All Good Things takes advantage of science fiction’s ability to play around with time in order to deliver a finale that can feel expansive, nostalgic, and conclusive without resorting to cheap shifts in the status quo. The two parter navigates the dangers of those positive qualities fairly effortlessly and the result is one of the best episodes of Star Trek and one of the best series finales ever. There are some artificial-feeling relationship bits that don’t work very well, but otherwise everything is peak TNG, even Picard’s arc of opening up and becoming more familiar with his crew mates. Though Q episodes can often be fun, the character is at his best in the few episodes like this one, where Q legitimately has some perspective to impart to Picard and his humanistic ego. So not only do we get a nice trip through different eras of the crew’s life, but there is also a strong sense of place-in-the-universe level scope that only good science fiction can deliver.
hey whats going on here cut it outPicard rushes in to ask specifically Deanne what date it was. Seems like he could have asked anyone, or even the computer, so he was probably trying to save us from Troi and Worf falling in love. Or maybe Troi is especially good at remembering the date?In the future Geordi mentions his wife Leah. We can only assume its the holodeck version.Data has a ton of cats lolBack to season 1! Yar is there! I like how in the past, Picard doesn’t even try or feel the need to explain things to anyone.Q says the trial never ended!!Meanwhile in the present everyone is falling in love.Future Picard gets everyone together for one last mission. For a lot of the episode Picard acts as a middle man for three Datas to work together.Q shows up to show Picard some goop that doesn’t have the start of humanity. Cool thanks. In the future there are a lot of regrets/wigs.Picard needs to drive the Enterprise into an anomaly and blow up. Yar wants answers! Picard says “don’t worry, you guys are the best crew ever 🥲…. and also I’m still not giving you answers just do it” (paraphrasing)Some time-anomaly stuff happens!In TNG you can gauge how high the stakes are by how deep the face-palming is.But then its the beginning again!Only this time Picard plays cards with them best show ever.
