Top Ten Worst Episodes?

Discussion in 'Star Trek - The Original & Animated Series' started by Frontier, Feb 23, 2012.

  1. Frontier

    Frontier Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 17, 2002
    Location:
    Fifth Circle of Hell, IE: Pennsylvania
    Assembling a list for some new trekkies on the worst episodes they can, basically, skip and... yeah, need help. I know it might be a little heretical to say "skip this episode" but... hey, we want these people to like Trek, right? Forcing them to watch "Way to Eden" could put that in danger! :lol:

    So, 10 or so worst episodes?

    My list so far...

    • "The Way to Eden"
    • "Return of the Archons"
    • "Catspaw"
    • "And the Children Shall Lead"
    • "The Empath"
    Opinions? Additions?
     
  2. gottacook

    gottacook Captain Captain

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2005
    Location:
    Maryland
    My list of episodes to avoid, in approximate order:

    "The Alternative Factor" ("What of Lazarus?" "And what of Lazarus?" etc.)

    "The Omega Glory" (yes, I know it was one of the original Roddenberry story treatments for the second pilot, and I like Cloud William and his utterances, but anyone new to Trek ought to be spared the Yangs and Kohms)

    "And the Children Shall Lead" (nice score by George Duning, though, largely unused in later episodes)

    "The Paradise Syndrome" (worst actress in the entire series, bad enough to drag down an intriguing episode; sorry, Sabrina, but someone had to be)

    "Whom Gods Destroy" (I really enjoyed Steve Ihnat and Yvonne Craig in this, but a novice shouldn't be exposed to dialogue such as "It is time I took command of the Enterprise")

    "Plato's Stepchildren" (just plain stupid, despite the presence of Barbara Babcock and Michael Dunn, who both project intelligence as they usually do)

    "The Mark of Gideon" [which depends on (1) the Gideons, not even Federation members, being able to build an "Enterprise" that could fool its captain AND learning of some obscure disease he once had, and (2) the bridge crew not at first recognizing that transporter coordinates were transposed]

    "For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky" (as David Gerrold wrote in The World of Star Trek, "[McCoy] gets to fall in love and almost die in the same episode - a plethora of devices to create artificial excitement.")
     
  3. Bones_McCoy21

    Bones_McCoy21 Commander Red Shirt

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2011
    Location:
    McCoy's Quarters
    My list is:

    1.The Way To Eden

    2.The Omega Glory

    3.Charlie X

    4.CharlieX

    5.Charlie X

    6.Charlie X

    7.Charlie X

    8.Charlie X

    9.Charlie X

    10.Charlie X

    So yeah I'm a big Charlie X hater.And in the same episode; seeing Kirk in those tights DID NOT help. And because of my intense hate for Charlie X I did not have room for And The Children Shall Lead or that episode witht he people with the black and white faces. Cna't remember the name of thaat episode.
     
  4. Admiral Shran

    Admiral Shran Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2009
    Location:
    In the Before Time - the Long, Long Ago
    From "best" to worst.....

    10.) The Omega Glory
    9.) Turnabout Intruder
    8.) The Way to Eden
    7.) Charlie X
    6.) Catspaw
    5.) Plato's Stepchildren
    4.) Mudd's Women
    3.) Spock's Brain
    2.) The Alternative Factor
    1.) And the Children Shall Lead
     
  5. Octubre

    Octubre Ensign Red Shirt

    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2012
    1) Metamorphosis (The end was terrible - loss of two personalities by joining them in one is so romantic! :evil:)
    2) The Alternative Factor (pure, gold boredom)
    3) Charlie X
    4) The Omega Glory
    5) Who Mourns for Adonais? (Is this Apollo? He could be exellent Stanley Kowalski. Besides, Pan wasn't boring! :lol:)
    6) Assignment: Earth (Women and cat were great, but only they)
    7) The Ultimate Computer
    8) Let That Be Your Last Battlefield (Obvious simbolism is too obvious)
    9) Mudd's Women (It's very happy end for woman who had been washing dishes for her father and brothers for the whole life - to marry wild miner and wash dishes for him)
    10) Shore Leave (Too much craziness and too long fight scene. Poor Sturgeon's script, it might be good)
     
    Last edited: Feb 23, 2012
  6. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2001
    Location:
    America, Fuck Yeah!!!
    I think it's wrong to cut out episodes because everyone's taste is different. I routinely put The Omega Glory and Bread and Circuses in my top 10. :techman:
     
  7. Octubre

    Octubre Ensign Red Shirt

    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2012
    For this reason I was surprised that I hadn't liked it so much. I had heared a lot of good things about this episode and I expected more. :rolleyes:
     
  8. Saga

    Saga Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Sep 6, 2008
    Location:
    VA
    10. Spock's Brain
    9. Elaan of Troyius
    8. Patterns of Force
    7. Wolf in the Fold
    6. Turnabout Intruder
    5. Spectre of the Gun
    4. Plato's Stepchildren
    3. The Way to Eden
    2. Catspaw
    1. And the Children Shall Lead
     
  9. Gojira

    Gojira Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2008
    Location:
    Stompin' on Tokyo
    I actually like The Way to Eden and I am 100% with you on your hatred of Charlie X.
     
  10. Winterwind

    Winterwind Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2007
    Location:
    London, Canada
    Episodes I can easily skip are...

    The Alternative Factor
    Catspaw
    The Omega Glory
    Spock's Brain
    And The Children Shall Lead
    Plato's Stepchildren
    The Mark of Gideon
    The Way To Eden
     
  11. scotpens

    scotpens Professional Geek Premium Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2009
    Location:
    City of the Fallen Angels
    Seven of my top ten worst episodes are from the third season (surprise!)

