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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.
Genres:Sci-Fi & FantasyAction & AdventureDramaMystery
Network:Syndication

Season 3 Ratings Summary

"Evolution" is the best rated episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" season 3. It scored 6.5/10 based on 3643 votes. Directed by Winrich Kolbe and written by N/A, it aired on 9/25/1989. This episode is rated 0.9 points higher than the second-best, "The Ensigns of Command".

  • Evolution
    6.5/103,643 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: N/A

  • The Ensigns of Command
    7.4/103,899 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

  • The Survivors
    7.7/104,278 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

  • Who Watches the Watchers
    8.0/104,597 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

  • The Bonding
    6.7/103,605 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

  • Booby Trap
    7.4/103,766 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

  • The Enemy
    7.8/103,783 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

  • The Price
    6.3/103,514 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

  • The Vengeance Factor
    6.5/103,406 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

  • The Defector
    8.4/104,382 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

  • The Hunted
    7.5/103,704 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

  • The High Ground
    6.8/103,531 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

  • Déjà Q
    8.5/104,506 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

  • A Matter of Perspective
    6.7/103,514 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

  • Yesterday's Enterprise
    9.2/106,360 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

  • The Offspring
    8.5/104,822 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

  • Sins of the Father
    8.2/103,959 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

  • Allegiance
    7.4/103,617 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

  • Captain's Holiday
    7.2/103,797 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

  • Tin Man
    7.2/103,584 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

  • Hollow Pursuits
    7.7/103,788 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

  • The Most Toys
    7.6/103,765 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

  • Sarek
    8.1/104,028 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

  • Ménage à Troi
    6.5/103,379 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

  • Transfigurations
    6.9/103,303 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