The Writers Strike During Second Season.

[Ar-Pharazon]

I bet someone thought it was more cost efficient to use that approach.

I enjoy Peter Mark Richman and Anthony James in anything. I also like Data and Sonny's interactions. Darren at the Movie Blog notes the 24th century humanity is superior bias of the first couple of years of TNG rears its ugly head here. The crew (except Data) seem too smug toward their guests instead of interested in meeting their ancestors. I know I would enjoy partying with Data and Sonny more than the in full scold mode of the other characters.

There's enough I like here to get me through every rewatch of "The Neutral Zone".

Yeah, that's part of why I wish they'd had more time to refine the writing. How is it that this crew of intellectually curious explorers is so utterly uninterested in the opportunity to get to know 20th-century humans? I know they didn't establish Picard's interest in archaeology until season 2, but even so, it seems out of character, even granting that the crew is distracted by the Romulan crisis (such as it was).

It wasn't unique, given how they had the crew, especially Geordi, acting towards Scotty much later on.