Finished watching the 6th season of Star Trek The Next Generation. I must admit by this point TNG has become something of a comfortable old blanket for me, or like a good old friend. I’m up for whatever he wants to talk about. Being a little more objective however, I think the 6th season is where it’s rather obvious there’s very little to talk about and show when it comes to the main characters. It’s clear by this point we have seen pretty much everything there’s to see of Picard, Data, Riker, Crusher, La Forge, Worf and Troi. This is particularly true of Picard, Data and Worf. Though there are still a few episodes here that managed to surprise me, more of that later.
As for the world itself, it also stagnates around this season. We’ll be dealing with the same aliens and villains over and over again. Klingons, Romulans, Ferengi, Borg, etc. This is not exactly bad but it’s quite a difference from the explosion of creativity we experience in the third and fourth season. The important thing though is that the show still manages to tell compelling stories. And even the bad episodes manage to have something interesting/weird going on.
The season opens up with the conclusion of Time’s Arrow, a rather interesting but ultimately lukewarm, inconsequential episode. We see Data dying but he comes back. We see how Picard and Guinan meet, but nothing about it has a real consequence, it felt a little bit like pointless exposition. And that’s how it goes for every plot point of this episode. Watchable but if you happen to not be invested in the series, this is not an episode you would care at all for it.
Next is Realm of Fear and I like this one because it’s a Barclay episode. It’s not nearly as good as the Nth Degree or other Barclay episodes but it’s nice to see him again. I’m quite fond of the character. But again it’s one of those if you don’t have an investment in the characters, it’s not an interesting outing.
Men of the People have Troi becoming a lunatic and it’s mostly about her friendship with Riker. Meh. Next is Relics, a throwback to the original series because Scotty comes aboard and has long talks about Picard and La Forge. Okaish.
Schisms is the first episode I really like this season. I don’t know what it is about TNG but when it decides to do horror, it tends to nail it. It’s that cerebral environment the show managed to create that really helps make the horror very effective. This is mostly a Riker episode. I don’t care much for Riker but it’s a really good one.
True Q is quite lame and the worst appearance of Q, probably in the entire show. Rascals is about Picard becoming a child and the only good part of it is when he reverses to his actual age, the first thing he does to check is touching his bald head. When he feels no hair in there he knows the procedure worked and gives that smile of relief. A nice touch. Also they throw Worf under the bus here and he’s overpowered by a Ferengi.
Fistfull of Data is one episode that you only care if the show became an old comfortable blanket for you. I enjoyed it but I can’t see anyone else liking this one. Next is The Quality of Life, a very lame Data episode, which is something because Data episodes are usually nice, but not this one.
Then we get a double episode called Chain of Command and fans really like this one but I don’t. It’s OK for what it is but the only good portion of it are the discussions Picard has with his torturer (this is the famous ‘There are four lights!’ episode) but the message here is same old same old and the only thing holding it together is Patrick Stward’s acting. But if you’re watching this show up to this one you’re already familiar with his tricks and it doesn’t feel all that special.
Next one is Ship in a Bottle and this one is really good indeed. Professor Moriarity is back and I love the trope of a fictional character realizing he’s just fictional and then having a melting down over his condition. Nice acting and ideas all around, though the decision Picard makes about Moriarty’s fate is preposterous and one of his brutal, immoral decisions I’ve ever seen him making in the entire run of the show. Coming from the guy who put the entire Federation in jeopardy for one Borg, it’s something.
The next two I really like. First one is Aquiel and this episode is consistently voted as one of the worst TNG episodes by fans. Not unusually one of the worst ST episodes ever. It’s about La Forge getting a girlfriend and the reason I really like this one is because it’s very clear La Forge suffers from Space Aspergers. Not only that but it’s very clear in this episode nobody on the Enterprise really gives a shit about La Forge.
