Yup, and overall they did a pretty amazing job restoring it. However, it's weird on streaming because there are those few scenes that aren't in HD (they couldn't find the original source material), and multiple times I thought my bandwidth had dropped significantly for some reason.
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I'm watching 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' for the first time.
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Yup, and overall they did a pretty amazing job restoring it. However, it's weird on streaming because there are those few scenes that aren't in HD (they couldn't find the original source material), and multiple times I thought my bandwidth had dropped significantly for some reason.
Armoured Priest
Member
Those critters were originally envisioned to be what was replaced by The Borg.
That said, Conspiracy is actually a pretty cool episode..just not very Star Trek.
In theory. In practice, I can't blame the actress for leaving because she was given virtually nothing to do after the mid-point of season 1. And the Tasha scene that always sticks with me is the terrible one where she's giving Wesley a "just say no" speech.
(Oh, and the Data sex scene. But everyone remembers that.)
Wil Wheaton left for a similar reason. I don't think Wesley had any episodes dedicated solely to his character in season 3 whereas the first two seasons did (albeit varying wildly in quality).
Not much lost there. Episode is terrible.
I didn't say otherwise. It took me years to realize it wasn't Linda Hamilton.
Denise Crosby couldn't pull off Yar, not with season 1 level of writing and her acting chops. Michelle Forbes' Ro was what Yar should have been, damaged and a misfit amongst a bunch of perfect people, and someone who grows into her potential.
Cpt Conifer
Member
Thoughts on Voyager:
They diminished the concept of the Borg with that episode where Janeway and some other crew members intentionally allowed themselves to become assimilated. It's like, "Oh no, it aint no thing to have my body ravaged with probes and who knows what else". I didn't even bother finishing that arc but I assume in the end they got back to the Enterprise and turned back into humans with no problem!
I thought that episode revolving around the Klingon engineer and the organ trade was pretty cool though. Phenomenal costume design, actually, for the evil aliens in that episode (creatures who continually sustained themselves by harvesting other people's organs).
I didn't say otherwise. It took me years to realize it wasn't Linda Hamilton.
Awww.
I wonder if Linda Hamilton could have salvaged that character.(Probably not.)
Yup.
But the Borg were diminished loooooong before those episodes.Cpt Conifer
Member
Laughed so hard, thanks a bunch for that. Oh man, you know the entire staff must have been laughing when they made that scene. Never noticed it until now.
Yup.
Yeah
brainchild
Banned
Let me just say, I am thoroughly impressed with the overall coherence and comprehensiveness regarding the portrayal of the distant future in TNG. Even to this day, the show still feels convincingly futuristic.
TNG was way ahead of its time and many sci-fi shows of today wish they were half as imaginative and inspired as this show!
TNG was way ahead of its time and many sci-fi shows of today wish they were half as imaginative and inspired as this show!
Too bad they wasted Ensigh Ro. Michelle Forbes is so fine and her character was the only decently written female character on TNG. Troi has no place on the bridge and Dr. Crusher is just kind of there. I like Crusher more than Pulaski but the writers just never gave her much to do, although I think this complaint extends to a lot of the TNG staff.
Characters with A-tier storylines: Picard, Riker, Data, Work, Ensign Ro, hell I'll even add Wesley Crusher
Characters with B-tier storylines: Geordi, Crusher, and Troi
This is also why DS9 is the superior Trek, pretty much every character was treated with the same level of respect and importance. In fact, the only character who I thought the show kind of floundered with was Jadzia Dax, but I thought Ezri Dax was wonderful.
Impressed by this as well. I think it's mainly the design of the touchscreens. It's believable that people would go with a simplistic yet striking aesthetic after years and years of being able to make it look like anything they want.
industrian
will gently cradle you as time slowly ticks away.
Wasn't the character of Ro originally going to take Kira's role but Forbes didn't want to commit to a series?
brainchild
Banned
Yes! Also, I find their portrayal of medical equipment and treatment to be believably futuristic. I would hope that by year 2364, we will have had surgical methodologies that are as equally non-invasive as the ones seen in TNG!
