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Star Trek Reviews

Star Trek: The Original Series
Season One, Season Two, Season Three

Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season One, Season Two, Season Three, Season Four, Season Five, Season Six, Season Seven

Star Trek: Voyager
Season One, Season Two, Season Three, Season Four, Season Five, Season Six, Season Seven

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season One, Season Two, Season Three, Season Four, Season Five, Season Six, Season Seven

Enterprise
Season One, Season Two, Season Three, Season Four

     As explained in the main video reviews page, my knowledge of the Next Generation series is much better than my knowledge of the other Star Trek series, so to begin with, I can only provide short reviews of each of the Next Generation episodes, but in time, I plan on updating the section to add the others. After TNG, my knowledge of Voyager is better than all the others, with the possible exception of Enterprise, which I was lucky enough to follow quite closely and record on videotape during the time it was first aired.

    I have seen most of the original series, but unfortunately, I was never able to capture much of it on videotape, so my familiarity with most of it is lacking in details and my memory isn't as good as it used to be. I'd like to be able to say that all of these reviews will be added in time with certainty, but without access to all of them on videotape or DVD, it isn't possible. I would love to have them all on DVD, but alas, I am not a wealthy man and this is not possible at this time.

    I will begin with short reviews of all of TNG, and in the months to come, hopefully I will add much of Voyager and make some progress with the others also. I also plan on adding some longer reviews to select favorite episodes, but not all of them. When that is done, the links will be fixed directly to the titles of the short reviews. But this section is not actually a priority, as is my other work, so progress may not always be as regular as one might expect.

    As for my rating system, I base it on the premise of what I consider to be good science fiction and my idea of good science fiction is a balance between good plot and storyline with science fiction elements; such as futuristic and/or alien technology, problem solving by scientific method, alien characters and influences, alien landscapes and/or planets as seen from outer spcae, and a measure of intrigue or mystery, all woven into an interesting story.

    While conflicts are a natural, variable part of almost every good science fiction story, the elements of war and violence should never be overdone. If too much violence dominates the story without a good balance of sci-fi elements, it makes for poor science fiction. This is also true with the elements of horror and gore (monsters, blood and guts), as well as personal situations normally attributed to soap operas.

    Throughout the Star Trek series, there have been certain episodes which have not actually been good science fiction because of such overdone non-sci-fi elements dominating certain episodes. In such cases, I have given them one or two stars (poor or okay) because of the specific guidelines for good sci-fi which I have followed.

    Most of the ST:TNG episodes have been given 3 stars (good) because for the most part, they all meet the requirements for the formula for good science fiction. Much fewer episodes have been given four or five stars (very good and excellent) because even though so very many are good, not so many of them actually go beyond that mark as anything greater. When they do go beyond that mark, it is because they have done something that the creators, directors, producers, and actors all strive for, and that is to provide a story that is something more than just another good sci-fi, and is instead rather exceptional in the field.

    Those sci-fi episodes which have been given 4 or 5 stars are rare and exceptional episodes, stories that have succeeded in their goals and provide the very best in science fiction video entertainment, of the kind that most of us like to revisit in reruns, oftens times over and over again. What is it that makes such an exceptional sci-fi episode? My personal opinion is that it is a combination of those ingrediants and elements that make good science fiction along with an extra dose of powerful, wide-angle scenery and realistic effects in the realm of the alien or other-world grand-manner. It is a wondrous effect that leaves the mind wondering about the infinite possibilities of the multiverse of all space and time and imagining how reality is such a variable within it all. It is the kind of episode that has an effect that can only be described by words such as 'amazing', 'fantastic', and 'incredible' and evokes it all in exclamatory praise.

Nick Zentor, 2/11/07

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Updates Star Trek Reviews Star Trek: The Original Series Star Trek: The Next Generation Star Trek: Voyager Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Star Trek: Enterprise Star Trek: The Movies Analog Versus Digital Science Fiction's Most Popular Theme Book Reviews Light Focal Points of Reality	Star Trek Reviews Star Trek: The Original Series Season One, Season Two, Season Three Star Trek: The Next Generation Season One, Season Two, Season Three, Season Four, Season Five, Season Six, Season Seven Star Trek: Voyager Season One, Season Two, Season Three, Season Four, Season Five, Season Six, Season Seven Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season One, Season Two, Season Three, Season Four, Season Five, Season Six, Season Seven Enterprise Season One, Season Two, Season Three, Season Four As explained in the main video reviews page, my knowledge of the Next Generation series is much better than my knowledge of the other Star Trek series, so to begin with, I can only provide short reviews of each of the Next Generation episodes, but in time, I plan on updating the section to add the others. After TNG, my knowledge of Voyager is better than all the others, with the possible exception of Enterprise, which I was lucky enough to follow quite closely and record on videotape during the time it was first aired. I have seen most of the original series, but unfortunately, I was never able to capture much of it on videotape, so my familiarity with most of it is lacking in details and my memory isn't as good as it used to be. I'd like to be able to say that all of these reviews will be added in time with certainty, but without access to all of them on videotape or DVD, it isn't possible. I would love to have them all on DVD, but alas, I am not a wealthy man and this is not possible at this time. I will begin with short reviews of all of TNG, and in the months to come, hopefully I will add much of Voyager and make some progress with the others also. I also plan on adding some longer reviews to select favorite episodes, but not all of them. When that is done, the links will be fixed directly to the titles of the short reviews. But this section is not actually a priority, as is my other work, so progress may not always be as regular as one might expect. As for my rating system, I base it on the premise of what I consider to be good science fiction and my idea of good science fiction is a balance between good plot and storyline with science fiction elements; such as futuristic and/or alien technology, problem solving by scientific method, alien characters and influences, alien landscapes and/or planets as seen from outer spcae, and a measure of intrigue or mystery, all woven into an interesting story. While conflicts are a natural, variable part of almost every good science fiction story, the elements of war and violence should never be overdone. If too much violence dominates the story without a good balance of sci-fi elements, it makes for poor science fiction. This is also true with the elements of horror and gore (monsters, blood and guts), as well as personal situations normally attributed to soap operas. Throughout the Star Trek series, there have been certain episodes which have not actually been good science fiction because of such overdone non-sci-fi elements dominating certain episodes. In such cases, I have given them one or two stars (poor or okay) because of the specific guidelines for good sci-fi which I have followed. Most of the ST:TNG episodes have been given 3 stars (good) because for the most part, they all meet the requirements for the formula for good science fiction. Much fewer episodes have been given four or five stars (very good and excellent) because even though so very many are good, not so many of them actually go beyond that mark as anything greater. When they do go beyond that mark, it is because they have done something that the creators, directors, producers, and actors all strive for, and that is to provide a story that is something more than just another good sci-fi, and is instead rather exceptional in the field. Those sci-fi episodes which have been given 4 or 5 stars are rare and exceptional episodes, stories that have succeeded in their goals and provide the very best in science fiction video entertainment, of the kind that most of us like to revisit in reruns, oftens times over and over again. What is it that makes such an exceptional sci-fi episode? My personal opinion is that it is a combination of those ingrediants and elements that make good science fiction along with an extra dose of powerful, wide-angle scenery and realistic effects in the realm of the alien or other-world grand-manner. It is a wondrous effect that leaves the mind wondering about the infinite possibilities of the multiverse of all space and time and imagining how reality is such a variable within it all. It is the kind of episode that has an effect that can only be described by words such as 'amazing', 'fantastic', and 'incredible' and evokes it all in exclamatory praise. Nick Zentor, 2/11/07	Star Trek Novels by Nick Zentor ST:TNG Series Best TNG, Seasons One and Two Saturday Review TNG Season Three Review
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