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Star Trek The Next Generation - The Complete Sixth Season

Star Trek The Next Generation - The Complete Sixth Season

List Price: $139.99
Your Price: $111.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: STNG Season Six - STNG's Best overall season!
Review: The sixth season of this marvelous series in my opinion is the best overall, well rounded season of the entire seven year run. It is loaded with exceptional, thought provoking and heart warming episodes that resound of exceptional script writing and superb performances by the primary and guest actors. From the season opener to the closer, few episodes fall out of the "superb" category! This season is another marvelous example of Gene Roddenberry's vision.

A brief synopsis of the "stand out" episodes of this particularly great season:

Relics - This superb episode is one of the most treasured episodes of the season as Scotty makes an appearance in the twenty fourth century and is befriended by the crew of the current Enterprise.

True Q - This is another great Q episode where John de Lancie makes his first of two sixth season appearances as Q. Amanda Rogers, a young honor student is aboard the Enterprise and she is beginning to display some "Q" powers.

Rascals - This is another one of the exceptional episodes of the season where a transporter accident turns Picard, Guinan, Ro Laren and Keiko O'Brien into children. Not longer after this "accident," Ferengi end up in control of the ship. Picard and the other "rascals" must find a way to regain control of the Enterprise.

A Fistful of Datas - Star Trek meets the old west in a hilarious and quite memorable episode. Alexander convinces his father to join him on the holodeck in an "ancient" western. Unfortunately the holodeck safeties become defective when Data performs an experiment that goes awry and he becomes integrated with the holodeck, putting Worf, Troi and Alexander in danger.

Chain of Command, Parts I & II - In this exceptional two part episode Starfleet Command has a new mission for Picard and part of that plan is replacing him with the irascible Captain Edward Jellico in command of the Enterprise. While Jellico is dealing with the Cardassians, Picard's team sets off on their mission but is captured. We meet Gul Madred who is played superbly by David Warner. In some of the most heart wrenching scenes of Trek ever, we're forced to watch as Gul Madred tortures Picard.

Ship in a Bottle - In this particularly great episode, the producers bring closure to the second season episode that introduced Professor James Moriarty and his being put in computer memory.

Face of the Enemy - This episode is probably one of the best Troi episodes of the entire seven year run. She awakens and looks in the mirror only to find she looks like a Romulan. Troi finds that she must act out the role of a Tal Shiar agent and help the Romulan "unificationists" in order to hopefully get away from the Romulans.

Tapestry - In a rare second "Q" episode in one season, Q returns when Picard is injured and his artificial heart is damage beyond repair. Q begins to explore the "tapestry" of Picard's life. Q takes Picard all the way back to when a Nausicaan ran him through with a sword, causing him to get the artificial heart. Tapestry in my opinion is probably the best Q/Picard episode of the series.

Birthright Parts I & II We are treated to an excellent episode as the Enterprise is docked at Deep Space Nine and Worf is approached by a Yridian named Shrek who wishes to sell him some information about his father. Worf agrees to purchase the information as long as Shrek takes him to where his father is supposed to be alive. What followed was one of the best "Klingon" episodes ever done in Star Trek.

Lessons - For the first time in his career, Picard meets a fellow officer under his command who he becomes attracted to. This is a beautifully well written episode as we see Picard falling in love with Commander Darren and then go through gut wrenching anguish as he fears his orders may have caused her death.

The Chase - In another excellent episode, we meet Professor Galen who was one of Picard's professors at the Academy. He offers Picard the opportunity of a lifetime for an archaeologist by joining him for an extended period of time. Unfortunately he must refuse as he cannot leave the Enterprise. Not long after Professor Galen departs, he is killed and Picard embarks on a mission of the utmost importance to find what Galen was looking for. They make an astonishing discovery in the end that falls on end. Of particular note is the "humanoid" at the end of the show played by Salome Jens whose later performances on DS9 as the leader of the Changelings are spectacular.

Rightful Heir - In another one of the most outstanding "Klingon" episodes, Worf seems to have lost his faith and requests leave to go to Boreth and seek Kahless, his people's mythic spiritual leader. One can only imagine his surprise as while he's seeking Kahless, Kahless appears before him in flesh and blood.

