Ranking All The Star Trek: The Next Generation Episodes (Part 2)

This is a continuation of a series ranking TNG episodes (if you missed it, here’s Part 1 as well as Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7 and the Picard tea set piece). This post also contains discussions of sexism and assault.

Some of the episodes that follow are bad, but the list is also moving into a mediocre range where the episodes aren’t good, but they aren’t terrible either.

Enjoy!

143. The Vengeance Factor (TNG 309)

Picard and co. try to negotiate peace with some folks called the “Gatherers” (who are either cosplay Borg or Oakland Raiders fans with a Mad Max vibe) who’ve been raiding various remote settlements.

This episode isn’t good but it features a large collection of alien mullets and gives us more insight into the sex life of Will Riker, Galactic Stud. When Yuta, an alien servant, offers to cook him an Acamarian dish, Riker replies with “I look forward to tasting it” which is sort of the response you expect. But then later in the episode when Yuta tells him she will do anything to please him sexually, Riker puts on the breaks, tells her he prefers equals in matters of love, and that he wants to make her as happy as she wants to make him. When she tells him she hasn’t been able to experience pleasure in a long time, Riker is mindful that it’s possible she’s been assaulted. In short, Riker, the guy a lot of people characterize as some sort of gross, over-sexed, dude bro is actually aware of power differences when it comes to sex, and is super interested in consent and his partner’s pleasure. Umm he does phaser her at the end of the episode tho (she’s trying to murder the dude with the worst mullet, it’s necessary!)

Also shout out to Troi for excusing herself in Ten Forward so Yuta feels comfortable joining Riker for a meal. One reason why I pretend Nemesis never happened is because the Troi-Riker wedding undermines 15 years of friendship for these exes (it is possible they occasionally hook up while on the Enterprise, especially end of S3, start of S4 but it seems fine). Which wouldn’t really matter except that TNG shows throughout the series how the pair remain close without the petty jealousy exhibited by many former couples and how they encourage each other’s new relationships and just want each other to be happy? But the wedding in the last movie is like “see? They were in love all along!” which undermines that. Anyway this episode has some of that good friendship stuff.

142. Pen Pals (TNG 215)

Data’s been messaging with a little girl whose planet is about to explode and Data wants the Enterprise to help.

A “Fuck the Prime Directive” episode. I’m not sure why Data thought any of this was a good idea. If any other character had been messaging with a child it would have been creepy. He may not have emotions, but Data can sure manipulate them; when Picard tells him to end contact, Data plays a clip of the child’s pleas and changes Picard’s mind. This isn’t a great episode but it helps humanize Pulaski a bit.

141. The Loss (TNG 410)

Troi loses her powers because of a cosmic string? Whatevs this is one of those “empathic” (or not, as the case may be) episodes.

Troi’s character is one I’ve enjoyed more the older I get. Her obvious empathic statements that seem to irk everyone have been overstated over the years? Like there’s not that many instances of her feeling and communicating the emotionally obvious, but viewers like to think there is. Plus she’s upfront about the limitations of her empathic skills. Where she actually excels is as a sounding board for Picard and for pointing out perspectives and alternatives that have been ignored by Bridge Dudes, especially Worf who generally defaults to violence (Troi generally defaults to diplomacy).

But Troi utterly fails as a counselor/therapist. She pushes boundaries inappropriately and doesn’t seem to have a good sense of her patients’ privacy. In this episode, she’s counseling a woman whose husband has died. Cool. But as Troi tries to provoke a reaction/realization from her patient, she present this widow with a box of her dead husband’s things (this woman also thinks that she’s put all her husband’s stuff in the trash). That is some fucked up manipulative shit right there and your therapist should not be doing that. Don’t even get me started on the inappropriate shit that happens when Troi counsels Barclay.

140. Evolution (TNG 301)

A driven scientist is aboard the Enterprise for a once-in-a-lifetime experiment, but Wesley’s nanites get out and threaten to ruin everything.

Oh look, Noted Genius Wesley Crusher almost kills everyone accidentally (that’s not really what the episode is about but you know). Bev gets back from heading up Starfleet Medical and wants to make sure Wes is well-adjusted. It’s a demotion, right, to come back and be CMO of the flagship? The Enterprise is unquestionably a good gig, but Head of Starfleet Medical seems a few rungs higher. Regardless, it’s good to have you back, Bev.

Dr. Stubbs, the single-minded scientist, is an asshole. He’s not sexist like most of the Genius Dudes we meet, but he’s smug, superior, and just a bad dude. He kills a whole bunch of the nanites (an intelligent form of life) so his experiment can go on as schedule. WTF. A question Star Trek should ask itself is: why are so many of the scientists we write reprehensible people?

139. The Survivors (TNG 303)

The Enterprise checks up on the only survivors of a devastating attack.

This is the best part of this episode: Riker hanging upside down.

Rishon Uxbridge, one of the two survivors, is played by Anne Haney, who Robin Williams says “Heeeellllooo” to in Mrs. Doubtfire. Just thought you should know.

138. Galaxy’s Child (TNG 416)

The Enterprise crew works to save an alien baby after inadvertently killing its mother. Geordi’s holodeck misdeeds come back to haunt him when Dr. Leah Brahms comes aboard.

So the B-plot is the giant lifeform that just lives in space. There’s a first contact mix up and Picard orders Worf to fire phasers at minimum power, but it still kills the alien. Picard genuinely seems upset about this, but once they realize there’s a baby to save, they all get into that, and Worf-Crusher use phasers to perform a sort of C-section in space. Crisis averted!

This episode is terrible because Geordi is the worst? In S3 he creates a program to solve a crisis and uses the parameters and published writings of Dr. Leah Brahms, who helped develop the warp drive for Galaxy-class starships like the Enterprise. So far, ok. This seems like something people would do a lot in the future, especially as a way to collaborate across great distances? This also seems like a built-in program holodecks on starships should have (you know, like when you buy a gaming system and it comes with a couple ok pre-loaded games). It’s that he gives her “personality” which the holodeck, primarily used for sex, definitely interprets as “ooooooh you want her to be into you, gotcha”. Like there’s a difference between creating a human (or Vulcan, Bolian, Klingon etc) hologram as a sort of interface to interact with and creating an actual real person but manipulating their personality (especially if it leads to romantic or sexual interactions). In S3 “Hollow Pursuits” we learned there’s no law about programming real people in the holodeck and Riker gets all huffy and says “well there ought to be”. The thing is, he’s not wrong. This feels like 24th century privacy laws aren’t doing the job.

Anyway, none of this would have blown back on Geordi if Dr. Brahms hadn’t come on board, but she did. It probably also would have gone unnoticed or at least seemed less creepy if Geordi wasn’t trying to date her from the moment she stepped off the transporter pad. Or he could have given her a heads up that he had created a program featuring her to help solve a crisis the year before. There were lots of different ways this could have gone. But instead, Brahms finds the program on her own, goes in, and is like, “gross, what has he been doing with me?” When Geordi bursts in, intent on stopping her from seeing the program, but she’s already seen it and tells him she feels violated by what he did. Does Geordi accept this? Apologize? Back off? Nope.

Geordi flips on her essentially because she hasn’t been nice or friendly since arriving on the Enterprise (real talk it’s also because this super qualified woman, who has a PhD and teaches at the Daystrom Institute, plus like, designs fucking starships, criticizes his modifications and dude can’t handle it). Geordi says, “Alright, look — ever since you came on board you’ve been badgering me — and I’ve taken it! I’ve shown you courtesy, respect and a hell of a lot of patience.” Geordi, no. He angrily tells her he regrets offering her his friendship and storms out. Geordi, no. I like you a lot, La Forge, but you’re being a real shitty dude right now. She has every right to be upset, you did do something wrong and creepy, don’t attack her.

And maybe she’s not thrilled with you or responding better to your advances because they’re inappropriate (he makes several comments throughout the episode suggesting he knows her, he offers to make her pasta fungilli which Holo Leah had told him the year before is her favourite, and plans an out-of-uniform, romantic-dinner-in-his-quarters, Yes-he-really-thought-about-playing-Brahms-for-Leah-Brahms dinner)? Like, she’s someone who is on the Enterprise to work. So she wants to….work? I see nothing wrong with her behaviour, Geordi isn’t being appropriate. Could she be nicer? I guess, but like, La Forge is hitting on her and she is giving out Not Interested Signs pretty deliberately. Anyway, the episode ends with them having a nice, casual chat in Ten Forward and the writers get around her lack of interested and his inappropriate behaviour by writing that she’s married. Poor choice. P.S. Leah is still able to come up with the ship-saving solution despite dealing with some pretty heavy sexual harassment. She rocks.

Anyway, to make matters more gross, in the alternate future of S7 “All Good Things…” La Forge marries Leah and they have some kids, but more on that later (I will say though, that they name their oldest Brett. Brett La Forge). Which, is bad, but it’s also an alternate future so not as bad as it could be I guess. But then in Nemesis (yeah, that movie again), Geordi was supposed to marry Leah and the couple would attend the Riker-Troi wedding together (thankfully the actress was busy). Pro-tip Trek writers: don’t reward harassing and abusive behaviour with sex and relationships.

137. We’ll Always Have Paris (TNG 124)

A scientist’s experiments mess with time; his wife, Jenice Manheim is an old “friend” of Captain Picard.

Paul Manheim is another one of these impossibly intelligent scientific genius dudes we meet in the early years of TNG. His experiments have started messing with the fabric of time in nearby systems and have left him ill. As Dr. Crusher tends to him in sickbay, Jenice and JLP discuss why things didn’t work out between them. I don’t find this one engaging, but I do like the ending when Data beams down to Manheim’s lab to add antimatter and realign the system before the next time distortion. What I like about it is we get three Datas whose time sync the closer they get to adding the antimatter. It just looks cool.

136. Inheritance (TNG 710)

Data meets his mother, Juliana Tainer, but she doesn’t know she’s an android.

There’s something in this episode about trying to keep the cooling magma of Atrea IV (again with the four) hot with Tainer’s science experiment, but that plot really doesn’t matter that much, it’s just the excuse to have Tainer on the ship.

It’s interesting to watch the way Tainer interacts with Data vs. the way Noonian Soong interacts with Data. Soong is interested in Data’s capabilities, what he’s achieved, that sort of thing. While Tainer is interested in that too, she’s much more interested in how he’s developed as a man (his cultural pursuits and personal life including romantic relationships and parenthood). Data revealing that his daughter, Lal, died shortly after being created, serves as the impetus for Tainer revealing how emotionally difficult it was each time one of their android’s failed. It was painful for Soong as well, but for Soong it’s more a scientist’s pain, for Tainer, it’s a parent’s. There’s obviously similarity and overlap between those two roles but Tainer and Soong do seem like they has slightly different approaches to the positronic brain project.

Oh yeah, she jumps off a ledge when something goes wrong with the magma heating experiment and breaks her arm off, revealing that she an android (even she doesn’t know). Data had expected this because she played a musical piece the exact same way earlier in the episode. Even though it leaves him isolated, Data decides not to tell her she’s not human. Which is probably a good thing since Tainer’s husband isn’t super keen on androids/machines.

135. Time Squared (TNG 213)

The crew meets another Picard, from six hours in the future.

There’s an energy vortex and that’s how the duplicate Picard gets created. My favourite part is Riker makes his friends breakfast at the start of the episode. There’s this little current that runs through the show of Geordi and Worf eating together and when Geordi finds something disgusting, like Riker’s omelettes made from Owon eggs, Worf devours it (this happens in “Birthright Part 1” as well).

Picard also has to kill Future Picard in this episode and while he handles it fairly well, which isn’t a surprise, it must be pretty upsetting to kill another human, especially when the other human is you?

134. Booby Trap (TNG 306)

The Enterprise investigates a 1000 year old alien derelict ship but gets caught in the same trap that disabled the alien wreck a millennium ago.

Watching Picard geek out about the alien ship and going on an away mission is awesome but this episode is primarily about Geordi: his romantic life and his efforts to solve the energy problems the ship is experiencing.

So remember when I mentioned Leah Brahms? Remember when I said La Forge created a holodeck program to save the ship? Well, this is the episode where Geordi creates the program.

It probably would have been fine, but this episode starts off with Geordi getting rejected in the holodeck while on a date with Christy. She rejects him, but I think she does a good job of being clear that she doesn’t feel the same way while being mindful of his feelings. Aside: at the end of season three, Geordi wants to tell Christy how he feels, but lacks the confidence until an alien with special healing powers helps him and they date for a while. I mean, great for Geordi I guess, and I suppose Christy’s feelings change, but Geordi has a real problem respecting the boundaries women set.

