The Least Disliked Episode of TNG - Season Three

[BlueStuff]

This is a game that we play every couple of years, and it's generally a lot of fun, providing a chance to mentally revisit those episodes you may not have thought about in a while. With that in mind, why not play again?

So, here's the game. The basic idea is your standard elimination game. I'll provide a list of the episodes for each season and you need to eliminate your least favorite or the one you deem the 'worst.' Please provide an EXPLANATION for why you are eliminating your choice and be sure to copy and paste the list with your choice removed. Finally, please leave at least 2 eliminations by other posters before you eliminate another episode.

No tactical voting! You cannot remove an episode just because you feel they would threaten your preferred episode's chance to win. Pretty simple. Enjoy!

Hall of Champions
2011 - The Best of Both Worlds I
2013 - The Measure of a Man
2015 - All Good Things...
2017 - The Best of Both Worlds I
2019 -

Season Three

Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers the Watchers?
The Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
A Matter of Perspective
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Tin Man
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
Menage a Troi
Transfigurations
The Best of Both Worlds I

 

[Armus]

Evolution cannot outlive the survival of the fittest. Michael Piller's Star Trek debut is a real disappointment. The nanites are just silly and this episode introduces some of my least favorite TNG cliches, such as longwinded scenes of dialogue and boring computer malfunctions. This episode should have been a simple story about two 2 overacheivers, Wesley and Dr. Stubbs.

 

[Farscape One]

The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers the Watchers?
The Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
A Matter of Perspective
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Tin Man
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
Menage a Troi
The Best of Both Worlds I

"Transfigurations" gets mutated off this list. It's not that it's a bad episode, but it's rather boring.

 

[Seven of Five]

Hmm I seem to be eliminating Lwaxana Troi episodes. Menage a Troi is a bit of a joke, combining the worst aspects of Troi and Ferengi episodes into one.

The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watchers the Watchers?
The Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
A Matter of Perspective
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Tin Man
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds I

 

[Discofan]

The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
The Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
A Matter of Perspective
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Tin Man
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds I

"Who Watchers the Watchers?", not me, obviously since I am eliminating it from this list. The intentions were good, it's a kind of a defense of the prime directive but the execution is just terrible. I mean I could use some nuances if only a little. The Christlike sacrifice of Picard is funny, though ironic, since he was there to stop a religion not to start one.

 

[Starflight]

Hollow Pursuits. Barclay honestly just comes off as irritating and, when we see his holodeck program really creepy. Not endearing at all. I really can't stand him until he shows up in late-era Voyager. I doubt anyone was going to nominate it for best episode of the season either way.

The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
The Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
A Matter of Perspective
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds I

 

[Armus]

The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
The Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
A Matter of Perspective
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Tin Man
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds I

"Who Watchers the Watchers?", not me, obviously since I am eliminating it from this list. The intentions were good, it's a kind of a defense of the prime directive but the execution is just terrible. I mean I could use some nuances if only a little. The Christlike sacrifice of Picard is funny, though ironic, since he was there to stop a religion not to start one.

I thought that was a very satisfying climax. It's one thing to lecture about the importance of the prime directive, it's another to put your life on the line for it.

 

[Discofan]

The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
The Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
A Matter of Perspective
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds I

"Captain's Holiday" takes a powder. It's just simply awful. As a vacationer, Picard is a perfect bore! And we're supposed to believe that that guy used to be a Casanova? Yeah, right! In a pig's eye as McCoy would say.

 

[Discofan]

I thought that was a very satisfying climax. It's one thing to lecture about the importance of the prime directive, it's another to put your life on the line for it.

Well, I could write page after page about why I think the execution is just awful but there would still be people to disagree with me. That's how it works. I for one thought that "Hollow Pursuits" was quite nice for example and that Dwight Shultz is an extraordinary actor, so I would definitely not have removed it, this soon.

 

[Farscape One]

The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
The Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Vengeance Factor
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
A Matter of Perspective
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds I

"The Price" is cheap. There are far better episodes on this list.

 

[Discofan]

...

"The Price" is cheap. There are far better episodes on this list.

Or "The Price" is... not right!

