Star Trek: The Next Generation | |
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Season 5 | |
No. of episodes | 26 |
Release | |
Original network | Broadcast syndication |
Original release | September 23, 1991 – June 15, 1992 |
Season chronology | |
The fifth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation commenced airing in broadcast syndication in the United States on September 23, 1991, and concluded on June 15, 1992, after airing 26 episodes. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Starfleet starship Enterprise-D.
The premiere episode resolves the cliffhanger from the previous season, revealing the mysterious Romulan commander to be the daughter of the Lt. Tasha Yar from the alternate universe created in the third season episode "Yesterday's Enterprise".
This season sees Picard have some of the more memorable experiences of the series, such as learning to communicate with the heretofore unintelligible Tamarians ("Darmok"), overcoming his dislike of children when he is trapped along with three children after the Enterprise-D is struck by a quantum filament ("Disaster"), and meeting with Ambassador Spock on Romulus in "Unification". Most notably, in "The Inner Light", he experiences 40 or so years of life as an iron weaver on an extinct alien world after an encounter with a probe launched before the destruction of that world.
Michelle Forbes joined the cast as Ensign Ro Laren, a Bajoran officer who was initially conceived to be one of the main characters in the upcoming spin-off Deep Space Nine . Wesley also makes a few appearances in this season when he saves the Enterprise from an alien game which was actually a mind-control device ("The Game"), and later at Starfleet Academy when he participates in a coverup of the circumstances surrounding the death of one of his classmates ("The First Duty").
The season ends with the discovery of Data's head in a cave under San Francisco which had been sealed for 500 years, and eventually with Data, Picard, La Forge, Troi, Riker and Doctor Crusher trapped in 19th century Earth ("Time's Arrow").
The logo as seen in the opening credits has a minor change this season only, as it has rear shadows. During production of this season, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry died of cardiac arrest. Production on the episode "Hero Worship", directed by Patrick Stewart, was halted when news reached the set.
In the following table, episodes are listed by the order in which they aired.
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | Nielsen rating |
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101 | 1 | "Redemption, Part II" | David Carson | Ronald D. Moore | September 23, 1991 | 201 | Unknown [1] |
The Klingon Civil War comes to a conclusion. | |||||||
102 | 2 | "Darmok" | Winrich Kolbe | Story by : Philip LaZebnik and Joe Menosky Teleplay by : Joe Menosky | September 30, 1991 | 202 | Unknown [1] |
Picard must learn to communicate with an alien captain who speaks in metaphors before a dangerous beast kills them both. Guest star Paul Winfield as Dathon. | |||||||
103 | 3 | "Ensign Ro" | Les Landau | Story by : Rick Berman & Michael Piller Teleplay by : Michael Piller | October 7, 1991 | 203 | 11.6 [1] |
104 | 4 | "Silicon Avatar" | Cliff Bole | Story by : Lawrence V. Conley Teleplay by : Jeri Taylor | October 14, 1991 | 204 | 12.0 [1] |
With the help of a scientist whose son lived on Data's homeworld, the crew attempt to communicate with the Crystalline Entity. | |||||||
105 | 5 | "Disaster" | Gabrielle Beaumont | Story by : Ron Jarvis & Philip A. Scorza Teleplay by : Ronald D. Moore | October 21, 1991 | 205 | 12.3 [1] |
The Enterprise is heavily damaged after being hit by a space anomaly, trapping Picard in a turbolift with three children and others in various locations. Command of the bridge falls to Counselor Troi who feels ill-prepared, more so when the threat of a warp core breach endangers the Enterprise. | |||||||
