The Most Disliked Episode of VGR, Season 5: 2021 Edition...
- Thread starter Farscape One
- Start date
Amazing that one easy contender for teh worst was saved some time ago... even more fun, I see a two- or three-way tie in terms of barrel-scrapin' episodes that have just enough worth saving, and for the rest - they're just bad in idea and/or execution, but I will get to those in due course. For now, due to the cacophony and dis-ease in my mind in choosing, I am simply going to save THE DISEASE.
In this week's very special after-school special, it's ostensibly about sexually transmitted diseases - but comes across more like a bizarre form of generic romance soap opera combined with drug addiction with some token hand-holding, because it doesn't want to do what it's done lots of times before with crewmembers being infected with something so why is it being squeamish only now?
Now don't get me wrong! I love tokens! Every time I went to the arcade as a kid you put the bill in and out the slot until it finally took it in, and you'd get 5 shiny things you couldn't spend anywhere else or, unlike modern day marriage, can't get a refund for.
But, as usual for Trekdom, any attempt do to a more direct tale tends to falter rather badly against all those indirect allegories discussing whatever pet cause of the week will be deemed popular. Still, it's heartwarming they really want to tackle such an important subject that so few shows want to delve into... I guess, even though it's taught in schools as directly as it gets and kids won't listen and/or understand the ramifications anyway.
Adults who even tell each other of real-life cootie tales are usually overlooked because the listener pawns it off as "I'll never get those cooties"... until it happens* and that cycle begins all over again. So if real life has enough hassle with "love", dressing it up in sci-fi trappings isn't going to do much. Sci-fi just is not a good venue for it, and every time Kirk whips out his big speech, all I can do is laugh and/or wait for a double entendre (Space Seed and Metamorphosis have some real belters, and not what you'd expect either but they still fit the definition...) If nothing else, clunky or otherwise, this entire VOY episode could be seen as one big puffy, itchy, rashy rebuttal to Kirk's pants and that alone makes it worth saving before lots of others. As an allegory to that single aspect TOS in its own way, it's almost underrated.
But it's not a classic.
* sooner or later, some aren't detected or even included in various testing and a lot of people honestly don't know either
What's left:
ONCE UPON A TIME
NOTHING HUMAN
GRAVITY
THE FIGHT
11:59
WARHEAD
In this week's very special after-school special, it's ostensibly about sexually transmitted diseases - but comes across more like a bizarre form of generic romance soap opera combined with drug addiction with some token hand-holding, because it doesn't want to do what it's done lots of times before with crewmembers being infected with something so why is it being squeamish only now?
Now don't get me wrong! I love tokens! Every time I went to the arcade as a kid you put the bill in and out the slot until it finally took it in, and you'd get 5 shiny things you couldn't spend anywhere else or, unlike modern day marriage, can't get a refund for.
But, as usual for Trekdom, any attempt do to a more direct tale tends to falter rather badly against all those indirect allegories discussing whatever pet cause of the week will be deemed popular. Still, it's heartwarming they really want to tackle such an important subject that so few shows want to delve into... I guess, even though it's taught in schools as directly as it gets and kids won't listen and/or understand the ramifications anyway.
Adults who even tell each other of real-life cootie tales are usually overlooked because the listener pawns it off as "I'll never get those cooties"... until it happens* and that cycle begins all over again. So if real life has enough hassle with "love", dressing it up in sci-fi trappings isn't going to do much. Sci-fi just is not a good venue for it, and every time Kirk whips out his big speech, all I can do is laugh and/or wait for a double entendre (Space Seed and Metamorphosis have some real belters, and not what you'd expect either but they still fit the definition...) If nothing else, clunky or otherwise, this entire VOY episode could be seen as one big puffy, itchy, rashy rebuttal to Kirk's pants and that alone makes it worth saving before lots of others. As an allegory to that single aspect TOS in its own way, it's almost underrated.
But it's not a classic.
* sooner or later, some aren't detected or even included in various testing and a lot of people honestly don't know either
What's left:
ONCE UPON A TIME
NOTHING HUMAN
GRAVITY
THE FIGHT
11:59
WARHEAD
I quite liked the Equinox two-parter, it's just a shame that the show had moved past having consequences.
I also always liked In The Flesh. It was a very Star Trek episode making peace with a feared enemy, even if it effectively defanged 8472.
These episodes are all average or worse, so I'm struggling to pick next. Maybe Juggernaut, which is saved by Roxann Dawson. The Malon wasn't a very interesting ongoing threat, however.
Ninjad again!
11:59 always bored me, but Kate Mulgrew is brilliant in it, playing her ancestor.
ONCE UPON A TIME
NOTHING HUMAN
GRAVITY
THE FIGHT
WARHEAD
I also always liked In The Flesh. It was a very Star Trek episode making peace with a feared enemy, even if it effectively defanged 8472.
