When did TNG get good

[CorporalCaptain]

The thing that most impressed me about Encounter at Farpoint was its markedly different tone from TOS or any of the films to date (and TAS too I suppose I should say). Its tone was fundamentally hopeful about the future, more so than any previous Trek I thought, and in retrospect I think this holds for any subsequent Trek as well. Perhaps it is simply the sterile atmosphere of the bridge. I was willing to forgive introductory awkwardness as I forgave the reunion awkwardness in The Motion Picture.

But man, The Naked Now was embarrassing. And it got worse. As it turned out Encounter at Farpoint was among the best episodes of the first season, which wasn't good news.

The first really solid episode for me was The Emissary. I agree with others here about the merits of The Measure Of A Man and Q Who. Both of those also had problems which I personally found hard to overlook, the main effect being that I kept getting bored in the middle of them.

After that, the next episode I really enjoyed was The Survivors, in season three. After Booby Trap, and then The Vengeance Factor and The Defector, TNG just got better and better, easily regularly surpassing the lower echelons of TOS, instead of only rarely doing so.

 

[spooky spice]

I thought the show started good and got better, but looking back at it now, the first season was fairly dismal, season 2 they were getting into their stride and things picked up from season 3 onward

 

[Trek Survivor]

Actually, rewatching season one on CBS Action, I realise that for too long I - and most of the fandom - had kind of disregarded it as "not very good".

There's LOTS of good stuff in that first season, just we remember the bad stuff more (because it was REALLY bad) - e.g. Code Of Honour, Justice, Angel One etc.

I'd say TNG "got good" as the OP put it, with the last eight episodes of season one. From "Coming of Age" onwards, I can honestly say I enjoyed all of that block of eps.

And I love season two. For me, the very best season. This is when it moved from "good" to excellent.

 

[Seven of Five]

Yeah I agree with that. Season one treads water with a few good bits here and there until the last third of episodes crop up. They aren't all classics, but the show finally shook itself into some consistency. I think the producers kept this standard up throughout season two, managing to outdo themselves a couple of times along the way with The Measure of a Man and Q Who.

At season three though, the show just stepped into another gear. TNG finally had its own identity, and was pretty brilliant for a few years, until they finally burnt themselves out somewhere around season 6.

 

[Squiggy]

Fancy Collars = Win

 

[Ghrakh]

Early in S1. I didn't have a crystal ball then to compare it to later seasons.

 

[Galileo7]

Season 3.

 

[Greystone_06]

Early in S1. I didn't have a crystal ball then to compare it to later seasons.

But now, you do.

 

[antiquityscion]

yeah, most would agree that the show became CONSISTENTLY good only in season 3 instead of just being very uneven with about as many crap episodes as there are solid ones in the first two seasons.

Then it goes and gets weak again in season 7.

Really the period of great TNG is only from about seasons 3-6.

Agreed.

I have always liked season 2 better than season 1, but lately its been the other way around. Both were uneven and extreme: either real good or real bad. Generally speaking, season 1 & 2 had good and bad episodes almost like good-bad-good-bad. Season 7 was not as good as 3-6, but gets a bad rap I think. It was more unexciting than actually bad.

 

[RedSkirt]

Seasons 1 and 2 are the worst in Trek. Most episodes followed a pattern. Action in the beginning. Boring in the middle. Rushed or abrupt endings. Any complaint you ever heard about ENT was evident in those first two seasons. Rehashed stories, blatent sexulism, canon violations. Episodes like Justice drove fans back into the closet because they did not want to admit publically that they were watching such crap. But, we got through it by thinking "At least we have Trek again."

Season 3 was the payoff. It was good, and seemed so much better after suffering through the first two seasons. 3-6 may be the best in Trek.

 

[antiquityscion]

Yeah Season 1 and 2 had some bad episodes, but worst in Trek? That's harsh. I would say the worst of TOS has the worst of TNG beat.

Such as:

The Alternative Factor-A guy with a crazy antimater clone of himself? Just dumb. Really dumb.
And the Children Shall Lead-Probably the worst trek evar!
The Way To Eden-Space hippies, Headin' to Eden. Yayyy Brother!
Spock's Brain-Brain and Brain. What is brain?!
Elann of troyious-Sure TNG's The Perfect Mate totally ripped this, but did it much better
A Piece of the Action-a planet of Gangsters?
Turnabout Intruder-Kirk gets all girly
Miri-Exact duplicate of earth?
The Apple- Vollll!!!!!! ...And it had Hutch!
Charlie X - A kid even more annoying than Wesley Crusher!
Requiem For Methuselah-lame!
The Mark Of Gideon-bad episode and bad title
The Savage Curtain- Abe Lincoln floating in space?

 

[Trek Survivor]

Seasons 1 and 2 are the worst in Trek.

Whoa, couldn't disagree more with most of what you said.

Season 2 is excellent. To me, it's better than much of the later stuff. Why? Because it WASN'T formulaic and hadn't settled into that "bland" feel to most of the stories and the set/lighting/acting that say, season 5 in particular, was guilty of.

 

[LitmusDragon]

"Measure of a Man" was the first really good episode.

Came here to say this, I think this was clearly the first high-water mark

 

[Gojira]

Yeah Season 1 and 2 had some bad episodes, but worst in Trek? That's harsh. I would say the worst of TOS has the worst of TNG beat.

Such as:

The Alternative Factor-A guy with a crazy antimater clone of himself? Just dumb. Really dumb.
And the Children Shall Lead-Probably the worst trek evar!
The Way To Eden-Space hippies, Headin' to Eden. Yayyy Brother!
Spock's Brain-Brain and Brain. What is brain?!
Elann of troyious-Sure TNG's The Perfect Mate totally ripped this, but did it much better
A Piece of the Action-a planet of Gangsters?
Turnabout Intruder-Kirk gets all girly
Miri-Exact duplicate of earth?
The Apple- Vollll!!!!!! ...And it had Hutch!
Charlie X - A kid even more annoying than Wesley Crusher!
Requiem For Methuselah-lame!
The Mark Of Gideon-bad episode and bad title
The Savage Curtain- Abe Lincoln floating in space?

I like most of those episodes!

 

[Alrik]

I think TNG was always good. There have always been good episodes and episodes that were not too good. I think the first two seasons TNG was very much like TOS in the tone and spirit of the original. I think in season 3 they found their own identity.

I very much agree.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Unlike some of what came later, there isn't a single ep of TOS or TNG that I find un-watchable.

 

[indolover]

season one was poor. season two was so-so, but season three was the serious shit. from then it took off.

 

[SFRabid]

I think TNG was wildly bipolar with the first seasons being the worst in Trek and 3-6 being the best in Trek.

Before I get nailed please understand, for me, there is no bad trek. It is just that some is worse and some is better. I watch it all.

 

[Gary7]

Season 1 was awful, a real disappointment. Season 2 was better, having a few decent episodes within a pile of mediocrity. And then came "Contagion". This was a good episode, others soon followed (including "Q Who" and "Shades of Gray"). Season 3 really got things moving and this lasted until sometime in Season 7, where a number of mediocre episodes were made. Overall, TNG ended on a high note though... highest of any other Star Trek series.

 

[TheDolphin]

To me the moment when it started getting good, and I mean really good, was the beginning of season 3. Granted, "Evolution" was more of a whimper than a bang as a season-opener, but it was enjoyable and well-written. Season 3 is still one of my favourite seasons in all of Star Trek.

V.

 

[Son of Quark]

I was hooked from the very first episode when it aired in 1987. I actually enjoy seasons 1 & 2 quite a lot.