"Great" episodes that you don't really care for

[Smoked Salmon]

Inspired by this thread. Just wondering about which episodes people didn't care for, or flat out disliked, that are otherwise consider good or classics by fans.

From time to time I look at those "best episode" lists online and some that are in there always surprise me. For instance, I never much cared for Space Seed. Don't get me wrong, Montalban is great in it and I am a great fan of TWOK, but the episode itself I find a bit, well, boring.

Flashback, as great as it is to see Sulu, Rand, Kang and the Excelsior again, I otherwise found the story to be pure crap. Of the two 30th anniversary stories, DS9 won hands down.

All of the DS9 Mirror universe episodes. Always found Visitor's Intendant to be a little too hammy and that ruined these episodes for me. Plus, by the last one, it just felt as if they were taking them for the sake of fan popularity.

Unification. Am I allowed to say this was a total waste of Nimoy? The first episode is flat out bad. I don 't really have a problem with the story idea of Spock seeking connections with the Romulans, but I found the story pooring executed, with the first episode largely being a lot of pointless filler (with a particularly poorly acted Klingon Captain) and the second to be mostly Nimory strolling around spewing out dry dialogue. Relics is so much better an example of how to feature a TOS character in my opinion.

Year of Hell. I actually do think this is one of the better Voyager stories. One of the greatest of the franchise though? No way. Although I do concede that part of my thinking is informed by the fact that I think Voyager is the weakest show of the franchise.

In a Mirror Darkly. I feel this story tends to rest on the fact that it has a TOS ship, a Gorn and the Tholians - amount to a TOS prequel and sequel, which are great to see. But I can't help feeling that the story itself is pretty pointless. It relates in no way to the crew of Enterprise and so I personally am not interested at all in what happens to the characters since they aren't the ones I see every week. In contrast, all mirror episodes before featured prime universe characters so there was something for the audience to relate to. I wouldn't say these episodes are bad per se, but I think folks would have to agree that if you skipped over them it makes little difference to the overall season/show.

What are yours?

Edit: Could I trouble a mod to fix the typo in the thread title? Thanks.

 

[2takesfrakes]

I cannot stand TOS' Trouble with Tribbles. For a 'comedy,' it really sucks ass, BUT ... it is not The Shat's fault. It's not anybody in the cast's fault. The script is lame and to this day, Trekkies continue to deny it.

 

[Smoked Salmon]

I cannot stand TOS' Trouble with Tribbles. For a 'comedy,' it really sucks ass, BUT ... it is not The Shat's fault. It's not anybody in the cast's fault. The script is lame and to this day, Trekkies continue to deny it.

But, but, but, but....da tribbles. Dey cute!

 

[stardream]

Not a big fan of The Inner Light or any episode where it was all a weird dream or the character lived someone else's life. Doesn't mean they were bad episodes as such...just not my thing.

I hate the Mirror Universe...I skip all of those with the exception of Mirror, Mirror.

The Thaw. I just don't get the love for this.

 

[Smoked Salmon]

The Thaw. I just don't get the love for this.

With you on that one.

 

[Tracy Trek]

The Thaw was just plain weird, I don't like it either.

 

[Push The Button]

I cannot stand TOS' Trouble with Tribbles. For a 'comedy,' it really sucks ass, BUT ... it is not The Shat's fault. It's not anybody in the cast's fault. The script is lame and to this day, Trekkies continue to deny it.

Tribbles was one of my favorites when I was a teenager, but for the 50-year old me, it doesn't hold up so well anymore. Much of the comedic parts seem forced and out of place, and Shatner was just phoning it in for half of his scenes.

 

[Mojochi]

Honestly? All Good Things... It's not nearly as good as people praise it, with the exception of the last few minutes, where those actors really know how to put a lump in your throat. "Don't care for it" is a bit of a stretch, but I do think it's quite overrated. It's certainly not Q & Picard's best outing. The Riker/Worf subtext conflict thing was contrived. It's slapped together pretty hastily (By the writer's own admission) The whole notion that Picard would have such a hard time time traveling, given his history, is a stretch, & the sum-ups for all the characters just didn't land all that well. Really? Geordi marries the married lady who he'd had nothing but awkward relations with the entire time? Even Picard & Crusher's thing could've been handled better. I'm not saying it's bad by any measure, but I hardly ever watch it, & that's how I measure my fondness for episodes now

 

[2takesfrakes]

Tribbles was one of my favorites when I was a teenager, but for the 50-year old me, it doesn't hold up so well anymore. Much of the comedic parts seem forced and out of place, and Shatner was just phoning it in for half of his scenes.

