The Best/Worst Seasons of TNG by my arbitrary judgment.

I love TNG. I could sit down and watch any episode of it right now!

Almost...

So, I went over a list of the episodes/seasons and sort of took a quick tally of which episodes out of which seasons I'd watch. Occasionally I'll do a watch-through of the series on BD and there are episodes I'll skip out of just not liking them, finding them boring, stupid, or really just ones I don't want to go through as better episodes are beyond them. I took the tallies for each season and generated a percentage. For the sake of the percentage I counted Encounter at Farpoint as one episode (25 episodes in Season 1) and same for All Good Things (25 episodes in Season 7.)

Without listing the episodes I checked off:

Season 1: 20 out of 25 episodes (80%)
Season 2: 20 out of 22 episodes (91%)
Season 3: 24 out of 26 episodes (92%)
Season 4: 22 out of 26 episodes (85%) (this one surprised me as I consider Season 4 pretty solid, but it had a couple more episodes in that I'm just very tepid on and could skip and not really "miss" it.)
Season 5: 23 out of 26 episodes (88%)
Season 6: 23 out of 26 episodes (88%)
Season 7: 14 out of 25 episodes (56%)

It's often felt that Seasons 1 and 2 of TNG are the weakest but, really, that comes more from just the tone and "feel" of the show compared to the other seasons. But really in those seasons there's not a whole lot I dislike. Hell I could watch all of Season 1 any day before watching all of Season 7.


So, without me getting into specific episodes here, what do you think of my "ratings" on the various seasons? Where would your numbers stack up?

 

I think Rotten Tomatoes style ratings don’t work well. They don’t tell you if every episode was just good or every episode was spectacular.

For example, I’d put a season where one half are 10/10 and one half are 0/10 over a season where every episode is 6/10.

 

Season 6 sucks. I've been trying to get through it for months now, but I'm hung up on the disk with episodes where the shuttle crew turns into little kids and Worf and Alexander visit the Old West in the Holodeck.

Descent is one of the worst cliffhangers the franchise ever did. Absolute fucking dross. And then you have complete stink pots like Aquiel, Suspicions, Rightful Heir, Man of the People, and Times Arrow pt 2.

Honestly, looking at the episode lists, S1 and S2 are much better than 6 and 7.

 

Episodes like the S6 ones you mentioned I ranked as "watchable." Because, for me, they have elements in them I like.

This wasn't any attempt at a "Rotten Tomatoes"-like rating or anything like that, this was just a simple... "thought experiment" of sorts boiling down to which episodes, for me, were "watchable" on some, or any, level. If I were to get deeper it'd likely be very different.

I thought of it like this: Say all of the episodes of the season are on a watchable list, I pressed the "Random" button and episode came on. If that episode came on would I watch it or push the button again to watch something else.

 

Seasons 1 and 2 were cobbled by tone and feel far more than plot content for the majority of the episodes. Screaming at "Datalore" for the number of times Data is using a contraction or where a retake might have helped. Trying to make Wes look good by writing all the adults as nincompoops is far, far worse. But being season 1, some robust ideas were all tarnished by the lack of retakes or uneven script quality accorded the characters.

Conversely, seasons 5 and 6 had a consistent feel - which isn't to say it's a good feel. The incidental music is at an all-time low for the franchise (even the worst of DS9 and VOY would both be massive step-ups by comparison to TNG's symphony of flatulent amphibians.) It didn't help that scripts became a little too one-sided, even altering characters for the sake of the story narrative... and yet, the idea behind Picard being convinced that it's a great idea to let the Borg all have individual identities led to a real downer by their all falling apart and becoming murderous psychopaths almost felt like a callback to season 2 about the sheer dangers of the universe...

