What are your overall thoughts? About the seasons we have just completed, and the state of Star Trek as of the summer of 1993? We have completed 273 out of 725 episodes, or 38% of the franchise (so far, with the new series set to premiere in May 2017).
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Neat graphic!
Star Trek TOS was ground-breaking. Overall, I felt TNG was a step back (although it did have some interesting exploration of Klingons and artificial intelligence and an occasional brilliant episode). DS9 is darker but in some ways I feel it more closely resembles original Trek… it takes on themes related to our human struggles, and the characters (some at least) have internal struggles that feel real in the way that Leonard Nimoy’s did in TOS. Plus there are strong women! I remember DS9 as the best of the Trek series, and so far that seems to be holding true. Onward and upward!
DS9 has been really fun. And by all reports it gets better! I don’t know if I would say that it is like TOS, exactly, but it certainly has interesting, likable characters and a willingness to take on big stories. Some of the characters haven’t fully come to their own yet, or can be hit or miss like Quark. I feel like TNG had a weak first half of the season and a stronger second half, and DS9 was the reverse. I like the wider universe opened up by having two shows on the air, although it makes for a long time between season breaks!
As a subject to write about every week, both shows are more reluctant to raise existential questions, which seemed like the raison d’être of TOS. So even if it’s fun to watch, it’s a little bit less fun to write essays about. But shows like “Duet” pack all the power of TOS.
If we hadn’t started DS9, we’d be finished with TNG now and getting ready to watch Generations. I’ll feel like we’ve really earned a treat when that opportunity comes along (in six months or so)!
My spirit was flagging as we came to the end, but I feel refreshed now and ready for TNG 7 and DS9 2.
Next week is Thanksgiving, should we start a week from Monday rather than mess with the holiday?
Kevin Black I am all for ds9 season 2 and ready to soldier on through tng season 7! Either way on the holiday. Watching ds9 2nd ep season 2 now. Good stuff.
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