The 50 Greatest Star Trek moments of all time
David Brown selects his personal highlights from a half century of the sci-fi franchise
10. “I wasn’t strong enough” – Family
An underrated episode in which Picard recuperates from his ordeal with the Borg while on a visit to his brother’s family in France. Haunted by what’s happened to him, Picard sobs to sibling Robert: “I tried so hard but I wasn’t strong enough. I wasn’t good enough.” We’re not really used to seeing our Starfleet leaders break down in this way, especially with our previous frame of reference being the gung-ho Kirk. So it must have been a risk on the part of the writers to have their series lead cry. But witnessing Picard in pieces ends up definitely makes him more of a credible captain. It’s a bold move from TNG that really pays off.
9. Spock mind melds with the Horta – The Devil in the Dark
“Pain! PAIN!” Yes, it’s the iconic scene where Spock learns that the rock-like, destructive Horta is merely trying to protect its silicon-based offspring from a team of Federation miners. Here, we get an early exploration of those key Star Trek themes of communication and the overcoming of differences between species - twin concerns that would be re-examined on many more occasions down the decades.
8. “The Sky’s the limit…” – All Good Things
After having glimpsed a future in which his crew has drifted apart, Picard does something he’s never done before – he joins the rest of the senior officers for their regular poker game. Expressing regret that he’s never played before, Troi tells him that he was always welcome. As the camera pans away, Picard tells them that “the sky’s the limit” and we end our weekly voyages with the Next Generation team on an incredibly touching note – the remote, sometimes austere captain of the show’s first season now a distant memory.
7. Kirk battles the Gorn – Arena
Rubbery, rubbishy monster hides are turned into the very stuff of TV sci-fi as a weaponless Kirk gets locked in mortal combat against a reptilian captain. The Vasquez rocks in southern California – where the showdown was filmed – has since become a quintessential Star Trek location, while Kirk’s Captain’s Log entries couldn’t be more Shatner-esque if they tried. The best in a heady mix being, “an incredible fortune in stones, yet I would trade them all for a hand phaser or a good, solid club…”
6. Picard plays the Ressikan Flute – The Inner Light
The sacrifices Picard has made to become Starfleet’s most revered captain are brought into sharp focus when he falls unconscious and is implanted with the memories of a man with a rich family to love and cherish. Twenty-five minutes pass on the bridge of the Enterprise, while Picard lives out a lifetime as Kamin. And after Picard is revived, he is later seen in his quarters, playing a mournful melody on the flute he mastered while in his other life. Never has the dutiful captain looked so lonely.
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