BTW, I didn't know that Gene Roddenberry was a futurist/futurologist. That would explain why the futuristic aspect of TNG is so well done!
first and foremost Voyager is awful because the crew, flesh and blood of all ST, is so incredibly BORING, inept, completely devoid of charisma. You have one indian guy who is the goddamned First Officer and he spends his time clicking on his laptop doing absolutely nothing; maybe he tryinna solve a legendary equation and find his purpose somewhere in space; the only thing he ever does is building a wooden tub for Janeway, which is telling, and he doesn't even get the P;
then you have the black Vulcan, so progressive. I remember Nimoy being just a bit cross about it, which led to the legendary comment "there are no blacks on Vulcan, why does this guy exist" or something; he's actually an half decent character but his storylines are just plain terrible;
the asian guy plays the clarinet, or trumpet, or french horn, can't remember;
the fish fellow is probably my most hated character in all scifi; first of all, he looks like a overcooked, fat haddock; second, he's completely useless, oh wait, he cooks splendidly, very intriguing; I recall an episode in which he was chilling on some holographic beach, he starts dancing with some hotties and the camera slowly pans on his dancing feet, as if it was trying to entice some humour from the viewer. It was just disgusting because he's horrible;
the half, no sorry, quarter Klingon engineer, what a snorefest; she's actually kinda hot but yesh, I'd rather carve some ridges on my forehead than following her temper tantrums because granps was an angry klingon and so am I;
the Doctor, basically the only character from Voyager everyone loves, well i don't, not much, but he's certainly better than the rest. He becomes the heart of the show once Braga realizes he's the only one with a personality, and he's an hologram. Which is telling, again;
Tom Paris is probably the best pilot in the whole Starfleet, but he got this face
I dare you find me a less characteristic looking face. If i were a comic book artist and someone hired me to draw a Tom Paris book I'd ask him how the fuck would they want to draw him, because I'd just Herge the hell out of it and draw a oval, two points and a line
I won't even mention Janeway and 7 of 9, because rofl; worst captain tied to Archer and the reason show went from shit to complete bag of rotten cocks, completely trivializing the most menacing enemies, the Borg and introducing some ridiculous oversexualized undertones
so yeah, long rant sorry, but Voyager sucks. It had great potential but threw it out of the windows just right away. Enterprise might actually be a little bit better than it beause there are no fish guys in it, even though that doctor..
industrian
will gently cradle you as time slowly ticks away.
Dialysis? What is this, the Dark Ages?
Hellwarden
Member
So, one aspect of Star Trek people seem to like or hate, and its especially debated in TNG, is the Prime Directive.
How do you guys feel about it? Is it just there for making stakes, or does the prime directive actually make any sense?
How do you guys feel about it? Is it just there for making stakes, or does the prime directive actually make any sense?
brainchild
Banned
I'm not sure I'm following you, but if the technology powering the transporter beams and the holodeck are anything to go by (contactless molecular reconstruction), dialysis would pose no problem at all to the adherence of non-invasive standards.
That's pretty damn cool!
Wheeljack539
Member
it makes sense, so I agree with it
AzureSkies
Member
That was a joke. McCoy said that in Star Trek IV.
I think the idea of it isn't so bad but I think the rigid nature of it is flawed. The idea an advanced civilization would potentially let billions of lives be lost because we wouldn't want to alter their development by making them aware of us. The alternative is to just let them be wiped out and I think letting them know they aren't alone is the least of their problems
It's kind of amazing how Janeway is obsessed with it or doesn't give a fuck about it depending on the episode.
EatinOlives
Member
I think it's meant to show the gray area behind environmentalism. You have a highly advanced civilization that could easily colonize all planets they see and harvest the shit out of them and pillage and plunder, but they decide against it because they want nature to run its course.
It's meant to raise questions about how environmentalism is approached today. Yes, we want to have a minimal impact on our planet's nature, but even in our efforts of preservation we're still altering the course of the earth's natural evolution. We're actively putting out forest fires, even the ones that occur naturally (through drought, high winds, and/or thunder), we're painstakingly taking out incredibly endangered species and attempting to nurture the species back to healthy numbers despite the fact that they would've been extinct decades ago without our intervention.
The rigidity of the prime directive IMO is meant to raise questions about both sides: why NOT intervene when it's clearly beneficial for all parties to do so, and why intervene when even doing so benevolently is still interfering with nature?
I think I do this in every TNG thread, but I would like to share an essay series that touches on the many aspects of the show:
Let's See What's Out there
Highly recommended reading for those who have finished the series or are looking for some deeper analysis. You don't have to agree with her analysis, but it opens up a lot of room for discussion.
Let's See What's Out there
Highly recommended reading for those who have finished the series or are looking for some deeper analysis. You don't have to agree with her analysis, but it opens up a lot of room for discussion.
brainchild
Banned
industrian
will gently cradle you as time slowly ticks away.
It seems like an artificial way to create conflict that writers seem to forget and remember when it suits them.
And the fact that cargo cults exist is probably the best reasoning we have for the Prime Directive.
brainchild
Banned
Speaking of Star Trek movies, which ones do you guys recommend? I've only ever seen the 2009 movie and found it to be horrendous.
