Seasons 1 & 2 Unwatchable?

[ConRefit79]

Finally getting around to watching TNG Season 1 & 2 on Blu Ray. Yesterday I saw Chaos on the bridge and someone said those seasons were almost unwatchable. I think I have heard others mention that before. I'll admit they were a little rough while the show was figuring out what it was going to be. But they're certainly watchable. Much better than some of the shows I've seen SyFy put on the air.

 

[DarKush]

I wasn't a big fan of TNG Season 1. I'm not going to say it's unwatchable but it's not great. However there were a few good episodes: Encounter at Farpoint, Heart of Glory, Datalore, Conspiracy. Plus back in the day there wasn't like it was a lot of competition of sci-fi/genre shows so I was more charitable.

But TNG didn't go consistently good until Season 3.

 

[dahj]

Of course they're watchable.
Season 1 was a bit rough on the edges, but season 2 was a marked improvement.

 

[hux]

They're not unwatchable, they're just trapped in the 60's. Some of the planets look like they were filmed in my shed; I've literally seen drawings of rocks that were more realistic than the polystyrene crap they produced.

There's some good stuff in there but the whole aesthetic is off. I always saw "Yesterday's Enterprise" as the turning point.

 

[BillJ]

As we move farther and farther away from the spinoffs, I find the first two seasons of TNG the most watchable. There was still a sense wonder to the universe.

 

[Michael]

The more interesting music, the sense of wonder, the more cinematic lighting/cinematography and Doctor Pulaski: Those are the four main reasons why the first two seasons are definitely watchable. At least for me.

 

[ConRefit79]

Pulaski never grew on me. But I guess she could have given more time.

Playing the promo's before the episode sure is taking me back to 1987.

 

[Kelthaz]

Season 1 is unwatchable. There isn't a single episode that I would rate above mediocre. "Heart of Glory" is probably the season's best episode, and it still sucked.

Season 2, on the other hand, was a huge improvement. It still wasn't great television, but there's a few gems here and there.

 

[Paradise City]

Season 1 and 2 are fine enough. The bad episodes I take as a kind of comedy.

The more interesting music, the sense of wonder, the more cinematic lighting/cinematography a

Yes, they upped their game and tightened up on the writing but dumped this aspect for a pedestrian music. When it came to the music this came from the sacking of Ron Jones I believe.

 

[The Old Mixer]

There was still a sense wonder to the universe.

In Season 1's case, a sense of wondering why I'm watching this again.

Season 2 has its issues, but is definitely headed in the right direction.

Some say that Season 1 feels the most like TOS. You know what feels even more like TOS? TOS! I'd rather watch Season 3 of TOS than Season 1 of TNG.

 

[Salinga]

I like the "out of this world" vibe of the first two seasons. Plus it adds to the TNG series as a whole, since you can see a progression (unlike VOY, which looks the same over all years).

 

[The Old Mixer]

My sense while watching it first-run was that the first two seasons of VGR were stronger than the rest...but you'd have to pay me good money to make me watch that mess again.

 

[Tosk]

They're not unwatchable, they're just trapped in the 60's. Some of the planets look like they were filmed in my shed; I've literally seen drawings of rocks that were more realistic than the polystyrene crap they produced.

Definitely. The planet sets in 1 and 2 always perplexed me. They look just like TOS, with a sheet for a sky and platic rocks...and then you get some truly great stuff like the entrance/hallway in Datalore (just one example that I personally like) or the Enterprise herself.

 

[Terok Nor]

I tried watching Season 1 a few years ago and gave up after 6 episodes. I don't consider the entire season to be unwatchable but it's very slow and since I already know what happens in the episodes I dislike I just couldn't muster up the will to continue watching.

There's nothing wrong with Season 2 apart from The Outrageous Okona, Up The Long Ladder and Shades Of Gray. Some of the best episodes of Star Trek reside in Season 2 of TNG - Q Who, Contagion, Elementary, Dear Data, The Measure Of A Man.

 

[stardream]

I'm not a fan of the first few seasons of any of the franchise (TOS excepted). I really don't get into any of them until after Season 3 and that includes Voyager. I liked it MUCH better after they left the Kazon behind. To bad Enterprise was just getting out of that same rut before it was cancelled.

 

[dahj]

^^
That came from writers trying to play it safe.
TNG Season 1 had a TOS vibe because TOS worked, DS9 season 1 had a TNG vibe because TNG worked...

 

[JesterFace]

'The Measure Of a Man' and 'Q Who' from season 2 are a must watch for anyone who watches TNG.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

They're watchable. Just not that good and super-dated.

 

[Goji]

Conspiracy is such schlocky awesomeness that its presence lifts the whole of season 1 in my estimation. I have a fondness for that episode that I simply don't have for the average lumpy forehead alien or technobabble problem of the week episode from, say, seasons 5 or 6.

 

[Lance]

Seasons 1 & 2 Unwatchable?

Naw. In fact, I'd go as far as to say there are parts of Seasons 6 & 7 which are less watchable than anything produced in the first two years. There's some misguided stuff in Seasons 1 & 2, but they sure aren't boring. Some parts of the last two (especially Season 7) just feel like the show is running out of gas....