Take "Elementary, Dear Data" for example. The minute I saw Geordi and Data waltz into the holodeck dressed like Sherlock and Watson, I rolled my eyes so hard I saw my own brain. I thought, "Oh, one of THOSE episodes." The classic, "we have no script, so let’s do costumes" special. But instead, it turned into something incredibly thoughtful - an ethical puzzle about AI, consciousness, and identity. The crew accidentally creates a self-aware being inside the holodeck. And instead of turning him into a cartoon villain or having him go full Ultron, they just let him... exist. He asks to be more than code. And when he realizes he can't leave the holodeck, he accepts it. With grace. It was unexpectedly beautiful.
That episode was the warm-up act to "The Measure of a Man," which might just be one of the best episodes of sci-fi television I’ve ever seen. Period. No joke. The entire episode is a courtroom drama asking a simple but devastating question: does Data - our charming, pale-faced android buddy - have rights? Is he Starfleet property? Or is he a person? And by that they are actually asking the real question - Why does ANY of us have rights? Is it because we are part of the human race? because we are made of flesh? or because we are capable of thought? It’s powerful, bold, and genuinely moving. I wasn’t ready to get punched in the heart by a Starfleet tribunal, but here we are.
I also really enjoyed "Time Squared." I’m a sucker for time travel, and this one nails the paranoia of a time loop without going full "Groundhog Day." A shuttle appears with a second Captain Picard from six hours in the future, barely alive. Turns out the Enterprise is heading toward its own destruction, and our Picard has to make a different choice than his future self. But he has no idea what the choice was. It’s moody, nerve-racking, and really effective. Bonus points for existential dread.
And yes, of course, "Q Who" deserves a shoutout. This is the one where we finally meet the Borg. Q throws the Enterprise across the galaxy like a kid flinging a LEGO ship, and boom, here come the space zombies. The crew is completely outmatched, and the only reason they survive is because Picard begs Q to save them. It’s a powerful moment that sets up the stakes for the rest of the series. You can actually feel the future lore engine starting to rev up.
Even the bad episodes are better lit and better directed. There's still a lot of Season 1 jank in the writing - weird pacing, stilted dialogue, random moralizing - but the cast is settling in. Patrick Stewart is Jean-Luc Picard now. Data continues to be an absolute legend. Geordi’s emerging as the emotional core of the show. Even Wesley is slightly less punchable.
Look, it’s not perfect. That last episode? What was that? A fever dream? Did I black out? But despite the bumps, I’m officially onboard. Fully. Emotionally. Spiritually. Ready to become a Trekkie. This ship and this crew are growing on me like plastic tubes on a Borg dude (I can swear I saw one with a mustache when they went on that Borg ship) .
Set course for Season 3. Engage.
