The Untold Story of 'All Good Things...' - A Star Trek Finale

The Original Finale

Star Trek: The Next Generation's series finale, 'All Good Things...', is widely celebrated as one of the greatest final episodes in television history. However, actor Brent Spiner and co-writer Brannon Braga reveal that the original version of the finale was intended to be even more remarkable.

Patrick Stewart in the final episode of TNG and the final episode of Star Trek: Picard

Braga and Ronald D. Moore penned the two-part finale, while also working on the first TNG movie, Star Trek Generations. Despite this, 'All Good Things...' surpassed Star Trek Generations in the eyes of fans, setting the gold standard for every Star Trek series finale.

The cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation on the Enterprise-D bridge

The Unseen Draft

In the Star Trek oral history 'The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years' by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, Brent Spiner and Brannon Braga detail the first draft of the series finale. Spiner describes the original draft as extraordinary, with moments that left him excited and in awe. However, executive producer Michael Piller made significant changes that shaped the final version of the episode.

Picard Enterprise-D

Braga shares his perspective, highlighting the loss of character work and the introduction of technical elements that altered the tone of the finale. Despite these changes, both Spiner and Braga acknowledge the episode as a significant achievement.

star-trek-picard-starfleet-museum-every-ship

Legacy and Adaptation

Elements of the original draft of 'All Good Things...' bear remarkable similarities to key events in Star Trek: Picard season 3. The visit to the Starfleet Museum and the commandeering of the USS Enterprise-D were concepts present in the original draft and later adapted in the Picard series.

Picard Poker Finale

Notably, the theme of family and camaraderie, symbolized by the poker game in 'All Good Things...', resonates through the finale of Star Trek: Picard season 3, further connecting the two narratives and honoring the legacy of The Next Generation.