TNG S1 - truest ST of TNG

[CorporalClegg]

^
Yet, a good portion of the show's best episodes are in season 3.

 

[CaptainStoner]

^
Yet, a good portion of the show's best episodes are in season 3.

Oh no doubt there. Personally though I felt S3 still had some of that S2 inconsistency. I like the show better in S4+
Opinions on this are as varied as the weather

 

[Kegek]

April Fools or not, I think there is a fair point in there. Early S1 had Gene Roddenberry exerting more control over the show than any other point in its seven year history. It was also pretty awful; as fond as I may be of it. From S3 on, TNG was its own animal - it stood on its own merits as good television, rather than shiftily glancing back to the previous generation and trying to replicate that. So if it wasn't as 'ST' later on, that only played to its strengths.

And as far as mis en scene goes, as WillsBabe brought it up, I love the look of TNG S1 - as cheesily 80s as it may be, fills me with waves of nostalgia and looks a lot of fun.

 

[JoeZhang]

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.

See Doctor Who works in a different way, your doctor is always the the one you encountered at 12 or so. So Davidson is my doctor (although the older I get, the more I enjoy Baker's knowing "yes, I know this is a lot of old bollocks and it's the same quarry as last week" looks).

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I didn't think much of "Arsenal Of Freedom" myself. For something that bordered on a successful pastiche of TOS I'd look at "Heart Of Glory;" for a moment at the end, Worf actually is Spock.

 

[Mott the barber]

S1 was pure Roddenberry. The show changed as he became less and less involved. There was a notable quality jump in season 3 for 2 reasons:
1. Higher overall production value/design
2. Michael Piller

 

[CaptainStoner]

I do recall though that S1 hits a stride towards the end that carries over to S2. It's being more or less pure Roddenberry is something I really like about S1. You just don't get to S3 without 1 and 2 of course.

Some positive nitpicks of mine from S1 are the grey counsellor uniform - I think it was more professional and slightly alien looking. The versatility displayed in Worf, who is everywhere in S1. Going back over it not too long ago, there was a fair bit of character development in S1. It only clunks when it recalls TOS too strongly, but the fact that it is able to do so is cool. A Roddenberry film definetly has a certain sheen to it, you see it in his TOS episdoes, TNG, TMP.

 

[Mr. Fergy]

To me, S1 was by far the worst season of TNG! Still watched it though.