noonien soong star trek

Soong family

The Soong family consisted of generations of scientists , including some of the greatest geneticist and cyberneticist minds of their time on Earth and later in the United Federation of Planets . For several Soongs, their work resulted in non-traditional beings the Soongs considered their children .

In the 21st century , Dr. Adam Soong was a geneticist in Los Angeles . ( PIC : " Fly Me to the Moon ") Later in the 22nd century , Dr. Arik Soong was a geneticist who considered switching to cybernetics . ( ENT : " Borderland ", " The Augments ")

By the 24th century , Noonien and his then-wife Juliana Tainer considered androids Data and Lore to be their children. ( TNG : " Datalore ", " Inheritance ") Captain Jean-Luc Picard noted Noonien Soong's penchant for using whimsical names in naming his children. ( Star Trek Nemesis )

• 1.1 Early history
• 1.2 24th century
• 2 Background information

Members of Soong family [ ]

Early history [ ].

• Persephone Soong , genetically created daughter
• Despoina Soong , genetically created daughterdaughter
• Persephatta Soong , genetically created daughter
• Prosperina Soong , genetically created daughter
• Artemis Soong , genetically created daughter
• Kore Soong , the only successfully genetically created daughter
• Jaya , adopted augment daughter
• Lokesh , adopted augment son
• Malik , adopted augment son
• Persis , adopted augment daughter
• Raakin , adopted augment son
• Saul , adopted augment son
• Udar , adopted augment son
• Yavar , adopted augment son

24th century [ ]

• Altan Soong , reclusive scientist and Noonien Soong's biological son
• B-4 , Soong-type android prototype
• Lore , first semi-successful Soong-type android
• Lal , Data's daughter
• Dahj and Soji Asha , Data's twin neural progenes

Background information [ ]

The male side of the Soong family were primarily portrayed by Brent Spiner in Star Trek: The Next Generation , Enterprise , and Picard . The female side was portrayed by Isa Briones in Picard.

• 1 Daniels (Crewman)

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Published Apr 3, 2014

FIRST LOOK: The Light Fantastic

Star Trek: The Next Generation -- The Light Fantastic won't be out until late June, but StarTrek.com has an exclusive First Look at the cover and details about the upcoming adventure from author Jeffrey Lang and publisher Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books. Here's the synopsis:

He was perhaps the ultimate human achievement: a sentient artificial life-form—self-aware, self-determining, possessing a mind and a body far surpassing that of his makers, and imbued with the potential to evolve beyond the scope of his programming. And then Data was destroyed. Four years later, Data’s creator, Noonien Soong, sacrificed his life and resurrected his android son, who in turn revived the positronic brain of his own artificial daughter, Lal. Having resigned his commission, the former Starfleet officer now works to make his way on an alien world, while also coming to grips with the very human notion of wanting versus having a child. But complicating Data’s new life is an unexpected nemesis from years ago on the U.S.S. Enterprise—the holographic master criminal Professor James Moriarty. Long believed to be imprisoned in a memory solid, Moriarty has created a siphon into the "real" world as a being of light and thought. Moriarty wants the solid form that he was once told he could never have, and seeks to manipulate Data into finding another androidbody for him to permanently inhabit . . . even if it means that is Data himself. Returning to the story begun in the novel Immortal Coil and continuing in the bestselling Cold Equations trilogy, this is the next fascinating chapter in the artificial life of one of Star Trek ’s most enduring characters.

Star Trek: The Next Generation -- The Light Fantastic , due out on June 24, will be available as a 304-page mass market paperback and eBook priced at $7.99. Visit www.amazon.com to pre-order.

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Noonien Soong

Doctor Noonien Soong was a human male first mentioned in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Datalore .

He was portrayed by Brent Spiner , who had also played Soong's android "sons" Data , B4, and Lore , his biological son Altan, and his ancestors Arik Soong and Adam Soong .

Soong was a descendant of the 22nd century rogue geneticist Arik Soong, and carried on Arik's work in cybernetics. Born in the late 23rd century, Soong became one of the foremost cyberneticists in the United Federation of Planets . In the 2320s he tried to create a working positronic brain, but those efforts ended in failure, and his reputation was seriously damaged in the fallout.

Dropping out of the public eye, Soong travelled to Omicron Theta where he helped found a scientific colony. Meeting the young Doctor Juliana O'Donnell at the colony, the pair soon married over the objections of Juliana's mother. The two began an effort to produce an android with a functional positronic brain.

Soong's first two androids had unstable positronic brain matrices and they died soon after being activated. The next android - B4 - was also flawed and Soong deactivated him. Finally Soong and his wife were able to create a stable positronic matrix in Lore. However his personality was warped and unstable, and the Soongs were forced to deactivate and disassemble him because of the fear he engendered in the other colonists. Soong planned to fix Lore at some future date.

By then Juliana was opposed to creating any more androids, but Soong was able to convince her to help him create just one more android, which became Data. Juliana wanted to try a different look, but Soong insisted on making Data in his likeness and settled the argument by walking into the lab one day with Data's head. The first months of Data's life were challenging, but Data was harmless compared to Lore. Programming needed to be adjusted so that Data would not be so rude and that the anatomically correct android would keep his clothes on.

With Data's successful construction, Soong intended to turn his attention back to Lore to fix the programming issues that caused the personality instabilities. The Crystalline Entity attacked then. Soong and his wife left the colony, and left both Data and Lore behind. Juliana was seriously injured in the attack and died, but before she died Soong built an advanced android and transferred Juliana's memories and personality into this new android. His biological son Altan was able to improve the technique, and use it to transfer Jean-Luc Picard 's consciousness into an android body after his human body died due to a brain abnormality.

Living in exile on Terlina III, Soong spent the next three decades continuing his work. Dissatisfied with her life, Juliana divorced Soong and left Terlina III. Before she left Soong implanted a chip in Juliana that had a holographic program to explain about Juliana's true nature should it be uncovered, and even added question and answer modules in the event it was Data that ran the program. Soong remained out of public view, but managed to keep up with the news of how Data was doing, and worked on a chip that would give Data basic emotions.

By 2367 Soong was dying. He activated a homing device which summoned Data and Lore to Terlina III. Soong attempted to give his son the emotion chip, but Lore was able to disable Data and pose as his younger brother. Stealing the chip, Lore assaulted Dr. Soong and left him for dead.

The Enterprise crew was able to beam down to Soong's house and discovered the dying Soong. Soong declined medical treatment, feeling it was too late for him. Giving Data the instructions on how to clear the memory block, Soong and Data said their farewells before Data beamed back on board the Enterprise to release the computer back to the control of the crew. Soong apparently died a short time later.

Novel Continuity [ ]

Soong had survived Lore's attack, and managed to transfer his mind into a new android body which was more advanced than Data's body had been. After the original Data died in 2379, Soong learned that Data's matrix had survived within B4 and began working on an even more advanced body for Data. The work was interrupted by the Borg invasion of 2381, and the body was destroyed.

Left with no choice, Soong transferred Data's memories in to his own body before Data's matrix collapsed. Soong died when he deleted his personality so that Data could survive in the new body. Even though Soong's personality was now gone, Data had access to Soong's memories and knowledge.

Navigation [ ]

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• 3 Embarrassment

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Star trek: discovery got their own data & i wish they did more with fred.

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10 Biggest Unanswered Questions Star Trek: Discovery’s Ending Left Behind

Star trek “is really a love story, says executive producer, fbi: international season 4's best team leader replacement is another one chicago actor.

• Fred, a Soong-type android in "Star Trek: Discovery," introduced charming TNG nostalgia but was quickly forgotten after season 5 premiere.
• Fans missed out on exploring Fred's intriguing 32nd-century backstory and associations with Data due to his premature demise in the show.
• Discovery had a chance to revive Fred for more depth and connections to TNG, but the opportunity to delve into his character was sadly missed.

Star Trek: Discovery introduced an android named Fred (J. Adam Brown) who bore an obvious resemblance to Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner), and I wish the show would have done more with him. Discovery's fifth and final season saw Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the crew of the USS Discovery embark on a fun intergalactic treasure hunt with connections to Star Trek: The Next Generation . One of my favorite elements of the Discovery season 5 premiere was the introduction of Fred, a Soong-type android resembling TNG's Data.

Data has always been my favorite Star Trek character, and I was excited to see another android like him who had lived until the 32nd century. With the introduction of more advanced and human-like androids in later Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Picard, Starfleet seemed to have moved on from androids that looked like Data. Still, there was always something endearing about Data's distinctive pallor and yellow eyes, and Fred was a nice callback to a simpler android. The existence of an android like Fred in the 32nd century raised a lot of interesting questions, and I'm disappointed Star Trek: Discovery didn't take the time to explore any of them.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 being an unexpected ending means there are still unanswered questions after Discovery's series finale.

Star Trek: Discovery Forgot Fred After Season 5’s Premiere

"serial number as-0572y. a.s. altan soong... whoever built fred honored the doctor by putting his initials in the serial number.".

Created by cyberneticist Dr. Noonien Soong (Brent Spiner) , Data was the most successful and advanced android of his time. In Star Trek: Picard season 3, Data received the ultimate upgrade, gaining a new synthetic body and the ability to experience organic emotions. Advancements in artificial intelligence and synthetic bodies rendered Data's previous model obsolete. This raises the question of how a Soong android like Fred made it to the 32nd century. I wanted to know when Fred was built, how he survived for hundreds of years, and what events he had seen or been a part of.

J. Adam Brown did a great job performing android mannerisms as inspired by Brent Spiner, and I wanted to see more of his story. When renegade couriers Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) visited Fred, the android was working as a fence. Having lived for over six hundred years, Fred had likely learned a lot about humanity and about his own programming. Unlike Data, he clearly had the ability to harm others, as he fired a phaser at Moll and L'ak when they demanded their items back from him. Moll and L'ak eventually kill Fred, but there was no reason that should've put a permanent end to his Star Trek story.

