4. 'Code of Honor'
“Code of Honor” is infamous for its racist stereotyping and remains one of the most heavily criticized hours of TNG’s first season, but for Tasha Yar it is one of the few episodes that actually tries to build a story around her. As the Ligonian leader Lutan fixates on her strength and skill, Tasha is forced into a ritual duel to the death, letting Denise Crosby play the character as both a consummate professional and a survivor who refuses to be reduced to a prize.
The episode’s execution undercuts its intentions, yet the bones of a good Tasha story are here: a woman who grew up fighting on the streets now channels that same ferocity into protecting others, and she will risk her life rather than surrender bodily autonomy or let her crewmates be used as bargaining chips. More episodes written with this kind of focus, minus the harmful coding, might have developed Yar into one of TNG’s most compelling officers instead of a cautionary tale.