Worst tos episode

[Airin]

I wonder if the actors' opinions on particular episodes have had some effect on how fans view them, over the decades. Or at least influence how they first approach them. I mean, Nimoy hated "Spock's Brain" (understandable, as he barely has speaking parts on it). And if many fans have read this in an interview or biography or whatever, it could very well put them on the defensive against the episode. Then fans vote on rankings, "Spock's Brain" always comes at the bottom, and more fans see this and think "yeah, it's that bad", and so on...

It has always struck me as odd in the case of "Spock's Brain" because, even if it's not the very best, I can't see how it is one of the worst. At least it's fun. Then there's "The Mark of Gideon" or "That Which Survives"; I almost fell asleep watching them.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

Just the absurdity of Spock having his brain removed and Kirk steering him around with a remote control alone drags it down to the bottom of my episode rankings.

 

[Sim]

Just the absurdity of Spock having his brain removed and Kirk steering him around with a remote control alone drags it down to the bottom of my episode rankings.

The Morks and Eumorks don't make it any better.

 

[Frontis]

I wonder if the actors' opinions on particular episodes have had some effect on how fans view them, over the decades. Or at least influence how they first approach them. I mean, Nimoy hated "Spock's Brain" (understandable, as he barely has speaking parts on it). And if many fans have read this in an interview or biography or whatever, it could very well put them on the defensive against the episode. Then fans vote on rankings, "Spock's Brain" always comes at the bottom, and more fans see this and think "yeah, it's that bad", and so on...

It has always struck me as odd in the case of "Spock's Brain" because, even if it's not the very best, I can't see how it is one of the worst. At least it's fun. Then there's "The Mark of Gideon" or "That Which Survives"; I almost fell asleep watching them.

Nimoy's interview didn't influence my opinion because I never saw or read it.

 

[Airin]

Just the absurdity of Spock having his brain removed and Kirk steering him around with a remote control alone drags it down to the bottom of my episode rankings.

Yeah, but is that worse than Gideon building an exact replica of the Enterprise in their overpopulated planet, where there are so many people that they literally stand shoulder to shoulder? Where did they get the ship's plans anyway? And all that just to stage an encounter between Kirk and Odona!?
Or "The Omega Glory", showing an exact copy of the American flag and Constitution?

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

They're also near the bottom of my episode rankings!

 

[Noname Given]

...Or "The Omega Glory", showing an exact copy of the American flag and Constitution?

And the fact that given when their final war occurred, that makes Earth the actual 'duplicate world'.

 

[Sim]

A b d the fact that given when their final war occurred, that makes Earth the actual duplicate world'.

Naw, that makes sense: By some space anomaly and/or unknown power, earth was duplicated, moved lightyears away and a couple of centuries or millenia into the past ... and on the duplicate earth, the Cold War got hot.

 

[fireproof78]

I wonder if the actors' opinions on particular episodes have had some effect on how fans view them, over the decades. Or at least influence how they first approach them. I mean, Nimoy hated "Spock's Brain" (understandable, as he barely has speaking parts on it). And if many fans have read this in an interview or biography or whatever, it could very well put them on the defensive against the episode. Then fans vote on rankings, "Spock's Brain" always comes at the bottom, and more fans see this and think "yeah, it's that bad", and so on...

It has always struck me as odd in the case of "Spock's Brain" because, even if it's not the very best, I can't see how it is one of the worst. At least it's fun. Then there's "The Mark of Gideon" or "That Which Survives"; I almost fell asleep watching them.

I saw it before I read Nimoy's memories. I didn't like it. It's boring, annoying and sexist.

Mark of Gideon is dumb but it doesn't annoy me the same way.

 

[Sim]

I saw it before I read Nimoy's memories. I didn't like it. It's boring, annoying and sexist.

Mark of Gideon is dumb but it doesn't annoy me the same way.

I even found Mark of Gideon has a kind of intriguing creepiness to it.

 

[Airin]

I saw it before I read Nimoy's memories. I didn't like it. It's boring, annoying and sexist.

Boring and annoying depends on taste. But what does it make it sexist? The women in the planet were dumb, the men were even dumber, that's all. Considering the amount of episodes where women are there to fulfill male sexual fantasies, or seduce a man, or be seduced instead, I don't see how sexism is specially relevant in this case.

 

[fireproof78]

Boring and annoying depends on taste. But what does it make it sexist? The women in the planet were dumb, the men were even dumber, that's all. Considering the amount of episodes where women are there to fulfill male sexual fantasies, or seduce a man, or be seduced instead, I don't see how sexism is specially relevant in this case.

Because they are portrayed as dumb and it's offensive.

I don't feel this needs further explanation.

