TNG revisited
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The latter, sadly.
A couple of brief summaries, then:
Contagion. Good season 2 episode, a version of the 'lost ancient civilization' story done much better than The Last Outpost in season 1. A bit lame that the solution to their computer problems is basically "turn it off and on again", but whatever. The explosion of the USS Yamato is impressive, the saucer's hull burning up as it comes flying towards the Enterprise's viewscreen. And that's just before the credits even roll! Some of the episode is actually quite funny. Riker, in the midst of the power failures and up against a Romulan ship: "If it should become necessary to fight, could you arrange some rocks to throw at them?!"
The Dauphin. Unintentionally funny/bad 'monster' costumes and a tedious Wesley romance plot make this not a good episode. However, it is redeemed by Riker and Guinan. Their 'romantic' exchange of dialogue is fantastic. And I think Riker is now starting to develop his funny side. There's a bit early on where Wesley asks "who was that" (referring to the girl), and Riker says, in jest, "I think she's a governness" (referring to the woman). He's got a cheeky sarcastic side that occasionally comes out. It's one of the reasons I find Shades of Gray so tolerable, where most fans consider it beyond redemption.
In short: funny Riker = win.
Contagion. Good season 2 episode, a version of the 'lost ancient civilization' story done much better than The Last Outpost in season 1. A bit lame that the solution to their computer problems is basically "turn it off and on again", but whatever. The explosion of the USS Yamato is impressive, the saucer's hull burning up as it comes flying towards the Enterprise's viewscreen. And that's just before the credits even roll! Some of the episode is actually quite funny. Riker, in the midst of the power failures and up against a Romulan ship: "If it should become necessary to fight, could you arrange some rocks to throw at them?!"
The Dauphin. Unintentionally funny/bad 'monster' costumes and a tedious Wesley romance plot make this not a good episode. However, it is redeemed by Riker and Guinan. Their 'romantic' exchange of dialogue is fantastic. And I think Riker is now starting to develop his funny side. There's a bit early on where Wesley asks "who was that" (referring to the girl), and Riker says, in jest, "I think she's a governness" (referring to the woman). He's got a cheeky sarcastic side that occasionally comes out. It's one of the reasons I find Shades of Gray so tolerable, where most fans consider it beyond redemption.
In short: funny Riker = win.
Season 2 roundup:
The best episodes:
- The Measure of a Man. Not only the best episode of season 2, but a contender for the best in the whole series. This is not a grand tale or a special effects extravaganza but a story of personal liberties and the questions of life. It is certainly a little contrived in its setup (I've never liked that Riker has to prosecute) but it more than makes up for it with its performances. Picard's final speech in defense of Data is one of Star Trek's finest moments. An absolute classic; Sci-Fi at its very best.
- Contagion. A similar premise to The Last Outpost, with two ships locked together by the remnants of a society more advanced than both of them, only done much better. The Iconians were apparently popular enough to revisit in DS9 much later on, and I can't blame them - their 'portals' are very cool. The USS Yamato makes a return, for real this time, but doesn't stick around for long, and we get more Romulans - yay! Some of Riker's lines when their systems are both failing are pretty funny in an otherwise series episode. Data even dies, although only temporarily. The "turn it off an on again" solution is surely something the IT department thought up.
- Q Who. The Borg have never been portrayed better than this, in that only a being of greater power can stop them. The Enterprise crew fruitlessly try to fend off the Borg's advances, failing to wrap their heads around just how they operate, what they want, why can't they be reasoned with. Subsequent episodes have failed to deliver on that front, with the Borg's eventual defeat. Once again, Stewart and DeLancie make this episode work; Picard pleading to Q for help is another of those classic moments that elevate this episode into something truly special. Respect due to the art and costume departments too; spectacular work for its time!
The worst episodes
- The Schizoid Man. I like most Data episodes but I find this one a bit weak. Ira Graves is too 'chauvinsitic' for my liking; even for a man of his age, he seems out of place, and he's not especially clever at hiding it when he possesses Data's body. It was probably fun for Spiner to play, but the episode is generally a bit boring to watch.
- The Dauphin. A Wesley love story with rather dated creature effects. It's unfortunately as bad as it sounds and I don't care for it at all.
Shades of Gray. It's only here because it's a clip show, and a clip show is a terrible sin worthy of ridicule, particularly if you're ending a season with it!
