It’s due to either a temporal wavefront nutation or a disturbance in the microscopic spatial discriminator. 
Divert another 1,000 teradynes to the deflector array and recalibrate the Heisenberg compensators while I take the inertia dampeners offline. 
And now, a completely unsolicited list of ST:TNG episodes and their watchability or relevance to the series.
SOME SPOILERS DO NOT CLICK if no wanty spoilers.
** SEASON ONE**- A pretty bad season with some exceptions.
BEST EPISODES-
- Hide and Q
- Datalore
- Heart of Glory
- The Big Goodbye
[spoiler]Encounter at Farpoint- Relevant, but Troi’s performance always makes me cringe. Worth watching because Q.
**
The Naked Now**- Mostly irrelevant, except this shows Data and Tasha having an intimate relationship while “intoxicated” which is referenced later. Watchable because Tasha’s outfit. Rowr! 
Code of Honor- Irrelevant and unwatchable, and frankly offensive in its badness. It’s worth noting that this episode is considered the worst example of Star Trek ever made. SKIP!
The Last outpost- The Ferengi are introduced to us, as a villain. They absolutely fail to connect with the audience as threatening. Irrelevant (as the Ferengi become neutral/comical later on) and entirely unwatchable. SKIP!
Where no one has gone before- Introduces the Traveler, an alien which appears in more than one episode. Otherwise irrelevant. Not as bad as the previous two, and in terms of Season One, watchable, as there are so few watchables in Season one.
Lonely Among Us- Picard goes insane episode. Entirely unwatchable and irrelevant outside of Brent Spiner’s performance. Skip.
Justice- Picard and Wesley episode. Wesley sentenced to death on alien planet, Picard argues against their unjust law. Irrelevant, vaguely watchable, but predictable.
The Battle- A Ferengi tries to get revenge on Picard. Another Ferengi are the villains episode, which is always hard to watch. Brings up the concept of the Picard Maneuver, which is using faster-than-light travel over very short distances to convince the enemy you’re in two places at once, hoping to cause them to fire at the wrong location. SKIP.
Hide and Q- Another Q episode. All Q episodes are watchable and relevant because Q keeps returning. John de Lancie is a must watch as Q. Do not skip.
Haven- Troi episode. Utterly unwatchable. Irrelevant. Cringe-worthy. SKIP
The Big Goodbye- Picard/Data and holodeck gangsters. Watchable, if irrelevant. Enjoy!
Datalore- Introduces Data’s brother Lore, who (amazingly) is actually an interesting and relevant character. Don’t skip!
Angel One- a terrible Riker-centric episode. Forgettable and irrelevant. Skip!
11001001- A Picard and Riker episode. Irrelevant but watchable due to the Bynars, which were an interesting alien race.
**
Too Short a Season**- Guest star centric episode. Feels very out of place. Irrelevant and skippable. Hard to watch at times.
When the Bough Breaks- Wesley episode. A story about a society in collapse because their reliance on technology has made them sterile. Interesting sci-fi plot but otherwise irrelevant and skippable.
Home Soil- Strange alien life form episode. The plot is routine but the show is watchable. One of the better S1 episodes.
Coming of Age- a tale of paranoia and investigation, and an actually interesting Wesley episode. If I were to recommend one Wesley episode, it’s this one. The A and B stories are both watchable. Skip to “Conspiracy” (S1) to watch what is basically the payoff to this setup.
Heart of Glory- an early and very good Klingon episode. Watchable and relevant as it tells us a lot more about Worf’s culture, and his character, and the differences between them. Do not skip!
The Arsenal of Freedom- The Enterprise and its crew faces an unknown enemy on a strange planet. Generally a good standard trek episode. Watchable because Vincent Schiavelli.
Symbiosis- Two societies are linked together as drug dealer and drug addict. Unwatchable, irrelevant. Bad trek. Skip.
Skin of Evil- Tasha Yar is written out of the show. Generally not worth watching either. Sort of a “Rocks fall, someone dies” episode. Not very imaginative. Skip.
We’ll always have Paris- Crazy “time scientist” episode. Irrelevant and unwatchable, bad performances. Skip.
