Links: The Best of Both Worlds: Part 1 / The Best of Both Worlds: Part 2 / Yesterday's Enterprise / The Measure of a Man / Show Official Info /

When I heard from my contact at the PR agency handling Paramount Home Entertainment that a DVD with The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation was coming I didn't ask what episodes were on the DVD - I simply asked for a review copy.

"The Best of Both Worlds: Part 1" - (Season 3, Episode 26) Original Air Date: 16 June 1990

"The Best of Both Worlds: Part 2" - (Season 4, Episode 1) Original Air Date: 22 September 1990

"Yesterday's Enterprise - (Season 3, Episode 15) Original Air Date: 17 February 1990

"The Measure of a Man" - (Season 2, Episode 9) Original Air Date: 11 February 1989

Previews:
Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 1 (Blu-ray)

Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection (Blu-ray) – includes Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, and The Captains' Summit Bonus Disc

The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series, The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy (includes Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home) on DVD

Charmed - The Final Season (Season 8), Seasons 1-7 Also Available

The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation:
In my opinion these are four of the best episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation since the first two, "The Best of Both Worlds: Part 1 and Part 2" deal with the consequences of the meddling of Q and humanity's premature encounter with the Borg. "Yesterday's Enterprise" is about correcting distortions in the space-time continuum and includes both the Klingons and the Romulans, though neither actually appeared on screen during the episode. "The Measure of a Man" deals with the fierce legal battle to determine whether Data is a sentient being or not.

This DVD begins with the 2-part cliffhanger that left us hanging at the conclusion of Season 3 and wrapped up in the first episode of Season 4. Both parts were written by Michael Piller and begin with the Borg finally making their way to our solar system.

In "The Best of Both Worlds: Part 1", several Borg drones beam aboard the Enterprise, capture Captain Jean-Luc Picard, and beam back to the Borg cube with him. With the Enterprise in hot pursuit, the Borg now head towards Earth with the stated (but rather obvious) intention of assimilating Earth and the rest of the Federation.

Onboard the Borg cube Picard is designated by the Borg as their voice to Earth. Lt. Cmdr. Shelby (a Starfleet expert on the Borg), Lt. Cmdr. Data, Lt. Worf, and Dr. Crusher beam aboard in an attempt to rescue Captain Picard. Now assimilated and designated as Locutus of Borg, Picard is no longer truly human.

"The Best of Both Worlds: Part 2" begins with Cmdr. Riker receiving a field promotion to Captain of the Enterprise and Starfleet preparing a last ditch defense at Wolf 359. Upon arriving at Wolf 359, the Enterprise discovers that the Borg have ripped through the Federation fleet opposing them like a chainsaw through balsa wood.

Beaming aboard the Borg cube, Data and Worf subdue and recapture Locutus/Picard, returning to the Enterprise with him.

"Yesterday's Enterprise" is most definitely a collaborative effort since the original story is credited as written by Trent Christopher Ganino and Eric A. Stillwell, with the teleplay credited to Ira Steven Behr, Richard Manning, Hans Beimler and Ronald D. Moore.

When the Enterprise C (NCC 1701-C) enters the Enterprise D (NCC 1701-D)'s space-time continuum in 2366, they find Captain Picard and the crew (including the deceased Lt. Tasha Yar) in a constant state of war with the Klingons, and only Guinan the El-Aurian ship's bartender knows it. Lost and presumed destroyed 22 years before this story takes place, the return of the Enterprise C is causing all sorts of temporal ripples that affect Guinan most noticeably. No doubt due to the El-Aurian race’s sensitivity to the space-time continuum, Guinan now has to help make things right again.

With the bridge crew of the Enterprise C badly decimated, Lt. Tasha Yar transfers over as their new tactical officer, thereby leading to yet another alternate timeline that manifests its consequences in the closing scene of "Redemption: Part 1", the cliffhanger at the end of Season 4.

Written by Story Editor Melinda M. Snodgrass, "The Measure of a Man" deals with the determined attempt by Commander Bruce Maddox, a Federation cyberneticist to dismantle Lt. Cmdr. Data and study him. When Data resigns his commission, a formal hearing is convened to determine whether he is considered property without rights or is a sentient being.

Since the newly established JAG office Starbase 173 consists of only Captain Louvois and one terrified little Ensign, she has to serve as the judge and then presses Captain Picard into service as Data's defense attorney and forces Cmdr. Riker to prosecute the case or Data loses the case by forfeit.

One very compelling reason to purchase this DVD is that all four episodes are uncut. No more dirty, scratched, patched up videotapes cut repeatedly so that your local station could cram more commercials in place of segments of the episodes.

Consider buying the DVD of The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation as a Fathers Day gift, or declare a personal holiday, but treat yourself to this special release.