Did DS9 and VOY really "wreck" TNG season 7?

[JesterFace]

What's perhaps more likely is that writers had ideas which they consciously held back for the new show, and didn't consider working up as TNG scripts.

I think this was the original point in my opening post, it just didn't come across very well. =)

 

[at Quark's]

^ That's possible, but the only ones who could answer that question are (it seems) those writers themselves. Did they ever say anything to that effect?

 

[Qonundrum]

Move Along Home was always a DS9 script. It also was written by people not busy on TNG. (The story was by Piller, who had moved on from TNG already, and the teleplay was by three people, two of which worked on Liaisons for TNG but nothing else. The third was a DS9-only writer.)

Interestingly (IMO) two of the three also worked on Duet. So they worked on the two eps that for many represent the best and worst of season one DS9.

Personally, I always felt that Move Along Home was most like a TOS ep.

TOS mixed with a bit of Doctor Who. It's an unconventional story as it didn't fit the "usual" season one fare after a certain point, but that's enough for some to dislike it. But while Sisko also got the TOS "What is love?" stuff as asked by the Prophets in the premiere, it's "Move Along Home" that has Quark getting the "human condition exploration" this time, of a refreshingly different and innovative sort, and DS9 was all the better for it -- regardless of the story's nitpicks.

"Duet" will always be a masterclass of scripting, melding in so much so perfectly.

 

[Mojochi]

I think maybe the production team was spread a little too thin in the last TNG season, mainly because of prep for the movie. The producers themselves have even said as much. Producing a 2nd show couldn't have helped that much either, even though it was already off the ground.

But nothing imho was being squirreled away for Voyager, which they hadn't really gotten into, & nothing of TNG stories would really be useful to the DS9 dynamic imho. Ultimately, I think they were just tired of writing for TNG & it was beginning to show here & there.

While they had a few good premises to show, & they had a few farewell episodes for some characters like Wes, Ro, & even Lwaxana's swan song, as well as the finale (debate amongst yourselves how well you think those turned out) which they did seem to invest themselves in, there were also quite a few that seemed phoned in from the writers, particularly toward the back half of the season IMHO.

Blame whatever you want, disinterest, fatigue, focusing elsewhere, etc. There was probably a little of all of that to go around, but I doubt they were deliberately being pilfered for the other productions

 

[Qonundrum]

Another thought, due to the passage of time and much caffeine:

The lack of Ro and Guinan seemed to hamper Season 7 a lot more, as established characters magically disappear at the same time as everything else is happening. Maybe this is also due to the preproduction of GEN and VOY as well as working on DS9, but Guinan especially was a presence on the ship and Ro was adding a pizazz to the show that Alexander could not bring and that Q could only do once a season.

Ro, after a season of numerous appearances, she pretty much vanishes for almost two seasons, but gets a semi-generic "conclusion" that feels out of place (and arguably rushed). The "letting him down" stuff is more worthy of DS9, anyhow. Kinda glad she returned in PIC...

Guinan? A more established character, she's nowhere in sight after early season 6 as well, but not until GEN where something about her isn't quite the same* in that feature film. Never mind the newfound and equally cliché candle addiction to suggest "myyssssssssttttttteeeeeerrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy" for a character (melodrama added) and the automated fire suppression systems were definitely not enabled that day...

* Indeed, how might she fare in "Face of the Enemy", for tangent example? That's no less as far-fetched, and I'd be more likely to believe her having the ability to speak and hear Romulan without the need of universal translator, silly little nitpickerying and all...

 

[Frontis]

Another thought, due to the passage of time and much caffeine:

The lack of Ro and Guinan seemed to hamper Season 7 a lot more, as established characters magically disappear at the same time as everything else is happening. Maybe this is also due to the preproduction of GEN and VOY as well as working on DS9, but Guinan especially was a presence on the ship and Ro was adding a pizazz to the show that Alexander could not bring and that Q could only do once a season.

Ro, after a season of numerous appearances, she pretty much vanishes for almost two seasons, but gets a semi-generic "conclusion" that feels out of place (and arguably rushed). The "letting him down" stuff is more worthy of DS9, anyhow. Kinda glad she returned in PIC...

