"Too Short a Season" is the sixteenth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. It first aired on February 8, 1988, in broadcast syndication. The teleplay was written by Michael Michaelian and D.C. Fontana, based on a story by Michaelian, and the episode was directed by Rob Bowman. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Starfleet starship Enterprise-D.