WhatCulture's 20 worst Star Trek episodes

[BlueStuff]

http://whatculture.com/tv/star-trek-20-worst-episodes-ever.php

From least bad to worst. What do you make of the list? Any glaring omissions for you?

20. Spock's Brain - TOS
19. These are the Voyages... - ENT
18. Threshold - VOY
17. A Night in Sickbay - ENT
16. Justice - TNG
15. The Omega Glory - TOS
14. Meridian - DS9
13. Time's Orphan - DS9
12. Zero Hour - ENT
11. Fury - VOY
10. Unexpected - ENT
9. Shades of Gray - TNG
8. And the Children Shall Lead - TOS
7. Precious Cargo - ENT
6. Fair Haven - VOY
5. Spirit Folk - VOY
4. Profit and Lace - DS9
3. The Alternative Factor - TOS
2. Code of Honor - TNG
1. The Way to Eden - TOS


Time's Orphan shouldn't be anywhere near this list IMO. The explanation is quite poor - reasoning that it's so bad because it's filler. However, there are far worse offenders of that in DS9 alone; The Passenger and Move Along Home to name a couple.

 

[USS Triumphant]

I kind of want to find whomever wrote this and smack them for putting "The Omega Factor" and "The Way To Eden" on this list - especially as high up as they put the latter. They're silly fun, but there is no way either of them is NEARLY as bad as "Threshold", "These Are The Voyages", or "Shades of Gray".

But all lists like this are ever good for is clickbait, so it wouldn't surprise me if some of the entries were either intentionally wrong or at least in the wrong order on purpose. Argument fodder. Get people on the Internet arguing and watch that ad revenue roll on in.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I never had a problem with Time's Orphan. Not the best episode but not in the 'Worst ever' category. Maybe 30th percentile among all Trek.

 

[Melakon]

1. The Way to Eden - TOS

Herberts.

 

[uniderth]

As the father of two young, half-asian, girls, Time's Orphan was a really emotional episode for me.

 

[The Wormhole]

My assessment of that list:

Spock's Brain isn't nearly as bad as everyone makes it out to be. Cheesy as hell, but entertaining in its own way.

TATV is pretty bad and should be higher on the list.

Threshold is so wacky it's fun. Seriously, I don't get why this one is so hated.

A Night in Sickbay is certainly a low point, but the sad thing is compared to most Enterprise season 2 it's actually one of the better ones that year and a lot more entertaining than both the previous episode (Dead Stop) and the next one (Marauders).

Justice can certainly be embarrassing, and even by the standards of TNG season 1 is subpar, but I'm sure I'd call it one of Trek's worst.

The Omega Glory does not belong on this list at all.

Meridian and Time's Orphan, though not favourites aren't bad episodes and shouldn't be ranked as the worst of Trek.

Zero Hour is an awesome episode. While I can understand knocking the episode over the Nazi ending which comes out of nowhere, putting the episode on this list because of it is an overreaction.

Fury, well it had nice visuals, particularly that battle with the Vidians.

Unexpected, certainly not a great episode, but I'm not sure it deserves to be on this list.

Shades of Gray shouldn't even count as an episode.

And the Children Shall Lead, no argument. Except that I would have put in number 1. IMO, it is the worst Trek episode.

Precious Cargo, no argument.

Fair Haven and Spirit Folk, as silly as they are (especially Spirit Folk) don't really deserve to be on the list.

I have nothing to say about the rest, except Code of Honour is so bad and offensive that I actually end up laughing while watching it.

 

[Drone]

Maybe I would just limit it to a Voyager list, but False Profits seems to me pretty much like lifeless drudge in hope that bringing back some familiar faces and surprise, some continuity, would cover up the boredom. While episodes like Threshold are almost always in the Pantheon of Badness, it's entertaining, salacious, and leaves one with some interesting questions. IMHO, False Profits just doesn't have anything really engaging in its execution.

 

[Harvey]

I'm here for my scheduled slapping.

I wrote this over a year ago. Did What Culture repost it?

 

[Melakon]

I'm here for my scheduled slapping.

I wrote this over a year ago. Did What Culture repost it?

At least you got credited.

Over-educated, under-employed, and with a passion for film and television, Michael runs the Star Trek Fact Check Blog and figured he would start writing lists of things online, since he already spends too much time reading them.

No date on the article that I see, but earliest comment seems to be last July.

eta
Accept my apologies, Herbert.

 

[BillJ]

I'm here for my scheduled slapping.

At least you got "Fair Haven" and "Spirit Folk" on there.

 

[Shark]

Yup, that's a pretty comprehensive list! Although I do like "Unexpected".

 

[Marsden]

But all lists like this are ever good for is clickbait, so it wouldn't surprise me if some of the entries were either intentionally wrong or at least in the wrong order on purpose. Argument fodder. Get people on the Internet arguing and watch that ad revenue roll on in.

I strongly agree with this paragraph.


And no one mentioned Sub Rosa?

 

[at Quark's]

@The Wormhole,
I largely agree with you, though I feel inclined to comment on two of your remarks:

My assessment of that list:

TATV is pretty bad and should be higher on the list.

Had it been a regular episode, I actually could have liked it (except for Trip's death), though I still would have considered the idea of inserting two TNG characters as somewhat doubtful. As a series finale though, it really sucks.

Fury, well it had nice visuals, particularly that battle with the Vidians.

Perhaps. But I consider this episode offensive and I think it should be on such a list.

 

[Nightdiamond]

How about the 'Photons be Free!" episode? It's wrong to knock civil rights, but that was just too silly.

 

[Melakon]

How about the 'Photons be Free!" episode? It's wrong to knock civil rights, but that was just too silly.

That's "Author, Author". It's slighty redeemed by the Doctor's conception of the crew, and Paris making his own "improvements" on the manuscript. The ownership rights plotline sucks because it's a poor rehash with lower stakes of Data's struggle for his own life.

The biggest problem is it's a topic that writers and artists actually care about, though the general audience could care less. Trek sometimes had this problem of episodes on issues that only creative types care about.

 

[JRoss]

Hey, Harvey, nice to see other content writers on this site! I'd only contend that you missed Homeward and The Masterpiece Society.

 

[Lynx]

"Fury" (VOY) should have been no. 1 on the list.

The worst episode ever in a TV series.

Those who made the episode destroyed a beloved character and deliberately spat in the faces of the characters's fans.

That episode should be erased from all future DVD:s and never be aired on TV again.

 

[T'Girl]

Threshold, Unexpected, Code of Honor, I would put below the half way mark of "best of" but not in the worst 20 list.

How can Masks and Inner Light be absent from any "worst" list?

.

 

[Elias Vaughn]

I must be the only man on Earth who adored Profit and Lace.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I would put False Profits as #1 worst episode all time. So many things wrong with that episode. Besides being the most blatant of the "Voyager loses a chance to get home by doing the right thing" episodes, it also had a "Ridiculous PD interpretation" problem and a pretty major "Everyone is stupid except us" problem.