Well it's all fine to hope that a pilot will introduce the characters and set up the beginning of the story, but a pilot is made to illustrate the potential for a series before going into production whether it introduces characters or not. "Where No Man Has Gone Before" was made for this purpose, and here in TV land, that's called a pilot.
Season One has aged well
- Thread starter Too Much Fun
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Well it's all fine to hope that a pilot will introduce the characters and set up the beginning of the story, but a pilot is made to illustrate the potential for a series before going into production whether it introduces characters or not. "Where No Man Has Gone Before" was made for this purpose, and here in TV land, that's called a pilot.
Recent novels have revisited season one episodes, such as "The Storyteller". When I watched it I sort of ended up liking it.
To add to the 'pilot discussion'. There's also a key difference between the new era pilots and the TOS pilot in that the TOS pilot had to be sold, when really the TNG/DS9/etc were already sold.
And it's impossible to grade 60's era television pilots to 90's era. The idea that characters need to be introduced wasn't exactly a concept like it is today. Many of the shows were shows where episode order had little (or no) meaning and could be shuffled around at will.
Interesting... I would say that the episodes that are DS9 specific have aged well, such as Emissary, Duet and In The Hands Of The Prophets, but the TNG reject stories are either forgettable or terrible, such as Q-Less, Move Along Home and If Wishes Were Horses.
In terms of best first seasons, TOS takes the crown. Controversially, I would put ENT next as being the most consistent in terms of quality. DS9 would be third, VOY fourth and TNG far in fifth place.
In terms of best first seasons, TOS takes the crown. Controversially, I would put ENT next as being the most consistent in terms of quality. DS9 would be third, VOY fourth and TNG far in fifth place.
That was the biggest problem with DS9's first season. They were very concerned on snagging some TNG viewers early rather than letting Deep Space chart its own course.
I'd put them in the same order. I've recently finished ENT season 1, and I quite enjoyed it - there are no great episodes that really blow me away like Duet, but there are several good ones, a few average ones, and just one really bad (Acquisition) and there is some good character development. Sadly, season 2, which I'm just halfway through now, is a step down - it starts good, but then there is a string of bad and average episodes... I hope it gets better in the second part of the season, when they're supposed to finally bring back Andorians and more Vulcans.
Definately agree with you on Enterprise. Season 1 was pretty good and entertaining, but by season 2, Berman and Braga were playing it too safe. There are some good episode, but I'm glad things were shaken up for the third season. Another one like 2 and I probably would have given up.
Personally, I think that DS9 in general has aged very well - especially compared to TNG. DS9 could be made today very easily...but TNG's PC preaching wouldn't get nearly as far as it did back in the 80's.
I have to agree with the sentiment that the first season as well as the series in general has aged well. That being said I have to admit that when ever I start watching the entire series on DVD from beginning to end I find my self struggling to get through most of season one. Now, it's because it's bad it's because the series is so much better beginning in season 2. I really want to get through the least interesting episodes and get to the good stuff.
However, even the weakest episodes have value IE character development and some contribution to the rest of the series. But I do have to say my favorite episodes from season one are...
"Emissary"
"A Man Alone"
"Captive Pursuit"
"Move Along Home"
"The Nagus"
"Vortex"
"Battle Lines"
"If Wishes Were Horses"
"Dramatis Personae"
"Duets"
"In The Hands Of The Prophets"
Ok, so maybe I like about half the season but it definately gets better.
However, even the weakest episodes have value IE character development and some contribution to the rest of the series. But I do have to say my favorite episodes from season one are...
"Emissary"
"A Man Alone"
"Captive Pursuit"
"Move Along Home"
"The Nagus"
"Vortex"
"Battle Lines"
"If Wishes Were Horses"
"Dramatis Personae"
"Duets"
"In The Hands Of The Prophets"
Ok, so maybe I like about half the season but it definately gets better.
I myself am currently going back through season one as well, since I haven't watched the series in a few years I'm getting a kick out of the show again, there's a lot of little things you forget over time. I find myself annoyed more with the little things this particular time through. The starfleet uniforms in particular fold up near the top of the tunic, and every-time I see it I feel like I want to iron it! To my surprise Avery Brooks bothers me a little as well, mainly because my memory has committed him as that bad ass bald goateed captain he is to become. The change is so drastic I wonder if a casual viewer would thing of the two as different characters!
