Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4 consistently delivered strong episodes, truly cementing the series as an all-time great. By TNG's fourth season, Gene Roddenberry's declining health prevented him from taking an active role in the show's production. As Roddenberry had been one of the main voices advocating for TNG to remain strictly episodic, the show's other producers began incorporating more serialized elements after Roddenberry's departure. That's not to say TNG ever committed to a fully serialized season, but more and more episodes began referencing previous storylines or leading into future ones.

Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4 opened with a bang, as "The Best of Both Worlds" Borg two-parter came to a close. Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) survived his time as Locutus of Borg, although he did not emerge from the experience unscathed. This season continued building on the histories established for Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) and Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn), diving deeper into its exploration of their characters.

Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), too, got his chance in the spotlight, and Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), and Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) also got more development in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4's 10 best episodes.

10 "Future Imperfect"

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 8

After falling unconscious while on an away mission, Commander Riker wakes up as Captain of the Enterprise, with no memories of the last sixteen years. Dr. Crusher informs Riker that his memories may or may not return, and he tries to adapt to his new normal. Riker was supposedly married and widowed, and now has a young son named Jean-Luc (Chris Demetral), but numerous inconsistencies cause Riker to grow suspicious of his new reality.

In the first reveal, a Romulan named Tomalak (Andreas Katsulas) is behind the simulation as a ploy to get Riker to give up Federation secrets. But the real truth is that the boy portraying Riker's son is actually a lonely alien who just wanted companionship. With its multiple twists, "Future Imperfect" is a fun episode, as Riker (and the viewer) work to figure out what is real and what isn't.

9 "Clues"

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 14

As the USS Enterprise-D approaches a strange planet, the entire crew (aside from Data) is suddenly rendered unconscious. When they awaken, Data informs Captain Picard that everyone was only unconscious for thirty seconds. Picard has never had any reason to doubt Data, but crew soon begin noticing clues that suggest significantly more time has ed than Data claims.

Even after Picard and his crew become certain that they were unconscious for longer than thirty seconds, Data maintains his story. The final reveal is a good one, as it turns out that Data was trying to avoid a second encounter with advanced xenophobic aliens known as the Paxans. "Clues" slowly reveals pieces of the puzzle, making for an incredibly compelling hour of television, and showing how clever and tenacious the Enterprise crew can be when there's a mystery to solve.

8 " Me"

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 5

In one of Dr. Crusher's best Star Trek episodes, the Enterprise's Chief Medical Officer suddenly finds herself in a rapidly shrinking universe with no way out. The mystery begins when Beverly realizes that a doctor who was visiting the Enterprise has suddenly vanished, with no record of him ever having been on the ship at all. More and more crew disappear, and Crusher grows increasingly frantic as no one else sees anything amiss.

Eventually, Dr. Crusher and Captain Picard are the only ones left, but Picard insists they have always been alone on the Enterprise. Beverly is smart enough to realize that "if there's nothing wrong with [her], maybe there's something wrong with the universe." She's ultimately proven right and rescued thanks to her own ingenuity and some help from her son Wesley (Wil Wheaton) and the mysterious Traveler (Eric Menyuk).

7 "Brothers"

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 3

In "Brothers," Data's creator, Dr. Noonien Soong (Brent Spiner), triggers a homing beacon in the android that causes him to take the USS Enterprise-D to Soong's home on Terlina III. Watching Data single-handedly take over the Enterprise makes for an incredibly fun sequence that shows just how dangerous Data could be if he wanted. Dr. Soong reveals that he has created an emotion chip for Data, but Lore (also Brent Spiner) arrives just in time to steal the chip meant for his brother.

Because the chip was meant for Data, it makes Lore even more unstable, and the evil android mortally wounds Dr. Soong before leaving. As Data sits with his dying "father," he laments that he cannot grieve for him, but Soong replies that Data will mourn for him in his own way. "Brothers" not only puts Brent Spiner's acting talent on full display (as he does triple duty as Data, Lore, and Soong), but also marks an incredibly important moment on Data's journey.

6 "The Wounded"

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 12

"The Wounded" is notable for introducing the Cardassians, but it's a solid episode of Star Trek in its own right. The story centers on Picard's investigation of Captain Benjamin Maxwell (Bob Gunton), a Starfleet captain who has gone rogue and begun attacking Cardassian ships. Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meany) served under Maxwell during the Cardassian War, and eventually convinces his former captain to stand down.

