I think TNG was fine with being episodic and static for the time it was made in. It had some loose continuity even in Season 1, like Q returning in "Hide and Q" or the flashback interrogation scenes from "Coming of Age." I like that this carried over in things like Worf's Klingon story or the Borg encounters. But I don't think it's bad that it didn't make huge changes in style and story over the 7 years like DS9. I have occasionally plotted out that kind of stuff for TNG as an alternate universe, like Picard getting removed as a main character from the series after BOBW2 and Riker being Captain, or everyone getting their own ship in Redemption II and it staying that way for the rest of the series, or there being a Season 8 at the same time as Generations and some cast not returning. And that's fine in this fanwank alternate universe way but not something I'd ever wanted or needed from the real series. They're just fun thought experiments.