Top Ten Worst Episodes?

[Gary7]

ssosmcin wrote:

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This is all subjective and really "your 10 least favorite episodes." I don't think I really hate any of them. However, some episode are a chore for me to sit through, even if there are things about them individually that I enjoy.

Charlie X: the singing, the painful ass slapping antics and Kirk in tights. They should have smacked Charlie shitless "when I came aboard!"

Miri: No blah blah blah. Kirk creepily comes onto Miri from minute one.

Mudd's Women: the sleazy music, the ass ogling and Roger C. Carmel. No thanks.

I, Mudd: Roger C. Carmel. The over the top humor. The evacuated invisible crew. I am not programmed to respond in that area.

The Apple: Chekov constantly macking on Yeoman Landon, the planet of blonde people who laugh as kissing, the virtual replay of the ending of Who Mourns of Adonias and Mallory, who was trying not to be noticed, screaming his bloody head off before stepping on the exploding rock.

Patterns of Force: "Hitler made the trains run on time, so let's pattern a government after the Nazi's." The most misguided Trek ever.

A Piece of the Action: okay, I do hate one episode and this is it. Only a single funny line in the whole episode (Spock: "I'd advise yez ta keep dialin', Oxmyx"). Anything with Vic Tayback is bound to be obnoxious.

And the Children Shall Lead: the circle jerking kids, the fat phantom, Uhura's mirror at her station and Sulu's fear of Space Knives. What's to like?

Mark of Gideon: WTF? That is all.

The Way to Eden: actually treats young people as badly as Miri. And when did Chekov become such a tight ass? "His name was Adam." Thanks for hammering that home Spock.

Runner up: This Side of Paradise, merely for the painfully bad Jill Ireland. The only thing I ever saw her in that I liked was the Man from Uncle episode where she played a stripper. She had a HELL of a figure.

I love your acerbic treatment of these episodes with unabashed sarcasm.


I don't hate all of these, just a few. Some episodes give you a view of the Enterprise interior or crew juxtapositions that aren't found in other episodes. For instance, the extended view of the updated recreation room in "And The Children Shall Lead" was probably the only redeeming factor of the episode (see a great review of it HERE).

"The Way To Eden" wasn't a bad one for me. While there was such a strange "future hippy" incarnation presented, I liked the overall concept. Plus, seeing Spock jam on the Vulcan lyre was cool. And lastly, we get one last view of the large shuttlecraft mock-up.

You didn't list "Spock's Brain"... if you're going to hate Patterns of Force, then Spock's Brain shouldn't stand a chance.

"Spock's Brain": While it starts out rather well, it quickly becomes a charade. A remote control Spock? No. The medical science depicted does not at all demonstrate they have that kind of technology, to clamp on some kind of device to motor control a humanoid. It was just stupid. But I'll bet Nimoy complained about the possibility of being wheeled around on a gurney and they had to think of something else. The stupidity of the women was insulting to the gender, pure and simple. And the "brain booster" being only temporary? Um... like brain cells will just naturally revert to a different state after being morphed? No, I'm sorry. That's just utter nonsense. And the pain belts were a kind of a pathetic remake of the pain collars from "Gamesters of Triskelion." Quite frankly, they should have just re-used the neck collars, painting them different colors.

"That Which Survives" doesn't get mentioned much, but I definitely feel it is in the bottom 10. While the story idea had some merit, as BoredShipCap'n pointed out the writing was terrible. Also the stupid juxtaposition of bodies to avoid being touched. It was laughable. All she needed to do was lunge at them, because they couldn't harm her! Sheesh. Materialize right behind someone and touch--DONE.


I can't stand how a number of people think "The Empath" was horrible. I thought it was terrific. The story idea was excellent. The aliens were intriguing. The imagery was convincing. It's definitely in my top 20.

[AtoZ]

Many of the more disliked episodes have very good qualities. Of the 79 episodes there are but a mere handful that are either very weak and of them only really one that makes me wince.

I can point to good if not great elements in each of the weaker ones that I dislike, but aside from Plato's Stepchildren, which I believe is just a lazy effort whereby there reused a lot of props and garb, not to mention a monumental embarrassment where the characters are concerned. But there will be those that like it, and I can appreciate that.

Mark of Gideon - full of plot holes

Lights of Zetar - Scotty always corny when he fancies a woman

Who Mourns for Adonais - back to the old Greek/Roman robes, harps and sandals. I can't stand it all plus Carolyn Palamas.....like Marla MacGivers before her....all too shallow and easily talked out of her oath and sense of duty....on top of Scotty acting......corny.....plus she ain't all of that (but I know that's subjective)

Let That Be Your Last Battlefield - dry episode...and a half opened door on the Enterprise?????

Whom Gods Destroy - some silly silly stuff just barely SAVED by Steve Inhat and Batgirl

Mudd's Women - too many plot holes, felt like a bad western at times

Return to Tomorrow - candy coated possession, too much tree sap between Sargon and "beloved wife" and some light and sound effects. I did like the part where Spock made Uhura scream, though.....and Kirk's hammed-up speech "risk....risk is our business". LOL!

The Cloud Minders - Kirk rolling around in the sand with a guy dressed yet again in ...... robe and sandals, Spock ready to throw it all away despite Pon Farr being light years away.....and missing the much appreciated "Roddenberry touch" on Vanna which in this corner is viewed as missed opportunity.

