TNG: will I ever like it?

[JustKate]

I honestly cannot understand how anybody who likes Trek would not like TNG. Sorry, but I really can't. The first season was hard, oh my goodness - though even that one had a few good episodes. The second season was a little better.

But as far as I'm concerned, after that, it never looked back.

It's true that there is more talk and less action, but gosh, there's some great talk! Maybe the OP just isn't a "talk" kind of person?

 

[Nardpuncher]

I honestly cannot understand how anybody who likes Trek would not like TNG. Sorry, but I really can't. The first season was hard, oh my goodness - though even that one had a few good episodes. The second season was a little better.

But as far as I'm concerned, after that, it never looked back.

It's true that there is more talk and less action, but gosh, there's some great talk! Maybe the OP just isn't a "talk" kind of person?

The thing that really boggles my mind is that soemone who loves VOY would hate TNG. I can understand liking VOY more, as different strokes and ll that, but to hate TNG or be very bored with it is hard for me to grasp.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

But the OP thinkin VOY is 10,000 times better? Oh my!

I said I "enjoyed it 10,000 times more", not that I thought it was 10,000 times better. It's just a fact. I spent many happy years enjoying VOY.

I honestly cannot understand how anybody who likes Trek would not like TNG. Sorry, but I really can't. The first season was hard, oh my goodness - though even that one had a few good episodes. The second season was a little better.

But as far as I'm concerned, after that, it never looked back.

It's true that there is more talk and less action, but gosh, there's some great talk! Maybe the OP just isn't a "talk" kind of person?

It depends on what the talk is about. There is plenty of talk in DS9, in fact my kid's more 'splosions oriented friends can't hack it because of the talk. It's true though that I don't like long discussions about feelings, what it means to be human and what I would view as philosophical waffling about the meaning of life. That's a lot of what goes on with Data's development and a lot of what comes out of Troi's mouth. It's just not my cup of tea.

 

[SFRabid]

Over the years I've seen all but a very few episodes of Voyager on TV. Over the past year I've bought all the series on DVD and just finished season 4 of VOY. It is the last searies for me to watch this way. TNG was the hardest to rewatch and it was really hard not to skip a lot of episodes. During the first run, appreciation of having Trek back helped me and my friends get through the first two years while putting up with the arrogance of some characters. If it had been the last series instead of the second I don't know if it would have made it past the first year. It did improve a lot after the first two years but it already seems dated.

 

[Yeoman Randi]

I love TNG, from season 3 on, although there are some really good episodes in S2 and one or two in S1. Liking Voy better than TNG is something i don't understand but thats what makes horseracing!

Teacake, don't give up, continue watching TNG. I'm hoping you'll start to enjoy it more because it has so much to offer you!

 

[Hambone]

I honestly cannot understand how anybody who likes Trek would not like TNG. Sorry, but I really can't.

I can, because I'm one of them. During TNG's original run, I never missed an episode. And after each episode I thought "Well, that was all right, but...maybe next week will be better." It rarely was. I felt the same way about Space: 1999, the original Battlestar Galactica, and Buck Rogers. I kept tuning in because I didn't want to miss it in case something good happened; it rarely did.

To be fair, I think TNG sort of hit its stride during the fourth and fifth seasons. There were some strong episodes in there. The first two seasons and the last two were pretty bland, to my palate.

That's not saying TNG isn't without some good episodes; I have a few favorites and even kept a few that I recorded. But for a show with a seven-year run, I think it "missed" more often than it "hit". I don't think it has much staying power, and the stories seem hopelessly dated (not in the TOS "kitschy" sort of way, though).

Just my opinion. No one's making me watch it!

 

[JustKate]

I didn't mean to imply that I wasn't aware that there are people who like Trek but who don't like TNG, because I know there are. There are lots of people who just like TOS, there are people who just like DS9, etc.

When I said "I don't understand how," that's literally what I meant. I don't understand it. I am aware of the plain fact that it happens, and I accept it in people, I just can't really comprehend the why.

Some of the folks who love TWOK and find out that I dislike it probably have a very similar reaction, actually. They simply don't understand how this can be since to them, anybody who likes Trek ought to like TWOK. It's really clear to me how somebody can be a true Trek fan and dislike TWOK (I am actually not a major fan of any of the movies - some have been enjoyable, but that's about as far as I'm willing to go), but it's not equally clear to everybody, apparently.

Anyway, just wanted to make it clear that I didn't mean any disrespect to anybody, and I'm not questioning anybody's Trekker/Trekkie credentials. There's lots of Trek to go around and we certainly don't all have to like all of it. After all, I don't.

 

[Kegg]

To the OP:

If you did like Voyager, yes, I'd expect there's a chance TNG may grow on you. The show becomes more overtly VOY-like in time, though that process is well underway in S3.

