The Topicality of TNG

[2takesfrakes]

The Original - or "Classic" - Series of STAR TREK has a well-known reputation for touching on subjects that were relevant to the 60's, as well as aspects of the Human Condition. But The Next Generation certainly continued that tradition, with a little help from Gene Roddenberry at the helm. How do you think TNG did in this regard? Has it ever been a factor influencing your enjoyment of this supremely entertaining STAR TREK series?

 

[Trek Survivor]

In a strange way, some TNG episodes like "The Drumhead" have become even more topical in recent years (the dangers of witch-hunting/condemning somebody simply because of their race or background).

I don't think TNG did particularly well in this regard (I also think TOS reputation when it comes to this is somewhat exaggerated) but what it did was explore themes that were almost timeless/universal for people to connect with, and not just the current "topical flavour".

A few examples off the top of my head - "Darmok" (finding a way to communicate and become friends with somebody so incredibly different from you) "Silicon Avatar" and "I, Borg" (trying to make peace/understand something that was previously considered enemy), "Dark Page" (loss of a child), "Measure of A Man" (a person's rights), "Family" (overcoming tragedy), "Sarek"...

The traditional "Trek-kian" themes of the franchise seem to be best represented in TNG I find: Tolerance, understanding, working with others, making peace with what was once an enemy (though "Enterprise" also did a great job of this with season 3), bettering yourself etc

Man, writing all this reminds me of why I love TNG...

 

[bbailey861]

I think they both did a pretty good job of shaping stories around issues that were 'topical'. I certainly do not believe TOS' reputation is anywhere close to being exaggerated, either. That being said, the fact that a great many issues are still with us today that both series allude to in episodes, well, that says something as well.

 

[hux]

The original series gets more credit than it deserves but it did at least stay ahead of the curve. By the time we get to TNG, they've completely dropped the ball when it comes to topical stuff. First of all, they were chasing the topical issues of the day (often copying other shows and media) rather than being the ones to push the envelope and put topical issues on the agenda themselves

Gay rights, feminism, environmentalism, capitalism, gender issues etc

The two examples I think of that demonstrate this failure are "The Outcast" which ultimately lost its nerve and played way too safe with the subject matter (such a cowardly missed opportunity) and the other was "Force of Nature" which felt so tacked on and after the fact. An environmental message that tediously predictable and unsubtle (space is damaged by the ships engine fumes) in 1993 was as pointless as an episode saying that racism is bad.....well duh, you don't say

It all felt a bit forced by then

I'm not sure why it happened. Maybe due to the American conservatism of the 80's but the show in general seemed scared to tackle anything too controversial (and that sadly continued into the other shows)

 

[Mojochi]

They had hit or miss moments imho. I agree that "The Outcast" misses, & that "The Drumhead" hits. I always quite enjoyed "Half A Life" as well, for it's twist on the euthanasia topic of the times, but it too, skirts the real issue of assisted death that Kevorkian was making headlines with at the time, by flipping it to a mandatory euthanasia story

 

[Melakon]

I don't know if it's justified or not, but I tend to put the blame on Berman for the failure of "The Outcast" by casting it safe. Frakes certainly sounded willing to play it against a male actor. So that leaves either the director, casting, or Berman.

 

[WillsBabe]

I thought TNG did well with discussing issues. I can't recall right now how contemporanously topical those issues were, but some of the subject it discussed come to mind. The Hunted was an interesting look into the issue of soldiers returning from war in which I saw analogies to Vietnam veterans returning home and larger issues of society's collective responsibility in waging war. Up the Long Ladder recalls issues surrounding rape and abortion, as does The Child to some extent. Violations also touches on the theme of rape. I think Violations and Up the Long Ladder are interesting in that they include a male character in their analogies. Measure of a Man is a tour de force examination of slavery, emancipation and the rights of self-determination. Force of Nature discusses environmental issues. Half a Life is an oft-overlooked issue episode looking at the issues surrounding an ageing population and society's/family's attitude to its older members. I've heard most people refer to The Game as a look at the evils of game playing/addiction. At the time I saw it as a HIV analogy. The High Ground an examination of excluded out-groups in society, colonialism, domestic terrorism, the state's and its allies' response to it.

For me, Trek is all about "the issues" - metaphysical, social, philosophical. I love it!

 

[PhoenixClass]

Let's not forget "Chain of Command" for its examination and condemnation of torture. Unfortunately, that's a lesson people continue to ignore.

 

[Sybok Was Wrong]

TNG did a good job of having things to say; it also had the fortune of enough nerdy"Trek history" to use & delve into. So, that was a really,really good mix- and made TNG a popular show that could appeal to many viewers for many reasons!

At the risk of ticking off DS9 fans- and I respect peoples devotion of that program--DS9 got way more wrapped up in its fictional setting & ongoing story-to its detriment. Detriment- in terms of whether an audience is interested in your storyline & arc, versus commentary on the human condition. A big reason that DS9 had a smaller hardcore following, but no lasting impact.

So yes- "Topicality" features strongly TNG and a reason that show endures, just like TOS!

 

[2takesfrakes]

For me, Trek is all about "the issues" - metaphysical, social, philosophical. I love it!

