I would say Prodigy went out on a high, but it was a sustained 40-episode high that put live-action Trek to shame.
"Going out on a high" - a new Trek Tradition?
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Shame, shame, shame.
In my opinion, ST09 was stronger than Beyond, and DSC season 5 was even more boring and bland than the two preceding seasons.
But I agree that ENT season 4 was the best ENT season, and I enjoyed PIC season 3 very much. I'd even say TNG used to have a really terrible ending before, Nemesis, which PIC season 3 perfectly corrected.
So... not sure if I'd call it a trend. There were/are shows/crews that had more than one 'ending', some good (ST6, if we count that as TOS ending, TNG the series proper, DS9 s7, ENT s4 except for the series finale, and PIC s3), with a terrible ending (TOS 'Turnabout Intruder', ENT final episode, Nemesis, DSC s5) or with a 'meh' ending (TOS with Generations, if we count that as TOS ending, VOY s7, Beyond if there won't be more Kelvinverse movies).
But I agree that ENT season 4 was the best ENT season, and I enjoyed PIC season 3 very much. I'd even say TNG used to have a really terrible ending before, Nemesis, which PIC season 3 perfectly corrected.
So... not sure if I'd call it a trend. There were/are shows/crews that had more than one 'ending', some good (ST6, if we count that as TOS ending, TNG the series proper, DS9 s7, ENT s4 except for the series finale, and PIC s3), with a terrible ending (TOS 'Turnabout Intruder', ENT final episode, Nemesis, DSC s5) or with a 'meh' ending (TOS with Generations, if we count that as TOS ending, VOY s7, Beyond if there won't be more Kelvinverse movies).
Updating my thoughts:
1. I've seen Star Trek (2009) five times. Three in 2009, once in 2011, and once in 2021. Although the movie wore off on me quickly after 2009, I've still seen it literally a handful of times. I've only watched Beyond once. I think that says something. I thought Beyond was good, but I also haven't felt any strong urge to revisit it. If it was better, I would've. So, I don't think the Kelvin Movies went out on a high so much as they unintentionally ended at a good stopping point.
2. I thought Picard ended on a high. It made up for the TNG Movies and undid what I didn't like about them. I'm not going to pretend to be upset about the Enterprise-D or Data being brought back. Had the TNG Movies continued in the '00s, they would've found a way to bring back Data for sure, so this isn't out-of-line with what would've happened anyway. As far as the Enterprise-D Rebuild, it's TNG/PIC's equivalent of the Enterprise-A being a look-alike of the Refit Enterprise. Three other things: 1) At the time I would've loved to have seen something Dominion-related in the TNG Movies, and PIC S3 finally gave us that. I loved that they made Vadic a Changeling and it was done in a way that it felt like she belonged in a Star Trek movie rather than DS9. 2) They tried to get Seven of Nine in Nemesis, and Jeri Ryan turned it because it didn't make sense for her to be there, and now through Picard she was finally there in a substantial role. 3) The Borg Queen was Picard's enemy before she was Janeway's, and it was revealed there was more to "The Best of Both Worlds" and what was established in First Contact than we thought, so I'm glad we have that. The only thing I don't buy -- and I blame this on "Endgame" -- was the virus being able to take out the Borg so completely. I prefer to think the Collective cut those Borg off.
3. I like Discovery Season 5 about as much as Seasons 1 and 4. So, I'll call it a draw. If it wasn't for Rayner, and something else, I'd be completely fine with Discovery ending after five seasons.
1. I've seen Star Trek (2009) five times. Three in 2009, once in 2011, and once in 2021. Although the movie wore off on me quickly after 2009, I've still seen it literally a handful of times. I've only watched Beyond once. I think that says something. I thought Beyond was good, but I also haven't felt any strong urge to revisit it. If it was better, I would've. So, I don't think the Kelvin Movies went out on a high so much as they unintentionally ended at a good stopping point.
