Country of origin United States Original network Broadcast syndication | No. of episodes 26 | |
Original release September 23, 1991 (1991-09-23) – June 15, 1992 (1992-06-15) | ||
The fifth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation commenced airing in broadcast syndication in the United States on September 23, 1991 and concluded on June 15, 1992 after airing 26 episodes. This season is notable among Star Trek fans as the season when Gene Roddenberry died of cardiac arrest on October 24, 1991. Production on the episode "Hero Worship," directed by Patrick Stewart, was halted when news reached the set. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Starfleet starship Enterprise-D.
This season sees Picard have some of the more memorable experiences of the series, such as learning to communicate with the heretofore unintelligible Tamarians ("Darmok"), overcoming his dislike of children when he is trapped along with three children after the Enterprise-D is struck by a quantum filament ("Disaster"), and meeting with Ambassador Spock on Romulus in "Unification". Most notably, in "The Inner Light", he experiences 40 or so years of life as an ironweaver on an extinct alien world after an encounter with a probe launched before the destruction of that world.
Wesley also makes a few appearances in this season when he saves the Enterprise from an alien game which was actually a mind-control device ("The Game"), and later at Starfleet Academy when he participates in a coverup of the circumstances surrounding the death of one of his classmates ("The First Duty").
The season ends with the discovery of Data's head in a cave under San Francisco which had been sealed for 500 years, and eventually with Data, Picard, La Forge, Troi, Riker, and Doctor Crusher trapped in 19th century Earth ("Time's Arrow").
Episodes
In the following table, episodes are listed by the order in which they aired.