To Baldly Go

First-Time Watch – Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 4, Episodes 16-18
This week on The To Baldly Go Podcast, we continue our first-time, release-order journey through Star Trek with three episodes from the fourth season of The Next Generation.
This week, we get:
World building for the fans
A potentially interesting, but possibly underdeveloped idea
Incomplete victories
We covered:
Galaxy’s Child
Night Terrors
Identity Crisis
In “Galaxy’s Child,” the real Dr. Leah Brahms visits the Enterprise and discovers the holodeck simulation Geordi created in her image. Meanwhile, the crew accidentally kills a massive space-dwelling life-form and must save the newborn creature left behind. We discuss creepy Geordi, the differences between Geordi and Barclay, Easter eggs for longtime fans, speed and distance in Star Trek, radiation measurements, Picard’s speech about destroying a life-form, Guinan messing with Geordi and whether the creature looks more like an empanada or a calzone.
“Night Terrors” begins with the Enterprise discovering the USS Brattain adrift, its crew dead except for a single traumatized survivor. The Enterprise soon becomes trapped in the same region of space as its crew gradually loses the ability to dream. We discuss whether the episode’s central idea received enough development, its similarities to other episodes, Starfleet ship classes and crew complements, real-life lessons from Star Trek and old Star Trek DVDs from China.
In “Identity Crisis,” Geordi reunites with Susanna Leijten, a former member of an away team whose surviving officers have begun disappearing five years after visiting Tarchannen III. As Geordi and Leijten undergo a mysterious transformation, the Enterprise attempts to reconstruct what happened during their original mission. We discuss why Geordi could seemingly have done everything from Sickbay, another round of Enterprise security problems, shuttlepods versus shuttlecraft, How I Met Your Mother, Earth: Final Conflict and a resolution that only feels partially successful.
Join us as we discuss Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 4, Episodes 16-18: “Galaxy’s Child,” “Night Terrors” and “Identity Crisis.”

First-Time Watch – Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 4, Episodes 13-15
This week on The To Baldly Go Podcast, we continue our first-time, release-order journey through Star Trek with three episodes from the fourth season of The Next Generation.
This week, we get:
Feeling like a TOS episode
Ron Swanson’s favorite Star Trek episode
What happens when a society learns they are not alone in the universe?
We covered:
Devil’s Due
Clues
First Contact
In “Devil’s Due,” the Enterprise arrives at Ventax II just as the planet’s people prepare to surrender themselves to Ardra, a supposedly supernatural figure returning to collect on a thousand-year-old contract. The episode feels like a lost TOS story performed by the TNG cast, leading us into discussions about Q, religion, explanations, knowledge problems, Troi’s empathic range, and whether Ardra would make a good Dungeons & Dragons villain.
“Clues” gives us a tightly constructed mystery after the Enterprise crew apparently loses only thirty seconds while passing through a wormhole. The evidence says otherwise, but Data refuses to explain what really happened. We discuss the episode’s handling of time, warp speed, relativity, the one explanation that might have improved everything, and plant reconciliation studies.
In “First Contact”—not the movie—Riker is injured while secretly observing a civilization approaching warp capability. Picard must decide how and when to reveal that the people of Malcor III are not alone in the universe. We discuss fear, uncertainty and doubt, the Prime Directive, Bebe Neuwirth’s unmistakable voice, and the discovery that Riker is apparently a freak.
Join us as we discuss Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 4, Episodes 13-15: “Devil’s Due,” “Clues,” and “First Contact.”

