Star Trek The Next Generation: Season 1 Recap

[madimpossibledreamer]

Well.  I don’t think I took enough notes for graphs, which is unfortunate because I’m actually a little curious as to whether yellow shirts (the ‘new red shirts’) die more often.  However, I took less notes because I was less engaged—overall I definitely don’t like the new series as much.  I don’t find many of the people compelling (and the instant the security chief starts to get more interesting she dies).  It’s driving me crazy that people aren’t listening to the People With the Answers (usually Wesley Crusher, who’s unfortunately insufferable about it all).  I understand why.  They didn’t come out and say it, but the new Enterprise is a military ship, including the rigid hierarchy.  Picard is basically Gibbs, but without the charming ‘I’m going to swap a body with one of my subordinates so we can have a better look at it and solve the case someone’s trying to steal it from me’ brand of crazy.  That’s not to say that I like the military mindset, and I certainly wouldn’t want to serve on this Enterprise.  Riker’s…more like the stereotype everyone thinks Kirk is sometimes, and like a more charming Garibaldi (Babylon 5) in others.  Data’s interesting, but they haven’t done enough with him yet.  Geordi’s also an interesting character idea, but not much has been done with him yet, either.  And Troi, well, I find the Betazoid an interesting race, but again, it hasn’t been utilized to its full potential (and she’s basically just ‘lemme consult Captain Obvious who points out things you wouldn’t need a power to see’).  Worf…oh, I’m gonna get annoyed by how much Worf gets hurt, because, y’know, interesting concept.  Let’s take an ‘enemy race’ alien and have them join the crew, then barely explore why their certainly different point of view is useful, their strength is useful, and basically have them be that chair that gets tossed around every episode.  The doctor doesn’t do much doctor-ly stuff and is mostly just complaining every episode.  The holodeck is fascinating and at least some of the science is actually impressively well-researched, though some things (the lingering lipstick in one episode) bugs me, because without the equipment it shouldn’t still be kept up!  I just…

I guess one of the big issues I have is that most of this stuff is being done heavy handed, and potential in writing concepts isn’t being tapped.  You’re not left to find your own morals or opinions, you’re repeatedly bashed over the head by a two-by-four to come to the same conclusions as the writers.  There’s no coherent theme, and depending on the episode mostly everyone besides Wesley is more or less annoying.

It super doesn’t help that the pilot plus the first two episodes were absolutely awful.  From what I read, Code of Honor is considered one of the worst episodes.  Of any Star Trek series.  That’s a lot.

I enjoyed the holodeck episodes, particularly The Big Goodbye, and I also super enjoyed the creep factor of the series arc Conspiracy.

I probably will finish, eventually, when I can make myself do so.  If nothing else, I’m told the Borg are worth the watch.  It just may take a bit between lack of inclination and lack of time.