Plot: What’s it about?
“Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.”
Amazing how one line of dialogue spoken by a fictional race of beings can really sum up an entire show that ran for seven seasons, no? As the crew of the Enterprise delved even more deeply into their mission to “seek out new life and new civilizations” so to did the audience. The third season gave us some of the more memorable episodes, my personal favorite episode with “Yesterday’s Enterprise” and the first cliffhanger of the series with “The Best of Both Worlds – Part I” (Part II is already available as a one disc set or you can wait until Season Four hits). This third season really saw the cast and crew hitting its stride as well, the actors were more comfortable in their roles, the writing though it had its troubles, was top notch and the plots more original. Already there were “Kirk vs. Picard” battles as to who the better Captain really was. For what it’s worth, I’m a Picard man.
If you’re a fan of the series then you already know what to expect, more of the same and I think that the third, fourth and fifth seasons were among the best. Actually I think that’s essentially the case with pretty much every show. Of note some episodes that I really enjoyed were “The Offspring”, “Yesterday’s Enterprise”, “Tin Man” and of course “The Best of Both Worlds – Part I.” No doubt everyone has their favorites, but we’re not even halfway done with Star Trek: The Next Generation on Blu-ray, so if you’ve enjoyed them so far, this offers up more of the same.
Video: How does it look?
Every new season that arrives on Blu-ray I sit and watch and my jaw ultimately seems to drop. I really can’t tell you how good these episodes look in comparison to their DVD (and VHS) counterparts. As with season’s past, the shows are presented in their original 1.33:1 AVC HD image that looks stellar. Colors have been improved, contrast and black levels are rock solid and the show’s creators have even gone back and given some new visual effects. They’re subtle, but if you look you can see different layers on planets, the atmosphere is a bit more defined, certain scenes have enhanced colorization – amazing. The trend that was started with the first two seasons continues here.
Audio: How does it sound?
As with the other seasons, this also features a brand new DTS HD Master Audio 7.1 mix that’s nothing short of perfection. Ok, well it’s not perfect but for a television show that’s a quarter of a century old, I’d be hard-pressed to find one that sounds as roust. Dialogue is rich and crisp, surrounds are always present and the LFE have their moments as well. I’ve become so instantly spoiled by these Blu-rays that I came across an episode on TV the other day and the audio was so horrible, I turned it off. A travesty, I know, but like I said – I’m spoiled.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This third season also gives us a nice selection of supplements as well. We begin with a very robust documentary, aptly-titled “Resistance is Futile. Assimilating Star Trek: The Next Generation” in this three part venture we find out just about everything we want to know about the third season of the show with a focus on Michael Piller, the man credited for bringing the show into the limelight. Next up is “Star Trek: The Next Generation, Inside the Writer’s Room” hosted by Seth “I’m everywhere” MacFarlane and ultimate Trekkie, this is a look at the writing in this season, how influential it really was and the long-lasting effects that this season had on the show itself. “A Tribute to Michael Piller” is just that, a look at the man who really gave the show its start and what made it work. We also have audio commentaries on two episodes: “Yesterday’s Enterprise” (actually there are two commentaries on that one) and “Sins of the Father” as well as some promos for each episode, some gag reels and the ever-present “Archival Mission Logs.”
