If there’s a choice for one Star Trek crew to trust with your life, then one pack shines above them all!
When it comes to the best Star Trek crews, the debate is pretty huge. Many will go for Star Trek: The Original Series, of course, the ones who started it all. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy made for a great lead trio, backed by Sulu, Scotty, Chekov, and Uhura. To many, this crew would be the best of the bunch.
Yet the high casualty count of that crew is hard to ignore (just look at the name of this website), and thus, some may be wary of joining this particular crew. The Deep Space Nine team was also good, yet those disparate personalities and tendency to go on too many solo missions could be a distraction. Not to mention the risks of being on a space station pushed into the center of a galactic war.
The Voyager crew has to put up with being in a distant galaxy and are often at odds a few times on what to do when an emergency strikes. The other crews from Enterprise to Discovery to Strange New Worlds all have their strengths, yet also a lot of drawbacks. And let’s not start on the goofballs of Lower Decks.
No, if there’s one Star Trek crew I could always depend on to put my life in their hands, it’s the crew of The Next Generation as the Enterprise-D team remains the best of Trek lore.
Why the The Next Generation crew is the best
The TNG crew is just so well-rounded and balanced that they click better than any other in Trek history. There’s Picard, the captain who always takes the time to listen to all sides, no matter what. He doesn’t leap into a situation blindly but tries to find as peaceful a solution as possible, usually through one of those epic speeches Patrick Stewart pulled off wonderfully. However, if push comes to shove, Picard is willing to get his hands dirty, just not sink to the same level as his enemies.
Riker may be less assured but just as confident with an often cunning mind that can latch onto an unlikely solution. He proves himself when in command, ready to risk himself to help others, a good diplomat, while being better at action. Whenever Picard can’t command, Riker is easily one of the sharpest first officers around.
For engineering, LaForge is the only one in Trek history who can match Scotty when it comes to solving seemingly impossible problems. His sharp mind helps him immensely, and the visor is a good analogy for how Geordi sees the world differently than others.
Data, of course, is unique with that computer mind, a seemingly serious and logical being, yet learns to trust what amounts to his gut to find his solutions. Worf is a warrior born, and it’s always good to have a Klingon on your side with his ferocity and own smart cunning to be the perfect enforcer.
Crusher is the best doctor one could ask for with her intellect, caring for others, and going out of her way to save anyone, regulations be damned. Troi’s emphatic powers may seem low-key, yet sometimes her calming presence does more to help a situation than fighting ever could.
Each of these people would be a great part of any Starfleet vessel. Together, they form an unbeatable unit, trusting each other completely, ready to back each other up on often insane adventures and never giving up.
The fact that this crew has saved the Federation, as well as the entire galaxy, from destruction numerous times proves their worth. Few crews have fought the Borg and lived to tell the tale. The Enterprise-D crew has done so several times. Nothing showed their strength more than the Picard series when, decades past their prime, the crew reunited to once more save the day as only they could.
So while other Star Trek shows all boast some great crews, it’s the Next Generation one that many would trust with their lives and why they still remain so loved after all these years.
Star Trek: The Next Generation streaming on Paramount+.