A lot of fans point to season 3 as the year that Star Trek: The Next Generation found its stride. I agree, but I'll go a little further than that — for my money, season 4 improved even more on the TNG formula, making it one of the show's best years. There's a wonderful mix of episodes — big epics, character-driven pieces, risk-taking experiments. Each of them only made this show more layered.

One of season 4's most prominent themes is family, with several well-rendered episodes illuminating the various ties of our main characters. "Family" gives us a glimpse into Picard's tenuous relationship with his brother, while "Legacy" spotlights a long-gone comrade by introducing us to Tasha Yar's sister. On the epic side of things, "The Wounded" offers plenty of large-scale drama, while spotlighting two elements that would later become major components of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Miles O'Brien and the Cardassians. There are also great comedies ("QPid," "Data's Day"), a nifty bottle show ("The Drumhead") and a pair of good Beverly Crusher episodes ("Remember Me," "The Host"). And I haven't even mentioned the superb return appearance of Suzie Plakson as K'Ehleyr! To top it all off, this is the season book-ended by "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II" and "Redemption, Part I."

Add to this the special featurettes included on the DVD set, and this one is a must for your collection.

[Sarah]