TNG Season 8
- Thread starter Arpy
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Because he doesn’t want it at any cost! Just one day once Picard get promoted or something.
Does everyone who wants inheritance kill their parents?
Worf/Geordi? Haven't seen that shipping for a while...
One for you, Mr. Weaver.
Though given that both characters are unlucky in love, maybe not as bad a pairing as you think.
I would service underutilized characters.
Crusher, La Forge, and Troi would get some serious love.
La Forge is crucial to the Enterprise staying alive every week yet rarely gets his own episodes. The captain can command anything he likes but if La Forge doesn’t figure out a way to make it happen, it doesn’t happen and they all die.
Plus, I don’t like the fan idea that he’s not good with women. Especially after his experience with the Zalkonian John Doe in “Transfigurations.” He seemed smooth enough with Aquiel Uhnari. But I mean he’s a handsome amiable lieutenant commander and chief engineer in the Federation flagship; I’m sure he’s fine.
So I’d see him on maybe an undercover mission, maybe having to romance an alien woman to accomplish some cloak & dagger mission with an engineering objective. Maybe if they’re now in deep space as @Vger23 would like to somehow get a part for the ship or a clue in an ancient alien tech mystery taking them further away from known space.
Geordi’s VISOR plays an important role in the story. It’s fundamental to how he experiences the world and his life different from everyone else, human and alien alike. To better understand him and have fun with his X-Man powers, we see him looking through walls to phaser baddies, getting a sense someone is lying to him in a crucial moment while he’s undercover, and maybe even seducing an alien femme fatale with an intimate description of actually seeing the music playing in the room, and the physiological effect it’s having on them both.
Troi I loved it when she shined in “Face of the Enemy.” I’d give her at least two episodes in which she was 1. in command and taking names, and 2. doing some exemplary counseling. The former maybe while Riker and Data are on an away mission and Picard is injured during an alien attack targeting the bridge. Commander Troi starts barking orders and repels the attack. Then she goes to get her Imzadi back in a plan in part involving her empathic abilities to sense their way though an asteroid belt (she’s a goddamn X-Man) toward where the aliens are hiding.
In another episode she’s in full counselor mode helping a disturbed crewman who’s lost his mind during an away mission after horrors he’s suffered. The episode is somewhat told through his disjointed perspective and she sometimes appears the good guy sometimes the bad guy as his reality is shattered. Maybe we find toward the end that it’s especially this bad because he’s possessed by a parasitic organism, or he’s an unwitting doppelgänger or something, and she ultimately triple tricks him because she’s an empath and a kick-ass flagship counselor to save the day.
In yet another Troi episode, she’s at some cutting edge interstellar psychology symposium and presents (a la Asimov’s Foundation trilogy) the latest in Federation psychohistory, including to some aliens who think she’s a witch or something after suggesting (per the latest psychohistorical projections) that their religious extremism is sending them on a path toward ruin. This after it was their religion, like the logic of Vulcan, that was the main factor in saving them from civil war and extinction.
Crusher, La Forge, and Troi would get some serious love.
La Forge is crucial to the Enterprise staying alive every week yet rarely gets his own episodes. The captain can command anything he likes but if La Forge doesn’t figure out a way to make it happen, it doesn’t happen and they all die.
Plus, I don’t like the fan idea that he’s not good with women. Especially after his experience with the Zalkonian John Doe in “Transfigurations.” He seemed smooth enough with Aquiel Uhnari. But I mean he’s a handsome amiable lieutenant commander and chief engineer in the Federation flagship; I’m sure he’s fine.
So I’d see him on maybe an undercover mission, maybe having to romance an alien woman to accomplish some cloak & dagger mission with an engineering objective. Maybe if they’re now in deep space as @Vger23 would like to somehow get a part for the ship or a clue in an ancient alien tech mystery taking them further away from known space.
Geordi’s VISOR plays an important role in the story. It’s fundamental to how he experiences the world and his life different from everyone else, human and alien alike. To better understand him and have fun with his X-Man powers, we see him looking through walls to phaser baddies, getting a sense someone is lying to him in a crucial moment while he’s undercover, and maybe even seducing an alien femme fatale with an intimate description of actually seeing the music playing in the room, and the physiological effect it’s having on them both.
Troi I loved it when she shined in “Face of the Enemy.” I’d give her at least two episodes in which she was 1. in command and taking names, and 2. doing some exemplary counseling. The former maybe while Riker and Data are on an away mission and Picard is injured during an alien attack targeting the bridge. Commander Troi starts barking orders and repels the attack. Then she goes to get her Imzadi back in a plan in part involving her empathic abilities to sense their way though an asteroid belt (she’s a goddamn X-Man) toward where the aliens are hiding.
