I’ve learned a lot about writing as I’ve been reviewing episodes–151 now!–and blogging about this or that. Throughout seasons five and six I watched YouTube videos of Star Trek conventions, and have accumulated a lot of information. As I did this, I’d just add one tidbit or another to season seven, and when the time came to write it, there wasn’t much to write. As a result, I’ve written my very last season overview for TNG in record time. I may add a few things over the next week, but I’d say it’s done.
I won’t go into depth here, but season seven was something of a mixed bag for TNG in terms of quality. In short, Paramount had their fingers in a lot of pies: they had 25 episodes to write plus the series finale, they were producing and writing another 26 episode season of DS9, production of the Generations movie began simultaneously with season seven, and Rick Berman was developing yet another Star Trek series, Voyager.
Ending the series was tough on the fans because TNG was more popular than ever. As Ron Moore, one of the primary writers of TNG would say, they didn’t really have a focus for season seven. There were several episodes regarding back stories or family ties to the various characters–of varying quality–but there were still several gems to be found in this final season, not the least of which was the incredible series finale, All Good Things…
I discuss popular questions fans have asked the actors and writers over the years more than any other season. What was the most difficult episode for them to act in? What do they wish had been different? Was there sexism on the set? What things did they steal on that last day of shooting? Have they stayed in touch? What did they learn as people, how did they grow? What did they wish had been explored in more detail but wasn’t? I answer these questions and more.
Take a look at my final season summary if you like, and check back as I review the final 25 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation.