I officially began my journey through all Star Trek on October 9th...

[benjaminh]

....I know some people go on the about the problems of DS9's first couple of seasons, but I've found season one of DS9 has been much more bearable to watch than season one of TNG (I'd rather not even speak that season looking back on it now ).

I still think the first season of TNG has some good episodes. The ones I like are Where No One Has Gone Before, The Battle, The Big Goodbye, Datalore, Coming of Age, Heart of Glory, The Arsenal of Freedom (my favorite), and Conspiracy.

 

[JesterFace]

About TNG - DS9 people relations...

Like I've said before, there's enough conflict in real life, nice to see people getting along nicely, at least on TV.

 

[benjaminh]

Given that DS9 was still fully in the Trek universe, the shift from TNG was pretty dramatic. DS9 has more conflict between the characters, a grittier and darker look, more focus on religion, more continuing plotlines (and ultimately serialized storytelling for most of the last 5 seasons), etc.

Have you gotten to Vortex? That's a fairly good episode from the generally weak first season.

 

[benjaminh]

Not yet, no. I'll look out for it. I also hear Duet is a diamond in the rough for the first season.

Duet is maybe just a diamond imho. No rough about it. But now I fear I've raised your expectations too high. But Kira, as you've already found, is a very strong character. And I think Nana Visitor is maybe the best actor on the whole show—again imho—although Rene Auberjonois, Colm Meany, Avery Brooks, etc. all put in great performances episode after episode.

 

[benjaminh]

It had some decent, at best, episodes, but then there were some bad/awful episodes like The Naked Now, Code of Honor, The Last Outpost, Justice and Haven.

I think season one of DS9 is much more consistent.

Yes, the dreadful episodes in TNG S1 are truly cringe-worthy. Yikes. There are duds in DS9's first year, but you're right they are not as truly awful.

 

[benjaminh]

I definitely agree, Nana Visitor is fantastic.

I'm really liking the characters so far. Quark is probably my favourite, but Sisko, Kira, Dax, Odo, Miles... they're all great.

Am I the only one who thinks Siddig El Fadil's acting can be very amateur at times though? It's strange.

Yes, Armin Shimerman is fantastic too! He always makes me laugh. As you've already found, there is some good in Quark. Siddig El Fadil is a good actor imho, but his character was climb-the-walls annoying for most of the first two seasons, at least for me. I blame the writers. Even after that sometimes he's a bit much to take. Terry Ferrell is also good, but imho is outperformed by most of the others much of the time. She and El Fadil are good, I just think that the others are usually better.....

 

[JesterFace]

It had some decent, at best, episodes, but then there were some bad/awful episodes like The Naked Now, Code of Honor, The Last Outpost, Justice and Haven.

I think season one of DS9 is much more consistent.

Yes, the dreadful episodes in TNG S1 are truly cringe-worthy. Yikes. There are duds in DS9's first year, but you're right they are not as truly awful.

Obviosly DS9 had a stronger starting point as TNG had laid a 90's Trek foundation. TNG did have the support of 80's TOS films, but still... It's a long way from 60's series to the 90s.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I definitely agree, Nana Visitor is fantastic.

I'm really liking the characters so far. Quark is probably my favourite, but Sisko, Kira, Dax, Odo, Miles... they're all great.

Am I the only one who thinks Siddig El Fadil's acting can be very amateur at times though? It's strange.

Kira came across very strongly in S1 because, in my opinion, her character was radically different from the archetypes that had already by established by the franchise. Everyone else falls in line more or less as the captain, science officer, doctor, etc. On paper, before Visitor even acted, the character presented a lot of new characteristics that could be filled out and explored. Consequently, her stories feel very fresh, very current, and very inspired. Starting in S2, Odo comes to the fore. By the end of S3, even as other characters are getting a lot of development, Sisko really becomes the focus of the series.

 

[Longinus]

And I think Nana Visitor is maybe the best actor on the whole show—

Were we watching the same show? She is constantly overacting and as a result Kira comes across as really annoying.

Colm Meaney was easily the best actor in the bunch and one of the best actors in Star Trek in general.

 

[benjaminh]

Were we watching the same show? She is constantly overacting and as a result Kira comes across as really annoying.

Colm Meaney was easily the best actor in the bunch and one of the best actors in Star Trek in general.

Well, I confess that I like Shatner too. And so I guess I have a taste for overacting lol!

But you're right that Colm Meaney is excellent throughout. What's the episode where they get a virus that makes them say nonsense stuff? Forget the title. But the way Meaney delivers those lines is great. The rest of them don't reach that level imho.

 

[Longinus]

Well, I confess that I like Shatner too.

Shatner obviously is great. He is a bit hammy from time to time, but he has the charisma to make it work. Have you seen Boston Legal? He is pretty amazing in that.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Well, I confess that I like Shatner too. And so I guess I have a taste for overacting lol!

But you're right that Colm Meaney is excellent throughout. What's the episode where they get a virus that makes them say nonsense stuff? Forget the title. But the way Meaney delivers those lines is great. The rest of them don't reach that level imho.

Babel

 

[RandyS]

Well, I confess that I like Shatner too. And so I guess I have a taste for overacting lol!

