I'm curious to see whether I can turn up any evidence that the age of the individual has any bearing on whether they tended to prefer S1 or S3 of PIC. I'm not including S2 as it seems to be the general consensus that S2 is weaker than the other two (no offense to those who consider it the best season!).
Poll Is age a factor in which season you prefer?
- Thread starter DonIago
- Start date
S2 is indefensible.
Poor season 2, doesn't even get invited to the poll.
I'm 45 and like all three seasons. I'm not quite sure how PIC S1 skews younger. All three seasons skewed older.
Technically, I prefer S3 to S1, but it's by the most negligible of margins. People can like different things for different reasons.
I will say S1 and S3 show two very different ways on how to continue TNG, but I was fine with either approach. I'm not one of those people who thought "It has to be this way!" or "It has to be that way!"
Technically, I prefer S3 to S1, but it's by the most negligible of margins. People can like different things for different reasons.
I will say S1 and S3 show two very different ways on how to continue TNG, but I was fine with either approach. I'm not one of those people who thought "It has to be this way!" or "It has to be that way!"
So far the poll's primary conclusion appears to be that younger people don't use forums. 
I'm 49, and for those of you who haven't seen my posts elseforum, I vastly preferred S1 to S3, though they both have significant flaws...however, among other things, I think S3 tries to cover its flaws behind a heavy layer of nostalgia, and I don't appreciate that; it feels somewhat manipulative to me.
What prompted me to create the poll, more than anything else though, was a thought I've had a couple of times about what I regard as problematic messaging in S3. To quote myself:
"Frankly, I also find S3's message of, "once you become of a certain age, nostalgia is really all you have to look forward to" both unrealistic and somewhat disrespectful to older people. The show could have tried to send a message that just because one of the biggest adventures of your life is over doesn't mean you can't have more amazing adventures with new and different people, but instead it essentially went for the lowest common denominator and took the easy way out."
This led me to wonder whether older people might find S3 inferior to S1 in part because they don't like said messaging...though I admit I'm not sure how many people have really thought of S3 in this manner, and I'd certainly like to think it wasn't the intended message.
I'm 49, and for those of you who haven't seen my posts elseforum, I vastly preferred S1 to S3, though they both have significant flaws...however, among other things, I think S3 tries to cover its flaws behind a heavy layer of nostalgia, and I don't appreciate that; it feels somewhat manipulative to me.
What prompted me to create the poll, more than anything else though, was a thought I've had a couple of times about what I regard as problematic messaging in S3. To quote myself:
"Frankly, I also find S3's message of, "once you become of a certain age, nostalgia is really all you have to look forward to" both unrealistic and somewhat disrespectful to older people. The show could have tried to send a message that just because one of the biggest adventures of your life is over doesn't mean you can't have more amazing adventures with new and different people, but instead it essentially went for the lowest common denominator and took the easy way out."
This led me to wonder whether older people might find S3 inferior to S1 in part because they don't like said messaging...though I admit I'm not sure how many people have really thought of S3 in this manner, and I'd certainly like to think it wasn't the intended message.
The way I interpret it is: The characters were all in different places in their lives, they had a reunion, the reunion was over, then the characters went back to having different lives. Fin.So far the poll's primary conclusion appears to be that younger people don't use forums.
I'm 49, and for those of you who haven't seen my posts elseforum, I vastly preferred S1 to S3, though they both have significant flaws...however, among other things, I think S3 tries to cover its flaws behind a heavy layer of nostalgia, and I don't appreciate that; it feels somewhat manipulative to me.
What prompted me to create the poll, more than anything else though, was a thought I've had a couple of times about what I regard as problematic messaging in S3. To quote myself:
"Frankly, I also find S3's message of, "once you become of a certain age, nostalgia is really all you have to look forward to" both unrealistic and somewhat disrespectful to older people. The show could have tried to send a message that just because one of the biggest adventures of your life is over doesn't mean you can't have more amazing adventures with new and different people, but instead it essentially went for the lowest common denominator and took the easy way out."
This led me to wonder whether older people might find S3 inferior to S1 in part because they don't like said messaging...though I admit I'm not sure how many people have really thought of S3 in this manner, and I'd certainly like to think it wasn't the intended message.
They were on the Enterprise-D for one mission and one mission only. That's what I see a lot of people here having a hard time with. All I can say is, with thinking like that, the first 10 movies never should've happened.
At the end of the day, people either like something or they don't; and they either have an issue with it or they don't.
