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Aug 06, 2014 Web Exclusive By Cody Ray Shafer

Just like every generation gets a new incarnation of Star Trek, each generation of home media gets upgraded, shiny, new versions of all the previous Treks. Star Trek: The Next Generation has been on a steady pace of Blu-ray releases over the last couple years, but season six is arguably one of the best. First, let’s get this out of the way—the picture quality is really good. The colors are vibrant, but not oversaturated, and the effects actually benefit from the upgrade in resolution. Little details like costume hems and set faults are more noticeable, of course, but that’s part of the charm. Surprisingly, the clarity does not age the production value as much as expected. Instead, it gives Next Generation a good facelift.

Which is all this series needs, really. At its core, Next Generation is still phenomenal television. It’s aged far better than Star Trek: The Original Series (just as Patrick Stewart has aged compared to William Shatner). Season six does contain some pretty fantastic Star Trek episodes. James Doohan, who played Montgomery Scott in the original cast, gives his final bow as Scotty in the heartbreakingly nostalgic episode “Relics.” Also in season six is the Amnesty International endorsed two-parter “Chain of Command,” which sees Captain Picard (Stewart) kidnapped and tortured by militant Cardassians. The episode stands out with one of Stewart’s most versatile performances, and a political message about torture and warfare that still resonates. The episode is also available as a separate Blu-ray, edited together as a full-length feature. Even with its tiny budget, it makes a better Star Trek film than the dismal Star Trek: Nemesis.

Of course, these Blu-ray sets likely only appeal to die-hard fans. The special feature documentaries and deleted scenes are neat, but not spectacular. The episodes look great, and they hold up really well on their own. At the very least, fans will be grateful for another leap in technology that takes Star Trek further into the future. (www.startrek.com)

Author rating: 8/10