Conspiracy- The payoff to the Coming of Age episode earlier this season. And a fairly good payoff. I’d suggest watching Coming of Age, then this episode. Interesting tidbit- these aliens were ‘supposed’ to be the Borg, which were later redesigned entirely and established and named as a completely different race (thank goodness!).
**
The Neutral Zone**- establishes the Romulans as a threat and talks about the Neutral Zone between the Federation and the Romulan Star Empire. There, you no longer need to watch this episode. Probably the worst ending to any season of TNG besides Season 2, and that was a clip show episode.[/spoiler]SEASON TWO- more watchable than the previous season, and more relevant, but still pretty meh.
BEST EPISODES:
- Q Who
- The Emissary
- Peak Performance
- A Matter of Honor
[spoiler]The Child- Troi episode. Not worth watching either. Introduces Pulaski, who is not-as-good-as-Crusher and not as interesting. Not that Crusher was ever interesting. 
SKIP
**
Where Silence Has Lease**- A neat little episode. The Enterprise encounters a dangerous mystery and Picard resorts to drastic steps to protect his people from further harm. Irrelevant but watchable because Patrick Stewart.
Elementary, Dear Data- A good Data-as-Holmes Episode. Watchable because Brent Spiner (And Daniel Davis). Relevant as the character Moriarty returns, and Data develops more.
The Outrageous Okana- The terrible Joe Piscopo episode. Data has issues with humor. Also, a plot involving guest stars which is utterly boring. SKIP
Loud as a Whisper- I must confess, I was captivated by the concept and performance of the deaf mediator and his aides. Enough to endure Troi, even. Otherwise irrelevant.
The Schizoid Man- Dying scientist tries to become immortal by transferring himself into Data. Memorable only because Suzie Plakson has a brief appearance as a random Vulcan and is still more interesting than the rest of the people in the story. SKIP
Unnatural Selection- A Pulaski episode, which makes Troi episodes almost seem watchable. SKIP SKIP SKIP. I mean, she gets OLDER. Make her younger or… *interesting *or something!
A Matter of Honor- A watchable Riker and Klingons episode! Riker actually develops as a character, and the Klingons here are quite entertaining and memorable.
**
The Measure of a Man- A watchable Data and Picard Episode. Even Riker is watchable in this one. Seriously, don’t skip. This is an essential episode which epitomizes these three characters.
The Dauphin- An episode so bad it defies description. PLEASE SKIP. Welsey is the least bad thing about this episode, and that’s saying a lot.
Contagion- A fairly watchable Enterprise V Romulans episode, this is the one with the probe from the planet that scrambles computer systems and makes them go haywire. But you could give the episode a miss if you wanted.
The Royale- You know, the episode is absurd, and could have been very boring. But Michael Dorn and Brent Spiner make this episode watchable. I’d even go as far as to recommend it. And the guest stars are just as watchable. Just ignore the ridiculous premise to achieve enjoyment.
Time Squared- The Future Picard/Picard’s double episode. I dunno, I just hated this one. The performance of future Picard made me want to punch him. The episode and the motivation of the characters doesn’t make sense. Skip please.
The Icarus Factor- Riker’s dad epiosde. Ugh. No wonder he wasn’t a recurring character. And this is also the episode involving the Klingon Pain Sticks. Really bad performances all around. It’s bad when Dorn can’t even make me watch.
Pen pals- I hated this episode because it’s all about the absurd Prime Directive which they break every other minute, and enforce in between. Even Spiner can’t make me watch this one again.
**
Q Who**- Absolutely unmissable episode. You must watch this, it is one of the pivotal moments in all of The Next Generation. Q, the appearance of the Borg, Guinan, everything. You must watch.
Samaritan Snare- Forgive me, but I liked this episode, and even though the script makes Picard act stupid, once Geordi is caught in the snare, I like how he reacts and how they extract him. This one is actually a decent La Forge episode. Given how few of those we’ve had, please watch it.
Up the Long Ladder- Brenna O’Dell can climb *my *ladder any day of the week, as many times as she likes. An interesting episode, and probably one of the only ones where Pulaski is watchable. Yeah, I said it. Rosalyn Landor is probably my dream woman. She’s 20 years older than me and I’d *still *tap that.