 

[Kibbin]

To the teacake, I can see where you're coming from so don't think you are some kinnda freak. A lot of points you have about tng 'too talky' etc are true and for much of it characters like troi (unfortuantly) can be pretty muhc ignored as pointless. I don't agree with you on the the ranking (I would rate tng over ent and voy) but I agree it can be a little over hyped.

 

[Wynterhawk]

Mmmm, I have to agree that this series is bland and boring. I was coming of age when this was going on but going back to watch TOS, I found that so much more entertaining.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Mmmm, I have to agree that this series is bland and boring. I was coming of age when this was going on but going back to watch TOS, I found that so much more entertaining.

TOS is very entertaining. I've never been bored by it. Frustrated, bemused, embarrassed.. yeah. But not bored. And now with time making some of it rather kitsch that is entertaining in itself.

Will TNG be kitsch in another 20 years? I honestly don't know.

 

[DevilEyes]

Mmmm, I have to agree that this series is bland and boring. I was coming of age when this was going on but going back to watch TOS, I found that so much more entertaining.

TOS is very entertaining. I've never been bored by it. Frustrated, bemused, embarrassed.. yeah. But not bored. And now with time making some of it rather kitsch that is entertaining in itself.

Will TNG be kitsch in another 20 years? I honestly don't know.

A lot of TNG season 1 and some of season 2 is very kitsch even today. Episodes like Angel One, Naked Now, The Code of Honor, Lonely Among Us, The Neutral Zone... but not necessarily in a good or entertaining way. Well, some of it is - Angel One, for instance, especially Riker's love scenes For that matter, any Riker's love scenes in almost any episodes are wonderfully kitschy and hilarious in its own way, and most of other people's love scenes in early seasons as well (I remember Troi had a few).

 

[Tomalak]

I just love TNG. It's a product of the times, and there will never be another show like it. It's unique and it's wonderful.

 

[JiNX-01]

Is there anyone else in the universe who lists TNG as their least favorite series?

Yup.
Me.
Bland perfect people are perfectly dull.
And who wants to be preached at?
When I was trying to decide whether to collect TNG on DVD I went through startrek.com's episode summaries and discovered that there were only 26 episodes I'd be willing to spend money on. I have a handful of VHS tapes -- featuring the Borg or Q -- and I kept one DVD out of a full season set that someone gave to me (because it has The Inner Light on it).
And that's it.

 

[EliyahuQeoni]

I honestly cannot understand how anybody who likes Trek would not like TNG. Sorry, but I really can't.

I can, because I'm one of them. During TNG's original run, I never missed an episode. And after each episode I thought "Well, that was all right, but...maybe next week will be better." It rarely was. I felt the same way about Space: 1999, the original Battlestar Galactica, and Buck Rogers. I kept tuning in because I didn't want to miss it in case something good happened; it rarely did.

I'm one too. In fact, your post says everything I was going to say on the subject.

 

[Captain Randy Hall]

I honestly cannot understand how anybody who likes Trek would not like TNG. Sorry, but I really can't. The first season was hard, oh my goodness - though even that one had a few good episodes. The second season was a little better.

But as far as I'm concerned, after that, it never looked back.

It's true that there is more talk and less action, but gosh, there's some great talk! Maybe the OP just isn't a "talk" kind of person?

I have to agree with Teacake on this one. TNG is my least favorite Trek, and it probably always will be. It was indeed a product of the 1980s and the cries that the original Trek was too violent. I never liked Picard since he was half of Kirk and Riker was the other half. My favorite was Data since he could do just about anything and make it believable.

I still remember watching the episode with Barclay seeing slugs flying around in the transporter beam. How can you see something when your eyes have been disassembled at a molecular level to be reassembled later? Then it turned out the slugs were really people. Right. I always thought Brannon Braga had used too much LDS.

Such is life, I guess.

 

[Arpy]

To the OP:

If you did like Voyager, yes, I'd expect there's a chance TNG may grow on you. The show becomes more overtly VOY-like in time, though that process is well underway in S3.

Remember that's "the show develops what will be copied by later series."

One of the things I liked least about VOY and ENT is how they sat on the laurels of earlier series. A formula was found and then ran into the ground. I shudder to think the greatness Trek could have achieved if it continued to grow with each successive series, making use of the best parts of other sci-fi out there as well.

 

[Pemmer Harge]

I always thought Brannon Braga had used too much LDS.

Nah, that's Battlestar Galactica...

 

[Starbreaker]

I can certainly understand it not being your favorite, but being your least favorite? That is one I've never heard.

 

[Anji]

Don't feel bad. You don't have to like all the series to be a Star Trek fan.