TNG Episode Tier List Season 2

TNG Episode Tier List
Season 2

27 The Child
Is ok, it’s a reused script written from Star Trek Phase II.  Mediocre.  B
 
28 Where Silence Has Lease
The Nagilum episode.  It’s ok, has a bit of a "horror" aspect to it with the USS Yamato bit.  B
 
29 Elementary, Dear Data
The Sherlock Holmes episode.  Also my all-time favorite Holodeck episode.  A
 
30 The Outrageous Okona
William O. Campbell was good in this one, storyline was mehh, the Data/Holodeck Joe Piscipo stuff just came off as cringe.  All in all forgettable.  C
 
31 The Schizoid Man
It’s ok, not by any means a favorite, Brent Spiner does some good acting in the episode.  B
 
32 Loud as a Whisper
I liked this one.  The fact that they actually had a deaf actor to play a deaf character, and how they used the disability as a plot point.  Very Trek, and a good episode.  Underrated.  A

33 Unnatural Selection
Great episode for Dr. Pulaski, granted the aging super-fast and being fixed by the transporter had been done before in TOS, still a good episode.  A

34 A Matter of Honor
Good Klingon episode.  Good Riker episode.  Nothing really wrong with it.  Are there better Klingon episodes, definitely.  B

35 The Measure of a Man
The definitive courtroom drama episode of TNG.  Patrick Stewart in rare form defending Data.  The question is, is Data man or machine, is he person or property?  Unquestionably an S tier episode.
 
36 The Dauphin
Uhhh...not a great episode, the aliens shapeshifting effects were honestly not that good, the Wesley/Dalia thing just came off as a little cheesy.  Forgettable.  C
 
37 Contagion
The Iconian virus destroys the Yamato and nearly does the same to the Enterprise.  The premise of the Iconians was pretty cool and was followed up in a DS9 episode.  Plus Romulans.  A
 
38 The Royale
Mehh.  Good for an occasional rewatch, but nothing that really stands out.  C
 
39 Time Squared
Timey Wimey stuff.  I actually kinda like this one.  The vortex, and the two Picards was really cool.  I’ll go B on this one.
 
40 The Icarus Factor
We get to meet Riker’s father, more world building, Riker’s father and Riker have their issues, also Riker’s father has a past with Pulaski.  Honestly: C for this one.
 
41 Pen Pals
Prime directive episode.  It’s ok, but there are better Prime Directive episodes and better Data episodes.  All in all C for this one as well.
 
42 Q Who
Q, the Borg, Guinan.  What else could you want in a TNG episode?  Also the introduction of the Borg, and Picard’s line to Guinan at the end foreshadowing what a fearsome enemy and mortal threat the Borg would become.  S tier
 
43 Samaritan Snare
It’s ok… the Picard/Wesley stuff is some good story building, the Pakleds came off as just silly and unconvincing as a threat.  C
 
44 Up The Long Ladder
Between the ethics questions around the Mariposans stealing DNA from our crew to make clones, and our crew killing the clones, and the somewhat stereotypical and dare I say it racist depictions of the “rural Irish” Bringloidi, F.
 
45 Manhunt
The seasons Lwaxana episode.  It’s ok, nothing that really stands out, more Holodeck shenanigans, Lwaxana goes after Riker, so that’s a little funny.  D
 
46 The Emissary
K’Ehleyr! Worf’s mate (and later mother of Alexander).  I for one wish we could have seen a lot more of this character.  Overall a decent Klingon episode, a good earlier Worf episode.  B
 
47 Peak Performance
The war games episode.  This one was alright, the strategist was a bit of an ass, but that was his character.  Riker getting to command on the Hathaway was cool, Wesley was good in this one as well.  B
 
48 Shades of Gray
The clip show.  The frame story was sooo painfully weak and uninteresting.  I know that the season was short because of a writer’s strike that year, and making up for it totally exhausted the writers to get as many stories as they did.  Still, it’s an F.