Ditto!
Darmok was always my favorite, along with The Inner Light and Cause and Effect (although the “solution” to the time loop in that one was dumb). I also have to admit to liking Schisms, in which aliens perform surgical experiments on the Enterprise crew while they sleep. The story doesn’t end up being that great, but the set-up is wonderfully creepy.
And the even more hilarious non-deadpan response:
Q: But I feel like celebrating…
Picard: I DON’T!
I’m a huge fan of Data, so my favorite is “The Measure of a Man.”
But I have to also mention “The Inner Light.”
The funny thing is that I hated “The Inner Light” when it first came on. I was young and foolish, and there was too much talking and not enough space battling, so I thought it was boring. Now that I’m older and hopefully wiser, I could appreciate the acting of Stewart and recognize that the story was very well done and very poignant and touching. Its become a must-see whenever I catch it on reruns
Well, DeLancy was one of the few other actors on TNG that could chew the scenery as well as Stewart.
I guess the holodeck was designed to be an entertainment device. You would think he would have specified NO ROMANCE in his initial parameters…
I liked the episode where Data, Picard and the others go back to San Francisco and hang out with Guinan and Mark Twain. The first part of better than the 2nd.
Not mentioned is the one with the immortal creature (Dowd?) that got pissed at the (Hoosnock?) so he destroyed all of them everywhere with a single thought. Picards line about “We’re not equipped to be your judges” was great.
Since this is a Zombie thread anyway, I am going to twist it a bit and mention some underrated episodes. Pretty much everyone knows the “good ones”. These are good ones that don’t get much love:
“Power Play” – The Troi, Data and O’Brian get possessed episode.
“Family” – Lots of fans are bored by this one but I like that they took a whole episode to deal with the consequences of the Borg incident.
“Devil’s Due” – A lot of fun. Sometimes modern Trek forgets the fun.
“Rascals” – The kid actors are all perfect.
And the ultimate underrated episode because every fan who isn’t me HATES it is “Genesis”. Like 'Rascals", the science is stupid but this had oodles of atmosphere, great make up effects and a thrilling story. I like it a lot.
LOW, if you’re reading this, imagine his reaction had Jonathan Frakes got his way and those aliens were played by male actors!
Harry Groener, aka the Mayor!
After 8 yrs of thinking about it, I am changing my vote.
The movies count as eps in my figuring. The best TNG was Star Trek: First Contact
Has any one mentioned The Inner Light? 
“Time’s Arrow.” I was just going to mention this. One of the few times Star Trek did time travel well. Data’s head is discovered buried below San Francisco, kicking off a 500-year old mystery. Great exchange between Picard and Guinan:
Guinan: Do you remember the first time we met?
Picard: Of course.
Guinan: Don’t be so sure.
And, of course, “Qpid” for Worf’s immortal line:
“Sir, I protest. I am not a Merry Man!”
Time’s Arrow gets my vote as well. The Inner Light is a wonderful story but it’s mostly Stewart and a bunch of guest stars. Same with Tapestry. I think an episode should involve more of the regulars to qualify as “a best of the series” in my book. Time’s Arrow boasts a truly ensemble cast as well as a terrific Mark Twain.
Darmok. Although the McGuffin was stupid in the extreme, the relationship that developed as the two captains strove to communicate was classic Star Trek. The penultimate scene, where Picard has to tell the other Number One that his captain has perished brings a tear to my eye to this day.
I guess I must like Patrick Stewart’s acting a lot, but only when he’s not on the Enterprise. That’s because my favorites are pretty Picard-intensive, but in off-ship situations which really showcase Stewart’s range: “Darmok”, “The Inner Light”, and “Chain of Command”.
I also have always loved “Cause and Effect”
An absolute favorite, though? I guess it would be "Chain of Command"
Speaking of Patrick Stewart acting highlights, “Sarek” is another great one. The scene in which Picard has to deal with the raw, uninhibited power of 200+ years of Vulcan emotion is astounding, and one of the few cases in which Trek’s producers really allowed one of their actors to let loose.