Season one of Star Trek: The Next Generation is the one season many fans wish they could forget. For some, it is simply the forgettable season: they joined the show later in its run, once its popularity and dominance of science fiction were undisputed. But every show goes through growing pains�and even the mighty Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) had humble beginnings.
Next Gen's uneven first season is particularly apparent when watching the episodes in sequence on DVD. From the mishmash of the pilot to the season's bland final episode, Next Gen clearly spent its first season feeling its way. However, amid the cacophony, there are hints of the rock-solid foundation and the chemistry among the cast that the series would build on over the years, until it went out at the top of its game in 1994.
The pilot�"Encounter at Farpoint," filmed 15 years ago�has its share of awkward moments, with a B storyline that is quite obviously cobbled into the main action. Episode two, "The Naked Now," is a humorous sequel to the classic Trek episode. From there, the episodes become more uneven. There are some bright spots, but more often than not the plots are thin, filled with such diversions as a planet whose skimpily clad residents look like they're plucked off a Southern California beach or an oil slick of death. Or perhaps you'd get a save-the-ship moment, brought to you again and again by a teenager.
The sound surrounds, but little else is new
