In June 1991, at the end of Star Trek: The Next Generation’s history-making fourth season, it was never going to be possible to top the season finale of the previous year in 1990. Within less than two years, during the run of Season 3 and Season 4, and during the history-making year of the 25th anniversary of the entire Star Trek franchise, The Next Generation had gone from an underdog curiosity to a massive mainstream hit. As TNG surpassed the number of episodes produced by the original Star Trek, it was also just getting started. And so, when it came time for the Season 4 finale, which aired during the week of June 17, 1991, TNG was in a place of confidence and comfort, and smartly, didn’t even try to top the cliffhanger of “The Best of Both Worlds Part 1” from 1990.
Instead, 35 years ago, with its Season 4 finale, “Redemption Part 1,” TNG dropped a lore-heavy episode that also introduced a wild twist that still makes everyone’s head hurt to this day.
