Star Trek the Next generation in 70 episodes, -- the streaming model

[Admiral Archer]

Okay I'll bite:

Season 1
"Encounter at Farpoint"
"Where No One Has Gone Before"
"Hide and Q"
"The Big Goodbye"
"Datalore"
"11001001"
"Coming of Age"
"Skin of Evil"
"Conspiracy"
"The Neutral Zone"

Season 2
"The Child"
"Elementary, Dear Data"
"The Measure of a Man"
"The Icarus Factor"
"Pen Pals"
"Q Who"
"Samaritan Snare"
"Up The Long Ladder"
"The Emissary"
"Peak Performance"

Season 3
"The Survivors"
"Who Watches The Watchers"
"The Defector"
"Deja Q"
"Yesterday's Enterprise"
"The Offspring"
"Sins of the Father"
"Captain's Holiday"
"Sarek"
"The Best of Both Worlds"

Season 4
"The Best of Both Worlds, Part II"
"Family"
"Brothers"
"Reunion"
"Final Mission"
"The Wounded"
"Qpid"
"The Drumhead"
"Half a Life"
"Redemption"

Season 5
"Redemption, Part II"
"Darmok"
"Ensign Ro"
"Disaster"
"The Outcast"
"Cause and Effect"
"The First Duty"
"I, Borg"
"The Inner Light"
"Time's Arrow"

Season 6
"Time's Arrow, Part II"
"Relics"
"Schisms"
"Chain of Command, Part I"
"Chain of Command, Part II"
"Ship in a Bottle"
"Tapestry"
"Lessons"
"Timescape"
"Descent"

Season 7
"Descent, Part II"
"Gambit, Part I"
"Gambit, Part II"
"Attached"
"Parallels"
"The Pegasus"
"Lower Decks"
"Journey's End"
"Preemptive Strike"
"All Good Things"

This is a list I can live with.

 

[trekfan_1]

It's kinda of a fun little fan exercise but the writers obviously penned the episodes within a context of a 20 or more episode season. Even the non filler episodes still have some conservative "coziness " and a tone within them that assumes a long season format. And many of the filler episodes (and even some bad ones) still had some good character development momments that cumulatively adds texture to the characters over time .

If the writers were given only 10 episodes, it would be interesting to see how the episodes would of translated on screen. I imaging we may have seen a smaller cast. Some of the quieter "better" episodes may not of been written under that scenerio. Logic would seem to suggest you would of gotten less filler and be left with stronger episodes but I'm not sure that necessarily would of happened. The higher stakes of making episodes count (i.e ratings) with a smaller window may have made them try too hard to impress with too much action and less substance.

Having said all that, I think you could probably get away with 6-8 episodes removed from each season as is and still feel you havnt missed out on the "long season " format pacing and intention.
If I had a friend who wanted to get into TNG but was turned off by long seasons, I would probably do just that ( suggest 6-8 episodes for them skip each season.) . Maybe even more for season 1. Anything more you compromise losing too much of the head to toe feeling of the show as it was constructed IMO.

 

[Phoenix219]

I was thinking of the current streaming model of 10 episodes per season for Star Trek and the arguments on both sides of the issue, with some wishing we had the longer seasons of old and others claiming that it cuts out a lot of the so-called "filler" episodes, and what would constitute "filler" episodes in this instance.

Just as a thought experiment, I began to think about the the episodes themselves, and the larger story and character arcs therein. What would "lean-and-mean" Next Generation* seasons look like if reduced to 10 episodes while still trying to honoring the larger character and story arcs involved? Just to make things more difficult on myself, I decided to try to honor established future continuity as well on this list. I suspected from the start that some seasons would be easier than others. Painful cuts will abound.

*Trying to do this with my favorite Star Trek, Deep Space Nine, would be an absolute lost cause. far too much serialization.

Season 1
1-2 Encounter at Farpoint obviously is the necessary origin story for our 10 episode season, introduces Q, and current streaming models would probably break it down into two episodes just at syndication models did. Not the best that the Next Generation has to offer, but that's the first season in a nutshell.

3 The Last Outpost introduces The Ferengi, and is also a strong Riker episode.

4 Where No One Has Gone Before introduces The Traveler and begins Wesley's arc.

5. God help us, Haven. Introduces Lwaxana and her relationship with Deanna.

6. DataLore, of course introduces Lore

7. Heart of Glory. First strong Worf episode.

8. The Arsenal of Freedom. Great episode for Geordi as well as giving us what are now our first hints of chemistry between Picard and Crusher.

9. Skin of Evil. RIP, Tasha.

10. Conspiracy now serves as our season finale, even if that particular cliffhanger was never picked up on.

The Neutral Zone may have originally served to reintroduce the Romulans and lay the first hints of Borg incursion, but those are minor points in an otherwise underwhelming episode that never really served as a strong season finale in the first place.

