Star Trek: The Next Generation (season 5)

Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5
Region A/1 Blu-ray cover art
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	26
Release
Original network	Broadcast syndication
Original release	September 23, 1991 – June 15, 1992
Season chronology

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 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 ironweaver on an extinct alien world after an encounter with a probe launched before the destruction of that world.

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").

Cast

• Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Commander William T. Riker
• Brent Spiner as Lt Cmdr. Data
• Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
• LeVar Burton as Lt Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
• Marina Sirtis as Councillor Deanna Troi
• Michael Dorn as Lt. Worf

Recurring characters

• Majel Barrett – Computer voice (7 episodes)/Lwaxana Troi (1 episode)
• Michelle Forbes – Ro Laren (6 episodes)
• Patti Yasutake – Alyssa Ogawa (5 episodes)
• Colm Meaney – Miles O'Brien (4 episodes)
• Sheila Franklin – Felton (4 episodes)
• Brian Bonsall – Alexander Rozhenko (4 episodes)
• Whoopi Goldberg – Guinan (4 episodes)
• Rosalind Chao – Keiko O'Brien (3 episodes)
• Wil Wheaton – Wesley Crusher (2 episodes)
• Ashley Judd – Robin Lefler (2 episodes)
• Leonard Nimoy – Spock (1 episode)

Episodes

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

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Stardate	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
101	1	"Redemption II"	45021.3	David Carson	Ronald D. Moore	September 23, 1991	N/A[1]
The Klingon Civil War comes to a conclusion.
102	2	"Darmok"	45047.2	Winrich Kolbe	Teleplay: Joe Menosky Story: Philip LaZebnik and Joe Menosky	September 30, 1991	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.
103	3	"Ensign Ro"	45076.3	Les Landau	Teleplay: Michael Piller Story: Rick Berman & Michael Piller	October 7, 1991	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.
104	4	"Silicon Avatar"	45122.3	Cliff Bole	Teleplay: Jeri Taylor Story: Lawrence V. Conley	October 14, 1991	12.0[1]
With the help of a scientist whose son who lived on Data's home world, the crew attempt to communicate with the Crystalline Entity.
105	5	"Disaster"	45156.1	Gabrielle Beaumont	Teleplay: Ronald D. Moore Story: Ron Jarvis & Philip A. Scorza	October 21, 1991	12.3[1]
The Enterprise is without power, 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.
106	6	"The Game"	45208.2	Corey Allen	Teleplay: Brannon Braga Story: Susan Sackett & Fred Bronson and Brannon Braga	October 28, 1991	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.
107	7	"Unification I"	45233.1	Les Landau	Teleplay: Jeri Taylor Story: Rick Berman and Michael Piller	November 4, 1991	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.
108	8	"Unification II"	45245.8	Cliff Bole	Teleplay: Michael Piller Story: Rick Berman and Michael Piller	November 11, 1991	15.4[1]
Spock attempts to unify the Vulcans and Romulans in peace but falls into a Romulan trap.
109	9	"A Matter of Time"	45349.1	Paul Lynch	Rick Berman	November 18, 1991	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.
110	10	"New Ground"	45376.3	Robert Scheerer	Teleplay: Grant Rosenberg Story: Sara Charno and Stuart Charno	January 6, 1992	11.9[1]
Worf tries to be a father to his son, Alexander, while the Enterprise helps to test a new propulsion technology.
111	11	"Hero Worship"	45397.3	Patrick Stewart	Teleplay: Joe Menosky Story: Hilary J. Bader	January 27, 1992	12.7[1]
Data saves the life of an orphaned boy who begins to emulate him.
112	12	"Violations"	45429.3	Robert Wiemer	Teleplay: Pamela Gray and Jeri Taylor Story: Shari Goodhartz and T. Michael and Pamela Gray	February 3, 1992	12.1[1]
An alien traveling aboard the Enterprise telepathically molests Troi and invades the minds of Beverly Crusher and William Riker.
113	13	"The Masterpiece Society"	45470.1	Winrich Kolbe	Teleplay: Adam Belanoff and Michael Piller Story: James Kahn and Adam Belanoff	February 10, 1992	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.
114	14	"Conundrum"	45494.2	Les Landau	Teleplay: Barry Schkolnick Story: Paul Schiffer	February 17, 1992	12.2[1]
The crew's memories are mysteriously erased. They soon discover that they are being manipulated into taking part in a war.
115	15	"Power Play"	45571.2	David Livingston	Teleplay: René Balcer and Herbert J. Wright & Brannon Braga Story: Paul Ruben and Maurice Hurley	February 24, 1992	13.2[1]
Troi, O'Brien, and Data are possessed by entities who want control of the ship.
116	16	"Ethics"	45587.3	Chip Chalmers	Teleplay: Ronald D. Moore Story: Sara Charno & Stuart Charno	March 2, 1992	12.6[1]
Worf becomes paralyzed and suicidal. Dr. Crusher, the ship's doctor, consults a risk-taking researcher to save his life.
117	17	"The Outcast"	45614.6	Robert Scheerer	Jeri Taylor	March 16, 1992	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".
118	18	"Cause and Effect"	45652.1	Jonathan Frakes	Brannon Braga	March 23, 1992	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.
119	19	"The First Duty"	45703.9	Paul Lynch	Ronald D. Moore & Naren Shankar	March 30, 1992	12.1[1]
Wesley is questioned over a Starfleet Academy flight training accident. Guest star Ray Walston as Boothby.
120	20	"Cost of Living"	45733.6	Winrich Kolbe	Peter Allan Fields	April 20, 1992	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.
121	21	"The Perfect Mate"	45761.3	Cliff Bole	Teleplay: Gary Perconte and Michael Piller Story: René Echevarria and Gary Perconte	April 27, 1992	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.
122	22	"Imaginary Friend"	45852.1	Gabrielle Beaumont	Teleplay: Edithe Swensen and Brannon Braga Story: Jean Louise Matthias & Ronald Wilkerson and Richard Fliegel	May 4, 1992	12.1[1]
A child's imaginary playmate takes on physical form and threatens the well-being of the Enterprise.
123	23	"I, Borg"	45854.2	Robert Lederman	René Echevarria	May 11, 1992	12.8[1]
The Enterprise rescues a Borg survivor, whom Geordi names 'Hugh'. Picard plans to download a destructive computer virus to Hugh so the virus will spread throughout the collective when Hugh is sent back.
124	24	"The Next Phase"	45892.4	David Carson	Ronald D. Moore	May 18, 1992	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.
125	25	"The Inner Light"	45944.1	Peter Lauritson	Teleplay: Morgan Gendel and Peter Allan Fields Story: Morgan Gendel	June 1, 1992	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.
126	26	"Time's Arrow"	45959.1	Les Landau	Teleplay: Joe Menosky and Michael Piller Story: Joe Menosky	June 15, 1992	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.

See also

• Star Trek portal
• Science Fiction portal

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.

External links

• Episode guide at Star Trek.com