RobertScorpio
Pariah
Since I don't want to get a warning for starting too many of these, I will stop here..for now...
LOST vs STAR TREK TNG
- Thread starter RobertScorpio
- Start date
Both greatly emotional endings. TNG was episodic, so getting an all encompassing ending was pretty nice. Lost was serial, so in some ways it was unsatisfying.
I couldn't remember any other show being such a big deal in its finale as Lost or TNG. At least not any show that I ever watched.
I couldn't remember any other show being such a big deal in its finale as Lost or TNG. At least not any show that I ever watched.
RobertScorpio
Pariah
Wow..that is an interesting thought. And I agree, but I must say that DS9, for me, was more an event ending than TNG, though I could see it your way too. nuBSG was such a downer ending for me, and, IMO, woefully fell short. I can understand some of the misgivings about lost's ending, but, to me, LOST provided a satsifying story. I would say that 80% was good, 20% had issues. I couldn't say that about most the shows I watch, and for TREK tv shows, that number might be right at 50% either way.
Rob
Rob
DS9 was definitely an event for me too, but I was partly referring to how both TNG and Lost had more than just a two-hour episode finale, and how much people invested into these shows to warrant such finales. There was a lot of hype around each, whereas DS9 just didn't seem to have that as much.
RobertScorpio
Pariah
True..cant debate that.
Rob
Rob
I don't understand the question.
TNG wasn't as ambitious as LOST but it did what it did well--variety of story types, *satisfying* mysteries(take note LOST writers), a modest ensemble, more heart than LOST which could feel mechanical at times as it was an exposition machine. TNG also had the better series finale.
I think overall I liked TNG more. You had more one on one with the characters and instead of mixing the characters all around you had certain key relationships that we got to see grow and evolve over 7 years. If you had asked this before the finale or this final season I wouldn't have hesitated to say LOST but the writers did a lot to undermine the series since then. Plus LOST took a lot of ideas from TNG even the writers admitted this.
TNG gets my vote.
I think overall I liked TNG more. You had more one on one with the characters and instead of mixing the characters all around you had certain key relationships that we got to see grow and evolve over 7 years. If you had asked this before the finale or this final season I wouldn't have hesitated to say LOST but the writers did a lot to undermine the series since then. Plus LOST took a lot of ideas from TNG even the writers admitted this.
TNG gets my vote.
RobertScorpio
Pariah
I know some will struggle with comparing these two shows. And I largely agree with your post Trek Watcher. I'm still thinking this one through. Voyager/Enterprise can't touch LOST, IMO. (And are pale echos of TNG).
But TNG did have all that. But Where TNG excells in some area, LOST blows TNG away when it comes to acting and..I dont know..closure/epic. IMO. I need to ponder this one some more..
Rob
But TNG did have all that. But Where TNG excells in some area, LOST blows TNG away when it comes to acting and..I dont know..closure/epic. IMO. I need to ponder this one some more..
Rob
I was thinking about this very question this morning, actually, as "All Good Things" is one of my favourite finales ever. And I was wondering why I still liked it better than the Lost finale, which for the moment, is still weighing heavily on my mind (very emotional!)
I think one reason for me is that I like the "cast goes off into the sunset, an infinite number of adventures can still exist" endings better than the definitive "some or all are dead, this is the final adventure" endings.
I think one reason for me is that I like the "cast goes off into the sunset, an infinite number of adventures can still exist" endings better than the definitive "some or all are dead, this is the final adventure" endings.
RobertScorpio
Pariah
I think TNG holds up against Lost quite well, where as Voyager-Enterprise do not. I would start a thread comparing Lost with DS9, but would get a warning if I did, so I will wait (or..Hint hint hint, someone else could do it)...
But TNG was just a better show than Voyager and Enterprise, which to me, were clones of TNG (itself a clone of TOS..but a good one). By the time Enterprise comes around we are rehashing the same stuff over and over and over, and some cases, over and over and over and over and over. The formula was getting stale.