106 | 6 | "The Game" | Corey Allen | Story by : Susan Sackett & Fred Bronson and Brannon Braga Teleplay by : Brannon Braga | October 28, 1991 | 206 | 13.4 [1] |
Wesley visits the Enterprise and finds the crew addicted to a mind-altering computer game. Guest star Ashley Judd as Robin Lefler. | |||||||
107 | 7 | "Unification, Part I" | Les Landau | Story by : Rick Berman & Michael Piller Teleplay by : Jeri Taylor | November 4, 1991 | 208 | 15.4 [1] |
Spock is reported to have defected to the Romulans. Picard and Data travel to Romulus in a cloaked Klingon vessel to investigate. | |||||||
108 | 8 | "Unification, Part II" | Cliff Bole | Story by : Rick Berman & Michael Piller Teleplay by : Michael Piller | November 11, 1991 | 207 | 15.4 [1] |
109 | 9 | "A Matter of Time" | Paul Lynch | Rick Berman | November 18, 1991 | 209 | 13.9 [1] |
An apparent historian from the 26th century visits the Enterprise while they help a planet prevent a nuclear winter. Guest star Matt Frewer as Berlinghoff Rasmussen. | |||||||
110 | 10 | "New Ground" | Robert Scheerer | Story by : Sara Charno & Stuart Charno Teleplay by : Grant Rosenberg | December 30, 1991 | 210 | 11.9 [1] |
Worf tries to be a father to his son, Alexander, while the Enterprise helps to test a new propulsion technology. | |||||||
111 | 11 | "Hero Worship" | Patrick Stewart | Story by : Hilary J. Bader Teleplay by : Joe Menosky | January 6, 1992 | 211 | 12.7 [1] |
Data saves the life of an orphaned boy who begins to emulate him. | |||||||
112 | 12 | "Violations" | Robert Wiemer | Story by : Shari Goodhartz & T. Michael and Pamela Gray Teleplay by : Pamela Gray & Jeri Taylor | January 27, 1992 | 212 | 12.1 [1] |
A telepathic alien traveling aboard the Enterprise telepathically molests Troi and invades the minds of Beverly Crusher and William Riker. | |||||||
113 | 13 | "The Masterpiece Society" | Winrich Kolbe | Story by : James Kahn and Adam Belanoff Teleplay by : Adam Belanoff and Michael Piller | February 3, 1992 | 213 | 12.0 [1] |
The Enterprise helps a far-flung eugenic human colony avoid destruction but upsets its delicate balance by ending 200 years of isolation. | |||||||
114 | 14 | "Conundrum" | Les Landau | Story by : Paul Schiffer Teleplay by : Barry Schkolnick | February 10, 1992 | 214 | 12.2 [1] |
The crew's memories are mysteriously erased. They soon discover that they are being manipulated into taking part in a war. | |||||||
115 | 15 | "Power Play" | David Livingston | Story by : Paul Ruben and Maurice Hurley Teleplay by : René Balcer and Herbert Wright & Brannon Braga | February 17, 1992 | 215 | 13.2 [1] |
116 | 16 | "Ethics" | Chip Chalmers | Story by : Sara Charno & Stuart Charno Teleplay by : Ronald D. Moore | February 24, 1992 | 216 | 12.6 [1] |
Worf becomes paralyzed, possibly for life, and asks Riker to assist him in the Hegh'bat ceremony, a Klingon suicide ritual. Dr. Crusher consults a risk-taking researcher to save his life. | |||||||
117 | 17 | "The Outcast" | Robert Scheerer | Jeri Taylor | March 16, 1992 | 217 | 12.3 [1] |
Riker falls in love with an androgynous alien during their efforts to rescue others of the same race who were trapped in "null space". | |||||||
118 | 18 | "Cause and Effect" | Jonathan Frakes | Brannon Braga | March 23, 1992 | 218 | 13.0 [1] |
The Enterprise becomes stuck in a time loop but the crew retain some memory of previous instances. Guest star Kelsey Grammer as Morgan Bateson. | |||||||
119 | 19 | "The First Duty" | Paul Lynch | Ronald D. Moore & Naren Shankar | March 30, 1992 | 219 | 12.1 [1] |
Wesley is questioned over a Starfleet Academy flight training accident. Guest star Ray Walston as Boothby. | |||||||
120 | 20 | "Cost of Living" | Winrich Kolbe | Peter Allan Fields | April 20, 1992 | 220 | 11.7 [1] |
