"Bad Episodes" you think are good?

[carcinoGeneticist]

Put any episodes that are generally looked on by Trek fans as "bad" but that you enjoy in this thread.
I'll go first: Masks from TNG. I don't even know why I like this episode and think the criticism it gets is completely understandable, but... idk. I just like it for some reason

 

[Cyfa]

Oh, this is an easy one for me: I ENT: "Precious Cargo".
I get why many other people dislike it - including the writer and producers of the ep - but I love the premise. I think Padma Lakshmi's acting skills (or lack thereof) are perfect for her role as a highborn someone who hasn't had any interaction with the lower classes, and I really enjoy the humour - especially the Adjudicator T'Pol scene. Plus, it's just another excuse to see Trip in his undercrackers again
PC is probably my most watched episode of ENT - possibly tying with "Vox Sola".

 

[David cgc]

I always found "The Royale" delightful from top to bottom.

 

[carcinoGeneticist]

I always found "The Royale" delightful from top to bottom.

I like that one too! Didn't know it was viewed as bad, actually.

 

[Alexander Corrino]

"The Royale" is my favorite TNG episode!

I would also like to add another vote for "Masks". Another favorite of mine. I tend to prefer non-fan-favorite episodes in general.

 

[Rowdy Roddy McDowall]

BY ANY OTHER NAME's been seen as middling to borderline-bad. But I like everything about it except probably its title, which is a mostly unrelated ancient reference to random planetary vegetation.

That episode, with any other name, might attract more positive discrimination.

 

[David cgc]

BY ANY OTHER NAME's been seen as middling to borderline-bad. But I like everything about it except probably its title, which is a mostly unrelated ancient reference to random planetary vegetation.

Someone once mentioned "By Any Other Name" to me, not remembering what it was about, and I gave a fairly detailed plot summery of "Is There in Truth No Beauty?" before I remembered which episode it actually was.

 

[at Quark's]

I like Threshold.

It's not that I'm blind to the flaws others see in it - it's simply that I don't mind them that much.

I'm a mathematician by education, working in a closely related field, and I therefore need very precise thinking the entire working day already - pointing out logical flaws in the arguments of my colleagues and such (and vice versa). Perhaps for that very reason I don't mind my Star Trek entertainment being logically inconsistent or using concepts such as 'evolution' erroneously. I find episodes such as Homeward far more infuriating (Picard willing to let an entire species die just because of the Holy Prime Directive).

I also like Threshold more than most of the mediocre, formulaic episodes that lack imagination, where you know how it'll unfold when you're only 10 minutes in and where you're tempted to fast-forward to the resolution. At least, in Threshold no concept is too bizarre to happen, and even everytime I rewatch it, I'm impressed with how 'out there' it is ('I need to get a fix of what those writers were smoking when they wrote this stuff!').

I also like that underneath all ridiculousness, there's some genuine character development for Tom. He starts out believing he absolutely needs to accomplish this to amount to something, then gains the alien perspective, and finally returns a wiser man (learning that the opinions of others are not that important compared to how he thinks about himself and his own quest for self-improvement).

 

[Moonglum]

Put any episodes that are generally looked on by Trek fans as "bad" but that you enjoy in this thread.
I'll go first: Masks from TNG. I don't even know why I like this episode and think the criticism it gets is completely understandable, but... idk. I just like it for some reason

Damn! Masks was going to be the first episode I mentioned too before I saw the body of your post. It's actually one of my favorites of the series, but I that might be because of my personal interest in ancient civilizations. Another one is Genesis. I ignore the silly anti-laws of physics rapid creation and loss of mass among the infected crew members, and just go along for the adventure.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Definitely Masks. And Genesis. And Threshold. And Spock's Brain.

I like my Trek to be totally insane.

 

[Alexander Corrino]

I'd also like to add "Lonely Among Us". It's one of my favorites because it's your typical unhinged first season TNG episode that makes little to no sense. The unintentional humor cracks me up each time I watch it.

 

[carcinoGeneticist]

I'd also like to add "Lonely Among Us". It's one of my favorites because it's your typical unhinged first season TNG episode that makes little to no sense. The unintentional humor cracks me up each time I watch it.

My mum and stepdad completely skipped over that episode the first time we watched the series together because of how bad they thought it was.

Definitely Masks. And Genesis. And Threshold. And Spock's Brain.

I like my Trek to be totally insane.

Completely agreed! Lol

 

[Alexander Corrino]

My mum and stepdad completely skipped over that episode the first time we watched the series together because of how bad they thought it was.

Tell them it's hilarious. All they have to do is stop taking it seriously in ANY way. Then it becomes unintentionally funny.

 

[Admiral Archer]

DS9 "Move Along Home"

I have no idea why people think this episode is annoying. I actually enjoy it a lot. I actually probably think this is one of my favorite DS9 episodes because of how unlike the rest of the show it actually is.

 

[A Ruffian]

TNG’s - “Rascals” is nice.
To me, it’s oddly… surreal to see Picard as a kid.

 

[DonIago]

TNG’s - “Rascals” is nice.
To me, it’s oddly… surreal to see Picard as a kid.

Other than the whole idea of the Ferengi being able to take over the E-D (okay, and the science of the de-aging), "Rascals" is great!

 

[Tosk]

DS9 "Move Along Home"

I have no idea why people think this episode is annoying. I actually enjoy it a lot. I actually probably think this is one of my favorite DS9 episodes because of how unlike the rest of the show it actually is.

I second. I don't love it and it's not one of my faves, but I can watch it very easily and be entertained.

It's the second-most TOS episode that DS9 ever did.

 

[Firebird]

Season 1 of TNG gets chucked in the dumpster quite a bit by the fandom, but I honestly enjoy it.

Well... perhaps Code of Honor less so, but the rest is fun.

 

[fireproof78]

I unapologetically like The Alternative Factor from TOS. I think it's goofy but has a certain otherworldly charm with the two Lazarus' (Lazuri?) and an interesting premise in the two universes that would become a mainstay in the franchise before "multiverse" was a thing.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

TOS: The Omega Glory definitely goes places, but I thought it was entertaining enough and it has a great villain. Runner up: Catspaw.

TNG: I really liked Manhunt, I thought it was genuinely funny. I thought The Child and The Loss were okay as well.

DS9: For me, Babel was a highlight of season 1 and I'd rank it between Duet and Emissary. Fascination wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be either.

VOY: I thought Spirit Folk was watchable enough, and Alice.

ENT: I enjoyed Chosen Realm and I thought Storm Front was decent enough.

DIS: Stormy Weather and All In are two of my favourites of the whole series. I think some of the reaction to them was due to a feeling that the show was spinning its wheels instead of getting on with the story.

PIC: Season 2 had real issues, but the characters made it watchable despite that.

LDS: A Mathematically Perfect Redemption was my favourite episode of season 3 and Hear All, Trust Nothing was my least favourite, so I got that whole season backwards.

PRO: Starstruck seems to be considered the worst episode of the show. I would argue that First Con-tact is the actual worst episode, and Starstruck is fine.

SNW: I thought The Elysian Kingdom was pretty average for the series. On the other hand I HATED A Quality of Mercy.