if tos is a fruit cocktail garnished with a sparkly umbrella and a glace cherry, then tng is a platter of delicious chips n dips. it is pretty episodic, with few overarching plot lines, making it easy to sample individual episodes and find out what interests you, without getting too confused.

below is a list of what most fans would consider essential viewing, though it’s by no means definitive! the general consensus is that the quality of the show starts to pick up rapidly around season 3, but i would strongly recommend watching the show in chronological order for context’s sake. (orig. via strongfemaleblogger @ tumblr)

season 1

• ✔ encounter at farpoint (this is the pilot episode and, i’ll be honest with you, it’s not tng’s best. but it introduces our rag-tag bunch of heroes, as well as some of the key themes and recurring characters of the show, so persevere and you shall be rewarded!)
• ✔ the naked now
• ✔ hide and q
• ✔ the big goodbye
• ✔ datalore
• ✔ skin of evil
• ✔ conspiracy
• ✔ the neutral zone

season 2

• ✔ the child
• ✔ elementary, dear data
• ✔ the measure of a man
• ✔ time squared
• ✔ q who
• ✔ the emissary

season 3

• ✔ evolution
• ✔ who watches the watchers
• ✔ the enemy
• ✔ the defector
• ✔ deja Q
• ✔ yesterday’s enterprise
• ✔ the offspring
• ✔ sins of the father
• ✔ captain’s holiday (picard’s thighs are essential viewing)
• ✔ hollow pursuits
• ✔ sarek
• ✔ the best of both worlds pt i

season 4

• ✔ the best of both worlds pt ii
• ✔ brothers
• ✔ family
• ✔ remember me
• ✔ legacy
• ✔ reunion
• ✔ future imperfect
• ✔ final mission
• ✔ data’s day
• ✔ first contact
• ✔ Qpid
• ✔ the drumhead
• ✔ in theory
• ✔ redemption pt i

season 5

• ✔ redemption pt ii
• ✔ darmok
• ✔ ensign ro
• ✔ disaster
• ✔ the game
• ✔ unifictation
• ✔ hero worship
• ✔ conundrum
• ✔ ethics
• ✔ the outcast
• ✔ cause & effect
• ✔ the first duty
• ✔ i borg
• ✔ the next phase
• ✔ the inner light
• ✔ time’s arrow pt i

season 6

• ✔ time’s arrow pt ii
• ✔ relics
• ✔ true Q
• ✔ rascals
• ✔ a fistful of datas
• ✔ the quality of life
• ✔ chain of command pts i & ii
• ✔ aquiel
• ✔ face of the enemy
• tapestry
• birthright pts i & ii
• lessons
• the chase
• frame of mind
• suspicions
• second chances
• timescape
• descent pt i

season 7

• descent pt ii
• gambit pts i & ii
• inheritance
• parallels
• the pegasus
• lower decks
• thine own self
• pre-emptive strike
• all good things...

and after you’re finished with the series, there are four films detailing the further antics of the enterprise and her crew:

• star trek: generations
• star trek: first contact
• star trek: insurrection
• star trek: nemesis