TNG 20th Anniversary

[ZeaLitY]

I wouldn't call myself a "Trekkie"...unless, that is, we're talking about TNG, the best of the bunch!

I made a big post on GFaqs's ST forum detailing my love of the first and second seasons, and specifically, the pilot "Encounter at Farpoint". So let the geekdom commence.

If this is correct, then it's been twenty years today, this monday.

Awesome! Farpoint is my favorite episode. For all the roughness and "lack of direction" it gets criticized for, it's completely on fire! It effortlessly contains all the spirit, furor, and thematic depth that later Trek was criticized for lacking. There is no aloof Picard, or bearded, lecherous Riker...no unending mediocre whine-drama, no staggering inconsistencies, and plenty of development and events which would define characters and story conventions for innumerable episodes down the line. Despite the occasional bad script, some of the most radical characterizations and events occurred in that beautiful, first season, like a young duckling struggling to fly with limitless passion and furor.

And it has Tasha Yar, easily one of the best female Trek characters ever created. She's intelligent, skilled, fierce, and self-willed. The Naked Now is almost solely redeemed on the interchange between Tasha and Data. In the world of male captains and Uhura, she was a defiant paragon of rockin' human spirit. And Denise Crosby's look for her had such an intense beauty. The loss of her character wasted incalculable potential for growth, but also sealed her as a unique light in season one's luxuriant array.

And Riker was truly one following in Kirk's tradition in seasons one and two, just as Roddenberry intended. As the beard overtook his youthfulness, and he began fattening up, Riker was condemned to rot. He became less active, less interesting (as opposed to the hotshot who boards at Farpoint and is thrown on the fire by Picard), and much less amiable as time went on. Riker became an irritable lump on Picard's right arm, getting angry and all upset at any little thing or alien that pretended to spite him, and meanwhile taking every possible moment to romance someone or something while putting off the genuine article -- Troi. Throwing him a bone and actually allowing romance apparently was a creative stroke too strong to make for later writers. Beardless Riker had volatile chemistry with just about everyone, especially Picard.

The writers and such settled into their shoes, as did the actors into their roles, leaving the show in the hands of the stories. Things didn't seem to be terrifyingly on the edge anymore, or as trend-setting; the death of Tasha Yar, that helpless feeling of "Where Silence Has Lease," the evaluation of Data's sentience, the introduction of Lore, "We'll Always Have Paris" and Picard's wonderful development, conspiracy in Starfleet -- these stories and ideas seem to explode with vitality on the screen, whereas later, the writing had the characters and everyone else dealing with things much more professionally. Whereas before, an away team would be running around an alien incursion as Picard and Data juggled tremendous moral issues, later episodes opted instead for characters sitting in chairs deciding the fate of some poor, wretched society.

This may make it seem as if I'm belittling those future episodes, and that is not the case. To me, TNG is the greatest television show ever produced; however, I must say that the feel of freshness -- of adventure, balanced with serious considerations, and of evolving character relationships -- makes the first two seasons appeal much more to me than the others. Everyone seemed to be happy, or at least in a state of evolution as people. Picard continued with this, as he received the captain's treatment, and Data due to his ... situation, but Riker stagnated, Geordi was written to be a little too susceptible to flying off the handle and whiney, while Crusher seemed to be dutifully confined to Sickbay, occasionally freaking out about some predicament Wesley was in, or exchanging spiked words with others, while Troi continued to sit there beaming and frequently holding her head in her hands as some being's emotion proved too great for her. The Riker / Troi relationship could have taken off, but it never did; likewise, Worf's development and disposition seemed to be toned down in later seasons, a departure from his cry in "Heart of Glory."

