Episodes that got better or worse after repeated viewings
- Thread starter Pikirk_Janesisko
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Dare I ask?
A
Amaris
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"We'll Always Have Paris" gets better for me every time I watch it. 
Just recently, I noticed that when Beverly is running her medical diagnostics on Professor Manheim, she softly says "I wish I could talk to you, Professor Manheim, I bet you were really something," and then she just kind of caresses the side of his head, and it stuck with me. I love little scenes like that.
Just recently, I noticed that when Beverly is running her medical diagnostics on Professor Manheim, she softly says "I wish I could talk to you, Professor Manheim, I bet you were really something," and then she just kind of caresses the side of his head, and it stuck with me. I love little scenes like that.
Lwaxana's new squeeze is basically being forced to kill himself. And when he opts out, his daughter comes up and basically guilt trips him into it, just so his corpse can rot in a certain place.
I can live with assisted suicide, but involuntary euthanasia of that nature stinks of Nazism.
Not my style to wish harm on the innocent, but if they were unable to fix their sun because their premier expert on it was dead, and that sick sad culture was wiped from the face of the galaxy as a result... well, it would almost be poetic justice.
The episode doesn't really give us any insight into why that civilization evolved in that manner, did it?
It's inexplicable to me as well, but when clearly both Timicin and his daughter were raised to believe in that, I can't blame either of them for their inability to change on a dime.
If you translated this to the feature films, I'd say TUC is easily the biggest offender for me. At the time of its release in the theater, I thought it might be the best movie of the first six.
Now, I can barely get through it. It's just too sloppy and hole-ridden for me to enjoy it, and it's not very fun. TFF is sloppy and hole-ridden as well, but it at least has a sense of fun that carries it. I'd say that TUC is the greatest "fallen star" in the franchise for me...as now I view it as one of the weaker of the entire series.
But, since this is a TNG thread...I'll say (very controversially) that "Measure of a Man" falls into this category. I think it gets faarrrrrrr too much credit for being brilliant etc etc. It's really not that great, and repeated viewings seem to prove that out.
Now, I can barely get through it. It's just too sloppy and hole-ridden for me to enjoy it, and it's not very fun. TFF is sloppy and hole-ridden as well, but it at least has a sense of fun that carries it. I'd say that TUC is the greatest "fallen star" in the franchise for me...as now I view it as one of the weaker of the entire series.
But, since this is a TNG thread...I'll say (very controversially) that "Measure of a Man" falls into this category. I think it gets faarrrrrrr too much credit for being brilliant etc etc. It's really not that great, and repeated viewings seem to prove that out.
I hate it but I gotta say "Data's Day" got worse in my opinion since the last time I watched it.
I seem to always remember the good little character bits sprinkled throughout, and forget the rather tedious and cliche plot about Miles and Keiko's marriage and Keiko getting cold feet stuff that takes up a good chunk of the episode.
As I said I find it rather poorly written and cliche and think the episode would have been better without it. They should made the episode just about some vignettes of Data doing hart-warming stuff on the Enterprise. That would have been enough and much better imo.
I seem to always remember the good little character bits sprinkled throughout, and forget the rather tedious and cliche plot about Miles and Keiko's marriage and Keiko getting cold feet stuff that takes up a good chunk of the episode.
As I said I find it rather poorly written and cliche and think the episode would have been better without it. They should made the episode just about some vignettes of Data doing hart-warming stuff on the Enterprise. That would have been enough and much better imo.
There is one episode that, on more rewatches, is definitely more boring. (Not necessarily worse, though I suppose one can argue that the worst thing in entertainment you can be is boring.)
"The Masterpiece Society"... the idea is a pretty good one, actually. But the focus on Troi and Connor is what bogs this one down. Honestly, the real meat of the story is Geordi and Hannah. The quick scene talking about the visor and birth defects was a really good one, but it got almost no attention. That was a missed opportunity.
"The Masterpiece Society"... the idea is a pretty good one, actually. But the focus on Troi and Connor is what bogs this one down. Honestly, the real meat of the story is Geordi and Hannah. The quick scene talking about the visor and birth defects was a really good one, but it got almost no attention. That was a missed opportunity.
I can't say if it's gotten better or worse on a second viewing, because it's been years since my first viewing and I don't remember what I thought about it back then, but "Clues" was a disappointment on my rewatch. The trouble is I did remember what was really going on and how it was resolved, and without the mystery there wasn't a whole lot left in the episode to keep my interest.
"The Survivors" was the opposite, keeping me gripped even though I remembered exactly what was really happening. I don't know if I liked it more this time around, but I did like it.
"The Survivors" was the opposite, keeping me gripped even though I remembered exactly what was really happening. I don't know if I liked it more this time around, but I did like it.
Speaking of mystery episodes, and I know this thread is supposed to be for TNG episodes, but DS9's "WHISPERS" is probably the most effective mystery of the franchise. Having it told from the perspective of the one person who is the copy was very refreshing. And even knowing the ending, and many rewatches, it's still gripping and very creepy... especially how Keiko appeared.
(In fact, my wife and I rewatched it just the other day. She pointed out tjat the ending is actually sad. And thinking more on it, she's right... this replicant, who is in every way the O'Brien we all know, ends up dead trying to warn people, with his words being love for his wife. She's right... it's very sad.)
(In fact, my wife and I rewatched it just the other day. She pointed out tjat the ending is actually sad. And thinking more on it, she's right... this replicant, who is in every way the O'Brien we all know, ends up dead trying to warn people, with his words being love for his wife. She's right... it's very sad.)
TNG S5: "The Inner Light" (and sure bring the pitchforks...)
Never liked it the first time I saw it, and have never managed to make it to the end trying to sit (read: slog) through it again.
