TNG First Season Woes:

[Praxius]

Well I got my wife into Star Trek by introducing her to DS9 first and she of course loved it and hated to see it end, and we decided to move into TNG so she could get more of the background of some of the characters, aliens and such that lead up to DS9. Like our viewing of DS9, we're going from start to finish, starting with of course TNG Season one.

To be honest, I was always a big fan of TNG and in fact, TNG was what got me into Star Trek in the first place.... but I never liked the first season at all and always found it hard to get through due to the bad effects, cheesy humor, over powering (at times) bad music, and lack of any real action and involvement due to just about everything being more political then anything.

Of course my wife is finding it very boring and hasn't even gotten into it at the moment, and I have told her that even I don't care about the first season all that much, but I also told her that it begins to get pretty good by Season 2 & better beyond season 2..... and to keep in mind that DS9 starts off roughly about halfway through TNG (more or less) and thus the graphics/effects and everything do eventually get better.

So I was wondering..... what would any of you suggest to say to her about Season 1 and sticking through with the series?

I also told her that it's going to be crappy at first in comparison because of:

A) It was the first big step from TOS, so a lot of new things needed testing. (Show-wise)

B) They have to first get through some of the character setup/backgrounds like what occurred on DS9 and their first couple of seasons.

C) They need to explain a bit on the new technologies like the Holodeck and update the old fans to the new "Generation."

So how else would you word it to someone not having any interest whatsoever in TNG after getting into DS9 first?

 

[sbk1234]

Just skip it and go to season two. Or just show her the best of season 1.

 

[milo bloom]

Just power through it. Honestly, the wife and I have been rewatching TNG and it was a lot more enjoyable than we remembered. There was more of a sense of wonder from the crew at all the weirdness around them. I honestly think it's a little closer to TOS than pretty much any other series out there.

 

[Praxius]

Just skip it and go to season two. Or just show her the best of season 1.

Well that's the problem.... I was going to skip the season, but then you miss out on Lore, Tasha dying, Troi's mother's first appearance, a couple of Q episodes, introduction of the Ferengi (Whom remind me of the flying monkeys from Wizard of Oz), and so on..... Which much of it all does carry over to later episodes which should be watched or else you miss much of the background.

..... yet even those semi-important background episodes are kinda dull and not all that interesting.

They're interesting for me to a degree because I know what happens later on in the series and I enjoy seeing what started it all..... but it's still leaving a bad taste in the mouth watching them.

I mean I still enjoy many TNG episodes later and I know that it does get better.... but it's hard to explain to the misses.

 

[Praxius]

Just power through it. Honestly, the wife and I have been rewatching TNG and it was a lot more enjoyable than we remembered. There was more of a sense of wonder from the crew at all the weirdness around them. I honestly think it's a little closer to TOS than pretty much any other series out there.

I think that might be where the problem lies.... it's more like TOS then DS9 at the beginning..... which is complete understandable, because of course Gene was working on it and they need to tie it into TOS because it's the next series/generation.

And for me and I know for my wife.... neither of us are big fans of TOS. I've seen many episodes of TOS and appreciate many of them, while she seen one (the one where they go back in time and the lady get's hit by the car in the end.... can't remember the name right off the top of my head).... she didn't care for it, but I did remind her that this was done back in the 60's, so try not to hold too high of expectations compared to DS9.

I think if the first season threw in a bit more action, things would have been better, but things seem to go stale until Datalore where Data and Lore get fighting and chucking crap around..... I noticed my wife seemed interested in that one, and knowing the character's background up to that point.... .I think we're getting through the worst, but I still know there's a couple of episodes to come I don't care for.

Oh well.... fight through it I guess..... the next episode is "Too Short a Season"

Added:

Oops, crap... forgot to multi-quote again..... friggin bad habit of mine

 

[Mr_Homn]

its funny, my ex girlfriend liked season one and two but thought it got boring after that

so did another friend i introduced the show to. well he didnt think it was boring, he actually loved the whole series, but his favorite was season 1. and he didnt even see it in any order

but i guess some people just like cheesiness and others dont. star trek is 50% cheese though, so i'd say it's a bad reason to dismiss it!

 

[Shatnertage]

I wouldn't watch the episodes in order. Show her a few really good ones from later on, then cycle back once she's invested in the characters.

For example, show her "Tapestry." All you need to know is that Picard is a starship captain, and Q is some kind of omnipotent entity who's taken an interest in him in the past. She'll get a much better idea of who Picard is--and what Sir Patrick brought to the role--than sitting through "Justice."

Once she's made a connection, the show will seem much more interesting.

 

[Mr_Homn]

I wouldn't watch the episodes in order. Show her a few really good ones from later on, then cycle back once she's invested in the characters.

For example, show her "Tapestry." All you need to know is that Picard is a starship captain, and Q is some kind of omnipotent entity who's taken an interest in him in the past. She'll get a much better idea of who Picard is--and what Sir Patrick brought to the role--than sitting through "Justice."

