I happened to catch an older episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation (ST:TNG) this afternoon. While a huge fan during it’s run back in the late 80s, early 90s, I have since grown to dislike much of what Star Trek has become, particularly the later TV series and the films. But today’s episode reminded how much I loved the show; the writing, acting and story were great.

The episode in question is “The Drumhead” which told the story of an admiral so preoccupied with preserving the Federation, that she was willing to sacrifice the liberty and freedom of anyone to protect it. It is a theme I found startling poignant considering the times in which we live. There is a quote late in the episode I eagerly awaited to jot down, since it has stuck in my memory these many years:

“With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably… The first time any man’s freedom is trodden on, we are all damaged.” — Captain Picard

I feel the quote speaks for itself.

On a lighter note, while this old Trekker is feeling a little nostalgic, let me recommend some of the my favorite episodes from ST:TNG, as no show on television was better when it was at the top of its game:

The Measure of a Man (Season 2)
Yesterday’s Enterprise (Season 3)
Best of Both Worlds 1 & 2 (Season 3 & 4)
Family (Season 4)
The Drumhead (Season 4)
The Inner Light (Season 5)

That is all, and thanks for humoring this old geek one more time.