The Best Episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3
Every episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3!
Follow the intergalactic adventures of Capt. Jean-Luc Picard and his loyal crew aboard the all-new USS Enterprise NCC-1701D, as they explore new worlds.
Season 3 Ratings Summary
The best episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" season 3 is "Evolution", rated 6.5/10 from 3602 user votes. It was directed by Winrich Kolbe and written by Michael I. Wagner, Michael Piller. "Evolution" aired on 9/25/1989 and is rated 0.9 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "The Ensigns of Command".
6.5/10 3,602 votes#1 - Evolution
Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 9/25/1989
Stardate: 43125.8. A system-wide computer malfunction places the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise in grave danger while they are escorting a scientist to a star in the process of exploding.
Director: Winrich Kolbe
Writer: Michael I. Wagner, Michael Piller
7.4/10 3,859 votes#2 - The Ensigns of Command
Season 3 Episode 2 - Aired 10/2/1989
Stardate: 43133.3. A human colony is forced to evacuate a planet when the original inhabitants return and threaten the colonists with annihilation if they do not leave within four days.
Director: Cliff Bole
Writer: Melinda M. Snodgrass
7.7/10 4,230 votes#3 - The Survivors
Season 3 Episode 3 - Aired 10/9/1989
Stardate: 43152.4. The Enterprise discovers a planet that has had all life eradicated, except for two mysterious residents and their home, which has been left in perfect condition.
Director: Les Landau
Writer: Michael I. Wagner
8.0/10 4,547 votes#4 - Who Watches the Watchers
Season 3 Episode 4 - Aired 10/16/1989
Stardate: 43173.5. An away team inadvertently breaks the Prime Directive and reveal themselves to a primitive culture on Mintaka III, causing the inhabitants believe that Captain Picard is a God.
Director: Robert Wiemer
Writer: Richard Manning, Hans Beimler
6.7/10 3,560 votes#5 - The Bonding
Season 3 Episode 5 - Aired 10/23/1989
Worf and Wesley must help a 12 year old boy cope with the death of his mother; an archaeologist killed during an away mission to a deserted planet.
Director: Winrich Kolbe
Writer: Ronald D. Moore
7.4/10 3,726 votes#6 - Booby Trap
Season 3 Episode 6 - Aired 10/30/1989
Stardate: 43205.6. While investigating an ancient ship left adrift in space, the Enterprise accidentally trips the ancient booby trap that disabled the old vessel over 1000 years ago.
Director: Gabrielle Beaumont
Writer: Michael I. Wagner, Michael Piller
7.8/10 3,741 votes#7 - The Enemy
Season 3 Episode 7 - Aired 11/6/1989
Stardate:43349.2. A blind Geordie is trapped on a hazardous planet with a paranoid and severely injured Romulan. In orbit, a Romulan Warbird is preventing the Enterprise from attempting a rescue mission.
Director: David Carson
Writer: David Kemper, Michael Piller
6.3/10 3,475 votes#8 - The Price
Season 3 Episode 8 - Aired 11/13/1989
Stardate: 43385.6. The Enterprise hosts the negotiations for the rights to a newly discovered, stable wormhole to the Delta Quadrant. One of the negotiators, Devinoni Ral, becomes attracted to Deanna Troi, but he holds a dubious secret.
Director: Robert Scheerer
Writer: Hannah Louise Shearer
6.5/10 3,364 votes#9 - The Vengeance Factor
Season 3 Episode 9 - Aired 11/20/1989
Stardate: 43421.9. The Enterprise crew tries to mend the relationship between a race known as the Acamarians and a faction known as the Gatherers.
Director: Timothy Bond
Writer: Sam Rolfe
8.4/10 4,330 votes#10 - The Defector
Season 3 Episode 10 - Aired 1/1/1990
Stardate: 43462.5. A defecting Romulan warns the Federation about an impending attack by the Romulans, who are secretly establishing bases within the Neutral Zone.
Director: Robert Scheerer
Writer: Ronald D. Moore
7.5/10 3,664 votes#11 - The Hunted
Season 3 Episode 11 - Aired 1/8/1990
Stardate: 43489.2. A potentially new member of the Federation enlists the help of the Enterprise to track down a wanted criminal who has a reputation for his excessive violence. However, the fugitive's actions may not be of his own will.
Director: Cliff Bole
Writer: Robin Bernheim Burger
6.8/10 3,484 votes#12 - The High Ground
Season 3 Episode 12 - Aired 1/29/1990
Stardate: 43510.7. Dr. Crusher is abducted by a group of terrorists while delivering crucial medical supplies to a planet ravaged by civil war.
Director: Gabrielle Beaumont
Writer: Melinda M. Snodgrass
8.5/10 4,452 votes#13 - Déjà Q
Season 3 Episode 13 - Aired 2/5/1990
Stardate: 43539.1. A Calamarian starts attacking the Enterprise while seeking revenge on a powerless Q.