    The Alternative Factor
    The Apple
    The Gamesters of Triskelion
    Spock's Brain
    And The Children Shall Lead
    Plato's Stepchildren
    Let That Be Your Last Battlefield
    The Mark Of Gideon
    The Cloud Minders
    The Way To Eden

    Sacrilege! "Metamorphosis" is a beautiful story. YMMV.
    That ep was worse than boring. Muddled plot, incomprehensible science, script padded out with endless spinning starfields and stuntmen fighting in dry-ice fog.
    It's not even symbolism -- just 52 minutes of preaching.
    You're missing the entire point.
     
  12. Gojira

    Gojira Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2008
    Location:
    Stompin' on Tokyo
    These are the episodes I ignore.

    The Man Trap*
    The Gamesters of Triskelion
    Let That Be Your Last Battlefield
    The Alternative Factor
    Catspaw
    The Omega Glory
    And The Children Shall Lead
    Plato's Stepchildren
    The Mark of Gideon
    Charlie X


    * The Man trap isn't too bad I just find it a bit boring now after so many viewings.
     
  13. Saga

    Saga Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Sep 6, 2008
    Location:
    VA
    i feel the same way about certain episodes. i've seen The Enterprise Incident so many times that i try to avoid it.
     
  14. Bones_McCoy21

    Bones_McCoy21 Commander Red Shirt

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2011
    Location:
    McCoy's Quarters
    thanks for the support on Charlie X I do however know that a lot of people like The Way To Eden I just didn't a matter of personal tastes though.But I did forget Mudd's Women but Charlie X takes the cake sorry I don't like The Way To Eden
     
  15. Starbreaker

    Starbreaker Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2001
    Location:
    Birmingham, AL
    The Omega Glory x10
     
  16. Isis

    Isis Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    May 31, 2009
    Sorry, fox, but I put "Shore Leave" among the worst TOS episodes as well.
     
  17. Octubre

    Octubre Ensign Red Shirt

    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2012
    And this lady, whose fiance was killed in Balance of Terror, too.
     
  18. Mr_Homn

    Mr_Homn Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2010
    I couldn't narrow it down to only 10. I was left with 15. These 15 episodes of Star Trek are on my DO NOT WATCH list.

    My List in order of appearance, not rank:

    -Mudd's Women - Not horrible , has a couple fun elements, and the questioning of mudd is cool, but the corny end makes it unwatchable for me.

    -Miri - Hodgkin's retarded law of parallel planet theory bullshit is retarded bullshit. Can't stand the children actors in this, even the "good" ones.

    -The Alternative Factor - This episode will give you an Aneurysm. Stay away.

    -Catspaw - I like beginning until we meet the main villains and then it's really, really boring. The funny puppets at the end are worth a look.

    -Friday's Child- This episode just sucks. Dr. Mccoy hits a pregnant lady though, that was funny.

    -I, Mudd - This episode has really embarassing scenes. It's just very dated and lame feeling.

    -A Private Little War - Stupid Viet Nam war 60s propaganda.

    -A Piece of the Action - I've never been able to sit through the whole thing. It doesn't work as a comedy the way Trouble with Tribbles worked. I guess I just don't dig the whole 20's mob thing. Just seems like a cheap money saving decision, except without the creativity or subtlety normally used in making such decisions.

    Spock's Brain - Dumb

    -And the Children shall Lead - This episode is bad, but it isn't as bad as it's made out to be. But it's pretty meh. I actually enjoy it more than most, but it's pretty universally hated. I usually hate episodes with lots of child actors though.

    -The Empath - Gem the empath is annoying and stupid looking. This episode has some nice concepts, but fails in most of it's execution. Very boring to sit through.

    - That Which Survives - Not as bad as people say, but still cheap, stupid, and lazy.

    -The Mark of Gideon - Ridiculous concept and solution.

    -The Way To Eden - Cheesy and hard to sit through. More embarassing musical scenes.



    As for the worst episode.....

    Assignment: Earth -This doesn't even qualify as a Star Trek Episode and therefore automatically must be the worst episode of Star Trek ever. It might be entertaining TV, but it isn't Star Trek. It's Gary 7. Kirk and Spock make a cameo appearance.
     
  19. Frontier

    Frontier Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 17, 2002
    Location:
    Fifth Circle of Hell, IE: Pennsylvania
    400 quatlous to whomever gathers and tallies the combined results... lol
     
  20. Admiral Shran

    Admiral Shran Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2009
    Location:
    In the Before Time - the Long, Long Ago
    ^ Okay, why not. :p

    9 VOTES
    And the Children Shall Lead

    7 VOTES
    The Alternative Factor
    The Omega Glory
    The Way to Eden


    6 VOTES
    Catspaw
    Plato's Stepchildren
    The Mark of Gideon


    5 VOTES
    Charlie X
    Spock's Brain


    4 VOTES
    Let That Be Your Last Battlefield
    Mudd's Women


    3 VOTES

    The Empath

    2 VOTES

    Assignment: Earth
    Metamophosis
    Shore Leave
    The Cloud Minders
    The Gamesters of Triskelion
    Turnabout Intruder


    1 VOTE
    All Our Yesterdays
    A Piece of the Action
    A Private Little War
    Elaan of Troyius
    For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky
    Friday's Child
    I, Mudd
    Is There in Truth No Beauty
    Miri
    Patterns of Force
    Requiem for Methuselah
    Spectre of the Gun
    That Which Survives
    The Apple
    The Enterprise Incident
    The Man Trap
    The Paradise Syndrome
    The Return of the Archons
    The Ultimate Computer
    Whom Gods Destroy
    Who Mourns for Adonais?
    Wink of an Eye
    Wolf in the Fold