TNG - episode to start an 8 year old on to get him interested.

quad_red · 15-02-2020 2:30pm #1

Ok - I have an eight year old with a prospective interest in TNG.

Loves data after seeing a few scenes of him on you YouTube.

Any suggestions for a good episode to start him on?

Evade · 15-02-2020 2:39pm

Not that I think it's a particularly good episode but maybe Hero Worship, the one about a kid mimicking Data. The child character might be a little more relatable. Pen Pals could work too for a similar reason.

AMKC · 15-02-2020 3:00pm

Evade wrote: »

Not that I think it's a particularly good episode but maybe Hero Worship, the one about a kid mimicking Data. The child character might be a little more relatable. Pen Pals could work too for a similar reason.

Pen Pals is an excellent episode.

Another one is ''Data's Day'' Its an easy light hearted episode.

There is more here ,

https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/star-trek-picard-learn-about-data-with-these-10-ne/2900-2987/

The one where he helps Q is also brilliant and as well as seen Data your son would get to see Q as well.

Stark · 15-02-2020 4:46pm

I was 5 years old when TNG first aired and remember being hooked early on. (Not quite sure if I actually started watching at that age or caught up on repeats a few years later).

I'm going to be controversial and say that even though adult viewers consider him a pain in the arse, the Wesley Crusher episodes were my favourite as a child as he was just a few years older than me at the time. Seeing him save the day at the end of "The Naked Now" was fun and again in "Where no man has gone before". I have memories of him getting a seat on the bridge feeding into my own inner world fantasies at the time. "Datalore": another a Wesley saves the day episode with loads of campy fun from Data and evil twin thrown in the mix. "Coming of age" was another one that fed into my young child fantasies of becoming a Starfleet officer.

"Schizoid man" and "Elementary dear data" could be fun early season Data episodes to watch.

Of course, you also can't go wrong with the Borg episodes like "Q Who".

AMKC · 15-02-2020 5:42pm

Stark wrote: »

I was 5 years old when TNG first aired and remember being hooked early on. (Not quite sure if I actually started watching at that age or caught up on repeats a few years later).

I'm going to be controversial and say that even though adult viewers consider him a pain in the arse, the Wesley Crusher episodes were my favourite as a child as he was just a few years older than me at the time. Seeing him save the day at the end of "The Naked Now" was fun and again in "Where no man has gone before". I have memories of him getting a seat on the bridge feeding into my own inner world fantasies at the time. "Datalore": another a Wesley saves the day episode with loads of campy fun from Data and evil twin thrown in the mix. "Coming of age" was another one that fed into my young child fantasies of becoming a Starfleet officer.

"Schizoid man" and "Elementary dear data" could be fun early season Data episodes to watch.

Of course, you also can't go wrong with the Borg episodes like "Q Who".

I would wait of on introducing the Borg straight away. Could scare the child.

I would say starting from the beginning even with ''Encounter at Farpoint'' part 1 and 2 and then the Data episodes would be the way to go even. Then you could play the rsst of it in order for him.

Slydice · 15-02-2020 7:53pm

Brothers

Show him Brothers

Then .. of course .. ALL of TNG

TheValeyard · 15-02-2020 8:47pm

That episode where the Enterprise keeps exploding. The groundhog day in space one.

Stark · 15-02-2020 9:12pm

AMKC wrote: »

I would wait of on introducing the Borg straight away. Could scare the child.

Can't really speak for the OP's child as I don't know how sensitive the kid is but I would have been about 8/9 when the Borg episodes came out and they were the episodes that had me running round to my friends shouting about how cool they were.

If you think about, there wasn't a lot of graphic violence in those episodes. Most of the fear came from suspense/implied horror. Best of both worlds part 1 is pretty much people standing around discussing what's to come until the big moment late in the episode when Picard announces "We have engaged the Borg".

Slydice · 16-02-2020 1:07am

Might be that jumping in direct to the Borg episode might take away from their pressence though.

I remember a feel of how big and great the Enterprise was at that point. Then the Q being funny but then things getting REAL SERIOUS REAL FAST..

The initial relief at the end of that episode

Then the Best of Both Worlds CLIFFHANGER!!!

So for the proper TNG Borg feel, probably starting at the start with Farpoint and getting to them the long way would be a good idea.

TomSweeney · 16-02-2020 1:39am

+1 for Pen Pals ....
Great episode ..

quad_red · 16-02-2020 11:00am

Thanks for the input - really good suggestions there.

I think going into the Borg stuff too early without knowing the characters and appreciating the scale would be a big loss.

So gonna go with Data’s day to start with. Will let ye know how it goes

_Kaiser_ · 16-02-2020 3:29pm

Slydice wrote: »

Brothers

Show him Brothers

Then .. of course .. ALL of TNG

You'd think the Enterprise computer would have a visual ID check when accepting priority commands (which seem pretty insecure anyway).

"Alpha 2 Priority confir-... HEY, WAIT A MINUTE! Initiating security lockout!"

AMKC · 16-02-2020 5:48pm

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

You'd think the Enterprise computer would have a visual ID check when accepting priority commands (which seem pretty insecure anyway).

"Alpha 2 Priority confir-... HEY, WAIT A MINUTE! Initiating security lockout!"

I suppose they thought that voice ID was enough and did not think that there would be someone that could copy someone else's voice's so perfectly like Data did.

quad_red · 16-02-2020 8:38pm

So watched Data’s Day - a really good call. The 8 year old and (surprisingly) the six year old loved it.

A really good intro to all the main characters. Some really nice comedy (they loved Crusher’s dance studio). Also a really nice intro in those mean Romulans and some nice Sherlock Holmes problem solving by Data.

Absolutely chuffed they enjoyed it so much.

Minime2.5 · 18-02-2020 1:55pm

Instead of specific episodes just watch it from scratch yourself . Young boys naturally become interested in things there dad is

TNG - episode to start an 8 year old on to get him interested.

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