It seems to be written by someone who DIDN'T want to do a actual Star trek episode; or maybe was retooled after being rejected by either syndicated remakes (at the time period) of "The Twilight Zone" or "The Outer Limits".
Never liked it the first time I saw it, and have never managed to make it to the end trying to sit (read: slog) through it again.
It seems to be written by someone who DIDN'T want to do a actual Star trek episode; or maybe was retooled after being rejected by either syndicated remakes (at the time period) of "The Twilight Zone" or "The Outer Limits".
I prefer tar and feathers for that sort of thing. But I'm fine with you not liking "Inner Light". Honestly, I wasn't wild about "Duet".
Yeah: I like it, but I've never gotten over that veridian patch...
I must not have seen it enough times yet then. I'll keep trying and trying and trying and trying and trying...
That’s how I feel about “Measure of a Man”. Boring, sloggish and unfathomably overrated…living more off its collective reputation than on its actual merits.
That’s not to say I don’t like it…but it’s an average TNG episode from my POV
Some of the ones I liked as a kid now feel a bit like there's too much going on, like Redemption and Descent. I can't get behind how Picard has everyone leave the ship to go look for Data in Descent, just so the writers can put Crusher in command. Conspiracy is way too easy wrapped up from a takeover of Starfleet and it's original premise sounds much more interesting to me. The Game I'm not sure on because I think there's enough good moments between Wesley and Lefler but I kinda can't get past how the entire crew was so easily duped.
I used to not be very fond of “The Wounded”, but these days it’s among my top ten 10 TNG episodes. I guess I just wasn’t ready to appreciate it back then when I got into TNG. (I was an adult when this happened tho so I can’t even blame childhood for this, lol.) The same goes for “The Hunted” and “First Contact” (episode, not movie). I appreciate both MUCH more now.
I don’t really have any episodes I used to like more than now tho… I have a somewhat rigid policy that there are some TNG episodes I simply won’t ever watch and always skip because I watched them once and couldn’t stand them (why waste my time watching something I don’t like?) - so, I’ve already sorted out those I dislike and the ones I still watch I all still at least like SOMEWHAT.
I don’t really have any episodes I used to like more than now tho… I have a somewhat rigid policy that there are some TNG episodes I simply won’t ever watch and always skip because I watched them once and couldn’t stand them (why waste my time watching something I don’t like?) - so, I’ve already sorted out those I dislike and the ones I still watch I all still at least like SOMEWHAT.
It's hard for me to remember how I felt when I watched episodes the first time so it's hard for me to compare specific episodes from then to now. I remember thinking that Conspiracy was very cool. I liked that one a lot and still do.
I despise Half A Life not only because it's a Lwaxana (ugh) episode but also because it does something I can't stand in a show. It takes the focus completely away from the ensemble cast (you know, the people we actually want to see from week to week) and puts it on two guest stars who are only there for one episode. The plot is also sadly typical of later TNG episodes that takes the Star Trek out of Star Trek and turns it into yet another sappy drama TV show that I have no interest in watching. Hello Dark Page. I'm looking at you too.
On the other hand, an episode like Inner Light is compelling to me in a way that I can't really define. I'm not sure why I like it but I have speculated that it might be because the idea is living an entire other life (even if just in memories) is quite an interesting thought. Yeah, it's sappy drama as I've said above but I like it so I guess that makes me a hypocrite.
When it comes to TNG in general, I find that I like and prefer to watch earlier episodes instead of later ones. I really wish around season 5, and certainly later, someone had given the producers a kick in the pants and reminded them that a Star Trek show should include the wonders and mysteries of exploring space and not non-scifi drama, and not more character development stories. If that had happened we wouldn't have been saddled with crap like Dark Page and Half A Life, and Sub Rosa, and True Q, and Rascals, and Suspicions, and many many others. I really believe that TNG jumps the shark by season 6 and maybe even in parts of season 5.
I despise Half A Life not only because it's a Lwaxana (ugh) episode but also because it does something I can't stand in a show. It takes the focus completely away from the ensemble cast (you know, the people we actually want to see from week to week) and puts it on two guest stars who are only there for one episode. The plot is also sadly typical of later TNG episodes that takes the Star Trek out of Star Trek and turns it into yet another sappy drama TV show that I have no interest in watching. Hello Dark Page. I'm looking at you too.
On the other hand, an episode like Inner Light is compelling to me in a way that I can't really define. I'm not sure why I like it but I have speculated that it might be because the idea is living an entire other life (even if just in memories) is quite an interesting thought. Yeah, it's sappy drama as I've said above but I like it so I guess that makes me a hypocrite.
When it comes to TNG in general, I find that I like and prefer to watch earlier episodes instead of later ones. I really wish around season 5, and certainly later, someone had given the producers a kick in the pants and reminded them that a Star Trek show should include the wonders and mysteries of exploring space and not non-scifi drama, and not more character development stories. If that had happened we wouldn't have been saddled with crap like Dark Page and Half A Life, and Sub Rosa, and True Q, and Rascals, and Suspicions, and many many others. I really believe that TNG jumps the shark by season 6 and maybe even in parts of season 5.
I didn't really have an issue with occasional focus on secondary characters (Barclay, Lwaxana, others). But I loathe Half a Life because it defends what is effectively involuntary euthanasia. If I was in a room with "Sub Rosa", "Half a Life", and "Code of Honor" and a gun with two bullets...
I'd shoot "Half a Life" and "Code of Honor", because I don't waste ammo.
What makes me think the most is what it's like returning to your old life afterwards...decades have passed for you, but mere minutes for everyone else. What's it like, just having to resume captaining a starship like nothing happened?
