Big Picture Big Sound

The Film

Both Paramount and CBS are really starting to crank out Blu-ray releases for the Star Trek franchise. Just a few weeks ago, we dipped our toes into the Enterprise series and here we are again with another season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. If you're not sure which one to spend your hard-earned money on, the answer should be obvious.

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 3 is where the show gets really good. Oh sure, there were plenty of stellar episodes over the last two seasons, but there are very few misfires here. Also, just about every character (and there are a lot of those) gets a spotlight here -- yes, even Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton). In fact, Wesley gets quite a few chances to shine.

Right off the bat, we see that our little Wesley is all growns up, via the season's first episode, "Evolution." This is certainly a nice way to kick off the third season. However, there are plenty of better parts. Troi (Marina Sirtis) goes bat-shit crazy in "The Survivors," "Deja Q" brings back our favorite TNG nemesis, "Yesterday's Enterprise" delivers a trippy flashback, and "Sarek" has most of the Enterprise crew getting a little violent. And of course, "Best of Both Worlds - Part 1" is one of the best of the season -- so much so, it needed its own separate Blu-ray release.

If you've had a hard time hanging with the series, Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 3 should be the one to get you hooked. It has a nice selection of episodes, good character development, and a killer cliffhanger.

The Picture

If you've been pleased with what Paramount is doing to the franchise up to this point, Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 3 should be equally as enjoyable. Apparently, Paramount and CBS went back to the drawing board -- or at least to the same restoration process used on Season One. If you were at all disappointed in Season Two's image (I wasn't), this will more than make up for that. From that opening shot on Wil Wheaton's pimply face, you'll know that the season will be filled with fantastic details. It doesn't disappoint. Data notwithstanding, some of the skintones look like the Starfleet may have been flying a little close to the sun. However, the other colors and the textures on the clothing and around the ship are quite nice.

The Sound

Once again, Paramount has packed this set with a stellar DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. All of the dialogue is crystal clear and bold, but it's the sound effects that make this season a fun viewing experience -- of course! Those bleeps, bloops and the whooshing of the Enterprise sound wonderful here. Also, like the previous seasons, there's great directionality when needed, making the overall experience a pretty immersive one.

The Extras

Like every other TNG season, this one is going to take a while to get through. Besides the season's 26 episodes, there is a nice collection of extras here. Every single disc has a little something. Every episode has the original promo included, with the first three discs adding in a little season recap with the cast and crew. Of that crop, Disc Four is particular interesting, with the late Michael Piller talking about taking over the writing reigns. That said, Disc Six is where the bulk of the goodies can be found. Besides a separate tribute to Piller, there's a 71-minute writers' rountable that's hosted by Family Guy creator,  Seth McFarlane. Why him? Well, why not! He helps to keep the discussion both lively and moving along. There's also "Resistance is Futile," a new, really interesting documentary that dissects the season into three parts.

Final Thoughts

The First Season Blu-ray for Star Trek: The Next Generation had us really excited for what was coming. Season Two? Not so much, but it was still a nice notch in the series. Thankfully, Paramount and CBS are back on track with Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 3. This is a must-have collection, with a great selection of episodes and a stellar Blu-ray package to back it up. Engage!

Product Details

• Actors: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Michael Dorn, Diana Muldaur, Wil Wheaton
• Directors: Gabrielle Beaumont, Tom Benko, Cliff Bole, Timothy Bond, David Carson, Chip Chalmers, Jonathan Frakes, Winrich Kolbe, Les Landau, Robert Legato, Robert Scheerer, Robert Wiemer
• Audio/Languages: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (English), Dolby Digital 2.0 (English), Mono (Castilian, French, German, Italian, Japanese)
• Subtitles: English SDH, Castilian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Swedish
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of Discs: 6
• Rating: NR
• Studio: Paramount
• Blu-ray Disc Release Date: April 30, 2013
• Run Time: 1181 minutes
• List Price: $129.99
• Extras:
  • Disc One:
    • 5 Episode Promos
    • "The Bonding" Audio Commentary by Ronald D. Moore and Mike & Denise Okuda
    • Archival Mission Log:
      • Mission Overview Year Three
  • Disc Two:
    • 5 Episode Promos
    • Archival Mission Log:
      • Selected Crew Analysis Year Three
  • Disc Three:
    • 5 Episode Promos
    • "Yesterday's Enterprise" Audio Commentary by Ronald D. Moore, Ira Steven Behr, and Mike & Denise Okuda
    • "Yesterday's Enterprise" Audio Commentary by David Carson (2008)
    • Archival Mission Log:
      • Departmental Briefing Year Three: Memorable Missions
  • Disc Four:
    • 4 Episode Promos
    • "The Offspring" Audio Commentary by Rene Echevarria and Mike & Denise Okuda
    • "Sins of the Father" Audio Commentary by Ronald D. Moore, Dan Curry, and Mike & Denise Okuda
    • Archival Mission Log:
      • Departmental Briefing Year Three: Production
  • Disc Five:
    • 5 Episode Promos
    • "The Most Toys" with In Memorium: David Rappaport
    • Gag Reel
  • Disc Six:
    • 2 Episode Promos
    • Star Trek: The Next Generation - Inside the Writer's Room
    • Resistance is Futile: Assimilating Star Trek: The Next Generation
      • Part One: Biological Distinctiveness
      • Part Two: Technological Distinctiveness
      • Part Three: The Collective