Timescape - This is one of the more intriguing episodes as it begins with Picard, Troi, Data and LaForge returning from a conference in a runabout. While on approach to the Enterprise's position, they begin to experience some temporal pockets. They then discover the Enterprise and a Romulan Warbird frozen in the middle of what "appears" to be a battle. {ssintrepid}

Special Features:

Mission Overview: Year Six
Special Crew Profile: Lt. Commander Data
Bold New Directions
Departmental Briefing: Year Six - Production & Dan Curry Profile
Bonus Trailers: Star Trek Nemesis & Star Trek: Deep Space Nine on DVD

Episode list:

Time's Arrow, Part II
Realm of Fear
Man of the People
Relics
Schisms
True Q
Rascals
A Fistful of Datas
The Quality of Life
Chain of Command, Part I
Chain of Command, Part II
Ship in a Bottle
Aquiel
Face of the Enemy
Tapestry
Birthright, Part I
Birthright, Part II
Starship Mine
Lessons
The Chase
Frame of Mind
Suspicions
Rightful Heir
Second Chances
Timescape
Descent, Part I

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: the heyday
Review: This is ST:TNG at its best. The uniforms are fitting and the plots involving. Every character is examined and every un-tied conclusion re-visited. If you loved the series this was the season for you [though perhaps hard to follow for those unfamiliar with it]. Whenever I need a break, I drop in a disc which reminds me why my childhood was so full of hopeful imagination. I relish in that adolescent optimism which has brought me thus far and shall hopefully continue to inspire my own adventures into the uncharted lands of contemporary American society.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: the heyday
Review: This is ST:TNG at its best. The uniforms are fitting and the plots involving. Every character is examined and every un-tied conclusion re-visited. If you loved the series this was the season for you [though perhaps hard to follow for those unfamiliar with it]. Whenever I need a break, I drop in a disc which reminds me why my childhood was so full of hopeful imagination. I relish in that adolescent optimism which has brought me thus far and shall hopefully continue to inspire my own adventures into the uncharted lands of contemporary American society.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The last great season of TNG
Review: This is the last season in the 3-years of glory of TNG. This has just as many great episodes as season 4 and 5, and just as few weak ones. The highlights here are the season opening end to the "Time's Arrow" cliffhanger, which are the best two episodes of TNG. "Relics" is also a classic episode with a cool storyline and tons of laughs ("Did you know you're dilithium crystals are going to fracture?!?") "Schisms" is also one of my favorites because it is one of the several episodes in which there is a mystery that the crew has to piece together. Has a really creepy ending, too.
There are a few weak episodes in here, but they are easily outweighed by the great ones. There are a lot of mediocre episodes, though, which probably were the indications of the show running out of steam. Still, a wonderful season of great episodes.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the, if not THE, best seasons of TNG
Review: This is the ultimate season of Star Trek:The Next Generation. In this, the sixth, season you will see one of the all time best episode(s), 'Chain of command'. Patrick Stewart delivers an emotional and brilliant performace as the prisoner of war in the hands of a Cardassian interrogator. Another priceless gem in season six is 'Frame of mind', an episode featuring Jonathan Frakes in superb acting and a high quality script by Brannon Braga.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of two best seasons
Review: This season has several of TNG's best episodes. Beginning with the conclusion to Times Arrow, Frame Of Mind, Ship In A Bottle, Tapestry, and Fistful Of Datas, the sixth season offers a wide range of creative thought. And in the middle of this creativity you find the two part Chain Of Command, which showcases the excellent acting ability of Patrick Stewart like no other episode. Jonathan Frakes in Frame Of Mind and Brent Spiner in Fistful of Datas also get the chance to expand their respective ranges. In Frame Of Mind, Riker is seen as something other than the cool, unflappable first officer. In Fistful of Datas, Data plays multiple holodeck characters most excellently. The only season I would rank higher than season six would be season seven.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of two best seasons
Review: This season has several of TNG's best episodes. Beginning with the conclusion to Times Arrow, Schisms, Ship In A Bottle, Tapestry, and Fistful Of Datas, the sixth season offers a wide range of creative thought. And in the middle of this creativity you find the two part Chain Of Command, which showcases the excellent acting ability of Patrick Stewart like no other episode. Jonathan Frakes in Schisms and Brent Spiner in Fistful of Datas also get the chance to expand their respective ranges. In Schisms, Riker is seen as something other than the cool, unflappable first officer. In Fistful of Datas, Data plays multiple holodeck characters most excellently. The only season I would rank higher than season six would be season seven.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Truely Remarkable!
Review: This season of Star Trek-The Next Generation is fabulous entertainment. It is very strong storytelling, the characters gain more depth than one could have hoped for. Picard is tormented by the Cardassians in the two-part-episode "Chain of command", possibly the second most notable ordeal in the whole series follwing his first one with the Borg. We get to see "Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott" from the original series again in the episode "Relics", who is suspended for about 75 years in a transporter-buffer. This episode is a fine example for how a transitional episode involving a cast member from the original series is done, because the story is about remembrance. Surely this episode invoked tears in some of Star Trek oldest fan-communities. The episode "Schisms" is sort of "Twilight Zone"-like, crew members are abducted and medically examined by aliens from another universe or dimension. It has a nice creepy element to it and an ending wihtout many hints or explanations. Prof. Moriarty returns with an elaborate plan to finally exit the holodeck and entering the real world in a very cleverly made episode. "Face of the Enemy" features thrill and excitement with Troi posing as a Romulan to assist the Romulan underground movement saving some important high dignataries. The cliffhanger once again sets the crew up against their relentless enemy, the Borg. This episode is very entertaining and thrilling, but one has to admit it would have worked maybe as well with another species of cybernetic or robotic lifeform as it did with the Borg. The first two appearances of the Borg brought a quality and richness to them as never reached again in any future-episodes with them, be it 'Next-Gen' or 'Voyager'. At least in 'First Contact' the feeling of what they were and represented is brought back to life, when Picard is faced with his ultimate nightmare-experience with them. But in the end I have nothing but high praise for this season showing once more what good fiction can be.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Outstanding season from TNG crew
Review: Usually most television series are on their last legs by their next to last season. This wasn't the case with TNG. In fact, the writing/producing/directing/performing team seemed to have caught their second wind by season six--certainly one of their finest offerings.