TNG was the first of the modern era "ship themed" Treks. Lost, IMO, was an attempt to do TWIN PEAKS and XFILES (a running serial) but do it right. Its hard, and believe me I know it is, to compare the two shows as different as Lost and TNG, but no one said life was easy.
I am going to give this one to TNG by a fricking nose.
Rob
But TNG was just a better show than Voyager and Enterprise, which to me, were clones of TNG (itself a clone of TOS..but a good one). By the time Enterprise comes around we are rehashing the same stuff over and over and over, and some cases, over and over and over and over and over. The formula was getting stale.
TNG was the first of the modern era "ship themed" Treks. Lost, IMO, was an attempt to do TWIN PEAKS and XFILES (a running serial) but do it right. Its hard, and believe me I know it is, to compare the two shows as different as Lost and TNG, but no one said life was easy.
I am going to give this one to TNG by a fricking nose.
Rob
I loved TNG growing up, but I don't think it's aged well. There are a few scattered f*cking amazing hours of television supplemented with a lot of mediocre to bad episodes. I'd say the best few episodes of TNG probably surpass Lost in quality, but a good 80 to 85% is substantially worse.
TNG is very black and white; you almost always know who's good and who's bad, who's right and who's wrong. TNG was at its best when it wasn't so clear-cut, such as in "Family," "Tapestry," "Yesterday's Enterprise," and "Sarek."
TNG is very black and white; you almost always know who's good and who's bad, who's right and who's wrong. TNG was at its best when it wasn't so clear-cut, such as in "Family," "Tapestry," "Yesterday's Enterprise," and "Sarek."
Come on. I know you want to start a "LOST vs. Chuck Norris" thread. Go right ahead!
I voted for TNG, and I really enjoyed Lost, but I honestly can't imagine two shows with less in common....it's not apples and oranges, it's apples and asparagus! Just watch an ep. like "Who Watches the Watchers?". That's kinda anti-Lost, y'know?
Anyway, I enjoyed the mysteries of the island and the development of the characters, but Lost can't hold up to those amazing three seasons, 3 through 5, of TNG. They were tight little TV novels, damn near perfect from start to finish.
Lost is still a gem, though.
Anyway, I enjoyed the mysteries of the island and the development of the characters, but Lost can't hold up to those amazing three seasons, 3 through 5, of TNG. They were tight little TV novels, damn near perfect from start to finish.
Lost is still a gem, though.
TNG actually made sense. I felt Lost's convoluted mess of mysteries was pretty presumptuous.
RobertScorpio
Pariah
This is a very interesting poll...good points all!!!
Rob
Rob
Oh, I don't know. "All Good Things" and "The Constant" have quite a bit in common, mainly due to Lindelof and Cuse flat-out admitting they ripped it off (their words) on the episode commentary.
You know, TNG had some mysteries of their own they never bothered answering. What was Picard and Guinan's backstory? Why was their relationship "beyond friendship, beyond family?" What was the story with Guinan and Q? And, probably the most puzzling mystery of them all, how did Brannon Braga get a job?
Voted TNG.
A much easier and more satisfying show to watch. Still 23 years after it first aired I can catch a repeat and enjoy it even though I've already seen it up to a dozen times - I just don't see the same happening with Lost.
Run the same poll in 20 years and I think there will be a more clear-cut winner
A much easier and more satisfying show to watch. Still 23 years after it first aired I can catch a repeat and enjoy it even though I've already seen it up to a dozen times - I just don't see the same happening with Lost.
Run the same poll in 20 years and I think there will be a more clear-cut winner
I really love both shows, but I would have to choose Lost. Every single episode of Lost was awesome, some more than others, but each one I could easily watch again and enjoy. TNG has tons of great episodes but also has some crap ones sprinkled in there. For example anything with Klingons as a main plot point bores me to tears. So I can't really choose TNG for that reason.
Similar threads