And this explosive, dynamic spirit, and later, the thematic and philosophical power of the brighter spots, making the first two seasons of TNG a flash of alluring, infectious fire which would only calm, simmer, and burn out completely as Berman and his cronies took Trek to new lows following Roddenberry's departure. "All Good Things...", and its obfuscating plot, debilitated characterizations, and absence of connective drama was only a sign of things to come. As it stands, Encounter at Farpoint remains better than Generations, Nemesis, or Insurrection (which, despite being an outright failure, captures some of that spirit). At least, twenty years ago, that sense of magic was still there, with all actors, writers, artists, engineers, and producers caught up with the desire to continue Trek on a path brighter than anyone could imagine for such a sequel television project. And they succeeded.

So, in conclusion, peanuts to those who'd sacrifice this example of humanity's betterment for a darker vision where venal, medieval human nature is still at play. Darkness can be extraordinarily accomplished in a vision of utopia; just watch 'Where Silence has Lease' or 'Q Who', or try to stomach the transporter malfunction scene in The Motion Picture. There was no need to reintroduce tired, old drama in that vein into this arena. May Berman, Brannon, and Braga taste the bitter fruit they've sown for Trek fans and regret evermore.

[Kebrel]

All I can say is Amen.

[ZeaLitY]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jPe4ISV6GA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRZmqV4RDag
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NvulPF-IGc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgP3WbZs5s0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgWdcFLLi4w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM4J37LtITI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21H2cvw7xRI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmvNHqTe2IM

[Kyronea]

I grew up on TNG, literally...it's only about six or so months younger than I am...I'd say it probably had one of the largest influences on my childhood and possibly my entire life, from my enhanced curiosity to my respect and tolerance for all humans--and willingness to extend that same tolerance, respect, and so on to any other sentient being, regardless of their origin.

So a good nod to TNG I give.

[Zakyrus]

This stuff practically raised me! I have seen every episode in all seasons!
"The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1 & 2" are probably of my favorite episodes.

"Silicon Avatar" and "Identity Crisis" were fantastic episdoes as well! TNG rules!

[Kyronea]

And speaking of "All Good Things..." Generations and beyond...fuck you, Rick Berman. Fuck you, Brannon Braga. You took a great series and ruined it. Generations was piss poor...Kirk didn't need a third film to look pathetic in(the last two were bad enough) and you did NOT need to destroy the Enterprise-D! That above all else is what really makes me sick of Berman and Braga, the destruction of the Enterprise-D. It was the sign of the times, the sign that they were going to take Star Trek and use it like a cow for milking money rather than actually keeping it decent like it used to be.

The sad thing was, as a little kid I seemed to like torturing myself by watching Generations over and over. (Possibly because at the time I could really start getting into it fully the series was already over and I had to deal with whatever tapes I had. We had tapes of the first two seasons, a couple of episodes beyond--Unification, All Good Things...--and of Generations...that was about it. Wasn't until TNN started syndicating it that I saw any other episodes and could fully remember them.) And everytime I watched the  Enterprise-D explode...I was crying. Every damned time.

I wouldn't do that now, of course, and I didn't do it on my most recent watching of the movie--which was done with an accompanying Rifftrax or else I'd have not watched it at all--but the point was that movie was basically the destruction of my childhood. Sure, First Contact was a good movie--and I do like the look of the Enterprise-E--but ever since it went downhill.

Thankfully DS9 was saved from a lot of Berman and Braga inanity by Ira Steven Behr, Michael Pillar, and someone...else...I'm not remembering his name right now. It wasn't good in all parts--I could've done without the whole religious theme pervading the series, especially at the end(much like I could have done without other metaphysical things such as the Traveler) but it was still okay.

But after that? There simply wasn't anything decent in Star Trek anymore. Oh, sure, Voyager had a few nice episodes here and there, and the Doctor was a great guy--and I love what Robert Picardo has since been doing on Stargate: SG-1 and Atlantis--but everything else about it was forgettable, and don't even get me started on Enterprise!

And the newest film looks like it'll be more of the same stupid shit...I'm expecting it to bomb. It's going to be the complete and total end of any Star Trek, that is. We won't see a single thing from it after that movie crashes and burns.

