If tng had an 8th season.

[FederationHistorian]

So, no Picard and no Data. Also, no DS9 or VOY. However, that does not mean DS9 does not exist as a station. I will also presume that O’Brien has still left the show, and AGT is a season finale instead of being the series finale.

• Season would be largely centered around Bajor, Cardassia, the Maquis and the Bajoran Resistance as a backdrop.

• Picard becomes Ambassador-at-large, while Data gets his own command, to explain their absence from the season.

• Shelby is first officer in the 8th season premiere. However, Shelby decides to leave when she gets a promotion of her own, allowing Worf to be promoted to first officer.

• Dr. Selar and Nurse Ogawa starts to take more responsibility in sickbay, as Dr. Crusher prepares to leave Ent-D to return to Starfleet Medical and be with Picard. All while being introduced to Dr. Zimmerman and the EMH concept. Dr. Pulaski returns for one episode to work with Dr. Crusher.

• Dr. Brahms would be on the Ent-D as a recurring character to oversee new upgrades, and we see her relationship with Geordi evolve. But we also see her lose out on Geordi after he gets (and scores) with Sonya Gomez.

• Ro would be a recurring character for the season. One such appearance would be a Maquis two-parter, featuring Ro Laren and Tom Riker as an item, but also unsure about their activities in the Maquis. Her second appearance would be on Bajor dealing with Kira and the Bajoran Resistance, and interacting with someone who is as angry as her but also a believer in the Prophets.

• Chakotay, Cal Hudson, and B’Elanna Torres would still be kept as members of the Maquis, and Tuvok would still be kept as an infiltrator of the Maquis. However, the Maquis would collapse as an entity in the penultimate episode of the season due to Tuvok’s infiltration.

• Gul Dukat story, with him commanding DS9 after the Federation pulled out of Bajoran space, and preparing for a second occupation of Bajor. Would feature Quark.

• There would be an introduction to the Founders story, and Odo would be kept for this story.

• “Conspiracy” follow-up. It would be a TNG version of “Homefront” and “Paradise Lost”.

• An episode looking at the Trill, to explain the different makeup features. Jadzia Dax would make an appearance here.

• There would be at least three major Troi stories. The first would be a mirror universe story, after she travels there by accident. The second would be helping the Siskos (Ben, Jake & Jennifer) recover from lingering trauma over the Battle of Wolf 359, and Ben Sisko in particular to become less angry over those events since it placed Jennifer in a wheelchair. The final would be her marrying Riker.

• There would be a Guinan and Q story that would also feature Uhura, set shortly after TUC.

• Final appearance of Sela, after she annex’s Turkana IV and pushes the Federation to the brink of war with the Romulans. But her actions also revealed to have indirectly prevent a planned Romulan invasion of Bajor from occurring, who want to expand their empire into the Gamma Quadrant. Sela also comes face to face with Ishara Yar.

• If the 8th season is the actual final season, then the series finale will involve Kirk in some fashion meeting the Ent-D crew. Would also feature Chekov and Sulu in the opening scene. It would be the “Caretaker” premiere remade for TNG, but Riker (with Kirk’s assistance) get’s the Ent-D crew home immediately to prevent them from being lost in the Delta Quadrant.

 

[Oddish]

So, no Picard and no Data. Also, no DS9 or VOY. However, that does not mean DS9 does not exist as a station. I will also presume that O’Brien has still left the show, and AGT is a season finale instead of being the series finale.

I like how you think. This would have been infinitely superior to "Generations".

 

[NigellaDeanna20]

And Troi dumps Worf to resume things with Riker, so Worf finds the Duras sisters and they... cheer him up.

I agree with that. Troi's Riker's girl.

 

[TroiFan4ever]

I always like to think Star Trek: Generations was our Season 8. But then again I can't really imagine their being another season after seven years on the air. It ran really well and was a successful show. It wasn't like it was "cancelled" as it had a long enough run after its seventh season on TV. Not that I disliked TNG by ANY stretch of the imagination. It was great and I'm brave enough to be money its rating reflected that but as I see it the producers wisely made Season 7 its last as a way to transition its viewers to DS9 and VOY which premiered the following year TNG went off the air and DS9 was running and transitioning to its third season following TNG concluding its run. All this according to Jeri Ryan in the featurette hosted by Jonathan Frakes during or after producing "All Good Things..." as I remember it.