Once she's made a connection, the show will seem much more interesting.

i agree fully.

This is the best way to do it.

I think that's why my friend liked TNG season 1 the best. he already knew the characters... i think when tasha died he saw how sad they all got, it really touched him because he ALREADY knew the characters

 

[Praxius]

I wouldn't watch the episodes in order. Show her a few really good ones from later on, then cycle back once she's invested in the characters.

For example, show her "Tapestry." All you need to know is that Picard is a starship captain, and Q is some kind of omnipotent entity who's taken an interest in him in the past. She'll get a much better idea of who Picard is--and what Sir Patrick brought to the role--than sitting through "Justice."

Once she's made a connection, the show will seem much more interesting.

Good idea, and to be honest, she has seen a couple of other episodes later in the series before we got into season one.... like:

"A Matter of Honor"
"Allegiance"
"Captain's Holiday"
"Cause and Effect"
"Time's Arrow (Part 1 & 2)"

On and off while we were delving into DS9, then moved into TNG season 1.

I did tell her last night that eventually it'll be getting more involved in Worf's background, how Gowron came to power, the Borg, the Romulans, etc. etc..... so we shall see.

 

[Mr Cool Dude]

I liked how bizarre the first season was. There are some episodes that really just have to be seen to be believed. I think only a very serious TNG fan could watch The Naked Now, Code Of Honor, Lonely Among Us, or Hide and Q, and enjoy them.
For a more objective person, I'd say the season does improve. About midway through, The Big Goodbye was good. I liked DataLore too, and 11001001 was excellent.
There are some more uneven episodes but I think the season ends strongly with Yar's death in Skin Of Evil, Conspiracy, and The Neutral Zone.
I'd say just endure it, but after The Battle she might want to divorce you. I think you should take the risk though, because TNG does get much better, and produces the best episodes in any series of Star Trek, ever.

 

[Genesis Does]

I always thought that Skin of Evil was a terrible episode and a terrible way to kill off Tasha Yar. There are some bright spots in the season, and of course you have to watch the pilot episode.

If I were you, and I wanted to skip some episodes, I would watch (besides E at F):

Where No One Has Gone Before*
The Battle
Haydn Q
Haven*
The Big Goodbye*
Datalore*
11001001
Coming of Age
Heart of Glory*
Symbiosis (this one is iffy or not, I would watch it just for the TWOK characters)
Skin of Evil
Conspiracy
The Neutral Zone*

I know that it's half the season, but the ones marked with * I have deemed as important to the rest of the series.

 

[M'rk son of Mogh]

I wouldn't watch the episodes in order. Show her a few really good ones from later on, then cycle back once she's invested in the characters.

For example, show her "Tapestry." All you need to know is that Picard is a starship captain, and Q is some kind of omnipotent entity who's taken an interest in him in the past. She'll get a much better idea of who Picard is--and what Sir Patrick brought to the role--than sitting through "Justice."

Once she's made a connection, the show will seem much more interesting.

I disagree 100% with this! Tapestry works because we KNOW very well the man that Picard is. Seeing his past and who he becomes is part of the fun. Also seeing how the relationship between Picard and Q has grown. If that's one of the first random episodes, sure it's good, but I think a lot of the power would be lost. Save the good character episodes for later, when there's an investment in the characters. That's when you'll get full appreciation for them.

 

[garoo1980]

I would skip the entire thing to be honest. Start somewhere in season 2. Sure you miss a little bit of character development but the show was written with casual viewers in mind. It only takes a line or two of dialog to explain who they are. You don't need to watch Datalore to enjoy Family, you just need someone to say "That's Data's evil brother". Its not worth sitting through some of those awful episodes just for that.

Granted some fans like the campy stuff, ST is a varied series with lots of different styles. But I would think if someone liked DS9 they're not going to like TNG Season 1 as a whole

 

[Joel_Kirk]

But I would think if someone liked DS9 they're not going to like TNG Season 1 as a whole

A pretty huge opinion....as I liked DS9, and liked Season 1 pretty much as a whole...

 

[caisson2delta]

You should just watch them all and get through it. Agreed, some are difficult to get through, but it seems as though the writers drew a lot from this season. It puts Data into light, much better, IMO. I think that we get a better appreciation of the characters, later on, after seeing how they started out.

 

[Alrik]

I always thought that Skin of Evil was a terrible episode and a terrible way to kill off Tasha Yar. There are some bright spots in the season, and of course you have to watch the pilot episode.

For the longest time I felt the same as you about Skin of Evil. However, I rewatched it not that long ago and the story is actually pretty good. The biggest problem with it is they didn't have the budget or f/x to do Armus justice. Yes Tasha's death was senseless, but that was the point. Armus was the embodyment of pure evil and extremely dangerous. The problem is, it was hard to get that from a moving oil slick. If any episode of TNG were to be re-imagined SoE would be a perfect candidate.

