TNG Star Trek The Next Generation.

[Ome]

it's a bit formulaic that the show is all neatly wrapped up in the last 4 or 5 minutes.

Yes and I remember feeling this way back in the 90s. What I would love to have seen is the aftermath from the characters, how they come to terms with what they've been through, or just a few more minutes spent on them analysing/processing the most recent conclusions to a story.

I think I have 7 more episodes of season 2 left to watch. I will do some more tonight.

 

[Ome]

Alexis, did you know, did you remember?

 

[Alexis]

Alexis, did you know, did you remember?

Oh I had no idea about this! Looking forward to this one now!

 

[Don Howard]

I agree, watching on Netflix you can see how long is left of each episode and it's a bit formulaic that the show is all neatly wrapped up in the last 4 or 5 minutes.

Then don't look at the timer. Then you won't know for certain how much time remains and how soon the story will be wrapped up.

 

[Alexis]

Then don't look at the timer. Then you won't know for certain how much time remains and how soon the story will be wrapped up.

It's so formulaic though that you automatically know it's the last 5 minutes. Everything gets wrapped up very quickly. Sometimes the timer is on, sometimes not it depends how and on what I am watching. Some episodes aren't that great and just feel very filler-like. Others are great but you cant get away from the formula. It's very story of the week, but I don't mind that. It's not really a big deal, I just wish now and again they'd have changed it up with more two parters. I would have liked to have been left hanging a bit more than those neat little 5 minute resolutions.

 

[Alexis]

I'm a bit annoyed the season 2 finale seems to basically be a clip show if Riker and his sweet lovin' with the ladies. I had hoped it would be a dramatic face off with the Borg or something like that. The encounter with them a few episodes ago was kind of creepy. I had a flashback to being a kid and being really frightened by the Borg.

I'm excited for Dr Crusher's return but I will be sad to see Pulaski go. I did like her too, but Crusher is the one I remember.

I have a bit of silly question that probably doesn't have a sensible answer but I have been wondering lately why when the away teams beam down to another planet they never need any kind of protection? They seem to be able to beam down to most planets and be able to breath there. You'd think that even in the future the old fashioned space suit with oxygen would still be required occasionally? Silly I know, as that would probably ruin the scenes with dialogue with them in big helmets. It's just annoying that so many planets in deepest space seem to have the same atmosphere as earth. I guess that could also be said for all the humanoid aliens, but obviously I would rather have actors speaking to actors than actors speaking to silly puppets.

I didn't know there were half Klingon/half humans either. That's a whole other level of Geekdom I have now entered.

 

[Ome]

I didn't enjoy the season two finale and that's a first for this show.

I'm a bit annoyed the season 2 finale

I said I didn't enjoy the season 2 finale and after all that is to come for you from here I will now say I hated that finale, wasn't part of it all about flashbacks? Every season finale onward is very delicious and now you're really coming up to some epic episodes.

I'm excited for Dr Crusher's return but I will be sad to see Pulaski go.

I completely forgot that Crusher was missing from the second season and I thought I would automatically hate Pulaski, but I didn't, instead she really grew on me and I too was sad to see her go. It would have been great to see her return for the odd episode, but many characters tend to stay away.


How are you finding Guinan? Being a massive Whoopi fan, I remember feeling somewhat disappointed with her on TNG back in the 90s. I think I was hoping for more Whoopi and less Guinan back then. This second viewing has been completely different, I see how important she is to Picard and the crew and I can't believe how i was disappointed all those years ago. A real character that I didn't appreciate the first the time.

I have a bit of silly question that probably doesn't have a sensible answer but I have been wondering lately why when the away teams beam down to another planet they never need any kind of protection?

Oh, I have all these silly questions too. I've wondered what you've thought about all these planets and then I think, like you I don't particularly want to watch them wearing helmets.

I didn't know there were half Klingon/half humans either.

There's been quite a few unexpected turns I've seen that I didn't realise was first introduced on TNG, I thought some of these first came about in Voyager or DS9.

Enjoy season 3, I look forward to your thoughts as you travel through this season.