When Data or Troi have a problem the ENTIRE ship will stop whatever it’s doing to help them out. When La Forge has a problem, well, nobody gives a shit. And the fans have the same attitude. All the time you see people complaining Riker doesn't get good episodes or how Troi is not well handled but nobody ever mentions the lack of La Forge episodes or the fact nobody gives a shit about him. Aquiel made me very sympathetic towards the character and that’s why I like it.
Face of the Enemy is the best Troi episode in the entire show and the plot is very tense and fun to follow. I always felt Troi could be more than just the succubus with the shitty outfit and here we see that is true.
Next one is Tapestry and this is the one I sensed Picard is completely spent as a character. The show just talks too much about him, there’s nothing left to say. And in here he’s quite out of character because he belittles EVERY SINGLE scientist in his ship when he prefer to fucking DIE than have a career as an astrophysist. Quite pathetic and quite a step down on the nice portrayal we see of him in The Inner Light, just a season ago.
The same thing happens with the double episode we get next called Birthright. It’s very clear there’s pretty much nothing to say about Worf. It’s about his dad again, and being Klingon and yada yada yada same old same old. I like Worf but there isn’t much left to explore about him after we see his side as a parent when Alexander goes to live with him. That pretty much closes his arc imo.
Then we get 3 Picard episodes that just cements the fact there’s not much left to be said about this guy. Starship Mine is one shitty episode where Picard plays John Mclane and boy what a silly idea that was. His main fight is with some lanky, fragile looking human female and he almost loses the fight. lol. Quite ridiculous all around. Then we have Lessons where Picard has a short relationship with his head scientist. Whatever, it doesn’t go anywhere.
The Chase is about the Enterprise finding out all the humanoid aliens come from the same ancestor and the fact that is treated like a secret is completely ridiculous. We already know this when humanoid aliens can have fertile offspring and feed on the same nutrients and look all pretty much the same. It was quite pointless to try to treat this as some sort of amazing revelation and the episode fails quite badly because of it.
Next we have a very good one called Frame of Mind and this is probably the very best Riker episode. I quite like the premise as well where the main character doesn’t know what’s real and what’s not. I guess I just really enjoy imposing some sort of mindfuckery on a character and how he reacts. This episode is exactly that and it’s very very good. A high point for this season.
Suspicions is about a Ferengi scientist and Crusher investigating a murder and I believe this is a particularly bad one because the actor playing Crusher is so god damn stiff. You know, it’s not enough to have great red hair in order to be an actor. You have to make us believe the situation you’re in is real. It’s so painfully obvious this is all happening in a studio somewhere when we focus on Crusher and here we focus on Crusher a lot.
Rightful Heir is about Worf again and this time is a lot better than Birthright. I enjoyed the approach to religious belief in this episode. A quite enjoyable hour of television. It’s the ST version of Christianity and I quite like it.
Next we have Second Chances and this one is quite a step down for Riker after we last saw him in Frame of Mind. I get the feeling this character really has no range at all, I don’t know if it’s how he’s written or how he’s performed. He’s just quick to anger for no good reason and comes off as a complete idiot unable to control his emotions. He’s like a monkey flinging poo in this one.
The next episode is Timescape and I like this one because it’s one, long, technobabble, verbose episode where we get the characters walk around trying to solve a mystery. A couple of very hilarious moments as well. One of my favorite TNG episodes. I read other ST shows are not so technobabbly as TNG and I find that quite saddening. I love this type of episode.
And finally we get a OKish but mostly pointless episode called Descent, about Data joining with his brother in order to create a small Borg army and bring down the federation. Yup, it’s another ‘Character X is getting brainwashed’ episode.
And that’s that. I feel somewhat sad knowing there’s only one season left. I tried watching another Trek series (Strange New Worlds) and didn’t care at all for it. It lacks the charm of TNG and I’m afraid this is going to be the case for the other ST shows. 7th season here I come.
>>66739Thank you for the recommendation, I'll check it out.