These episodes are all average or worse, so I'm struggling to pick next. Maybe Juggernaut, which is saved by Roxann Dawson. The Malon wasn't a very interesting ongoing threat, however.
Ninjad again!
11:59 always bored me, but Kate Mulgrew is brilliant in it, playing her ancestor.
ONCE UPON A TIME
NOTHING HUMAN
GRAVITY
THE FIGHT
WARHEAD
The following dialogue exchange alone is enough to save it too:
SEVEN: Commander. The Captain's plan B. I've calculated the inertial force required to divert the freighter. Plan C. Shield modulations that should reduce the structural damage of Voyager. It will also help protect the crew against theta radiation poisoning, if we fail.
TUVOK: A wise precaution. With any luck, we won't be needing it.
SEVEN: I didn't think Vulcans believed in luck.
TUVOK: As a rule we don't, but serving with Captain Janeway has taught me otherwise.
SEVEN: She does seem to succeed more often than random chance would allow. I'll factor it into my calculations.
TUVOK: Is there a Plan D?
SEVEN: No.
"Gravity" is the episode that finally turned me around on Tuvok, after finding him completely boring till then. It doesn't get much attention, but I think this is one of those stealth Great Episodes.
"11:59" was the other one I really liked and wanted to save, along with "Gravity" & "Juggernaut." Good luck to the rest of you sorting out this gruesome quartet...
ONCE UPON A TIME
NOTHING HUMAN
THE FIGHT
WARHEAD
"11:59" was the other one I really liked and wanted to save, along with "Gravity" & "Juggernaut." Good luck to the rest of you sorting out this gruesome quartet...
ONCE UPON A TIME
NOTHING HUMAN
THE FIGHT
WARHEAD
The following dialogue exchange alone is enough to save it too:
SEVEN: Commander. The Captain's plan B. I've calculated the inertial force required to divert the freighter. Plan C. Shield modulations that should reduce the structural damage of Voyager. It will also help protect the crew against theta radiation poisoning, if we fail.
TUVOK: A wise precaution. With any luck, we won't be needing it.
SEVEN: I didn't think Vulcans believed in luck.
TUVOK: As a rule we don't, but serving with Captain Janeway has taught me otherwise.
SEVEN: She does seem to succeed more often than random chance would allow. I'll factor it into my calculations.
TUVOK: Is there a Plan D?
SEVEN: No.
What a gem of dialog, no matter how you explain it
(Tuvok thinks Janeway is reckless but lucky, or writers lampshading Voyager's incredible luck in surviving insurmountable odds again and again... and again).Saving Nothing Human. It brings up an important moral conundrum even though I don't agree with its resolution (yes, Crell Moset was bad and did horrible things, but what is done is done and nothing can alter that. If you continue use his findings to save people, at least _some_ good comes out of it. I've never understood why anyone would ever construe that as approving of the Moset atrocities in any way).
ONCE UPON A TIME
THE FIGHT
WARHEAD
I'll save Warhead by process of elimination. It is a perfectly decent episode. It doesn't inexplicably focus on a weird children's holodeck educational program or weird spirit boxers.
ONCE UPON A TIME
THE FIGHT
ONCE UPON A TIME
THE FIGHT
Once Upon a Time is pretty bad, but at least it gave Neelix some humanizing scenes that are usually saved for the annual Neelix episode. This barely qualifies, but it's close enough. Seeing him looking out for Naomi after Sam's crash, is a nice touch.
The Fight is one of my worst episodes of VOY ever, so deserves to be at the bottom. It's boring, and doesn't make a lick of sense, and uses Boothby again in a confusing way.
The Fight 'wins!'
The Fight is one of my worst episodes of VOY ever, so deserves to be at the bottom. It's boring, and doesn't make a lick of sense, and uses Boothby again in a confusing way.
The Fight 'wins!'
V
Vale
Guest
I've noticed that's increasingly becoming justification for saving episodes late in the game
V
Vale
Guest
On my last Voyager rewatch "The Fight" was the only episode I gave up on. I stomached everything else.
And season 5's winner is "THE FIGHT.
I never liked this one, either. One of the only Joe Menosky episodes that really failed. It had a unique and interesting concept with Chaotic Space, but the execution was so abysmal. Surprises me even more knowing Winrich Kolbe, one of THE best directors of the franchise, did this one.
I'll start season 6 tomorrow... I've got a lot going on today. Thank you all for playing.
I never liked this one, either. One of the only Joe Menosky episodes that really failed. It had a unique and interesting concept with Chaotic Space, but the execution was so abysmal. Surprises me even more knowing Winrich Kolbe, one of THE best directors of the franchise, did this one.
I'll start season 6 tomorrow... I've got a lot going on today. Thank you all for playing.
Yeah, The Fight really stinks! Just as most of the episodes where Beltran has a prominent role, like Tattoo for example. Is that a coincidence? I don't think so.
I actually had some time to spare, so I have already started season 6.
