The only characters I can really see leaving are Worf or Data and maybe Riker, or also maybe Riker being motivating to pursue Troi and yes she leaving with him. If it had gone on for 3 more years, instead of Voyager, I can see there being more conflict and then reconciliation with the Maquis, Cardassians, Romulans, more conflicts with the Borg, additions of a holographic and an ex-Borg character.
TNG Season 8
- Thread starter Arpy
- Start date
Would be interesting to know, if it had gone on long enough, whether the Enterprise would have participated in the Dominion War.
You’re God in this scenario. It can be anything. Including good. Go!
I’m seeing 8 as a rejuvenation of the series. 7 was a mess, but we can all have an off year. 8 brings us back to form with some amazing episodes, some inspired by previous ones (as I mentioned in some of my ideas upthread) and some by totally fresh new ones — maybe also inspired by some fresh blood (writers/producers/directors) behind the scenes.
Maybe Season 9, further inspired by serialization on DS9, gave us some more serialized storylines on TNG — running through the Worf/Troi storyline and making good on the Troi/Riker Picard/Crusher ones.
And maybe finally in Season 10 we get something like what @Dukhat menrjoned with it being a season of the crew coming apart, beginning interesting new lives. Maybe we see some of them guesting on DS9 — Captain Riker of the Enterprise, Worf on Gowron’s invasion fleet of Cardassia.
Maybe Season 9, further inspired by serialization on DS9, gave us some more serialized storylines on TNG — running through the Worf/Troi storyline and making good on the Troi/Riker Picard/Crusher ones.
And maybe finally in Season 10 we get something like what @Dukhat menrjoned with it being a season of the crew coming apart, beginning interesting new lives. Maybe we see some of them guesting on DS9 — Captain Riker of the Enterprise, Worf on Gowron’s invasion fleet of Cardassia.
While I'd like Riker to get moved on, they presumably had no intention of getting rid of him. 
But, at least make Data a full commander. And Worf LCDR, like in the movie.
Ditch Worf/Troi. Ucchhh! Geordi has a cringe-free romance instead.
Maybe a preamble to Worf being reassigned to DS9, as part of his promotion.
No "Journey's End". Wes graduates and returns. Have a bit about him and Ensign Sito's loss.
A couple episode possibilities... Sela returns at least one more time, and Ro is featured in a Maquis story. And Armus somehow gets off the planet, requiring the Enterprise to finish him off for good.
But, at least make Data a full commander. And Worf LCDR, like in the movie. Ditch Worf/Troi. Ucchhh! Geordi has a cringe-free romance instead.
Maybe a preamble to Worf being reassigned to DS9, as part of his promotion.
No "Journey's End". Wes graduates and returns. Have a bit about him and Ensign Sito's loss.
A couple episode possibilities... Sela returns at least one more time, and Ro is featured in a Maquis story. And Armus somehow gets off the planet, requiring the Enterprise to finish him off for good.
^ oh right, Sito Jaxa. She and the rest of the Lower Decks cast need follow ups, especially if we’re going more serialized in seasons 9-10. Though she maybe appears on DS9? Ro could too. Maybe she’s a valuable asset to Cal Hudson and eventually vies for leadership over Michael Eddington.
Only to meet a tragic end at the hands of the Dominion? Or hauntingly be the only one who remains after they’re wiped out. Lost again. Cursed. Until…?
Here’s a far out idea for a Denise Crosby return in the spirit of creative ways she seemed to come back time and again. The teaser for the episode begins with the ritual suicide or execution of Sela after her failure in “Unification,” which was her last chance after her failure in “Redemption.” After all, the Romulans aren’t forgiving and kill their own troops if necessary all the time. Maybe she only got a second chance because of family connections, daughter of a general and all that.
And who witnesses the execution but her clone(!), Shinzo— I mean, Shinza(!), or something. Act 1 begins with the clone on the run, disguised, and defecting to the Federation. Maybe with intel that the Romulans have had enough of the Reunificationists and will commence a purge, starting with the assassination of Spock. On the rescue mission into Romulan space at last it is revealed that this was Shinza’s last ditch attempt to restore the Sela name but ultimately is killed. Ending the Tasha Romulan thread. And maybe leaving it to another writer to figure out a bizarre new way to get Denise Crosby back.
Only to meet a tragic end at the hands of the Dominion? Or hauntingly be the only one who remains after they’re wiped out. Lost again. Cursed. Until…?
Here’s a far out idea for a Denise Crosby return in the spirit of creative ways she seemed to come back time and again. The teaser for the episode begins with the ritual suicide or execution of Sela after her failure in “Unification,” which was her last chance after her failure in “Redemption.” After all, the Romulans aren’t forgiving and kill their own troops if necessary all the time. Maybe she only got a second chance because of family connections, daughter of a general and all that.
