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

[benjaminh]

....I do hope they move on from the big cliffhanger season finale deal they got going on now next season. It's become a cliché now, and I'd rather if they just had one strong story-packed episode for season six. We'll see, I have my doubts though...

I also re-watched Star Trek II yesterday, this time with my dad. My dad was a big TOS fan growing up and had seen one or two of the films at release, but couldn't exactly remember them. He was more about the original television show and nothing else. I thought it would be fun to sit him down and watch it with him though, it'd be something we could bond over and he'd get to take a trip down memory lane with Kirk, Spock and Bones. In the end, he seemed to really enjoy it, and who knows, maybe I can show him III, IV and VI later on, if he's up for it.

?

I mostly love the two-parters! They are like little Star Trek movies to me, and some of them I like better than the real movies. They do the multi-parters in DS9 and Voyager as well, and they are usually some of the best. But iirc, they often do them in the middle of the season, rather than as cliffhangers.

But maybe you're right that they should have skipped a cliffhanger for the 6th season of Next Gen. From where you are, there are two more great double-length episodes imho: Chain of Command and All Good Things.

I don't know if you've heard, but in general many fans feel TNG went into a decline for the last two years. The 6th season is still pretty strong, but the 7th........yikes. But YMMV. If you go into it with low expectations maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised.....?

So glad you got to watch Wrath of Khan with your Dad! Star Trek has been a great bonding experience for my family over the years.

 

[benjaminh]

I love two-parter episodes, I'm just getting tired of the "To Be Continued..." season endings. It was awesome in season three, pretty cool in season four, now it's just expected.

I'm down for more mid-season two-parters though. Definitely.

Imagine what it was like for us back in the day to have to wait 4 months for the second part!

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Yeah, I don't see what the problem is now? Now those episodes are just two parters. You can keep watching right away.

 

[Forbin]

Re: Time's Arrow. One thing weirded me out: I couldn't stop thinking for the rest of the run of the show, Data's head is 500 years old!

 

[JesterFace]

Aren't there about 90 minute versions available of all TNG twoparters combined into one longer episode?

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Aren't there about 90 minute versions available of all TNG twoparters combined into one longer episode?

At least for Farpoint, BobW and All good Things... Possibly Unification and Redemption

 

[Tosk]

Yeah, I don't see what the problem is now? Now those episodes are just two parters. You can keep watching right away.

The season finale two-parters are often a bit of a let down in the second half. I usually find the mid-season multipart eps a lot more satisfying.

 

[Tracy Trek]

I love two-parter episodes, I'm just getting tired of the "To Be Continued..." season endings. It was awesome in season three, pretty cool in season four, now it's just expected.

I'm down for more mid-season two-parters though. Definitely.

Seasons 1 and 2 are the only ones that didn't have the cliff-hanger endings I believe. But like someone else said at least you don't have to wait months to find out what happens. There were a few times I wanted to throw something at the TV back in the day when they did this.

 

[RAMA]

Aren't there about 90 minute versions available of all TNG twoparters combined into one longer episode?

Yes, I bought 3 of them. makes the feel like movies!

 

[Cyrus]

At least for Farpoint, BobW and All good Things... Possibly Unification and Redemption

The series premiere and finale episodes and some of the midseason 2 parters were originally aired as a single long episode and then later cut in two parts for reruns, so the original single part aired version should be available.

 

[MacLeod]

The season finale two-parters are often a bit of a let down in the second half. I usually find the mid-season multipart eps a lot more satisfying.

That might be in part due to the fact that they had to write Part II at a similar time instead of a couple of months later. DSN however largely dropped the season ending/starting two parters. However certain themes from those seasn enders did play a part in the season to follow.

 

[Griffeytrek]

That might be in part due to the fact that they had to write Part II at a similar time instead of a couple of months later. DSN however largely dropped the season ending/starting two parters. However certain themes from those seasn enders did play a part in the season to follow.

This. The mid season two partners were always written back to back so flowed better. Whereas the season ending 2 parters were written with separation between the first and second episodes. Often resulting in shifts in focus and tone from part 1 to part 2. Part of it is they couldn't always plan ahead as they had no idea of the second parts budget, resources or even if the full cast would be back. (Note how many of the part 1's were written to allow major cast members to leave.) sometimes this worked great, such as Best of Both Worlds. Sometimes not quite as well, such as Time's Arrow, which is one of the more disjointed feeling of them. Which is not to say they are in any way bad. I think all of the TNG and DS9 2 parters are in the upper half of their series episode rankings. And heck a few of Voyager's stand as the shows highest points. "Year of Hell" probably stands as the best use of the series "one lone lost ship" premise in its entire run. (So you have something else to look forward to.)

