Star Trek: The Next Generation/YMMV: Difference between revisions

* [[Artistic License: Biology]]: "Genesis". '''AND HOW.'''

* [[Artistic License Physics]]: "The Royale". -291 degrees Celsius. (Absolute Zero, the coldest temperature theoretically possible, is -273 degrees.)

* [[Author's Saving Throw]]

** 'I, Borg', in which they study a Borg drone separated from the collective. Changes them from [[Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot|cyborg zombies]] into [[Starfish Aliens]].

** [[Gene Roddenberry]] never liked that he used the Klingons as the "Race of Black Hats" in [[Star Trek: The Original Series|The Original Series]], and thus made Worf as a Klingon main character and the first season episode "Heart of Glory" completely redefined their place as a [[Proud Warrior Race Guy|Proud Warrior Race]].

* [[Creator's Pet]]: Wesley Crusher, the former [[Trope Namer]], also [[Exaggerated Trope|an especially severe case]] since, by varying amounts, he fits ''EVERY'' criterion of both [[Creator's Pet]] and [[The Scrappy]].

** Despite her being [[Dr. Jerk]], crewmembers would often mention how "caring" and "nice" Dr. Pulasky was. [[Informed Attribute|Not that we really saw it]].

** In the case of Wesley himself, they alternated between praising Wesley for no reason and [[Not Now, Kiddo|rudely dismissing]] Wesley for no reason, depending on which would make Wesley look better.

** "Dark Page" is not only a Good Troi Episode for both Deanna and Lwaxana, but one of the few good episodes from TNG's seventh season.

* [[Ensemble Darkhorse]]: Both Data and Worf came to share the spotlight with Picard among fans. Originally the series focused more on Picard, Riker and Dr. Crusher.

** Then, there's Miles O'Brien, a completely minor character, but got so much fan attention, he became a main character in ''Deep Space Nine''.

** Q seems to have a good fanbase despite him appearing in only eight episodes on TNG and then four episodes outside of it.

* [[Foe Yay]]:

** Picard/Q.

*** Apparently this was, in large part, due to Marina Sirtis' request. She was tired of the goofy/fanservicey jumpsuits and wanted to be in uniform like everyone else. When she saw the plot of the episode she jumped on the opportunity to suggest it to the production staff.

** Also in the first episode of season two Geordi and Worf received promotions to Chief of Engineering and Chief of Security, which allowed their characters to grow and arguably had a much greater impact on the show's quality than Riker's beard (since, even beardless, Riker already had a reputation as a badass).

* [[Harsher in Hindsight]]: Watching Picard break down while bonded to Sarek in the episode "Sarek", is a bit more difficult to watch knowing that Picard may very well share the same fate in his future.

* [[Hatedom]]: Wesley, obviously, but Riker also has one going on... apparently some of the awkward, shy young males watching the show were ''deeply'' resentful of his success with women. There's an entire subgenre of TNG fanfiction that focuses on humiliating him (sexually, socially, and professionally), usually in order to build up another character that better fits with the writer's idea of someone who "deserves" sex (usually Geordi or Data).

* [[Magnificent Bastard]]: Q in all his appearances, to one degree or another, often with [[Hilarity Ensues|very entertaining results.]] Omnipotent, yet petty; cruel but not vicious; causing devastation yet helpful at times, you really couldn't help but love the bastard(s).

** As Tim Lynch [http://timlynchreviews.wikia.com/wiki/Conundrum points out], "MacDuff" in "Conundrum" is a pretty extraordinary villain. He boards the Enterprise, manipulates the crew, and comes very, very close to single-handedly winning the war his race has been fighting. His only real miscalculation was {{spoiler|overestimating Worf's blood-lust and underestimating his devotion to duty}}.

* [[Memetic Mutation]]: Picard has become an image for the [[Face Palm]] ([[Gallifrey Base]] actually has a Picard facepalm [[Emoticon]]) and general disbelief on the stupidity of a situation.

*** It's also a [[Shout-Out]] to [[Nineteen Eighty-Four|1984]].

** The [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6oUz1v17Uo Picard Song]. It also more or less works as his [[Image Song]].

** The Tamaranian sayings from "Darmok", especially "Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra!" and "Shaka, when the walls fell".

** When Wil Wheaton is being an idiot online (which is often), a frequent reply by commenters is "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3Y6SUh8saQ Shut up, Wesley]."

* [[MST3K Mantra]]: In literal effect in "The Next Phase".

* [[My Real Daddy]]: The series truly came into its own after Michael Piller took over the writing staff in Season 3.

*** In Riker's defense, he tolerates it all. Jellico just senses Riker's fuming underneath his calm exterior.

*** The other officers didn't like the changes either, but they eventually got with the program. Riker has no excuse for his perpetually [[Wangst|wangsty]] behavior during that episode.

** Really, this happens a ''lot'' when the series (or really any such episodic series) tries to do moralizing. The writers would tend to get so focused in on trumpeting one aspect of their pet causes or issues that they wouldn't realize they'd wandered over into the characters [[Accidental Aesop|accidentally]] arguing for issues they opposed at the same time.

* [[Surprisingly Improved Sequel]]: While ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' was good, it wasn't consistently good and still had out-there episodes, particularly toward the end. This show, especially after [[Growing the Beard]], has none of the camp factor of the original series, and has more actual continuity and story arcs.

* [[Took the Bad Film Seriously|Took The Bad Episode Seriously]]: [[Patrick Stewart]] is this trope incarnate; his greatest strength as an actor, as the old cliche goes, is his ability to deliver bad dialogue with utter conviction. Nowhere was that more evident than during the low points of this series.

* [[Tough Act to Follow]]: Averted ''and'' played straight. It managed to step out of TOS's shadow as a highly successful series, but it made every subsequent Trek franchise feel rather lacking.

** The intent may have been to show the new era is more peaceful, but in retrospect it may not have been a good idea to have the ''French'' Captain [[Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys|surrender to the enemy]] in the very first episode.

** Keiko and O'Brien in ''Rascals''. Miles is understandably disturbed that his wife now has the body of a child. She doesn't seem to get it.

** So how do you explain "Justice", which has the Edo repeatedly described as a "perfect society" and populated solely by blond haired, blue-eyed, ''white'' people?

** In "Who Watches the Watchers", Picard has an anti-religious rant that ''seems'' to not-so-lightly imply that, on Earth, every bad thing ever was because people believed in God/religion.

** Not quite so. It is stated it is because he ''lied'' about his heritage that is what might jeopardize his career.

* [[The Woobie]] - Several throughout the series' run, but special mention has to go to medical technician Simon Tarses in the episode ''The Drumhead''. {{spoiler|Accused of conspiracy against the Federation, put through a witch-hunt trial, and suspended for 6 months for falsifying his application - those adorable ears came from a Romulan grandfather, not a Vulcan one... but admitting that would have made a career in Starfleet out of the question.}} Sure, lying is bad, but holy disproportionate punishment. [http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20060421065535/startrek/images/3/31/SimonTarses.jpg And just look at that face.]

** [[Iron Woobie]]: Captain Picard.

** Troi. She's been raped no less than three times throughout the franchise (once when she was impregnated by an energy being and twice mentally but still represented as a sexual assault) and frequently falls victim to the psychic powers of the [[Villain of the Week]].