And who witnesses the execution but her clone(!), Shinzo— I mean, Shinza(!), or something. Act 1 begins with the clone on the run, disguised, and defecting to the Federation. Maybe with intel that the Romulans have had enough of the Reunificationists and will commence a purge, starting with the assassination of Spock. On the rescue mission into Romulan space at last it is revealed that this was Shinza’s last ditch attempt to restore the Sela name but ultimately is killed. Ending the Tasha Romulan thread. And maybe leaving it to another writer to figure out a bizarre new way to get Denise Crosby back.
TNG used to do great two-parters. BoBW (Borg), Redemption (Klingons), Unification (Romulans), Chain of Command (Cardassians), Time’s Arrow (Time), etc.
I’m seeing at least a few two-parters, and maybe a three-parter (DS9’s Circle trilogy) or maybe more with the heavy serialization of Season 10.
Betazoids: what we think will be a light-hearted Lwaxana episode turns into Game of Thrones meets House of Cards among the great houses of Betazed. The first episode begins with Lwaxana (a la Francis Underwood) looking directly into the camera and saying, “I know what you’re thinking…”
Ferengi: in a Star Trek first, a two-parter that begins on TNG and concludes on DS9 when the Ferengi give Bajor an alternative to Federation membership: protection and independence in a new Interstellar Trade Consortium. One that also includes the Cardassians, Ktarians, and myriad smaller players that the ubiquitous Ferengi do business with, in a non-aggression pact and free-market alternative to the culturally dominant and godless Federation. An alliance in which the Bajorans would have serious influence, given their ownership of the wormhole and the Ferengi’s ultimate hopes to expand trade and maintain peace with the Dosii, Karemma, and even the Dominion proper. A peace that cannot be if the Federation and newly-belligerent Klingons (post-“Way of the Warrior) have their way.
Lower Decks: epic mission told through the point of view of the Lower Decks that ultimately leads to the main characters’ success and the deaths of Lavelle, Taurik, Ogawa, Ben, and other redshirts that die in every episode of Star Trek. Though still satisfyingly, in a Rogue One/Hamlet kind of way.
Maybe…here’s a crazy thought. Maybe the epic mission has to do with this also being the TNG Mirror Universe story, and some of them die at the hands of the evil versions of the main characters that they’re already intimidated by in our universe.
Q: we find out why he was afraid of Guinan and what the secret story behind her people is, before what they came up with in GEN.
I’m seeing at least a few two-parters, and maybe a three-parter (DS9’s Circle trilogy) or maybe more with the heavy serialization of Season 10.
Betazoids: what we think will be a light-hearted Lwaxana episode turns into Game of Thrones meets House of Cards among the great houses of Betazed. The first episode begins with Lwaxana (a la Francis Underwood) looking directly into the camera and saying, “I know what you’re thinking…”
Ferengi: in a Star Trek first, a two-parter that begins on TNG and concludes on DS9 when the Ferengi give Bajor an alternative to Federation membership: protection and independence in a new Interstellar Trade Consortium. One that also includes the Cardassians, Ktarians, and myriad smaller players that the ubiquitous Ferengi do business with, in a non-aggression pact and free-market alternative to the culturally dominant and godless Federation. An alliance in which the Bajorans would have serious influence, given their ownership of the wormhole and the Ferengi’s ultimate hopes to expand trade and maintain peace with the Dosii, Karemma, and even the Dominion proper. A peace that cannot be if the Federation and newly-belligerent Klingons (post-“Way of the Warrior) have their way.
Lower Decks: epic mission told through the point of view of the Lower Decks that ultimately leads to the main characters’ success and the deaths of Lavelle, Taurik, Ogawa, Ben, and other redshirts that die in every episode of Star Trek. Though still satisfyingly, in a Rogue One/Hamlet kind of way.
Maybe…here’s a crazy thought. Maybe the epic mission has to do with this also being the TNG Mirror Universe story, and some of them die at the hands of the evil versions of the main characters that they’re already intimidated by in our universe.
Q: we find out why he was afraid of Guinan and what the secret story behind her people is, before what they came up with in GEN.
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Perhaps we'll get some kind of update on that in PIC
Anemic? TNG?!
I made some minor changes to it. These are broad concepts for problems within, but the episodes would be much more character focused. Maybe I’ll play with it some more another day too.
All too frequently.
It had lost it's steam by Season 7. I like TNG, but it's ups and downs are well acknowledged.
Being serious, I think one day someone is going to take the audio from the video game A Final Unity and make some kind of TNG limited animated series, which to me could slot in as Season...well actually going by the stardate it's just part of Season 7. Jason T already recreated the unique intro for the game.