 

[Damian]

The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Vengeance Factor
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
A Matter of Perspective
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds I

I removed "The Bonding". I wouldn't say I hate it--I actually don't hate any Star Trek (though 'TATV comes close but that's another board).

But "The Bonding" just doesn't excite me a whole lot. I'm sort of meh toward it so it seemed a good candidate to remove.

 

[Qonundrum]

Two stories instantly come to mind, if not three. But of the three, "A Matter of Perspective" is the least effective. The trope of different perspectives might be better used for stories like "Data's Day" instead of a murder mystery (B+ for idea, but the execution doesn't work for me. Especially as which set of events is the real one, or are bits of each version - when amalgamated - the truth? Worse, we've known Riker more than long enough - ironically, using this trope in the second half of season one might have been more effective, especially after Yar got zapped by a malevolent oil slick. Or early season two. The teaser not playing up the seriousness of Riker's predicament ensured everyone would shrug shoulderpads and say "He'll be okay by the end of the story." )

And with TNG making equipment recreations that are 100% authentic and not a bundle of manipulated projections and force fields, as long as they don't leave the holodeck as long as they're not made of paper, graphite, and/or water (liquid or solid forms), what other potential exists? Anyone have schematics for a time machine and backup holodeck battery? (TNG never really got the holodecks consistent, sadly...)



What's left:

The Survivors
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Vengeance Factor
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds I

 

[Discofan]

The Survivors
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Vengeance Factor
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds I

"The Offspring" gets a life, elsewhere. It's basically "The Measure Of A Man" redux (I mean Data is still treated like a piece of equipment after it has been established that he's not) and definitely not as good as the first one.There are some fun moments like when Data asks Riker what his intentions are but that's far from enough to make it a better episode than the ones left.

 

[Seven of Five]

The Vengeance Factor is a very average episode. I watched it a week ago and I still struggle to remember anything exciting.

The Survivors
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds I

 

[Takeru]

I restored Ensigns of command which got lost in Cutie's post despite not being removed, I'm also removing The Offspring because Discofan got rid of it but he and Seven of Five posted at the same time.

My choice is The High Ground, those terrorists deserve zero sympathy and the episode always kinda goes there and that's a big No for me.

The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Defector
The Hunted
Deja Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds I

 

[Discofan]

I restored Ensigns of command which got lost in Cutie's post despite not being removed, I'm also removing The Offspring because Discofan got rid of it but he and Seven of Five posted at the same time.

My choice is The High Ground, those terrorists deserve zero sympathy and the episode always kinda goes there and that's a big No for me.

The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds I

Physician heal thyself (joking!)

You forgot to remove "The High Ground" from your list.

 

[Takeru]

Physician heal thyself (joking!)

You forgot to remove "The High Ground" from your list.

Oops. Fixed it.

 

[Armus]

Well, I could write page after page about why I think the execution is just awful but there would still be people to disagree with me. That's how it works. I for one thought that "Hollow Pursuits" was quite nice for example and that Dwight Shultz is an extraordinary actor, so I would definitely not have removed it, this soon.

To each his own of course. I dislike the subtle anti-religious undertones of Who Watches The Watchers, but besides that, it's one of my favorite episodes. Gene Rodenberry cited it as one of the most promising episodes of the third season during one of his last interviews.

 

[Sakonna]

The Ensigns of Command
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Defector
The Hunted
Deja Q
Yesterday's Enterprise
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Tin Man
The Most Toys
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds I

I'm going to get rid of "The Survivors" During original air, I generally found the trope of Troi being attacked via telepathy to lead to exciting, involving stories. But now... ugh, it all just feels so rape-y. (It was her mind rape in "Nemesis" that really hung a lantern on it, that one was so gross and tawdry)

Plus, the guys on the Greatest Generation pod have a running joke (still running now, years after they did this episode) about how Kevin's relationship to Rishon is that of a man to his RealDoll. They're not wrong!

So that kind of takes the air out of the ep for me. When I was a kid, this was a dreamily romantic story involving mysterious alien powers. Now, all I see is a cheap use of rape tropes to sell a story about an old man jacking off into his sex doll.