Having more opportunities to see Troi in uniform with that Season 7 hair is always eyecandy for me. But that doesn't outweigh that running it for another year would've essentially been running the show to the ground. Just because a show is proven successful by high ratings, high toy/merchandise sales, and high viewership doesn't necessarily mean it should last a long run but I am in no means suggesting TNG should've had a short run. I'm glad it lasted as long as it did. But to drive home my point, I think it ended perfectly at seven seasons. No, I take that back. I'm glad it ended with Star Trek: Generations, the TV saga ended with that movie, albeit it was kind of garbage (I saw it December 2020 and was excited to see it since i haven't in years and was disappointed because it wasn't good as I remember it being).

Mixed feelings about the concept. On the one hand, the Picard and Data show of the first few seasons would be over, allowing other character to be developed. Maybe Beverly could wash that foul Sub Rosa taste out of our collective mouth. Or Geordi could do something better than "Interface".

I'm fine with Riker as captain; the problem would be a first officer. Worf's only a ○○ lieutenant, and Beverly and Troi are specialists. LaForge is a possibility, he's due for commander rank. But then, we'd need a new chief engineer. So I think we would need at least one new character. Don't like the idea of Shelby... she was easy on the eyes, but I found her rather annoying.

That's funny, your first paragraph. I always thought "Masks" was one of TNG's most disliked episodes. I know "Sub Rosa" is right up there too. But I liked "Masks" as a good Data episode but the episode with Data and his "mom" from the same season (can't recall the title off the top of my head) was admittedly better than "Masks". I actually liked "Interface" and Beverly's best episodes were "Remember Me" and "Suspicions" both not even from Season 7.

I didn't care for Shelby either. If Riker WERE to be appointed captain, that would mean Data would be his First Officer being that he was Second in Command throughout the course of the show and when Picard was MIA in "Gambit" Riker was in charge with Data being Second Officer and when Riker was abducted, Data was captain with Worf being Data's First, although everyone's ranks remained unchanged.

 

[Arpy]

Data gets his own command, to explain their absence from the season.

He was Captain enough on the Sutherland.

Shelby is first officer in the 8th season premiere. However, Shelby decides to leave when she gets a promotion of her own, allowing Worf to be promoted to first officer.

What if Worf gets promotion by killing her? It would be very Klingon…maybe if she’s assimilated and he does it for pity’s sake…she shared her wishes with him during a late-night poker game, and he honored her so.

Dr. Selar and Nurse Ogawa starts to take more responsibility in sickbay, as Dr. Crusher prepares to leave Ent-D to return to Starfleet Medical and be with Picard. All while being introduced to Dr. Zimmerman and the EMH concept.

The comedic duo of Dr. Selar and the EMH could actually be gold. Straight Vulcan vs zany hologram. Sass everywhere.

Dr. Pulaski returns for one episode to work with Dr. Crusher.

Down the turbolift shaft she goes.

But we also see her lose out on Geordi after he gets (and scores) with Sonya Gomez.

Geordi is a cool lady’s man by the end. What’s his face on Orville has nothing on him. …maybe use the VISOR during sex somehow. To be a more attentive lover.

Ro would be a recurring character for the season. One such appearance would be a Maquis two-parter, featuring Ro Laren and Tom Riker as an item, but also unsure about their activities in the Maquis.

They liked each other well enough in “Conundrum.”

Her second appearance would be on Bajor dealing with Kira and the Bajoran Resistance, and interacting with someone who is as angry as her but also a believer in the Prophets.

She starts in the Maquis and ends wearing a Militia uniform.

Chakotay, Cal Hudson, and B’Elanna Torres would still be kept as members of the Maquis, and Tuvok would still be kept as an infiltrator of the Maquis. However, the Maquis would collapse as an entity in the penultimate episode of the season due to Tuvok’s infiltration.

Cool. Chakotay, as Hudson’s second, nearly kills him, but Hudson stops him. Or vice-versa.