Manhunt- If you like Lwaxana Troi episodes (And, I do) then watch this. She’s probably the only interesting thing about the episode, however. Watchable because Majel Barrett and of course, Mr. Homm.
The Emissary- Watchable because Suzie Plakson. Also Dorn. This episode is relevant to Worf’s character and is a great Klingon-focused episode. DO NOT SKIP
**
Peak Performance**- Watchable because Brent Spiner. Also, I thoroughly enjoyed the actor playing Kolrami. That guy can act. I seriously am bummed he never returned and more episodes like this weren’t made. Even the premise of the episode, routine tactical training, was worth seeing in action. DONT SKIP
Shades of Grey- Let me tell you how awful this episode is. It shows clips of Riker from previous episodes, two seasons into the series. It features Pulaski and Riker heavily. And it is a dark and unenjoyable episode. And the solution is to make Riker experience pain and anguish and torment. And all it accomplishes is to leave the viewer feeling like their eyes just got raped. Please, for the love of god, skip this episode, I’m begging you. Worst Season Ending Episode Ever![/spoiler]SEASON THREE-
BEST EPISODES:
- The Best of Both Worlds
- Sins of the Father
- Hollow Pursuits
- Deja Q
- Yesterday’s Enterprise
[spoiler]Evolution- Alien life form episode. Meh. Skippable. But I will note that Pulaski is gone, and Crusher is back. I never thought I’d say this, but yay! Gates McFadden!
The Ensigns of Command- A decent Data episode. This is one where he has to confront an aspect of his personality where he is weakest- what to do when logic fails to persuade people. He needs to connect with them on an emotional level, something he’s incapable of. Watchable or skippable depending on how much you like Data.
The Survivors- Oh, of only Troi weren’t in this episode, it would have been fantastic. Instead, the episode is either one of the best I’ve seen, or one of the worst, depending on whether Troi is on the screen at the time. I wish TNG never included Troi. I wish we killed her off instead of Tasha. Watch it, just grit your teeth whenever Marina Sirtis is on screen. The guest stars are worth watching as well.
Who Watches the Watchers. I loved this Episode. This is classic Trek. You can’t skip this episode. excellent Picard episode.
The Bonding- Even Dorn can’t save this episode. SKIP!
Booby Trap- Geordi develops feelings for a holodeck woman, who appears in person in a later episode. You know what? I didn’t like it. Skippable.
The Enemy- A decent Geordi episode. How the engineer gets himself out of a very difficult spot. And the Romulans make for convincing villains.
The Price- A Troi episode. And a skippable one at that. This episode is later referenced on Voyager as relates to the Ferengi. In fact the Ferengi are the only watchable thing in this episode.
The Vengeance Factor- A forgettable episode, but probably worth watching anyway because Riker actually carries the episode with his relationship with a woman from an alien race, which ends in tragedy. Riker has so few interesting episodes, I thought I’d mention this one as actually decent Riker, even if the rest of it is blah.
The Defector- a decent episode about the Romulans, with a great guest star. Strong writing, acting, everything.
The Hunted- a strong, believable, watchable performance by a guest star. And, I particularly like the solution that Picard comes up with to resolve the situation at the end.
The High Ground- I’m glad Crusher’s back, but I’m still not watching this episode again.
Deja Q- the definitive Q and Data episode. Absolutely wonderful. Do not miss.
A Matter of Perspective- A great big yawn. Next.
Yesterday’s Enterprise- The timeline is altered and Yar comes back to life, along with the Enterprise C- the predecessor to the Enterprise D. In the new timeline, the Klingons and the Federation are still at war, and the war is about to end badly. Probably the best Tasha Yar episode ever. Don’t miss!
The Offspring- Data tries his hand at making another android. Watchable because Brent Spiner.
Sins of the Father- Absolutely relevant and absolutely riveting. You cannot miss this episode. This starts a long story arc which spans the entire series. Klingons, Dorn, and Worf’s brother. Excellent television!
Allegiance- Irrelevant and skippable, but watchable because Patrick Stewart.