... AGREED!!!

 

[HIjol]

I think there is a Societal difference that plays into the topicality of TNG in comparison to TOS.
In the Sixties, so much was new and different to us.
Space Travel and an imagined wonderful techno future.
A generation grown from war into a belief in a growing and changing America.
Emerging racial and ethnic group awareness.
An Innocence we did not realize.
Experimentation with so much; drugs, social supports, philosophies, entertainment.
Freedoms and explorations of all shapes and kinds.

And in this, there was Star Trek reflecting so much of what was happening.

TNG caught us more hardened and with less dreams.

Apollo and true Exploration was on the back burner.
Shuttles were routinely flown, and rarely shown, except, of course, for...
Social ills seemed overwhelming and unsolvable.
Our failure were somehow more obvious than our successes.
Greed was Good.
The Needs of the One mattered more and more...selfishly.
Even our wars were fought differently...somehow not "honorable".
Subterfuge and flat out lying were more the order of the day.

Of course the differences were not as cut and dried as I might be making them sound, but they seemed so. We were more hopeful and innocent in TOS's time, IMHO, or, at least, more focused on the positive. And, indeed, had more positives happening, and more to hope for.

And that was the milieu, in both cases, that TOS and TNG were written in.

Topicality certainly exists for both, but I think examining the societal Venn diagram, if you will, is instructive and helpful in gauging that topicality.

Great Thread Topic, by the by, 'Frakes!

 

[FormerLurker]

So many people harp on "The Outcast" as being a failure, and/or not presenting the theme effectively, or being insulting to the very people it professes to speak for.

The fact is, at the time the episode aired, I was working with a half-dozen or so homosexuals at the restaurant I was employed at, and their universal reception of the episode was positive. They all spoke of how the episode gave a real and contextually accurate portrayal of their emotions, their experiences, and their hopes and dreams. Indeed, many of them complained about how the straights were not getting it, and were wrong in calling the episode insulting and not portraying their situation accurately.

Public perception of how the episode depicts so-called "alternative"* lifestyles has changed over the years, and the few I'm still in regular contact with have all said the message was a little heavy-handed by today's standards, but once again, the only ones saying it was done wrong are those who have never faced that kind of situation, meaning straights. My friends who are gay have universally agreed that even heavy-handedly, it still represents their situation accurately.



*It's really only alternative to those who don't live that way. For those that do, there isn't an alternative. That's who they are.

 

[Mutai Sho-Rin]

*It's really only alternative to those who don't live that way. For those that do, there isn't an alternative. That's who they are.

Those final three sentences are a profound essay on a simple truth. Well said.

 

[suarezguy]

I think it mostly did well, including by having a mix of attitudes; they tended to be unsubtle and a bit preachy but still generally worked. "The Outcast" and "Chain of Command" were unabashedly pro-equality and anti-torture while "The High Ground" and "Ethics" were nicely uneasy (although I think "The High Ground" did beg to have greater depth into the motives of both sides of the conflict). "Force of Nature" was too overt (and too overwhelmed by technobabble) but still had some characters react in interesting ways to the revelations.

 

[BeatleJWOL]

the message was a little heavy-handed by today's standards

Sounds like Star Trek to me.

 

[RAMA]

TOS was more allegorical and sometimes stories suffered from the need to have an example of the negative (whole planets sometimes) in order to have to tell a positive story. STNG tackled things a little more directly, as to not repeat the TOS formula.

RAMA

 

[Makarov]

As another thread brings up I believe all the focus on the perception of artificial intelligence with Data makes TNG the most topical Trek as we get closer to actually having that in real life.

 

[Mojochi]

Let's not forget "Chain of Command" for its examination and condemnation of torture. Unfortunately, that's a lesson people continue to ignore.

Yeah, but as much as I love the episode & the message, (Which is clearly rooted in Stewart's association with Amnesty International) it does have a miss or two in there as well. It only examines the one time when torture is ultimately futile, when you need to extract info, and the victim doesn't know it. Otherwise, as much as it pains me to say it, torture has been know to work before... a lot, and even if it doesn't solve the problem, it yields results that the perpetrators consider worthwhile. Firstly, in a very sick and twisted way, it is a morale booster for the perpetrators. Some of them don't even care if they get anything out of it. They just want to hurt an enemy & they get to do that. Secondly, you can study the durability of the human body & mind. It is sickening to think about, but Nazi experimentation was torture done with a more fundamental knowledge as its goal, than just extracting confidential info. Thirdly, it's a pretty reliable means of prisoner control, and lastly, in many more cases than not, a person who knows what you want to know, can be broken into betraying themselves, unless they have some kind of specialized training and conditioning that has prepared them to endure it

Now, by no means should anyone think I mean to suggest torture is right, or any violence at all really. There could be nothing more wrong on this Earth. I'm just saying why it's still in use, and likely will continue to be, for an unforeseeably long time to come

 

[Lowkey]

TNG has always been to me like a kind of ethics 101 class. I think most of the lessons, and subjects it touches on are pretty timeless. I actually think DS9 focused on more immediate issues of the generation. TNG seems more like a broader scope of philosophy.