I particularly loved seeing Fred solve the Romulan puzzle box and read the diary within it in mere seconds, as it reminded me of all the times Data did something similar on TNG.

Having Their Own Data Would Have Worked For Star Trek: Discovery

"how effervescent to meet new clients.".

Despite Fred's death, I hoped that Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) and Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) would find a way to revive him. Surely they could have, with all the 32nd-century technology at their disposal. Data was brought back to life with the technology of the late 24th century, after all. Instead of simply downloading the information in Fred's brain, Discovery's crew could have revived him and gained access to all of his memories and knowledge. Fred would have made a fun addition to Star Trek: Discovery's cast and would have been another nice shoutout to Star Trek: The Next Generation .

While it's true Star Trek: Discovery season 5 already had a lot going on, introducing a character like Fred only to immediately abandon him felt like a tease. Even if he had only popped up in a few more scenes, Fred could have provided more insight into the events of the last six hundred years and explained his connection to the Soongs and Data. Discovery has always been about celebrating hope and family, and Fred would have been a nice way to bridge the gap between the TNG era and Discovery . While I enjoyed Star Trek: Discovery's fifth and final season overall, I wish we had gotten to spend more time with the very Data-like Fred.

Star Trek: Discovery

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Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.

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A friendly reminder regarding spoilers ! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy , the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG , Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online , as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant . Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{ spoiler }}, {{ spoilers }} OR {{ majorspoiler }} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

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• Soong-type androids

Soong family

The Soong family was a line of Humans and androids known for their research in genetics and cybernetics . The Soong line included Starfleet 's first android officer , Data . ( STO - Agents of Yesterday mission : " Message From Another Time I ")

• 1.1 mirror universe family members
• 1.2 Cultures
• 2 Family members gallery
• 3.1 References

Soong family genealogy list [ ]

• Persephone Soong , Adam's clone creation and "daughter" [2]
• Despoina Soong , Adam's clone creation and "daughter" [2]
• Persephassa Soong , Adam's clone creation and "daughter" [2]
• Persephatta Soong , Adam's clone creation and "daughter" [2]
• Prosperina Soong , Adam's clone creation and "daughter" [2]
• Artemis Soong , Adam's clone creation and "daughter" [2]
• Kore Soong , Adam's clone creation and "daughter" [2] , and a transtemporal Traveler from 2024 [3]
• Arik Soong , 22nd century geneticist [4] and a cyberneticist from 2154 [5]
• Noonian Soong , 24th century cyberneticist and creator of the Soong-type android [6]
• Altan Inigo Soong , cyberneticist, member of the Coppelius colony , and Noonian's only biological child [8]
• Noonian's failed Soong-type prototypes [9]
• B-4 , mentally impaired android [10]
• Lore , sociopathic android [6]
• Lal , Data's daughter [12]
• Dahj Asha , Data's posthumous daughter and twin of Soji. [13]
• Soji Asha , Data's posthumous daughter and twin of Dahj. [13]

mirror universe family members [ ]

• Lore (mirror) [16]
• Data (mirror) [17]

Cultures [ ]

The Soong-type androids developed by the Soong family and imitated by other scientists formed their own society on Coppelius . They became a Federation protectorate in 2399 . ( PIC episode : " Et in Arcadia Ego ")

In an alternate timeline were Doctor Noonian Soong and the Federation achieved android mass-production, their society split between those remaining in the Federation and those forming a society around Data and Lore on planet Turing ( Iconia ). ( TNG - Myriad Universes - Brave New World novel :)

In another alternate timeline , the Children of Soong were a culture of Soong-type androids which dominated former Federation space circa the 44th century . They were created by Data on Omicron Theta . ( TNG - Strange New Worlds II short story : " I Am Become Death ")

Family members gallery [ ]

Appendices [ ]

References [ ].

• ↑ PIC episode : " Fly Me to the Moon ".
• ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 PIC episode : " Mercy ".
• ↑ PIC episode : " Farewell ".
• ↑ ENT episode : " Borderland ".
• ↑ ENT episode : " The Augments ".
• ↑ 6.0 6.1 TNG episode : " Brothers ".
• ↑ TNG episode : " Inheritance ".
• ↑ PIC episode : " Et in Arcadia Ego ".
• ↑ TNG novel : Immortal Coil .
• ↑ TNG movie & novelization : Star Trek Nemesis .
• ↑ TNG novel : Encounter at Farpoint .
• ↑ TNG episode : " The Offspring ".
• ↑ 13.0 13.1 PIC episode : " Maps and Legends ".
• ↑ ENT - Mirror Universe - Glass Empires novel : Age of the Empress .
• ↑ TNG - Mirror Universe - Glass Empires novella : The Worst of Both Worlds .
• ↑ TNG novel : Q & A .
• ↑ TNG - Mirror Broken comic : " Prelude ".
• 1 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
• 2 USS Voyager (NCC-74656-A)
• 3 Lamarr class

“I personally had no concept how this was gonna land”: The Star Trek Scene That Had Brent Spiner Questioning His Acting Skills

The actor returned to the role in Star Trek: Picard, despite Data dying in the TNG cast's films.

