Seasons 7 is harder to get through than Season 1

[suarezguy]

Although occasionally it seems like they were just trying to fill a quota with the focus episodes. Like with “Suspicions”, why is Dr. Crusher organizing a scientific conference on shields and subspace, only to pivot halfway through to the medical mystery? The technology is much more of a Data or LaForge thing, I don’t know why the Ferengi scientist’s technology wasn’t biology-based, it would have worked better. Instead it comes across as, “Oops, we forgot to have our ‘Beverly’ episode for the season, let’s jam her haphazardly into this one.”

I think good to have characters occasionally get interested in to another kind of field or subject and the episode made it convincing with her.

they moved away from that and then we are left with umpteen Lwaxana episodes and boring crap like Worf's human brother and god awful drek like Sub Rosa, Dark Page, True Q, Bloodlines, Eye of the Beholder, and many more.

"Bloodlines" was a bit meh but I think far from dreck, loved "Dark Page" and while "Eye of the Beholder" was pretty meh it very much was not a could-be-any-contemporary-drama series episode.

 

[MakeshiftPython]

The change in lighting was really more gradual than just a switch from Ed Brown to Marvin Rush. I think the “flat” lighting was only truly solidified by S4. Throughout S3 Rush is figuring out different lighting techniques from episode to episode. Kind of like how the newer collar uniforms weren’t completely finished until S3.

 

[Herbert]

"Bloodlines" was a bit meh but I think far from dreck, loved "Dark Page" and while "Eye of the Beholder" was pretty meh it very much was not a could-be-any-contemporary-drama series episode.

I never enjoyed the Daimon Bok episodes and the inclusion of yet another throwaway guest star is another issue I have with later seasons.

At its heart, Eye of the Beholder is a murder mystery/investigation trope. Even if you don't think it could have been done on any other dramatic series, a plot like that certainly could have been used on a show like The X-Files or another paranormal-type show, again with merely a few modifications.

Dark Page represents everything I dislike about the later seasons of TNG. It's got Lwaxana yet again (ugh!) and her presence takes over, as it always does, the entire episode. Plus, the story itself is not my idea of what Star Trek should be and exemplifies the general story malaise of the last two seasons of the show.

 

[LunaMaiden]

I liked Season One for the most part there are some episodes in it that are pointless or boring. So l guess it was a hit (The Big Goodbye, The Aresenal of Freedom, Skin of Evil)!and a miss (Code of Honor, We'll Always Have Paris).As for Season 7 I tend to think of it the same way a hit ( Attached, Journeys End, Lower Decks, All Good Things) and a miss (Gambit, Sub Rosa).

 

[CoveTom]

I'm kind of an oddball here in that when I go back to re-watch episodes of TNG from time to time, I find myself drawn more to seasons 1 and 2 than to the later seasons, when the general consensus seems to be that season 3 was when the show actually got good.

I know that many people think that Michael Piller's change from more plot-oriented stories to more character-oriented stories was the right way to go, but I actually prefer the more plot-driven stories of the early seasons. My personal favorite is probably season 2, when some of the kinks from the first season had been worked out. And I'm also more a fan of Pulaski than Crusher. But I enjoy season 1 as well.

Regarding season 7 specifically, there are certainly some gems in that season, but was as noted previously, it feels like they were going through the motions in many ways at that point. They were producing DS9, developing Voyager, planning to take the TNG cast to the movies. It just seems like a lot of season 7 was fulfilling a contractual obligation so they could move on to new things.

 

[Mojochi]

C'mon guys. Technically only two previously unknown family members actually showed up in season 7, Geordi's dad, & Worf's brother from his adopted family.

Data's mom? Not really her. Just an android copy.
Picard's son? Not really his son, just some altered guy.
Deanna's sister? Dead.
Geordi's mom? Dead... or at least lost.
Beverly's grandmother? Also dead... though she does have her corpse reanimated at one point lol
Worf & Deanna's alternate dimension children? Yeah... No.
Geordi's inexplicable Leah Brahms family in All Good Things...? GTFO with that.

Not sure where I was going with this but yeah... Not that many actual family members.

 

[JoseNoodles]

Beverly's grandmother? Also dead... though she does have her corpse reanimated at one point lol

Leave Nana Alone!!!

 

[Oddish]

So he went to Bajor and took over the place.

 

[M.A.C.O.]

I'm kind of an oddball here in that when I go back to re-watch episodes of TNG from time to time, I find myself drawn more to seasons 1 and 2 than to the later seasons, when the general consensus seems to be that season 3 was when the show actually got good.