Too bad too, because it could've continued to be really good if Roddenberry hadn't been foolish enough to pass the torch to Berman who then shared it with Braga. Those two murdered Star Trek. They murdered it. Bastards.

[ZeaLitY]

Berman and his entire team is history. J.J. Abrams is the one in charge of the movie. While I respect what he's done with LOST and his other work, he's still a growing talent and by no means has reached icon status. I'm hoping XI will be the amazing event that does it for him. After what Berman, Braga, and the others did to Star Trek, it'd be hard not to notice their example and not follow it. Enterprise is like the diametric opposite of TMP and season one of TNG, so there are two damn good polarities there to be mindful of. It's not like he won't have precedent.

At any rate, I'll add one more thing. The decline of Trek is aesthetically evident in the evolution of the bridge. TNG stressed very strongly that the bridge was built for comfortable, lighted exploration. This is a very thematically important detail, right down to the carpeting. The Enterprise-D and other ships like it were now equipped to provide for entire families, including children. "Yesterday's Enterprise" contrasted this well with its dank, dark blue command center and comparatively morose feel. Unlike D's being a vessel of humanity's ideals, this Enterprise was a frigid battle ship.

But wait, that's Voyager! And then it's the Enterprise-E! Nothing screams "let's change the whole vision of Trek" like sinking back down to cold, metallic war bridges and forgetting the core theme of humanism. It completely betrays the idea that humanity has incorporated art into its technology as part of its maturity, and throws things back into that medieval, cliché space-battle feel. It's just darkly humorous that an episode of TNG directly challenges this through that episode, almost like a prophecy of Trek's decline after Roddenberry's death. Although even by that point, I believe season one's reclining conn stations were already absent.

So, whereas the early seasons might not have had the polish of later runs and series, they still diametrically oppose the main culprits for Trek's death. There is no question that TNG S1 and S2 are closer to the heart of Trek than anything which followed.

~

Hah, destroying the Enterprise-D and killing Kirk...Berman needs to read Shakespeare. When one relies purely on outlandish deeds and events to sustain drama, one has gotten out of touch with character development and interaction. Generations is worthless, right down to the temporal paradox of that...weird dimension thing, the Transrift or whatever. I don't even care what it's called anymore. You don't fucking kill Picard's nephew. His nephew will become the greatest captain Starfleet has ever known, like the second coming of Picard himself.

[Kyronea]

Yeah, there definitely was a loss of feel of the humanism.

It was called the Nexus. And yeah...I keep blocking out that part because at the time whenever I watched it I didn't understand what they were talking about, Picard's nephew. I had no idea who Renee was or who Robert was.

Then I finally got a chance to watch "Family" and I understood it all. After that I didn't even look at Generations anymore...I didn't want to see the sheer cruelty that was the killing of Robert and Renee, and for what? A minor amount of character development that was never expanded upon beyond Generations, that was never mentioned again? Just like how Data's constant character development kept resetting throughout the movies, or how everyone else stayed the same, the lack of continuity, ect ect?

FUCK! It makes me wish I could go back in time and tell Roddenberry to never hire Berman. We can only hope to know what would have happened to Star Trek had he never been involved...

And it's Abram's work on LOST and other similar things that makes me think he's not going to make the movie all that good. I don't trust anyone who worked on that piece of stupid shit.

[V_Translanka]

I can't believe UPN/CW (I forget which it was on last) actually managed to sink this series...after the successful Voyager series, I thought it was solid...but NO!

They should have went further into the future (time travel, baby! can I get a hells yeah?) instead of the stupid past...I watch Trek because it's futuristic sci-fi, dammit! Oh well...while TNG & Voyager were great, I love them both, and the original series is classic...DS9 sucked a fat one...and Farscape is as good, if not better, than all of them...^_^ more or less...

[Oblivion]

I heard J.J. Abrams @_@

I'm not a huge Star Trek fan, but this should be interesting.