Being semi-serious, back in the 90s and reading one of those Captains Logs books, I took someone's joking comment that William Shatner was going to be a regular in TNG Season 8 as truthful and I thought that would be cool then. Not so much now, but it's an idea that's been in the back of my head, like maybe Generations happened as a two part episode and Kirk turns up on the Enterprise-D and stays. I also had this dream where an 8th season was being made, along with films, but Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner only wanted to return for the films so Beverly became captain of the Enterprise-D which was renamed to be the Pasteur and the Enterprise-E was commisioned. Frakes came back in the series as Tom Riker, now a science officer and wearing blue, and appeared in the films as Will Riker, still as Picard's first officer. No idea what the other crew members did.
I quite like ColeMercury's alternate universe idea for a 15 season TNG (which is actually a kind of TNG/Voyager hybrid). He put a lot of thought into it.
Being semi-serious, back in the 90s and reading one of those Captains Logs books, I took someone's joking comment that William Shatner was going to be a regular in TNG Season 8 as truthful and I thought that would be cool then. Not so much now, but it's an idea that's been in the back of my head, like maybe Generations happened as a two part episode and Kirk turns up on the Enterprise-D and stays. I also had this dream where an 8th season was being made, along with films, but Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner only wanted to return for the films so Beverly became captain of the Enterprise-D which was renamed to be the Pasteur and the Enterprise-E was commisioned. Frakes came back in the series as Tom Riker, now a science officer and wearing blue, and appeared in the films as Will Riker, still as Picard's first officer. No idea what the other crew members did.
I quite like ColeMercury's alternate universe idea for a 15 season TNG (which is actually a kind of TNG/Voyager hybrid). He put a lot of thought into it.
I'll take a (mostly) high-level approach to a hypothetical season 8.
The writers and producers finally get it through their thick skulls that they have lost their way in the last couple of seasons so they hit the reset button and produce many more TOS-inspired space exploration stories. Additionally, Q and Lwaxana never make an appearance. Also, no ferengi
The writers and producers finally get it through their thick skulls that they have lost their way in the last couple of seasons so they hit the reset button and produce many more TOS-inspired space exploration stories. Additionally, Q and Lwaxana never make an appearance. Also, no ferengi
They really wrote themselves into a corner early with Riker. He starts out as the ambitious, driven XO gunning for his first command, even going so far as offering him more than one promotion to captain, which he turns down again and again. It just didn't make much sense, in-universe. Out of universe, it does because if Frakes didn't want to leave the show and the producers did not want to move on from him then he wasn't going anywhere.
As has been mentioned before, I think they should have used the episode, Second Chances, as the catalyst to remove Riker from the Enterprise. Riker gets promoted to captain and leaves the ship. Frakes sticks around and plays Tom Riker. Think of the possibilities that would have opened up for the dynamics of the show. It should have been a challenge that any actor would want to take on. They could have even brought back Will as a guest. Seems like a missed opportunity to me.
But the whole point of Riker constantly turning down commands is that he clearly wants the Enterprise, and he's not going to settle for anything less. In real life this is clearly preposterous, but this isn't real life. The audience sympathizes with him because he's the hero. So to me, it makes logical sense that if there would have been a hypothetical season 8 (and no movies) to end the adventures of the TNG crew, then Riker would have eventually gotten command of the D.
I'd go in the opposite direction a lot of people here have suggested...and I wouldn't spend a whole lot of time making sequel/follow-up episodes.
I'd have the Enterprise tasked with a deep-space frontier mission for that last year. Very isolated, away from the Klingons, Romulans and Cardassians, purely scientific research and exploration. And I'd have the writers room doing the types of stories we saw more of in S1 and S2, except with the mature writing and character development we'd gotten to in the later seasons. No family visit episodes or any of that. Just pure, weird, sci-fi stuff or meeting new aliens stuff. That would be my writer's room mandate.
I'd have the Enterprise tasked with a deep-space frontier mission for that last year. Very isolated, away from the Klingons, Romulans and Cardassians, purely scientific research and exploration. And I'd have the writers room doing the types of stories we saw more of in S1 and S2, except with the mature writing and character development we'd gotten to in the later seasons. No family visit episodes or any of that. Just pure, weird, sci-fi stuff or meeting new aliens stuff. That would be my writer's room mandate.
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I agree...but it's actually not too unrealistic.
I think Riker is a very "human" character. He starts out with almost blind ambition to achieve a captaincy (to the point of leaving his relationship with Troi behind to advance his career), but now he has found real happiness aboard the Enterprise with this role and this crew, and it's given him perspective on what he wants out of life. He respects Picard immensely, and it's a lot easier to subjugate your ambitions when you respect your boss. Also, he's had plenty of opportunity to shine and make his mark on history on various missions (not to mention his stint as Acting Captain during the Borg Crisis) and the fact that the love of his life happens to be on the same ship.
I think it's a nice little arc for the character...and not just a cliche "I'm going to be a captain someday!!!" arc. Often, as we gain seasoning and experience, we find that we want different things out of life than to be at the top of the org chart.
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