• Brent Spiner played the role of Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation and the films with the same cast.
• Though his character Data sacrificed himself in Star Trek: Nemesis, he returned in Star Trek: Picard with some changed.
• In an episode of Picard, Spiner was reportedly initially unsure of how Data's reemergence would land with audiences.

For seven seasons, actor Brent Spiner played the fan-favorite character Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation . The character was known for his insightful observations on the human consciousness as an AI system and gave valuable advice to Captain Picard. The actor reprised his role for the four films with the TNG cast.

Despite sacrificing his life in the film Star Trek: Nemesis , Data returns in the show Picard , albeit with multiple changes. Spiner was reportedly not entirely convinced when he performed the ‘Data taking over Lore’ scene in the show’s third season and was not sure how his performance would land.

Brent Spiner Was Unsure About Data’s Return In Star Trek: Picard

Brent Spiner played the role of Data for seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation . The actor also portrayed his evil twin Lore and their creator Dr. Noonien Soong. While Soong was set to be played by another actor, Spiner convinced the makers to play it, implying that Soong created both Data and Lore in his own image.

“I felt I had some leverage”: Brent Spiner Defended Making 2 Greedy Demands If They Wanted Data in the First Star Trek: TNG Movie

Spiner reprised his role in four films starring the TNG cast. Data sacrificed his life in Star Trek: Nemesis , but his consciousness was kept alive in a device, which was revealed in Star Trek: Picard . In the new generation show, Data exists along with the consciousness of Lore and Soong.

In season three of Picard , Data finally returns to full form after defeating Lore’s consciousness by giving him his memories. Brent Spiner was reportedly not convinced of his performance until the episode was aired and was received well by fans. He said in an interview with The Mary Sue ,

I personally had no concept how this was gonna land. I thought it was sort of a risk. Terry [Matalas] pitched the idea to me. We tweaked it a little bit, [and] tried to understand it better, and I’m so happy that it’s being received the way it is.

The episode sees Data being threatened to be vanquished by Lore and while the crew tries to save him, Data manipulates Lore into taking his memories (which Lore did not possess and differentiated him from Data), thus merging himself with Lore’s consciousness.

The Network Was Reportedly Not Sure If Audiences Would Accept Similarly Dressed Data And Lore

While Brent Spiner mostly played Data in the Star Trek: The Next Generation series, he would also portray multiple other variants such as the Sherlock Holmes variant and his evil twin Lore. Spiner not only differentiated the two characters with the way he performed but also with slight tweaks in the costume.

Brent Spiner: Not Data, “There are certainly people who only know me for” One Character He Played in a Will Smith Movie

However, when he reprised his two roles in Picard , he was wearing the same costume, which the network reportedly thought would confuse audiences during his pivotal scene. He said,

I know when we initially proposed that scene, there was some concern, I think, on the part of the network more than anyone whether they really wanna be in two different kinds of costumes so that the audience would be able to distinguish between the two characters. And Terry and I really thought that, and I kept saying, ‘I really think when you see it, if you let us do it, you will be able to tell which character is which. ‘

However, Spiner reportedly convinced them by saying that the difference lay in his performance as well and how differently he played both characters, which ultimately worked for the scene.

Star Trek: Picard is available to stream on Paramount+.

Brent Spiner

Written by Nishanth A

Nishanth A is a Media, English and Psychology graduate from Bangalore. He is an avid DC fanboy and loves the films of Christopher Nolan. He has published over 400 articles on FandomWire. When he's not fixating on the entire filmography of a director, he tries to write and direct films.

Copyright © 2024 FandomWire, LLC. All rights reserved.

25 Best Star Trek: TNG Episodes Of All Time

• Star Trek: TNG offered groundbreaking sci-fi stories, captivating new and old fans with Captain Picard's adventures.
• Iconic episodes like "The Best of Both Worlds" and "The Inner Light" solidified TNG's place in TV history.
• TNG's legacy lives on in modern shows like Star Trek: Picard, revisiting the foundational stories from TNG.

Throughout its seven seasons, Star Trek: The Next Generation delivered some of the greatest science fiction stories of all time, and narrowing the list down to a top twenty-five is no easy feat. Following the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D, TNG picked up about a century after the end of Star Trek: The Original Series . TNG may have gotten off to a rocky start with its first season, but the show quickly found its footing and ultimately delivered more hits than misses.

Captain Picard and his crew went on to captivate an entirely new generation of Star Trek fans, eventually becoming just as popular as their predecessors, Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy). Not only did TNG usher in a golden age of Star Trek, but it also laid the groundwork for everything that came after. Even today, shows like Star Trek: Picard have continued to revisit many of the stories that began on TNG. Star Trek: The Next Generation would not have endured so long if it hadn't delivered so many incredible and groundbreaking episodes of television. Here is the very best of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

7 Episodes From Star Trek: TNG's Worst Season Are Better Than You Remember

Star Trek: The Next Generation may not have hit the ground running, but these 7 episodes from season 1 hold up better than you might remember.

