Ride or Die: Defend Your Favorite "Bad" Episodes

[AtheistAntony]

But the episode I defend to the end is "Shades of Gray". Given the sheer limitations imposed on it by time and budget, they produced an episode that had some pretty good moments, most notably from Riker just before he passed out, and the three leads at the end. And I liked Pulaski better than Crusher anyway. And YES, it was a clip show, but the clips were pretty exciting.

This is the one I defend. Watched it lats night in fact.

I think it really showed the great variety of episodes we'd had in just two years, with the show able to pivot from comedy to high drama very well - something that TNG would do well and I think DS9 would run with. And at the time without the ability to easily rewatch, it acted a good 'summary' of the first two years and at that point recapping episodes some of us had seen almost two years before.

It allowed Pulaski to be a doctor doing doctor stuff in her final episode.

It played the Troi/Riker tension well.

And it's almost 20 minutes before you even get the first flashback, there is stuff in there that isn't flashbacks - there is a story built around the concept.

 

[AtheistAntony]

I never got the gripe with Emergence. What, it's silly & simple? Be honest, until the finale, like 75% of season 7 is largely a morale kick in the teeth, of drama, trauma & betrayal. A little soft Star Trek, before the end, was in order imho

I like Emergence too. I could understand someone being a bit annoyed around "is this the very last thing you want to do with your penultimate non-finale episode? One of your last shots, is this it?"

 

[Mojochi]

I like Emergence too. I could understand someone being a bit annoyed around "is this the very last thing you want to do with your penultimate non-finale episode? One of your last shots, is this it?"

I suppose I just accepted that TNG episode air dates were rather untidy. Two whole seasons never got finales. Some of the mid-season two-parters would've been better season finales than some of the finales they did IMHO. I guess I just stopped caring about how/when the episodes rolled out, & just gave in to accepting any type of episode was possible at any time

 

[Q'OrnamentalDeqor]

"Rascals" is a great episode, it only ever got bashed because of weird snootiness among fans.

NO, THIS IS MY INTELLECTUAL SCIENCE FICTION DRAMA THAT ASKS THE BIG QUESTIONS, IT'S ABOVE THIS SORT OF LACKADAISICAL FARE

Picard trying to retake the ship but being thwarted by a fun 3D talking fish on the kids' computer is unironically my favourite moment in TNG.

The philosophizing with Ro and Guinan alone, as well as taking high concept sci-fi in situations that are arguably uncomfortable (hi, O'Brien marriage!) , help a lot. It's not as bad as others could say, but given how easy it was for the Ferengi to take over the Enterprise (even the 1701-D destruction in GEN isn't as contrived) and how the plot became hyperfocused on able-bodied adults as if to consciously bypass the plot-resolving kids, there was some sub-par scripting in this season six escapade.

And, yep, I loved the kids' computer terminal being the roadblock for Picard too. We finally get to see that the ship does have security protocols for various systems in place! Probably because of when Wesley Crusher used the terminal and did who-knows-what while Chief Engineer Shimoda MacDougal Argyle Signh Logan Lynch Whackadoo rotating every other week because they thought that the ship didn't need a consistent lead Engineer in the 24th century or as the ship and divisions were so large they didn't need one lead to handle all the subdivisions. (Except that wasn't conveyed the best, and they're all still in the same department so you'd still have a lead somewhere down there...)

 

[Q'OrnamentalDeqor]

I'm truly sorry. I just can't. I wouldn't know where to begin. There are so damn many!

Even in season 1, but especially for season 2 that gets lumped in with it!

 

[Crazy 4 Xmas Lights]

I just can't look past "Rascals" worst elements.
- The Ferengi taking the ship in the first place.
- The Ferengi then becoming idiots.
- Picard gets bullied out of the captain's chair because... what? He's shorter and has hair?
- The fact that this process could literally render the human race immortal, but nothing comes of it.

But to defend an episode, one thing I'll say about the overall sub-par pilot: it had what I still regard as one of Trek's sweetest moments: the reunion of the two star jellies.

 

[Richard S. Claus]

I think Rascals is really fun. Alexander in general seems to get more flak than I think he really deserves.

Honestly, I just love the show. As with TOS, I can take the bad with the good and still enjoy it.

Happily in recent years I’ve noticed the pendulum swinging the other way in regards to Season 1/2. The perceived wisdom that the show doesn’t get good until Season 3 just doesn’t hold up.

Even the absolute stinkers like the one where Wesley falls into some flowers or the one where basically some quasi-African tribe kidnap Tasha I’d defend.

Then stuff like Masks or whatever in Season 6 (or 7?). It’s not the best but I don’t hate it. I’d get into the trenches and defend it.