Following a multi-year remastering effort, the unprecedented journey to release Star Trek: The Next Generation in high-definition has come to an end. The seventh and final season of the influential series hit Blu-ray on December 2.

The seventh season culminates a project that many thought too daunting and nearly impossible, based on the series’ original 35mm negatives.

The six-disc collection includes all 25 original episodes, remastered in 1080p high-definition with English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English Stereo Surround, French Stereo, German Stereo, Latin Spanish Stereo, Italian Mono, and Japanese Mono. It also includes English SDH, and French, German, Castilian, Italian, Japanese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish subtitles. Plus, a boatload of bonus features.

While the season includes several standouts — including “Gambit” (Parts 1 and 2), “The Pegasus”, “Bloodlines”, and the acclaimed series finale “All Good Things…” — at this point (in 1994), after more than 150 episodes, the show had hit somewhat of a creative standstill.

Writer/Producer Ronald D. Moore has been vocal in his dissatisfaction of the season’s writing. In a 1999 interview with SFX magazine, he said “Next Generation, I think, overstayed its welcome. The last season of that show is kind of rough. To be honest, there are chunks of it I haven’t watched myself. The show just didn’t know what it was trying to do in the last year”.

A full disc-by-disc breakdown is available below.

VIDEO:

As with the previously released seasons (aside from some of the issues seen in the second season), the video quality is incredible. With bright colors that pop and blacks that for the most part are deep, I found myself getting lost in the episode, enjoying these characters in their natural habitat of the small screen format, as I did when I first watched them, more than twenty years ago.

AUDIO:

The 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio is full and rich, which adds to the immersive experience of each episode. None of the audio-sync issues, that hindered the first season release (which led to a disc replacement being offered by CBS) appear to be present.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

A great selection of special features are available in the set — including new and previously released extras. Some standouts include a newly recorded documentary The Sky’s The Limit: The Eclipse of Star Trek: The Next Generation, a tour of the actual Enterprise set, and the newly recorded audio commentaries.

A complete list of bonus features appears below.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

The seventh season of Star Trek: The Next Generation on Blu-ray comes with my highest recommendation and would be a welcome addition to any TNG fan’s home-video collection. However, I can’t help but feel somewhat sad that the journey of the crew of the NCC-1701-D has once again come to an end. I’m reminded of how I felt when the show originally concluded it’s broadcast run in 1993. Sure, there were films (Generations had already begun filming), on the horizon, but I wouldn’t get to see them in this familiar format on a weekly basis. What would happen to Jean-Luc, Will, Data and the rest of the crew? Would they appear in episodes of the new Star Trek series — Deep Space Nine? Where would they go in the upcoming films? So many questions — all of which we now have the answers to.

One of those questions leads me to wonder where the Star Trek remastering project goes from here? With The Original Series, Enterprise and now The Next Generation under their belt, the next logical step for CBS would be to focus on the remastering of Deep Space Nine. As we’ve previously reported, this comes as no surprise to the decision makers at CBS. The true deciding factor, as implied by CBS, will be TNG’s success and subsequent sales on Blu-ray.

While not the very best of the seven-season run, there’s still quite a few gems here — with crisp visuals, incredible audio, season seven on Blu-ray will bring back memories for long-time fans and create new ones for first-time viewers.

Hats off to Roger Lay, Jr., Mike and Denise Okuda and everyone involved in the process of bringing all seven seasons of the series to Blu-ray.







DISC-BY-DISC BREAKDOWN:

Disc One:

Episodes

Descent, Part II

Liaisons

Interface

Gambit, Part I

Gambit, Part II

Special Features

Deleted Scenes (HD) – NEW!

Descent, Part II

Liasons

Gambit, Part I

Gambit, Part II

Archival Mission Log: Mission Overview Year Seven (SD)

Episodic Promos (SD)

Disc Two:

Episodes

Phantasms

Dark Page

Attached

Force Of Nature

Special Features

In Conversation: Lensing Star Trek: The Next Generation (HD) – NEW!

Gag Reel (HD) – NEW!

Deleted Scenes (HD) – NEW!

Dark Page

Archival Mission Log: A Captain’s Tribute (SD)

Archival Mission Log: Departmental Briefing Year Seven: Production (SD)

Episodic Promos (SD)

Disc Three:

Episodes

Inheritance

Parallels

The Pegasus

Homeward

Sub Rosa

Special Features

Deleted Scenes (HD) – NEW!

Inheritance

Parallels

Sub Rosa

Audio Commentary: Brannon Braga on “Parallels” (2008)

Archival Mission Log: Starfleet Moments and Memories (SD)

Episodic Promos (SD)

Disc Four:

Episodes

Lower Decks

Thine Own Self

Masks

Eye of the Beholder

Genesis

Special Features

Audio Commentary: René Echevarria and Mike & Denise Okuda on “Lower Decks” – NEW!

Deleted Scenes (HD) – NEW!

Thine Own Self

Masks

Genesis

Archival Mission Log: Special Profiles (SD)

Episodic Promos (SD)

Disc Five:

Episodes

Journey’s End

Firstborn

Bloodlines

Emergence

Preemptive Strike

Special Features

Audio Commentary: René Echevarria, Naren Shankar, and Mike & Denise Okuda on “Preemptive Strike” – NEW!

Closed Set: A Tour of the Real Enterprise (SD) – NEW!

Deleted Scenes (HD) – NEW!

Journey’s End

Firstborn

Bloodlines

Preemptive Strike

Archival Mission Log: Inside Starfleet Archives: Dressing The Future (SD)

Episodic Promos (SD)

Disc Six:

Episodes

All Good Things…

Special Features

The Sky’s The Limit: The Eclipse of Star Trek: The Next Generation (HD) – NEW!

Part One: Umbra

Part Two: Penumbra

Part Three: Antumbra

Journey’s End: The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation (SD)

Archival Mission Log: The Making of “All Good Things…” (SD)

Episodic Promos (SD)

Season Seven Blu-ray trailer:

“All Good Things…” Blu-ray trailer: