# I'm watching ST: The Next Generation from the beginning **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 27, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181 "2012-02-27T20:20:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181/21 "2012-02-27T21:14:58Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > Cite that Data doesn’t speak English? > > [Federation Standard | Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki | Fandom](http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/Federation_Standard) Hmm. I didn’t realize that. OK, they all did speak the same language but Data was physically unable to communicate one tiny subset of the words even though he was mega-brilliant, could understand those words when others said them and infinitely capable of learning. Lore meanwhile was nearly as brilliant but couldn’t stop himself from saying them. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181/22 "2012-02-27T21:17:52Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I tried to do this with DS9 a little while ago, which I always remembered as the “good” Star Trek series, and I just couldn’t make it through. It was rocky from the beginning, but once the Klingons showed up, I just couldn’t take it any more. Seriously, is there any military force in the whole of sci-fidom more incompetent than the Klingon Empire? The big fight scene when the Klingons attack DS9 features them beaming aboard the station, attacking the crew with _knives_, for fucks sake, and _still_ getting their asses handed to them by unarmed humans. > > That was about where I gave up on the show. I watched another three or four episodes, but my heart wasn’t in it any more. Really? That was where I thought the series eclispsed the rest of the Trek series and never let up! ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181/23 "2012-02-27T21:20:27Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > But from season 2 on, TNG grew to become an incredible series. Absolutely shaped my young mind in ways more good than bad, and it became my ruler against which I compare pretty much all Sci-Fi. It had its moments, I admit, but “incredible” isn’t an adjective that would have occurred to me. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181/24 "2012-02-27T21:54:19Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Hmm. I didn’t realize that. OK, they all did speak the same language but Data was physically unable to communicate one tiny subset of the words even though he was mega-brilliant, could understand those words when others said them and infinitely capable of learning. Lore meanwhile was nearly as brilliant but couldn’t stop himself from saying them. Pretty much. That’s why I think he was designed to have these quirks. It’s not a flaw. It’s a fingerprint. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181/25 "2012-02-27T22:40:30Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Seriously, is there any military force in the whole of sci-fidom more incompetent than the Klingon Empire? The big fight scene when the Klingons attack DS9 features them beaming aboard the station, attacking the crew with _knives_, for fucks sake, and _still_ getting their asses handed to them by unarmed humans. I liked DS9 but Klingons attempting boarding actions using knives as their primary weapons was just mind bogglingly stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181/26 "2012-02-27T22:53:11Z")
I’ll agree with everyone else that Season One of TNG was almost painful to watch, but it gets much, much better. Watch for Picard being a stuffed-shirt, barking orders at everyone and being all irritated much of the time in the first season (and Troi being a useless git). I think the TNG drinking game is take a shot every time Troi looks like she’s about to cry and says, “I feel X…” and another shot every time Worf says, “I submit that our only option is to fight!” 🙂 Hey, speaking of TNG, they’re having a [cast reunion at our Calgary Sci-Fi Expo in April!](http://www.calgaryexpo.com/) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181/27 "2012-02-27T22:53:41Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > I liked DS9 but Klingons attempting boarding actions using knives as their primary weapons was just mind bogglingly stupid. It’s a traditional holdover from the days of the “Great Tribble Hunt”. > **[The Great Tribble Hunt](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/The_Great_Tribble_Hunt)** > > "The Great Tribble Hunt" was the derisive nickname that Odo gave to the organized extermination campaign against the tribble species which the Klingon Empire conducted in the late 23rd century. The motivation for this extermination was due to the... ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181/28 "2012-02-27T23:07:05Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > I liked DS9 but Klingons attempting boarding actions using knives as their primary weapons was just mind bogglingly stupid. They did have pistol type weapons as well, so they didn’t just bring knives. And in the close quarters of a spaceship, would presumably bring some knives with you, though you probably wouldn’t make as much use with them as the Klingons do. But then, the show establishes pretty well that the Klingons are really into anachronistic weaponry, whether it makes sense or not. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181/29 "2012-02-27T23:11:34Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > They did have pistol type weapons as well, so they didn’t just bring knives. Which was another complaint: they keep transporting over to DS9, and _then_ drawing their guns, only to cut cut down by the Feds before they can get a shot off. Draw your guns before you step onto the transporter platform, doofus! ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181/30 "2012-02-27T23:13:59Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Which was another complaint: they keep transporting over to DS9, and _then_ drawing their guns, only to cut cut down by the Feds before they can get a shot off. Draw your guns before you step onto the transporter platform, doofus! Bah, thinking like that is why you’ll never go to Stovikor. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181/31 "2012-02-27T23:21:46Z")
Tasha’s death was the lamest of all time. So was the funeral. How likely is it that she records her own funeral speech, conveniently addressing all the main characters, no matter how unrelated to security they are, but mentioning no one else? Wesley was more important to her than the people she trained and work with every day? Come on now. And that monster-thing that killed her, that magically knows English? That has psychological issues that only Troy can handle? Incredibly lame, man. REAL lame. I did like all the space-time problems they encountered, even though after awhile they become a little repetitious. The biggest WTF! moment was when Jordi was out of phase with everyone else and becomes invisible. OK, he’s in another dimension. He can walk through doors and walls. He’s like a ghost. I can buy it. But HOW IS HE FREAKIN’ ABLE TO WALK! He should be falling through the floor! It doesn’t make sense! (I don’t know what season this episode was. Doesn’t matter. It was still crazy.) The episode where they are all drunk and horny was a bad one too. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181/32 "2012-02-27T23:32:00Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Which was another complaint: they keep transporting over to DS9, and _then_ drawing their guns, only to cut cut down by the Feds before they can get a shot off. Draw your guns before you step onto the transporter platform, doofus! Alright, descending into total nerd-dom here: [Here’s the scene](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V_tp5C27TQ). The klingons do actually beam over with pistols drawn. There’s a lag between when they beam in and when they can start moving though (I think this is actually established in a TNG episode as a reason the transporters aren’t used for combat more), so they get cut down pretty easily. And in the first half of the fight they use their pistols, until halfway through both they and the Feds apparently totally forget about firearms for some reason and just go for swords and fists. So not as silly as people are making it out as, though still needs a certain amount of suspension of disbelief. Star Trek in general was always pretty weak on action scene choreography. Alright, I think that pretty much used up my geeking-out quota for the week. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181/33 "2012-02-27T23:41:12Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Bah, thinking like that is why you’ll never go to Stovikor. Yes, the best way to avoid dying in battle is to not fight like a Klingon. 😃 But you’re right about the weapons - other than the guy in the middle at 3:50 in the clip you posted, they all have weapons in their hands when they’re fully materialized. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181/34 "2012-02-27T23:52:01Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > So not as silly as people are making it out as, though still needs a certain amount of suspension of disbelief. Star Trek in general was always pretty weak on action scene choreography. I watched your link. It’s just as mind bogglingly stupid as I remember. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181/35 "2012-02-28T00:18:06Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I did like all the space-time problems they encountered, even though after awhile they become a little repetitious. The biggest WTF! moment was when Jordi was out of phase with everyone else and becomes invisible. OK, he’s in another dimension. He can walk through doors and walls. He’s like a ghost. I can buy it. But HOW IS HE FREAKIN’ ABLE TO WALK! He should be falling through the floor! It doesn’t make sense! (I don’t know what season this episode was. Doesn’t matter. It was still crazy.) That was the worst one of all. Sometimes he can put his head into equipment to see into it and other times he can lean against it. They kill the bad guy by punching him and he flies through a wall to the outside. Did the writers even give a shit? It does appear like I gave up early in the series although I do recall seeing the first episode where Riker has a beard. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181/36 "2012-02-28T09:15:27Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I did like all the space-time problems they encountered, even though after awhile they become a little repetitious. The biggest WTF! moment was when Jordi was out of phase with everyone else and becomes invisible. OK, he’s in another dimension. He can walk through doors and walls. He’s like a ghost. I can buy it. But HOW IS HE FREAKIN’ ABLE TO WALK! He should be falling through the floor! It doesn’t make sense! (I don’t know what season this episode was. Doesn’t matter. It was still crazy.) To nitpick further, how could he and Ro breathe (given that that requires oxygen molecules to pass through the membrane of your lungs into your bloodstream) or hear (which requires sound to interact with your ear drum)? Shortly after becoming phased they should have suffocated whilst drifting out of the ship and into space, due to not being able to anchor to any surface, as you mention. The Naked Now was all kinds of stupid due to Data getting infected with the virus driving everyone else crazy, even though he’s a machine. Furthermore they have episodes where there is the issue of disease contamination and Data makes clear he can’t contract organic diseases (and no-one says “but didn’t you get sick years ago along with everyone else?”. That all said I agree that TNG is a great show (from S2 onwards) and when they encounter the Borg it really gets edge of seat! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181/37 "2012-02-28T15:22:38Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > \ > The episode where they are all drunk and horny was a bad one too. But it gave rise to one of the best exchanges of the series! Riker - “Are you functional?” Data - “Fully.” (With cockeyed grin on his face, after having a naked encounter with Tasha Yar.) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181/38 "2012-02-28T15:31:05Z")
I liked that even though the episode was patently ridiculous and nonsensical, they didn’t just completely forget about the Data/Yar thing. I remember that later on, when they were having that tribunal or whatever to determine whether Data was a sentient being with rights, it was revealed that he’d kept a little hologram of Tasha Yar with him in his personal effects. I thought that was a nice little touch. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181/39 "2012-02-28T15:43:25Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I can’t believe how much the writers jizz in their pants about Westley. I hate to have to do this, 'Mika, but: It’s _Wesley_. Wesley Crusher. Not Westley. Same with the guy on _Buffy_: It’s Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181/40 "2012-02-28T15:50:25Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I hate to have to do this, 'Mika, but: It’s _Wesley_. Wesley Crusher. Not Westley. > > Same with the guy on _Buffy_: It’s Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. Wesley lover. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-st-the-next-generation-from-the-beginning/614181.md?page=3)