Anyway, the sting of this rejection is still with him when he comes up with the idea to create a holodeck program to interact and brainstorm ideas with Brahms. To be clear, I like the concept of this episode and I like that he creates this program (this reminds me of Voyager having a holoprogram of Louis Zimmerman to help with the EMH, which makes sense). I really like Leah Brahms. She’s smart, all business, wears about 11 shades of teal in this one, and has the style of a 24th century librarian. I also find the set really cool and I like getting this sort of early Enterprise D history, I could just do without the romance angle. He initially finds Holo Leah cold, sterile, and lacking personality, but this is sort of the professional interaction he should want in this scenario (these are also the objections he has with the real Brahms) so he just changes her (despite the emergency). Anyway, new Holo Leah rubs his shoulders, talks romantically about being a part of the ship, and kisses Geordi. They save the day, so I guess that makes all the gross stuff ok.

Gross, Geordi.

133. Haven (TNG 111)

A plague ship threatens a planet and also Troi’s arranged nuptials are about to be celebrated.

Yooo this episode starts with Riker “relaxing” to some miniature holo ladies playing the harp and the eye roll he gives when he’s called away is substantial.

This episode is mostly about Troi’s arranged marriage. I think it’s fine that this is their tradition, I don’t think it’s fine that Troi’s willing to go through with it when she doesn’t really want to. She states on multiple occasions throughout the series that her career is important to her and that she’s happy on the Enterprise. Regardless, that’s what the episode’s about. Anyway, Troi’s mom is here and she spends most of the time fighting with the groom’s mom, which is predictable and a little sad. We get to learn all about the nudity at traditional Betazoid weddings, which is fun for some, less fun for others.

I like Troi’s future husband, Wyatt Miller? He’s relaxed, non-threatening, a doctor and an artist, he’s kind to Troi, seeks her consent and approval for marriage, refuses to get mixed up with Riker’s jealousy (be better, Will), and has glorious 80s hair. Plus he somehow manages to wear a turtleneck and not look like a Bond villain, no easy feat. He’s also willing to join a plague ship to work on a cure? Good dude.

Also, I love the plague ship aliens? They have a very hippy-early 70s sci-fi vibe to them which is glorious.

132. Home Soil (TNG 118)

The Enterprise goes to rescue some terraformers who are threatened by a new form of life.

I have feelings about terraformers, at least the ones we meet on Trek. This group has a few various personalities, but the leader of the project, Kurt Mandl, is the type of bloviating, self-absorbed terraformer we met again and again.

I like my terraformers to be like Dr. Carol Marcus from Wrath of Khan, as concerned about creating and sustaining life as she is unconcerned about her own legacy (she is more concerned that her son is remembered for his contributions than her own place in history). It’s hard to get away from terraforming as an act of colonization and its potential to be weaponized. I get that it’s a tool to solve overpopulation and hunger, but terraforming also helps spread settlement, push boundaries, and lead to war. Plus, it’s hard to see some of these terraformers as noble when they’re first response to encountering life on the planets they’re working on is to denying it or try and kill it (this is what happens in “Home Soil”). Scientists who will proceed to terraform a planet, even when there’s evidence of indigenous life (that will be destroyed as the planet is altered to suit human settlement) because of their dreams, their career etc. are both familiar and shitty and shouldn’t be encouraged.

131. Unnatural Selection (TNG 207)

Pulaski investigates the deaths of the Lantree crew, all of whom appear to have aged very rapidly.

This is another one of those science goes wrong episodes and Picard and Pulaski fight about how to properly approach the investigation. It’s that typical debate between a captain, who’s concerned about their crew, and a doctor who wants to save everyone.

Pulaski is one of those “don’t use the transporter types” and I have to wonder if I’d be like that. I suspect I’d use the transporter if I absolutely had to, like if the future of the Federation depended on it or something, but my preference would probably be to use the shuttle. For one thing, I think I would object to Starfleet having my pattern stored somewhere? Which of course is a problem in this episode since Pulaski’s pattern isn’t stored because she hates the transporter, and they need her DNA to save her from being so rapidly old. Don’t worry, they eventually find a hairbrush. Cool, so Pulaski is saved. But if I was in Starfleet no one would have my pattern an I don’t brush my hair so I’d probably just die like the Lantree crew.

