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I am intensely skeptical that at any point in the process FOX executives said "Well, this new Star Trek seems fairly successful. I guess we should let this guy do his Kolchak: The Next Generation too."
Registered: Mar 1999
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quote:Originally posted by Middy Seafort: Hello, all.
I recently re-watched the two-hour premier episode of TNG, "Encounter at Farpoint." While watching it, I realized there was a lot of potential for this series to go into many interesting directions that would've redefined television SF rather than merely update a 60's television series.
To me, I always felt that TNG went wrong somewhere. The characters often fell flat. The stories, while well written, lacked a certain spark for me. TNG should've been the "Hills Street Blues" of SF in the late 80's, but it wasn't. David Gerrold once said that "Babylon 5 was what TNG should've been." He was right.
Yes, I felt that DS9 got better the more it stole from B5.
quote:Originally posted by Middy Seafort: "Encounter at Farpoint" shows a crew that could work together, but not always get along. They had flaws that were really never allowed to develop. Riker wanting his own command, but still attracted to a possible long-term relationship with Troi. Yar full of anger that she cannot control with a past she's not really over. Picard and Crusher, both attracted to own another and both afraid of the past that connects them. Even Riker and Picard had a bit of tension, when Riker first came aboard. Not to mention a "ship full of children."
Good points, all, and good fooder for interesting stories.
quote:Originally posted by Middy Seafort: Why did Riker fear a long-term relationship, especially when this new age of Starfleet allowed families to journey aboard? Could Picard, the lonely explorer, now find time to have a family? What about the families? How do they react to being in a starship light years away from Earth? There were infinite directions and changes (something that rarely happened in TNG) that the characters could go through. Not to mention the fact that the very premise of the characters would be abandoned in later seasons-- like Riker's desire to command.
I understand that Roddenberry wanted Picard, Riker, and Wesley to represent one man at three different stages of life, and that that man was Roddenberry. That may shed some light on their foibles...
quote:Originally posted by Middy Seafort: But there was also the potential for long-term storytelling; however, not necessarily a strict, plotted out arc like B5. Imagine how much more better "All Good Things" would've been had the trial and test aspect of the pilot became a constant undercurrent of the series, rather than Q popping in and out for a comedic visit or two a year. Like Picard says, "We have a long mission ahead of us, there must be many ways we could be tested."
Agreed. Several eps stand out as candidates for arcs, in my mind. The Child, for example, would have worked much better if the light that knocked Troi up had happened in the first quarter of the season, and her pregnancy had advanced over the season, with the payoff in the penultimate ep of the season.
Conspiracy should have been spread out. The scene with the captains on Ditallix B should have been a side event in a mid-season ep, with the mention of the Horatio's loss a few eps later, and the odd goings-on (old friends with no memory, strange transfers, etc) being noted from time to time, with the return to Earth being the last ep of the season. That would have made a lot more time for the events on Earth, and then the first ep of the new season should have started with Picard in consultation with Starfleet command over the worrisome signal and the huge workload ahead due to the compromised security, loss of senior personnel and ships, etc. Maybe mention of a longterm project to find out more about the parasites and imrpove security against them. This could have taken about ten minutes, wherein Picard would have to explain why he wants to remain on the E-D, instead of moving up, and why Riker wasn't quite ready yet to take a command of his own. Then the grist of the new ep could have taken place.
Chains of Command could have taken place over four or five eps, mixing in the events of atwo or three other eps with what happened in those two, which would have made Picard's loss appear more likely to be permanent, and the upset factor over Jellico a lot stronger.
Deja Q (I think - the one where Q lost his powers) was entirely too predictable. It would have been a lot better if Q had not gotten his powers back at the end. Laforge fixes the moon with advice from Q, the Calamarain are beaten back, and the show moves on. Every other ep, we see Q for a couple minutes, not dealing well with his situation (and adding some humor), until several eps later, Data sacrifices himself to save Q. Data is irreparable, and is then stored until Geordi can figure out what to do. Q is seen questioning himself and suffering guilt. We also see the other Q looking in on him from time to time, as a face in the corner of the screen, maybe talking to Q once or twice.
Finally, the ep after Data's sacrifice, Q asks that the Comtinuum give his life to Data. Receiving no answer, late in the ep, he steals a shuttle to save the ship from another attack by the Calamarain or similar old foe, and the other Q restores his powers. He then brings Data back to life before thanking Picard and moving on.
Thing is, since several eps were filmed at once, and put together in editing, so all this would have taken is editing the pieces into parts of several eps. Also, the actors would have had to agree in their contracts to being paid based on screen time, rather than per ep they appear in.
quote:Originally posted by Middy Seafort: The potential in those two hours showed the promise of a series that would kick butt and take names, forever changing the way we looked at SF.
Discuss.
Middy Seafort
-------------------- Darkwing If you don't drink the kool-aid, you're a *baaad* person - Rev Jim Jones It is useless for sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism while wolves remain of a different opinion - William Ralph Inge Almond kool-aid, anyone? - DW [email protected]
Registered: May 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Darkwing: I understand that Roddenberry wanted Picard, Riker, and Wesley to represent one man at three different stages of life, and that that man was Roddenberry. That may shed some light on their foibles...
Indeed, I read that somewhere once, as well. Too bad that triad didn't really seem to interact much with one another in a way that demonstrated the three ages of the explored man.
Re: Episode arcs
Darkwing, You make some very good choices for storylines that could've been streatched out. The most intriguing is "The Child." You are right, that episode would've had more impact had the pregnacy been suspended over a period of time building to the climatic birth and then the repercussions. That episode hadn't really come to mind.
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