Star Trek TNG as an Adult
It's been on my list to get back around to checking out as an adult. I finally did and it's not a show that's sticking with me very well. I'm not feeling it.
I can tell the show is really good in some ways after findings it's feet after the first few seasons. But it's just so... early 90s. There was a way they made TV then and it just feels like it. It's a product of it's time. I can't quite get over it.
In shows like this I really miss an overarching storyline. I guess I take it for granted now that most shows have one, but back then almost every episode was self contained and it was rare for big changes to carry over week to week.
This means it's easy to watch any random episode of TNG without context. It also means it's less compelling overall as a series.
But as I said, TNG isn't bad. It's just very 90s and I can't deal with that style anymore.
I watched some of the better episodes and then decided to move on.
I might be on a quest for Star Trek now. I'm really interested to see if any of the newer ones can hold my attention. I remember Voyager being my favorite because I watched it every week for the entire series. I've never watched Deep Space 9 but maybe I should give it a chance? And the newest Star Trek, Enterprise, I think I may have watched one or two episodes but that's it.
I'll keep you apprised of my Star Trek attempts.
I loved ST: TNG as a teenager in the early 90's, but that was a fairly common complaint about it even then -- there was a "reset" button hit in between each episode. Grievous wounds, heavy damage to the ship, severe psychological trauma.... it all disappeared by the next week. In later seasons they began experimenting with multiple-week story arcs, but they wouldn't even last a full season. That's one reason Babylon 5 was considered to be so ground-breaking at the time -- no reset button. It was a novel on the tv where each episode moved the overall story forward.
ReplyDeleteI actually haven't seen the final 2 seasons of TNG -- I went on a years-long mission myself then and TV wasn't available to me. DS9 started in that time, and I never caught up/picked it up when I got back either. I'm told that it also does longer story arcs and the later seasons of it are considered to be excellent.
Voyager I watched the whole thing. It had the overall story arc. Damage suffered in 1 episode carried over to the next, at least. But on the whole I didn't actually like it that much. Felt like it was 4 bad episodes for 1 good one. But that 1 good one was enough to keep me coming back....
I watched the 1st season of enterprise when it came out and tbh I felt like it was insulting my intelligence. I watched the 1st episode of the 2nd season and thought it was awful, so that was the end of me watching that show. I've heard that by the 3rd season it finally found some of its footing and became decent, but.... no desire to go back to it.
When all the ST shows came available on Netflix a few years back, they all went into my queue.... and then I never watched them. Oddly enough, I really liked both of the reboot movies, and am very much looking forward to the 3rd one.
My experience was very similar to yours. I actually have a handful of Star Trek posts already scheduled out.
DeleteI ended up trying TNG, DS9, and Voyager before finally landing on the fact that Voyager still holds up pretty well.
Just like you, they've been in my Netflix queue for a super long time. I figured it was time to give them a new shot as an adult.
Enterprise and Babylon 5 are actually still on my "to be attempted" list too. I've heard really bad things about Enterprise and really good ones about Bablyon 5.
A guy recently got his GF to start watching B5 with him and she's been recording her throughts on it at https://thebabylon5experience.wordpress.com/
DeleteIt's been pretty interesting reading.
That was actually something that killed Enterprise for me. the B5 1st season DVD's came out that same week and I watched Enterprise S02E01, then watched B5 Pilot and S01E01 and while those episodes are considered "fair to poor" for B5's general quality, they were still WAY better than that Enterprise episode, so ... that really killed that show for me.
Deep Space 9 is probably my favorite of the second generation of Star Trek shows. I'd definitely recommend giving it a shot, especially since you mentioned missing having an overarching storyline. You might want to skip most of the first two seasons though; the first season in particular is pretty rough (though not as dodgy as first season TNG), and the overarching plot doesn't really start up until the season 2 finale.
ReplyDeleteOh man, you're going to be disappointed by the next Star Trek post I have scheduled. I did try Deep Space 9 and it did nothing for me.
DeleteMaybe it was because the first seasons were really rough like you said, but I did try to jump around to some of the "best of" episodes and it still didn't hook me.
A few years back I watched every single episode of TNG. It still felt as great as my memory recalled. I loved it a second time around. I told myself I'd watch all the other series as well, but a couple of episodes into DS9 I gave up that goal. Knowing I didn't really care for Voyager when it was new and having missed the last series altogether (and hearing nothing good about it) I decided I would leave it at that. TNG show/movies are the best and that's that. Although I did enjoy the past two reboot movies as well.
ReplyDelete