Best pure humor episodes

Discussion in 'General Trek Discussion' started by JirinPanthosa, Feb 10, 2013.

  1. JirinPanthosa

    JirinPanthosa Admiral Admiral

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    What episodes of Star Trek aren't trying to say something relevant about culture, aren't trying to be an exciting adventure, but are just trying to make you laugh? Which episodes are most successful at doing so?

    My top five:
    1. TNG - The Royale
    2. DS9 - Our Man Bashir
    3. DS9 - Trials and Tribbleations
    4. DS9 - In The Cards
    5. Voy - Bride of Chaotica
    HM: TNG - QPid

    Star Trek seems to be best at being funny when it's parodying itself, what do you think are the (intentionally) funniest episodes?
     
  2. MacLeod

    MacLeod Admiral Admiral

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    SR hasn't really down that many comedy episodes. Sure some episodes have comedy in them, but not really as heir primary device.
     
  3. Greg Cox

    Greg Cox Admiral Premium Member

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    Also:

    "The Trouble with Tribbles."

    "A Piece of the Action."

    "Little Green Men."

    Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
     
  4. sonak

    sonak Vice Admiral Admiral

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    "a piece of the action"
    "deja q"
    "in the cards"
    "tinker tenor doctor spy"
    "two days and two nights"(if that's what it's called)
     
  5. CaptPapa

    CaptPapa Commander Red Shirt

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    I really do not know . . .
    Chronologically . . .

    I, Mudd
    The Trouble With Tribbles
    A Piece Of The Action
    The Voyage Home

    :guffaw:
     
  6. CorporalClegg

    CorporalClegg Admiral Admiral

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    "Threshold"

    Oh. You mean intentionally. Well then I'd have to say TFF. What can I say? It makes me laugh. :shrug:
     
  7. Tiberius

    Tiberius Commodore Commodore

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    The Magnificent Ferengi.
     
  8. Greg Cox

    Greg Cox Admiral Premium Member

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    "The House of Quark" was fun, too.
     
  9. Devo

    Devo Lieutenant Junior Grade Red Shirt

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    No one's mentioned "Who Mourns For Morn?". For shame!
     
  10. CoveTom

    CoveTom Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    That's a tough criteria specified by the OP, because even when Star Trek is trying to do comedy, it's often trying to do something else as well. Probably the best known comedy Trek has ever done is The Voyage Home, yet it was clearly also trying to make social commentary and put forth a message.

    Also, did TNG really have straight comedy episodes? TOS obviously did, with entries like "The Trouble with Tribbles" and "A Piece of the Action." DS9 had tons with episodes like "The Magnificient Ferengi," "Who Mourns for Morn," "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang," etc. And Voyager had ones like "Bride of Chaotica." But right off the top of my head, I'm having a hard time think of TNG episodes that were just comedies.
     
  11. Greg Cox

    Greg Cox Admiral Premium Member

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    "Q-Pid," perhaps? That's pretty much of a lark, and maybe "A Fistful of Datas." Any episode in which Brent Spiner ends up in drag, playing a saloon girl, isn't exactly taking itself too seriously. :)
     
  12. The Wormhole

    The Wormhole Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Deja Q and Q-Pid are TNG's only really legitimate comedies that work. Although Phantasms is really funny too, though that's mostly unintentional.
     
  13. Dover

    Dover Lieutenant Junior Grade Red Shirt

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    I'm surprised no one has mentioned "Take Me Out to the Holosuite," but I'm a big baseball fan.
     
  14. The Wormhole

    The Wormhole Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    You're right, that is pretty funny.
     
  15. JirinPanthosa

    JirinPanthosa Admiral Admiral

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    I'm not requiring the episode to be strictly intended as comedy, but I am requiring that it be intentionally funny. That is, not trying to be serious but unintentionally funny.

    TNG episodes that are intended as comedy:
    The Outrageous Okana
    Up The Long Ladder
    Deja Q
    The Royale
    QPid
    Fistful of Datas
    Data's Day
    A Matter Of Time

    A lot of their attempts at humor failed, of course, but I really like The Royale and QPid, and Data's Day and Matter of Time are good episodes.

    Their attempts at humor are often better in episodes that aren't intended as humor, such as the ending of Menage a Troi.
     
  16. The Wormhole

    The Wormhole Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I don't get how Data's Day and A Matter of Time are meant to be comedies. Data's Day is basically a character piece about Data. Since he doesn't sleep and is up and about all 24 hours of the day, this explores a typical day for him. Hell, the scene with Dr Crusher teaching him how to dance is the only part of the episode that comes off as comedic in any way.

    I don't remember anything comedic, intentional or unintentional, about A Matter of Time.
     
  17. sonak

    sonak Vice Admiral Admiral

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    agreed, I've never seen these episodes referred to as "comedies."
     
  18. JirinPanthosa

    JirinPanthosa Admiral Admiral

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    Data's Day and Matter of Time might not strictly be referred to as comedies so much as 'light hearted episodes', or episodes with humorous B-plots.

    Data's perspective in Data's Day is rather humorous, particularly his musings on O'Brien's wedding. The dancing, his delivery of the 'good news'.

    And A Matter of Time, the entire con is humorous. His questioning of the layout of the briefing room, his entire act.
     
  19. Cyke101

    Cyke101 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I'm not a baseball fan and it's still one of my favorite episodes. I'd certainly rank it as one of the great humor episodes.
     
  20. CorporalCaptain

    CorporalCaptain Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    "Up the Long Ladder" isn't primarily a comedy, either.