"The Most Toys"

Star trek: the next generation season 3, episode 22.

When Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) is kidnapped by Kivas Fajo (Saul Rubinek), the android does his best to fight back against the morally bankrupt collector. Because Fajo faked Data's death, Picard and the USS Enterprise-D crew mourn their fallen friend, until they begin to suspect that something is amiss. Meanwhile, Fajo tries even Data's patience, threatening to kill his own assistants to force Data to comply.

In the end, the Enterprise returns to rescue Data, but not before he apparently fires a phaser at Fajo, which the android's programming should prevent. With his obsession with hoarding priceless artifacts and disregard for humanoid life, Fajo is one of TNG's most despicable one-off characters, played to slimy perfection by Saul Rubinek. "The Most Toys" offers insight into Data, as another step on the androids's journey to become human .

"Remember Me"

Star trek: the next generation season 4, episode 5.

In one of Dr. Beverly Crusher's (Gates McFadden) best episodes , the USS Enterprise-D's Doctor ends up in an inexplicably shrinking universe. As Dr. Crusher goes about her day, she notices that various Enterprise offers keep disappearing. When she raises her concerns, however, she discovers no record of these officers exists. Eventually, she and Captain Picard are the only ones left aboard, with Picard assuring her that this is how it has always been.

Dr. Crusher declares: "If there's nothing wrong with me, maybe there's something wrong with the universe," and she sets about trying to solve the problem.

Meanwhile, aboard the real Enterprise, Ensign Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) and the rest of the crew work to stabilize the warp bubble that Beverly has become trapped in . With some help from the Traveler (Eric Menyuk), they eventually succeed, and Dr. Crusher jumps back to the real universe.

"Frame of Mind"

Star trek: the next generation season 6, episode 21.

In one of TNG's most unsettling episodes, Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) finds himself questioning his own reality when he wakes up in a mental institution. Riker goes from portraying a mental patient in a play on the Enterprise to actually being a mental patient himself. As strange aliens try to convince Riker that he dreamt up the Enterprise, Riker struggles to claw his way back to reality.

Eventually, Riker shatters every fake reality, finding himself on an operating table with a strange device attached to his head. After being rescued by the Enterprise, Riker learns that he had been captured while on a covert mission by aliens trying to gain information about the Federation. Jonathan Frakes delivers a stellar performance here, and the episode uses cool shatter effects to add to the strangeness of it all.

"Redemption"

Star trek: the next generation season 4, episode 26 & season 5, episode 1.

In this Klingon-centric two-parter, the USS Enterpris-D visits the Klingon homeworld of Qo'noS to see Gowron (Robert O'Reilly) be installed as Chancellor of the Klingon High Council. With the Klingons on the brink of a civil war, Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) takes a leave of absence to urge his brother Kurn (Tony Todd) to back Gowron. When Captain Picard speaks out in favor of Gowron, Lursa (Barbara March) and B'Etor (Gwynyth Walsh) ​​​​​begin preparing for civil war.

Every Star Trek: TNG 2-Part Episode Ranked, Worst To Best

Star Trek: The Next Generation had some truly amazing two-part episodes over the course of its seven seasons.

Captain Picard assembles ships to create a blockade between the Klingon and Romulan border to prevent the Romulans from aiding the Duras sisters. Commander Sela (Denise Crosby), the half-Romulan daughter of Tasha Yar, tries to find a way around the blockade, but Data thwarts her plan from his position in command of the USS Sutherland. The Duras sisters back off from their attack and escape before Worf can apprehend them.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 23

Although Star Trek: The Next Generation distanced itself from Star Trek: The Original Series , this mindset was beginning to shift by the end of TNG's third season. In the aptly titled "Sarek," Mark Lenard returns to portray Sarek, the Vulcan father of Spock (Leonard Nimoy). Soon after Ambassador Sarek boards the USS Enterprise-D, the crew members begin experiencing uncharacteristic spikes in emotion.

With help from Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Dr. Crusher eventually realizes that Sarek is suffering from Bendii syndrome , a Vulcan degenerative neurological disease. As Sarek is set to attend an important conference, Captain Picard offers to share a mind meld with the elderly Vulcan to shoulder some of his strongest emotions. Picard suffers through Sarek's feelings of regret and loss, in an incredibly emotional scene performed beautifully by Patrick Stewart.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 7

Previously introduced in TNG season 3, episode 20, "The Emissary," Worf's former flame K'Ehleyr (Suzie Plakson) returns in "Reunion" with a big surprise for the Klingon security officer. Since their last encounter, K'Ehleyr has given birth to Worf's son, Alexander (Jon Paul Steuer), and kept the young Klingon a secret from his father. Worf wonders why Alexander is not more interested in Klingon culture and worries that his son will be negatively affected by the dishonor on his name.

