Quality declination?

[Joel_Kirk]

I thought it steadily declined after season two.

I actually agree. It seemed like the show tried to deny its roots...which actually put me off by the time season 3 hit....

No Andorians, changing the look of Vulcans and Romulans, no Orions, Tellerites to mix with the new aliens that were created. Not too mention, changing the uniforms, and taking away the 'fun' and adventure aspect of Trek.

With that said, there were some few good episodes in later seasons.

 

[JesterFace]

Interesting to read that some people don't like season 3 and beyond because it wasn't like the original series. I think it's a good thing it wasn't like TOS... Honestly because TNG was better. It wasn't a TOS remake, it was TNG and a long time had passed since the original. Could the original style and feeling even be created 20 years later...

 

[JarodRussell]

I have yet to see a show that doesn't decline in later seasons.

 

[Lance]

Interesting to read that some people don't like season 3 and beyond because it wasn't like the original series. I think it's a good thing it wasn't like TOS... Honestly because TNG was better. It wasn't a TOS remake, it was TNG and a long time had passed since the original. Could the original style and feeling even be created 20 years later...

Can't speak for anyone else, but for me the reason why Season 2 is the best is because it's a comfortable halfway house between the two extremes: very much its own thing with its own sense of character, but still TOS-like enough as well for it feel like a fit as a follow-up to the original. Season Three effectively saw it become a very different show. Many people like what it became, heck even I don't hate it, but I just prefer Seasons 1 & 2, that's all.

I have yet to see a show that doesn't decline in later seasons.

This, very much so. No TV series yet that has lasted more than a season has ever managed to avoid the natural decay that comes with having been on the air for too long.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I thought it steadily declined after season two.

I actually agree. It seemed like the show tried to deny its roots...which actually put me off by the time season 3 hit....

No Andorians, changing the look of Vulcans and Romulans, no Orions, Tellerites to mix with the new aliens that were created. Not too mention, changing the uniforms, and taking away the 'fun' and adventure aspect of Trek.

With that said, there were some few good episodes in later seasons.

Early seasons had more adventure than later seasons?

I think the middle seasons are most in touch with the series roots. Season 1 was more a flat painting of the superficial aspects of the original series. The later part of the series took the spirit of the original and tweaked it to 1990s sensibilities.

 

[Isolinear]

I have yet to see a show that doesn't decline in later seasons.

One season shows?

 

[Joel_Kirk]

I thought it steadily declined after season two.

I actually agree. It seemed like the show tried to deny its roots...which actually put me off by the time season 3 hit....

No Andorians, changing the look of Vulcans and Romulans, no Orions, Tellerites to mix with the new aliens that were created. Not too mention, changing the uniforms, and taking away the 'fun' and adventure aspect of Trek.

With that said, there were some few good episodes in later seasons.

Early seasons had more adventure than later seasons?

I think the middle seasons are most in touch with the series roots. Season 1 was more a flat painting of the superficial aspects of the original series. The later part of the series took the spirit of the original and tweaked it to 1990s sensibilities.

For me, later seasons became more talky and less adventurous...in other words, a bit boring.

Again, we never saw many of the TOS aliens due to Berman wanting to separate TNG from TOS, and the uniforms of the 1st season - again, something akin to the original series - were gone.

With all the problems I had with ENT, they did something right in bringing back Andorians, Orions, Tholians, the Gorn, Tellerites....while also showing new aliens.

As aforementioned, there are a few episodes from later seasons I do return to, but I tend to come back to Season 1 a bit more.

Interesting to read that some people don't like season 3 and beyond because it wasn't like the original series. I think it's a good thing it wasn't like TOS... Honestly because TNG was better. It wasn't a TOS remake, it was TNG and a long time had passed since the original. Could the original style and feeling even be created 20 years later...

Interestingly, DS9 actually did acknowledge it's roots in TNG and TOS: 'Trials and Tribble-ations.' It also wasn't a TOS remake or a TNG clone; it was its own show. However, we also got a lot of action, a strong plot-line that crossed over seasons, flawed characters....as well as a serious aspect that challenged the 'Rodenberry ideal.'

 

[King Bob!]

Interesting to read that some people don't like season 3 and beyond because it wasn't like the original series. I think it's a good thing it wasn't like TOS... Honestly because TNG was better. It wasn't a TOS remake, it was TNG and a long time had passed since the original. Could the original style and feeling even be created 20 years later...

It's not that I "dislike" the later seasons. It just felt like there was less of what I was looking for in them.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I have yet to see a show that doesn't decline in later seasons.

Breaking Bad

 

[Trimm]

Its a general rule of television that long running shows tend to operate on a bell curve of quality, and TNG is no exception.

That said, season 1 is not nearly as bad as is commonly held nor is season 2. Season 3 I actually find as a whole to be overrated just slightly. 4 through 6 are strong, and 7 as a whole is the worst season. Just my opinion, YMMV.

 

[Trekker4747]

I think the decline largely started in mid Season-6 or so and then largely in Season 7. Probably as focus shifted to DS9 in Season 6 and more writers went over there, then in S7 as probably more of a shift happened, especially in preparation for DS9 and to a much lesser degree Generations.