Gul Dukat story, with him commanding DS9 after the Federation pulled out of Bajoran space, and preparing for a second occupation of Bajor. Would feature Quark.

Wait, why did the Federation pull out? How about Tain and Garak in the Order on the intelligence side, a legate and Evek in the Central Command on the military side, and maybe gul-turned politician Macet and Kotan Pa’dar on the Detapa Council.

There would be at least three major Troi stories. The first would be a mirror universe story, after she travels there by accident. The second would be helping the Siskos (Ben, Jake & Jennifer) recover from lingering trauma over the Battle of Wolf 359, and Ben Sisko in particular to become less angry over those events since it placed Jennifer in a wheelchair. The final would be her marrying Riker.

Mirror Troi, and the rest, could be scary. What mind-games and agony booths might Mirror “counseling” entail?

Good to see her counseling back in this universe, and the endgame with Riker. Do we dare a full Betazoid wedding for comic relief? Lwaxana was cute in “Cost of Living.”

I’d still love to do something Asimov psychohistorian-y with her though. Like when Nella Darren was predicting the future of star systems millions of years ahead, she could work on social models. Maybe that expertise is what Mirror Troi, a kind of political officer, wanted from her

There would be a Guinan and Q story that would also feature Uhura, set shortly after TUC.

The TNG version of VOY’s “Flashback”? It would be cool to see Uhura again.

Final appearance of Sela, after she annex’s Turkana IV and pushes the Federation to the brink of war with the Romulans. But her actions also revealed to have indirectly prevent a planned Romulan invasion of Bajor from occurring, who want to expand their empire into the Gamma Quadrant. Sela also comes face to face with Ishara Yar.

Too many Romulan failures, not enough Romulan justice. Sela is executed by the Romulans…as her mother was. She wonders at the end, despite herself, if she chose the wrong world to fashion herself after.

Ishara sacrifices herself to save Sela’s daughter. It is a far better thing I do than I have ever done... She’s happy for the child, and wonders at the end what her life might have been like if she‘d gone with Data.

If the 8th season is the actual final season, then the series finale will involve Kirk in some fashion meeting the Ent-D crew.

No Kirk. This is TNG, not ENT.

 

[Oddish]

What if Worf gets promotion by killing her? It would be very Klingon…maybe if she’s assimilated and he does it for pity’s sake…she shared her wishes with him during a late-night poker game, and he honored her so.

If it involves no more Shelby, I'll take it.

Down the turbolift shaft she goes.

How DARE you?! Pulaski was the best!

Geordi is a cool lady’s man by the end.

I'd watch that just for the giggles...

She starts in the Maquis and ends wearing a Militia uniform.

Reminds me of Ro's journey in one of the book series... after surviving the Maquis annihilation, she joins the Bajoran militia... and is returned to Starfleet when Bajor joins the Federation! Ironic, yes?

Mirror Troi, and the rest, could be scary. What mind-games and agony booths might Mirror “counseling” entail?

Troi, icy as f*** and wearing a skintight black Kinky Kira uniform? I'll buy that for a dollar!

 

[Wally]

Okay, given the constraints....

THE CHARACTERS

• Riker is made Captain (obviously), also signally that the crew and show will get a little bit more casual. More action oriented. Sexier.
• Worf is promoted to Lt. Commander and made Second Officer (already established in Gambit that he was 3rd officer on the D). But otherwise pulls double-duty, just like Data did. Like it or not, the relationship with Troi holds, because I hate reset buttons.
• No significant changes to the other regulars, we just lost the 2 biggest characters so we need to hang on to some familiarity
• Reginald Barclay is promoted to Lieutenant and takes Data's old position as Operations Officer. He's an established quirky character that fans love and won't take much explanation establishing him there.
• The new XO should be a totally new character. We need to balance the sexes a bit more, and after losing Data we are down to only 1 visibly non-human (Troi's eyes are not readily apparent) so... Female Andorian! She can be a bit abrasive and cool and tamper Riker's gung hoishness.