First-Time Watch – Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 4, Episodes 10-12
This week on The To Baldly Go Podcast, we continue our first-time watch of Star Trek: The Next Generation with The Loss, Data’s Day, and The Wounded.
This week, we get:
Counselor Troi working through the five stages of grief after losing her empathic abilities
Data documenting an ordinary day aboard the Enterprise
The introduction of the Cardassians
Great performances elevating material that does not always live up to them
A tense confrontation with a decorated Starfleet captain who may be right for the wrong reasons
We covered:
The Loss
Troi suddenly loses her empathic abilities and struggles with the possibility that an essential part of her identity may be gone forever. We discuss the episode’s exploration of grief, Marina Sirtis’s performance, the infamous “space seed,” and whether this story needed more than a single episode to reach its full potential.
Data’s Day
Data records a day aboard the Enterprise for Commander Maddox, giving us weddings, dancing, mispronounced names, Spot the cat, and something pulled directly from Nate’s nightmares. We discuss Brent Spiner’s performance, the passage of time aboard a starship, missed opportunities, and the question of what “night” means when traveling through space.
The Wounded
A celebrated Starfleet captain launches unauthorized attacks against Cardassian ships, forcing Picard to stop one of his own officers while navigating a fragile peace. We discuss the introduction of the Cardassians, the episode’s constant tension, its restrained use of action, combat distances, and the uncomfortable possibility of being right for the wrong reasons.
Final Thoughts:
The Loss and Data’s Day both give talented performers material that does not completely work for us, but The Wounded delivers one of the strongest episodes of the season so far. It introduces a major new adversary, raises difficult questions without offering simple answers, and keeps the tension high from beginning to end.
Next time:
Devil’s Due | Clues | First Contact
Never give up. Never surrender.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episodes 7-9: Reunion | Future Imperfect | Final Mission
This week on The To Baldly Go Podcast, Aaron and Nate continue their release-order watchthrough with three more episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
This week, we get:
Worf confronting the consequences of his past decisions
Riker trapped inside Star Trek: Inception
What appears to be Wesley Crusher’s final mission
We covered:
Reunion
K’Ehleyr returns to the Enterprise with a surprise: Worf has a son. Her investigation into the Klingon succession brings Worf face-to-face with Duras and forces him to decide how far he is willing to go to protect his family and restore his honor.
We discuss IMDb burying the lede, the return of K’Ehleyr, the increased depth of TNG compared with The Original Series, Picard being both disappointed and angry, and whether the bat’leth is a decent weapon after all.
Future Imperfect
After an away mission goes wrong, Riker awakens sixteen years in the future. He is now captain of the Enterprise, has a son he does not remember, and is negotiating peace with the Romulans—but pieces of his new life do not add up.
We discuss a well-constructed mystery, callbacks to one-off characters from the first season, Riker recognizing the flaws in the illusion, and a strong episode weakened by a dumb ending.
Final Mission
Wesley joins Picard on what is supposed to be a routine diplomatic mission before leaving the Enterprise. When their shuttle crashes on a desert moon, Wesley must solve an ancient mystery while Picard’s condition grows worse.
Aaron and Nate see the episode differently, despite giving it similar ratings. We discuss strong character moments with weak setups, Beverly’s absence from the bridge, protection from the “sun,” comparisons with Tasha Yar’s departure, Code of Honor, and the show’s attempted sendoff for Wil Wheaton.
Join us as we discuss Reunion, Future Imperfect, and Final Mission on The To Baldly Go Podcast.

This week on The To Baldly Go Podcast, Aaron and Nate continue their journey with the next three episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4: Suddenly Human, Remember Me, and Legacy.
This week, we get:
Different cultures, children making decisions, and abuse
The importance of appreciating people when they are still around
A not-very-good episode, so we talk about other stuff
We covered:
Suddenly Human
Remember Me
Legacy
In Suddenly Human, we talk about futuristic Enterprise racquetball, whether the title is trying to be too clever, and why Nate may hate this episode. The conversation gets into the limits of network TV, kids making lasting decisions, adults making decisions for kids, internal series inconsistencies, and whether Picard and the crew get this one wrong.
In Remember Me, we discuss a much stronger episode built around worry, anxiety, confusion, and clarity. Beverly Crusher has to figure out the nature of the universe as the people around her disappear, and the episode works because it lets the audience figure things out at the right time. We also touch on the Star Trek: The Original Series intro lyrics and how TNG is finding more depth than TOS.
In Legacy, we hit one of the weakest episodes we have seen in a while, which means the side conversations take over. We talk about bad TV poker, 2-7 triple draw, card tricks on YouTube, Penn & Teller, and the milestone of The Next Generation surpassing The Original Series in total episodes.
Join us as we discuss Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4 episodes Suddenly Human, Remember Me, and Legacy.
Nestor Hato card trick on Fool Us

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episodes 1-3: The Best of Both Worlds, Part II | Family | Brothers
This week on The To Baldly Go Podcast, we kick off Season 4 of Star Trek: The Next Generation with the fallout from one of the biggest cliffhangers in Star Trek history, a quiet but powerful family story, and Brent Spiner putting on a full acting showcase.
This week, we get:
Triumph and consequences
All in the Family
Is there anything Brent Spiner can’t do?
We covered:
The Best of Both Worlds, Part II
The Borg crisis comes to a close, but the emotional fallout is just beginning. We talk about the drop in tension from Part I, Picard’s trauma, the somber ending, the aftermath of the battle, the Captain’s chair, impulse power, and whether seeing the wreckage was more effective than seeing the battle itself.
Family
Nate revisits an episode he hated when he was younger and now loves. We discuss why Family feels different from a typical Star Trek episode, how it still fits the series, Picard in crisis, family dynamics, the limits of technology, and whether this is really The Best of Both Worlds, Part III.
Brothers
Brent Spiner takes center stage in an episode that feels like another mini movie in TNG’s growing run of weekly stories. We talk about Data, Lore, Dr. Soong, 24th-century deep fakes, how standalone episodes can still build something larger, and, somehow, 2025 movies and Minnesota versus Florida summer weather.
Join us as we continue our first-time watch through Star Trek: The Next Generation.