In another episode she’s in full counselor mode helping a disturbed crewman who’s lost his mind during an away mission after horrors he’s suffered. The episode is somewhat told through his disjointed perspective and she sometimes appears the good guy sometimes the bad guy as his reality is shattered. Maybe we find toward the end that it’s especially this bad because he’s possessed by a parasitic organism, or he’s an unwitting doppelgänger or something, and she ultimately triple tricks him because she’s an empath and a kick-ass flagship counselor to save the day.
In yet another Troi episode, she’s at some cutting edge interstellar psychology symposium and presents (a la Asimov’s Foundation trilogy) the latest in Federation psychohistory, including to some aliens who think she’s a witch or something after suggesting (per the latest psychohistorical projections) that their religious extremism is sending them on a path toward ruin. This after it was their religion, like the logic of Vulcan, that was the main factor in saving them from civil war and extinction.
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Riker’s actions had nothing to do with ‘wanting the Enterprise for himself.’ He was trying to rescue a friend and fellow officer from Borg control. That was his duty, and he was being selfless.
Re Crusher, I’d set her up for eventual Pasteur captaincy by doing another “Descent”-like episode with her as captain. Maybe play with the format of the show a little bit by using minimal dialogue. It’s night-shift, and she’s doing her occasional rotation. A strange reading comes in and as she considers calling Data or waking Riker notices a bio signature to it and decides to investigate herself. The episode takes us across the ship throughout the night, giving us vignettes of shipboard life…maintenance and upkeep with lower deckers we have and haven’t met before, some acting strangely…science experiments with anomalous results…an argument between lovers, civilians giving us another idea of this city in space…a late night birth…Data as a nude model in an alien art class…“may I help Doctor”, “no I’ll figure it out”…until the Doctor tracks down and solves the evolving medical mystery, maybe in an explosive final act with a parasitic giant lifeform (or not) before the morning shift never knew what hit it.
In another episode maybe play with some of Gates McFadden’s real life theater, dance, choreography, and fencing talents and have her dance. I dunno if we’re talking in a shipboard production of something or on an alien planet. But I mean she’s an accomplished choreographer — let’s go!
In another episode maybe play with some of Gates McFadden’s real life theater, dance, choreography, and fencing talents and have her dance. I dunno if we’re talking in a shipboard production of something or on an alien planet. But I mean she’s an accomplished choreographer — let’s go!
I'd like to marry this comment
Perhaps in the later seasons this is true but I'm not nearly as convinced that's the case in the early years.
He turned down a commission before joining the Enterprise because he wanted to do a tour on the flagship but it would be the height of hubris for him to believe at that point in his career that Starfleet would hand him command of the Ent-D anytime soon.
The character changed to become less ambitious and more focused on helping and staying with his friends (and/or, less charitably, he would only accept getting the Enterprise), I think that is character development that is pretty clear and makes a lot of sense.
I think "The Best of Both Worlds" title can be interpreted as that serving as second in command to Picard is as good, fulfilling as being captain while still benefiting from learning from him.
The TNG Producers decide to take a page from DS9's S2 and have some serialised story elements for their final season, as well as opening with a three episode arc called "Generations".
The first episode of the new season would do something never done before and we wouldn't see the TNG crew at all, with the first episode of the arc setting the scene for the epic story by going back and seeing the three previous generations of Enterprise crew all encounter the same mysterious anomaly (it may or may not be the Nexus), so it would have a lot of focus and promotion given to getting back some/most/all of the TOS cast for special guest roles on the E-A (either between TFF and TUC or right after the events of TUC), then we meet the crew of the E-B on their fateful final mission sometime in the 2320s, before seeing what the E-C crew (bringing back Tricia O'Neil and Christopher McDonald) were up to in 2340-ish. The episode closes with Sela/Tomalak arriving at a research outpost to find its been attacked by Klingons who've stolen their classified project, before tracing its unique signature, cloaking and heading into Federation space to find it.
Episodes 2 and 3 follow the pattern of the film, though as well as having to deal with the Duras Sisters again they've also got Sela/Tomalak trying to muscle their way in as well, whilst Picard has the devastating news of the death of Robert and Louis to deal with and the mysterious anomaly as well (if it is the Nexus then the sequence inside it wouldn't include Kirk and would probably be a little more introspective for Picard before he goes back and gets it right), but ultimately by the end the E-D is lost saving the lives of an innocent world, the Duras Sisters are dead and all-out war with the Romulans is prevented.
