Captain Watters was scared. The more scared he got, the more he thought acting tough would keep it from showing. And it worked, at least with his crew of kids, and even Nog. Yes, Nog should have taken command, but I can also understand that he didn't feel able to press that point with Watters having being acting captain for much longer than Nog had been an ensign. I wouldn't count on the Valiant's security, kids themselves, to back Rom in that situation.
Heart of Stone. Sorry but it just stalls when the Kira-shapeshifter is in that stupid rock thing and Odo confesses his love for Kira.
I agree most of the ones mentioned are bad though I like Move Along Home. To me the worst is Field of Fire. It's like a bad episode of a bad crime drama and nothing in the episode makes sense. There's a serial killer on the station and they tap Ezri instead of Odo? Joran jumps from 'Happy photos' to 'The killer is a Vulcan'? Like the only creature in the galaxy that could possibly be motivated to kill somebody because they have a smiling photo is a member of a race that suppresses emotion? Everything about the episode is terribly staged and so incredibly dumb.
The blonde officer on the valiant was hot though And Bashir hogging Jadzia in Wishes was cute as well. My top three worst are The Visitor, Children of Time, and Take me out to the holosuite. I was bored to tears with the first one, was angry at the end of the second one and despised the third one.
Covenant really just doesn't do anything for me at all. The Quickening also is one I end up watching the clock/DVD counter more than the actual episode.
I had no idea people hated "Valiant" so much! It's not one of the greats, and the Red Squad connection makes no sense, but to me it's a story that works. I get involved in Nog's arc and I find the end effective. My worst is "Let He Who Is Without Sin." I can't stand that one. It compromises the characters for a story that is both dull and nonsensical. Most unforgivably, they send Bashir to a sexy beach planet and have him keep his shirt on the whole time! "Meridian" is a close second, but the subplot is passable and I like that it's the first Trek appearance of Jeffrey Combs.
Profit and Lace was weak, yes, but most of the Ferengi episodes were lacking that special something that made DS9 so great.
Most of the Ferengi only episodes were so cartoonish all the comedy fell flat and there was nothing to offset the annoyingness.
I think I've got to hand this award to The Quickening... while it went to Bashir's character of never being able to do wrong, it was just so slow
Rewatching the series currently... there is a minefield of stinkers end of season 1 and beginning of season 2. So much that I've been keeping a journal of the next rewatch years later and which ones to skip at that point. The Storyteller, Progress, The Forsaken, Dramatis Personae, Invasive Procedures, Melora, Necessary Evil, Second Sight and Sanctuary. I'd have to finish rewatching everything to come up with a worst overall.
Move Along Home is really the only one I cannot watch. The other bad episodes, and thankfully there are not many, have at least some decent parts or sub plots.
I have to disagree with you on those. Storyteller was weak but amusingly awkward likea quirky old TNG. Progress, Melora, Second Sight and Sanctuary were all so dull that I barely recall them. The Forsaken made Odo more interesting, and Lwaxana was a real person who I actually sympathize with for the first time since Half a Life. Dramatic Personae is over the top and clunky, sure, but it's also the first time I recall seeing Sisko have any energy and passion at all. When I saw it the first time I thought it was such a relief to have him not just mumble and be dull. The Sisko from later seasons was born in this ep, I think, and I love the clock! Invasive Proceedures made the dreadfully mishandled Dax a more interesting character for one of only a few times in the series, raised some interesting questions, and brought a Klingon to the station in the form of Tim Russ. I also dug the ugly complexity and shady history angle of Necessary Evil. My worst? Maybe Time's Orphan, or something with lots of Bajorans...but probably the Emperor's New Cloak. That was soooo stupid and insulting, even for a bad Ferengi comedy, and it was way too late in the series to be cranking out garbage. Getting all the ladies to make out with their coworkers and each other seemed like a lazy shock value decision for the mirror universe rather than anything to do with politics or tolerance.
Heh, yeah I just can't enjoy flashbacks or episodes that take place "inside someone's head" very much. The suspension of disbelief is too much for me. Voyager's episode Flashback is probably one of the worst offenders, since it fails to capitalize on bringing back the Excelsior, Sulu and everyone in any meaningful way. Also, I find the murder mystery trope in Star Trek is generally not fun. I guess... skipping this one would mean you wouldn't get to see Odo meet Quark and Kira for the first time. Like many early DS9's they aren't essential but contain essential scenes to the entire series.
I can totally appreciate that. TNG Tapestry is a bit like that, but at least it isn't all just a dream. Flashback I absolutely loved...and hated. It should've been great, and lots of it was weak and pointless. On the other hand, as one of the fans who campaigned for a Sulu show decades ago, it was great to have so much commitment to putting us back on the Excelsior in such a particular point in time. Distant Voices was one of those weak (though not terrible) stories that had a few cool moments, despite being an overt hallucination story. Covenant was outstandingly bad because it represents the most offensive misuse of Ds9's best villain, Dukat. He was so interesting, it they ran out of good ways to use him. Sad that they compounded The Sisko's religious icon status with actual shades of holy space alien prophet to the point where they felt Dukat had to be part demon in order to compete. Nobody in the audience won that obligatory arms race. The assignment was dreadful as well. Keiko's dramatic appeal was minimal, and she didn't need an episode.