Episodes with no antagonist?

[Gaith]

I was reading a Smallville Wiki entry for the episode 2x17 "Rosetta," in which Clark first meets Dr. Swann (Christopher Reeve), who tells him his birth name and home planet's name, and came across this:

This is the first episode in the entire series to have no real antagonist, not even a disease to fight against. Instead, conflict arises from the effects the key is having on Clark, Clark's arguments with his parents about finding out more of his alien heritage, suspicions of Dr. Swann (who turns out to be nothing but helpful), Lex Luthor and Dr. Walden getting more suspicious of Clark (and while both men later become antagonists, they do nothing hostile in this episode), and from the final alarming message from Kal-El's ship.​

Interestingly, TV Tropes doesn't appear to have a term for a story with no antagonist in this broadest sense; its definition of No Antagonist includes stories in which there are central problems (addiction, natural disasters, disease, etc.) Heck, I'm not sure if the English language has a word for a non-sentient antagonist, maybe just the neutral term "opposing force"?

This got me to thinking if there are any Trek episodes without antagonists or clear/central opposing forces. (In "Shuttlepod One," for example, the lack of oxygen certainly qualifies as an opposing force, and in VOY's "Projections," IIRC, there's the real danger that the Doctor will delete his own program if he makes the wrong call.) I suppose "The Inner Light" would qualify?

 

[Tosk]

This got me to thinking if there are any Trek episodes with antagonists or clear/central opposing forces.

Is that supposed to say "without" rather than "with"?

A list of eps with antagonist/s or opposing forces is gonna be very long.

If you want us to list eps that have neither, you're gonna have to define opposing force very specifically first I think.

 

[Gaith]

Is that supposed to say "without" rather than "with"?

Of course - corrected.

If you want us to list eps that have neither, you're gonna have to define opposing force very specifically first I think.

An episode without an opposing force would, say, be one in which the protagonist's lives weren't in danger, nor did they believe their lives to be in danger. For example, ENT's "Dear Doctor" would qualify. VOY's "Pathfinder" would also count - Barclay runs into resistance in terms of executing his plan to contact Voyager, but the resistance is well-meaning (Barclay's boss is skeptical of the plan, and unwilling to continue experimenting past a certain reasonable point, but is ultimately happy to be proven wrong), and no lives are at stake.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

TNG's Family is the first that jumps to mind, even if Picard's brother is a bit hostile. The Icarus Factor also has a bit of hostility between family members but no real antagonist. The Host started with a bit of a threat to get the story going but I don't remember any crisis after that.

On DS9, The Begotten was kind of low on conflict. Voyager had 11:59. Lower Decks' Crisis Point was all just a game in the holodeck against AI with no stakes.

 

[Daedalus]

Shuttlepod One, but it's been a while since I've seen it. I'm not 100% sure it was completely free of an antagonist.

 

[DonIago]

In "The Trouble with Tribbles", there isn't really an antagonist per se, just a situation that spirals out of control. While the Klingons are present, it's not as though Our Heroes are in any sort of real conflict with them.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

In "The Trouble with Tribbles", there isn't really an antagonist per se, just a situation that spirals out of control. While the Klingons are present, it's not as though Our Heroes are in any sort of real conflict with them.

See, this is why no one will ever give Arne Darvin that statue he wants. No one even remembers him!

 

[Bynar0110]

Would TOS:City on the Edge of Forever count

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

Would TOS:City on the Edge of Forever count

That's a good suggestion, though maybe the threat of the Federation being wiped out disqualifies it.

 

[Tosk]

An episode without an opposing force would, say, be one in which the protagonist's lives weren't in danger, nor did they believe their lives to be in danger.

Gotcha. So something like Shadowplay for instance. They just solve a mystery.

How about oddities like In the Cards? Would one argue Geiger is an antagonist? I think maybe he's really just a mild obstacle in a fetch quest.

 

[B.J.]

Though I loathe to mention it, TNG's The Royale would fit the bill.

 

[Mojochi]

Though I loathe to mention it, TNG's The Royale would fit the bill.

Does it? The aliens that made the place were good intentioned, but the original inhabitant died feeling imprisoned & there's definitely a force acting against their escape. Does an escape room imply an antagonist? The Inner Light falls into that category too.

Tin Man seems without an antagonist

And though it pains me to bring it up, In Theory.

 

[Nerys Myk]

The Naked Time.

 

[Gaith]

TNG's Family is the first that jumps to mind, even if Picard's brother is a bit hostile.

Oh, right, that's a good one!

Shuttlepod One, but it's been a while since I've seen it. I'm not 100% sure it was completely free of an antagonist.

Like I said, it definitely has an opposing force in Trip and Tucker's perilously declining survival resources.

[City on the Edge of Forever]'s a good suggestion, though maybe the threat of the Federation being wiped out disqualifies it.

Indeed.

Gotcha. So something like Shadowplay for instance. They just solve a mystery.

How about oddities like In the Cards? Would one argue Geiger is an antagonist? I think maybe he's really just a mild obstacle in a fetch quest.

I'm not familiar with those, but thanks for the reply.

Does ["The Royale" fit the bill]? The aliens that made the place were good intentioned, but the original inhabitant died feeling imprisoned & there's definitely a force acting against their escape. Does an escape room imply an antagonist? The Inner Light falls into that category too.

Tin Man seems without an antagonist

And though it pains me to bring it up, In Theory.

I'd say "The Royale" has no antagonist, but definitely an opposing force that threatens the lives of the crew with permanent imprisonment. Ive heard of, but am not familiar with "Tin Man" or "In Theory," though.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

"The Naked Time," and its sequel/remake, "The Naked Now," both have opposing forces in the form of individuals without malevolent intent, but temporarily out of their minds, putting the ship in grave danger.

And while it turned out that "Move Along Home" was just Falow making Quark squirm after getting cheated at the Dabo table, with no real stakes, Falow is still an antagonist, at least the first time you watch the episode.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

VOY's "Blink of an Eye" springs to mind.

Yes, there is that one bit where the planet's natives shoot at Voyager, but they're only defending themselves. Even Janeway admits they have every right to launch an attack. And it doesn't last long...

 

[Turtletrekker]

Does the 'ticking clock' count as an antagonist?

 

[Tosk]

Does the 'ticking clock' count as an antagonist?

Depends on what happens when the clock runs out.

 

[Mojochi]

I'd say "The Royale" has no antagonist, but definitely an opposing force that threatens the lives of the crew with permanent imprisonment. Ive heard of, but am not familiar with "Tin Man" or "In Theory," though.

In Theory is just Data gets a one-off girlfriend & Tin Man is about a special Betazoid who is having a deep space connection with a telepathic space faring creature... Although, there's Romulans in that episode, now that I think about it. They're racing to get to it 1st

 

[DarrenTR1970]

I think Data's Day would qualify as an episode with no antagonist. There's the subplot about transporting the Vulcan Ambassador, who turns out to be a Romulan spy; but, it has no bearing on the story.
Edit add.
Lower Decks I think qualifies as an episode with no antagonist.