The rest of S8 then deals with the fallout of what has happened in this big showy three-parter. Picard and Riker face an investigation and court martial into the loss of the ship (ultimately both are absolved of any charges), whilst Picard also returns home to deal with the tragedy there. Riker's actions are commended and he finally gets his fourth pip and command of a new ship. Data has to deal with the new emotion chip and how to integrate it into who he is, La Forge has to deal with his capture and torture as well as the fact his VISOR was a Trojan Horse which sees him wanting it removed and replaced with the ocular implants, Worf goes back to Klingon space for his spiritual journey and gets up to Klingon things there. Not sure what Troi and Crusher's stories would be, though looking at this Troi would have her hands full helping Picard in his grief (though Crusher could also do this and could also examine their relationship in more detail, especially after "Attached" and "All Good Things"), Riker with his transition to Captain, Data and his new emotions, La Forge and his recovery again, though she would need something of her own in there as well. Picard would also get another ship during this season for a special mission (maybe a diplomatic one to Romulus which of course won't be straight forward).
The final episode would see the commissioning of the E-E and Picard being given command of the new class of ship, with several members of his old crew coming back to join him and heading back out on their continuing mission.
The first episode of the new season would do something never done before and we wouldn't see the TNG crew at all, with the first episode of the arc setting the scene for the epic story by going back and seeing the three previous generations of Enterprise crew all encounter the same mysterious anomaly (it may or may not be the Nexus), so it would have a lot of focus and promotion given to getting back some/most/all of the TOS cast for special guest roles on the E-A (either between TFF and TUC or right after the events of TUC), then we meet the crew of the E-B on their fateful final mission sometime in the 2320s, before seeing what the E-C crew (bringing back Tricia O'Neil and Christopher McDonald) were up to in 2340-ish. The episode closes with Sela/Tomalak arriving at a research outpost to find its been attacked by Klingons who've stolen their classified project, before tracing its unique signature, cloaking and heading into Federation space to find it.
Episodes 2 and 3 follow the pattern of the film, though as well as having to deal with the Duras Sisters again they've also got Sela/Tomalak trying to muscle their way in as well, whilst Picard has the devastating news of the death of Robert and Louis to deal with and the mysterious anomaly as well (if it is the Nexus then the sequence inside it wouldn't include Kirk and would probably be a little more introspective for Picard before he goes back and gets it right), but ultimately by the end the E-D is lost saving the lives of an innocent world, the Duras Sisters are dead and all-out war with the Romulans is prevented.
The rest of S8 then deals with the fallout of what has happened in this big showy three-parter. Picard and Riker face an investigation and court martial into the loss of the ship (ultimately both are absolved of any charges), whilst Picard also returns home to deal with the tragedy there. Riker's actions are commended and he finally gets his fourth pip and command of a new ship. Data has to deal with the new emotion chip and how to integrate it into who he is, La Forge has to deal with his capture and torture as well as the fact his VISOR was a Trojan Horse which sees him wanting it removed and replaced with the ocular implants, Worf goes back to Klingon space for his spiritual journey and gets up to Klingon things there. Not sure what Troi and Crusher's stories would be, though looking at this Troi would have her hands full helping Picard in his grief (though Crusher could also do this and could also examine their relationship in more detail, especially after "Attached" and "All Good Things"), Riker with his transition to Captain, Data and his new emotions, La Forge and his recovery again, though she would need something of her own in there as well. Picard would also get another ship during this season for a special mission (maybe a diplomatic one to Romulus which of course won't be straight forward).
The final episode would see the commissioning of the E-E and Picard being given command of the new class of ship, with several members of his old crew coming back to join him and heading back out on their continuing mission.
Worf could use some love too. It was always great to see him really good at his job, and not getting beat up by the intruder of the week to play up how dangerous they were. I also like the more serious and at the razor’s edge of feral Worf of earlier seasons, e.g. on the holodeck with Riker when he nearly slaughtered and ate him.
How about this. Worf goes along with Geordi on his undercover mission, maybe even takes the lead having intelligence expertise, but is forced to do so disguised as…wait for it…a Romulan. (Maybe one with distinctive facial hair, like Gul Macet, but different. And one of the few dark-skinned Romulans we’d ever seen.)
