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We all know about the classics like BOBW and All Good Things, but what are your favorite TNG episodes that are maybe more obscure than the well known ones?

I watched "The Defector" when it came on the other day. I don't think I had seen it since I was a kid (or perhaps at all) but I really enjoyed the hell out of it. I really liked the scenes that gave characters a bit more depth, like the Romulan admiral lamenting the loss of everything he had, as well as Picard brooding about the possible massive ramifications of the Enterprise's next moves. I wasn't really surprised at the credits when Ron Moore's name popped up as the writer.

So what are your favorite eps?

Just watched The Defector last week, loved it.

I'll toss out Tapestry, for similar reasons.

- Where Silence Has Lease. I think I like it mostly because it's the first episode of TNG I ever saw the whole way through and it scared me shitless. Not as good on repeat viewings but I think it still holds up, especially the ending.

- Booby Trap. It starts as a very creepy ghost ship story ("they died at their posts"), then becomes a pretty standard ship-is-trapped episode that's still entertaining.

- Remember Me. It's a Crusher episode so if you can't stand her it's an hour of misery, and I suppose the big reveal is done way too soon, but it still works.

- Tin Man. It's one of the underrated gems of the series IMO.

- The Perfect Mate may seem like a dull filler episode but if you look at it less as an SF story and more as a tragic love affair it really works. Mostly because Stewart is acting his ass off.

Q, Who and Best of Both Worlds - episodes when the Borg were actually a threat. I actually really liked Where No One Has Gone Before - Wesley was still annoying, but the whole scope of it, travelling to another galaxy and then to who knows where, and the hint of someday opening up the series to the possibilty of exploring an entire universe rather than just one small galaxy (even though that never came about).

The Inner Light, for obvious reasons.

Phantasms - "With mint frosting."

Bounty wrote:- Remember Me. It's a Crusher episode so if you can't stand her it's an hour of misery, and I suppose the big reveal is done way too soon, but it still works.

"The universe is a spheroid region, 705 meters in diameter."

Majel Barrett Roddencomputer's voice has only ever been used in such a disturbing way in this episode and VOY's The Haunting of Deck Twelve.

"If there's nothing wrong with me, there must be something wrong with the universe"

That one scene of Crusher walking down the corridor trying to reason her way out of a nonsensical situation is better than some entire episode.

The Hunted. Yeah it was a ham fisted attempt a Vietnam vet analogy but it sure was fun to watch Roga Danar run around the ship, making asses out of everyone and kick Riker, O'Brien and Worf's asses in one go. It was a nice touch that he only killed three people in the episode (the prison guards in his escape), rather then slaughter his way through the E-D as well.

Skin of Evil, because it was one of the first episodes I ever saw, and I like how Armus is portrayed.

EDIT: Also, Conspiracy is one of my favorites because it was an interesting concept to me when I first watched it, and I stil get a bit excited when I catch it on SciFi

I like a lot of the ones people have said here. My favorite will probably always be Yesterday's Enterprise though.

"Q Who" was probably the first very good episode that they did. It worked and it worked well. We are introduced to an enemy that they cannot defeat. Q does a perfect job in the episode mocking and educating the Federation. Picard's reaction towards the end clinched it.

"Yesterday's Enterprise" was a fun alternate reality episode. Showing a darker side to Trek that surfaced in DS9. Some fun moral dilemmas and a very entertaining battle.

"Best of Both Worlds" Enough said.

"All Good Things" One of the best time travel episodes I've seen. The seamless integration and stories worked so well together. Easily the best series finale Trek has ever had. All the more surprising that it turned out so well considering that its writers were also double timing with Generations at the same time.

Mine has to be Yesterday's Enterprise.

The Inner Light

Q Who

Tin Man

The Neutral Zone Here we get the first glimpse of the Borg...though we don't find out till season two.

There's a bunch more....but that's the ones off the top of my head.

I wills econd yesterday's enterpise and Q how, and I would like to add

Drumhead "I've taken down bigger men then you Picaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!"

and I also liked The Wounded. because it showed O'brien was a bad ass and the federation is not all fully roses.

I USED to like Encounter At Farpoint until CHUCK ruined it for me with his midget+cowbell jokes.

More cowbell!

Hrm, for me... Not counting biggies like BOBW or Unification....

Face of the Enemy - Troi wakes up and realizes someone's made her look like a Romulan. Cue forty+ minutes of intrigue and suspense.

Time Squared - While somewhat nutty with the time-freezing aliens or what have you, I like the idea that they had everyone thinking the Romulans had begun boarding the ship in a hostile takeover and it turns out to be much different.

Preemptive Strike - The penultimate episode of TNG follows up on what was then DS9's recent debut of the Maquis and gives us Ro Laren's final appearance in the show.

Relics - Scotty. 'nuff said.

Ones so far not mentioned:

The High Ground- Great look at terrorism, bad guys with an actual POINT.

Measure of a Man- It wins just for Piccard's closing argument.

Offspring- Brent Spinner's 'emotionless' fatherhood had more meaning than a LOT of acting I've seen.

Time Squared - While somewhat nutty with the time-freezing aliens or what have you, I like the idea that they had everyone thinking the Romulans had begun boarding the ship in a hostile takeover and it turns out to be much different.

You're thinking of Timescape. Time Squared is an early episode where a time-displaced Picard is found adrift in space.

I liked Redemption I and II, Unification I and II, Starship Mine, and Preemptive Strike.

EDIT: minor grammatical mistake.

Deja Q will always be one of my favorites.

Deja Q wrote:Picard: "Q the misanthrope. Q the liar."
Q: "Q the powerless. Q the desperate. What must I do to convince you people?"
Worf: "Die."
Q: "Oh, very clever, Worf. Eat any good books lately?"

I'm going to have to echo-in for Unification once more. One of the best episodes of the series that didn't have some stupid reset button but had plenty of conflict-driven character development. I also liked Booby Trap, except for the rather anti-climactic ending.

"Measure of a Man" is one of my favorites, as Chewie said. I also like "Family."

Chain of Command - mainly thanks to Jellico.

Bounty wrote:

Time Squared - While somewhat nutty with the time-freezing aliens or what have you, I like the idea that they had everyone thinking the Romulans had begun boarding the ship in a hostile takeover and it turns out to be much different.

You're thinking of Timescape. Time Squared is an early episode where a time-displaced Picard is found adrift in space.

.....ooops?

I'm not great for titles, and perhaps someone can name these episodes later-

- The one where Riker keeps switch from the Enterprise to a mental health facility.
- The two-parter with Mark Twain
- The episode arch with Hugh, even though it was promptly forgotten.

- The one where Riker keeps switch from the Enterprise to a mental health facility.

Frame of Mind

- The two-parter with Mark Twain

Time's Arrow

- The episode arch with Hugh, even though it was promptly forgotten.

It's spelled "arc", and you're thinking of I, Borg (the one with Hugh) and Descent pts I&II (the one with the fallout).

I quite liked Cause and Effect. I think that was the title, the one with the USS Bozeman.