THE STORIES
Still largely episodic. This is all how TNG worked; Planet of the Week style. But somethings can be built in

• A followup to 'Preemptive Strike' . Ro Laren's betrayal still smarts the crew, and she can be basically the Michael Eddington of the series.
• The Romulans. Really the primary antagonists of TNG, and yet there was little followup. We still have Tomolak, Sela, the Vulcan/Romulan Reunification Movement and Troi's undercover Tal Shiar espionage going on. Fertile ground for a few more episodes of intrigue
• Just marry Troi and Worf. Yes, not the greatest couple ever but we've been teased with Riker/Troi (nothing), Picard/Crusher (nothing) and LaForge/Anything (nothing) for over 7 years, and only Chief O'Brien is the sole owner of a relationship to show for it. Hitch someone already, it's straining credibility at this point. Also, it'll be a bigger deal if Troi does eventually get killed off.

 

[Ottens]

The ideas for a Romulan two-partier tie in with the discussion we're having about alternate ideas for Nemesis. I think "Unification" deserved a follow-up and conclusion, whether in a movie or a TNG Season 8. Maybe not outright unification of Romulus and Vulcan, but something progressing in that direction.

If we're doing TNG Season 8, we don't have the Dominion War (yet). A wartime alliance would have been an elegant set-up to a Federation-Romulan Alliance, similar to the Federation-Klingon Alliance.

Alternatively, there's a political crisis on Romulus, not outright civil war, but something close to it, with the Unificationist faction facing off against reactionaries (led by Tomalak?). Much like how Picard and the Enterprise were sort of drawn into the Klingon Civil War, they'd be drawn in here, owing to Spock's involvement. That could be a way to kick off Season 8: a strong two-parter with Leonard Nimoy as guest star as well as Denise Crosby as Sela. She stages a coup with significant military support, but she isn't totally accepted by the old guard, given that she's half-human. She cynically tries to leverage the Unificationists to shore up her regime, but, with the intervention of the Enterprise crew (maybe a role for Guinan?) she decides to actually give them a chance, and forms a coalition government.

Then over the course of the season we'd have a couple more episodes in this arc.

The rest would be more geared toward Bajor, Cardassia and the Maquis, since we don't have DS9. Ro Laren becomes a Maquis leader. As @Wally suggested, she becomes the Eddington of the season.

As for Deanna, Riker and Worf... I would pursue the Troi-Worf romance for a while but have them break it off eventually. Maybe there's an accident, Riker almost dies, and Troi realizes she still loves Riker after all. All three do their best to remain on good terms, but there will be some tension between Riker and Worf that can be exploited in a later episode, maybe when Worf - now XO - disagrees with an important decision Riker makes in relation to the Cardassians and the Maquis.

Worf is replaced by a new female security chief. Alternatively, Shelby becomes XO and Worf stays at security. I do think the show should have added a female character.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

Just out of interest, did the powers that be at the time want a Season 8? Is it something that could have happened?

 

[suarezguy]

^I think the actors did expect a season 8, in fact I believe most of the actors signed on for 6 years, than signed a 2 year renewal and then were really surprised there would just be one more year and then movies.

I think the actual "Unification" episodes more suggested that unification was a long, long, very distantly off project, not something within 5 or 10 years or probably 20.

 

[Ottens]

Just out of interest, did the powers that be at the time want a Season 8? Is it something that could have happened?

Not as far as I know. I didn't know the actors signed on for two more years after Season 6, but I did know they were sort-of planning for 6 seasons and added a 7th one "let's give it one more go". But certainly the writers felt they were running out of steam in terms of ideas, and they knew halfway through the season that 7 would be their last. That's how they could wrap up some of the storylines, like Wesley's and Ro Laren's, in the second half.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

@Ottens

@suarezguy

Many thanks!

 

[Arpy]

They could have played around with the format a little bit. Do an episode that’s straight up a Dixon Hill mystery in the 40’s. By this time Picard was deep in character when playing and the story was shot tight from his perspective like Bladerunner or Chinatown or something. If the camera takes the setting stakes, the episode is as tense as any crime show or movie.