Captain’s Holiday- Watchable because Patrick Stewart. Introduces Vash, a female friend for Picard, and they have decent chemistry. Vash returns a few times, so this is relevant as well.
Tin Man- Forgettable Troi episode.
Hollow Pursuits- Introduces Reginald Barclay, who recurs and recurs and is an excellent character. And this episode is absolutely wonderful. Don’t miss. Relevant and enjoyable.
The Most Toys- Data is kidnapped by Saul Rubinek. Very much a thrilling and watchable episode. Even Levar gives a decent performance. A great Data ep.
Sarek- Picard and Sarek episode. Patrick Stewart and Mark Lenard carry this episode and make it memorable. Stewart’s acting during the scene where he is overcome with emotion is probably the best acting I’ve seen out of Patrick Stewart.
Menage a Troi- Probably one of the best Troi episodes there is. Probably because there’s a healthy dose of Riker, Ferengi, Lwaxana Troi, and Picard to balance her out. Her telepathy is actually less of a joke and more relevant to the action here than in most episodes.
Transfigurations- Actually a decent Crusher episode. Seriously! The focus is on the guest star / friend of Crusher, so that’s probably why. But she is watchable here too.
The Best of Both Worlds, Part I- Probably listed in everyone’s list of best Star trek episodes of all time, and probably the single best cliffhanger of all time. I remember watching the actual cliffhanger as a kid, and not knowing what would happen to the Enterprise or her crew. This episode and Part II together form the backbone of the series, in my opinion. If one were to watch only one episode of this series, this two-parter seals it.[/spoiler]
If anyone is interested I’ll continue with my reactions to the episodes and noting which episodes are watchable and which aren’t, but this seems like as good a place as any to take a break.
Reverse the polarity to produce an anti-tachyon pulse.
Make it so.
This. This is why I have been a lifelong fan of Star Trek, and I wish to God that the current movies would learn how to do.
Good point, Quimby and Dog.
sings “Bounce the graviton particle beam off the main deflector dish–that’s the way we do things lad, we’re making shit up as we wish!” (With appropriate thanks to Voltaire.)
I don’t know the name of the episode, but its the one where Picard and Dr. Crusher get kidnapped by the opposition faction. The whole planet is divided into 2 factions and one of them wants to the join the Federation. Picard and Crusher get somehow kidnapped and are implanted with this device that allows them to know each other’s thoughts telepathically and we find out the extend of Picard’s affection towards Crusher
I love this! I have to admit though… I kinda like Troi. 
Other than a couple differences of opinion though, this is a great guide. Thank you!
Actually, the TOS Romulan civilization was based on an Imperial Roman template. They were very much Leave Me Alone, though.
I had to check Memory Alpha about Worf, because I was remembering him as being eleven when he was adopted, but wasn’t sure where I got that. I was wrong. He was six.
The MA write up doesn’t mention language retention, but does state that he went to live with Klingon relatives for awhile when he was fifteen.
For me TOS (The Original Series) The Klingons were like the Russians. A never ending cold war that threatens to flare up at any moment. Also, the Klingons and Federation fight each other through lesser societies.
The Vulcans and the Romulans were the Japanese and the Chinese.
Yes the Romulans use the terms of ancient Rome but they are mysterious and warring.
Why? (Read curiously, not incredulously)
That one.
I dunno. She’s nice, she’s pretty, her mom is crazy, and so is mine, so I respect that. Um, she barely ever does anything, so at this point I don’t have any reason to dislike her.
She isn’t my favorite character or anything, but I don’t cringe when she’s onscreen. I think she’s ok. Maybe when I’ve watched for longer I’ll dislike her more, but right now she just doesn’t bother me much.
eta: I asked the BF and he agrees with me. Why do people dislike her so? Does she get more annoying later? The only person I know who really loves Star Trek has a massive crush on her, so I always assumed she was well liked in the fan base, but I guess I was wrong
BING-go!
I sense negative emotions…
She drives like hell.
Photo torpedoes are bouncing off the hull.
“Captain, I sense great anger…”
PICARD: You cow! A CHAIR could sense “great anger”! :mad: