Patrick Stewart's Favorite Star Trek Episode Is A TNG Classic

Ask any fan of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and they'll likely agree on the five or six best episodes of the series. Few, for instance, will impugn the power of "The Best of Both Worlds" (June 18 and September 24, 1990), the famed episode wherein Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) is kidnapped and assimilated by the Borg, a species of unthinking machine people. Indeed, that episode became so popular, that it forced the makers of "Star Trek" back into the arms of the Borg again and again; Borg stories were being told as recently as 2023. 

Also beloved is "Tapestry" (February 15, 1993), an episode where Picard dies and finds that the afterlife is overseen by the playful trickster god Q (John de Lancie). Q offers to send Picard back in time to his youth, specifically to the day before he got in a bar brawl that damaged his heart. If Picard can avoid the brawl and keep his heart from being stabbed, he may live in the present. Picard finds, however, that he required his brash youthful idiocy to learn lessons about maturing, otherwise he would grow up to be a wimp. 

Others may love "The Measure of a Man" (February 13, 1989), the one where the consciousness and personhood of Data (Brent Spiner) is put on trial. Or "Yesterday's Enterprise" (February 19, 1990) wherein the Enterprise-C accidentally traveled into the future, only to alter the timeline for the worse. It's also agreed upon that the show's finale, "All Good Things..." (May 23, 1994) is still one of its best chapters. 

It seems that Stewart's favorite episode is also often considered one of its best. The actor spoke with Wired Magazine in 2023, and he repeated his fondness for "The Inner Light" (June 1, 1992). Indeed, Stewart was asked point-blank what his favorite "Next Generation" episode was, and he was quick to call out "The Inner Light."

"The Inner Light" see the Enterprise-D encountering a mysterious, ancient probe in space. While scanning it, a beam of light reaches into Picard's eyes and he falls to the floor unconscious. He awakens on an unknown planet called Kataan, wearing new clothes. Picard is told that he is a native of Kataan and that his real name is Kamin. He is married to a woman named Eline (Margot Rose), and he is a notable researcher who works for the local city council. It seems that Kamin has been struggling with a brain ailment, and that he occasionally hallucinates that he is a starship captain. 

Picard suspects foul play, and spends months trying to figure out why he has been deposited on this planet. After a while, though, he finds there is nothing to fear on Kataan, as they are peaceful and welcoming. Indeed, Picard/Kamin finds that he has to apply his research skills to solve a yearslong drought the planet has been suffering through. Years pass, and he falls in love with Eline. They have children. Picard is but a distant memory. 

Back on the Enterprise, however, audiences find that Picard is still laying on the floor of the bridge, with only minutes passing for his fellow crewmates. At the end of the episode, Picard is pulled out of his reverie, having lived into extreme old age and watched his grandchildren grow up. He is startled to learn he is Picard again. 

It's easy to see why Stewart likes "The Inner Light," as it presented a unique acting challenge to him. He said:

"I become someone other than Jean-Luc Picard over decades of living a different life, and therefore become a different person. A domestic person, not a starship captain. And there is another, personal reason. My son Daniel played my son in 'The Inner Light.' That was an extraordinary experience." 

It's all very moving.

In his autobiography "Making It So," Stewart noted that he was so busy as an actor that he rarely had time for his family, and he sometimes regrets having spent so much time away from them. When his adult son Daniel could appear in "The Inner Light," Stewart was happy to have shared that with him. It was not just an emotional episode with an excellent script, but a personal bonding experience for the actor. 

Stewart continued, noting that the whole-life reflections present in "The Inner Light" have reminded the actor, 84, of his own tendency to look back. At the same time, his past is giving him hope for his future. He still wants to work and live and have adventures. He also has new insights on Picard all the time, and is constantly learning new things from his decades-old role. Stewart said: 

"The [Borg] assimilation changed [Picard] for good. And like extreme and possibly tragic experiences, we can't, nor should we try to, erase them, forget them. They're part of us, what we are. We have to learn to accept them. That's where I am right now with Jean-Luc, and it actually makes me intrigued. So conversations like this, rather than encouraging me to move away from my history, actually are gradually sucking me in. So I get closer and closer to the possibility. One more shot!"

Stewart played Picard for what may be the final time in the third season of "Star Trek: Picard," which aired in 2023. He currently has no upcoming film or TV projects, but his life is far from over. He gets to take one more shot.