I know that many people think that Michael Piller's change from more plot-oriented stories to more character-oriented stories was the right way to go, but I actually prefer the more plot-driven stories of the early seasons. My personal favorite is probably season 2, when some of the kinks from the first season had been worked out. And I'm also more a fan of Pulaski than Crusher. But I enjoy season 1 as well.

Regarding season 7 specifically, there are certainly some gems in that season, but was as noted previously, it feels like they were going through the motions in many ways at that point. They were producing DS9, developing Voyager, planning to take the TNG cast to the movies. It just seems like a lot of season 7 was fulfilling a contractual obligation so they could move on to new things.

I also rewatch a lot of early season TNG. Kind of like “before they were famous”/before they became legends. Same with early DS9 and VOY.


Season 7 could’ve been grand. The show runners, producers and writers were just too pre-occupied launching DS9 and standing up VOY.

Here is my idea for season 7, that would’ve carried the season. Season 7 would have been the Captain Riker season. He accepts a command, gets his own ship, his own supporting cast and goes his own way. That is what TNG was building up to in the first 3 seasons. Only for “Family” in season 4 to nullify all that growth and River’s rank as captain.

You keep it TNG, by having the Enterprise crew and Riker’s crew have joint missions together. Play more into the Maqui unrest that was building on TNG and DS9 at the time. Do an actual crossover with the DS9 cast. Not just those lame cameos we got. All the shows and the TNG movies were filmed on the same Paramount lot. All resources were in house. So this should’ve been easy to do.

I forget why Berman said he didn’t want to comic book style team-ups.

Before All Good Things, you reset Riker’s status quo with the Pegasus arc. While Riker wasn’t at fault as an ensign. Starfleet brass is notoriously unforgiving when it comes to conspiracies they haven’t approved of. The price of his role would be a demotion. With Picard offering him the First Officer position on the Enterprise again.

 

[Lynx]

I don't have any problems with season 7.

Some really good episodes, like Descent#2, Gambit #1 and #2, Dark Page, Attached, The Pegasus, Lower Decks, Masks, and Preemptive Strike.

The season is not as good as season 3, 4, 5 and 6 but still watchable.

 

[Dee1891]

I'm not sure I would go so far as to say Season 7 is worse than Season 1, but I do find it harder to get through on rewatches.

And I think the reason why is there is a noticeable lack of passion in the final season, like they're just going through the motions and trying to get the season over with as evidenced by how often we get a "long lost relative of a cast member" episode over the course of the season. The last time I did a rewatch, roughly half the episodes had me glancing back and forth on my phone or tablet about halfway through because they can't hold my interest.

By comparison, as poor as Season 1 is, I wasn't usually bored watching it. Because there actually is effort being put in. The writers were just hampered either by Gene's restrictions, over reliance on TOS nostalgia, or just plain incompetence. But I never got the sense they were phoning it in.

I suppose if I were to give an honest comparison, Season 7 has a slight advantage due to a handful of episodes that are far better than anything Season 1 has to offer; Lower Decks, The Pegasus, and of course the finale. But it also has a much larger shade of episodes that just lose my interest after a while.

Does anyone else feel this way?

I've never been a fan of TNG's Seasons Six or Seven. But I feel they are masterpieces in compare to the show's Season One, which I actively dislike.

 

[ananta]

The change in lighting was really more gradual than just a switch from Ed Brown to Marvin Rush. I think the “flat” lighting was only truly solidified by S4. Throughout S3 Rush is figuring out different lighting techniques from episode to episode. Kind of like how the newer collar uniforms weren’t completely finished until S3.

Is it just me or did they use a subtle yellowish filter over the lens in later seasons, such as s5 onwards? I find it especially noticeable in bridge scenes. There’s definitely a yellowish tinge. The first couple of seasons look much “cleaner” to me visually.

Edit: I feel vindicated looking at the Reddit link above. Contrast this shot from s1

With this from s7

Q’s skin tones and the colour of his robes definitely look yellowed to me, like a warm filter has been used.

This stylistic change was one of many things that bugged me about later seasons of TNG (a show that really was a victim of its own success, because I often felt the writers were complacent and not TRYING quite hard enough).

 

[Phoenix219]

I also rewatch a lot of early season TNG. Kind of like “before they were famous”/before they became legends. Same with early DS9 and VOY.


Season 7 could’ve been grand. The show runners, producers and writers were just too pre-occupied launching DS9 and standing up VOY.