Meanwhile, Captain Picard works with K'Ehleyr to investigate a Klingon political matter that ends up getting her killed. Worf then avenges her by killing her murderer, the Klingon Duras (Patrick Massett). Despite only appearing in two episodes, K'Ehleyr was one of TNG's best guest stars, thanks in large part to the energy Suzie Plakson brought to the character, making her death all the more tragic.

"The Wounded"

Star trek: the next generation season 4, episode 12.

When the USS Phoenix suddenly goes rogue and begins attacking Cardassian vessels, the USS Enterprise-D is ordered to track it down. Cardassian Gul Macet (Marc Alaimo) comes aboard the Enterprise to assist, creating a tense environment with Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney), who served during the Cardassian War. Captain Benjamin Maxwell (Bob Gunton) of the Phoenix insists that the Cardassians are preparing to attack, but O'Brien eventually convinces him to stand down.

In the end, Captain Picard suspects that Maxwell may have been right, and he warns the Cardassians that they will be under close observation. "The Wounded" is notable not only for being the first episode to focus on Chief O'Brien but also for introducing the Cardassians. The Cardassians would, of course, go on to become the main villains on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Marc Alaimo would return as Gul Dukat.

Chief O'Brien's 10 Best Star Trek TNG & DS9 Episodes

Miles O'Brien is "the most important man in Star Trek history," played by one of its best actors, as proved by O'Brien's best TNG and DS9 episodes.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 3

When Data suddenly takes over the Starship Enterprise single-handedly, he flies the ship to the home of his creator, Dr. Noonien Soong . Soong reveals that he is dying, so he triggered a homing device implanted within Data's positronic brain so that he could give the android an emotion chip. Unbeknownst to Dr. Soong, Lore was also summoned and he soon arrives, tricking Soong into giving him the emotion chip.

"Brothers" marks a particularly devastating moment in Data's journey to become human.

Lore then injures Soong and leaves the deactivated Data to be found by the Enterprise crew. Upon being reactivated, Data comforts Soong as he dies, and although Data protests he will not be able to mourn his creator, Soong disagrees. "Brothers" marks a particularly devastating moment in Data's journey to become human, and Brent Spiner carries the episode, doing triple duty as Data, Lore, and the elderly Dr.Soong.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 5, Episode 5

When most of the USS Enterprise-D's main systems suddenly shut down, crew members get trapped all over the ship. Captain Picard ends up with an injured ankle, stuck in a turbolift with three young childen, while Counselor Deanna Troi finds herself in command on the bridge. Riker, Data, and Worf are all in Ten Forward with a very pregnant Keiko O'Brien (Rosalind Chao).

Troi handles herself well in command, ultimately making the call that helps save the ship. Worf hilariously helps deliver Keiko's baby, as Riker and Data head to engineering to regain control of the Enterprise. Picard encourages the children trapped with him to work together, as they make their way out of the turbolift. Every main character gets something to do in "Disaster," and the end result is at times charming, funny, and heartwarming.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 6, Episode 4

The USS Enterprise-D responds to a distress call to find the USS Jenolan, a transport ship that has been missing for 25 years. While investigating the ship, Lt. Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) finds an intact life signal stored in one of the transporter's pattern buffers. He restores the pattern, discovering it to be Captain Montgomery Scott (James Doohan), former Chief Engineer of the USS Enterprise.

Many other Star Trek characters have been saved by transporter pattern buffers over the years.

Scotty eagering explores the Enterprise-D and her new technology, but soon finds himself out of his depth. Scotty confesses to Captain Picard that he feels like a relic of the past, but the engineer's knowledge of old-school Starfleet technology later comes in handy. When the Enterprise gets trapped in a Dyson sphere, Scotty and Geordi work together to save the day. Scotty then sets off in a shuttle to continue his "retirement" from Starfleet.

Star Treks Tech That Brought Scotty To TNG Just Got A Discovery Upgrade

Star Trek: Discovery just upgraded the transporter pattern buffer technology that was once used to bring Scotty into the 24th century.

"The Defector"

Star trek: the next generation season 3, episode 10.

When the USS Enterprise picks up a supposed Romulan defector, Captain Picard and his crew are skeptical of the Romulan's claims. The Romulan reveals himself to be Admiral Alidar Jarok (James Sloyan) and he provides Picard with detailed tactical information on the Romulans. Although Jarok intended to provide the Enterprise with accurate information, it later comes out that he was set up by the Romulans.

Captain Picard had anticipated some kind of response from the Romulans and confronted the Romulan ship with three Klingon Birds of Prey, rendering the conflict a stalemate. When the Enterprise leaves the Neutral Zone, the crew finds that Jarok has taken his own life. With its tragic ending, "The Defector" is a different kind of Star Trek episode that offers insight into the Romulans and their ways of thinking.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 2

In a rare example of continuity between Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes, "Family" follows up on Captain Picard's traumatic experience as Locutus of Borg. Taking a break from the Enterprise, Picard visits his brother Robert (Jeremy Kemp), who runs the family vineyard in La Barre, France . Robert and Jean-Luc get into an argument, which culminates in a muddy fight. Eventually, Jean-Luc opens up about the guilt he feels regarding his time as Locutus.

