Patrick Stewart Agrees With Fans On The Best Star Trek: The Next Generation Episode

After spending so much screen time as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, it comes as no surprise that the legendary Patrick Stewart had a personal preference for his favorite "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode, and it's hard to argue with the one he settled on. The question was thrown at the beloved "Star Trek" hero on a Reddit AMA, and Stewart picked the brilliant "Inner Light" as the best of the bunch. Given how cutthroat some fans have been over the years, it was good to see that on this occasion, many of them agreed with his choice.

Airing in 1992, the 25th episode of the fifth season saw Picard come into contact with an alien probe that knocked out Jean-Luc, leaving the rest of the Enterprise crew to try to snap him out of it. While under the probe's control, the Captain found himself in an illusion, living a peaceful life on the planet Kataan as Kamin. During this time, he had an almost "Interstellar"-like experience, living out the planet's final years, becoming part of the society, and having a family of his own, all in nearly 20 minutes of real time.

While he might not have been called Picard, it gave fans insight into what a life outside of Starfleet could've looked like for the decorated officer, and what a peaceful existence could be. The episode was also made all the more emotional when you consider that Patrick Stewart's supporting talent was his own son on-screen.

During the AMA, Stewart gave his reasons for why this particular episode stood out from the rest during his time on "The Next Generation," and the personal link to it makes it totally understandable. "Well, the thing is, my favorite episode is 'Inner Light.' It was a beautiful script, which for me was almost entirely located away from the Enterprise – and it's crew! And because I was given the chance to perform what Picard would have been like if his life experience had been different," Stewart explained. "But another important reason is that I had a son in that episode who was played by my son, Daniel Stewart."

It wouldn't be the last time that the Stewart father and son would share the screen together, either. In 2015, Stewart starred in the short-lived sitcom "Blunt Talk," which cast the former "Star Trek" hero as a grumpy news anchor, Walter Blunt. Daniel, this time, played Rafe Blunt, the eldest son of Stewart's character, who appeared in five episodes of the show. It marked another great occasion for father and son to work a scene together, proving that bringing your kid to work isn't a bad idea, after all, whether it's aboard a starship or not.