Part II, Chapter XII: "Stepping Out"
“I for one, was terrified. I was entering this situation where pretty much everyone had spent the past two years establishing a rapport with their fellow cast and crew, and I was nineteen, and a huge fan. When the airing date came around, I couldn’t bring myself to watch it, much as I loved the show. I’m all caught up now, but despite my experience, I was certain I was going to mess it up.”
- Christian Slater, taken from
Where None Had Gone Before.
The third season of
Star Trek: The Next Generation would prove to be instrumental in securing the future of the
Star Trek franchise on television. Following a disappointing first season, and a “hit and miss” second, the third season would elevate the show to the classic status it now enjoys. Deviations from the Original Series would continue, as
The Next Generation showed that it was not afraid to tackle big social issues. [1]
The number of viewers would stabilise this season. There was now a devoted fan base that would watch every episode without fail, securing the future of the show nicely. The near certainty of a fourth season would result in the creation of “The Best of Both Worlds”, a two part episode to end the third season and begin the fourth.
Two new charaters would be introduced, Dr Amelia Henderson and Ensign Andrew Kelly, played by Stephanie Beacham and Christian Slater respectively. Dr Henderson replaced Dr Pulaski, portrayed by Diana Muldaur, as the Chief Medical Officer, while Ensign Kelly was created to allow for other characters to have more time away from the bridge.
While there would be no new “big bads” for the show, it would see the return of the Borg, in what is often considered one of the best episodes of the franchise. Also returning would be the Mirror Universe, first seen in the Original Series episode “Mirror Mirror”. Many minor villains would recur, including the Ferengi, who were increasing being used to criticize elements of modern capitalistic society. [2]
The third season would be received with critical acclaim, being nominated for many awards. While a fourth season would be ordered before the third began airing, there were plans being made for more beyond that. As actors’ contracts were now renewed up to a potential eighth season, the writers began scheming ideas for the years to come. [3]
List of Episodes of Season 3 of Star Trek: The Next Generation:
- Evolution
- The Ensigns of Command
- The Survivors
- Perchance to Dream [4]
- Who Watches the Watchers
- The Enemy
- Booby Trap
- Shattered Time [5]
- The Price
- The High Ground
- The Defector
- Mirror Image [6]
- A Matter of Perspective
- Tin Man
- Yesterday’s Enterprise [7]
- Hollow Pursuits
- Ferengi Gold (Part 1) [8]
- Ferengi Gold (Part 2)
- The Offspring
- Sins of the Father
- Sarek
- Captain’s Holiday
- Deja Q
- The Hunted
- The Most Toys [9]
- The Best of Both Worlds (Part I)
Main Cast of Season 3 of Star Trek: The Next Generation:
- Captain Julien Picard – Patrick Stewart
- Commander William Riker – Jonathan Frakes
- Lt. Cmdr. Data – Brent Spiner
- Dr. Amelia Henderson – Stephanie Beacham
- Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge – LeVar Burton
- Counselor (Lt. Cmdr.) Deanna Troi – Marina Sirtis
- Lt. Worf – Michael Dorn
- Ensign Andrew Kelly – Christian Slater
- Acting Ensign Leslie Crusher – Carla Gugino [10]
Work on the fourth season would begin quickly, with the second half of “The Best of Both Worlds” having already been filmed. Fears that
Doctor Who would lead to the death of the franchise were allayed, and a spirit of friendly rivalry had been established between the two.
[1] The producers are keen to be more inclusive, as Doctor Who tried and succeeded with a concept that they turned down (namely Blood and Fire).
[2] Mix of old and new for this season. We never got a Mirror TNG episode. While we didn't get one with Voyager either, they at least had a couple of episodes that had things like it.
[3] The show is as, if not more, successful as OTL. The writers know what does and doesn't work now, so they have plenty of ideas going forward.
[4] Based on the novel of the same name.
[5] An idea from the earlier seasons that was never made, but rewritten to fit the tone of the third season.
[6] This is our Mirror Universe episode. This is the one with Hugh Laurie in, and it follows the plot of Dark Mirror pretty closely.
[7] Similar to OTL, but with a little more hinted at with Guinan. Crosby returns as OTL.
[8] A planned story, not dissimilar to "False Profits", but not played for laughs so much.
[9] David Rappaport doesn't commit suicide, so he appears in this episode as planned (this has a little knock on effect for the future)
[10] Unlike Wil Wheaton, Gugino doesn't ask to be written out, so she will be sticking around for a while.