Watching TNG again... wth???

L31mr0d

Ok the OH has never watched TNG, so I convinced her, during this summer drought of new TV shows, to watch it with me.

Admittedly I haven't watched it in years but wtf? Episodes 3 and 4 of Season 1 are diabolical?

The Naked Now was a joke... what was that, it was cringe worthy. I actually have no memory of watching that episode on TV as a kid and rightly so, it would of killed ratings. I've seen clips from it on youtube and always thought it was some joke filmed for roddenberrys birthday or something.

and Code of Honor, talk about your stereotypes. It was like someone watched a "Safari in Africa" video from the 1930's then turned it into a planet of people for an episode of Star Trek.

Anyone else experience this on a second viewing of TNG? Are there any other doozies early in the first few seasons?

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

season 1 was fairly gay, but it did get alot better with time it wasn't all just nostalgia

L31mr0d

Captain Mords Spiced Bum wrote: »

season 1 was fairly gay, but it did get alot better with time it wasn't all just nostalgia

No yeah I know that. I've watched the later seasons numerous times. I'm only realizing now I haven't watched the first season since I watched it last on TV in the mid 90's.

What's odd is the pilot was fantastic, and then the following 2 episodes are utter muck. Data drunk???

L31mr0d

Watch this scene, particularly from 4:10 onwards. I kid you not, it's like Picard does a Beavis & Butthead impression... what where they thinking

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSxvWgV39G8

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

embedding disabled on that video, but I can well imagine

almost everything about the first season had a kind of layer of ****e dripping off it, but there was some gold underneath all the dross.. I just can't remember any of it right now

seamus

Many of the storylines and scripts in season one were hangovers from TOS - episodes which were never produced. Hence why there's very much a TOS feel from them - particularly "Code of Honour".

chamlis

Yeah anything pre Riker-Beard was pretty much ****e. Then we had Dr. Pulaski. ew.

But lads, the Naked Now is brilliant in fairness. As long as you remove anything involving Wesley Crusher you're left with a good comedic 10 mins

Well, the Naked Now is admitantly a rewrite or a TOS episode to show that the new characters could pull off some of the stories that the original crew did with the same charisma that the original actors where able to perform.

Rawr

L31mr0d wrote: »

Watch this scene, particularly from 4:10 onwards. I kid you not, it's like Picard does a Beavis & Butthead impression... what where they thinking

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSxvWgV39G8

Weasley (excited): .....so you mean I'm drunk!...I feel strange...but also good!

Classic line. I always burst out laughing at that.:D

L31mr0d

Deleted User wrote: »

Well, the Naked Now is admitantly a rewrite or a TOS episode to show that the new characters could pull off some of the stories that the original crew did with the same charisma that the original actors where able to perform.

That's what I felt. I got the impression this was supposed to be an overlap episode with TOS, a symbolic passing of the torch, but it fails miserably. The serious tone of Farpoint Station gets completely shattered by it. Supposedly Frakes has openly said he's ashamed they ever made this episode and can't bare to watch it now.

Well I'll hammer on with the season, I just hope these stinkers haven't put off my OH from watching the rest of it with me She literally said "you went to conventions for this?"

nyarlothothep

The Beavis and Butthead impression is genius! Why though. What is the reason for this inexplicable utterance?

The later episodes are on Virgin 1 right now. Those are the good ones though avoid season 7 except for All Good Things. The Inner Light though is incredible and a season 5 episode. Season 1 is great in its own right for sheer comedy value, all the better because its unintentional. Skin of Evil was a good season 1 episode though it is a bit cheesy. Conspiracy is also good, the special effects are laughable and some of the dialogue is unforgettable and wtf, "we seek peaceful co-existence!!!, (why say it in such a hostile tone!) I love the 80s atmosphere, as if its a videogame and they've reached the boss character in the central brain node chamber. You don't get that nowadays. I can see where they got the idea for the crab people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_Vr9LnogLM

Johnny Storm

Season 1 is woeful as noted. Good IMHO eps are the one with the Traveller and the one where Worf meets other Klingons for the first time (even though it's a big stretch to make it fit into his later back-story). Naked Now is pretty funny and what's not to like about Tasha Yar's dress when Data discovers he is "fully functional"?

Johnny Storm

L31mr0d wrote: »

That's what I felt. I got the impression this was supposed to be an overlap episode with TOS, a symbolic passing of the torch, but it fails miserably. The serious tone of Farpoint Station gets completely shattered by it. Supposedly Frakes has openly said he's ashamed they ever made this episode and can't bare to watch it now.

I think it was an exremely low budget ep with no external sets or guest stars.

She literally said "you went to conventions for this?"

Honesty is hardly ever the best policy especially with respect to Trek and ahem.... girls!

MetalDawg

L31mr0d wrote: »

Watch this scene, particularly from 4:10 onwards. I kid you not, it's like Picard does a Beavis & Butthead impression... what where they thinking

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSxvWgV39G8

Uh huh huh huh huh. . . . I''m gonna score

TVDX

Jaysus, cut season 1 some slack will ye?.
What criteria are you all harshly judging it on?.
The episodes are over 20 years old, what do you expect?.
In fact, some were possibly even developed in 1986, maybe even the early ones were filmed then too.
Every Star Trek series had a start that was not representative of the rest of the series.
TNG in Season 1 was certainly not low budget for the time.
Just like TOS, TNG was re-introducing the sci-fi genre to the mainstream TV audience and at the same time had the tough task of trying to keep the old fans happy while introducing new fans.
There was little to no Sci-fi on US screens at the time and creating something like this that wasn't a feature film at the time was an incredibly difficult task.
It's universally accepted by fans, cast and crew that "Code of Honor" was off key but an episode like "The Naked now" has a classic 80's TV feel to it that was never again seen in Star Trek.
Season 1 of TNG is a unique and special season that's appreciated for what it is and indeed what it's success helped to create.
Because it was a success, if it wasn't you wouldn't have had six more seasons.

Stark

L31mr0d wrote: »

What's odd is the pilot was fantastic, and then the following 2 episodes are utter muck. Data drunk???

Ah yes, "We are more alike than you think". That was cringeworthy. I also notice that Data seemed to display emotion from time to time in Season 1. Was it later on in the series that the writers introduced the emotionless aspect to the character?

TVDX wrote:

Because it was a success, if it wasn't you wouldn't have had six more seasons.

Enterprise lasted 4 seasons and no-one could forgive the first two seasons of that show. Season 3 of TNG had far more to do with the success of the show than Season 1 did imo.

Johnny Storm

Let's not even mention "Enterprise" in a thread about TNG.

Johnny Storm

TVDX wrote: »

Jaysus, cut season 1 some slack will ye?.
.....
The episodes are over 20 years old, what do you expect?.

I'm an ol' lad. Trust me, Season 1 was well dodgy 20 years ago I mentioned the stand-out eps in an earlier post.

TVDX wrote: »

Every Star Trek series had a start that was not representative of the rest of the series.

This is true BUT IMHO TNG is the only series where there is a valid reason for this - i.e. that there had been no TV trek for over 20 years when they made TNG. Other series got off to a bad start due to the increasing incompetence / lack of interest of Berman, Braga etc. TOS hit the ground running.

The_Minister

nyarlothothep wrote: »

and wtf, "we seek peaceful co-existence!!!, (why say it in such a hostile tone!)

Best Star Trek line ever.

Though I thought that Picard and Riker were quick to kill the alien - not enough effort to make contact with it

Khannie

L31mr0d wrote: »

Anyone else experience this on a second viewing of TNG? Are there any other doozies early in the first few seasons?

I skipped most of season 1. Total disaster zone.

L31mr0d

I'm actually nearly finished season 1 now. Apart from episodes 3 and 4 the rest of the season has actually been decent. It's funny also noticing actors in it that have since gone on to be in other shows, like "WTH??? T-Bag was going to marry Deanna Troi?" and Deep throat from the X-files.

This season seems to have a lot more of Wesley than I remembered also. I'm so glad he takes a back seat in later seasons.

Sherifu

Conspiracy is one of my favourite season 1 episodes. Saw it last weekend.

Even with the slightly dodgy effects it still holds up well and is one of the strongest epsidoes of tng.

thelordofcheese

L31mr0d wrote: »

This season seems to have a lot more of Wesley than I remembered also.

Season one of TNG In Will Wheatons own words.

L31mr0d

Just started season 2 there and there is a real noticeable jump in production quality and scripting. The ship looks a lot more detailed and the CG is actually pretty good, pity I have to suffer fecking Dr. Pulaski, if I didn't know better I'd swear she was Yars mother (she might actually be, what with there being so many rape gangs where Yar grew up :rolleyes:)

Also, funny to see Teri Hatcher in it as well. Playing the lascivious wench as always :pac:

tj-music.com

From Season three onwards I thought they were actually quite decent and some were actually superb.

The cast could really act - Patrick Stewart is amazing as Picard, Brent Spiner as DATA was also brilliant and all the Klingon and most Borg episodes were much better than most of the stuff that they show on TV these days like Stargate Atlantis or the likes

Long live Star Trek (and prosper)

cyrusdvirus

I remember hearing Patrick Stewart saying that at any time during the first season he expected the arm around the shoulder from Gene Roddenberry....he was in his own words, living from a suitcase, and never expected it to go the way it has gone.

Think it was during the teaser hour long special leading up to All Good Things

Khannie

L31mr0d wrote: »

pity I have to suffer fecking Dr. Pulaski

Quite liked her actually. Was sorry to see her go.

Stark

She was okay. But Dr. Crusher was better.

Johnny Storm

Khannie wrote: »

Quite liked her actually. Was sorry to see her go.

+1
Hated her at first but got to like her eventually. Diana Muldour was a major hottie in her day and was in at least two TOS epS

Stark

I got the impression she could still have been relatively pretty if she hadn't adopted that old woman hairstyle.

L31mr0d

Khannie wrote: »

Quite liked her actually. Was sorry to see her go.

On a second viewing she does become bearable after a few episodes. They made her overly acerbic in her first few episodes but she eventually settles down into making sarcastic jokes and poking fun at Datas confusion.

