News broke over the weekend that Star Trek Beyond would be getting its own sequel, bringing the Kelvin-universe to a total of four movies. I’m excited for Star Trek Beyond, especially since it has been getting good reviews. I may be more excited, though, for its follow-up. J.J. Abrams confirmed that Chris Hemsworth would be reprising his role as George Kirk, James Kirk’s father. The story will have some time travel elements as George and James Kirk will be sharing the screen together.
Here are my favorite Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes that featured time travel.
“Yesterday’s Enterprise”
The Next Generation really hit its stride in the third season. I enjoy the first two seasons, but the show really took off in the third season. “Yesterday’s Enterprise” is a perfect example of what made The Next Generation so spectacular. The episode gave us tremendous insight into the characters we knew by placing them in an alternate universe. We understood Picard better by seeing him on the losing end of a war. “Yesterday’s Enterprise” also set waves into motion that led to the introduction of Sela, one of Picard’s greatest nemeses. This isn’t just a great time travel episode, but it’s one of the series’ greatest episodes.
“Tapestry”
“Tapestry” is easily one of my favorite episodes of The Next Generation. Most of my favorite episodes center on Picard; Patrick Stewart brought such depth to the character. I loved seeing a younger Picard in his early Starfleet days, choosing paths that took him further and further away from his destiny. There was nothing more unsettling than seeing Picard in a blue uniform as a junior-grade lieutenant, wasting his potential in a science department. “Tapestry” really highlighted the reality that while we may not look fondly on all of our choices, we cannot deny that they’ve helped us become the people we are today.
“All Good Things…”
The Next Generation’s final episode is one of its very best. I cried actual tears when the final credits rolled on “All Good Things…” I spent years watching hundreds of hours of The Next Generation, and I couldn’t believe that the Enterprise’s journey was coming to an end. Beyond my emotional attachment to the episode, it’s very good on its own merits. It pairs very well with “Encounter at Farpoint” to bookend the series, giving John De Lancie one last opportunity to chew all of the scenery as Q. Picard goes on an incredible journey through the episode, again seeing him as both a younger and older version of himself. If The Next Generation had to finish its run, at least it went out on an extremely high note.
Time travel makes for some of the best stories. Beyond The Next Generation, Star Trek has also given us “The City on the Edge of Forever,” The Voyage Home and First Contact. I love Chris Hemsworth and I’m excited for him to come back to the final frontier. He was great in a limited role in Star Trek and I can’t wait to see him interact with Chris Pine. Star Trek never fails when there are two Kirks.
What are some of your favorite time traveling Star Trek adventures?
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