Picard's brother and his family would later perish in a house fire in Star Trek Generations.

Although Picard had been considering leaving the Enterprise, his brother reminds him that he will have to work through his experiences regardless of where he is. Picard decides to remain Captain of the Enterprise, and he and his brother part on better terms . Not only does "Family" offer an interesting glimpse into Jean-Luc Picard's family , but it also marks one of the first times viewers see the usually unflappable Picard break down.

"Family" also includes subplots following Worf, as his adoptive human parents visit him on the Enterprise, and Dr. Crusher, as she receives a recording left by her late husband.

"Lower Decks"

Star trek: the next generation season 7, episode 15.

Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation focused mostly on the bridge crews, but TNG's "Lower Decks" offers a glimpse of life as a junior officer. Bajoran Ensign Sito Jaxa (Shannon Fill) takes center stage as she is chosen for a dangerous undercover mission. Having previously been introduced as a Starfleet cadet in TNG's "The First Duty," Sito accepts the mission, eager to prove herself.

Who Is Sito? Star Trek: TNGs Tragic Bajoran Ensign Explained

TNG's Bajoran Ensign Sito Jaxa was a massive influence on Star Trek: Lower Decks' Mariner, but who is she, and what happened to this tragic character?

Tragically, the shuttlecraft carrying Sito is destroyed before making it back to the Enterprise. As Captain Picard announces Sito's death over the comm system, her friends react with shock and sadness. "Lower Decks" illustrates the importance of every Starfleet crew member, and emphasizes that death matters in TNG- era Star Trek . This episode inspired the animated Star Trek: Lower Decks , which takes a more light-hearted look at the lives of Starfleet's Lower Deckers.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 5, Episode 23

After "The Best of Both Worlds" established the Borg as one of Star Trek's most frightening villains , "I, Borg" sought to humanize the mindless drones. When the USS Enterprise-D discovers a crashed Borg ship and a single surviving drone, Dr. Crusher insists on saving him. After his experiences as Locutus of Borg, Picard is understandably weary of the drone, who later comes to identify himself as Hugh (Jonathan Del Arco).

As Lt. Geordi La Forge talks with Hugh, the Borg drone begins to develop more of an individual personality. La Forge and Data have found a way to implant a "virus" within Hugh that would disable the entire Borg collective, which raises ethical questions among the crew. In the end, Hugh decides to return to the collective, with the hope that his newfound individualism will affect the other Borg drones.

Jonathan Del Arco reprised the role of Hugh in Star Trek: Picard season 1, before being killed while aiding Admiral Picard.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2, Episode 16

No list of great TNG episodes would be complete without the devious omnipotent being known as Q (John de Lancie) . In "Q Who," Q arrives on the USS Enterprise-D and declares Captain Picard to be overconfident. To warn Picard about the dangers lurking in the universe, Q hurls the Enterprise across the galaxy, where they encounter the Borg for the first time. Picard tries to reason with the cybernetic lifeforms, before eventually firing on them, with little effect.

After the Borg kill eighteen Enterprise crew members, Picard admits he needs Q's help. Q sends the Enterprise back to its original location, with a warning to be better prepared next time. With the introduction of the Borg, "Q Who" changed the trajectory of the Star Trek franchise. John de Lancie is always a delight as Q and, as usual, his sparing with Picard is a highlight.

"Q Who" teases a complex history between Q and Ten-Forward bartender, Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg), but Star Trek has yet to fully explain their past dealings.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 6, Episode 15

When Captain Picard sustains a serious injury while on a diplomatic mission, he gets to revisit a past regret thanks to the omnipotent Q. Q sends Picard back to his Starfleet Academy days, where he avoids the fight that nearly killed him as a cadet. Picard then arrives back in the future, now only a junior science officer on the Enterprise. Picard then realizes that his reckless actions as a cadet helped make him the man he is.

After restoring the original series of events, Picard wakes up in sickbay on the Enterprise, back to being the ship's Captain. Whether Picard's experiences were a dream or not, "Tapestry" offers a fascinating glimpse at his Academy days. "Tapestry" is a simple episode, but it works, thanks in large part to the always great dynamic between Patrick Stewart and John de Lancie.

"Chain of Command"

Star trek: the next generation season 6, episodes 10 & 11.

In one of Star Trek: The Next Generation's most brutal storylines, Captain Picard is captured by Cardassians while on a covert mission. As the Cardassian Gul Madred (David Warner) subjects Picard to various forms of torture, Jean-Luc refuses to break. In temporary command of the Enterprise, Captain Edward Jellico (Ronny Cox) clashes with Commander Riker, who wants to mount a rescue mission.

Star Trek: TNGs There Are Four Lights Meaning & Why Its Still Quoted 32 Years Later

Captain Jean-Luc Picard defiantly shouting that "there are four lights" remains one of Star Trek: The Next Generation's most powerful moments.