 

[Airin]

Because they are portrayed as dumb and it's offensive.

I don't feel this needs further explanation.

Well, as a woman, I don't find offensive at all showing a planet where everyone is dumb, not just the women. Having Spock joking about Rand being assaulted in "The Enemy Within", or a female Romulan commander who falls for Spock's charms five minutes after meeting him, now THAT'S offensive.

 

[fireproof78]

Well, as a woman, I don't find offensive at all showing a planet where everyone is dumb, not just the women. Having Spock joking about Rand being assaulted in "The Enemy Within", or a female Romulan commander who falls for Spock's charms five minutes after meeting him, now THAT'S offensive.

All three are offensive. I like "The Enterprise Incident" but the seduction by Spock irritates me. The Enemy Within is a decent episode but that ending point makes me quite angry.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

I didn't think Spock's Brain was particularly sexist, because the guys there were actual cavemen. It's clear that something had gone very wrong with the aliens on this alien planet, and the women being dumb was something odd and frustrating to the heroes.

I never saw Enterprise Incident as being sexist either to be honest, because a: Spock is apparently the sexiest man in the Alpha Quadrant, and b: she was pulling a Kirk and trying to use her charm to tempt him into turning traitor. I think both of them were probably a little surprised by how much they actually fell for each other.

The ending of The Enemy Within just sucks.

 

[Sim]

Spock's Brain didn't strike me as particularly sexist either, maybe because ... is it possible that something is just too dumb to be sexist? The whole Morg/Eumorg business is just such a campy, ridiculous trash idea in the first place, perhaps even too silly for 70s soft porn movies, that I was out already long before ideas about possible sexism could enter my mind. That the episode also had Kirk controlling Spock with a remote, and Spock assisting McCoy reinserting his brain, really didn't make it any better.

As far as trash is concerned, "Spock's Brain" is really very high on my list, imo. "That Which Survives" is really trash because it basically turns something that looks like an elementary school game (change places!!!) into a mortal threat, or "The Savage Curtain" is just silly, with that rock creature and the silly costumes... but "Spock's Brain" really provides an overdose level of trashfest brilliance. Imo.

 

[Noname Given]

All three are offensive. I like "The Enterprise Incident" but the seduction by Spock irritates me. The Enemy Within is a decent episode but that ending point makes me quite angry.

IDK - Depends how you look at it. I always thought it was the Romulan Commander who started trying.to win Spock over to the Romulan side to make her commondeering of the Enterprise easier, and she became more attracted to him in the process. Spock did realize this and used it to aid in his assignment, but it wasn't like Spock was forcing her to do anything and this IS a TV show that had 50 minutes to tell the one story.

And in the end Spock admitted to being genuinely attracted to her as well.

 

[Rowdy Roddy McDowall]

Referencing Sim's earlier posting (#180):


I'm straighter than some might like, but that elevator scene from CHILDREN SHALL LEAD is unintentionally gayer than a FLINTSTONES marathon. Spock, as always, maintains his dignity while Kirk/Shat's open-mouthed, horrified at the concept of not being at the center of attention. Even in TRISEKLION he pulled that routine.

 

[fireproof78]

IDK - Depends how you look at it. I always thought it was the Romulan Commander who started trying.to win Spock over to the Romulan side to make her commondeering of the Enterprise easier, and she became more attracted to him in the process. Spock did realize this and used it to aid in his assignment, but it wasn't like Spock was forcing her to do anything and this IS a TV show that had 50 minutes to tell the one story.

And in the end Spock admitted to being genuinely attracted to her as well.

I mean, I don't mind that the Commander attempted to seduce him back. It's just quite out of character for Spock to my mind, and that she fails to anticipate such duplicitous until evidence it pointed out is kind of at odds with Spock's character, i.e. Vulcanians never bluff.

Again, it's a minor irritation at an episode I largely enjoy.

 

[Noname Given]

I mean, I don't mind that the Commander attempted to seduce him back. It's just quite out of character for Spock to my mind, and that she fails to anticipate such duplicitous until evidence it pointed out is kind of at odds with Spock's character, i.e. Vulcanians never bluff.

Again, it's a minor irritation at an episode I largely enjoy.

It's out of character for Spock to peruse the most logical path to distract the Romulan Commander and complete the mission? (But his Human half to find it has feelings for a good looking and intelligent female.)

And lets be honest here: "Vulcans never bluff" is AS BIG a lie as "Vulcans are incapable of lying" <--- The latter which was a saying reiterated by the Romulan Commander in the episode with the addition "or perhaps it's a myth" to which Spock replied "It is no myth" and that response WAS in fact a bold faced lie itself because Vulcans lie all the time. (Both Spock and Sarek did it in earlier TOS episodes many a time.)