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I’m rewatching Star Trek TNG for 4th or 5th time and I can’t get over how great that show is. It’s my go-to show for calming anxiety, and here’s why I think it’s so great: (thread)
Our guys always win. So I can fall asleep peacefully knowing that Enterprise will be safe whatever trouble it gets into :)
Episodes are almost completely independent. I’m not a big show person, but I don’t remember a show from the 90s that wasn’t a sitcom and had independent episodes.
It’s a show based entirely in space with very few/almost none special effects. Let that sink in for a bit. So if there are no space battles, what is it about? Now we’re getting to the really interesting stuff.
The show raises some amazing philosophical questions, mostly revolving around Mr. Data and his quest to be human. Why does a being far superior than us in all regards so desperately want to be human?
The whole narrative about Borg and the collective mind vs an individual mind. What does it mean to have individuality in a system that’s meant to operate purely as a collective? Is it possible at all?
The Prime Directive as the ultimate guideline and all the moral questions that arise from it (although this is even better explored in Voyager).
Philosophical questions aside, the show tackles some timeless questions. Eg. a sense of belonging. This is mostly visible in Worf trying to consolidate his Klingon origins with human upbringing.
It also tackles common problems of being a single parent (Worf), losing one’s abilities (when Deanna loses telepathic abilities), conflicts with our own parents (Deanna, Riker). It gives this sense that it’s just your everyday people, only you know - in space.
Now for the physics. The way they explore time-space continuum is actually believable. That episode when multiple Enterprises appear from branched points in time is one of my favorite episodes.
There’s a whole book about physics behind Star Trek and a lot of things based on actual scientific premises. Plus, we can see how some things that were SF in 90s are already coming to life (voice-interfaced computers).
Then there’s acting. Patrick Stewart, need to say more?
And last, some episodes just go “fuck it all” and completely throw away everything I just wrote above. They are pure trash (when dr. Crusher falls in love with a ghost), but they are still so fun.
Seriously folks, use this time to watch at least 1 season of TNG, it’s on Netflix and I guarantee you won’t regret it.