121 | 21 | "The Perfect Mate" | Cliff Bole | Story by : René Echevarria and Gary Perconte Teleplay by : Gary Perconte and Michael Piller | April 27, 1992 | 221 | 10.8 [1] |
Picard forces himself to resist the charms of a female empathic metamorph who is sent to marry an alien leader as a peace offering. Guest star Famke Janssen as Kamala. | |||||||
122 | 22 | "Imaginary Friend" | Gabrielle Beaumont | Story by : Jean Louise Matthias & Ronald Wilkerson and Richard Fliegel Teleplay by : Edithe Swensen and Brannon Braga | May 4, 1992 | 222 | 12.1 [1] |
A child's imaginary playmate takes on a physical form and threatens the well-being of the Enterprise . | |||||||
123 | 23 | "I, Borg" | Robert Lederman | René Echevarria | May 11, 1992 | 223 | 12.8 [1] |
The Enterprise rescues a Borg survivor, whom Geordi names 'Hugh'. Picard plans to upload a destructive computer virus to Hugh so the virus will spread throughout the collective when Hugh is sent back. | |||||||
124 | 24 | "The Next Phase" | David Carson | Ronald D. Moore | May 18, 1992 | 224 | 11.7 [1] |
A transporter accident traps Geordi and Ensign Ro out of phase with normal space. While the others plan their funeral, Geordi and Ro must find a way to reverse the process and save the Enterprise from destruction. | |||||||
125 | 25 | "The Inner Light" | Peter Lauritson | Story by : Morgan Gendel Teleplay by : Morgan Gendel and Peter Allan Fields | June 1, 1992 | 225 | 11.1 [1] |
A space probe creates a telepathic tether to Picard and causes him to experience, in twenty-five minutes, a lifetime as a married man on a world that was destroyed a millennium ago. | |||||||
126 | 26 | "Time's Arrow, Part I" | Les Landau | Story by : Joe Menosky Teleplay by : Joe Menosky & Michael Piller | June 15, 1992 | 226 | 11.8 [1] |
A 500-year-old artifact is uncovered on Earth: Data's severed head. The Enterprise investigates alien involvement in Earth's past and Data fulfills his destiny. |
In 2019, CBR rated Season 5 of Star Trek: The Next Generation as the third best season of all Star Trek seasons up to that time, and the most highly ranked season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. [2]
Deanna Troi is a main character in the science-fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and related TV series and films, portrayed by English actress Marina Sirtis. Troi is half-human, half-Betazoid, and has the psionic ability to sense emotions. She serves as the ship's counsellor on USS Enterprise-D. Throughout most of the series, she holds the rank of lieutenant commander. In the seventh season, Troi takes the bridge officer's examination and is promoted to the rank of commander, but continues as counsellor.
Geordi La Forge is a fictional character who appeared in all seven seasons of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and its four feature films as well as the third season of Star Trek: Picard. Portrayed by LeVar Burton, he served as helmsman of the USS Enterprise-D in the first season of The Next Generation, then occupied the role of the chief engineer for the rest of the series and in the films before appearing as a commodore in Picard. La Forge has been blind since his birth and uses technological devices that allow him to see – a VISOR in the series and the first film, replaced by ocular prosthetic implants in the last three films and in Picard.
Wesley Crusher is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise. He appears regularly in the first four seasons of the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG), and sporadically in its next three seasons. He also appeared in the feature film Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) in one episode apiece of the television series Star Trek: Picard (2022) and Star Trek: Lower Decks (2023), and as a recurring character in season 2 of Star Trek: Prodigy (2024). He is the son of Beverly Crusher and Jack Crusher and is portrayed by actor Wil Wheaton.