 

[Lance]

I have yet to see a show that doesn't decline in later seasons.

One season shows?

Well yeah. Really it's just an extension of 'Troubled Second Album Syndrome'. There are loads of artistes who would be better regarded if they'd stopped after album 1, and certainly more than a few (including greats like The Beatles) where even the most ardant fan can see that churning them out eventually wore everybody down and led to fatigue (and eventually a decline in quality).

TV shows that last more than one season face the same problem. Almost no show has ever weathered the storm without hitting rough seas at some point, usually as a result of fatigue behind the scenes.

I've just recently finished watching "Boston Legal" from start to finish for the first time, and it prompted me to ponder this very question. While the constant cast changes are clearly a means to try to avert this, the reality is that even that show has got a saturation point where it was dangerously close to jumping a shark (somewhere around the start of the fourth season I found myself thinking "Denny's in legal trouble over something he's done again?!? Alan is fighting a big corporation because he can again?!? Get some new plots already!!!").

 

[Lucky]

I consider 3-6 to be the show in its prime. I do really like S7 and consider it better than the first two years, and overall it is a good season, but I think S6 was better.

 

[Jaro Stun]

In my opinion season 3 is the top season of TNG. Overrated or not, for me it has a certain feeling of adventure, no further TNG season has been able to capture.

I think seasons 4 and 5 are slightly overrated, due to presence of Redemption (great klingon story with lasting implications) and Unification (Spock).
Season 6 has some great DS9-ish moments and its overall feel is very close to DS9 S1/S2 (not surprisingly), which for me, is a good thing. In retrospect, I'm surprised I Like S6 consistently more than I do S4 & S5.
S7 has few really good episodes, special exceptions being AGT, Descent conclusion and Gambit.

So If I should rank the seasons:
S1 - poor
S2 - mediocre but has plus points for a unique feel
S3 - TOP
S4 - OK
S5 - OK
S6 - OK and better than S4-S5
S7 - decline in quality

 

[MakeshiftPython]

My ranking of the seasons along with the best episode of each:

S3 "Yesterday's Enterprise"
S6 "Tapestry"
S4 "The Drumhead"
S5 "Darmok"
S7 "All Good Things..."
S2 "The Measure of a Man"
S1 "Heart of Glory"

S3 really marked the beginning of what made the show great. The characters are much better served and the stories are stronger. Picard especially grows into a much better lead character. For example, in "The Survivors", Picard actually picks up on the clues and works with them to solve the mystery, whereas in the first season he might not have figured it out until stumbling onto it in the last three minutes, or have Riker be the hero saving the day, while the captain is being totally useless up on the bridge "away team, what's going on!?!?!?!" He also gets some seriously awesome moments when in a stand-off with Romulans or guest aliens like the Sheliak.

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbJIi8QJ8PU[/yt]

 

[JesterFace]

I think it's necessary to be able to watch TNG or other Trek series without constantly having to compare them, what did they copy, how are they different and so on.

Comparing Treks is only an occasional thing for me.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

I think the 1st season of TNG is the best of the modern TV series (1987-2005).

..that does not compute.

 

[King Bob!]

I think the 1st season of TNG is the best of the modern TV series (1987-2005).

..that does not compute.

Computes fine for me.

 

[M'rk son of Mogh]

I consider 3-6 to be the show in its prime. I do really like S7 and consider it better than the first two years, and overall it is a good season, but I think S6 was better.

I think I pretty much agree with this.
The great episodes in season 7 are REALLY great, and keep the season as a whole from being as bad as a lot say to me. Parallels is one of my favourite TNG episodes period. Pegasus is up there as well.

And season 6 is really consistent as well, probably more than season 5.

Season 1 or 2? I'll watch them when I'm doing my run-throughs, but it's mostly because I know the rewards of season 3 and beyond are just around the corner.

 

[MakeshiftPython]

The first season is more ballsy and adventurous, so I can totally understand why that appeals to some better than the more subdued later seasons. Too bad the writing on those early episodes is pants.

 

[Jewel]

I agree with this too. I like season 7. Lower Decks is one of my favorite all time episodes and I think shows that the series had a lot more stories it could have told.

It's interesting that people think season one is the most adventurous and daring. I find it stilted and obvious, and quite cliched. Different strokes!

I consider 3-6 to be the show in its prime. I do really like S7 and consider it better than the first two years, and overall it is a good season, but I think S6 was better.

I think I pretty much agree with this.
The great episodes in season 7 are REALLY great, and keep the season as a whole from being as bad as a lot say to me. Parallels is one of my favourite TNG episodes period. Pegasus is up there as well.

And season 6 is really consistent as well, probably more than season 5.

Season 1 or 2? I'll watch them when I'm doing my run-throughs, but it's mostly because I know the rewards of season 3 and beyond are just around the corner.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I would also count Gambit as one of the show's greatest episodes but I know I'm in the minority there.

Season 7 was definitely the least consistent season.