I don't think age has anything to do with it other than if a young person watched TNG, then the movies, then PIC, all for the first time, they'd see it as one continuous thing rather than, "Why is PIC reminding me of something from 20 years ago?" If they're discovering something from 1987 to 2002, they're already in that territory anyway when they watch something that follows up on it.
EDITED TO ADD: I'm waiting for YouTube Reactors reacting to TNG to get up to PIC to put this theory to the test.
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I ended up voting season one, and was surprised to see it leading so far. I won't be surprised if that doesn't last. 
I'm of the opinion that if all the previous PIC cast were to take on the basic roles the TNG crew fill in S3, then it would be more widely seen as the awfully written season that it is.
I'm of the opinion that if all the previous PIC cast were to take on the basic roles the TNG crew fill in S3, then it would be more widely seen as the awfully written season that it is.
I ended up voting season one, and was surprised to see it leading so far. I won't be surprised if that doesn't last.
I'm of the opinion that if all the previous PIC cast were to take on the basic roles the TNG crew fill in S3, then it would be more widely seen as the awfully written season that it is.
If you're saying, "Strip out the nostalgia, and what's left?" then I largely agree.
That said, I very much enjoyed seeing Ro Laren again (until the last couple of minutes).
No, I don't think it was intended. I think it was intended as a ride off in to the sunset for the TNG crew, the TUC style treatment. I think what was intended was this our last hurrah with the TNG crew.
Unfortunately, it didn't come across that way. Between Shaw's attitude, the lack of trust that the crew could build with anyone else aside from their immediate crew, and the way the mystery box was shown to be used was just unfortunately painting a picture that this was the only way this crew could make a difference. It came across, again unintentionally, that being "the crew of the Enterprise" was the only thing that mattered.
I don't think it would bother me so much if it didn't continue the theme shown in Generations and DS9, and even a little bit of Picard.
Again, unintentional, and there is a lot to like in Season 3. But, I prefer Season 1 because it feels far more driving forward the idea that Picard is still relevant, even retired.
35 seems like an odd dividing line. If you got into Star Trek as a kid, that could've been during the tail end of VGR or ENT. And you're also including people who would've been young enough at the time to see TOS during its original airing or early syndication, so that brings TOS vs TNG into play.
I'd have done it by Boomer, Gen X, Millennial, Gen Z instead.
And, keep in mind the age range that does matter is 18-49 (or even 25-54). The Berman era's core demographic was Gen Xers. Almost half of Gen Xers would still be in the core "demo".
I'd have done it by Boomer, Gen X, Millennial, Gen Z instead.
And, keep in mind the age range that does matter is 18-49 (or even 25-54). The Berman era's core demographic was Gen Xers. Almost half of Gen Xers would still be in the core "demo".
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I'm 46. I was (and probably still am) more interested in an approach like Season 1: following up on ideas and events and having legacy characters feature (though not exclusively), but not drowning in nostalgia with things like, Look everybody's on the Enterprise-D. Not that I am not affected by that, but it does feel shallower. Unfortunately, Season 1 was too all over the place and didn't try too hard to make me like the new characters. I mean, I did, but like having Jurati murder not Brian Bonphy was not a good way to endear me to her (as the worst example).
If you'd like to post your own poll, you're welcome to do so.
Over 35. Season 1 all the way.
There was a similar thread to this started back in December. https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/season-three-the-search-for-causation.315717/
The results of the poll here and the results of the poll there only show who's posting in the forum and who's following it. They're snapshots in time of who's come-and-gone and which opinions are more prevalent.
Eight months ago, the people who considered Season 3 the best were 50% (43% grew up with TNG, 7% didn't) and the people who considered Season 1 the best were 50% (35% grew up with TNG, 15% didn't).
So it used to be 50/50. Now it's gone to 35% prefer Season 3, 65% prefer Season 1. The most useful thing this poll tells me so far is what I already suspected: people who like Season 3 are being driven off by people who look like they have an axe to grind with it. I'm glad this current poll has allowed me to be able to quantify the difference.
The results of the poll here and the results of the poll there only show who's posting in the forum and who's following it. They're snapshots in time of who's come-and-gone and which opinions are more prevalent.
Eight months ago, the people who considered Season 3 the best were 50% (43% grew up with TNG, 7% didn't) and the people who considered Season 1 the best were 50% (35% grew up with TNG, 15% didn't).
So it used to be 50/50. Now it's gone to 35% prefer Season 3, 65% prefer Season 1. The most useful thing this poll tells me so far is what I already suspected: people who like Season 3 are being driven off by people who look like they have an axe to grind with it. I'm glad this current poll has allowed me to be able to quantify the difference.
You mean people were being critical of it, because it is nothing but empty calories being trotted around like it is a steak.
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