If I'm honest, I don't actually mind it that much. By this point in the series, Riker has evolved from 'perfect human' to 'brave but flawed' and his sarcastic sense of humour comes through here, with some pretty funny lines, particularly at the end. But, yeah, clip show. Urk.Final thought:
Season 2 is a transitional phase between the old cheesy season 1 and the classy ensemble of season 3+. The simple changes have huge benefits, giving Worf and Geordi more prominent roles that they fit into perfectly, developing Riker's sense of humour, introducing Guinan as the 'advisor' and Ten Forward as a place for social interactions outside of 'work'. It also has stories that pick up the pieces from the previous year, and digs deeper into some of the more overlooked characters. Also, unlike a lot people, I actually think Doctor Pulaski is a much better character than Doctor Crusher. She comes across more human, more real, and even more professional, and her (initial) 'friction' with Data makes for some good banter. A little bit of Bones/Spock retread, but dammit, why not? I will miss her.
It has a few low points, but also some of the highest the series has ever had. Considering it was a shakey year for television, they did pretty well with it.
I am, however, looking forward to putting behind me those ugly one-piece uniforms and that horrid analogue video quality. Bring on season 3!!
Season 3 roundup:
The best episodes:
- Deja Q. It's not hard to pick standout episodes of season 3. The hard part is narrowing it down to only three! This is, I feel, the best Q episode (finale excluded), as it shows Q in a whole new light. I always like the stories where an outsider has to adapt to human ways, and when that outsider is a former omnipotent being who has never slept, eaten, or been injured, you get some very amusing situations. But it's not just a comedy episode; it has some heartwarming moments, particularly between Q and Data, with Q seemingly unable to grasp the inherent kindness and selflessness in Data, and deciding he's a better human being than he'll ever be.
- Yesterday's Enterprise. They wanted to make this a movie, and I can see why. Little is known about previous ships called Enterprise, so they could do anything they liked with it. The Federation/Klingon conflict was a clever use of the story, more so with replacing Worf with Yar at tactical. Even Guinan gets put to good use here, interacting with a character she should never have known. The story is tightly woven - brilliant, frankly - and the production and lighting show what an amazing change you can make by having the sets lit differently and modifying some uniforms. Sure, the time travel logic isn't perfect, but it's a good excuse for a damned exciting episode, the closest TNG gets to Mirror Universe episode, but much more cleverly done.
- The Best of Both Worlds. If anything, there should have been more of a build-up through season 3 to this moment. We got a few Borg name-drops, but it isn't until TBoBW that we learn the Federation has been preparing for this invasion, that we're reminded of how unprepared they really are! This episode actually centres more on Riker and his career, seeing in Shelby the person he used to be, and wondering why he's still in the Number One position. It worked well for the story, bringing Shelby along for the ride. The rest of the story focuses on the tactical aspect of taking out the Borg, the Borg's interest in Picard specifically, and finally Riker's tough decision to order the weapon be fired while Picard is still aboard, now assimilated into Locutus... leading to the best cliff-hanger in Star Trek history. The first, and the best. "Mr. Worf... fire." *DUN-DUN-DUN-DUUUUUUUUN!!!!!*
The worst episodes
- Allegiance. Picking out the worst episodes, that's much harder. This one isn't terrible, but not a lot really happens. A fake Picard acts strangely, some apparently powerful aliens abduct people for their tests, but they eventually see through them and all is well. I do cringe a bit at some of FakePicard's actions, particularly the singing in the Ten Forward. But then, I guess that's the point!
- Captain's Holiday. I used to like this episode as a change of pace, but I find it a bit tiresome now. Bumbling comedy Ferengi, inept aliens from the future, wacky romantic adventure on Risa! Meh. It's kinda cheesy and doesn't hold up so well. Still, perfectly watchable.
- Ménage à Troi. And, again, another comedy episode. Riker and Troi being pushed together for the sake of the story, inconvenient timing, apparently no transporter defenses around Betazed, torture being overlooked, 'comedy' transporters that remove clothes, and so on. And, of course, Lwaxana. Shudder.
Final thought:
Season 3 is TNG "hitting its stride". Right off the bat with the first episode, we can see a series comfortable with itself, confident enough to shake things up a bit, delve a bit deeper into some of the characters and make more interesting stories. It also becomes a series willing to leave some loose-ends untied, as in Worf's episode Sins of the Father, as if to say "yeah, we'll be back to revisit this another time". Universe-building. Depth. I love it.
Additionally, the overall production quality is so much better. Most of those old uniforms were replaced with the two-piece versions with the collars, the lighting on the set was made more even, and the overall quality of the picture was improved with the switch to digital tape. There are also new shots of the Enteprise made with the smaller (more detailed) model of the ship, which makes for less stock footage reused and makes more dynamic shots possible.
