The Most Disliked Episode of TNG, Season 4: 2021 Edition...

[Qonundrum]

Yeah, along with "Suddenly Salad", "In Theory" was pretty bad. It was just good enough from a C-plot, not the focal point of an A-plot. Or the plot. At least "Devil's Due" was entertaining, and some women like older men, but a minor rewrite to swap some of Ardra's dialogue to feel more realistic, unless she was standing there and placing Fabio's head over Picard's.

 

[Pikirk_Janesisko]

"In Theory" for me. That episode sucked hard enough to propel a baseball through sixty feet of cheap garden hose.

My personal worst in S4 was Devil's Due.

I have a soft spot for those two. But if I have to choose the worst one for me, it would be either "Night Terrors" or "Qpid".

 

[Qonundrum]

"Night Terrors" is one that should be closer to the top of "most disliked" than "Identity Crisis", LOL. But Guinan shoots a big gun and grins, so it's not all bad...

 

[Orphalesion]

At least "Devil's Due" was entertaining, and some women like older men, but a minor rewrite to swap some of Ardra's dialogue to feel more realistic, unless she was standing there and placing Fabio's head over Picard's.

I dunno, Patrick Stewart is a reasonably attractive man, plus he has that air of confidence,so I don't think a younger woman being attracted to him is that unrealistic.
But wasn't Ardra's flirting with him a ruse anyway to get the Enterprise? It's been a while since I saw that episode.

 

[Oddish]

"Night Terrors" is one that should be closer to the top of "most disliked" than "Identity Crisis", LOL. But Guinan shoots a big gun and grins, so it's not all bad...

You have me to blame for that, since I rescued it.

 

[Pikirk_Janesisko]

I dunno, Patrick Stewart is a reasonably attractive man, plus he has that air of confidence,so I don't think a younger woman being attracted to him is that unrealistic.
But wasn't Ardra's flirting with him a ruse anyway to get the Enterprise? It's been a while since I saw that episode.

It's something that feels very TOS-ish about this episode, that's why I like it. It doesn't help that the script was rescued from Phase Two. You could easily swap the characters and have a TOS episode.

 

[Orphalesion]

It's something that feels very TOS-ish about this episode, that's why I like it. It doesn't help that the script was rescued from Phase Two. You could easily swap the characters and have a TOS episode.

Yeah it is very noticeable, like I suppose instead of taking Troi's form Ardra would have disguised herself as Ilia? And instead of Data it would have been Xon who presides over the trial.

You have me to blame for that, since I rescued it.

I mean as goofy as those shots of Troi flying are, and as silly as the idea is that they can't just ask for hydrogen...The "Eyes in the Darkness! One Moon Circles! One Moon Circles!" line is pretty creepy.

 

[Oddish]

And that morgue scene... spooky to the extreme.

 

[Brobdingnag]

Personally, I hated "In Theory". It's basically the anti-"The Measure Of A Man", where they prove that Data is nothing but a stupid automaton that only mimicks human behavior without understanding it, and it's so heavy-handed, it's embarrassing.

 

[Vale]

I dunno, Patrick Stewart is a reasonably attractive man, plus he has that air of confidence,so I don't think a younger woman being attracted to him is that unrealistic.

Patrick Stewart has a history of dating (much) younger women, so clearly it's not unrealistic at all. His second wife was 15 years his junior; his third wife is 39 years his junior. He was also in a long-term relationship with actress Lisa Dillon in the mid-2000s, and she's 40 years his junior.

 

[Orphalesion]

Patrick Stewart has a history of dating (much) younger women, so clearly it's not unrealistic at all. His second wife was 15 years his junior; his third wife is 39 years his junior. He was also in a long-term relationship with actress Lisa Dillon in the mid-2000s, and she's 40 years his junior.

I mean he isn't my type, personally. But if he was gay and came on to me, I don't think I'd be able to resist.

 

[Vale]

I mean he isn't my type, personally. But if he was gay and came on to me, I don't think I'd be able to resist.

Just ask Dr Frasier Crane...

 

[Sakonna]

TNG's best season for me. I only truly hate one episode (sorry @Farscape One) -- "Data's Day"! I really do not care for it, the whole thing rubs me the wrong way. Keiko may have the most disastrous introduction of any regular/recurring character in the Trekverse, they did not get her off to a good start here.

"Night Terrors" is probably the "worst" in terms of construction and dialogue and all that, but it's one of my treasured guilty pleasures and I have seen it roughly 3 billion times at this point.

"Identity Crisis" I always want to like... then I watch it, and I don't really. It's OK, but it always feels so close to being so much better. The spooky/creepy vibe they're going for doesn't quite ignite like it could ("Night Terrors" is shooting for the same vibe, but successfully gets there)

"Suddenly Human" makes an interesting companion in frustration to DS9's "Cardassians."

 

[Rusty0918]

Yeah, Seasons 3 and 4 didn't have any real stinkers (as opposed to the first and second, which had plenty). I don't think we got a real stinker until either 5th season's "The Game" or "Imaginary Friend," which are often looked down upon. Bernd from Ex Astris Scientia though REALLY loathes "Silicon Avatar."

 

[Vale]

Yeah, Seasons 3 and 4 didn't have any real stinkers (as opposed to the first and second, which had plenty). I don't think we got a real stinker until either 5th season's "The Game" or "Imaginary Friend," which are often looked down upon. Bernd from Ex Astris Scientia though REALLY loathes "Silicon Avatar."

People hate "The Game"? Really!? "Imaginary Friend" and "Silicon Avatar" I can understand, but...

 

[Oddish]

People hate "The Game"? Really!? "Imaginary Friend" and "Silicon Avatar" I can understand, but...

Some people just hate any episode where Wesley saves the ship again.

 

[Vale]

Some people just hate any episode where Wesley saves the ship again.

Fair, but it's about the only one where it's actually justified!

 

[Orphalesion]

People hate "The Game"? Really!? "Imaginary Friend" and "Silicon Avatar" I can understand, but...

I always thought the game was a dull episode (and I don't even hate Wesley) plus it has that clumsy addiction allegory.

 

[Farscape One]

And we have a winner in "Suddenly Human". I honestly always liked this one, since it puts Picard in a very uncomfortable place... with children. But I definitely see how the ending rubs people the wrong way, especially when you compare it to DS9's "CARDASSIANS".

And Sakonna, regarding "Data's Day", it's okay to be wrong. Very wrong. (Though the way Keiko is portrayed with the cold feet, I can see it as being introduced badly.)

I'll start season 5 tomorrow.

 

[Rusty0918]

A magazine article (forgot which mag it was) in 1998 about TNG had "The Game" being among the ten worst.