In comparison, Beverly Crusher seems like more of a non-entity, there really is little to her, personality wise. I guess I like her more because I thought she was fantastic at a convention she attended that I was at. She also introduced the premier of the episode "Genesis" that she directed which still remains my second favourite episode of the entire show.

Penrose

Man TNG was brilliant best Star Trek, voyager was stupid and DS9 with the Prohpets was bad until of course the Dominion War

stateofflux

Penrose wrote: »

Man TNG was brilliant best Star Trek, voyager was stupid and DS9 with the Prohpets was bad until of course the Dominion War

in fairness there is nothing stupid about 7 of 9 and her padded catsuit :pac::pac:

as for tng.... season 1 was fairly dodge...worse than a lot of the 90's outerlimits (which were cheeseball)....but when barclay came in to the show, it was the best because, lets face it, he represented the everyman...taking the piss out of the super arrogant geek squad ....brilliant episodes....

L31mr0d

stateofflux wrote: »

he represented the everyman...taking the piss out of the super arrogant geek squad ....brilliant episodes....

He also used the holodeck how we all know it would be used. Taking the piss out of our superiors and creating people or celebrities we know and engaging in "relations" with them

Riker confirms that humans haven't grown beyond their urges so something like the holodeck would mainly be used for sex. I'm sure they'd even have a private mode in it like in IE8, lol :pac:

norrie rugger

OK so I was flicking around channels, last night and nothing on.

Herself sees that TNG is on Virgin, been trying to introduce her for a while.

She says "put that on shur", cool i think.
Except it is bloody "Masks". The entire episode is crap, from the very start with the clay sculptures and Troi doing her usual annoying bit


to the above, I liked Polaski. I thought that she had potential and could have her character developed. Fine bring back Crusher but only if you are going to do something with her.

L31mr0d

norrie rugger wrote: »

been trying to introduce her for a while.

Yeah I'm already up to Season 4 with the other half. I think Star Trek has a bad rep of being just strings of techno babble, spaceships and no heart so girls don't even consider it.

But, after the shaky season 1, the OH loves it. She's usually asking me to get off the PC now so we can watch the next episode. Compared to the likes of Heroes, Prison Break, 24... etc this show is consistently good and the set quality and production values are top notch. The CGI from current Sci-Fi still has a long way to go before it can compete with the level of realism you get from plastic models.

For me it's nice to have a refresher as it's been over a decade since I watched some of these episodes, but it's interesting watching the OH learn the characters for the first time and laugh at their quirks.

Eviledna

L31mr0d wrote: »

Yeah I'm already up to Season 4 with the other half. I think Star Trek has a bad rep of being just strings of techno babble, spaceships and no heart so girls don't even consider it.

Picard-esque Facepalm.

I'm gonna do Mistress Beata proud here and proclaim: it's not a girls just dont get it issue!
Try being a girl who has seen TNG in its entirety about 10 times, loved every word (except Shades of Gray of course) and assumed as a young'un that everyone else watched it too.
Then fast forward till her teenage years when she started to try to relate to teenage boys. Imagine her shock and horror whilst trying to impress a fella by discussing the possibility of warp drive, as he wondered wtf that had to do with the premiership?
It's not a female thing. There is a ridiculous stigma placed on Star Trek by people of both genders without an interest in science, or thinking outside the box. It just wasn't "cool".
Luckily I finally met a kindred spirit who like yerselves assumed girls just dont get it. Nope, some people just don't get it. How sad for them. :pac:

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

oh come on people, I love tng as much as the next person but take off the rose tinted glasses.. your average episode is 30-40% nonsense techno babble

Eviledna

IMO, there was some technobabble, but for many (me included) it was an introduction to computers, science etc at a time in the 80s when that was pretty rare in Ireland.
It is supposed to be entertainment after all. If they were to be accurate about the science, there wouldn't be much of the fiction now would there.

L31mr0d

Eviledna wrote: »

It's not a female thing.

Well it isn't SOLELY a female thing, but it is mainly. Unless you are bucking the trend and saying the majority of females like Space Sci-fi.

Anyway, I'm not going to get into a gender argument (those always end well :rolleyes:) Needless to say, I knew of no girls growing up who watched Star Trek, even talking about new episodes of it got odd side glances. But the majority of my guy friends where into the show, and those that weren't... well they where those weird Star Wars fanboys

norrie rugger

you just had geeky friends. Seriously, even science people were ashamed to watch it. Only know 1 girl who liked tng and she did the same science course as me. Also some of the biggest geeks in the class hated it

livinginkorea

Captain Mords Spiced 42 inch Bum wrote: »

oh come on people, I love tng as much as the next person but take off the rose tinted glasses.. your average episode is 30-40% nonsense techno babble

Voyager seems to have a large amount of this IMO. Seems that always get out of some problem or another by techno magic!

Just watched the episode last night where the Doctor joins with other holocharacters who have their own ship full of Alpha characters. Good bunch of episodes but I'm sick of Janeway not giving him any punishment for being so reckless again!