Plot: What’s it about?
Well, this is it. This is where it all ends (on the small screen). Capt. Picard and his crew have explored “new life and new civilizations” over the past seven years and in the process have re-ignited the Star Trek franchise to new heights. The year was 1994 and the world was a bit different. Bill Clinton was President, home theater enthusiasts relied on their laserdisc player to deliver the utmost in high fidelity sound and video and the crew of the Enterprise was destined for the big screen. Much can be said about Star Trek: The Next Generation, the brainchild of the series creator Gene Roddenberry (who died in 1991). The intelligent scripts, brilliant cast and crew as well as an expanded budget made the show popular and certainly set the stage for future Star Trek series – and there would be more to come. But with the series ending and movies on the horizon, the show had to end somewhere and, well, this is it. Remember back to the first episode, Encounter at Farpoint, where Picard and the crew were put on trial for the crimes of humanity? Well it seems that trial never really ended…
Capt. Picard (Patrick Stewart) has found himself traveling throughout the course of his own life. In one segment, he’s just been given the torch to take the Enterprise out for its maiden voyage. Another finds him an elder farmer on the brink of insanity and the other finds him in a more comfortable present. Picard can’t seem to connect the common thread of these different times until he’s once again put on trial for the crimes against humanity by the nefarious Q (John de Lancie). The flashbacks and forwards reveal a anomaly in space which seems to be consistent in two of the three time frames. Picard, relying on the trust and faith of his crew, must now navigate through the three different segments trying to right what he believes is wrong and could, in the process, destroy life as we know it. And, once all is said and done, will he be judged once again by Q or no?
Looking back, All Good Things…really was one of the better episodes and a great way to end the series. After its seven year run, the cast was set for feature films and they did deliver: four of them. The Enterprise met Capt. James T. Kirk (William Shatner) in 1994’s Generations, once again fought the Borg in First Contact, and encountered a few more adventures with Insurrection in 1998 and finally ended it with Nemesis in 2002. Odds are there won’t be another Star Trek movie with the Next Generation cast, but there’s certainly no shortage of Next Generation material out there. Going back to this episode, it really was the right way to end the show and really did serve as a showcase to the acting talents of Patrick Stewart (really the only member of the cast that’s gone onto future fame and success as an actor). While it was sad to see the series end, as the title suggests – all good things…
Video: How’s it look?
As is the case with every other episode in the entire series, this has been digitally re-mastered and given a nice makeover for its debut on Blu-ray. The 1.33:1 AVC HD image is, obviously, the exact same as it appears on the season seven set. Colors are very vibrant, showcasing a wide array of the spectrum. The azure sky of Picard’s “future” contrasts nicely with his white ensemble. The deep blacks of space show no signs or movement and some of the effects have been “modernized” with 21st century effects. There are a few scenes that have some grain that persists, but by and large it’s a very nice upgrade from the DVD version. If you really want to see how much of an improvement there is, check out the episodic promo.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The upgraded DTS HD Master Audio certainly has a few scenes in which to flex its muscle, but won’t really hold a candle to modern day feature film soundtracks. Vocals are rich and pure, the surrounds do offer the constant hum and whir of the “space noise”, but it’s pretty interesting to turn around and feel like you’re on board the Enterprise. There are a few directional effects, but the real defining moment is when the three timelines converge (I won’t spoil it). It’s certainly an upgrade, sound wise, but it does serve its purpose well.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This marks the fifth of the “stand alone” episodes released on Blu-ray, the others are The Best of Both Worlds, Redemption, Chain of Command and Unification. Obviously there has to be some proprietary content on these, else…why produce them? Still, it’s a bit underhanded by Paramount as they know that Trekkies will want (need) both to have anything and everything Blu-ray. That said, let’s take a look at what’s included.
- Audio Commentary – New to this Blu-ray is an all new audio commentary by frequent collaborators Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga. Moore is obviously well-versed in Trek lore as he’s been the writer for the majority of the series and he’s the logical choice for this track. It’s a very good track at that. There are details about the shoot, the “upcoming” films and little nuances that Trekkies will love.
- The Unknown Possibilities of Existence: Making All Good Things… – This new retrospective is another reason to pick up this stand-alone disc. With new interviews with the cast and crew, they discuss the epic series finale, the four movies that they’d make and give a nice, overall view of the series as a whole. It’s nice to see that they’re so passionate about the show that made them all stars even now.
- Deleted Scenes – There are five in all and most are more “extended” scenes with the actual “deleted” part being very noticeable as it doesn’t feature the full polished audio and video of the final product. Each are set up with a screen of text that literally sets the stage.
- Episodic Promos – Two in all.
