The World’s Hardest ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ Quiz

Before it started airing in 1987, the very idea of Star Trek: The Next Generation was sacrilegious to most Trekkies. For two decades, Captain Kirk’s Enterprise crew simply was Star Trek. That was true in the endless reruns of the original show, the cartoon series, the novels, and the big-screen movies. But Stark Trek creator Gene Roddenberry felt there was a market for a new show as long as no attempt was made to replicate the original characters or their unique dynamics.

Things got off to a very rocky start in the first season due to painfully bad episodes like “Code of Honor,” which deals with matters of race in, let’s just say, unfortunate ways. But the show slowly found its rhythm in Season Two (despite the ill-fated decision to temporarily jettison Dr. Crusher), and became truly brilliant by Season Three. (And yes, Season Seven had jump-the-shark moments: Worf and Troi shouldn’t have dated.

It felt very much like Joey and Rachel dating near the end of Friends — icky and wrong.) As we approach the 40-year anniversary of TNG,...