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On that, I have to wholeheartedly disagree. Season 2 built upon what was working from season 1, and added some great stuff.
1. We get Pulaski, who had more development and growth as a character in one season than Beverly got in 6 seasons.
2. Space and exploration was shown and felt to be legitimately dangerous. Because it actually IS dangerous. That was a recurring theme (whether it was intentional or subconscious) that was consistent throughout the whole season. (Nagilum, Darwin station disease, Iconian probes, "The Royale", duplicate future Picard, the Borg... even in "Shades Of Gray", Riker himself says he's 'surprised this kind of thing doesn't happen more often', given they are exploring the unknown.)
3. As was mentioned by CoveTom, the Borg were at their best here. They never quite got the menace and danger back after "Q Who".
4. As a horror fan, season 2 had more horror/creepy episodes than season 1: "Where Silence Has Lease", "Unnatural Selection", "The Royale", "Time Squared", "Shades Of Gray". Along with scenes peppered through some of the others.
I want to add that season 1 is not the worst of TNG... that's season 7. They were running on fumes and it showed. At least season 1 felt new, fresh, and were willing to try more things.
Meh, Season 2 just always feels like more of a chore to get through on rewatches than S1 does. Which is odd, S2 had fewer episodes. Though in my mind the show's worst season would probably be the fourth, that's the one that epitomizes the "blandness" people often associate with TNG.
Meh, Season 2 just always feels like more of a chore to get through on rewatches than S1 does. Which is odd, S2 had fewer episodes. Though in my mind the show's worst season would probably be the fourth, that's the one that epitomizes the "blandness" people often associate with TNG.
Sure, he gave the series focus with attention to character and he brought in new writers who defined the franchise going forward. However, he cause chaos in his first season on TNG. Simply put, Piller so frustrated the writers they would have all quit on the spot had it not been for Behr. He would rewrite scripts without consulting the writers, sometimes changing huge portions of the story. He was condescending. He wrote a memo to the writers, an ABCs of writing, that presumed the writers had no basic idea of their craft that Snodgrass, Beimlar, and Manning immediately called their agents for new work. According to Behr, "Michael was incapable of running the writers room." From thenceforth, Piller, the showrunner, had no direct dealings with the staff. And there was a genuine fear that production would have shut down. David Carson and (then line producer) David Linvingston both said there was no shooting script a week out from shooting Yesterday's Enterpise, and Behr feared that the studio was going to come down on production. This is probably the context of the famous "gang bang" writing session. Berman, Behr, and Moore all speak lovingly of Piller, but they admit he lacked social abilities. If the show ground to a halt in the third season, the blame would have rested with Piller.
Sure, he gave the series focus with attention to character and he brought in new writers who defined the franchise going forward. However, he cause chaos in his first season on TNG. Simply put, Piller so frustrated the writers they would have all quit on the spot had it not been for Behr. He would rewrite scripts without consulting the writers, sometimes changing huge portions of the story. He was condescending. He wrote a memo to the writers, an ABCs of writing, that presumed the writers had no basic idea of their craft that Snodgrass, Beimlar, and Manning immediately called their agents for new work. According to Behr, "Michael was incapable of running the writers room." From thenceforth, Piller, the showrunner, had no direct dealings with the staff. And there was a genuine fear that production would have shut down. David Carson and (then line producer) David Linvingston both said there was no shooting script a week out from shooting Yesterday's Enterpise, and Behr feared that the studio was going to come down on production. This is probably the context of the famous "gang bang" writing session. Berman, Behr, and Moore all speak lovingly of Piller, but they admit he lacked social abilities. If the show ground to a halt in the third season, the blame would have rested with Piller.
Much of what you describe was also Maurice Hurley, too. Being difficult to work with, doing major changes to scripts without consultation. (Tracy Torme ended up using TWO pseudonyms for two of his episodes in season 2 because of this, and he left at the end of that season.) Hurley also was the reason McFadden got fired.
Snodgrass was still pretty new to writing for television, so there may have been some level of just taking it too personally. (I believe TNG season 2 was her first job writing for tv.) Beimler and Manning... they had several years under their belts of tv writing/producing before TNG, so I can understand that reaction. But Hurley was clearly worse because even after he left, no one else returned to the franchise. Hans Beimler did for DS9 season 4 onward.
And if Piller really was THAT difficult to work with, I doubt Behr would have come to DS9 when it was starting. And everyone else stayed aboard for years.
Honestly, if we're going by who had the more negative impact between Piller and Hurley, it's Hurley for sure. And at least Piller was trying to teach and mentor others. Hurley wasn't one to do that.
Much of what you describe was also Maurice Hurley, too. Being difficult to work with, doing major changes to scripts without consultation. (Tracy Torme ended up using TWO pseudonyms for two of his episodes in season 2 because of this, and he left at the end of that season.) Hurley also was the reason McFadden got fired.