If I were you, and I wanted to skip some episodes, I would watch (besides E at F):

Where No One Has Gone Before*
The Battle
Haydn Q
Haven*
The Big Goodbye*
Datalore*
11001001
Coming of Age
Heart of Glory*
Symbiosis (this one is iffy or not, I would watch it just for the TWOK characters)
Skin of Evil
Conspiracy
The Neutral Zone*

I know that it's half the season, but the ones marked with * I have deemed as important to the rest of the series.

You should probably add a * to a couple more.

Skin of Evil impacts Yesterdays Enterprise.
11001001 is referenced in Future Imperfect.
The Battle helps Bloodlines make a lot more sense.

 

[Mytran]

Skin of Evil is significant in that it removes a main character and doesn't bring her back to life. For that reason it should definitely stay.

As for the others:
Watching 11001001 is not required to the "Minuet" reference in Future Imperfect - Riker explains who she is. And Bloodlines is a bit of a silly episode anyway (although in the classic vein of an overly convaluted revenge plot). In any case, those particular 1st season episodes are not absolutely essential viewing until much later

 

[RAMA]

Well I got my wife into Star Trek by introducing her to DS9 first and she of course loved it and hated to see it end, and we decided to move into TNG so she could get more of the background of some of the characters, aliens and such that lead up to DS9. Like our viewing of DS9, we're going from start to finish, starting with of course TNG Season one.

To be honest, I was always a big fan of TNG and in fact, TNG was what got me into Star Trek in the first place.... but I never liked the first season at all and always found it hard to get through due to the bad effects, cheesy humor, over powering (at times) bad music, and lack of any real action and involvement due to just about everything being more political then anything.

Of course my wife is finding it very boring and hasn't even gotten into it at the moment, and I have told her that even I don't care about the first season all that much, but I also told her that it begins to get pretty good by Season 2 & better beyond season 2..... and to keep in mind that DS9 starts off roughly about halfway through TNG (more or less) and thus the graphics/effects and everything do eventually get better.

So I was wondering..... what would any of you suggest to say to her about Season 1 and sticking through with the series?

I also told her that it's going to be crappy at first in comparison because of:

A) It was the first big step from TOS, so a lot of new things needed testing. (Show-wise)

B) They have to first get through some of the character setup/backgrounds like what occurred on DS9 and their first couple of seasons.

C) They need to explain a bit on the new technologies like the Holodeck and update the old fans to the new "Generation."

So how else would you word it to someone not having any interest whatsoever in TNG after getting into DS9 first?

Geez its really not all that bad, its better than TOS's 3rd season. I find a lot of the episodes to be really watchable.

I would tell her if you look at it, the episodes are really about ideas...if you like concepts, its a good season...if you are into dark drama and characters its not for her. Personally I like my SF to have good concepts, characters are secondary to me..just so happened that they developed quite well in STNG.

RAMA

 

[Cepstrum]

My two cents: I watched the great seasons first, which left me clamoring for more TNG, no matter how (relatively) bad the shows might. Thus I enjoyed working backwards first through season two and now I'm trying season one. While the early era can't compete with the season three and beyond, at least it's the same characters and new stories. Plus, the (mostly) absent serial nature of TNG lessens the problem of watching out of order.

Of course, this technique could backfire: she could be unable to stand season one after watching the rest. Or by watching season one first she may appreciate the improvement in SFX, which throughout lagged behind the latter portions of DS9.

 

[Cornholio]

Just skip it and go to season two. Or just show her the best of season 1.

Well that's the problem.... I was going to skip the season, but then you miss out on Lore, Tasha dying, Troi's mother's first appearance, a couple of Q episodes, introduction of the Ferengi (Whom remind me of the flying monkeys from Wizard of Oz), and so on..... Which much of it all does carry over to later episodes which should be watched or else you miss much of the background.

I really could do without Troi's mother. Majel Barrett just annoys the crap outta me as Lwaxanna. just thinkin' about her now is makin' my blood pressure go up.

I never thought about Ferengi's bein' the flyin' monkeys, but now that you mention it, I can definitely see it.

but the whole premise of the 1st season Ferengi went out the window after that ep, so I see no reason to watch it, unless you want somethin' to laugh 'bout.

I always thought that Skin of Evil was a terrible episode and a terrible way to kill off Tasha Yar. There are some bright spots in the season, and of course you have to watch the pilot episode.

well, I always thought Tasha was a terrible character, played by a horrendously terrible actress, so I guess it all fits together nicely.

havin' said that, I tend to agree with Mytran's assessment of SoE below:

Skin of Evil is significant in that it removes a main character and doesn't bring her back to life. For that reason it should definitely stay.

and I enjoy seein' Tasha die, but that's just me.

Watching 11001001 is not required to the "Minuet" reference in Future Imperfect - Riker explains who she is.

but that episode is worth watching to see Carolyn McCormick lookin' absolutely stunning in red.