# Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4

The fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation commenced airing in broadcast syndication in the United States on September 24, 1990 and concluded on June 17, 1991 after airing 26 episodes. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Starfleet starship Enterprise-D.
This season saw the show embracing the notion of serialized storylines. A recurring theme throughout the season is the notion of a brewing Duras-Romulan plot against the Federation, coupled with Worf's effort to reclaim his family honor. Both storylines were introduced in Season 3's "Sins of the Father". Worf's discommendation is a major theme in "Family" and "The Drumhead", while his dishonor and the Duras-Romulan plot take center stage in the episodes "Reunion", "The Mind's Eye", and "Redemption".
A second recurring storyline in the season is the growth of Miles O'Brien as a character. His first and middle name are revealed in "Family", he marries in "Data's Day", his past is revealed in "The Wounded", and his marriage is explored in "In Theory".
Season 4 featured many family-themed episodes. The first episode following "The Best of Both Worlds" deals with Picard and Worf's family, and the second with Data's. Worf's son Alexander appears later in the season, as does Tasha Yar's sister, and the Enterprise encounters an infant alien space entity.
While a stand-alone syndicated series, the series was paired with other shows for the two night syndicated programming block Hollywood Premiere Network from Chris-Craft TV and MCA TV.

## Cast

* Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard
* Jonathan Frakes as Commander William T. Riker
* Brent Spiner as Lt. Cmdr. Data
* Gates McFadden as Dr. (Cmdr.) Beverly Crusher
* LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
* Marina Sirtis as Counselor (Lt. Cmdr.) Deanna Troi
* Michael Dorn as Lt. Worf
* Wil Wheaton as Ensign Wesley Crusher (episodes 1–9)

## Recurring characters

* Colm Meaney – Transporter Chief (Lt.) Miles O'Brien (14 episodes)
* Whoopi Goldberg – Guinan (7 episodes)
* Majel Barrett – Computer Voice (4 episodes)/Lwaxana Troi (1 episode)
* Patti Yasutake – Ensign Alyssa Ogawa (3 episodes)
* Rosalind Chao – Keiko O'Brien (4 episodes)
* Denise Crosby – Commander Sela (2 episodes)
* Pamela Winslow – Ensign McKnight (2 episodes)
* Robert O'Reilly – Gowron (2 episodes)
* John de Lancie – Q (1 episode)
* Dwight Schultz – Lt. Reginald Barclay (1 episode)
* Jon Paul Steuer – Alexander Rozhenko (1 episode)