Guinan? A more established character, she's nowhere in sight after early season 6 as well, but not until GEN where something about her isn't quite the same* in that feature film. Never mind the newfound and equally cliché candle addiction to suggest "myyssssssssttttttteeeeeerrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy" for a character (melodrama added) and the automated fire suppression systems were definitely not enabled that day...

* Indeed, how might she fare in "Face of the Enemy", for tangent example? That's no less as far-fetched, and I'd be more likely to believe her having the ability to speak and hear Romulan without the need of universal translator, silly little nitpickerying and all...

Well Guinan didn't appear in VOY or DS9 either but she is still one of my favorite Star Trek characters at all.

 

[Qonundrum]

Well Guinan didn't appear in VOY or DS9 either but she is still one of my favorite Star Trek characters at all.

True. ...but for whatever reason, it's as if they were completely forgotten about while the makers went on to create other shows. Perhaps Kira's presence in DS9 would be deemed "too similar" to Ro, and Ro was to have been on DS9 originally... I can't fathom anyone on VOY or DS9 having a "Guinan equivalent", however.

 

[AntonyF]

I was the one who posted a thread recently on a bit of a downer about TNG season 7. I moderated my opinion after, as there are many good episodes in the season.

What I was feeling but found it hard to articulate was that TNG season 7 felt small. Insular. I think that as partially as DS9 feels so much more full of life. Compare an average promenade scene to TNG where you see about the same five extras.

Someone made a very good point that they had to re-contract the cast for season seven, and given the success of the show they probably took bumper pay rises. That would have added to the cost contraints.

I think that combined with just the show being old and the writers excited by something new - as well as Generations right off the bat - all added up to the season feeling a bit lacklustre. But not bad by any means.

 

[GulBahana]

I didn't think season 7 was that bad when I was watching it at the time. Sure, there's Sub Rosa and Genesis, but those still entertained me on a certain level.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

Some say STNG season 7 is weak.
Some say it's weak because they were running out on ideas.
Some say the upcoming movie(s) took main focus.
Some say Deep Space Nine and eventually Voyager took the best storylines, STNG was left with leftovers?

I wonder how much of this is true.
DS9 was something different and new and had to build their own world, how much can you steal from a show with a starship in it going places?
Voyager, maybe? It's kind of like TNG but still different.

Only DS9 S2 ran parallel with TNG S7, though Generations and VOY S1 were on the way.

I took a glance at the TNG S7 episode guide. A lot of these episodes, I don't remember, but from what I saw, the only weak episode is the one with Dr. Crusher's space ghost.

 

[suarezguy]

I think Season 6 was already a slight decline, probably from Piller being occupied with Deep Space Nine (and some other writers just getting a bit tired), then Season 7 a further decline from both Piller and Taylor being occupied with others. I think Moore, Braga, Echevarria and Menosky were always hit and miss but from there being less of the executive producers attention (and a little bit from Moore and Braga also working on the film) there were more misses that otherwise probably could have been significantly improved otherwise.

I think that combined with just the show being old and the writers excited by something new - as well as Generations right off the bat - all added up to the season feeling a bit lacklustre.

I think especially "Masks" and "Genesis" the writers went too far, the episodes would have been better if they had somehow been toned down, reigned in.

 

[AntonyF]

I think especially "Masks" and "Genesis" the writers went too far, the episodes would have been better if they had somehow been toned down, reigned in.

Funnily enough I consider them strong episodes.

It's more the can't-be-arsed mundanity of episodes like Homeward and Interface I found harder.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

I thought the story was that after 7 years, they were running out of ideas, hence a 3-movie contract instead of Season 8.

 

[Sim]

Did they "wreck" TNG season 7?

I'd say no, because I don't think s7 is a "wreck". Maybe a slightly higher dud/hit ratio, but by no means a bad season, and far from the massive drop in quality some say it is, imo.

But okay, well possible it could have been better, if there hadn't been so many other projects in the line.

 

[Maj. Dick]

I think the fact that they spread their writing resources so thin and had Jerri Taylor setting the quality standard kind of low and messy.