Any good ones?
Any good ones?
pikachu Lv 5
Member
I wish I could erase my memory and watch TNG all over again.
The Wrath of Khan is not only the best Trek movie by a mile, but a legit great film. It holds up today. After that, just follow the even number Trek movie rule. They're decent to good.
Star Trek the motion picture is pretty much the exact opposite of the 2009 movie. Most people dislike it, but I really enjoy it. It is a somewhat acquired taste though.
Great films: II, IV, First Contact
Good films: III, VI
Deeply flawed films: I, Generations, Insurrection
Wretched films: V, Nemesis
Henchmen21
Banned
Wrong. VI is amazing (shame TNG couldn't have gone out with such a bang). FC is drivel. V is good for the OST alone.
brainchild
Banned
Thanks guys. Looks like I have some catching up to do!
Also, only Nemesis is on Netflix. Lame!
Maybe I should watch it anyway
Hahaha! You might be the first person I know who hates FC. It's widely considered the best TNG film (not that the competition is exactly fierce).
Agreed on Goldsmith's great score to V.
industrian
will gently cradle you as time slowly ticks away.
The Wrath of Khan and The Undiscovered Country are the only two "great" Star Trek movies. The rest range from good to watchable to insulting.
I've lost track of how many times I've talked about the reasons why those two movies should be held in so much regard, but I found two old posts that summarise my feelings well:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=157720948&postcount=91
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=58221502&postcount=79
I've lost track of how many times I've talked about the reasons why those two movies should be held in so much regard, but I found two old posts that summarise my feelings well:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=157720948&postcount=91
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=58221502&postcount=79
Count Dookkake
Member
The Motion Picture is the only great Star Trek film.
industrian
will gently cradle you as time slowly ticks away.
The Slow-Motion Picture.
You can file a tax return during that scene where Scotty shows off the Enterprise to Kirk and still have time left over to grab a drink.
You can file a tax return during that scene where Scotty shows off the Enterprise to Kirk and still have time left over to grab a drink.
Music in that scene is terrific, though. Might be the only thing that makes it bearable.
Frozenprince
Banned
LIS Wrath of Khan isn't just a great Star Trek movie, it's a top-10 all time in general movie to me. It's an incredible film. I wish Into Darkness incorporated more of it's final battle to theirs instead of the generic Total Recall esq one we got.
Khan not knowing how to fight in 3 dimensions was such a cool idea. He fought a traditional navel engagement with what he believed was a capital ship when instead he should have been fighting as if they were submarines.
Khan and Undiscovered Country are without a doubt the most Trek of the movies. I think what makes star trek is what makes the movies so difficult to be successful. They try to become more to appeal to a wider audience and in the process lose the heart of Star Trek which is in reality using sci fi to be a morality play basically.
MrCunningham
Member
Yeah, Q appeared in 3 different episodes of Voyager. But John de Lancie's "Q" generally took a back seat to other "Q's" in those episodes. In one episode Q dumps his annoying adolescent teenage son onto USS Voyager as some sort of punishment (for the viewers). The episode spends all of its time with Q's kid and very little with Q.
Star Trek IV is one of the most "Trek" to me. It throws away space battles, technobabble and phaser shootouts for a light hearted time travel plot with a fish out of water premise. Time traveling to the 1980's is such a throwback to TOS when they would travel back to 1960's earth. It is kind of a staple in Trekdom. TOS, TGN, DS9 and Voyager all had time travel episodes. Even Enterprise had like a season dedicated to it or some shit.
Henchmen21
Banned
It's a shame they couldn't (wouldn't?) get Nic Meyer back to do any of the TNG movies. He was the best thing to happen to the movies.
First Contact would probably be a lot better if it wasn't trying to turn Picard into an action hero, as well as pretty much voiding the episodes Family, where he finally comes to terms with what the Borg have done to him, and I, Borg where he learns to leave his hate for the collective behind. All the progress he'd made chucked out the window, and most of the character we'd known in the show out with it for good measure.
First Contact is more flash than substance, though there's not to say there isn't substance to it. I wouldn't rank it as one of the great films (those being II and VI for me), but an average-to-good one. My ratings for the films would be as follows -
II Wrath of Khan
VI Undiscovered Country
IV The Voyage Home
VIII First Contact
III Search for Spock
I The Motion Picture
X Nemesis
IX Insurrection
VII Generations
V The Final Frontier
Agreed. That and giving the director's helm to a man who knew nothing of Star Trek for the TNG cast's final outing instead of giving it to Jonathan Frakes, which would've made sense.
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