Star Trek meme: Day 7 - Favorite TNG Episode

[lizbee]

How do you choose just one TNG episode, that's what I want to know. Here's a handful that I love:

• "Conspiracy" -- yes, it's dark; yes, it's violent; yes, Roddenberry and Berman both hated it -- and for all these reasons, it has aged really well. But I loved it when I was a kid, too, so I dunno, I think I just like evil conspiracies, gross bugs and elderly admirals dropping Riker with a roundhouse kick
• "The Best of Both Worlds (part 1)" -- I realise this is the Trekkie equivalent of being a middle class white woman who loves pumpkin spice lattes, but whatevs. (I also love pumpkin spice lattes.) The rising tension, the conflict between Riker and Shelby, the shock of the cliffhanger: AMAZING.
• "Ensign Ro" -- for me, this is the perfect TNG episode. It's one I recommend with no caveats whatsoever.
• "Rascals" -- this is not a good episode, but it's one that I often put on when I need something entertaining and low-stress. "He's my number one dad!" is a permanent part of my vocab.
• A non-obvious choice -- "Future Imperfect". I realised on my last rewatch that I actually really like Riker? Once the writers figure out how to make him masculine without being toxic, he's a lot of fun, especially in the semi-annual "make Riker think he's losing his mind" episode. And I love flash forwards and Romulans, so this one's a good time.

Day 8 - Favorite Federation Enemy
Day 9 - Favorite Character
Day 10 - Most Shocking Moment
Day 11 - Crew Position You Would Want
Day 12 - Crew Position You Wouldn't Want
Day 13 - Favorite DS9 Episode
Day 14 - Favorite Time Travel Episode
Day 15 - Favorite First Officer
Day 16 - Favorite Voyager Episode
Day 17 - Favorite Trek Novel
Day 18 - Favorite Non-Aligned Race
Day 19 - Favorite Enterprise Episode
Day 20 - Character You're Most Like
Day 21 - Least Favorite Character
Day 22 - Favorite Trek Film
Day 23 - Best Trek Tech
Day 24 - Best Overall Space Vessel
Day 25 - Favorite Discovery Episode
Day 26 - Planet You Would Most Like To Visit
Day 27 - Character You Would Date
Day 28 - Name Your Own Starship
Day 29 - Favorite Trek Quote
Day 30 - Favorite Trek Series

Comments

[sixbeforelunch]

Once the writers figure out how to make him masculine without being toxic, he's a lot of fun

*nodnod*

Allowing for the time period when he was created and his being written as a Ladies Man^TM (and keeping in mind that I fangirl Riker, and am therefore not unbiased), I find him refreshingly not-toxic despite his being, in many ways, billed as the Manly Man of Action to Picard's more introspective and cerebral character (not that Picard can't also do action, it's just not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of him).

Riker hits on plenty of women, but he never seems to take rejection personally. My favorite example is when he hits on Vash in Q-pid, and she not only turns him down, but makes fun of him in the process, and his first thought isn't "how dare she?" but "I have to introduce her to all of my friends." I mean, admittedly he was mostly trolling Picard by doing it, but he's still clearly not afraid of being laughed at, and I feel like one of the foundations of toxic masculinity is an abject terror of that very thing.

[lizbee]

Yes!

The guys who do the podcast The Greatest Generation have this running gag that Riker's biggest fetish is for consent, and that's ... kind of true. He's always up for asking -- even in situations which, in 2019, are not appropriate for flirtation -- but he doesn't hold a grudge when he's turned down.

He's the sort of guy who, if friendzoned, would go, "Aw yeah, another friend! I'm gonna invite her to poker games and make her listen to my trombone playing!"