Characters we haven’t seen since The Big Goodbye show up, maybe Nicky the Nose from First Contact, Robert De Niro (he was a big fan who nearly guested Season 7) as either the main baddie or some other role he would have gotten a kick out of (newspaper boy, bishop, alien dressed as a cop), and every so often one of our people shows up in eye-popping parts and surprises, peppering the episode as we go along.

Maybe this is where (second shift) Chief Engineer Argyle, or Sonya Gomez, comes back. Or one of the nameless ensigns at the helm we haven’t seen in five seasons. One scene ends with the main baddie’s enforcer (Riker) roughing Hill up. He launches a punch straight to the camera, cut to black; after the commercial break Hill’s got a bruise and busted lip. Worf’s a crooked cop in a funny uniform tailored to his Klingon body & head. Crusher (an heiress) is Hill’s client and surprise possible murderess. Troi’s a tough union leader about to be martyred for the cause. Geordi (depending on the year) is an undercover German or Soviet agent…maybe trying to bring an atomic bomb into play. Data’s Hill’s young friend who gets blown away by machine gun fire meant for him and the heiress…leaking yellow fluid he has a wrenching death scene like Sean Connery in The Untouchables.

Maybe somewhere in all this is little bits of sci-fi in the background…the story spilling out onto and ultimately ending on the ship itself. Was De Niro a hologram or a murderous alien after all?

 

[Ottens]

If Brent Spiner left the show, maybe Gomez rather than Barclay could succeed Data at Ops?

 

[Arpy]

Though we’re familiar with Barclay, there are probably two dozen officers, most of whom we haven’t seen, who would be better fits for the ops/science officer/third officer position Data occupied.

 

[Orphalesion]

Barclay and Gomez are both human though, which is a bit of a step-down from an Android. I mean don't get me wrong, Barclay is an interesting character, but you don't want too many humans in the crew. If Data leaves then the only non-humans left are Worf and Troi's right half (or maybe the left)

They could have played around with the format a little bit. Do an episode that’s straight up a Dixon Hill mystery in the 40’s.

I will never understand this idea that people want Star Trek episodes that are straight up some other stuff instead of Star Trek episodes. If someone wants a Noir mystery, then there's a lot of noir movies and shows to watch.
But, remember I don't like Holodec Episodes (or Noir mysteries)

If there is to be a noir mystery then make it something like Stardust City Rag, one that takes place in the wider Star Trek universe.
As much as I dislike PIC, I'd take that episode any day over extended LARP sessions like The Big Goodbye

 

[Arpy]

Barclay and Gomez are both human though, which is a bit of a step-down from an Android. I mean don't get me wrong, Barclay is an interesting character, but you don't want too many humans in the crew. If Data leaves then the only non-humans left are Worf and Troi's right half (or maybe the left)



I will never understand this idea that people want Star Trek episodes that are straight up some other stuff instead of Star Trek episodes. If someone wants a Noir mystery, then there's a lot of noir movies and shows to watch.
But, remember I don't like Holodec Episodes (or Noir mysteries)

If there is to be a noir mystery then make it something like Stardust City Rag, one that takes place in the wider Star Trek universe.
As much as I dislike PIC, I'd take that episode any day over extended LARP sessions like The Big Goodbye

Lots of Star Trek episodes aren’t typical Star Trek episodes, and Star Trek is Star Trek for it. What wouldn’t be great about seeing the actors playing their characters playing these other characters and always dancing the razor’s edge between being too much the one or the other, let alone just not sucking at either? Add to it the surprises of not knowing who’s going to show up where and how…maybe one special guest star is doing the voiceover — will they break the fourth wall and do it when the characters are spilling out into the corridor? The noir story itself could be captivating and brilliant by itself. There could be clues to the continuing relationships of the crew beyond the episode…Riker/Troi/Worf…maybe Crusher and Picard decide to take the plunge after their chemistry here, she nearly pulling off Dixon’s death and Picard having to save her from alien De Niro on the bridge. Then add the sci-fi components sprinkled throughout and building in the episode leading to bigger questions at the end. And little bits like Geordi’s VISOR tipping him off to shoot the hologram that isn’t a hologram at the right moment — the KGB(!) saves the day. Lots of stuff could be fun.

