I remember being at a school friend’s house and he was watching Star Trek III TSFS. I didn’t know the characters or universe and could barely really understand what was going on, but found it compelling enough. The fx were fun I remember thinking Kruge was super cool and feeling sorry for him when his targ died. The bit where the Klingons arrive on the Genesis planet and Kruge puts his hands through those worm-creatures always sticks in my mind.
First proper episode was “Encounter at Farpoint” when TNG began airing in the UK in Autumn 1990. I was intrigued but not sold on it. I liked Data and Tasha for some reason, but not really many of the rest of the crew. Picard was like an old school headteacher, dour, preachy, self-important and I could never figure out why the very first thing they ever showed his character do was unconditionally surrender to the bad guy without even trying to fight or outwit him. I found the plot dragged somewhat although I did like the ship and futuristic setting.
I gave it another chance with “Code of Honour”, and unsurprisingly that did not win me over either. A third chance several weeks later with “Hide & Q”…which again, didn’t win me over. Picard was still so stuffy, I found Riker unlikeable too and Q was annoying. So many times during that episode I just wished the characters would shut up and something exciting or cool would happen.
It wasn’t until I happened to tune in much later to the season….i think it was maybe “When the Bough Breaks”, that I finally began to warm to the show and began to watch weekly. It had definitely found its feet by then and, for all the hate Wesley gets, I think having a character just a bit older than me, did help draw me in a little.