Remarkably there aren't even that many duffers in this season. Even the weaker stories are more watchable than some of the cheesy season 1 and 2 efforts. All in all, it's a massive improvement, and it's only going to get better still.
I will, however, be having a small break before I start watching season 4.
(Well, it wouldn't be a cliff-hanger if I didn't leave myself hanging, would it? )
The best episodes:
- Deja Q. It's not hard to pick standout episodes of season 3. The hard part is narrowing it down to only three! This is, I feel, the best Q episode (finale excluded), as it shows Q in a whole new light. I always like the stories where an outsider has to adapt to human ways, and when that outsider is a former omnipotent being who has never slept, eaten, or been injured, you get some very amusing situations. But it's not just a comedy episode; it has some heartwarming moments, particularly between Q and Data, with Q seemingly unable to grasp the inherent kindness and selflessness in Data, and deciding he's a better human being than he'll ever be.
- Yesterday's Enterprise. They wanted to make this a movie, and I can see why. Little is known about previous ships called Enterprise, so they could do anything they liked with it. The Federation/Klingon conflict was a clever use of the story, more so with replacing Worf with Yar at tactical. Even Guinan gets put to good use here, interacting with a character she should never have known. The story is tightly woven - brilliant, frankly - and the production and lighting show what an amazing change you can make by having the sets lit differently and modifying some uniforms. Sure, the time travel logic isn't perfect, but it's a good excuse for a damned exciting episode, the closest TNG gets to Mirror Universe episode, but much more cleverly done.
- The Best of Both Worlds. If anything, there should have been more of a build-up through season 3 to this moment. We got a few Borg name-drops, but it isn't until TBoBW that we learn the Federation has been preparing for this invasion, that we're reminded of how unprepared they really are! This episode actually centres more on Riker and his career, seeing in Shelby the person he used to be, and wondering why he's still in the Number One position. It worked well for the story, bringing Shelby along for the ride. The rest of the story focuses on the tactical aspect of taking out the Borg, the Borg's interest in Picard specifically, and finally Riker's tough decision to order the weapon be fired while Picard is still aboard, now assimilated into Locutus... leading to the best cliff-hanger in Star Trek history. The first, and the best. "Mr. Worf... fire." *DUN-DUN-DUN-DUUUUUUUUN!!!!!*
The worst episodes
- Allegiance. Picking out the worst episodes, that's much harder. This one isn't terrible, but not a lot really happens. A fake Picard acts strangely, some apparently powerful aliens abduct people for their tests, but they eventually see through them and all is well. I do cringe a bit at some of FakePicard's actions, particularly the singing in the Ten Forward. But then, I guess that's the point!
- Captain's Holiday. I used to like this episode as a change of pace, but I find it a bit tiresome now. Bumbling comedy Ferengi, inept aliens from the future, wacky romantic adventure on Risa! Meh. It's kinda cheesy and doesn't hold up so well. Still, perfectly watchable.
- Ménage à Troi. And, again, another comedy episode. Riker and Troi being pushed together for the sake of the story, inconvenient timing, apparently no transporter defenses around Betazed, torture being overlooked, 'comedy' transporters that remove clothes, and so on. And, of course, Lwaxana. Shudder.
Final thought:
Season 3 is TNG "hitting its stride". Right off the bat with the first episode, we can see a series comfortable with itself, confident enough to shake things up a bit, delve a bit deeper into some of the characters and make more interesting stories. It also becomes a series willing to leave some loose-ends untied, as in Worf's episode Sins of the Father, as if to say "yeah, we'll be back to revisit this another time". Universe-building. Depth. I love it.
Additionally, the overall production quality is so much better. Most of those old uniforms were replaced with the two-piece versions with the collars, the lighting on the set was made more even, and the overall quality of the picture was improved with the switch to digital tape. There are also new shots of the Enteprise made with the smaller (more detailed) model of the ship, which makes for less stock footage reused and makes more dynamic shots possible.
Remarkably there aren't even that many duffers in this season. Even the weaker stories are more watchable than some of the cheesy season 1 and 2 efforts. All in all, it's a massive improvement, and it's only going to get better still.
I will, however, be having a small break before I start watching season 4.
(Well, it wouldn't be a cliff-hanger if I didn't leave myself hanging, would it?
)
I'm so glad to know someone else here agrees with me. Pulaski gets way too much hate. She's much more interesting than Dr. Crusher, who is such an incredibly boring character. (Not gates mcfadden's fault. I think she did an excellent job with what she was given)
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