But you're right that Colm Meaney is excellent throughout. What's the episode where they get a virus that makes them say nonsense stuff? Forget the title. But the way Meaney delivers those lines is great. The rest of them don't reach that level imho.

"Babel". It 's a biblical reference, and one of the first seasons' better episodes.

 

[The Old Mixer]

On the subject of Siddig's acting...I revisited Season 1 a bit back, and I found his acting while Bashir was possessed in "The Passenger" to be particularly cringeworthy. (I wouldn't have spoiled it, but it looks like you should have already seen that one.)

OTOH, "The Storyteller" should be coming up for you...that episode serves as the beginning of a very enjoyable dynamic between Bashir and one of the other characters.

 

[benjaminh]

Shala: In a shameless attempt to get you to consider getting the blu-rays of TNG, here's the promo for the third season (best watched full screen in HD):

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[benjaminh]

But as we all know, there seems to be almost no hope for DS9 or Voyager moving to HD:

"TrekCoreStaff Mod Clem Violette • 41 minutes ago
At this time CBS has no plans to remaster either DS9 or Voyager. The remastering team has been gone for more than a year and a half at this point, and the sales of TNG's original Blu-ray run fell far short of the financial goals needed to support either project."

 

[Griffeytrek]

I definitely agree, Nana Visitor is fantastic.

I'm really liking the characters so far. Quark is probably my favourite, but Sisko, Kira, Dax, Odo, Miles... they're all great.

Am I the only one who thinks Siddig El Fadil's acting can be very amateur at times though? It's strange.

Not to spoil anything, but Siddig's acting really really improves as the series progresses, and both he and the writers finally figure out who and what the character is. By season 7 he is one of the stronger performers on the show. It really helps that they eventually move away from mainly playing him against Dax, and more strongly bring out the chemistry he has with Colm Meaney and with Andrew Robinson's wonderful but often overlooked and unmentioned Garrak. Siddig's and Meaney's on screen chemistry is possibly the best ever seen on Star Trek, in many ways even surpassing the TOS trio.

One other thing to keep in mind. Remember we say that Season 1 is the roughest for DS9. That's because unlike the other series, DS9 never really experiences any dips or ruts. Each season is largely better than the one before, all the way to the end. Q-Less and Move Along Home are probably the weakest of the first season. And I think they are only really surpassed in overall weakness by the much later "Profit and Lace". (Fair warning, The Fenengi episodes, Which more or less begin with "The Nagus" can be a mixed bag. Most people either love or hate them. The exceptions are "The Magnificent Ferengi" which is universally praised as one of the best series episodes, and "Profit and Lace" which sits in the top 5 all time worst Star Trek episodes and the series worst, in oh so many ways. personally I love the Ferengi centric episodes, excepting Profit and Lace, but your mileage may vary. )

Also pay attention to some of the supporting and background characters as the show progresses. One of the more fascinating elements that sets DS9 apart from the other Trek's is the characters aren't as static. They move around. They grow. They don't stay in the same place they started from. They may surprise you.

 

[benjaminh]

It's not that I don't appreciate the terrific picture quality or extras they packed onto the TNG Blu-rays, it's just that I'm holding out for a bit to see if they're going to release TNG on 4K UHD

I understand perfectly well how worth it they are, but I'm a teenager who's a little run down on cash at the moment. If they don't release on 4K UHD in the somewhat near future, then hell yeah I'll get the Blu-rays.

I understand about living within your budget. But when when the right time comes, I think you'll find the TNG blu-rays are worth it.

I think you'll be waiting for TNG in 4k about as long as I'll be waiting for DS9 in HD: forever.

 

[benjaminh]

Shalashaska: I'd be interested to see your ratings for each of the episodes of the first season of DS9. Do you use letter grades in Ireland? Anyway, here are my ratings for most of the first season....

Emissary: A-
Past Prologue: B+
A Man Alone: B-
Babel: B-
Captive Pursuit: B+
Q-Less: C-
Dax: C-
The Passenger: C+
Move Along Home: C-
The Nagus: B-
Vortex: B+
Battle Lines: C+
The Storyteller: D+
Progress: B
If Wishes Were Horses: D+
The Forsaken: D+
Dramatis Personae: C+

 

[benjaminh]

Of course, there's always the grading system of Hogwarts, invented by J.K. Rowling....

O=Outstanding
E=Exceeds Expectations
A=Acceptable
P=Poor
T=Troll

 

[Hutchy01]

Of course, there's always the grading system of Hogwarts, invented by J.K. Rowling....

O=Outstanding
E=Exceeds Expectations
A=Acceptable
P=Poor
T=Troll

I'm not going to lie that probably works better for grading trek than the A-F/U grading system.

 

[RAMA]

Since I have a 4K tv, i can tell you the blurays uprez well. The STNG blurays were only remastered to 2K from what I understand. Anyone can correct me if I'm wrong on that.

RAMA

It's not that I don't appreciate the terrific picture quality or extras they packed onto the TNG Blu-rays, it's just that I'm holding out for a bit to see if they're going to release TNG on 4K UHD

I understand perfectly well how worth it they are, but I'm a teenager who's a little run down on cash at the moment. If they don't release on 4K UHD in the somewhat near future, then hell yeah I'll get the Blu-rays.