence into Data. At which point crew members turn into drooling dullards who take forever to latch onto the obvious and the villain morphs into the standard villain from central casting. Ho hum.

(viewed 12/24/2009)

TNG - Violations

Violations
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season 5, Episode 12

Telepathic aliens come aboard and certain crew members begin to lapse into comas. Turns out there's a bad egg in the alien bunch doing nasty things. Includes a nice scene with the normally mousy Troi going nuts and working over the bad guy. Otherwise dull as dirt.

(viewed 12/23/2009)

TNG - Imaginary Friend

Imaginary Friend
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season 5, Episode 22

Though TNG did a number of things quite well, I've always found it hard to swallow the notion that kids might be present on a starship. Given the nature of the job and the risks involved it doesn't seem to ring true. And even though I've seen some kid episodes lately that weren't so bad this one kind of bit the big one. The premise - a kid's imaginary friend becomes real. The thoroughly predictable twist - the imaginary friend is not really the imaginary friend at all. 

(viewed 10/21/2009)

TNG - Contagion

Contagion
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season 2, Episode 11

An interesting and somewhat engaging episode finds a virus destroying a Starfleet ship, then plaguing the Enterprise and its Romulan antagonists. Ends up with a fairly straightforward race to find a solution type of plot, but things are rather well-handled throughout.

(viewed 10/07/2009)

TNG - Symbiosis

Symbiosis
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season 1, Episode 21

Drugs are bad, kids. If you didn't already know it, this episode will bat you over the head with the point until your brains start to ooze out through your nose. A planet of drug dealers face off with their "customers" aboard the Enterprise. Could it have been any more heavy handed? Doubt it.

(viewed 09/30/2009)

TNG - Realm Of Fear

Realm Of Fear
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season 6, Episode 2

It's another episode that zeroes in on the trials and tribulations of Reg Barclay - the Star Trek universe's verion of Don Knotts (minus the comedy). This time around his fear of the transporter is enhanced considerably by the weird little beasties he encounters while traveling therein. All of which never actually seems to go anywhere, story wise.

(viewed 09/27/2009)