Gul Madred shines four lights in Captain Picard's face, trying to convince him that there are five lights, but Picard remains defiant. Later, Jellico and Riker reluctantly work together to thwart a Cardassian attack, demanding Picard's release. Picard returns to the Enterprise, but admits to Counselor Troi that he very nearly broke. Patrick Stewart and David Warner both deliver powerhouse performances as two men who refuse to back down. Picard wins the stand-off, but only just.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 5, Episode 2

In many ways, "Darmok" is quintessential Star Trek , with its story of two starship captains working to find common ground. Soon after the Enterprise makes contact with a Tamarian ship, Captain Picard and the Tamarian captain, Dathon (Paul Winfield), are both transported to the planet El-Adrel. Unable to understand one another's languages, Picard and Dathon struggle to find other ways to communicate.

Just as Picard and Dathon are beginning to understand one another, the Tamarian captain is fatally wounded by a predator on the planet. The Enterprise then rescues Picard, who is able to tentatively communicate with the other Tamarians. Captain Picard shines here, as he must rely on his own instincts, knowledge, and experience without the help of his crew. The story hits all the right notes, with a hopeful ending despite Dathon's tragic death.

"Cause and Effect"

Star trek: the next generation season 5, episode 18.

Remembered as the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode that opens with the destruction of the USS Enterprise-D, "Cause and Effect" finds the iconic ship stuck in a Star Trek time loop that always ends in its destruction. As the loop continues to repeat, Captain Picard and his crew begin to experience déjà vu . Data then works out a way to send a message to himself across the loops, which eventually saves the day.

The Enterprise finally avoids the crash that repeatedly caused its destruction, discovering that the other ship has been trapped in the time loop for over 90 years. Picard then greets Morgan Bateson (Kelsey Grammer) and the USS Bozeman, welcoming them to the 24th century. "Cause and Effect" is an incredibly fun episode, and Jonathan Frakes proves his skill as a director by making each loop feel distinct.

"The Offspring"

Star trek: the next generation season 3, episode 16.

In another Data-centric Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, the USS Enterprise-D's resident android creates a daughter for himself named Lal (Hallie Todd). As Data teaches Lal how to interact with humans and the world around her, Lal begins to grow even more advanced than Data. Starfleet threatens to take her away to a science station for further study, but Captain Picard fights for Data's right to keep his daughter.

When Lal begins experiencing emotions, she suffers a catastrophic breakdown. Data works relentlessly to save his daughter, fighting just as hard as any father would, but even he cannot save her. After Lal ceases to function, Data downloads her memories into his own positronic net, preserving her in the only way he can. "The Offspring" is a truly devastating episode of Star Trek , and Lal's creation continues to reverberate even in modern Trek stories.

"The Offspring" was the first Star Trek episode directed by Jonathan Frakes, who would go on to become one of the franchise's most beloved and prolific directors.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews
• Episode aired Oct 6, 1990

After an accident aboard the Enterprise leaves one of its children in grave danger, Data commandeers the Enterprise, driven to take the ship to an unknown origin, where an interesting figure... Read all After an accident aboard the Enterprise leaves one of its children in grave danger, Data commandeers the Enterprise, driven to take the ship to an unknown origin, where an interesting figure awaits. After an accident aboard the Enterprise leaves one of its children in grave danger, Data commandeers the Enterprise, driven to take the ship to an unknown origin, where an interesting figure awaits.

• Gene Roddenberry
• Rick Berman
• Ronald D. Moore
• Patrick Stewart
• Jonathan Frakes
• LeVar Burton
• 18 User reviews
• 10 Critic reviews

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard

• Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker

• Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge

• Lieutenant Worf

• Doctor Beverly Crusher

• Counselor Deanna Troi

• Lieutenant Commander Data …

• Ensign Wesley Crusher

• Chief Miles O'Brien
• Willie Potts

• Ensign Kopf

• Enterprise Computer
• (uncredited)
• Crewman Garvey
• Crewman Martinez

• Security Officer

• Ensign Russell
• Enterprise-D Ensign
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia Brent Spiner suggested that he play Dr. Soong when producers were having difficulties casting the role.
• Goofs While riding in the turbolift with the sick boy's brother, Data reaches over to the right side of the door and indicates a new destination. The control panel on the turbolift did not exist in the three previous seasons, and it was never seen again.

Dr. Noonien Soong : I, uh... I never felt too comfortable living anywhere without a prearranged route of escape. I admit, I, uh, I wouldn't have guessed I'd be running from a giant snowflake, but, uh...

• Crazy credits In addition to his regular credit for playing Data, Brent Spiner is listed in the end credits of this episode for his portrayals of Lore and Dr. Soong.
• Connections Featured in Journey's End: The Saga of Star Trek - The Next Generation (1994)
• Soundtracks Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User reviews 18

• imdbisforme
• Apr 20, 2022
• October 6, 1990 (United States)
• Official site
• Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (Studio)
• Paramount Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 46 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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