2. I thought Picard ended on a high. It made up for the TNG Movies and undid what I didn't like about them. I'm not going to pretend to be upset about the Enterprise-D or Data being brought back. Had the TNG Movies continued in the '00s, they would've found a way to bring back Data for sure, so this isn't out-of-line with what would've happened anyway. As far as the Enterprise-D Rebuild, it's TNG/PIC's equivalent of the Enterprise-A being a look-alike of the Refit Enterprise. Three other things: 1) At the time I would've loved to have seen something Dominion-related in the TNG Movies, and PIC S3 finally gave us that. I loved that they made Vadic a Changeling and it was done in a way that it felt like she belonged in a Star Trek movie rather than DS9. 2) They tried to get Seven of Nine in Nemesis, and Jeri Ryan turned it because it didn't make sense for her to be there, and now through Picard she was finally there in a substantial role. 3) The Borg Queen was Picard's enemy before she was Janeway's, and it was revealed there was more to "The Best of Both Worlds" and what was established in First Contact than we thought, so I'm glad we have that. The only thing I don't buy -- and I blame this on "Endgame" -- was the virus being able to take out the Borg so completely. I prefer to think the Collective cut those Borg off.
3. I like Discovery Season 5 about as much as Seasons 1 and 4. So, I'll call it a draw. If it wasn't for Rayner, and something else, I'd be completely fine with Discovery ending after five seasons.
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PICARD
I absolutely love season 1, season 2 is still good, season 3 is ok, too much TNG fan service.
DISCO
Doesn't have a high for me, sorry, I just don't like it.
KELVIN
I like the first 2 movies better than Beyond
ENTERPRISE
Has good and not so good episodes in every season. But the finale (These Are The Voyages) is one of the worst Star Trek episodes I know.
Just my opinion...
I absolutely love season 1, season 2 is still good, season 3 is ok, too much TNG fan service.
DISCO
Doesn't have a high for me, sorry, I just don't like it.
KELVIN
I like the first 2 movies better than Beyond
ENTERPRISE
Has good and not so good episodes in every season. But the finale (These Are The Voyages) is one of the worst Star Trek episodes I know.
Just my opinion...
Enterprise - Yes
Kelvin Timeline - No
Picard - Yes
Discovery - No
Looking at the pattern, I'm going to love the last season of Prodigy and Lower Decks is going to be a big disappointment.
Kelvin Timeline - No
Picard - Yes
Discovery - No
Looking at the pattern, I'm going to love the last season of Prodigy and Lower Decks is going to be a big disappointment.
*Blinks in disbelief*
What? Enterprise ended with Terra Prime, an excellent episode.
Oh...right.
We're talking whole seasons, not just finales, right?
Terra Prime was my personal finale, too. A good finale indeed.
I just ignored These Are The Voyages
I thought just finales, but I could be wrong.
Endings. My view of the endings for the shows are as follows...
TOS finale - not very good. Well acted, but not a good episode.
TOS season 3 - still the weakest of the three seasons, but it is not as bad as many say it is. (Or as I thought when I was younger.)
TAS finale - pretty good.
TAS season 2 - decent season overall.
TUC - great ending.
TNG finale - excellent ending.
TNG season 7 - mediocre season with a few great episodes. Possibly the weakest TNG season overall.
NEMESIS - horrible. Just horrible.
DS9 finale - excellent ending.
DS9 season 7 - great season. Especially great because they used the last 10 episodes to close it up. Only a few bad episodes before that. Easily the best 7th season of the three series to get that far.
VOY finale - meh. Just meh.
VOY season 7 - mediocre. With only a couple really good episodes. Tied with season 3 as the weakest of the series.
ENT finale - abysmal. Worst by far in the franchise, and will likely stay that way.
ENT season 4 - excellent season. Only a couple of duds.
DISCO finale - meh. I rank it lower than VOY's finale, but at least it was better than ENT's finale.
