Episodes that made the least impact

[Weyoun 251]

When it's a legal requirement to never made profit off of a property again, they won't risk it. You're basically saying it doesn't make money anyway, which is why they're (potentially) burying it so they don't lose any more money by paying residuals etc. But Star Trek is a business, intended to make money. And putting a character in a show that's been written off with a promise not to make money with ever again? That's a legal disaster waiting to happen.

Off topic (to an extent) but to me an interesting tangent - how far would these sorts of restrictions go? Presumably anything that was developed Pre-Prodigy but then used on the show would be excepted from it? Or would Janeway (whose most recent appearance is as a semi-main on the show) be deemed to be profiting from Prodigy making her relevant again?

Or is it simply the case that it is only new and original ideas//characters developed for the show which cannot be used again?

 

[Oddish]

Well, one hopes that Prodigy will find a home elsewhere and make the question irrelevant. But since Janeway was a preexisting character, I think she would be useable elsewhere, as would Chakotay and Harry. Especially Harry, since he may not have even been featured: they might have planned on using him in Season 3. Garrett never said he'd actually done anything for PRO, just that his character was associated with it.

Certainly, if we regard "least impactful" as least impactful on the characters, the self deleting nature of "Time and Again" and "Year of Hell" would make them eminently qualified. But T&A was the first VOY episode I saw and YoH still makes me tear up at the end, so I'd say they had an impact on me.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

In answer to the Op, honestly 90% of the 900 or so.

 

[Lord Garth]

"The Swarm" (VOY) - The Doctor loses his memory, it seems like it'll be permanent, and then the very next episode it's like it never happened. In "Future's End", the Doctor says something about regaining his memory files, and then nothing ever again.

I'm not a fan of regression, so I'm glad they didn't stick with resetting him to Zero, but it needs to be noted anyway. "The Swarm" didn't have an impact like the end of the episode led us to believe at the time.

 

[Oddish]

Voyager didn't just press the Big Red Reset Button, it danced on it. Sometimes (Year of Hell) it worked. Other times (The Swarm, Tuvix), it didn't. And sometimes (Real Life), it was appalling.

 

[at Quark's]

There are so many of such episodes, where the Doc, or 7, or any crewmember has a severe crisis of sorts, only to never be revisited again. For example, recall the conscience crisis the Doc had in Latent Image that nearly drove him to insanity? Never referred to again AFAIK. (Ok, he was allowed to overcome it, but still I'd think it would have left some (psychological) scars)

 

[Farscape One]

I was thinking about the same episode, but then, the same can be said about Year of Hell. Never actually happened, so cannot be referred to, really. Still, that's a far from forgettable episode.

The same was true for Yesterday's Enterprise, at least till Commander Sela turned up. Also a great episode.

Exactly why I put down "TIME AND AGAIN"... it was a mediocre episode that is forgettable by fans, very much the opposite of "YEAR OF HELL" two-parter or "Yesterday's Enterprise" in which both are quite beloved episodes.

And Sela wouldn't have existed without the latter episode, so it definitely had an impact. And a Krenim scientist was one of the petsonalities Janeway was talking to when Seven had multiple petsonalities in "INFINITE REGRESS". (They were debating about temporal issues, according to her. It's only a reference, but it was at a casual nod of the two-parter.)

Side note: you could debate that "BEFORE AND AFTER" is the real nod to the Krenim mention, since Kes made a report about them after her experiences.

 

[at Quark's]

My supposition would be the Krenim were very advanced in temporal physics, even without Annorax achieving his breakthrough. He probably set only the final steps but even without him they probably still had those 'temporal torpedoes' and scientists researching the field. So that Janeway discussing temporal mechanics with a Krenim scientist is in my view not necessarily a nod to year of hell but simply to the Krenims themselves (who, indeed, also featured in Before and After).

 

[Oddish]

Other easily forgotten episodes, this time from DS9...
Past Prologue
Dax
Melora
The Alternate
Prophet Motive
Shakaar
Rules of Engagement
Things Past
Empok Nor
Statistical Probabilities
Honor Among Thieves
Prodigal Daughter

 

[Weyoun 251]

Other easily forgotten episodes, this time from DS9...
Past Prologue
Dax
Melora
The Alternate
Prophet Motive
Shakaar
Rules of Engagement
Things Past
Empok Nor
Statistical Probabilities
Honor Among Thieves
Prodigal Daughter

See, I'd call Empok Nor, Stat Prob, and arguably Rules of Engagement at the least a 6 in importance.

Empok shows the truly dark side of Garak, sets his relationship with Nog in Rocks and Shoals and provides the back drop for the Magnificent Ferengi which closes off the Vorta from Shoal's arc

Stat Prob delves into SFC/Feds treatment of genetically enhanced beings and teaches Julian a bit about hubris.

Rules of Engagement showed how "none combat" Klingons fight (the lawyer treating the courtroom as a battlefield) and speaks to the more underhanded side of them (harkening back to TOS Klingons and also how they become more sly under Gowron)

 

[Oddish]

All valid points. With these ratings, YMMV.

 

[Farscape One]

See, I'd call Empok Nor, Stat Prob, and arguably Rules of Engagement at the least a 6 in importance.

Empok shows the truly dark side of Garak, sets his relationship with Nog in Rocks and Shoals and provides the back drop for the Magnificent Ferengi which closes off the Vorta from Shoal's arc

Stat Prob delves into SFC/Feds treatment of genetically enhanced beings and teaches Julian a bit about hubris.

Rules of Engagement showed how "none combat" Klingons fight (the lawyer treating the courtroom as a battlefield) and speaks to the more underhanded side of them (harkening back to TOS Klingons and also how they become more sly under Gowron)

Agreed, and in addition, "COVENANT" was set on Empok Nor.

I would also add "THE ALTERNATE" to the list of needed episodes because it introduced Dr. Mora, who was brought back in "THE BEGOTTEN".

And "SHAKAAR" for that arc with Shakaar.

 

[Oddish]

And "SHAKAAR" for that arc with Shakaar.

Ah yes, Trek's most meaningless main character romance. It made Kira/Bareil and Kira/Odo both look good.

 

[Weyoun 251]

All valid points. With these ratings, YMMV.

To be fair, YMMV is the core tenant upon which all TV is built and why we can have the different opinion on those episodes yet not assume that the other person is a mustache twirling villain who boils kittens for fun just because they don't believe exactly as I do.

 

[Oddish]

To be fair, YMMV is the core tenant upon which all TV is built and why we can have the different opinion on those episodes yet not assume that the other person is a mustache twirling villain who boils kittens for fun just because they don't believe exactly as I do.

A principle that all too many people these days do not adhere to.

Will do VOY soon, expect quite a few from that series due to Reset Button hammering...

 

[Weyoun 251]

A principle that all too many people these days do not adhere to.

Will do VOY soon, expect quite a few from that series due to Reset Button hammering...

Just save the hassle mate and list those that do matter - much shorter list

 

[at Quark's]

Imaginary Friend (TNG) - I don't think it added anything to the TNG saga else than being an isolated adventure-of-the-week. One that gave me a faint headache to be sure, so at least in that respect I didn't forget about it.

Also, I wouldn't be surprised if the in the nebula designation 'FGC-47' , the FGC simply stood for 'F**king Galaxy Cloud'

 

[Farscape One]

Or they renamed it 'The Bunny Rabbit Cloud'...

 

[Shawnster]

The Price

Actually, this episode inspired the VOY episode "False Profits." It even featured the same antagonists.

Now, a TOS episode I don't recall beings followed up on (unless there is a novel I'm unaware of) is "That Which Survives." It's a shame, too, because I think the concept of this ancient civilization leaving behind a sentinel and protecting it's artificial planetoid base is right up there with the Dyson sphere in "Relics."

 

[Oddish]

Actually, this episode inspired the VOY episode "False Profits." It even featured the same antagonists.

Another dismal episode that didn't matter in the end. Delete 'em both, would anyone care?