Why did TNG in Season 5 focus so much on Children. From New Ground, to Hero Worship, to Imaginary Friend, some of these episodes are oh so predictable. I think the only one I liked that focused on Children was Disaster and that probably was the weakest part of the episode, even though it was a little cute for the kids and Picard to be singing farajaka.
It's been a while since I've watched season 5, so some of these episodes are ones I haven't seen for a long time. I remember really hating Cost of Living, but then a few years ago someone suggested looking at it from the point of view of what was happening Behind the scenes and the episode kind of works. I mean you had Gene Roddeberry's death, Majel losing her husband, and this episode was a way for her to grieve in a public setting, or at least let the world know how she was feeling. Some of her quiet scenes were actually really really nice. It's still a bad episode, but it's not the worst the series has to offer.
That might go to the third episode I watched tonight, Imaginary Friend. Good Lord this episode is tedious. The girl who played Isabella was not very good, and, considering I've seen Shadowplay more than I've seen IF, Clara was pretty much Teya.
On a positive, I forgot how nice Perfect Mate was. Here's an episode that never get's talked about, yet it features the gorgeous Famke Jannsen, Picard letting his guard down, and a really funny (Even though I still don't entirely get why) line from Riker.
As for the HD, because I haven't seen these episodes in a while, I've forget there are a good number of visual effects here. Imaginary Friend has the nebula, Cost of Living is quite colorful, and the outside shots (and Earth) in First Duty are as gorgeous as ever. I still think the early seasons boasts some of CBS-D's best work, but the later seasons aren't too bad. Maybe it's the whole we're used to the HD and we now take it for granted. If that's the case, I can understand why there is general excitement for DS9.
Lots of implications with that one.