I'd have to rank DS9's first season above ENT's, I think. Not that ENT's first season isn't amiable enough. It kept me interested, and it probably has less outright bad episodes than DS9's first season. On the other hand, it feels much more formulaic, the character development is much weaker, and it takes fewer risks.
As pure entertainment, I'd say they're about even, but where DS9 wins out is in the area of seeds planted for future seasons. There are all kinds of relationships and story arcs that begin in DS9's first season that play out in interesting ways throughout the remaining six. This is one of the reasons why DS9 improved consistently through season five at least. With ENT on the other hand, the bottom just falls out early in season two, partly because season one is appetizing enough, but lacking in substance.
I definately understand what you're saying. No episode from ENT's first season is as strong as, say, Duet. But the DS9 season itself is very inconsistant, going from one extreme to the other, whereas ENT has a more consistant theme through all 26 episodes.
I agree that these episodes play it more safe than DS9, and when judging individule episodes DS9 would have more episode in the top 10 of those two seasons than ENT. But when considering the season as a whole, ENT feels like more than it's sum.
By the second season though, I think DS9 shed most of the TNG reject stories in favor of much more compelling and specific stories to the series, making a much better season than ENT's second season.
Season 1 of DS9 was a good year, with some not so very good episodes. The premiere was great (And get's better overtime I think) as well as such episodes like:
Past Prolouge
Captive Pursuit
Dax
The Negus
Vortex
Battle Lines
Progress
Duet
In the Hands of the Prophets
I think the only two episodes I didn't like this season was A Man Alone (Thank god Rene changed the voice for Odo) and The Passenger.
Past Prolouge
Captive Pursuit
Dax
The Negus
Vortex
Battle Lines
Progress
Duet
In the Hands of the Prophets
I think the only two episodes I didn't like this season was A Man Alone (Thank god Rene changed the voice for Odo) and The Passenger.
Haven't watched DS9 season one for a while. In fact, seasons 1 and 2 are the only DS9 seasons I haven't got on DVD. I may have to buy them soon, and give them a rewatch.
I recall it being mostly dry, with a few hints of the greatness that was to come. But it wasn't bad. My rankings for season ones, from best to worst, probably go:
TOS
VOY
DS9
ENT
TNG
TOS had a great first season, one of the best in Trekdom, with only one absolute stinker in the bunch, IMO (Alternate Factor). VOY had quite a surprisingly good first season. I quite liked it when I checked it out again recently.
I recall it being mostly dry, with a few hints of the greatness that was to come. But it wasn't bad. My rankings for season ones, from best to worst, probably go:
TOS
VOY
DS9
ENT
TNG
TOS had a great first season, one of the best in Trekdom, with only one absolute stinker in the bunch, IMO (Alternate Factor). VOY had quite a surprisingly good first season. I quite liked it when I checked it out again recently.
Just watched Duet yesterday. Harris Yulin did an outstanding job in this one. His blustering bravado as Darhe'el and his breakdown as Marritza stands as one of the best performances of this season. Somewhat disappointed that he died at the end as I would have enjoyed following up with his character.
He more-or-less had to die to underscore what the episode did to Kira though - at the start, she would have sympathised with the murderer (at the very start of the series, she might have done it herself!), after all. Just waving him goodbye onto a runabout wouldn't have had the same impact.
DS9 S1 is spotty but holds up well. They have a very strong start and finish, and most of the weak spots are in the middle. They ended up doing the "let's do an episode about each character" thing that got dull fast. "Duet" is fantastic and, IMHO, DS9's best show ever and comes just before the season wraps.
I think the problem with season 1 is that it's too establishing of a season. It's not an arc really. The story line from episode to episode is weak because they are all trying to establish the characters and the relationship so the arcs are weak. In the later seasons the relationships are established so the arcs work for it. And being a stationary show based off a station it had to live on arcs because the action had to come to DS9 to work.
Now after that rant. Season one was pretty good for establishing all the main players and even though some of them change slightly, some change completely. There were more Star Trek type episodes in season one.
Now after that rant. Season one was pretty good for establishing all the main players and even though some of them change slightly, some change completely. There were more Star Trek type episodes in season one.
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