TNG Season One

[darkshadow0001]

I've been watching TNG Season One DVD's I've been getting from Netflix lately and I wanna know why it was considered one of TNG's worst seasons. I never watched much of TNG up until I'd say its fourth season and beyond, only for the fact was because I wasn't a fan of it until later (my favorite show of that time was actually Quantum leap ). But so far I've watched all the episodes to "Where No One Has Gone Before" and none of them were all that terrible. Actually, really enjoyable to watch. The only episodes that may have been kind of campy were Encounter at Farpoint 1 and 2.

After seeing "The Last Outpost" I keep thinking the Ferengi should of kept their whips they used in this episode. I thought it was pretty cool the way they attacked Riker with them. It seems like they kept the basis of the Ferengi the same all throughout the 24th century... except they had more characteristics built in them.

Anyway, back to the main subject, was season one considered bad and if so why?

 

[Obi Wana Jones]

Primarily two reasons:

1. High expectations

2. "Forced" writing

Reason 2 is the biggie. Writers knew from all the Trek conventions what worked from TOS. There was too much emphasis on trying to duplicate original, instead of emphasizing character development and good writing in general. How many times did Troi say "I sense a presence Captain" or something similar in season 1? Puh-lease.

TNG almost died on the vine because of it. Season two character development and better scripts in general ensured the future of the franchise.

 

[Ro_Laren]

I thought that quite a few of the Season 1 episodes were "campy." Of course, so were some episodes of Season 2 (i.e. Royale). They had that cheesy 60's feel. There were still some interesting stories told those first two seasons... there was just a lot of fluff piled on top of them.

 

[Red Ranger]

Well, I think the problem with TNG season one was it was almost a continuation of TOS season three, which many didn't care for in TOS's run. Some old hands contributed to the scripts for TNG season one, and they seemed to have just recycled some old ideas rattling around in their heads and just plugged them in.

BTW, I also liked the Ferengi whips and wished we'd seen them again. At one point, they were going to make the Ferengi the Federation's new nemesis. Good thing they decided to bring back the Romulans and introduce the Cardassians, frankly.

I could see Cardassians using those phaser whips since their military seems pretty sadistic. Maybe Ferengi arms dealers sold those whips to the Cardassians or even the Klingons, and they used them in their prison camps.

Red Ranger

 

[DostoyevskyClone]

I don't have my list of grades handy that I gave to each episode, but I know in large part it's because there are *SO* many mediocre episodes and so few "stand-out" ones. If I remember correctly, the only episode that gets the 'A' grade is 'Skin of Evil' (mainly because of the emotional content in the last third of the episode).

I also remember that there were *TWO* really bad efforts (highly significant considering by my estimation there were no others in the entire rest of the series!): 'Skin of Evil' and another one (again, I don't have my list handy, but I distinctly remember thinking how disappointing it was that there were two 'bad' episodes in one season).

Season one, for me, was by far the worst season of TNG. There is a *huge* gap in quality between this and most of the series (except season two, which is kind of a middle ground for me between the debut season and the "golden age" of TNG).

For what it's worth, not only is it the worst season of TNG, but I think it's just a truly weak season of television (I've made my way through a few series now, such as DS9 and Farscape, and most of my way through others like Quantum Leap, Magnum, P.I., Nip/Tuck, Lost, etc.)

 

[darkshadow0001]

Primarily two reasons:

1. High expectations

2. "Forced" writing

Reason 2 is the biggie. Writers knew from all the Trek conventions what worked from TOS. There was too much emphasis on trying to duplicate original, instead of emphasizing character development and good writing in general. How many times did Troi say "I sense a presence Captain" or something similar in season 1? Puh-lease.

TNG almost died on the vine because of it. Season two character development and better scripts in general ensured the future of the franchise.

After watching a couple more episodes I can see the idea of "forced" writing being in place here. I did notice a lot of the characters acted like a lot of what they said was kind of being "forced." But I think season one still had a lot of decent episodes to watch.

 

[Anika Hanson]

It wasnt the best but I think it was still ok. I enjoyed the episodes but many of them were based on morality rather than scientific expolration.

 

[DeafPoet]

Whatever reputation Picard has as a preachy douchebag is pretty much wholly earned in this season. That aside, pretty much every episode (even the so-called "decent" ones) is unwatchable for me. The characterizations just aren't there and there's some horribly stilted dialogue.

 

[TheGodBen]

Lots of people in this forum are going to tell you that it is because of bad writing and poor characterisation. They will say that part of the problem is that it was trying too much to be like 60s Trek rather than 80s Trek. They will say that it is too campy and often laughably bad. Don't believe them.

The real reason this season is so bad is because Riker didn't have a beard.

 

[Trek Survivor]

But so far I've watched all the episodes to "Where No One Has Gone Before" and none of them were all that terrible. Actually, really enjoyable to watch. The only episodes that may have been kind of campy were Encounter at Farpoint 1 and 2.


Anyway, back to the main subject, was season one considered bad and if so why?

Wha? You thought "Encounter At Farpoint" was campy but thought "Code Of Honour" OK? That has to be the worst episode of TNG ever, and yes, I'm counting "Shades Of Gray" in there. It's just embarrassing.

I normally enjoy fighting against the majority opinion, and championing the underdog (wait till I get started on why I like "Nemesis") but even I can't find much in season 1 to enjoy now. I enjoyed it back in the day - when we didn't know the greatness to come - but it hasn't aged well. It wasn't even specific episodes that let it down (though they don't help e.g. "Angel One") just the general tone, feel and dialogue of the show.

Season 2 was a massive improvement.

 

[TheGodBen]

It wasn't even specific episodes that let it down (though they don't help e.g. "Angel One") just the general tone, feel and dialogue of the show.

I think this video sums it up well.

80% of the episodes during the first season ended with the happy crew on the bridge, warping off into the sunset. "Engage." The only two that stand out are Tasha's death and the ending to Conspiracy. The show was so proud of the fact that it was a Star Trek show that it forgot that it should try to be a good Star Trek show.

But really, the problem was Riker's lack of a beard.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

But really, the problem was Riker's lack of a beard.

Well, let's not forget the Troi Bun.

 

[Semah]

Wil Wheaton does a number of reviews on the 1st season which highlights a lot of what people are talking about here:

http://www.tvsquad.com/bloggers/wil-wheaton/

 

[Plecostomus]

If we had the Internet as we know it now back then the show would have never made it to Season Two because we would have ripped it apart.

Something to think about as we go forth nitpicking a movie we haven't seen yet.

 

[Piper]

I think this video sums it up well.

Very amusing video, like that

I do quite enjoy a lot of S1, but because of its general direness. It doesn't feel like the rest of the show (not least with some of the terrible planet sets) and the writing is often terrible, but I can still have a lot of fun with it!

 

[darkshadow0001]

Lots of people in this forum are going to tell you that it is because of bad writing and poor characterisation. They will say that part of the problem is that it was trying too much to be like 60s Trek rather than 80s Trek.

^^^ Which is kind of ironic, because that's what people wanted Star Trek:Enterprise to be a lot more like.

 

[john titor]

ah I liked it, but then I'm a sucker for cheese.