First-Time Watch – Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 4, Episodes 1-3 | Best of Both Worlds Part 2, Family, Brothers
This week on The To Baldly Go Podcast, we kick off Season 4 of Star Trek: The Next Generation with The Best of Both Worlds, Part II, Family, and Brothers.
After the massive cliffhanger at the end of Season 3, The Best of Both Worlds, Part II gives us the resolution to the Borg crisis, but the bigger story may be what happens after the victory. Picard is changed, the Enterprise has changed, and the series itself seems to have found a new level of depth.
Then Family slows everything down in the best possible way. It is not a typical Star Trek episode, but it may be one of the clearest examples yet of what this version of Star Trek can do. Picard’s trauma, family conflict, and life back on Earth all make this feel like an essential continuation of The Best of Both Worlds.
Finally, Brothers gives Brent Spiner a chance to remind everyone just how much he can do. Data, Lore, and Dr. Soong all give the episode a different flavor, and we talk about how TNG is starting to feel like a collection of mini movies that stand alone while still building something larger.
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 story reaches its conclusion, but the episode leaves us with a somber aftermath instead of a clean celebration. We talk about the tension level compared to Part I, Picard’s PTSD response, whether Picard tried to surrender the Enterprise again, Data being left-handed, and the storytelling choice to show the aftermath of Wolf 359 instead of the battle itself.
Family
Nate hated Family when he was younger. Now he loves it. We discuss why this episode works better with age, how it handles Picard in crisis, where technology should or should not solve human problems, and why family dynamics may be just as important to Star Trek as space battles and alien encounters.
Brothers
Brent Spiner gets the spotlight in Brothers, and we spend plenty of time talking about his performance. We also discuss Lore, Dr. Soong, 24th-century deep fakes, the way TNG is developing into something bigger than isolated episodes, and the unexpected side quests into 2025 movies and the difference between Minnesota and Florida summers.
Final Thoughts
Season 4 starts with three episodes that show how much The Next Generation has grown. The Best of Both Worlds, Part II gives us the triumph and the consequences. Family gives us the emotional aftermath. Brothers gives us another strong Data story and another reminder that Brent Spiner can carry a lot of weight when the show asks him to.
Where we are on our Trek:
Last week we covered:
Next week we will continue with:
If you want to see my journey from the very beginning, start here:
Also, be sure to check out Nate’s and my other podcast – The In Lap with Aaron and Nate – to listen to us discuss all things Formula 1 on race weekends, wherever you listen to your podcasts.