Nothing has to be an award-winner to be appreciated, but you're absolutely right, this episode has a lot of problems. The main problem I have with it is that its universal appeal is so overstated.

But, but, but, but....da tribbles. Dey cute!

I must admit, tribbles as we know them were a neat solution to the design problem. And hawking overpriced furballs at conventions isn't a bad way to make a living, I'm sure ...

 

[at Quark's]

Unification.

While I liked the general story concept, I found the idea that Romulus would be able to 'seize control of Vulcan' with the crews of only three mediocre-sized ships, and hold their own any longer than a few hours against Federation reinforcement forces (or even the Vulcan forces they must have on their own planet), flat out silly. That would have to be backed up by a massive Romulan invasion at the same time, at least.

 

[JoeCabby]

City on the Edge of Forever. It's a good episode. But like all Star Trek, there's many episodes that are good, but fall apart at the ending. And for me, it falls apart at the ending. The big moment that's supposed to tug at your heart strings just doesn't do it for me. Simply because the girl is just Kirk's conquest for the week. You just know that once he's back on the ship, he's chasing another piece of tail.

 

[Voth commando1]

What you leave behind-maybe I'm not as bedazzled by DS9 as most people-but come on-the war ends halfway through the episode then they cast a spell with books and such its just got to fantasyyy for me-I just don't like the prophets storyline and the dominion war just wasn't that compelling.

 

[The Wormhole]

TNG Schisms. Everyone always calls it a masterpiece and praises it for how creepy it is, but I've always found it so boring I have trouble getting through it.

 

[stardream]

I'm not really that big a fan of Yesterday's Enterprise. Not really that fond of Tasha, or Sela for that matter.

 

[Mage]

The Thaw was indeed pretty dull.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Episodes like "The Inner Light" and "Far Beyond the Stars" work when you're binging a series on DVD or Netflix, but when you tune in to see your characters on colourful adventures in space and on other planets and instead get a man growing old with his family and a struggling writer dealing with race issues in the past... you walk away disappointed.

I also am not a fan of "In a Mirror, Darkly" because I never engaged with the characters. Yes, lots of fun stuff like the TOS ship, Gorn and Tholians, but I didn't give a shit what became of any of the unlikeable asshole versions of the Enterprise crew.

 

[Voth commando1]

I couldn't stand any of the prophet or religion episodes on DS9-if I want sci fantasy and religious mysticism-Ill watch/read Star Wars, BSG or hell LOTR-star trek is sci fi period-yes there's a touch of mysticism but DS9 over did it

 

[Paradise City]

All Good Things I liked but not as much most do. Mostly because I didn't think the attempt to recreate the first season sensibility to be convincing. That kind of irked me watching it despite myself. Also the Romulans didn't get a good crack of the whip. You don't dangle the Andreas Katsulas at me and then just forget about him. What was that all about?

The DS9 Mirror episodes do go stale as the series progressed but that's the opinion of most people isn't it?

.

 

[CRM-114]

I have never understood all the Mirror Universe love.

 

[retroenzo]

I couldn't stand any of the prophet or religion episodes on DS9-if I want sci fantasy and religious mysticism-Ill watch/read Star Wars, BSG or hell LOTR-star trek is sci fi period-yes there's a touch of mysticism but DS9 over did it

This so much! I particularly have loathing for the episode 'Crossfire' - I am convinced it's the only episode of Trek where nothing happens. I wasn't a fan of 'The Circle' trilogy neither but this is often held up as a great.

I'll also add 'City on the Edge of Forever' and 'This Side of Paradise' to my list. I find them particularly dull episodes.

As mentioned elsewhere I'm also not a fan of Klingon episodes so episodes like 'Reunion' and 'Redemption' left me cold.