130. Dark Page (TNG 707)

Lwaxana Troi visits the Enterprise with a group of aliens she’s teaching to communicate verbally, but a secret trauma is making her seriously ill.

In this episode we find out Deanna had an older sister who drowned when Deanna was just a baby and Lwaxana has been keeping that secret for years. This isn’t a fun watch, but we get to learn more about Troi’s past and meet her dad (Deanna is telepathically linked with Lwaxana and meets her dad in her mom’s brain, you know, Betazoid stuff).

129. In Theory (TNG 425)

Data has a girlfriend. Unrelated: strange things happen on the ship.

What to say about this? Don’t watch this episode if you hate TV/movies full of second hand embarrassment. Lieutenant Jenna D’Sora pursues Data and he accepts her affections. On some level, they’re a good fit in that they have similar interests: they work in similar fields, they’re both musicians. And I like that Data modifies his programming to reflect the reality of being in a relationship. I like that he’s willing to learn/grow/be reprogrammed to explore new aspects of humanity. But like, the things he programs are unfortunate. The whole “lovers’ quarrel/you’re not my mother” aspect to his new program? Who exactly are his romantic relationship role models? We know Data participates in theatrical performances a lot, so are these references literary? Are they based on cultural information in his stored knowledge? Examples he sees on the Enterprise (I’m looking at you, Chief O’Brien). It’s just really sad that this is the romantic relationship default in the 24th century.

128. Bloodlines (TNG 722)

Picard learns he has a son (spoiler: he doesn’t actually!) and that his Ferengi nemesis (it’s pretty one-sided) (ex-)DaiMon Bok is trying to kill that son.

Oh yeah, this is another one of those “cruel things the writers do to Picard” episodes: make him think he actually has a son (there are numerous instances of Picard wondering about the road not taken) and then they snatch it away (DaiMon Bok manipulates the genes of Picard’s “son” Jason and Bev realizes the trick once Jason starts getting sick). Jason’s kind of gross, not because of his minor run-ins with the law, but he’s sleazy and hits on Troi when she’s trying to be professional and has rebuffed him already. On the plus side, I’ve always felt like he could be related to Steve from Full House.

As much as I’m not a fan of the Ferengi on TNG, I kind of like that Bok’s feud with Picard is so incredibly one-sided. Picard’s refusal to engage Bok on Bok’s terms probably enrages the disgraced former DaiMon a lot.

127. Hide and Q (TNG 110)

Q tests Riker by giving him the power of the Q.

This is not a good Q episode. It does, however, provide Q with more opportunities to be humorous and his character’s at its best when he can joke along with testing Picard/humanity (see “Tapestry”). This is one of the first season episode that really feels like it’s part of The Original Series because of its staging (the planet set is so TOS it hurts). Ultimately, Riker declines the powers/rejects Q and I believe this is the reason Riker irks Q for the rest of the series.

126. Liaisons (TNG 702)

Three Iyaaran ambassadors visit the Enterprise: one is paired with Troi, one is paired with Worf, and a third is paired with Picard, who leaves for the Iyaaran homeworld, and has his own “Misery” moment.

I don’t love this episode, but diplomatic episodes usually provide the opportunity to look at some future food/non-human food and that’s always fantastic. My favourite from this episode? The Ktarian chocolate puff. Worf eventually gets to beat up his ambassador buddy (it’s what the ambassador wanted) so that worked out for everyone, and Picard is very forgiving of what is in reality kidnapping and assault.

125. The Icarus Factor (TNG 214)

Riker is offered his own command and his estranged father, Kyle, is aboard to brief him on his possible new mission. Meanwhile, Wes and co. conspire to help Worf celebrate the anniversary of his Rite of Ascension.

Anbo-jyutsu. That’s all you need to know about this one. Actually for kind of a nothing episode, this one has some interesting stuff. We see Troi’s office for the first time, which gives her an air of professionalism so often missing in her counseling work. We have Riker passing up a command after claiming that’s all he really wanted. We learned that Kyle Riker abandoned Will when he was a teen, claiming “I gave you 13 years after your mother died, if that wasn’t enough that’s just too damn bad” (whoa, Kyle, it wasn’t enough is the thing). We learn about a romance between Pulaski and Kyle Riker when he was her patient (not professional at all, Kate). Kyle Riker wears one of the worst civilian jumpsuits in the series. O’Brien has some decent lines in this once and actually seems like a fun dude to hang out with in this episode. We get some insight into Klingon culture and we get to watch a ceremony with painstiks which is pretty awesome. John Tesh plays a Klingon and it works?

