Delightfully Useless

I have no idea if anyone's interested in this, but I always like to see what other people think of a show when they start watching it without knowing half the storylines from spoilers already... doesn't happen to me very often. *g* However, thanks to Beth's helpful suggestions, I'm actually watching Star Trek: The Next Generation for the very first time more or less "from scratch".

So I thought, since I like to read other people's mini reaction posts to older shows, I'd do one myself now I'm finally in a situation where I can.



S2E1: The Child This was the first ep I saw (my first choice, the pilot, wasn't on shelf at the library), and the only other Trek I've seen is TOS, so my first reaction after LOVE THE MUSIC was "Oh I say, what a humongous budget!" Glowy warp nacelles, gratuitous corridor shots, windows... I was really rather impressed to find that the flashy budget wasn't attempting to cover for a weak cast or script, as so often happens in movies.

Other impressions: Data really has rather nice hands; the Christ parallels in the story seemed pretty forced to me, but then Christ parallels always do; Riker has DeForest Kelley's eyes, which pretty much clinched it that I like this show. (Don't ask unless you really want to hear a rather insane bit of rambling about Leonard Nimoy's second autobiography.) And I was quite surprised to see that Bill Theiss was still designing the costumes, they're way more flattering than his usual.

I like the structure I'm seeing in a lot of eps including this one, with a character-oriented plot and a mission-oriented plot tying together at some point. I like the slower pace compared to TOS - maybe it's the confidence that comes from knowing you won't be cancelled early? I'm even beginning to like the budget; it's kind of fun not to be distracted by cheap workarounds, though I do admire the kind of genius that came up with the Jeffries tube and the diagnostic salt-shaker.

S2E16: Q Who? I did want to watch an episode with Q, since after all it was seeing John de Lancie in Legend that made me consider watching TNG in the first place; he's an excellent actor, quite apart from the dimples. ;-)

WOW. I do not think there is anything quite like Sir Patrick Stewart and John de Lancie in a face-off: the total gracefulness and acting energy nearly splodes the camera. Also John de Lancie is an extremely good-looking guy when he's not all blurry from being taped off cable fifteen years ago! The introduction of the Borg was just a slight bonus... I'm afraid I was cracking up every time I saw their ship because I kept thinking of eponymous_rose's Canadian Borg icon.



S1E12: DataLore Now this one I did happen to know most of the storyline beforehand, and it was therefore rather boring. But Brent Spiner is really quite a good actor, even though the Data makeup and yellow contacts creep me out, and the stuntwork and cutting were excellent. (Plus I saw a little bit of why people apparently find Wesley Crusher annoying. I don't, so far, because I spend a lot of time being the easily ignored young cub myself - though I must say, Wil Wheaton looks a lot better grown up and with a little scruff - but Wesley really didn't show proper respect in this episode.)

S2E21: Peak Performance This one was really fun because I got to know the rest of the characters I hadn't really met yet - Worf, Geordi, Riker, and Wesley each had some moments to shine, and the way all the setup paid off in the climactic scene was brilliant.

S2E8: A Matter of Honor I really liked this one a lot. If I hadn't fallen for Riker already, I would have when he was telling off the Klingon captain about asking him to betray the Enterprise. And the big standoff... the writer had SO MUCH FUN with this episode! *loves*

S1E16: 11001001 I thought this one was more interesting in concept than in execution. I enjoyed the way Data's attempt at painting was tied in to the question of computers and creativity, but the Save the Alien Planet subplot just seemed sort of thrown in for the occasion. There was too much time spent playing with the holodeck and not enough on hinting that the Binars maybe weren't as creepy as they seemed. OTOH, Team Picard-Riker is made of awesomefulness and win!

S1E115: Too Short a Season Had some unexpected twists, but the main plot was clear to me as soon as I saw the negotiator dude in his wheelchair - there are only two reasons to put a young man in that much age latex, after all. One is to let him be surprisingly athletic for his age, the other is to de-age him gradually. And de-aging in fiction always ends in getting too young and ceasing to exist. It was a bit clever that he died from the strain of trying to get smaller, rather than just turning into a baby and going blip, though.



So... that's what I've seen so far. In the main, I quite like it, though I do rather see why Beth suggested I should skip season one! ;-)