Director: Les Landau
Writer: Richard Danus
6.7/10 3,468 votes#14 - A Matter of Perspective
Season 3 Episode 14 - Aired 2/12/1990
Stardate: 43610.4. Riker is accused of murder when a scientist is killed in an explosion. Picard must recreate the recent events in the holodeck to prove his commander's innocence.
Director: Cliff Bole
Writer: Ed Zuckerman
9.2/10 6,287 votes#15 - Yesterday's Enterprise
Season 3 Episode 15 - Aired 2/19/1990
Stardate: 43625.2. A rift in the space/time continuum brings the U.S.S. Enterprise - C forward into the 24th Century, and alters the timeline. In this future, the Federation is at war with the Klingons, Tasha Yar is on the bridge, Worf did not join the Federation, and only Guinan's unique perception of reality may restore the timeline.
Director: David Carson
Writer: Richard Manning, Ronald D. Moore, Ira Steven Behr, Eric A. Stillwell, Trent Christopher Ganino, Hans Beimler
8.5/10 4,757 votes#16 - The Offspring
Season 3 Episode 16 - Aired 3/12/1990
Stardate: 43657.0. Data becomes a father when he creates a Soong-type android in the form of a daughter named Lal. Issues are complicated when Lal starts showing signs of a more evolved consciousness, including the ability to feel emotions, which attracts the attention of Starfleet scientists who want to take her away from Data and examine her advanced systems.
Director: Jonathan Frakes
Writer: René Echevarria
8.1/10 3,912 votes#17 - Sins of the Father
Season 3 Episode 17 - Aired 3/19/1990
Stardate: 43685.2. Worf is reunited with his long-lost brother when their father is charged with treason for helping the Romulans. Together they make an appeal to the Klingon High Council to challenge the charges, and have them revoked.
Director: Les Landau
Writer: Ronald D. Moore
7.4/10 3,577 votes#18 - Allegiance
Season 3 Episode 18 - Aired 3/26/1990
Stardate: 43714.1. Picard is secretly abducted and switched with an alien double. The crews' suspicions are raised when he starts exhibiting unusual behaviour, and is relieved of command.
Director: Winrich Kolbe
Writer: Richard Manning, Hans Beimler
7.2/10 3,754 votes#19 - Captain's Holiday
Season 3 Episode 19 - Aired 4/2/1990
Stardate: 43745.2. While on vacation on Risa, Captain Picard encounters two Vorgons from the 27th Century who claim they are searching for a powerful weapon hidden somewhere on the planet.
Director: Chip Chalmers
Writer: Ira Steven Behr
7.2/10 3,550 votes#20 - Tin Man
Season 3 Episode 20 - Aired 4/23/1990
Stardate: 43779.3. The Enterprise encounters a 'living' ship in the Neutral Zone, and risks breaking the Romulan Federation alliance in order to bring it into contact with a Betazoid emissary.
Director: Robert Scheerer
Writer: David Bischoff, Dennis Bailey
7.7/10 3,748 votes#21 - Hollow Pursuits
Season 3 Episode 21 - Aired 4/30/1990
Stardate: 43807.4. A nervous and insecure officer, Lt. Reginald Barclay, places the Enterprise in great danger when he neglects his duties in Engineering, and instead spends his time acting out his fantasies on the holodeck.
Director: Cliff Bole
Writer: Sally Caves
7.6/10 3,726 votes#22 - The Most Toys
Season 3 Episode 22 - Aired 5/7/1990
Stardate: 43872.2. The crew are shattered by the apparent death of Data in a shuttle explosion, and are prevented from carrying out a detailed investigation when Starfleet gives them orders for a new mission elsewhere. However, the crew don't realize that he was actually abducted and placed on display as part of a collection of rare and valuable items held by a disreputable character.
Director: Timothy Bond
Writer: Shari Goodhartz
8.1/10 3,987 votes#23 - Sarek
Season 3 Episode 23 - Aired 5/14/1990
Stardate: 43917.4. Spock's Vulcan father, Sarek, boards the Enterprise to negotiate political relations with the Legaran. However, Sarek has contract Bendii syndrome, which causes a Vulcan to gradually lose control, and become overpowered with emotions.
Director: Les Landau
Writer: Peter S. Beagle
6.5/10 3,345 votes#24 - Ménage à Troi
Season 3 Episode 24 - Aired 5/28/1990
Stardate: 43930.7. Riker and Deanna, both on shoreleave, are unexpectedly joined by Deanna's mother, Lwaxana, on Betazed. Shortly, all three are kidnapped by the Ferengi who want to study Lwaxana's telepathic abilities.
Director: Robert Legato
Writer: Fred Bronson, Susan Sackett
6.9/10 3,269 votes#25 - Transfigurations
Season 3 Episode 25 - Aired 6/4/1990
Stardate: 43957.2. Dr. Crusher becomes attracted to an injured alien with mysterious powers, who is being tracked down by his government like a wanted criminal.
Director: Tom Benko
Writer: René Echevarria