Oh and the Rikers square off in a game of anbo-jyutsu. Which is sort of a combat game that combines retro motocross equipment and anime references and a lot of poorly spoken Japanese, unfortunately. I’m really interested in the made up sports of the future and like the equipment of this game but it’s pretty ridiculous that Riker plays this with his 60+ year old father.

124. Deja Q (TNG 313)

Q loses his powers and seeks asylum on the Enterprise.

Obviously this is a Q episode and Q episodes generally go two ways: they’re awesome (“Tapestry,” “All Good Things”) or bad. This is one of the latter. I do like the “ball of light” aliens in this one.

Guinan does get to stab Q in the hand with a fork though, so it’s not all bad.

123. 11001001 (TNG 115)

A group of technologically advanced aliens called the Bynars are aboard the Enterprise to update the ship’s systems/steal the ship to save their planet. While the Bynars are working on the ship, Riker is in the holodeck, amazed by the realness of a new program.

How the showrunners didn’t make this episode 10 or 11 of the first season I don’t know. Riker gets to play the trombone for the first time, and as a fellow boner, that’s fun.

122. Emergence (TNG 723)

Weird stuff happens on the holodeck forcing the crew to realize that the Enterprise is creating an offspring/child.

This episode should probably be lower on this list since it’s not very good. This is a “when future tech goes wrong” and of course, it’s the holodeck that’s at fault. Aspects from multiple programs appear in the same holoprogram, making it hard for the crew to navigate. The safeties are off too, making it dangerous as well. Once the ship has its tech baby in the cargo bay, it leaves and things return to normal. Whatever, this was sort of filler. That happens sometimes in 26 episode seasons.

121. The Nth Degree (TNG 419)

An alien probe gives Barclay incredible intelligence, so he decides to connect himself to the ship’s computer.

I like the first half of the episode, watching the crew interact with super smart/confident Barclay, hate the part where he’s the computer.

120. Man of the People (TNG 603)

Ambassador Alkar negotiates a peace treaty while depositing his dark thoughts into Troi.

This is another “Troi is psychically violated” episode and it’s pretty bad. Alkar is not only violent and abusive, he’s conceited, self-centred, and sleazy. Maybe the worst part of this episode is that apparently certain dudes still use women to advance their careers while easily convincing everyone else that they’re “crazy” in the 24th century. That was something we needed confirmed. Sigh. Alkar is so fucking entitled that he admits the whole thing to Picard because he thinks they’re bros and that JLP will just get that important men, such as Alkar or JLP, can’t be burdened by unpleasant thoughts. Or that dudes just abuse women this way. Ugh. For his part, JLP has none of it.

Troi gets to behave erratically in this episode and that’s kind of fun though. She has another unprofessional counselling session (at least this time she has an excuse) telling her patient, Ensign Janeway, that’s she’s bored listening to her and that she’s pathetic. She gets a white streak in her hair and gets to wear a new dress and looks pretty great doing it. She also has sex with a junior officer and while trying to make Riker jealous (at this point she’s under Alkar’s influence). Riker’s like, “hey, it’s your business and that’s cool, can we get back to these crew evals tho?” and when she continues, Riker tells her he’ll come back when she’s ready to work. I like when these two respect boundaries. She does kiss him later in the episode but he’s mostly confused and leaves when she scratches him.

119. The Silicon Avatar (TNG 504)

The Enterprise gives chase to the Crystalline Entity after it destroys a Federation colonizing project at Melona IV.

I don’t give a shit about the Crystalline Entity? I’m not particularly invested in Dr. Marr, an expert in the Crystalline Entity who lost her son at Omicron Theta (where Data was discovered), and whether she gets vengeance? I’m only marginally more interested in the Crystalline Entity when it’s some sort of 24th century white whale like it is in this episode. Marr’s another example of a really bad scientist because she destroys the Entity. Sigh.

Riker sex life alert: Carmen Davila, a civilian engineer who dies in the initial attack, seems to be romantically involved with our first officer, and they talk about their dinner/dessert plans at the start of the episode. Riker’s favourite part of the meal is dessert because of course it is.