From: v129j6ed@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (This is F.U.N.)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv
Subject: Re: DS9:I liked it, dammit.
Date: 12 Jan 93 18:46:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1irudfINNj6u@transfer.stratus.com>, jmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com writes...
>In article <C0KLM3.HsD@acsu.buffalo.edu>  
>v129j6ed@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (This is F.U.N.) writes:
>> In article <1ikp08$7ag@agate.berkeley.edu>,  
>carrie@plasma1.ssl.berkeley.edu (Carrie Roller) writes...
>No, TNG isn't as good as the original.  It's much better than
>that.  While there are maybe half a dozen of the original 
>series that were really good, there are about 20 episodes of the
>new show that are of that level.  And that while some folks rightly
>complain about some of the new episodes (too many Troi
>is taken over by some alien, etc.), I think they are purging their
>memory about the old series in such a way that they remember real
>well all the good episodes but forget the incredible number of dogs
>in the series.

I definately remember all of the bad episodes.  The third season is loaded
with them.  "plato's stepchildren", "elanus of troyus(it's so bad, I cant
even remember the name)", "all our yesterdays".  I admit these were really
bad.  I actually find the reverse is true for TOS than TNG.  I think about
at least a 2/5 of the TOS was really good. (I have to check this figure
tonight when I get home).  I struggle to name 10 good episodes for the TNG.
The highpoint for the show was the early-middle of the third season to the
beginning of the fourth.  Those were actually good stories, and they had them
in a row.  However, since 'Remember Me', the show has spiralled downhill, 
hitting rock bottom in the fifth season. I do see a spark of hope in the sixth,
but I will wait and see. 

>What has impressed me most about TNG is that it started out
>poor and became good (unlike the original series which started
>out well and then got very bad indeed by the end).  This
>is especially true in the characterization. In the new series,
>the characters started out as stereotypes but became real
>and interesting people. In the old series, they started out
>real and became stereotypes. (Yep, it's that time of the episode:
>McCoy makes a crack about Vulcans; Spock raises an eyebrow. In five
>minutes, McCoy will grumble about getting his atoms spread
>around space and Kirk will fall for the girl.)

It started poor went to really good, and then dropped like a perverbal rock.
With the exception of odd episodes, we had two really good seasons of TOS.
We never had that much consistancy in the TNG.  I think that may be the basis
of my argument. Consistancy of entertainment.  The plots are slapshoddly
written.  I utterly hated the second part of "Redemption" with a barrade in
deep space.  I felt insulted at that.  Why not go around it?  I blame that
on the writers because they did not want to have the Federation fight.

I think you are using character traits as examples of stereotypes.  It is
a part of each character.  There were stereotypes in the show, and I will
admit that.  They also had the dilemma that the writers never followed up
on previous episodes, with the exception of a few.  (Mudd, Organians)
This seems relevent in the TNG too.  When Picard had part of his brain
sliced up in "Best of Both Worlds", they did look into what happened to
him in the next episode, and one of my favorites, "Family", but forgot
about it until the highly dissapointing "I Borg".  The TNG is not very
good in keeping up with its own characters, and with the flimsy plots 
they usually get, this makes an excrucating episode to watch.

>I liked DSN.  The pilot was a tad long, and needed some tightening up
>around the edges (and the stuff was the jewels was a bit silly).
>However, the first hour long episode was quite good.  The series
>has a lot of potential.

I have problems with the WormHole People non-linear timeline fiasco, and I
consider Lt. Barclay a worser threat than the Cardassians, but I did like the
first episode, and I will keep watching.

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"If you love your foot, dive for it!" - The Power of Lard - Lard
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Jef Kolodziej                    Cliche Dude                    The KaTeFan(tm)
v129j6ed@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu           State University of New York at Buffalo
History Major                                                  611 LaSalle Ave.
(716) 834-2606                                                Buffalo, NY 14215
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