...which is where season 7 comes into play. It's often trying, hard, to bring back some of that exploratory and mysterious universe angle that season 2 embraced but, conversely, seasons 5 and 6 absconded (and in favor of often uninspired, preachy soap opera). But ultimately, it does prove TNG did not need an 8th season. Its strongest episodes with both tone and content eclipse 5&6, whereas its weakest stories are more or less on par...

But the first four years are pretty much a different series.

3>2>1>4/7 split>5>6

Right now, scanning the list of all seasons' episodes w/synopses, I'd rate the seasons as a briefest of overview like this - in terms of episodes I could sit through again and/or enjoy sufficiently or thoroughly:

1= 17/25 (68.0000000%)
2= 18/22 (81.8181818%)
3= 20/26 (76.9230769%)
4= 14/26 (53.8461538%)
5= 10/26 (38.4615385%)
6= 08/26 (30.7692308%)
7= 14/26 (53.8461538%, no Pentium FPU bug here )

 

After "The Inner Light," I count ten episodes I can watch. Ten, in two seasons.

1. Schisms
2. Chain of Command I & II.
3. Tapestry
4. The Chase
5. Parallels
6. The Pegasus
7. Homeward
8. Lower Decks
9. All Good Things...

The First season had a rough beginning. But, when the story becomes serious, and investigates, tests, Picard and crew, about the time "When the Bough Breaks" airs, the stories are imaginative, allegorical, and the meat of the series since "Assignment: Earth" aired in the second season finale of TOS.

10 great episodes in the first season, 14 in the second, and ten from 6-7, the seventh being better.

After Gene dies, the beginnings of DS9 and of Generations, the franchise was wildly popular, but churning out some bad products that have not aged well. It took them until about 1995 to recover. The fourth season of DS9, First Contact was in production, and Voyager was in possibly its best season--the first.

 

I agree with your assessment of the later seasons and their best episodes almost 100%. I would have added "Preemptive Strike" to the list. I'd take Seasons 1 and 2 over Seasons 6 and 7 any time.

I'd rank them:

S3

S5


S2
S1



S4




S7

S6

 

We differ on season 4. I consider it the best. In the first three weeks, we rescue Picard from the Borg, hear him talk to his brother about his failure to stop them, introduce the family dynamics of Lore, Data, and Dr. Soong (and Data's emotion chip). Two weeks later, we visit Tasha's sister in a much more fulfilling episode than Yesterday's Enterprise, meet Worf's son and Gowron, see the future with Captain Riker and Admiral Picard, say goodbye to Wesley, introduce Keiko to marry O'Brien in a letter to Commander Maddox (The Measure of a Man), and are introduced to the Cardassians and O'Brien sings "The Minstrel Boy." Five of the next six episodes are the best standalones of the series (Devil's Due, Clues, First Contact, Galaxy's Child, Night Terrors, and the Nth Degree). Then, three of the best moral conundrums (The Drumhead, Half a Life, and the Host). The Host doubles as the introduction of the Trills. They finish up the season with Geordi brainwashed by the Romulans, Data's first relationship, and Gowron's installation that doubles as Worf's return to honor and leaves the Enterprise to fight a Civil War.

Season 4
Season 5
Season 3 (highly overrated in spots)
Season 2
Season 1
Season 7
Season 6

 

To me season 7 might have the lowest “Watchable” percentage, but it also has more “Great” episodes than the first two seasons combined. AGT, Pegasus, Lower Decks, Gambit.

Season 7 is like a roided baseball player. Mostly strikeouts and homers.

 

Hmmm. I'll have to try that angle. Rate the seasons on the "great" episodes. (As in ones that are "must-watch/cannot miss.")

 

I don't consider Gambit or Pegasus "great" episodes. The only "great" episodes in S7 from my POV are AGT and Lower Decks.

Meanwhile, S1 and 2 had 11001001, Conspiracy, Where No One Has Gone Before, Q Who, Contagion, and Measure of a Man.

 

Imagine Star Trek without Lower Decks. Imagine Star Trek without Q Who?

