Another few months, another Trek release. The season premiere started with part 2 of "Best of Both Worlds". Wesley Crusher, the most hated character in Trek history, left the ship to go to Starfleet Academy and the fans rejoiced. This season helped to flesh out some of the characters; Chief O'Brien gets married to Keiko, Data is still on his quest to become more human, Picard is more human than he was at the end of the last season, and Worf has left Starfleet for a position on a Klingon ship.
The Packaging
This 7 disc set comes in the same packaging as season one and three; a seven panel fold out containing the discs and a booklet. Each disc lists the episodes and the production number on the disc art.
Menus
I had complained about the menus for the third season because I found them a tad confusing since they contradicted the episode listings on the disc. Once again Paramount has changed the menus for the series, and this time for the better. The episodes are now displayed in a column, making it easy to tell which one to start with on the disc. Maybe they read my comments on season three and decided to change them (I know, I know...the sets were done a long time ago, but it's nice to think I could have made a difference).
Video
Like most TV shows, "Star Trek: TNG" was broadcast in full frame (1.33) and is presented that way on these discs. Shot on film, the print displays some dust and grain. A few of the scenes are fuzzy and some of the space scenes display shimmering. The picture is equal to that of the third season as I had expected.
Yes, I'm back once again with another installment of "Chapter Police". Season three had 5 episodes with chapter marks that were set right after the opening credits, and season four contains another 5 messed up episodes. They are: "Best of Both World's II", "Reunion", "First Contact", "Identity Crisis" and "Nth Degree".
Audio
We get a very nice Dolby Digital 5.1 track on this release, along with a Stereo track. I listened to the 5.1 track for this review, and overall I was happy with it. It's really cool to hear the ship zipping by you in the opening credits. The rears are mostly used for music, the ship zipping by and the ambient hum in some scenes. Overall it's a very nice mix. English subtitles are included.
All the featurettes in the set include English subtitles.
Mission Overview (16:46)
This reveals the challenges in resolving the cliffhanger episode "The Best of Both Worlds"; provides a whimsical look at the Robin hood-themed "QPid"; and celebrates the historic 100th episode with Gene Roddenberry.
Selected Crew Analysis (17:03)
An in-depth look at the departure of Wesley Crusher; cast members discuss their experiences performing stunts; and a profile of Jennifer Hetrick as "Vash"..
Departmental Briefing - Production (16:45)
A behind-the-scenes look at directors Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes and David Livingston. Includes a special makeup session featuring Brent Spiner.
New Life and New Civilizations (13:44)
An inside look at creating alien landscapes and shooting on location. Also explains the challenges of shooting the effects-packed episode "the Best of Both Worlds".
Chronicles From the Final Frontier (18:11)
A discussion of Season four's most extraordinary episodes and characters with preeminent writers Ronald D. Moore, Brannon Braga and Jeri Taylor.
Summary
As I predicted in the last review, the chapter problems still exist. I guess we'll have these problems throughout the series now....hopefully they can get DS9 right. Look for these guest stars in season four: Jeremy Kemp (Conan), Chad Allen (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Our House), Christopher Michael (7th Heaven), Suzie Plakson (Mad About You), Chris Demetral (The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne), Andreas Katsulas (Babylon 5), Alan Scarfe (Seven Days), Michael Ensign (Titanic) and Tony Todd (Candyman, Final Destination, The Crow, The Rock). It was also nice to see Denise Crosby return for the final episode. All said and done, it's a nice way to watch the fourth season, even if you have to skip back on a few of the episodes.
