Yeah, it would have been a good idea to end Season 5 with a standalone episode instead of doing "Times Arrow, Part 1" at that time. They could have done the twoparter either at an earlier point of the season or make it in Season 6.
By the way what would you have changed at that point, if Season 5 ended in a standalone episode and you were the showrunner?
Changed sets? Another round of new uniforms? The lighting? Other positions and/or ranks for some crewmembers? Changing the tone of the show?
It's fascinating to think about the possibilities.
So glad I'm sober right now...
My impression/inference of TNG's paradigm shift appears to stem from season 4, and is likely one of two more likely possibilities: Tthat they were running out of steam for the current format. Or they found something new with more controversial topics to cash in on (e.g. mandatory suicide, gender swaps, et cetera, which were deemed popular). It's far more likely the latter as the following season (5) went even more into controversial topics - while also becoming remarkably one-sided on some of them (
Masterpiece Society,
Ethics, etc) and the best Trek tackles issues with respect to both major viewpoints.
What might I have changed? Going back in time and applying for script editor, I'd tone down some of the more one-sided aspects of the later seasons and add in multiple viewpoints with and within reason. Doing it right could lead to more 2-part stories that would leave the audience hooked and wanting to come back, and while TNG did do that, they could have done it more often and succeed. But I digress, especially as "Birthright" was two separate stories loosely sewn together as one. "Ethics" had a great (if not parochial in scope) discussion of assisted suicide, but the surrounding issue of medical procedures clearly needed some work to balance both viewpoints and both ARE valid and realistic. The episode screams its flaws when going out of its way to paint the guest doctor as forcibly as possible to be eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeevil and they're insulting the audience. Heck, Crusher can be on her soapbox and guest doctor could have retorted "Then why don't you have more staff to try to lick this problem sooner so more don't die?" But then that would make Crusher look bad. Granted, such plotting is easier to do if one side is more morally clear but the episode wasn't talking about "murder is bad", it was talking about research and medical treatments and the number of variables doesn't make for neat and tidy television, as this is not "The Brady Bunch". The ending where Worf has numerous brain stems that magically activate was outright bull manure because they scripted themselves into the most obvious corner in wanting to eke out as much "draaaaaaaaaaama" in Worf's death. If Michael Dorn wanted out, then do it right. Otherwise, to pull the trope of "Main cast member dies... or not" then they really need to add some gravitas. The whole episode just couldn't do it. Heck, TOS couldn't and a third of its main characters died in one episode or another too. "The Enterprise Incident" was the closest to getting it right on every level (drama, cliffhanger, resolution, and how they sidestepped it.)
The biggest issue they did do is still an easy one to not do instead: While Rick Berman has the occasionally great ideas and a lot of good ones, replacing TNG's music palette/tonal range with what can be described only as "a bucket of mud that has frogs farting in it after eating a ton of beans because it didn't matter how good the story otherwise was (e.g. 'Powerplay', the music slathered onto it often dragged it down)" did the worst disservice. I'm still amazed they allowed "The Next Phase" to have any quality of music whatsoever because that episode is a great reminder of how great TNG could be. (the episode knew its flaws and knew how to sidestep them to still make something great. No easy task...)
So that's what I'd change; keep the music style and flesh out some of the mid/latter-era storylines a bit more.
That said, I stand by season 7 and its returning to
out-there sci-fi ideas despite some and others feeling worn out - by then DS9 was getting the line's share of the time anyway.
