The sky's the limit

A good finish is often difficult to come by. How does one conclude seven years of intelligent introspection, of examining the human condition, of traversing the stars and the heart, of warp drives and inertial dampeners, of Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians, Bajorans, Vulcans, and dozens of their ilk, of ensigns expendable and holodecks fallable, of charting the unknown possibilities of existence, of watching the continuing mission of the Starship Enterprise, with dignity, respect, and honor?

By writing the episode "All Good Things..."

When I was in middle school and the final episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation aired, I could not watch it (though I have since forgotten exactly why). My friend Mark did, though, and refused to tell me any information except the final line of the show. I was glad of it, as it made my viewing of the episode a few days later all the more special. It's a grand episode, folks, and one that ranks among the top 90-minute segments in science fiction history. The brilliance of the episode lies partly in how it is able Braga and Moore were able to bring a fitting end to a show with no overarching plotline, revisit characters, scenes, and locations from much earlier in the show, wrap up a conflict that had begun in the very first episode of the series, and even find a way to make Picard prevent the destruction of humanity itself.

After a few years of Netflixing the series, we finally watched the last episode this afternoon, and while I continue to be amazed at the brilliance of the show and at the same time slightly lament its passing (after all, it's only a TV show!), I do look forward to watching the entirity of DS9 and perhaps even Enterprise after that. Picard and company will be missed, but I could hardly be more pleased with how their trek through the stars finally came to rest, while leaving room for almost anything to still happen.