My top ten favorite Star Trek TNG episodes

The whole time I've been doing this blog, I've never done this because it's too hard to pick favorites. But I finally sat down and picked my Top Ten favorites.

Okay, my top ten favorite episodes of Star Trek TNG, ranked.
#10 Yesterday's Enterprise, season 3
This is one of the best episodes in my opinion for two main reasons. Firstly, it's the best use of a time anomaly. What this episode does is take a more realistic approach to a change in a timeline. A strange wormhole appears and suddenly everything changes... and nobody notices. Equally as important, nobody notices when the timeline is put right again at the end. The character of Guinan makes it work as she's an alien whose abilities and perceptions were never clearly defined. Even she isn't fully aware of the changes that have taken place. Just vague forebodings that help to convince the characters to take actions that go against their instincts, embarking on a veritable suicide mission to send Enterprise C back to its own timeline where it would inevitably be destroyed as well.
The second reason is that it gave Tasha a more meaningful death. Of course, we find out later that she didn't perish with Enterprise C, but at the the time it corrected the mistake made in the first season of killing her off for shock value. Instead of getting the red-shirt treatment, she gets a hero's sacrifice more befitting and respectful of her character. She deserved that and I love this episode for doing that for her.

 It turns out I have 10 honorable mentions to match my top ten favorites, so I'll throw one in every day that I post a top ten episode. These aren't ranked.
Ensigns of Command, season 3
I love this episode. It doesn't quite make the cut of "favorite" but it's a great Data episode and it has an underlying theme of communication that appeals greatly to me. Season three is where TNG started to loosen itself from Roddenberry's original vision and started adding splashes of color to his black and white world. A fine speech doesn't always fix everything and diplomacy isn't always easy as both Data and Picard learn. Sometimes a more forceful means of conveying your message is necessary. The best part is the end where Picard totally owns that Sheliak captain on his own terms. It's a lot of fun from beginning to end and definitely an episode I'd pick if I was trying to sell someone on Star Trek.

One-Off Wonders

So many sci-fi and fantasy films have spawned large franchises with sequels, prequels, reboots, and EUs. We often forget the one-off movies that have remained unmolested in the fictional universe. They've been parodied and there are undoubtedly small hubs of people who have generated fan-fiction regarding them. But they've never had any sequels and have never been remade. They remain unique little treasures that acquire either a cult following or the more high brow respect afforded to great works of art. There are several, and I thought I'd share 5 of them with you here.

First, They Live

One of the best movies that most people have forgotten about. A story of aliens living among us and controlling us subliminally through advertisement. They look like everyone else but a small group of rebels has procured special sunglasses that reveal their true form. It's a great mixture of comedy, campiness, and action laced with an underlying tone that is somewhat unnerving. It's the old fashioned campiness that has probably put people off of trying to make sequels. And there are other "aliens among us" tropes that have generated better revenues, which compels no desire for a remake. So it remains a hidden jewel in the sci-fi world. One of my favorites and watching it the other day is what inspired me to call attention to these one-off wonders

Next, Close Encounters of the Third Kind

I admit, I haven't seen this one all the way through. I've seen bits of it, but I find it to be a little dry for my taste. However, I still recognize and acknowledge that it was a big deal and has had staying power. Many people don't like parody and satire, but that sort of imitation is the best form of flattery and CE has been lampooned in every decade since its release. It's the story of a man that has an encounter with an alien which drives him to journey where they plan to land and make contact. He's not the only one and the government gets involved making it harder for everyone. But his troubles are validated when they meet the aliens (most archetypal aliens ever) at the end. It's never been redone and there are no sequels that I'm aware of. Not my favorite, but a unique, one-off movie to be acknowledged.

Next, The Martian

I've not seen this one at all, though the concept is original and highly intriguing. An astronaut is presumed dead and left stranded on Mars. After he contacts NASA they try to bring him back. I don't even know if they do or not. I'll definitely check this movie out sometime. But the point is, that there hasn't been a sequel and it may seem like an obvious assumption that nobody has remade it since it's only three years old. But the remake masters aren't waiting long anymore to redo things since creativity in Hollywood is waning. I appreciate original material, especially in sci-fi, and this counts even if I never get around to seeing it.

Next, Forbidden Planet

Very old and not everyone's cup of tea, this is a great sci-fi classic. Part spacey and part psychological thriller, the astronauts arrive at a planet inhabited only by a man and his daughter. Only by them because everyone else has died mysteriously. The team discovers that they were killed by a monster created from the man's own psyche. Honestly, it could be an episode of Star Trek. The campiness of this one is more genuine than that of They Live because it's unintended. But the subtle creepiness of the unfolding story has always sent a chill down my spine. Robby the Robot was introduced to science fiction and the sfx were way ahead of their time, looking pretty good for their day.  Like I said, it's not for everyone but one can't deny it's originality and uniqueness with no attempt to revisit it in the modern era. And I'm glad. I'm sure it would be a sfx spectacle nowadays, but a lot of the charm would undoubtedly be lost.

Finally, I'll add a fantasy to my list of one-off wonders, The Princess Bride

I realize I'm pushing it with this one. It's more of a fairy tale than full frontal sci-fi or fantasy, but it has magical elements and strange creatures that qualify it. It's technically a comedy (I think), but it's one of the most quotable movies ever made and it sincerely steals the hearts of any closet romantic. Not just the romance, but the revenge and the triumph of good and honorable over evil. It has no sequel and no equal. But it has a massive cult following that makes it stand out and apart from everything else. It definitely qualifies as a one off wonder.

In conclusion I just want to reiterate that I approve of one-off movies that don't necessarily turn into something huge. Bigger is not always necessarily better and these 5 movies are representative of that. I'm sure there are more, but I couldn't think of any offhand. Perhaps you can.

Arien and Tilion

They should try making a movie over the Silmarillion next. Making three movies on the Hobbit was a total money grab, but there's enough in the Silmarillion to probably get three legitimate movies. The story of Beren and Lúthien is very popular and could stand alone. And the smaller stories of Middle Earth's creation and evolution combined with the fall of the Elves would be wonderful too. As well as the much needed Akallabêth which deals with the rise and fall of the Númenor kings which is the missing link transition into the background of the Rings of Power.

The pictures are of artwork depicting the formation of the sun and moon and the beings charged with carrying them through the heavens. It's a great mythology. Arien carries the sun, called Aran, and is the only thing Melkor/Morgoth fears because of her flames. Tilion carries the moon, called Isil (like Isildur? Indeed..) and he is infatuated with Arien and chasing her always which explains why his movement is different and eclipses and such. It's sweet. There's a lot here for SFX wizards to play with.