Bottom Five Episodes

Discussion in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' started by Stroudarian, Jan 4, 2018.

  1. Stroudarian

    Stroudarian Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Alright folks, earlier this week I posted a question asking you to list your top five favorite episodes. Now, I am curious as to which five episodes would you select at your least favorites? I tried my best to select five, as I encountered a similar problem with listing my top five; it is very difficult to do. Not because there are so many episodes that I dislike, but because there are so many great episodes, that I find it difficult trying to select five episodes that I do not find appealing, especially from one of my favorite shows of all time. Season 1 is by far my least favorite, but to be fair, every show has to spend its time in "purgatory" and should be permitted to find its groove. I feel that by Season 2 the show had found its identity, but that does not negate the fact that I dislike so many episodes from the first season. Anyway, my five are listed below. Please share your list as well.

    5. Journey's End
    4. Angel One
    3. Shades of Gray
    2. Sub Rosa
    1. Masks
     
  2. Tosk

    Tosk Admiral Admiral

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    There's just no way I could narrow it to five. :)
     
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  3. Vger23

    Vger23 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Imaginary Friend
    Hero Worship
    Dark Page
    Aquiel
    Sub Rosa

    :barf::barf::barf:

    Honorable mention:
    The one where Beverly is investigating the death of the Ferengi scientist. That's a bag of crap too.
     
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  4. Vger23

    Vger23 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    There was admittedly a lot of crap to sift through with TNG. I discounted the first season, which meant I left Datalore, which is a total bag of shit, off my list, for example.

    The bad was really bad and the good was really good. Typical of a sci if series that goes 7 years of 26 episodes each.
     
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  5. Mojochi

    Mojochi Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Shades of Gray: Trek has never sunk so low imho
    Code Of Honor: The most tone deaf crap of all
    Aquiel: Such a phoned in mess
    Sub Rosa: The cringiest
    Imaginary Friend: The yawniest
     
  6. Vger23

    Vger23 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I only skipped Shades and Code because they were too obvious!
     
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  7. Sakonna

    Sakonna Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    My worst three are episodes I find both really bad AND deeply bland and boring... so many of the other "bad" TNG's have a quality of transfixing oddness or 80's campiness or interesting character work that can make them fun to rewatch, despite their problems. But these episodes offer nothing on any level, I never need to see another minute from any of them again.

    A Matter Of Time
    The Quality Of Life
    Force Of Nature

    (edit: just realized the above list is the ninth episode from each of the last three seasons -- tough slot, apparently! -- or I'm in a time loop and the number "9" is the key information I need to escape)

    And I'll round my 5 out with:

    Code Of Honor -- for the racism
    The Outrageous Okona -- for destroying the concept of humor
     
  8. tomswift2002

    tomswift2002 Commodore Commodore

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    In Theory
    Data’s Day
    Aquiel
    Homeward
    When The Bough Breaks
     
  9. Nakita Akita

    Nakita Akita Commodore Commodore

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    Masks
    SubRosa
    Suddenly Human(although Picard wears some sexy outfits, on the other hand he gets stabbed)
    Inner Light
    Up the Long Ladder( total racist)
     
  10. Qonundrum

    Qonundrum Vice Admiral Admiral

    The Quality of Life (law of diminishing returns, completely abysmal, no redeeming messages (even TNG's three most racist stories show at least one scene with merit and as such can't make the bottom ten)

    The Masterpiece Society (even season 1 and 2 stories mentioning The Prime Directive do it with more authenticity despite their mistakes, not to mention how most of season 5 is so overly contrived with its one-sided, one-dimensional preaching)

    Sub Rosa (needed to make fame by the Big-O, there is 0 substance)

    Suspicions (Crusher gets off way too easily for quite a major offense she committed)

    I, Borg (all of a sudden, everyone makes friends with the Borg. Contrived, unconvincing, Picard's original plan would also have prevented the mess known as "Descent" (#6 on my list but at least "Descent" didn't change characters to fit the narrative the way Chekov was allegedly altered to deal with space hippies ))
     
  11. JirinPanthosa

    JirinPanthosa Admiral Admiral

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    Sub Rosa
    Code Of Honor
    Up The Long Ladder
    Rascals
    Shades of Gray
     
  12. Sakonna

    Sakonna Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Assuming 1 and 2 are Code Of Honor and Up The Long Ladder, but what's the third one?
     
  13. Vger23

    Vger23 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I too believe that I, Borg is dull, overrated crap. Not bottom 5, but pretty shitty.

    Descent is definitely bottom of the barrel too.
     
  14. Vger23

    Vger23 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I think there are a lot if people who mistake the meaning of the word "racist" in this context.

    There are some episodes that certainly insensitivity portrayed racial stereotypes. But that is not "racist" per se.
     
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  15. Lynx

    Lynx Vice Admiral Admiral

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    TNG have very few bad episodes but here are the five worst:

    Shades Of Grey
    Lessons
    The Outcast
    Sarek
    Cost Of Living
     
  16. tomalak301

    tomalak301 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Cost of Living
    The Child
    When the Bough Breaks
    Imaginary Friend
    New Ground

    The most annoying aspect of TNG for me (And I love TNG) were episodes dealing with Children, so I could have added stuff like Hero Worship to this list as well.
     
  17. Vger23

    Vger23 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Agree. Hero Worship is an immediate skip. As is Dark Page, Imaginary Friend, The Bonding, and Suddenly Human. All nearly impossible. Just like anything on VOY with Icheb and the Borg kids. Frigging awful.
     
  18. Armus

    Armus Commodore Commodore

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    Here are 5 that easily come to mind...

    Home Soil
    Suddenly Human
    In Theory
    Imaginary Friend
    Descent Part II

    Here are 5 more...
    Unnatural Selection
    Aquiel
    Dark Page
    Sub Rosa
    Masks
     
  19. Armus

    Armus Commodore Commodore

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    I never understood all the charges leveled against Code of Honor. That being said, sensitivity to offensive stereotypes is not a bad thing...I find Code of Honor to be an entertaining, campy episode with a good moral core. Lutan could have cared less whether Yareena died fighting Tasha; he would have inheritated her lands either way...thanks to Dr. Crusher's skill he got his comeuppance and Hagon was made Yareena's first.
     
  20. Elephant999

    Elephant999 Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Here are my 5:

    Shades of Grey - I detest clip shows with a vengeance.
    Up the long ladder - Such an offensive stereotype of the Irish
    The last outpost - Stupid idea that Depicting the Ferengi as monkey like creatures with stupid whips would be good entertainment. Awful amateur episode.
    Justice - A mixture of soft porn, scantily clad gorgeous young people inexplicably running everywhere and a ridiculous punishment scenario, plus Wesley!
    Schizoid Man - Dreadful dialogue, stupid premise.