Well, that's a lean and mean 10 episodes, and there was only one real clunker in the bunch. Painful cuts? As a matter of fact, yes. The Big Goodbye, not only for its introductory holodeck malfunction tale but for it's adorable interplay between Picard and Crusher. Curse you, Haven!

Also-- Hide and Q. Not the strongest Q episode to be sure, but any interplay between Patrick Stewart and John Delancey is pure gold.

Okay, this is taking more thought time and thought then I originally imagined it was going to and this is only the first season, which I thought would be easy, so I'm going to do each season in a separate post. Please tell me what you think. How would you break down the seasons? Would you just jettison Lwaxana altogether? Believe me, I considered it.

For season 1 serialization you would have to include coming of age wouldn't you? For both Wesley's arc and to leae into conspiracy.

I suggest doing the standard 13 episode half season that Network TV is still using as a compromise.

 

[Riley]

You should redo these lists without regard for who or what appears in other TV shows. Treat it as if TNG was the only Trek show and nothing came later.

Indeed, especially since the CBS shows aren't actually Star Trek.

As for this topic overall, it's a great idea. However, I'm in the minority that would keep a lot of Season 1 and 2 and drop quite a bit more from later seasons.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Indeed, especially since the CBS shows aren't actually Star Trek.

*yawn*

 

[evilchumlee]

As much as I like Brothers, it isn't really necessary in Lore's overall arc, and I personally feel The Drumhead is a much stronger episode. The Host introduces The Triil, but given that Deep Space Nine pretty much ignored everything established in this episode, that made for a very easy continuity cut.

I think it depends on the ultimate aim is here. Are we trying to only say TNG exists, or are we fitting the rest of the universe in? If we're still trying to fit in everything, Brothers may be more important in the grand scheme. The Drumhead is certainly a better episode, but it doesn't really do anything to build a larger plot.

I don't see an issue dropping "The Host". DS9 explains the Trill enough internally anyway, not really necessary. If anything, dropping The Host actually slightly improves DS9.

 

[Riley]

*yawn*

Need a nap?

 

[Tuskin38]

especially since the CBS shows aren't actually Star Trek.

CBS/Paramount owns star trek, so all of Star Trek is CBS/Paramount Star Trek.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Need a nap?

Nah, just a break from clueless edgelords who to try to tell me what is and isn't Star Trek.

 

[Eddie Roth]

Season 2 should be easier, as it's a shorter season and the show still hadn't really found its groove yet.

1. The Child introduces both Guinan and Pulaski to the mix. Another so so episode important to the larger tapestry.

2. Elementary Dear Data. builds on the Pulaski and data dynamic that was established in what is now the previous episode. Introduces Moriarty into the mix. Data's fascination with Sherlock Holmes now comes out of the blue, but that's a minor thing.

3. The Outrageous Okana. Not because it's a great episode, but because the character goes on to appear in both Lower Decks and Prodigy.

4. The Measure of a Man. Obviously, this is one of the better episodes in the entire series and is an vital component of Data's journey. Some would argue that it's inclusion is necessitated simply by the inclusion of Brian Brophy as Bruce Maddox, but that's another thread entirely. Also serves as what is now our first mention of the Romulans.

5. Contagion. Another very strong episode in a not very strong season.

6. Pen Pals. Strong Data episode that shows how Pulaski's opinion of Data has changed since coming on ship. Fascinating discussions on the prime directive.

7. Times Squared. Entertaining hour of wibbly wobbly future duplicate shenanigans.

8. Q-Who. A turning point for not only this series but the entire franchise. The return of Q and the introduction of the Borg. There is a brief mention of the events of The Neutral Zone, which we skipped, but it's a minor thing that you don't need to understand to follow the story.

9. Samaritan Snare, for the importance that the Pakleds played in Lower Decks.

10. The Emissary. This one will now serve as our season finale. a strong Worf episode that introduces Key'hlar to the audiences.

Any painful cuts in season 2? only one -- A Matter of Honor. People tend to rag on the first season, but even broken down to its most essential components, I think season 1 is stronger than season 2.

Going to take a break before moving on to season 3.

I think you've cheated yourself into believing that, particularly by overrating the relevance of certain characters' introductions to understanding their easter-egg reappearances in e.g. Lower Decks. Why bother with Samaritan Snare or Okona if it gives you two so-so episodes in your ten-episode season? Neither intro is really necessary to get who they are in the later shows. Keep A Matter of Honor and Peak Performance instead. The latter of which makes for a better finale than The Emissary, and it ties in with the new Borg threat.