 

[Orphalesion]

L What wouldn’t be great about seeing the actors playing their characters playing these other characters and always dancing the razor’s edge between being too much the one or the other, let alone just not sucking at either?

Nothing would be great about that. Because when I turn on Star Trek I want Star Trek and not "terrible Noir lite" or "terrible Western lite" I just don't see the appeal.

The noir story itself could be captivating and brilliant by itself.

1. Not very likely, given TNGs Track Record
2. I don't like Noir, I don't like the 1940s, so it could be brilliant (again, it's not gonna be) and I still wouldn't enjoy it.

There could be clues to the continuing relationships of the crew beyond the episode…Riker/Troi/Worf…maybe Crusher and Picard decide to take the plunge after their chemistry here, she nearly pulling off Dixon’s death and Picard having to save her from alien De Niro on the bridge. Then add the sci-fi components sprinkled throughout and building in the episode leading to bigger questions at the end. And little bits like Geordi’s VISOR tipping him off to shoot the hologram that isn’t a hologram at the right moment — the KGB(!) saves the day. Lots of stuff could be fun.

But a lot, if not all of that could be done with an episode like Stardust City Rag, on some seedy, Freecloud like planet. That would be vastly preferable than just shuffling the actors into some 1940s Noir pastiche.

 

[Arpy]

Nothing would be great about that. Because when I turn on Star Trek I want Star Trek and not "terrible Noir lite" or "terrible Western lite" I just don't see the appeal.

1. Not very likely, given TNGs Track Record
2. I don't like Noir, I don't like the 1940s, so it could be brilliant (again, it's not gonna be) and I still wouldn't enjoy it.

Who said about bing about “terrible” noir? This one would be great. Even for non-fans. It would be layered and nuanced and deep and fun, and win over even the most grudging viewer. This thread is fantasy about the realm of possibility, and I think anything can win anyone over if done artfully enough.

But a lot, if not all of that could be done with an episode like Stardust City Rag, on some seedy, Freecloud like planet.

That could work too, in a different way. Less fun-turned-danger and more straight up assignment-gone-bad. I’ll tell the writers one of each — season 8, then 9. Maybe the practice in the one saves them in the other.

 

[somebuddyX]

I always bring this up whenever there's 8th season TNG talk but ColeMercury did an interesting write up for a 15 season TNG (1987-2002), which basically did Voyager as TNG 2.0, with the Enterprise-E sent to the Delta Quadrant. I liked the other changes he made to the universe, like Star Trek VII and Star Trek Excelsior, but we only got a six season DS9 and a follow-up TV movie.
https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/tliad-star-trek-the-next-generation-1987-2002.335882/

Maybe someone mentioned it already but Brandon Tartikoff was the one pushing for a TNG spinoff when he left NBC to come to Paramount, so maybe in the alternate universe that move didn't happen, so no spinoffs (although perhaps others would have come to a similar but different idea).

I just honestly think that Season 8 would have been more of Season 7, just with some new characters. I don't believe there'd be any huge conflicts or continuing seriailised storylines. No Dominion, no Maquis, a little exploration of the Cardassians and Bajorans but much more superficial. Bajor's liberation is tied to the premise of DS9, so maybe in this universe that never happens, or happens during TNG's run, and brings back Ro.
Maybe the original episode called All Good Things, the one where the Enterprise was going to be decommissioned or turned into some luxury liner or something, happens and the stardrive blows up and the saucer crashes on some planet, but maybe it happens at the end of Season 7 instead of Season 6. And so we get kind of a version of Generations, except with no Kirk storyline. Except we get the Kirk storyline in a separate episode and Bill Shatner joins the cast in a few episodes because teenage me thought he read that in the Captains Logs book as something that was going to happen, except it was one of the TNG cast talking shit and teenage me didn't understand sarcasm. But hot damn we're doing it for real this time!
And the Enterprise gets a new stardrive and they tow the saucer back into space because I'm sure the producers would not build a whole new model and sets (unless they would) but all the sets get a new paint job. Or maybe the Enterprise-E is commissioned as another Galaxy-class ship.

And someone just animate A Final Unity as TNG Season 8 already. There's at least five hours of it in a Let's Play.