Who had more of a "home run" season? And also had more "watchable" episodes?

 

Sorry but I don't get the view that the music in seasons 5-7 was particularly bad, maybe at times a bit bland but not too much or badly ...

I think seasons 3 and 4 were the peak, 5 very close and 7 the worst, 7 the season with by far the most episodes to skip (though also some good gems). 1 and 2 (and 6) were uneven but all the years had a good amount of gems.

 

The music in S5-7 wasn't bad it just wasn't... "good."

 

Generally speaking, I like season 3 the best. I do agree with the notion that the "feel" of season 1 and 2 is unlike basically any show ever made, but the stories are...well, some of them are better left unsaid. I don't think the revolving writers room helped that situation at all. I also can't stand the overly dramatic music used in the first season.

 

S3
S4
S6
S5
S2
S7
S1

After the last rewatch I still find S3 the strongest, though S4 is only a very minor step down from that. The show was still hitting them out every week. S6 surprised me, and I enjoyed it more than S5. However, I would say that S3-6 were definitely, collectively, the best time period of the show.

Outside of 5 great episodes, S7 was so mediocre, that I put it below S2. They may not have had everything worked out yet, but it was still a pretty strong season. S1 is a bit of a mess in parts, though there are some good episodes in there. The music was a million times better in S1-4 as well.

 

I don't really get the love for S4. Let me go through the episodes...

(1- not rewatchable, 2- rewatchable/average, 3- classic/favorite)

1. Best of Both Worlds 2 (2)
2. Family (3)
3. Brothers (1)
4. Suddenly Human (1)
5. Remember Me (3)
6. Legacy (2-1)
7. Reunion (1)
8. Future Imperfect (2-3)
9. Final Mission (2)
10. The Loss (1)
11. Data's Day (1)
12. The Wounded (3)
13. Devil's Due (2)
14. Clues (2-3)
15. First Contact (2)
16. Galaxy's Child (3)
17. Night Terrors (2)
18. Identity Crisis (1)
19. The Nth Degree (1)
20. Qpid (3)
21. The Drumhead (2)
22. Half a Life (2-1)
23. The Host (1)
24. The Mind's Eye (2)
25. In Theory (2)
26. Redemption (2)

Nearly 1/3 of the entire season is pretty much comprised of episodes I would not be interested in rewatching / would turn off if they were on TV. There are only 5 "out of the park" episodes (and even that was generous, as I struggled with "QPid" and "Remember Me"). The rest of it is extremely average. Of course, this is all by my personal tastes.

 

I appreciate the breakdown. My list basically flips. Lol. First Contact, Clues, Devil's Due, The Wounded, Data's Day, Family, Best of Both Worlds, Family, Half a Life, The Host, The Mind's Eye, Reunion, Brothers, Legacy, The Drumhead, and The Nth Degree, Reunion are all 2 or higher, in my taste. Remember Me, In Theory, QPid, Identity Crisis, The Loss, and Future Imperfect are all not worth rewatching, and of those, I think Identity and The Loss, are just poorly executed great ideas. Thanks for responding.

 

Alright...I'm going for it....it's too damn hot out right now.

(1- not rewatchable, 2- rewatchable/average, 3- classic/favorite)

Season One:
Encounter at Farpoint 2.5
The Naked Now 2
Code of Honor 1
The Last Outpost 2.5
Where No One Has Gone Before 3
Lonely Among Us 1
Justice 1
The Battle 2
Hide and Q 2
Haven 1
The Big Goodbye 2
Datalore 1
Angel One 1
11001001 3
Too Short a Season 1.5
When The Bough Breaks 2
Home Soil 2
Coming of Age 2
Heart of Glory 3
Arsenal of Freedom 2.5
Symbiosis 1
Skin of Evil 2
We'll Always Have Paris 2.5
Conspiracy 3
The Neutral Zone 1.5

Season Average: 1.92
Season Total: 48 points