## Episodes

In the following table, episodes are listed by the order in which they aired.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code | Nielsen rating |
| 75 | 1 | "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II" | Cliff Bole | Michael Piller | September 24, 1990 (1990-09-24) | 175 | 12.3 |
| Picard is rescued from the Borg as the Enterprise races to save Earth. Data interfaces with the half-Borg Picard and finds a way to shut down the Borg ship. Guest star Elizabeth Dennehy as Starfleet Commander Shelby. ||||||||
| 76 | 2 | "Family" | Les Landau | Ronald D. Moore | October 1, 1990 (1990-10-01) | 178 | 9.6 |
| While the Enterprise is undergoing repairs at Earth, Captain Picard visits his brother's family in France, Lt. Worf's adoptive human parents come to see him aboard the ship, and Dr. Crusher gives her son Wesley a personal holo-recording left by his late father shortly after his birth. ||||||||
| 77 | 3 | "Brothers" | Rob Bowman | Rick Berman | October 8, 1990 (1990-10-08) | 177 | 10.9 |
| Data is summoned by his creator Noonien Soong. They are joined by Data's brother, Lore. ||||||||
| 78 | 4 | "Suddenly Human" | Gabrielle Beaumont | Story by : Ralph Phillips Teleplay by : John Whelpley and Jeri Taylor | October 15, 1990 (1990-10-15) | 176 | 10.3 |
| Picard must help a human boy, raised by aliens, to decide his fate. ||||||||
| 79 | 5 | "Remember Me" | Cliff Bole | Lee Sheldon | October 22, 1990 (1990-10-22) | 179 | 11.4 |
| After an apparent failure of a warp-field experiment, people begin to disappear from the Enterprise with only Dr. Crusher remembering that they ever existed. ||||||||
| 80 | 6 | "Legacy" | Robert Scheerer | Joe Menosky | October 29, 1990 (1990-10-29) | 180 | 12.0 |
| Tasha Yar's sister Ishara seeks to restore order on their conflict-ridden colony world. ||||||||
| 81 | 7 | "Reunion" | Jonathan Frakes | Story by : Drew Deighan and Thomas Perry & Jo Perry Teleplay by : Thomas Perry & Jo Perry and Ronald D. Moore & Brannon Braga | November 5, 1990 (1990-11-05) | 181 | 12.2 |
| Worf's former lover returns, and along with Picard, the two mediate a Klingon power dispute. Worf discovers more family. ||||||||
| 82 | 8 | "Future Imperfect" | Les Landau | J. Larry Carroll & David Bennett Carren | November 12, 1990 (1990-11-12) | 182 | 12.0 |
| Riker finds himself sixteen years in the future. His memory of the interim is erased by a dormant virus. ||||||||
| 83 | 9 | "Final Mission" | Corey Allen | Story by : Kacey Arnold-Ince Teleplay by : Kacey Arnold-Ince & Jeri Taylor | November 19, 1990 (1990-11-19) | 183 | 11.5 |
| Wesley sets off on his final mission with the Enterprise accompanied by Picard. They become stranded on a desert planet. ||||||||
| 84 | 10 | "The Loss" | Chip Chalmers | Teleplay by : Hilary J. Bader and Allan J. Adler & Vanessa Greene Story by : Hilary J. Bader | December 31, 1990 (1990-12-31) | 184 | 12.2 |
| An unknown force captures the Enterprise and causes Deanna to lose her empathic powers. ||||||||
| 85 | 11 | "Data's Day" | Robert Wiemer | Story by : Harold Apter Teleplay by : Harold Apter and Ronald D. Moore | January 7, 1991 (1991-01-07) | 185 | 11.7 |
| Data gets dancing lessons from Dr. Crusher in preparation of Chief O'Brien's wedding as the Enterprise brings Ambassador T'Pel to the Romulans for negotiations. ||||||||
| 86 | 12 | "The Wounded" | Chip Chalmers | Story by : Stuart Charno & Sara Charno and Cy Chermak Teleplay by : Jeri Taylor | January 28, 1991 (1991-01-28) | 186 | 12.1 |
| A rogue Starfleet Captain (Bob Gunton) jeopardizes the Cardassian peace treaty. ||||||||
| 87 | 13 | "Devil's Due" | Tom Benko | Story by : Philip LaZebnik & William Douglas Lansford Teleplay by : Philip LaZebnik | February 4, 1991 (1991-02-04) | 187 | 13.0 |
| A powerful mythic figure from a millennium ago returns to enslave a planet in accordance with a contract. However, Picard is convinced she is an opportunistic charlatan. Guest star Marta DuBois as Ardra. ||||||||
| 88 | 14 | "Clues" | Les Landau | Story by : Bruce D. Arthurs Teleplay by : Bruce D. Arthurs and Joe Menosky | February 11, 1991 (1991-02-11) | 188 | 12.3 |
| The crew, with the exception of Data, is rendered unconscious for 30 seconds after going through a localized wormhole. However, various clues suggest they were unconscious for an entire day. ||||||||
| 89 | 15 | "First Contact" | Cliff Bole | Teleplay by : Dennis Bailey & David Bischoff and Joe Menosky & Ronald D. Moore and Michael Piller Story by : Marc Scott Zicree | February 18, 1991 (1991-02-18) | 189 | 11.4 |