Marc Alaimo portrays Gul Macet, one of the first Cardassians seen on screen. Alaimo would become more well known for his portrayal of Gul Dukat on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Both Maxwell and O'Brien harbor resentment for the Cardassians, and "The Wounded" offers fascinating insight into the aftereffects of the Cardassian War. Between the episode's focus on Chief O'Brien and the introduction of the Cardassians, "The Wounded" also establishes several elements that will become prominent storylines in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

5 "Reunion"

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 7

After Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3's "Sins of the Father," the show began diving deeper into Klingon politics and Lt. Worf's role in it. "Reunion" continues that trend, bringing back Worf's former flame K'Ehleyr (Suzie Plakson) and his Klingon enemy Duras (Patrick Massett), and introducing Worf's son Alexander (Jon Paul Steuer) and Klingon Chancellor Gowron (Robert O'Reilly).

"Reunion" contains the first appearance of a bat'leth, which has become the Klingon's iconic weapon of choice.

As she did in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2's "The Emissary," Suzie Plakson steals the show as K'Ehleyr, and her untimely death makes "Reunion" one of Trek's saddest hours. K'Ehleyr was such a vibrant character, and it's a shame she only appeared in two episodes. Worf's decision to challenge and kill Duras for murdering K'Ehleyr earns him a formal reprimand from Captain Picard but makes perfect sense for Worf as a character. All in all, "Reunion" tells a solid story that further explores Worf's complicated relationship with his Klingon heritage.

4 "Data's Day"

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 11

In what might be Star Trek's most charming episode, Data takes viewers through a day on the Enterprise via a letter to Dr. Bruce Maddox (Brian Brophy). As Data helps prepare for the wedding of Miles O'Brien and Keiko (Rosalind Chao), he seeks advice from his friends and takes dance lessons from Dr. Crusher. Between the wedding and a plot involving a Romulan spy, Data has a full day, and his observations reveal a lot about the android.

Data's cat, Spot, appears for the first time in "Data's Day. Over the course of TNG, Spot would be played by a total of six different cats (and one lizard).

"Data's Day" may not do anything revolutionary, but it's genuinely funny and perfectly encapsulates Data's main Star Trek journey. Data's observations about the humans around him, his attempts at humor, and his sincerity about the whole thing make it impossible not to smile, and the episode serves as a nice palate cleanser after the darker elements of episodes like "Brothers" and "Reunion."

3 "The Drumhead"

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 21

Star Trek loves a good courtroom drama, and "The Drumhead" serves as a solid example of the genre. When an explosion on the Enterprise appears to be the work of sabotage, retired iral Norah Satie (Jean Simmons) comes aboard the ship to conduct an investigation. Satie's search turns into a witchhunt, as she ramps up her interrogations even after Data and Geordi determine that the explosion was an accident.

Captain Picard delivers a particularly powerful speech about the dangers of fanaticism and fearmongering.

The story culminates in a tense tribunal, where Captain Picard delivers a particularly powerful speech about the dangers of fanaticism and fearmongering. "The Drumhead" feels even more relevant today than it was in 1991, as does Picard's prescient warning — "With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."

2 "The Best Of Both Worlds, Part II"

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 1

After the brilliant set up in "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I," "Part II" had a difficult task ahead of it, but it (mostly) pulled it off. Commander Riker and his crew successfully rescue Picard from the Borg cube and save Earth, but not before around 11,000 lives were lost at the devastating Battle of Wolf 359. In a particularly powerful scene, the USS Enterprise-D arrives at the battle site to find nothing but debris from 39 destroyed starships.

When "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I" was filmed, even the writers weren't sure how the story was going to end.

While this season opener may not be quite as great as "Part I," it ultimately wraps up Captain Picard's assimilation storyline in a satisfying way and returns TNG more or less to its status quo. The events of both parts of "The Best of Both Worlds" continue to reverberate throughout modern Star Trek, as Picard remained forever changed by his experience as Locutus.

1 "Family"

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 3

Star Trek rarely followed up on previous storylines, but "Family" serves as a coda for the excellent two-parter, "The Best of Both Worlds." Shaken by his experience as Locutus of Borg, Captain Picard takes a break from Starfleet to visit his brother, Robert (Jeremy Kemp), on the Picard family vineyard. As Jean-Luc considers leaving the Enterprise, he clashes with his brother over their very different lifestyles. After a fight in the mud, Jean-Luc finally opens up about his experience and the guilt he feels for his role in the Battle of Wolf 359.

With ing storylines involving Wesley and his late father, and Worf and his parents, "Family" is a quiet episode of Star Trek that nevertheless has a big impact. The performances are great, and it's nice to see a more vulnerable side of Picard as we learn more about his family. "The Best of Both Worlds" and "Family" truly represent Star Trek: The Next Generation at its best — complex and clever sci-fi with a whole lot of heart.