Subplots and Mini-Arcs

Something that's sort of unique to Star Trek TNG is the presence of mini-arcs that will have one or two usually non-consecutive episodes per season. In a way TNG is a show comprised predominantly of mini-arcs, as opposed to being a serial with one overarching arc.

Examples include

The Q Episodes

The Borg Episodes

Worf/Klingon arc with his dad, brother, and son

Lt. Barclay episodes

Cardassian/Bajoran episodes

Romulan episodes

Data/Lore episodes

It's kind of cool to watch all of them back to back with Netflix, you can make little miniseries for yourself. They are all interlinked too, you need to watch them in order.

 

My favorite was the Cmdr. Remmick arc.

 

TNG had some great subplots to be sure. But I still would've preferred to have an over all direction to the series beyond we're flying around space seeing what we find. That wouldn't have undermined the subplots at all.

Too bad that never went anywhere until the DS9 authors remembered that twenty years later.

 

I'm fairly fond of the DaiMon Bok arc, myself. Only 2 episodes and yet he stands out in the top 2 or 3 antagonist characters, imo

 

Huh? By twenty years later (2008), both TNG and DS9 had been over for a decade.

 

Novel authors, I should have specified.

 

Q and the Borg really did it for me when I was kid growing up on Trek. Whenever that flash of light or that menacing cube appeared on screen, I knew I was in for a good time.

 

I disagree, with the exception of TOS, TNG was the least arc-oriented Trek series ever, compared to the very arc heavy DS9 and ENT series. I find it refreshing to revisit TNG by jumping around for that reason... perhaps more so in the books?

Is ensign Sonya Gomez a mini arc because she is in two consecutive episodes?

VOY is a grey area, since the 'lost in space' concept is a series wide arc in itself.

 

I don't think so because Robin Lefter should be also a mini arc.

 

The "Geordi can't get laid" arc, a classic.

 

Even Wesley calling him out, "At least I don't get my women on the holodeck." That has to be one of the best Trek zings... moreso coming from Ensign Wetpants.

 

I like the Riker/Troi arc - well, it was more of a meander, but I still like it. What can I tell ya, I'm a romantic/fangirl. You decide!

 

What arc was there? Riker slept around with every alien chick of the week as long as he could while Troi waited. I think she had like... only three or four romances... in all of TNG. I honestly only think Riker settled for Troi when he was visibly getting older and couldn't get away with it anymore.

 

I think you're misusing the term "story arc".

And to say TNG was a show "comprised predominantly of mini-arcs"??? Surely TNG was a show comprised predominantly of standalone episodes - and was the better for it.

I'll give you the Klingon saga, but "the Barclay episodes". Besides the fact that the character recurred a few times, there's no "story arc" in the generally-accepted definition of the term. There's barely even a "character arc".

I get what you mean, just don't think they constitute story arcs. Perhaps it's better to say that every now and again, TNG would revisit an earlier plot point/character and you liked it (I did too, incidentally!)

 

I have to agree that the general theme of TNG was standalone episodes, rather than being focused on having mini-arcs.

TNG did have an element of 'resetting' after every episode, not necessarily completely though and better for it, since we did see some character development and what not.

 

Lol. It's a theory.

 

Ah. Gotcha.

 

They had the Kazon episodes that told a story, wit Maj Culluh. The Hirogen episodes also told a loose story.

 

There was the Picard having problems with children arc, from Farpoint through Disaster.

 

I like the "Shut up, Wesley!" arc.