First-Time Watch – Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 3, Episodes 25-26
This week on The To Baldly Go Podcast, Abbie is back as we finish Season 3 of Star Trek: The Next Generation with “Transfigurations” and “The Best of Both Worlds.”
This week, we get:
A conversation about evolution that may be more interesting than the episode itself
A return to the Sarek discussion from last week
More awkward Geordi romance, whether we wanted it or not
The starship dating scene and a surprisingly long 10 Forward discussion
A near-perfect slow-burn Borg episode
Captain Picard absolutely not surrendering the Enterprise
Shelby making waves without necessarily being wrong
A cliffhanger that leaves Aaron genuinely unsure how Star Trek gets out of this
We covered:
Transfigurations:
“Transfigurations” gives us a mysterious patient, questions about evolution, and a society afraid of what its people may become. We talk about how groups respond to customs and beliefs that clash with their own, especially when they are visitors in someone else’s house. We also spend time on the starship social scene, 10 Forward, and why the awkward Geordi episodes are starting to wear out their welcome. In the end, our conversation may have gone deeper than the episode did.
The Best of Both Worlds:
Then comes “The Best of Both Worlds,” one of the biggest episodes we have watched so far. We talk about the Borg, the perfectly executed slow burn, Shelby’s role, Riker’s dilemma, the cost to the crew, and whether this episode represents a turning point for the franchise. Aaron also insists that Picard did not surrender the Enterprise, and we struggle our way through some Season 3 trivia.
Final Thoughts:
As Season 3 comes to a close, we reflect on how much stronger The Next Generation has become. The storytelling is improving, the performances are more consistent, and the whole show feels like it has found another gear. A rising tide lifts all ships, and this season may be the clearest example yet.
Next time:
Star Trek: The Next Generation S04E01-03 – The Best of Both Worlds, Part II | Family | Brothers
Never give up. Never surrender.

This week on The To Baldly Go Podcast, Aaron and Nate continue their release-order watchthrough with three more episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation: "The Most Toys," "Sarek," and "Ménage à Troi."
This week, we get:
Evil, terrifying characters
Allegory
Shakespeare
We covered:
The Most Toys
Sarek
Ménage à Troi
In "The Most Toys," Data is left for dead and finds himself in the possession of a truly evil collector. We discuss how the episode works as part of the well-oiled machine of Season 3, the challenge of building tension when we know major characters are probably safe, and whether Data may be one of the most terrifying characters on the Enterprise when pushed far enough.
In "Sarek," The Next Generation continues to stand on its own while still maintaining a strong connection to The Original Series. We talk about Patrick Stewart’s remarkable performance, Sarek’s emotional decline, aging, dignity, and whether the episode works as an allegory for Alzheimer’s or dementia. We also discuss the apparent rule against referencing Spock.
In "Ménage à Troi," Lwaxana Troi returns, Shakespeare takes center stage, and the Ferengi are once again very Ferengi. We discuss judging episodes by their titles, whether Lwaxana is growing on Aaron, and how this episode lands after two heavier stories.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episodes 19-21: Captain’s Holiday | Tin Man | Hollow Pursuits
This week on To Baldly Go, we continue our first-time watchthrough of Star Trek: The Next Generation with Captain’s Holiday, Tin Man, and Hollow Pursuits.
This week we get:
- An archaeological adventure looking for artifacts from the future- All the elements to make a great episode, but just missing the mark- Impostor syndrome
In Captain’s Holiday, Picard takes some much-needed time away from the Enterprise, only to end up pulled into a time-travel archaeological adventure. We discuss the difficulties of time-travel stories, whether Picard is too trusting, unexpected chemistry between actors and characters, Star Trek shovels, Parks and Rec, and the real-life ramifications from this episode.
In Tin Man, we talk about an episode that seems to have so many of the right ingredients, but never quite comes together the way it should. We get into The Story of the Tin Woodsman, fairy tales, the lack of tension, the music, strange sound-effect techniques, the number 47, and Starship Farragut.
Finally, in Hollow Pursuits, we meet Barclay and discuss impostor syndrome, holodeck fantasies, unclear messaging, the fact that the holodeck apparently doesn’t lock, and whether the ending was inevitable.
Join us as we discuss Captain’s Holiday, Tin Man, and Hollow Pursuits.
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This week on To Baldly Go, Aaron and Nate continue Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3 with The Offspring, Sins of the Father, and Allegiance.
We get a major Data episode that leads to a surprising split in ratings, a huge leap forward in Klingon lore, and a Picard mystery that feels a little like Star Trek: Among Us.
This week we get:
- Humanity and parenting- The Scarlet K- Do intentions matter?
In The Offspring, Data creates a child, leading us into questions about humanity, parenting, knowledge, understanding, and whether this is one of the better “is Data alive?” stories.
In Sins of the Father, Worf is pulled into Klingon politics, family history, and a major cultural reckoning that could fundamentally change his future.
And in Allegiance, Picard is placed in a strange test of identity, authority, and intention, while an imperfect copy of him causes problems back on the Enterprise.
Join us for another first-time reaction discussion as we continue our release-order watchthrough of Star Trek.