 

[Matthew Blaisdel]

I'm a bit annoyed the season 2 finale seems to basically be a clip show if Riker and his sweet lovin' with the ladies. I had hoped it would be a dramatic face off with the Borg or something like that.

The whole 2nd season suffered from the 1988 writer's guilde strike. It was shortened to 22 eps (instead of the regular 26 eps that every other season of TNG has) and budgetary changes also played a role resulting in less episodes and almost no money left towards the end of the season. Bud they HAD to deliver another episode. They couldn't even afford some of the main actors to be on set for a whole episode, so the only solution they saw was that awful "clip show" to end the season with, surrounded by a very thin frame story with Riker in the coma.
You can read a little more about that here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation_(season_2)

What I would love to have seen is the aftermath from the characters, how they come to terms with what they've been through

So you must have loved the 2nd episode of season 4, because "Family" is one whole episode doing just that and nothing else.
And there were a few more, later on, when they concentrate more on the family and relationship matters. They did all that.
Characters from the past do return! Moriarty, Lore, Data's "Father", Q, Lwaxana... just to name a few. I think for a "story of the week"-show, which TNG was, they did that very well, sometimes even more than they were supposed to for a story-of-the-week-show, so in that point i can't agree with you.
And almost every season does have at least one additional two-parter (apart from the cliffhanger) as well!

I agree, watching on Netflix you can see how long is left of each episode and it's a bit formulaic that the show is all neatly wrapped up in the last 4 or 5 minutes.

Again, it's a story-of-the-week-show, and which of these shows didn't resolve their issues in the last few minutes? Which movie doesn't? Which book doesn't. Of course there are exceptions, but it mostly works like that. Of course it's formulaic - it's the formular of a weekly show based on self contained episodes. Same way you have cliffhangers at the end of serialized shows, as that it their formular.
DS9 went other routes - but with that show it was a different order from the network, they wanted to try something else.
But both shows did very well taking all into account imho.

 

[Ome]

so in that point i can't agree with you.

I think you're missing the point Matthew. We know what ST is and how it works, we're just saying that we wanted MORE.

It doesn't change anything in terms of how much I personally love ST.




The story behind season two was interesting, I had no idea about that and I see why it happened the way it did now.

 

[Seaviewer]

I have been wondering lately why when the away teams beam down to another planet they never need any kind of protection? They seem to be able to beam down to most planets and be able to breath there.

They are inhabited planets and therefore habitable, or Class M in the jargon, with standard oxygen-nitrogen atmospheres. I can't recall which episodes but I'm sure there have been some exceptions where special equipment was required. Sometimes it is the reverse, with aliens who can't breathe our atmosphere.

 

[Alexis]

They are inhabited planets and therefore habitable, or Class M in the jargon, with standard oxygen-nitrogen atmospheres. I can't recall which episodes but I'm sure there have been some exceptions where special equipment was required. Sometimes it is the reverse, with aliens who can't breathe our atmosphere.

Thanks for that. Sometimes the jargon just breezes on by me. I hadn't really paid attention to that bit but now you mention it, it does sound like something you hear all the time. And yes, you see some aliens on board the ship with strange equipment placed at their mouths and near their heads.

I started season 3 the other day and stormed through the first 9 episodes in very quick succession. It really does get better! Thankfully! And the effects work and the look of the planets they visit has improved which is good. Some of those FX shots of the ship in space are really quite beautiful for the time they were done and with the limitations they had.

 

[Alexis]

According to Star Trek The Next Generation there will be a United Ireland by 2024. Suddenly makes Brexit seem less of a big deal to me.

 

[Alexis]

It's funny how when Doctor Crusher comes back on the show she is instantly thrown into the middle of things. Doctor Pulaski seemed on the outside and was only brought in to resolve things. Beverly is on Away Team missions all the time, is always called to the captains meetings and never off the bridge. And does she out rank Worf? He is head of security and yet when they were on a planet and there were explosions he ordered her to leave and she refused, and Picard allowed that. She seems to have more authority?