| Riker is hospitalized during a botched pre-first contact mission. Xenophobia results in increasing hostility toward his presence. ||||||||
| 90 | 16 | "Galaxy's Child" | Winrich Kolbe | Story by : Thomas Kartozian Teleplay by : Maurice Hurley | March 11, 1991 (1991-03-11) | 190 | 11.7 |
| The Enterprise accidentally kills a space creature, and the crew rush to save its unborn offspring. Meanwhile, Geordi meets the engineer he fell in love with and finds to his shock that she is nothing like the woman he encountered on the holodeck. Guest star: Susan Gibney as Dr. Leah Brahms. ||||||||
| 91 | 17 | "Night Terrors" | Les Landau | Story by : Shari Goodhartz Teleplay by : Pamela Douglas & Jeri Taylor | March 18, 1991 (1991-03-18) | 191 | 11.2 |
| The Enterprise is trapped in a rift, the crew succumbs to REM sleep deprivation, and Deanna has a recurring nightmare. ||||||||
| 92 | 18 | "Identity Crisis" | Winrich Kolbe | Story by : Timothy DeHaas Teleplay by : Brannon Braga | March 25, 1991 (1991-03-25) | 192 | 10.9 |
| Geordi transforms into an alien creature with a strong instinct to return to its planet of origin. ||||||||
| 93 | 19 | "The Nth Degree" | Robert Legato | Joe Menosky | April 1, 1991 (1991-04-01) | 193 | 11.0 |
| After an encounter with an alien probe, Barclay experiences great leaps in confidence and intelligence. ||||||||
| 94 | 20 | "Qpid" | Cliff Bole | Story by : Randee Russell and Ira Steven Behr Teleplay by : Ira Steven Behr | April 22, 1991 (1991-04-22) | 194 | 10.8 |
| Q returns to test Picard's love for an old flame. ||||||||
| 95 | 21 | "The Drumhead" | Jonathan Frakes | Jeri Taylor | April 29, 1991 (1991-04-29) | 195 | 10.5 |
| A witchhunt ensues for suspected Romulan spies aboard the Enterprise. Guest star Jean Simmons as Rear Admiral Norah Satie. ||||||||
| 96 | 22 | "Half a Life" | Les Landau | Story by : Ted Roberts and Peter Allan Fields Teleplay by : Peter Allan Fields | May 6, 1991 (1991-05-06) | 196 | Unknown |
| Lwaxana Troi finally finds love but discovers her man must undergo a ritualistic suicide. Guest star David Ogden Stiers as Timicin. ||||||||
| 97 | 23 | "The Host" | Marvin V. Rush | Michel Horvat | May 13, 1991 (1991-05-13) | 197 | 11.3 |
| Dr. Crusher falls in love with Odan, a peace negotiator, only to discover that he is a symbiont. When his original host dies, he is implanted into Riker temporarily to finish his negotiations. ||||||||
| 98 | 24 | "The Mind's Eye" | David Livingston | Story by : Ken Schafer and René Echevarria Teleplay by : René Echevarria | May 27, 1991 (1991-05-27) | 198 | 10.1 |
| The Romulans brainwash Geordi to carry out a covert mission. ||||||||
| 99 | 25 | "In Theory" | Patrick Stewart | Joe Menosky & Ronald D. Moore | June 3, 1991 (1991-06-03) | 199 | 9.8 |
| Data participates in a romantic relationship with a fellow crew member. ||||||||
| 100 | 26 | "Redemption, Part I" | Cliff Bole | Ronald D. Moore | June 17, 1991 (1991-06-17) | 200 | 10.9 |
| Worf leaves the Enterprise to fight on behalf of Gowron in a Klingon civil war. ||||||||
* ↑ Credited as Dennis Russell Bailey

## Home media

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season 4 :
| Set details | Set details | Special features | Special features |
| Episodes: 26 Discs: 7 (DVD) / 6 (Blu-Ray) Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Subtitles: Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish Dubbed: French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish | Episodes: 26 Discs: 7 (DVD) / 6 (Blu-Ray) Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Subtitles: Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish Dubbed: French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish | DVD and Blu-ray Mission Overview: Year Four Selected Crew Analysis: Year Four Departmental Briefing, Year Four: Production New Life and New Civilizations Chronicles from the Final Frontier | DVD and Blu-ray Mission Overview: Year Four Selected Crew Analysis: Year Four Departmental Briefing, Year Four: Production New Life and New Civilizations Chronicles from the Final Frontier |
| Release dates ||||
| DVD | DVD | Blu-ray | Blu-ray |
| Region 1 | Region 2 | United States (Region free) | United Kingdom (Region free) |
| Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |

## Reception

In 2019, CBR rated Season 4 of Star Trek: The Next Generation as the 12th best season of all Star Trek seasons up to that time.