Quote Originally Posted by Palanan View Post
First season was great when it originally aired, because it was so highly anticipated and about the only decent SF on the air at the time.

But it really has not aged well.

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The lighting and music for the first season have much more in common with TOS than with later seasons of TNG, so that can seem rather jarring.

And everyone is still finding their characters, so some episodes are quite goofy, occasionally on purpose. And the writing is often not great.

But if you can get through the first season, the show starts becoming truly great. I've been watching later episodes on BBC America and many of them hold up very well. And Guinan always steals every scene she's in.
TNG Season 1 was not universally well received when it was new (with, ironically, many of the same complaints made about it as are made about the recent series). It hasn't just not aged gracefully though, quite a lot of the first season is actively drek. Like there are some miserable 45 minute periods coming up for these intrepid viewers who have to make it through Code of Honor, Justice, and rather more Wesley Crusher than anyone, especially Wil Wheaton, should have had to put up with.