I don't fully understand the ranking system with Star Fleet. God... I would be mocked mercilessly if I said that in real life.
There would be the Picard, then Riker as he's number one and a commander? Then Worf as he is head of security and usually the Captain's body guard. Actually I just found this and it's very surprising the actual ranking of the crew!
http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Main_characters_by_rank

Doctor Crusher outranks Worf a whole lot!!! I don't understand that?

 

[Matthew Blaisdel]

She's a doctor! When the going get's tough, she can even outrank the captain.

 

[Alexis]

She's a doctor! When the going get's tough, she can even outrank the captain.

Being a doctor wouldn't really necessarily mean she would be a commander though. The ranking system for Star Fleet makes no sense.

Deanna Troi and Data outrank Worf and La Forge, Uhura from the original series outranks Worf!
He is in charge of the ship's security and invaluable during those battles. He is in charge for the firing of weapons and the protection of the ship and the captain. And a counsellor holds a higher rank! That is just daft. Then there is Data who is an android holding a higher rank than La Forge who is what, the chief engineer?

Picard - Captain
Riker and Dr Crusher - Commander
Troi and Data - Lieutenant Commander
Tasha Yar - Lieutenant
Worf and La Forge - Lieutenant Jr Grade

Worf and La Forge are one rank above an Ensign which is what Wesley Crusher is... The mind boggles.

 

[Alexis]

How are you finding Guinan? Being a massive Whoopi fan, I remember feeling somewhat disappointed with her on TNG back in the 90s. I think I was hoping for more Whoopi and less Guinan back then. This second viewing has been completely different, I see how important she is to Picard and the crew and I can't believe how i was disappointed all those years ago. A real character that I didn't appreciate the first the time.

I really enjoy her scenes. It's a very un-Whoopi role though so I could see how at the time you would have been disappointed by her appearances or felt it wasn't great. She is known for playing larger than life mostly comedic characters, which is not when she's doing here. I think she's a pretty great dramatic actress too though. There's something very grounded and real about Guinan. She's so quiet but when she speaks it's usually something very deep or profound that comes out, and usually something very specific to the person she is talking to even if it may not seem that way. I love the character, all wise and all knowing. I loved how she was with Q, that she had history with him and disliked him. I don't get all the Q love myself. I find him incredibly annoying, he almost makes me nauseous. lol I don't know if that's intended or not though.

 

[Toni]

It's funny how when Doctor Crusher comes back on the show she is instantly thrown into the middle of things. Doctor Pulaski seemed on the outside and was only brought in to resolve things. Beverly is on Away Team missions all the time, is always called to the captains meetings and never off the bridge. And does she out rank Worf? He is head of security and yet when they were on a planet and there were explosions he ordered her to leave and she refused, and Picard allowed that. She seems to have more authority?

I don't fully understand the ranking system with Star Fleet. God... I would be mocked mercilessly if I said that in real life.
There would be the Picard, then Riker as he's number one and a commander? Then Worf as he is head of security and usually the Captain's body guard. Actually I just found this and it's very surprising the actual ranking of the crew!
http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Main_characters_by_rank

Doctor Crusher outranks Worf a whole lot!!! I don't understand that?

I myself thinks that Crusher pulled a Victoria and took a break to get some facelift done back in Earth...

 

[Ome]

You're spot on with Whoopi/Guinan, I just never saw it the first time around. That's great though, because it's moments like these where I find myself valuing the show much more on a second watch.

I don't get all the Q love myself. I find him incredibly annoying, he almost makes me nauseous.

He truly is annoying, though there is one episode (not sure if you've caught up with it) where I actually found him enjoyable to watch. That didn't last because another episode he appears in later annoys the hell out of me.

I don't know if that's intended or not though.

Maybe you have a point. The crew can't stand him and I can't stand him lol

 

[Alexis]

I myself thinks that Crusher pulled a Victoria and took a break to get some facelift done back in Earth...

LOL... She was fired by a producer who didn't like her. The fool! I was glad they had her come back after that producer left. She has good chemistry with Picard simmering away under the surface.

 

[Ome]

I myself thinks that Crusher pulled a Victoria and took a break to get some facelift done back in Earth..

Haha! Yes, I too have thought this.