Snodgrass was still pretty new to writing for television, so there may have been some level of just taking it too personally. (I believe TNG season 2 was her first job writing for tv.) Beimler and Manning... they had several years under their belts of tv writing/producing before TNG, so I can understand that reaction. But Hurley was clearly worse because even after he left, no one else returned to the franchise. Hans Beimler did for DS9 season 4 onward.
And if Piller really was THAT difficult to work with, I doubt Behr would have come to DS9 when it was starting. And everyone else stayed aboard for years.
Honestly, if we're going by who had the more negative impact between Piller and Hurley, it's Hurley for sure. And at least Piller was trying to teach and mentor others. Hurley wasn't one to do that.
First, I'm not comparing Hurley to Piller. The sins of one man don't absolve another's.
Second, none of the staff writers who started Season 3 came back. There were carryovers: Moore was new, and Behr says over and over that he was too eager to please. Echevaria had not yet been put on staff, and he admits Snodgrass saved his bacon by (1) giving a great rewrite of The Offspring and (2) not asked for teleplay credit. Indeed, Piller told Echevaria he had "screwed the pooch" on the teleplay.
Third, other producers were running the writers room: Jeri Taylor and Behr. Piller was the showrunner, but he didn't have the intimate relationship with the writing staff. When Beimler came to DS9, Piller not only wasn't running the writers room, he was no longer a producer.
ETA: let's not forget how Piller tempted Behr back: Piller would step away, and Behr would become the showrunner.
First, I'm not comparing Hurley to Piller. The sins of one man don't absolve another's.
Second, none of the staff writers who started Season 3 came back. There were carryovers: Moore was new, and Behr says over and over that he was too eager to please. Echevaria had not yet been put on staff, and he admits Snodgrass saved his bacon by (1) giving a great rewrite of The Offspring and (2) not asked for teleplay credit. Indeed, Piller told Echevaria he had "screwed the pooch" on the teleplay.
Third, other producers were running the writers room: Jeri Taylor and Behr. Piller was the showrunner, but he didn't have the intimate relationship with the writing staff. When Beimler came to DS9, Piller not only wasn't running the writers room, he was no longer a producer.
ETA: let's not forget how Piller tempted Behr back: Piller would step away, and Behr would become the showrunner.
First, Jeri Taylor didn't come to TNG until season 4, so she definitely had no hand in anything about season 3, much less ran the writers room. (And to be honest, Jeri Taylor was NOT that good leading the writing room. Season 7 TNG and VOY season 3, the two where she had basically solo control, are proof of this. As an indivudual writer, she's good... I like most of her episodes. Just running the show was not her strong suit.)
Second, my point about people returning was that even with the person they had an issue with was gone, they didn't bother to come back. Hurley made such a bad impression that it completely soured them to return. (I definitely would have wanted Torme to come back, even briefly.) Beimler at least did.
Third, I'm not saying 'sins of one absolves another'. My point was that sometimes in a leadership role, you're going to do things that will piss some of your subordinates off. (Probably my fault for not being more clear about what I was trying to say, so my apologies for that.) It's a job, not kindergarten. You can't coddle people all the time, either.
Fourth, I don't think Piller would have gotten the praise he did by all those people if he truly was that bad. They certainly wouldn't have stayed in the franchise for as long as they did.
Is Piller perfect? Certainly not, nobody is. But the good he did and made FAR outweighed any negatives.
First, Jeri Taylor didn't come to TNG until season 4, so she definitely had no hand in anything about season 3, much less ran the writers room. (And to be honest, Jeri Taylor was NOT that good leading the writing room. Season 7 TNG and VOY season 3, the two where she had basically solo control, are proof of this. As an indivudual writer, she's good... I like most of her episodes. Just running the show was not her strong suit.)
Fourth, I don't think Piller would have gotten the praise he did by all those people if he truly was that bad. They certainly wouldn't have stayed in the franchise for as long as they did.
Please do the math: Behr ran the writers room on TNG after the famous ABCs of writing memo; Piller stopped showing up. When Behr left, Taylor took over the writers room through the end of TNG and into Voyager. Behr ran the writers room for the entirety of DS9. All the nitty gritty of breaking stories was done without Piller's active involvement. Apparently, Piller started therapy, which made it easier for him to work with people ( ever hear of the awkward hugs he started giving?). Most of the writers who praise him came during or after season 3, after others had worked to stabilize the situation. It isn't that he didn't make large contributions to the franchise, but his immediate impact was far from beneficial, and could have been worse had others not intervened to keep writers from quitting on the spot or having production grind to a halt.
BTW, this was the season the writers walked around the lot, singing, " Defeated, defeated, I know I've been defeated. "
Please do the math: Behr ran the writers room on TNG after the famous ABCs of writing memo; Piller stopped showing up. When Behr left, Taylor took over the writers room through the end of TNG and into Voyager. Behr ran the writers room for the entirety of DS9. All the nitty gritty of breaking stories was done without Piller's active involvement. Apparently, Piller started therapy, which made it easier for him to work with people ( ever hear of the awkward hugs he started giving?). Most of the writers who praise him came during or after season 3, after others had worked to stabilize the situation. It isn't that he didn't make large contributions to the franchise, but his immediate impact was far from beneficial, and could have been worse had others not intervened to keep writers from quitting on the spot or having production grind to a halt.
