Surpassing the Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation warps into a fourth season. Starting with “The Best of Both Worlds Part II,” the season delivers some incredible episodes, including “Qpid,” “The Nth Degree,” “In Theory,” and “Redemption.” The writing is also especially good; from the character development of the main cast to the provocative social commentary. In Season 4, Star Trek: The Next Generation proves that it’s a powerhouse unto itself and not just a spin-off series.
Review by LeftHandedGuitaristBlockedParent2017-06-20T09:55:56Z— updated 2017-06-22T19:47:13Z
Season 4 feels very "settled". I'm sure that in no small part due to the show finally having a permanent writing staff and a unified direction. It provides us with a number of fantastic episodes and really fires on all cylinders, providing a wonderfully varied season of storytelling.
What struck me most this time is how much continuity and seralisation is actually here. I always think of TNG as being episodic, with 45-minute stories told each week and then forgotten about, but it's not true at all. There are a large amount of references to things that happened earlier and the characters definitely grow as a result of certain events. Notably, the story of Worf's discommendation and the brewing Klingon civil war/pact with the Romulans is spread very nicely throughout. Things really come to a head in 'The Drumhead' as a number of seeds previously sown are recalled. Background character Chief O'Brien starts to take on a much larger role, and of course Wesley Crusher finally departs.
The season begins by resolving the Borg cliffhanger, and Picard is given a whole episode to deal with it in 'Family'. A good deal of the first third of the season actually uses family as a recurring them; we meet Picard's brother, Data's father (and his brother again), Worf's parents, Wesley's (deceased) father, Tasha Yar's sister, Riker's (fake) son, Worf's son and O'Brien gets married. It's a clear demonstration of how the show wanted to emphasise the bond between these people, and highlighting what was most important.
There's an unfortunate run of terrible episodes around the halfway point, but the season recovers. Great stuff, and firmly establishing the golden age of TNG (although, I think better might be yet to come).
Best episodes for me:Family, Remember Me, The Wounded, Reunion, Data's Day, Qpid, The DrumheadWorst episodes for me:Legacy, Devil's Due, First Contact, Identity Crisis, The Host, Suddenly Human