DISCO season 5 - better than season 4 overall. FAR superior to seasons 1 and 2.
PICARD finale - great finale.
PICARD season 3 - great season. Without question, the best season of the arc-based seasons of the current era. (Until PRODIGY season 2, which blew past it to being neck and neck with DS9 season 4 as the closest thing to a perfect season the franchise has gotten.) It also serves as a great ending for TNG... it righted so many of the wrongs of NEMESIS.
I am sad that LOWER DECKS season 5 is the last one, but I am hoping it will be as strong as their previous ones. They have actually gotten better each season, and season 1 was already a damn good season.
And I sincerely hope season 2 of PRODIGY is NOT their last one. But if it is... wow, what a high note to end on.
TOS finale - not very good. Well acted, but not a good episode.
TOS season 3 - still the weakest of the three seasons, but it is not as bad as many say it is. (Or as I thought when I was younger.)
TAS finale - pretty good.
TAS season 2 - decent season overall.
TUC - great ending.
TNG finale - excellent ending.
TNG season 7 - mediocre season with a few great episodes. Possibly the weakest TNG season overall.
NEMESIS - horrible. Just horrible.
DS9 finale - excellent ending.
DS9 season 7 - great season. Especially great because they used the last 10 episodes to close it up. Only a few bad episodes before that. Easily the best 7th season of the three series to get that far.
VOY finale - meh. Just meh.
VOY season 7 - mediocre. With only a couple really good episodes. Tied with season 3 as the weakest of the series.
ENT finale - abysmal. Worst by far in the franchise, and will likely stay that way.
ENT season 4 - excellent season. Only a couple of duds.
DISCO finale - meh. I rank it lower than VOY's finale, but at least it was better than ENT's finale.
DISCO season 5 - better than season 4 overall. FAR superior to seasons 1 and 2.
PICARD finale - great finale.
PICARD season 3 - great season. Without question, the best season of the arc-based seasons of the current era. (Until PRODIGY season 2, which blew past it to being neck and neck with DS9 season 4 as the closest thing to a perfect season the franchise has gotten.) It also serves as a great ending for TNG... it righted so many of the wrongs of NEMESIS.
I am sad that LOWER DECKS season 5 is the last one, but I am hoping it will be as strong as their previous ones. They have actually gotten better each season, and season 1 was already a damn good season.
And I sincerely hope season 2 of PRODIGY is NOT their last one. But if it is... wow, what a high note to end on.
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Funny how we can all watch the same show and get a totally different impression. I thought Picard Season 1, for the most part, was really impressive and really felt I was watching a show that was pushing the universe forwards. Then Season 2 was a conceptual nightmare, hamstrung by production troubles. Finally in Season 3 for me it just sort of... evened out and become pleasurable enough but... eh, the Borg. Picard finally just killed my interest in the Borg stone dead...
I do hope LDS goes out on a banger. It should do. They haven't failed to deliver so far with each season being almost unreasonably strong.
I've been keeping out of the DSC section 'cause I haven't watched S05 yet, but what's the general consensus? Did it deliver? No spoilers... a yes or no will do. :-)
I do hope LDS goes out on a banger. It should do. They haven't failed to deliver so far with each season being almost unreasonably strong.
I've been keeping out of the DSC section 'cause I haven't watched S05 yet, but what's the general consensus? Did it deliver? No spoilers... a yes or no will do. :-)
It delivered on being more DSC. Take that as you will.
I can't say if people generally thought it delivered or not, but when it comes to going out on a high, looking at the votes the general consensus is... no.
Pretty much my thoughts. "Did it deliver?" and "Did it end on a high?" are two different questions. I think DSC Season 5 delivered. I don't think it ended on a "high" because I don't think it surpassed Seasons 1 and 4.
The pattern I've noticed is that the less you liked the previous seasons, the more you like the fifth. Except people who already made up their minds before a single frame was shot. You can't go by them.
Poor Discovery.
Yes, and no in some ways.
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