Could it be that many people don't like this episode because the characters lose control ? No "always in control" ego trip here ! I always thought Barclay was Next Generations master stroke. He's not an idiot he's human ! His fears of what is happening to his own body get played out by the virus that his own body created. A massive case of subconscious projection ? But amongst all the shenanigans there is a serious story. I always love episodes where the Captain returns to find his ship adrift with some mystery to solve. Voyager does that a few times. Someone else mentioned Red Dwarf. It seems clear they parody this episode with "Pete" ( http://reddwarf.wikia.com/wiki/RD:_Pete_I ). The pet bird devolving into a dinosaur ? Data's cat devolving into a lizard ? The dinosaur connection ! So this is one of my favourites. For some reason Riker standing there looking dumbfounded, unable to remember the security code to authorise reporting to Starfleet, always sticks in my mind.
Review of Genesis
Next Generation parodies itself which is then parodied by Red Dwarf
27 September 2016
Warning: Spoilers