Here is my idea for season 7, that would’ve carried the season. Season 7 would have been the Captain Riker season. He accepts a command, gets his own ship, his own supporting cast and goes his own way. That is what TNG was building up to in the first 3 seasons. Only for “Family” in season 4 to nullify all that growth and River’s rank as captain.

You keep it TNG, by having the Enterprise crew and Riker’s crew have joint missions together. Play more into the Maqui unrest that was building on TNG and DS9 at the time. Do an actual crossover with the DS9 cast. Not just those lame cameos we got. All the shows and the TNG movies were filmed on the same Paramount lot. All resources were in house. So this should’ve been easy to do.

I forget why Berman said he didn’t want to comic book style team-ups.

Before All Good Things, you reset Riker’s status quo with the Pegasus arc. While Riker wasn’t at fault as an ensign. Starfleet brass is notoriously unforgiving when it comes to conspiracies they haven’t approved of. The price of his role would be a demotion. With Picard offering him the First Officer position on the Enterprise again.

serialized storyline, connected universe, AND Captain Riker?

Ok, you're hired!

 

[Oddish]

I'd take all that except Riker returning in disgrace. First Officer Data FTW.

 

[suarezguy]

Don't really get why so many fans think Riker should have, must have been made captain, I think the clear implication of him not jumping to become captain is he loves his current job and colleagues and that makes sense and is a fine reason to not get promoted.

Season 7 had a lot of return of/focus on family member episodes but so actually did Season 4.

 

[Oddish]

I think the clear implication of him not jumping to become captain is he loves his current job and colleagues and that makes sense and is a fine reason to not get promoted.

But it's a piss-poor reason to keep Data stuck at LCDR for 25 years.

 

[M.A.C.O.]

Don't really get why so many fans think Riker should have, must have been made captain, I think the clear implication of him not jumping to become captain is he loves his current job and colleagues and that makes sense and is a fine reason to not get promoted.

Season 7 had a lot of return of/focus on family member episodes but so actually did Season 4.

I thinks it’s a sense of stagnation from a character’s POV. The Enterprise was built up as the best of the best. Where all characters were career driven. Riker being a number 2 for so long, when he was qualified for his own command by season 3. Is a big hurdle for a lot of people on rewatches and pondering the show after the fact.


Speaking personally for a moment, Riker should have kept his rank after BOBW. Picard and Riker would both be captains, but the command structure wouldn’t change. Picard would still be the CO (commanding officer) and Riker would remain the XO (executive officer). Like how Kirk and Spock were both Captain in TVH - TUC. This isn’t uncommon in real life. Since Riker was promoted during a tour of duty (seven year mission), he would still have a job to do.

As a captain, he would have options to apply for a new command anytime he wanted to. In-universe, the writers could have delayed Riker leaving. Wolf 359 saw 40 ships destroyed and a need to rebuild the fleet. That would take time. We didn’t see those new era ships till VOY season 1/Generations. Riker’s other option would be to leave the Enterprise and accept an admin position. Jockey a desk at Starfleet command or on a Starbase like pre-Dominion Sisko.

Remaining the XO of the Enterprise was his best option. However, he would have to move on as soon as a vacancy became available.

 

[Oddish]

What we see in the start of BoBW is exactly how it should have happened... Riker's on the fence, so Picard gives him a hard kick in the a**, like a bird parent pushing a reluctant fledgling out of the nest. Riker spreads his wings, and takes to the air, and a legendary captain begins his journey.

 

[suarezguy]

It may be a bit laziness or just practically but the show writers/producers weren't going to have a whole recurring second ship/cast (in addition to new First Officer character, though I guess it could have been Data with just extras now in Ops) and it would also feel weird to even have a recurring second ship where we only know, care about the captain.

I think Riker coming to not be so career-driven is character growth, even if professionally it feels as or more stagnation, besides humans do tend to be longer-lived, he definitely could become captain later after long run as First Officer.

 

[Mojochi]

I think Riker coming to not be so career-driven is character growth, even if professionally it feels as or more stagnation, besides humans do tend to be longer-lived, he definitely could become captain later after long run as First Officer.

It also fleshes out a character arc they pursued in the later seasons, that Riker is something of a guilt riddled guy over his involvement in the Pegasus disaster, & that his career is built on a reputation paid for, in large part, with the blood of that crew. It better realizes an explanation for a lot of his traits thereafter, & perhaps why he'd recoil from being a captain if he felt it unearned