The Next Generation Season 1 today

Star Trek: The Next Generation Eventually became one of the best science fiction TV shows of all time, but it didn’t get off to a very strong start in season 1 TNG Entered a new golden age of star trek, Introducing the world to Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the crew of the USS Enterprise-D. With stories recycled from Star Trek: The Original Series And clichés that are outdated even in the 1980s, many of Tng S Early episodes fell flat. Thankfully, fans stuck with the show, and it went on to produce some truly great television.

Like the first live-fight Star Trek Show since the end of Star Trek: The Original SeriesMany fans are tired of Star Trek: The Next Generation from the beginning. People are not sure how a Star Trek Show would work without Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelly). Star Trek: The Next Generation The characters showed promise from the beginning, many of them were not fully developed TNGs first season. by TNG Season 2 and beyond, Captain Picard and his crew began to feel like a family and became the characters that fans loved, but Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1 had issues.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1 is a disappointing start to the new era

Star Trek’s TNG Era certainly didn’t hit the ground running

Although fans were unaware at the time, Star Trek: The Next Generation would lead to over a decade of new Star Trek Points Set in the 24th century. No new live-action Star Trek has appeared on television since the conclusion of Star Trek: The Original Series In 1969, and fans desperately wanted more Trek. While TNG Facing some backlash for introducing an entirely new cast of characters, the show did well enough in the ratings to warrant a second season.

If TNG Had season 1 aired today, the show probably wouldn’t have made it through a season. Paramount Studios chose to broadcast TNG As a first-run syndication show, Which was basically unheard of in the 1980s. This means that the show airs on many networks simultaneously rather than on one specific channel, like CBS or NBC. yet Tng S Feature-length premiere, “Encounter at Farpoint,” did well in the ratings, the studios agreed to produce a full 23-episode season.

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Early Star Trek: TNG borrowed too much from Star Trek: The Original Series

TNG was better once it started stepping out of TOS’ shadow

Despite the fact that Gene Roddenberry wanted Star Trek: The Next Generation to be distinguished from Star Trek: The Original Series, TNG Season 1 borrowed some story ideas from TOS. the main thing TNG Season 1, Episode 3, “The Naked Now” is a direct sequel to TOS Season 1, Episode 4, “The Bare Time.” Between its derivative plot and cringe-worthy moments, Tng S Taking on the story simply does not work.

one of Star Trek worst episodes, TNG Season 1, episode 4, “Code of Honor,” borrows many of the worst clichés from TOS, Including a cheesy fight to the death and questionable gender roles. The following episode, “The Last Outpost,” is most remembered for introducing the Ferengi, but it has a similar plot to the Star Trek: The Original Series “Arena,” without being as good as that classic episode.

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Star Trek: TNG Season 1 has many behind-the-scenes problems

TNG’s writers room earned a reputation for being chaotic

Much of the inconsistency of early Star Trek: The Next Generation is the result of a writing staff in constant flux. TNG It even gained a reputation in Hollywood for having a particularly chaotic writers’ room, as writers were constantly coming and going. Aging and in poor health, Gene Roddenberry reportedly became more difficult to work with, As he often insisted on rewriting perfectly fine scripts and inserting unnecessary scenes.

Thanks to A reputation of behind-the-scenes troubles, TNG Had difficulty finding and keeping writers. Some of the energy has also affected the actors. Denise Crosby, in particular, felt that her character of Tasha Yar was too often relegated to the background. Still, the writers of TNG Season 1 came up with some cool ideas, though many were never followed through on.

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Gene Roddenberry’s “No Conflict” rule limited TNG’s writers

Stories are often built on conflict

throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1, Gene Roddenberry is still heavily involved in the production of ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​-front. Gene implemented a now-famous “rule” that there could be no interpersonal conflict Among the main hulls of the USS Enterprise-D. This is severely limited Tng S writers, forcing them to introduce new conflicts from outside sources for each episode.

Roddenberry also wanted to stay away from any serialized elements or continuity between seasons, meaning the writers had to return to the established status quo at the end of each episode. The lack of conflict and continuity in TNG Season 1 kept the characters from growing And ultimately didn’t make sense for the show long-term. TNG Most abandoned Roddenberry’s arbitrary rules as the show went on, but still managed to maintain Roddenberry’s optimistic vision of the future.

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TNG’s characters feel underdeveloped in the first season of the show

Some characters act out of character in TNG season 1

Star Trek: The Next Generation The characters were one of the show’s greatest strengths even in season 1. Still, The Enterprise crew members of TNG Season 1 feel like pale imitations Of the letters they would one day become. Captain Picard was colder and more standoffish in the first season but became softer as the show went on. Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), too, lingers over Tng S Early seasons.

Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) and her Betazoid empathic abilities work differently Tng S pilot as they do later in the show’s run. Even Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) leaves in “Encounter at Farpoint.” For many TNG season 1, It feels like the actors are growing into their characters, And they become more three-dimensional by the second season of the show.

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Wesley Crusher saves the Enterprise-D too often in TNG season 1

TNG’s writers never knew what to do with Wesley

Soon after his introduction, Wil Wheaton’s Wesley Crusher gained a reputation as an annoying boy genius who saved the Enterprise far too often. Most of the cases occurred during Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1 and caused many Trek Fans to dislike Wesley as a character. Prodigy or not, it never made sense that Wes was able to solve problems that stumped the more experienced senior officers.

Although it may have worked to have Wesley find a genius last-minute solution once by accident, Tng S Writers have too often turned to the sound. In “The Naked Now,” Wes even takes control of the Enterprise by creating a force field around engineering. Wil Wheaton did the best he could with the material he was given and has since become a beloved staple of the Star Trek Family, however Tng S Season 1 writers certainly didn’t do him any favors.

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Some TNG Season 1 episodes are among the worst Star Trek

“Code of Honor,” “Justice,” and “Angel One” are particularly weak

There are some solid episodes in Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1, but when early TNG It was bad, it was really bad. With his racist depiction of a primitive foreign culture, even Tng S Cast members hate “code of honor,” which was referred to as The worst episode of Star Trek Ever made. TNG Season 1, episode 14, “Angel One,” isn’t much better, falling into the same sexist tropes it’s trying to criticize.

Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1 episode 8 “Justice” is another episode often cited as one of the show’s worst. Not only the episode represent a flawed understanding of Star Trek Prime Directive, but it also depicts another underdeveloped foreign culture with a ridiculous fashion sense. There are undoubtedly light spots throughout early tng, But the worst episodes bring down the entire season.

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The Enterprise-D had too many chief engineers in TNG season 1

The Enterprise-D had at least 4 chief engineers before Geordi La Forge

While it makes sense that the huge Galaxy class USS Enterprise-D would have multiple engineers, Star Trek: The Next Generation A major chief engineer was not established until Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) took over the role In the second season of the show. TNG Season 1 cycled through four different main engineers, some of whom only appeared in one episode. “The naked now,” introduced Lt. Commander MacDougall (Brooke Bundy) as the chief engineer and Jim Shimoda (Benjamin Vs Lum) as his assistant.

The next chief engineer to make an appearance was Lt. Commander Argyle (Biff Hunter), who appeared in “Where No Man Has Gone Before” and “Datalore.” After Argyle was Lieutenant Logan (Vito Ruginis) in “The Arsenal of Freedom.” Finally, Soviet commander Leland T. Lynch (Walker Boone) appeared in “Skin of Evil,” insisting on saying his full name every time he answered a call.

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Tasha Yar’s Star Trek: The Next Generation Death still hurts

Yar could have written off the show otherwise

Despite being initially presented as one of Star Trek: The Next Generation Main characters, Dennis Crosby’s Lt. Tasha Yar got less and less to do as the first season progressed. This eventually caused Crosby to leave TNGAnd Her character was rather unceremoniously killed in Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1, Episode 23, “Skin of Evil.” Worse, Tasha’s death was abject and meaningless.

When the Enterprise away team tries to rescue Counselor Troy from a crashed shuttle in “Skin of Evil,” a tar-like creature named Armus blocks their path. Armus Kills quickly kills Tasha Yar for his own amusement. Tasha was the first major Star Trek cast member to be killed offAnd her death came as a shock to fans. Yar lived on in the memories of her crew members and the character got a more heroic send-off TNG Season 3’s “Yesterday’s Enterprise.”

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Star Trek: TNG’s “conspiracy” plot never went anywhere

The Starfleet Conspiracy storyline only lasted for 2 episodes

in Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1, Episode 19, “Coming of Age,” Starfleet Admiral Gregor Quinn (Ward Costello) and Lt. Commander Dexter Remmick (Robert Schenkkan) visits the USS Enterprise-D. Admiral Quinn tells Captain Picard that Starfleet may be compromised due to a dangerous conspiracy. The storyline continues a few episodes later, in the aptly named “Conspiracy,” the Enterprise travels back to Earth to investigate some strange orders from Starfleet command.

Soon it was revealed that intelligent parasites had taken control of several high-ranking officers. Although Picard and Riker take out the leader (by brutally killing Commander Remick), the “conspiracy” parasites are never mentioned again on screen, despite hints that they will return. Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1 introduced several elements that would appear later in the series, but the parasitic aliens were not one of them.