James and Andrew have reached the thrilling finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation's first season! In this episode, they review “The Neutral Zone”—an episode packed with mystery, Romulan tension, and an unexpected batch of 20th-century humans thawed out of cryosleep. As the Enterprise crew grapples with these displaced characters, James and Andrew consider if the writers made a misstep with the weepy portrayal of the female survivor, Clare. Did 1980s TV stereotypes sneak in here, or is her reaction somewhat justified?

The big mystery lies, of course, on the Romulan border, where outposts have mysteriously disappeared. Rumor has it that this could have been a prelude to the Borg’s later involvement—was the Neutral Zone supposed to be their sinister calling card all along? James and Andrew debate whether the last-minute addition of the Romulans gave the episode the suspense it needed, especially after the Ferengi fell short of villain status earlier in the season.

Join our hosts as they speculate on whether they, too, will make it to the end of TV history (maybe even beyond 2040!) and celebrate completing their first season of TNG.