TNG S1 - truest ST of TNG
- Thread starter jimbtnp2
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It's very likely that you are in the minority with those opinions.
I would take TOS S3 over TNG S1 anyday.
The first season of TNG was certainly the most assiduous attempt to replicate the original series, but it wasn't successful for a number of reasons. Partially as a result, the stand-out episodes of the year are the least TOS-like - shows like "The Big Goodbye" and "Conspiracy," where the characters are permitted to be idiosyncratic in their own way and the storytelling has something to do with their "world" and not that of TOS.
The third season of TOS is preferable to...just about nothing, really. There are maybe three episodes from that year that I'll sit through, if I have to. Most of it is crap.
The third season of TOS is preferable to...just about nothing, really. There are maybe three episodes from that year that I'll sit through, if I have to. Most of it is crap.
I actually think the OP's opinion is genuine. Not sure though.At first I was like wtf, but then I remembered the date
Some of the early TNG eps which are clear TOS homages do work though. Arsenal of Freedom is probably the one that springs to mind - feels very TOS (wouldn't be surprised to learn it was one of the Phase II rewrites) but works as a TNG story too.
Anyway, I do think that by S2 the TNG characters found much more of their own voice. S2 is actually one of my favourites because it combines the differences/freshness of the TNG characters with the occasional nod to the storytelling devices of TOS. It's a happy blending, I think.
Agreed regarding The Arsenal of Freedom, but I can't agree with the OP regarding season 1 in general. I felt it to the poorest, and often most embarrassing, that Star Trek had ever been (even including the Turd Season of TOS) until the release of Enterprise. Not all of it, of course. But the exceptions are quite few and far between. All told, it's either cringeworthy (The Naked Now, Skin of Evil, Symbiosis, Encounter at Farpoint's second hour) or just plain bad (Home Soil, We'll Always Have Paris, Coming of Age).
I'm currently watching TNG Season 1 now and just finished watching all of ENT, TOS, TAS and the first 6 movies before it. While it's nothing like TNG Seasons 3+ and shares a feel with TOS it's pretty enjoyable. I've been suprised by the quality of the writing and find Lonely Among Us to be the standout episode of the season so far.
If anything it feels more like a TOS than any of the following seasons but I enjoy the characters more already (with the exception of Spock, Kirk and Scotty) than I did the cast of TOS in 102 episodes and 6 movies.
If anything it feels more like a TOS than any of the following seasons but I enjoy the characters more already (with the exception of Spock, Kirk and Scotty) than I did the cast of TOS in 102 episodes and 6 movies.
I really liked Symbiosis (if you ignore the 1 or 2 minutes of the Tasha/Wes conversation) & Home Soil is just an all round great ep to me. Even We'll Always Have Paris has some good scenes. Skin of Evil is solid.
Naked Now and Coming of Age I sort of agree with you, but I still don't mind rewatching them and would watch them before some S7 eps, for example.
L
Lord Garth
Guest
You're forgetting about Galactica 1980, though I don't blame you if that's intentional.
One thing I really liked about S1 was the hints at long term story arcs between characters. The hints at Crusher and Picard having a romantic relationship, and the Picard - Wesley developments are pretty interesting. And the Deanna-Riker thing was still fresh and interesting. I liked that we saw some more unique relationships between the characters developing. After S1 all we really got was "we're all becoming friends and this is so nice", rather than anything truly dynamic.
Good Will Riker
Admiral
I also find TNG Season 1 to be the truest to TOS in aesthetics, tone, and execution.
Except for "Angel One," I find the rest of the episodes from this season to be quite enjoyable.
Plus, I am a 1st Season William T. Riker fan who is in the same mold as his character Ashley Longworth, Jr. from "The Waltons." I really liked the way his character was setup and introduced in "Encounter at Farpoint" to be TNG's incarnation of James T. Kirk.
Except for "Angel One," I find the rest of the episodes from this season to be quite enjoyable.
Plus, I am a 1st Season William T. Riker fan who is in the same mold as his character Ashley Longworth, Jr. from "The Waltons." I really liked the way his character was setup and introduced in "Encounter at Farpoint" to be TNG's incarnation of James T. Kirk.
I'm currently watching season one (“The Battle” is playing as I type this) for the first time in many, many years (I didn’t even watch most of it when I first bought the DVDs), and I find I’m quite enjoying it.
The OP's opinion is definitely in the minority, but that's OK. My observation about TNG S1 is it bears too much of a resemblance to TOS S3, the weakest season of the original. While you had some good TNG S1 eps like "The Battle" and "We'll Always Have Paris," you have a significant number of dreadful ones like "Justice," "Angel One," "The Naked Now," and "Home Soil." -- RR
I enjoy season one. I didn't appreciate it at the time but I certainly do now. I like its atmosphere and vibe. There are some interesting kernals of possibility that never played out. I think Troi is more interesting in season one, they use her in a different way to later seasons. After having said all this, I think the atmosphere of season one is too cold, reserved and distant to engage viewers and be watchable beyond one season.
In retrospect I find season two to be very interesting, actually, in the way that you can really see the transition from season one to season three in tone and atmosphere - is the term I'm looking for mis en scene?
In retrospect I find season two to be very interesting, actually, in the way that you can really see the transition from season one to season three in tone and atmosphere - is the term I'm looking for mis en scene?
Good Will Riker
Admiral
^^^
You are spot on with what you just said.
Season 1 felt different from Season 2 as with Season 3.
You are spot on with what you just said.
Season 1 felt different from Season 2 as with Season 3.
Definetly an April's Fools joke whether the OP was in on it or not. To say S1 is better than any of the subsequent seasons is like saying that blonde Doctor was better than the guy with the jelly babies. Tom Baker. I knew it was in there somewhere.
But having recently marathoned I don't think it hits the zone until Season 4.
But having recently marathoned I don't think it hits the zone until Season 4.
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