Don’t do this to me, Star Trek: The Next Generation

Posted on by derryX

I was alive during the original run of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but I can’t say I was a loyal fan. I used to watch it if it was on, but I never went out of my way to do so.

Now that the Star Trek series have been slowly coming out on Blu Ray, I’ve been catching up. I absolutely loved the original series when I got the Blu Rays, and I figured I’d like The Next Generation just as well, especially considering how it’s adored by the superfans even more than the original series.

So I got the Blu Ray of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1 (let’s not talk about the fact that the audio on most of the discs is screwed up and I had to get replacement discs sent to me). And I watched the first episode, “Encounter at Farpoint,” a double episode that was not only the debut of the cast but also was the first appearance of the Q. The episode was very slowly paced and borderline boring. But the ending really has me a little concerned.

After a fairly lame encounter with a crazy intergalactic blue jellyfish that backs off once it is reunited with its pink partner, the Enterprise sets off toward deep space, and Captain Picard is talking with Commander Riker. The episode ends with an exchange that is totally ridiculous.

RIKER: Just hoping this isn’t the usual way our missions will go, sir.
PICARD: Oh no, Number One. I’m sure most will be much more interesting. Let’s see what’s out there. Engage.

This was the very first episode of a series and they’re outright admitting that it wasn’t interesting?

I’m sure a lot of the episodes are better (because I remember), but c’mon.

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8 thoughts on “Don’t do this to me, Star Trek: The Next Generation”

  • Scott C.

    I love ST:TNG, but personally I’m waiting for the later seasons, when the show definitely hit its stride.

    Among my favorites: “The Drumhead”, “The First Duty”, “The Inner Light”, “Chain of Command” (both parts).


  • KB @ Home-Baked Happiness

    That line sounds to me like “Gee, I hope the rest of this won’t be so crazy.” “Oh, I’m sure it will be even crazier.”


  • GenWar

    I consider Star Trek: The Next Generation to be the best television program in the history of television. Even given that level of love and fandom, I will admit that Season 1 was rough. You’ll see more of that…in the second episode, Data, an android with no emotion, is grinning like an idiot at times.

    Still, MOST tv shows kinda suck for their first couple of episodes. This is why so few network shows make it these days. The actors and writers don’t really understand the characters and don’t have much in the way of development. It takes time for TV shows to develop and it’s a shame that today’s strong adherence to the ratings numbers prevents a lot of shows that might be great from ever getting there.


  • ktvorwald

    I always wondered why anyone stayed on that ship. Horrible things happened to all of the characters with such frequency that it would’ve driven them to madness.


  • -R.

    While I have embarrassingly encyclopedic knowledge of the entire Trek opus, ST:TNG wasn’t my favorite by a stretch. I always enjoyed ST:DS9 – it was show that dealt with the shades of gray quite nicely; the questions of faith, morality and justice always had me intrigued.

    But you’re correct, the first season of ST:TNG does start off agonizingly dull, and you can see how the show was still in development from a character and plot standpoint.


    • derryX

      I’m looking forward to ST:DS9 coming out on Blu Ray. That’s one iteration I never actually watched but hear great things about.

      I’ve made it about a third of the way through the season so far, and really, it seems like its main purpose was to be a vehicle for Wil Wheaton. He is featured in way more episodes than any other character so far.


  • Valerae

    Aww, that’s just Picard’s sense of humor. At least no one has devolved or been killed by a garbage bag monster. That would be far less interesting.

    The Wesley stuff goes away after a while. It’s still not as bad as the 7 of 9 Variety Hour that took over a couple of later seasons of Voyager. Try to appreciate the hours of knitting that went into Wesley’s sweaters to distract you.

    I’m showing Drew TOS right now before getting into TNG and DS9 (my favorite of the series for the same reasons as noted above). It’s all new to him, I’ve seen every episode of TOS and TNG several times, and every episode of every series at least once. The last time I finished TNG I vowed I wouldn’t go back and do it again, but now that we’re cranking through TOS I’m getting the itch for mauve carpets, recessed lighting and holodeck malfunctions all over again.


  • -R.

    “Try to appreciate the hours of knitting that went into Wesley’s sweaters to distract you.”

    [Spits coffee onto keyboard]. Astute observation!


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