BTW, this was the season the writers walked around the lot, singing, " Defeated, defeated, I know I've been defeated. "
I was talking about TNG season 3 when you went and added Taylor, who didn't come aboard until season 4. (Which I said was when she started.)
Whether he was initially beneficial with impact or not doesn't really matter... the results of Piller heading the show can't be denied. He was definitely very beneficial.
Apparently, since those in the same Quadrant Area managed to copy each other.
It's happened with IRL Military Technology numerous times where one Military starts doing something, others copy.
The same when we went from "Full Power Battle Rifle" Cartridges down to "Intermediate Power" Cartridges as the new norm.
That change took place over a few decades, but every single military on Earth swapped over.
Not really. The image is of an officer who was told to "look out the window" to analyze an alien ship. No view screen accuracy. No special equipment beyond Geordi's visor. If sensors are that useless then the inefficiency of sending the officer to a separate room to report what he sees.
I guarantee that most aren’t going to care for the way some anime and manga series are structured - Japanese storytelling form is very different from western story arcs. You’re not going to get the leeway from an audience unused to that structure in a mainstream production, to say nothing of the “bum ache factor” with long and drawn-out action sequences. The studio would force that change long before reaching filming.
Through the years, anime has seen an impressive increase in popularity among international audiences. While the medium used to be considered a niche a few years ago, it has slowly become an important part of pop culture. This increase in relevance has also been felt in anime’s home country, as the AJA report revealed that the international market managed to surpass the domestic one during 2023. Countries outside of Japan accounted for 51.5% of the total revenue for the industry.
You cannot deny the reach of Japanese Entertainment mediums like Manga & Anime.
It's growing and the younger folks are consuming it and fine with it.
Both you & I are literal products of that generation who started getting into Manga/Anime at a early age in the 1990's.
2018 was the tipping year for Manga in the US, that was the year when Manga barely beat out US Comics.
After that, Manga is beating out US Comics pretty handidly & consistently.
The big 2, DC & Marvel, aren't going to get back a market that used to be owned by them.
I watch it for both. Space Battles are fine & Trek has it's own take on it.
But the other aspects of Trek's exploration of the stars also work.
That variety is what I really like as well.
Being a giant variety show where you don't know what's going to happen next week can be really fun.
But having long form story telling arcs also work as well when you plan it out well.
DS9 is proof of that.
I was kind of hoping transphasic torpedoes would be a common starship weapons system by the PIC timeframe (2399-2402), but they were probably buried and classified.
Judging by the name, it's possible the fallout of using those devices frequently might have had a deleterious affect of the surrounding space, particularly evident in former battlefields where they were used.
Much like using high warp speeds in frequently-traveled space lanes permanently damaging and warping space, transphasic torpedoes may put certain areas of space into (or out of, depending on your POV) permanent phase. Perhaps that's what happened in that area of space from "Tholian Web" - a Tholian transphasic weapon accident that permanently messed up that region and weakened the fabric of space-time. They realized the mistake too late and buried the operation and other nearby spacefaring races accidentally fall into it unawares.
I was kind of hoping transphasic torpedoes would be a common starship weapons system by the PIC timeframe (2399-2402), but they were probably buried and classified.
According to β canon sources lore, the TransPhasic Torpedoes were kept in reserve as a "Ace Up Their Sleeve" since they didn't want any of the other powers, and especially the Borg to adapt to it.
So it was kept in reserve as the weapon you use in dire emergencies.
Knowledge of it's manufacturing, composition, etc would've been kept classified until it was pulled out in a large crisis situation, mainly for dealing with "The Borg".
In STO, by the early 25th century, other species like the Breen & Hirogen started using TransPhasic torpedoes, so the cat is out of the bag at that point.
Honestly, if we're going by who had the more negative impact between Piller and Hurley, it's Hurley for sure. And at least Piller was trying to teach and mentor others. Hurley wasn't one to do that.
When I spoke of Hurley as the better showrunner, I'm just speaking of what showed up on the screen rather than what went on with the staff behind the scenes. Season 2 is far more interesting to me than many of the later seasons that Piller supervised. He made the show far, far too bland and prevented it from taking any chances. People blame Berman for that, and he had a role, but Berman was there from day 1, whereas the change to the more bland and safe TNG happened exactly when Piller arrived.
was it batmobile armor? i remember there was a made-for-syndication show about some sort of special team centered on a sports car (not a knightrider reboot or anything) where the car had improbable slide out armor, in addition to various bond-car type gadgetry, that was on saturday afternoons (when i caught it) during a little bit of Voyager's run, and that's where my brain goes to...
spyder or something?
was it batmobile armor? i remember there was a made-for-syndication show about some sort of special team centered on a sports car (not a knightrider reboot or anything) where the car had improbable slide out armor, in addition to various bond-car type gadgetry, that was on saturday afternoons (when i caught it) during a little bit of Voyager's run, and that's where my brain goes to...
spyder or something?
