Did season seven really stink?

[Tallifer]

The biggest problem with Season 7 was that it rarely felt like the ultimate season of an seven year epic. Most of the stories had no connection to each other and there was no unifying arc. Furthermore, most of the filler episodes, that is to say the episodes which led nowhere, were also silly or boring. The Enterprise has a baby, but there is no consequence. The Romulans are used as a threat, but there is never any forward motion in their relationship with the Federation, either into war or into reunification with Vulcan. And so forth.

On the other hand, I do sometimes enjoy a purely episodic television show like The Twilight Zone. (And the humourous episodes of Next Generation were some of its finest.) But Star Trek built up a vast and complex universe: after a while the viewers expect some epic stories to span that universe.

 

[sonak]

I think they were going for that approach a little bit though, look at all the episodes focusing on the families of the senior officers. Look how they wrapped up the storylines of secondary characters like Wesley Crusher and Ro Laren.Look at "attached" and the Worf-Troi angle.


But they didn't want to wrap stuff up too much because they knew they were going on to TNG movies.

 

[RandyS]

The biggest problem with Season 7 was that it rarely felt like the ultimate season of an seven year epic. Most of the stories had no connection to each other and there was no unifying arc. Furthermore, most of the filler episodes, that is to say the episodes which led nowhere, were also silly or boring. The Enterprise has a baby, but there is no consequence. The Romulans are used as a threat, but there is never any forward motion in their relationship with the Federation, either into war or into reunification with Vulcan. And so forth.

On the other hand, I do sometimes enjoy a purely episodic television show like The Twilight Zone. (And the humourous episodes of Next Generation were some of its finest.) But Star Trek built up a vast and complex universe: after a while the viewers expect some epic stories to span that universe.

You have to remember the times. Back in 1993-1994, "story arcs" were something daytime soaps did. It wasn't until Babylon 5 made a big deal out if it that that happened. Episodic TV was the norm then.

Just because everybody and his grandma does it now doesn't mean it was always that way.

 

[ShatnersToupee]

Season 7 was the first sign that the writers had run out of ideas. What amazed me is that Berman thought two of those writers could provide a good script for the first TNG movie. When I see season 7 now, I realize why Voyager was doomed to fail. They had a great premise with new characters, but the same old writers struggling to come up with something new. Instead they simply recycled ideas from TNG.

 

[Captain Martin]

My only complaint was that it had too many family orientated episodes.

Geordi's mother, Data's mother, Beverly's grandmother, Worf's brother, Picard's fake son, so on and so forth.

Other than that season 7 was great.

Agree 100%

They might not have been so bad if they had not done them all together like that. I personally always like the episodes where there is another android involved. There is still a lot of mystery surrounding Dr. Seung (sorry if I spelled that wrong I am tired right now) and just how many androids did he really make that could still be out there...

 

[ShatnersToupee]

My only complaint was that it had too many family orientated episodes.

Geordi's mother, Data's mother, Beverly's grandmother, Worf's brother, Picard's fake son, so on and so forth.

Other than that season 7 was great.

It's a sign that they had run out of ideas. Seriously, I didn't tune into TNG to learn about Crusher's grandmother or Worf's brother who we never heard about before.

 

[TroiFan4ever]

I loved season seven.

Episodes I liked:
Gambit 1 & 2
Phantasms (was okay)
Dark Page (even though it was kind of sad)
Paralelles
Sub Rosa
Thine Own Self
Masks (the BEST episode of TNG... EVAH!!!!)
Genesis
Emergence
and Pre-Emptive Strike although I wish Troi was in more scenes

Episodes I didn't really care for or could've improved:
Attached
Force of Nature
The Pegasus
All Good Things 1 & 2

 

[TroiFan4ever]

My only complaint was that it had too many family orientated episodes.

Geordi's mother, Data's mother, Beverly's grandmother, Worf's brother, Picard's fake son, so on and so forth.

Other than that season 7 was great.

And don't forget Troi's mother and father (Dark Page)

 

[Joshonator]

1,2,3<Season 7<4,5,6

 

[Sorak]

I loved season seven.

Episodes I liked:
Gambit 1 & 2
Phantasms (was okay)
Dark Page (even though it was kind of sad)
Paralelles
Sub Rosa
Thine Own Self
Masks (the BEST episode of TNG... EVAH!!!!)
Genesis
Emergence
and Pre-Emptive Strike although I wish Troi was in more scenes

Episodes I didn't really care for or could've improved:
Attached
Force of Nature
The Pegasus
All Good Things 1 & 2

Okay, okay, okay. One thing at a time, because you're baffling me to be honest. What makes Masks your favourite episode of TNG? And why is All Good Things bad? I had never heard a fan defining Masks as his favourite TNG episode, this is mindblowing...

 

[sonak]

I like Masks for its weirdness and Brent Spiner's performance, but it's hardly what I'd call one of the great episodes.

 

[Sorak]

I like Masks for its weirdness and Brent Spiner's performance, but it's hardly what I'd call one of the great episodes.

Sonak, Sorak agrees.

Involuntary alliterations are great things.

 

[Captain Martin]

My only complaint was that it had too many family orientated episodes.

Geordi's mother, Data's mother, Beverly's grandmother, Worf's brother, Picard's fake son, so on and so forth.

Other than that season 7 was great.

And don't forget Troi's mother and father (Dark Page)

LoL Dark page drives me nuts but it's my wife's favorite episode in the whole series. The other family ones drive me nuts too but I do sort of like when Beverly's grandmother sits up in her coffin in the sub rosa episode

 

[Rom's Sehlat]

I didn't understand "Masks" at all. I thought it was really pointless, along the lines of "Spock's Brain" pointless...

 

[scottydog]

Season 7 didn't stink, but there certainly was a decline in quality from previous seasons. As much as I wanted a Season 8, I wonder if the decline would have continued?

 

[sonak]

I think it would've been bad for a season 8. The writers were clearly struggling for ideas by season 7, which had been the worst season since 2. A continual decline for another season might've affected perceptions of TNG going into movies, rather than the perception of going out on top thanks to "All Good Things..."

 

[ShatnersToupee]

Season 7 didn't stink, but there certainly was a decline in quality from previous seasons. As much as I wanted a Season 8, I wonder if the decline would have continued?

Yes it would've. We saw season 8 of TNG. It was called Voyager. Same writers who were already out of ideas despite having a brand new premise and new characters to work with.

 

[scottydog]

As much as I wanted a Season 8, I wonder if the decline would have continued?

Yes it would've. We saw season 8 of TNG. It was called Voyager. Same writers who were already out of ideas despite having a brand new premise and new characters to work with.

This leads me to ask this question:

For me, TNG peaked during seasons 3-6. Were those seasons' writers the same ones who wrote season 7 episodes and then went on to write for Voyager?

 

[RyuRoots]

Going to Memory Alpha and checking things out individually will get you more detailed results, but the ones I know about for sure are Michael Piller, Jeri Taylor, Brannon Braga, and Ron Moore. They were all big forces when TNG was in its stride. Piller, Braga, and Taylor went on to write for Voyager (and Piller left VOY around the time of Basics, IIRC), and Moore associated himself more with DS9. Moore and Braga both had their hands in TNG's final season, though Piller wasn't involved with it at all and the only S7 TNG ep Taylor is associated with as far as I know is Sub Rosa.

 

[Argus Skyhawk]

I just want to put a shout out for "Thine Own Self," a seventh season episode that I've always loved and which doesn't get nearly enough credit. Yeah, I put it along side other season seven high points like "Lower Decks" and "Preemptive Strike." That year was a step down from the previous ones, but it still had too many good episodes for me to say it stinks.