The TNG Blu-ray arrived. I decided on the more expensive set that contained all the episodes and had no complaints from Amazon customers about disks that skipped and packaging that just wasn't very good. Since I am not really the binge watching type, it will take months to finish. I plan to watch them in order.

Here are some random thoughts on Encounter at Farpoint:

Back in the 80s, Star Trek fans looked forward to this. Eagerly. They saw the previews and said stuff like "The Squire Trelane has grown up -- And he's angry!" And clues or tidbits were gobbled up and endlessly speculated on.

The response was mixed. The viewing in the dorm room began with lots of excitement. The computer generated special effects were dazzling for television at that time. (The low quality, static-filled TV set easily hid any flaws.) The guys ooohed and aaahed and ogled Marina Sirtis and Denise Crosby. The story itself, though, was casually paced and projected a kind of staid atmosphere. Overall, it wasn't great, but it was good enough to keep us watching in the upcoming weeks.

Now: The Blu-ray features remastered images and the flat screen HD TV presents them in a positive light. I have no complaints about the presentation and sound. More importantly, the story seems to hold up better than I remember.

I am not fond of Q. I never really like Star Trek villains that were so powerful that only a deus ex machina can help our heroes survive. Fortunately, Picard and company have a little bit of free agency at their disposal. Sadly, it really amounts to them resolving a moral dilemma in a manner satisfactory to the capricious Q. It did grate, but the twist was satisfactory. Portraying completely different life forms as sympathetic beings is nothing new, but it is 100% Star Trek. The story did move too slowly, but this was partially to allow the viewer to be introduced to the various characters.

Patrick Stewart does an outstanding job of portraying both the strong command presence and the man vulnerable to doubt in private moments. In the hands of a lesser actor, the entire project would have fallen completely apart very early.

Riker was still kind of the doofus I remember. His new ship has a Siri and he didn't even frigging know about it. What was even worse was that a hologram was something completely new to him. Okay. I guess that he was supposed to be a stand-in for the viewer as a way to exposit some of the newer technology. It would have been better to give this role to a visitor, though, rather than to the guy who is second in command. At least he knew how to manage a reintegration of the saucer section.

The character of Data came across as a little too forced. Hopefully, they can smooth out some rough edges in later episodes.

Overall, not bad. Perhaps going through the first season won't be too much of a chore.