Say because they’re on the far end of Klingon and Romulan space among people who hate Klingons — maybe the Barolians, mentioned in “Unification” as close trading partners with the Romulans. Whatever the justification, he absolutely hates being in the skin of the people who murdered his parents. Who as security chief of the Federation flagship are the people he trains for war against. And a people who are simply fundamentally temperamentally different from Klingons and that he cannot abide.
Throughout the mission, in which he’s focused and astute, he’s also having to be an arrogant calculating and slippery Romulan; and though (as a professional) he’s entirely on point (a twinkle in his eye as he says something haughty and vicious), he hates every minute of it. In the climax of the episode, as they’re surrounded and Geordi is saving the day, Worf finally explodes in feral Klingon rage, and it’s like Vader at the end of Rogue One brutally dispatching rebels left and right. We’re wowed but also unsettled at the naked fury and carnal bloodlust unsheathed.
Lots of giff-able moments throughout — both of Worf in battle, and also of Worf Romulan-ing it up in smiling pointy-eared and supercilious meme-able moments.
How about this. Worf goes along with Geordi on his undercover mission, maybe even takes the lead having intelligence expertise, but is forced to do so disguised as…wait for it…a Romulan. (Maybe one with distinctive facial hair, like Gul Macet, but different. And one of the few dark-skinned Romulans we’d ever seen.)
Say because they’re on the far end of Klingon and Romulan space among people who hate Klingons — maybe the Barolians, mentioned in “Unification” as close trading partners with the Romulans. Whatever the justification, he absolutely hates being in the skin of the people who murdered his parents. Who as security chief of the Federation flagship are the people he trains for war against. And a people who are simply fundamentally temperamentally different from Klingons and that he cannot abide.
Throughout the mission, in which he’s focused and astute, he’s also having to be an arrogant calculating and slippery Romulan; and though (as a professional) he’s entirely on point (a twinkle in his eye as he says something haughty and vicious), he hates every minute of it. In the climax of the episode, as they’re surrounded and Geordi is saving the day, Worf finally explodes in feral Klingon rage, and it’s like Vader at the end of Rogue One brutally dispatching rebels left and right. We’re wowed but also unsettled at the naked fury and carnal bloodlust unsheathed.
Lots of giff-able moments throughout — both of Worf in battle, and also of Worf Romulan-ing it up in smiling pointy-eared and supercilious meme-able moments.
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To be honest, if they had done Season 8 back then I would have been content with more of the same of Season 7. I liked the week to week randomness with the occasional two parter. I was 12. Even now I'd probably just say "Uh, Brannon, go write something weird. Ron, write something that challenges Star Trek/Federation ideals. Let's see Beverly in command again, maybe as a duo with Troi as her first officer." I've thought for a long I'd like to have seen Tom Riker and Ro Laren return as DS9 characters that I don't think I'd want them to have returned in a TNG Season 8. I think you could do something with the Maquis but DS9 was also doing that too (oh yeah, and Voyager too, obviously).
In DC Comics annual #3. Also in the Litverse, but as of Coda...
Lost on an alien world beyond known space, Riker must take a long hard trek to a distant wreckage and activate a homing beacon. Reminiscent of a brutal trail he never finished in his youth in Alaska, facing various challenges, threats, and obstacles, he begins the journey and finds himself thinking back on his life. What follows is a disjointed clip-show of sorts, with nods to “Shades of Gray” and that clip show from SG1 where they only used entirely new footage. We see memories from his childhood and teen years with father, the mutiny on the Pegasus, promises made to Deanna on Betazed, and clips from various intense TNG episodes but seen from his perspective. At the end of the episode as he’s rescued he speaks to the planet itself — like in Solaris, it’s been part of this emotional experience into his past. In the transporter room on the Enterprise he pulls Troi in for a kiss and repeats words he said on Betazed, reigniting their relationship.
Hot damn, that is awesome. I was imagining this as old man Frakes and I think it would work as an actual episode.
I'm sure I've read in the TNG Companion book that the writers wanted to do this in Season 7: kill off Will Riker and have Thomas Riker join the bridge crew as an ambitious young officer at the helm. That would also give some nice story meat to Troi and Worf (I suppose a bit like the aftermath of Jadzia in DS9). Apparently, with Generations already booked in, the writers were told to play it very safe instead so as not to confuse film audiences with changes, and so we got a bit of an off season filled with family backstory. But I like to think that, if the directive hadn't come in to make Season 7 a safe season, we could've got some really interesting stories and maybe some of the more serialised elements that DS9 and Voyager were about to attempt.
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