DS9 dropped the season ending two parters in part because they were never absolutely sure of renewal, the way TNG and Voy were. They went to more using the season finale as a setup towards the next season, and buried the two parters mid season. Plus when they did want to do them they got shoved around by scheduling issues. The DS9 "Homefront" 2 parter was originally intended to be a season end cliffhanger. But got shifted to mid season in favor of a different story arc.

 

[eyeresist]

This. The mid season two partners were always written back to back so flowed better. Whereas the season ending 2 parters were written with separation between the first and second episodes. Often resulting in shifts in focus and tone from part 1 to part 2. Part of it is they couldn't always plan ahead as they had no idea of the second parts budget, resources or even if the full cast would be back.

I know how they did it on ENT, which was probably the approach for most of the other Berman shows. They tended to write the season end cliffhanger with no real idea of how the story would resolve, which meant whoever got the job of writing part 2 was scrambling to undo the "inescapable" dilemmas of part 1. This would explain the disappointingly perfunctory feel of some of those part 2s that has been noted.

 

[Griffeytrek]

I know how they did it on ENT, which was probably the approach for most of the other Berman shows. They tended to write the season end cliffhanger with no real idea of how the story would resolve, which meant whoever got the job of writing part 2 was scrambling to undo the "inescapable" dilemmas of part 1. This would explain the disappointingly perfunctory feel of some of those part 2s that has been noted.

Yep. The problem was the stunt worked too well with Best of Both Worlds. It left fans vibrating on a razors edge for the next season, and they nailed the follow up, having spent months figuring out how to resolve things and how to pay for it all. So they kept trying to repeat that success, but never quite did.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

DS9 dropped the season ending two parters in part because they were never absolutely sure of renewal, the way TNG and Voy were.

It may be been useful in the context of uncertainty about the show's future. However, the season finale as the next season's set up was something that was introduced in the very first season, when renewal was probably assured.

 

[Tosk]

I've always been glad that DS9 never bothered with a true to-be-continued season finale. (Season 5 comes very close though.) Bring people back with the quality of the storytelling, not some arbitrary cliffhanger moment.

 

[eyeresist]

Yes, I think a really good stand-alone episode will get more people for the next season than a middling episode with a cliffhanger.

 

[Griffeytrek]

I think DS9 typically did the season transitions the best. They would set up an impending threat or change in the finale, but not leave it on a true cliffhanger. They left you interested to find out what happened next, but without the To Be Continued cut. Instead the next season would start as a reflection of that new challenge. Showing how things have changed or shifted to address it. But each episode, finale and next season premier were fully stand alone. (Trying desperately hard not to give any examples so as not to spoil things for our newb)

TNG had those great 2 parters. As strangely disconnected as some of them could be. For some reason both Voyager and Enterprise managed to transition into "space nazis" as part of a season change. Something that would result in the writers being fed to Archers Beagle in a fair and just universe.

 

[Forbin]

Yep. The problem was the stunt worked too well with Best of Both Worlds. It left fans vibrating on a razors edge for the next season, and they nailed the follow up, having spent months figuring out how to resolve things and how to pay for it all. So they kept trying to repeat that success, but never quite did.

Actually, I was thinking how disappointed I was with the beginning of part two. All those months imagining what was going to happen after the intense preparation of the deflector beam weapon, "Mister Worf... FIRE!" I was picturing a planet-killer-sized power beam, ravaging destruction on the Borg cube, right to the edge of success before the Borg began to recover, then somehow bounced back.

... and... we got nothing. A hefty beam shoots out, sure. but then... nothing.

Pfah!

 

[INACTIVEUSS Einstein]

The only show where I've ever seen change (in the form of major two parters and the like) handled REALLY well was Babylon 5 - the universe really had consequences - in this supposed age of TV drama, 99% of shows, if not all, still haven't matched this - they all have magical reset buttons, or their changes are just for effect and don't make sense.

DS9 had moments where it approached that - The Die is Cast being one of the most memorable. Or the dissolution of the Khitomer Accords. But most two-parters in Trek were a let down, including Best of Both Worlds, if we are honest - where the excellent setup for the Borg given in Q Who was largely defeated by a "sleep" command.

I still love Star Trek above and beyond any other drama, so this is intended as loving criticism - its just that I realize now that the stand alone episodes often have more merit than big events like Redemption and Unification, that wowed me when I was young, and which still somehow get the best ratings on review sites like IMDB and TV.com.