For the World is Hollow and I have Touched the Sky - another missed opportunity with Natira but mostly David Gerrold nailed it. Way too much reuse of props, sets, etc. It's bad enough when they obviously reuse and redress Nomad....but at least it was from another season and some effort had been put into it. In this one they borrowed HEAVILY from recent episodes. Maybe they figure we were stupid?

[ssosmcin]

Gary7 wrote:

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I love your acerbic treatment of these episodes with unabashed sarcasm.

I'm happy somebody does.

As I say, really, aside from A Piece of the Action, I don't really hate any episode. There's usually something about them I can shut my brain off with and enjoy if they episodes themselves don't come up to par.

You didn't list "Spock's Brain"...

That cuz I really enjoy Spock's Brain. It's as dumb as dirt, but it's a great deal of fun. Fantastic music, the awesome rear projection viewscreen that Marc Daniels exploits as far as it can go ("Bill, just pace in front of the screen for a few minutes."). It's like it knows it's stupid but goes for it anyway. And I swear, the pain belts were props from Lost in Space. For that alone, it gets a thumbs up.

"That Which Survives" doesn't get mentioned much, but I definitely feel it is in the bottom 10.

I like this one, too, just for the atmosphere and the Service Crawl way. We never see it before or after, but I always loved it and the stuff going on around it. Spock is a total douche, but otherwise, I enjoy this one a lot.

[Admiral Buzzkill]

"Charlie X" is one of the better early episodes of Star Trek, but then it's pretty much lifted from "It's A Good Life."

[gottacook]

Gary7 wrote:

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I can't stand how a number of people think "The Empath" was horrible. I thought it was terrific. The story idea was excellent. The aliens were intriguing. The imagery was convincing. It's definitely in my top 20.

Mine too, but for me George Duning's music is the main draw. Despite a script with its share of howlers ("Compassion for another is becoming part of her functioning life-system"), something about the episode elicited music from Duning that was poignant and at the same time metrically fluid and supple. The last act includes probably the longest musical passage without dialogue in all of Trek. I know some fans hate this music and have commented about it, but it's always welcome to me, whether intact in "The Empath" or cut up into pieces for episodes such as "Requiem for Methuselah."

[ssosmcin]

My Name Is Legion wrote:

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"Charlie X" is one of the better early episodes of Star Trek, but then it's pretty much lifted from "It's A Good Life."

I consider it more of a follow up; what happened to little Anthony 10 years later? His family is gone so now he winds up in another place with his first adolescent jones.

[BoredShipCapt'n]

gottacook wrote:

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Mine too, but for me George Duning's music is the main draw. Despite a script with its share of howlers ("Compassion for another is becoming part of her functioning life-system"), something about the episode elicited music from Duning that was poignant and at the same time metrically fluid and supple. The last act includes probably the longest musical passage without dialogue in all of Trek. I know some fans hate this music and have commented about it, but it's always welcome to me, whether intact in "The Empath" or cut up into pieces for episodes such as "Requiem for Methuselah."

Long musical passages without dialogue. That must be why I always fall asleep. It is lovely music but zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

[T'Girl]

ssosmcin wrote:

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Patterns of Force: "Hitler made the trains run on time ...

That would have been Benito Mussolini, not Hitler.

[Isis]

The good news is that I can't just reel them off, and I'm sure my list will be less than 10. Will provide in a few minutes.

[Isis]

Using "worst" (and not "bad") as the criterion, I can come up with only three episodes:
--Shore Leave
--And the Children Shall Lead
--For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky

[scotpens]

gottacook wrote:

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Mine too, but for me George Duning's music is the main draw. Despite a script with its share of howlers ("Compassion for another is becoming part of her functioning life-system"), something about the episode elicited music from Duning that was poignant and at the same time metrically fluid and supple. The last act includes probably the longest musical passage without dialogue in all of Trek. I know some fans hate this music and have commented about it, but it's always welcome to me, whether intact in "The Empath" or cut up into pieces for episodes such as "Requiem for Methuselah."

George Duning wrote some of the best Trek TOS music, IMHO. His scores for "Metamorphosis" (one of my favorites) and the mediocre ep "Is There In Truth No Beauty?" are equally moving and memorable.

But then, in much of Season 3, the music outshines the scripts and the acting.

[Mr_Homn]

T'Girl wrote:

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That would have been Benito Mussolini, not Hitler.

Mussolini was Hitler's bitch, though, so Hitler gets the credit.

[JimZipCode]

AtoZ wrote:

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The Cloud Minders -
...Spock ready to throw it all away despite Pon Farr being light years away

Huh? What are you talking about?

Droxine was clearly hitting on Spock, but it wasn't at all clear there was any interest the other way. On my last re-watch, it looked like Spock regarded her as sort of a child, and was merely being politely patient with her. Doesn't the episode end with him encouraging her to get out into the wider world and see more stuff, like a mentor would?

[T'Girl]

JimZipCode wrote:

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Droxine

Spock was so into her, we were privileged to Spock's thoughts on Droxine, and those thoughts were romantic and poetic.

He wanted her.

[ssosmcin]

Mr_Homn wrote:

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Mussolini was Hitler's bitch, though, so Hitler gets the credit.

Thanks for backstopping.