Ro Laren is a fictional character appearing on a recurring basis in the fifth, sixth and seventh seasons of the American science-fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. The character returned for the third season of Star Trek: Picard. Portrayed by Michelle Forbes, she is a member of the Bajoran species who joins the crew of the USS Enterprise-D over the fervent objection of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, who cited her previous court-martial. Ro, too, was against joining the Enterprise crew but said, "It is better than prison." The character was intended both to be at odds with the series regulars and to replace Wesley Crusher in the conn officer post on the bridge. Forbes was cast to portray Ro after previously appearing in the series as Dara in the episode "Half a Life".
Dr. Katherine Pulaski is a fictional medical doctor in the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. She served a rotation as the chief medical officer aboard the Federation starship USS Enterprise-D. During her time on the ship, her medical skills saved the lives of both Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Commander William Riker. She inadvertently caused Geordi LaForge to create a hologram of Professor Moriarty that became self-aware, after a bet involving the abilities of Lt. Commander Data. Pulaski seemed averse to most new technology and preferred to avoid the transporter, but was forced to rely on it to save her own life from a genetically-modified infection. Before arriving on the Enterprise-D, she previously served on the USS Repulse. For a time in her past, she was romantically involved with William Riker's father, Kyle Riker, with whom she has maintained a friendship.
"Conundrum" is the 14th episode of the fifth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the 114th episode overall. It aired in syndication starting February 10, 1992.
"Power Play" is the 115th episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. It is the 15th episode of the fifth season.
Star Trek: Titan is a series of science fiction novels set within the Star Trek media franchise, which detail the adventures of the USS Titan under the command Captain William T. Riker, who was part of the main cast the 1987-1994 TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation and its spinoff films. The series was published by Simon & Schuster imprints Pocket Books, Pocket Star, and Gallery Books from 2005 to 2017. The novels are set after the events depicted in the 2002 film Star Trek: Nemesis.
"Samaritan Snare" is the seventeenth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the 43rd episode overall. It was first released on May 15, 1989, in broadcast syndication.
"Peak Performance" is the twenty-first and penultimate episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 47th episode overall, first broadcast on July 10, 1989.
"Disaster" is the fifth episode of the fifth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 105th episode overall. It was originally released on October 21, 1991, in broadcast syndication.
"A Matter of Honor" is the eighth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 34th episode overall, first broadcast on February 6, 1989. The teleplay is written by Burton Armus, based on a story by Armus, Wanda M. Haight and Gregory W. Amos, and directed by Rob Bowman.
"Ménage à Troi" is the 24th episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the 72nd episode of the series overall.
"Violations" is the 112th episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 12th episode of the fifth season.
"Preemptive Strike" is the 176th episode of the syndicated American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. It is the 24th episode of the seventh season, and penultimate episode of the series overall, directed by cast member Patrick Stewart.
Several characters within the Star Trek franchise, primary and secondary, often made crossover appearances between one series and another. This included appearances of established characters on premiere episodes of new series, a few long-term transfers from one series to another, and even crossovers between Trek films and television. A few crossover appearances, such as that of Spock on The Next Generation and the time-travel of the crew of Deep Space Nine to the era of The Original Series were especially lauded by both fans and critics.
The third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation commenced airing in broadcast syndication in the United States on September 25, 1989 and concluded on June 18, 1990 after airing 26 episodes. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Starfleet starship Enterprise-D. This season featured the return of Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher after she was replaced by Diana Muldaur for the second season. The season also saw the debut of several actors who would reappear in the same roles and others throughout the franchise, such as Dwight Schultz as Lt. Reginald Barclay, and Tony Todd as Kurn.
The fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation commenced airing in broadcast syndication in the United States on September 24, 1990 and concluded on June 17, 1991 after airing 26 episodes. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Starfleet starship Enterprise-D.
The sixth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation commenced airing in broadcast syndication in the United States on September 21, 1992, and concluded on June 21, 1993, after airing 26 episodes. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Starfleet starship Enterprise-D.
The seventh and final season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation commenced airing in broadcast syndication in the United States on September 20, 1993, and concluded on May 23, 1994, after airing 26 episodes. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Starfleet starship Enterprise-D.