I've read lots of complains about Time's Arrow (part 2). I found it to be a refreshing episode of the series--it did recall the flavor of Harlan Ellison's City on the Edge of Forever (more than the Roddenberry-Coon-Fontana rewrite). Adding Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) to the mix was inspired.

While True Q didn't have the bite of most episodes involving Q, it still gave John De Lancie a chance to shine. It really wasn't about Q per se anyway. He was just a bystander in this case witnessing someone else's use of their Q power.

The real stand out episodes was the two part Chain of Command. The interaction between Patrick Stewart as Picard and David Warner as his torturer was riveting. One of Stewart's finest performances is featured in this great episode. In reality, it would actually have been a better season cliff hanger than Descent. I'd also like to praise Ronnie Cox and Jonathan Frakes for their performances as well; the two stories were well tailored and paralleled the changes within each character.

Quality of Life, Aquiel, Face of the Enemy, Ship in a Bottle (which resurrects Dr. Morarity from season 2), Tapestry and The Chase are all stand out episodes. Aquiel is a brilliant character study as well as a look at the effects of loss on the individual. It's a stunning episode that reaches to the heart of humanity--even in a powerful alien spieces. The Chase is particularly interesting as it looks at the road not chosen by Picard as well as providing an interesting explaination as to why there are so many humanoid species populating the universe.

The extras are very nice. There's a profile of Data as well as a preview trailer for Deep Space Nine (which is finally coming to DVD!). Deep Space Nine was the only series spin off from TNG that expanded on the storytelling arcs and scope of the original series. It's one of the finest written of the Trek series and Avery Brooks is very under rated in his role as Sisko.

The picture quality is very good to excellent on most of the discs. There are no analog artifacts although there are a few digital ones from the compression technology of DVD; for example there's one scene where the background behind Riker appears to be a projection simply because the pixels don't change at a very high rate.

The sound quality is stunning. The remix to 5.1 brings a new depth (and appreciation) to the sound effects layered on the soundtrack. It's obvious someone was thinking ahead when they added all the background sounds. The music sounds quite good--not quite to SACD or even DVD-Audio standards--but very good nonetheless. There's a bit of compression but it's hardly noticable.

The extras have been improving with each additional year of the series (likewise the picture and sound quality). The only area for improvement is in the booklet. It's less than informative with a couple of paragraphs about the season and highlighting one or two episodes. It would be helpful to have a brief synopsis of each episode as well as guest stars (if any) and writer/director credits. All we get is the episode name, when it originally aired and what disc it's featured on (and this is alphabetical vs. airdate).

The other area that could use improvement is commentary from a key cast member, director or writer for a handful of pivotal episodes. The Babylon 5 box set Signs and Portents offers three episodes with interesting and enlightening commentaries by writer/creator/producer/director J. Michael Straczinski. It would have served Paramount well to do the same thing while the actors were shooting Nemesis. It's unlikely Paramount will be able to get the cast together again for a commentary given that Nemesis is likely the last TNG feature to be produced.

On the whole, Paramount has finally done well by Star Trek. The original series never received this much TLC (and since the market is smaller for it, their probably unlikely to do so).

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Better in Region 2
Review: Well I love TNG but I won't give another list of my fav episodes. But I will tell you, the packaging of these box sets is much better in the Region 2 version. Also, the region 2 sets are a virtual Rosetta stone with audio tracks in German, English, Spanish, French, and Italian, an astonish 10 languages in subtitles: Danish, German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian and Swedish. Kind of like a univeral translater, you might say. And to top it all off, even with the declining dollar, the Region 2 sets are cheaper. So if you've got a region-free player, skip the us version and get the R2.


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