Star Trek: The Next Generation (season 5)

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. This season is notable among Star Trek fans as the season when Gene Roddenberry died of cardiac arrest on October 24, 1991. Production on the episode "Hero Worship", directed by Patrick Stewart, was halted when news reached the set.

Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season 5
Region A/1 Blu-ray cover art
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes26
Release
Original networkBroadcast syndication
Original releaseSeptember 23, 1991 (1991-09-23) –
June 15, 1992 (1992-06-15)
Season chronology

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.

Cast

Recurring characters

Episodes
See also: List of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes

In the following table, episodes are listed by the order in which they aired.

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
1011"Redemption, Part II"David CarsonRonald D. MooreSeptember 23, 1991 (1991-09-23)N/A[1]
The Klingon Civil War comes to a conclusion.
1022"Darmok"Winrich KolbeS : Philip LaZebnik
S/T : Joe Menosky		September 30, 1991 (1991-09-30)N/A[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.
1033"Ensign Ro"Les LandauS : Rick Berman
S/T : Michael Piller		October 7, 1991 (1991-10-07)11.6[1]
After an attack on a Federation outpost, Picard is sent to locate a Bajoran terrorist with the help of Ensign Ro Laren.
1044"Silicon Avatar"Cliff BoleS : Lawrence V. Conley
T : Jeri Taylor		October 14, 1991 (1991-10-14)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.
1055"Disaster"Gabrielle BeaumontS : Ron Jarvis & Philip A. Scorza
T : Ronald D. Moore		October 21, 1991 (1991-10-21)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.
1066"The Game"Corey AllenS : Susan Sackett & Fred Bronson
S/T : Brannon Braga		October 28, 1991 (1991-10-28)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.
1077"Unification, Part I"Les LandauS : Rick Berman and Michael Piller
T : Jeri Taylor		November 4, 1991 (1991-11-04)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.
1088"Unification, Part II"Cliff BoleS : Rick Berman
S/T : Michael Piller		November 11, 1991 (1991-11-11)15.4[1]
Spock attempts to unify the Vulcans and Romulans in peace but falls into a Romulan trap.
1099"A Matter of Time"Paul LynchRick BermanNovember 18, 1991 (1991-11-18)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.
11010"New Ground"Robert ScheererS : Sara Charno and Stuart Charno
T : Grant Rosenberg		January 6, 1992 (1992-01-06)11.9[1]
Worf tries to be a father to his son, Alexander, while the Enterprise helps to test a new propulsion technology.
11111"Hero Worship"Patrick StewartS : Hilary J. Bader
T : Joe Menosky		January 27, 1992 (1992-01-27)12.7[1]
Data saves the life of an orphaned boy who begins to emulate him.
11212"Violations"Robert WiemerS : Shari Goodhartz and T. Michael
T : Jeri Taylor
S/T : Pamela Gray		February 3, 1992 (1992-02-03)12.1[1]
Telepathic aliens traveling aboard the Enterprise telepathically molests Troi and invades the minds of Beverly Crusher and William Riker.
11313"The Masterpiece Society"Winrich KolbeS : James Kahn
T : Michael Piller
S/T : Adam Belanoff		February 10, 1992 (1992-02-10)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.
11414"Conundrum"Les LandauS : Paul Schiffer
T : Barry Schkolnick		February 17, 1992 (1992-02-17)12.2[1]
The crew's memories are mysteriously erased. They soon discover that they are being manipulated into taking part in a war.
11515"Power Play"David LivingstonS : Paul Ruben and Maurice Hurley
T : René Balcer and Herbert Wright & Brannon Braga		February 24, 1992 (1992-02-24)13.2[1]
Troi, O'Brien, and Data are possessed by entities who want control of the ship.
11616"Ethics"Chip ChalmersS : Sara Charno & Stuart Charno
T : Ronald D. Moore		March 2, 1992 (1992-03-02)12.6[1]
Worf becomes paralyzed, possibly for life, and ask Riker to assist him in the Hegh'bat ceremony, a Klingon suicide ritual. Dr. Crusher consults a risk-taking researcher to save his life.
11717"The Outcast"Robert ScheererJeri TaylorMarch 16, 1992 (1992-03-16)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".
11818"Cause and Effect"Jonathan FrakesBrannon BragaMarch 23, 1992 (1992-03-23)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.
11919"The First Duty"Paul LynchRonald D. Moore & Naren ShankarMarch 30, 1992 (1992-03-30)12.1[1]
Wesley is questioned over a Starfleet Academy flight training accident. Guest star Ray Walston as Boothby.
12020"Cost of Living"Winrich KolbePeter Allan FieldsApril 20, 1992 (1992-04-20)11.7[1]
Deanna's mother, Lwaxana, arrives to marry a man she has never met. Worf has difficulty rearing Alexander, which is exacerbated when Lwaxana takes the boy under her wing.
12121"The Perfect Mate"Cliff BoleS : René Echevarria
T : Michael Piller
S/T : Gary Perconte		April 27, 1992 (1992-04-27)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.
12222"Imaginary Friend"Gabrielle BeaumontS : Jean Louise Matthias & Ronald Wilkerson and Richard Fliegel
T : Edithe Swensen and Brannon Braga		May 4, 1992 (1992-05-04)12.1[1]
A child's imaginary playmate takes on a physical form and threatens the well-being of the Enterprise.
12323"I, Borg"Robert LedermanRené EchevarriaMay 11, 1992 (1992-05-11)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.
12424"The Next Phase"David CarsonRonald D. MooreMay 18, 1992 (1992-05-18)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.
12525"The Inner Light"Peter LauritsonT : Peter Allan Fields
S/T : Morgan Gendel		June 1, 1992 (1992-06-01)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.
12626"Time's Arrow, Part I"Les LandauT : Michael Piller
S/T : Joe Menosky		June 15, 1992 (1992-06-15)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.

Reception

In 2019, CBR rated Season 5 of Star Trek: The Next Generation as the 3rd best season of all Star Trek seasons up to that time, and the most highly ranked season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.[2]

Footnotes
  1. "Star Trek: The Next Generation Nielsen Ratings – Seasons 5–6". TrekNation. Archived from the original on October 5, 2000. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
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