Worst TNG episodes ever

[Jon1701]

Force of Nature is a Class 1 example of "taking your eye off the ball" because there are more important things. TNG, at this point in its history was probably 4th in order of priority for the powers that be. DS9 was in its second season, the movie was in preproduction and they were almost certainly planning for Voyager too. TNG did not have the lion share of the creative juices flowing through it at this point and it shows.

The show has all the hallmarks of being written the night before. They must have had nothing to shoot because it really is poorly executed. Season 7 is weak overall and this is pretty much the poorest effort. I mean, the first time I saw it I thought it was an episode about Data's cat.

I mean, nothing happens for at least 20 minutes in. The pace is deathly slow and by the time the plot starts nobody cares...

 

[drazzz52923849]

I hate The Royale, Shades of Gray was obviously bad, I got through 10 minutes of The Price before i quit. Hollow pursuits was Awful, or anything with barclay at all. Hated man of the people.

 

[c172]

can't stand episodes with Alexander. Also, most of the Klingon/Worf dominated episodes.

 

[trentman359]

Shades of Gray

 

[Galileo7]

Inner Light (boring)

Yes.

 

[drazzz52923849]

can't stand episodes with Alexander. Also, most of the Klingon/Worf dominated episodes.

These are my favorite episodes

 

[LitmusDragon]

Much of season one. I attempted a rewatch again recently and got mired in season one and decided to put it off for a while.

I like a lot of episodes that are considered "bad" but that I'd describe more as "surreal": The Royale, Masks, Genesis, Where Silence Has Lease, I like all of these. I agree that Emergence was lame though.

A lot of the stuff with children was handled in an annoying way. "Suddenly Human" comes to mind, and the subplot of "Brothers" where that kid was stuck by a plant or something. I thought Rascals was funny though.

 

[CoveTom]

^ Yeah, the "B plot" of "Brothers" wasn't very good. But I guess the writer felt compelled to add something to the story to make it time sensitive. Otherwise, the urgency of the situation isn't really there.

Still, this is an example of where I felt like the writers often acted as though the scale of the ship and its mission was much "smaller" than it should be. You mean to tell me that on a ship of over 1,000 people, every time there is a medical emergency that requires a starbase that the whole freakin' starship has to drop its mission and make that trip? And we see things like this happening all the time. The Enterprise running about accommodating the business of one or two people.

 

[Tremelo]

I really dislike:

The Naked Now
Birthright
Imaginary Friend
Rascals
Liaisons
Force of Nature
Phantasms
Emergence
Qpid
Code of Honor
The Outrageous Okana
The Royale
Up the Long Ladder
Menage a Trois
Captain's Holiday
A Matter of Time (Rasmussen sickened me every time he was on camera; such an annoying character)
Hero Worship
Cost of Living
Masks
Dark Page
Sub Rosa

 

[Supernuke]

I think Force of Nature is the worst one. It just seemed to me that they didn't feel like coming up with a plot until the second half of the episode. All that happened for like 20 minutes was Data worrying about Spot. Seriously? That episode is the excruciatingly bad.

 

[mswood]

I can't bear Up the Long Ladder because of the excrutiating Irish stereotyping (I'm English). There's a Voyager episode where they do it as well - Spirit Folk or something?

I am half Irish with an English surname and I think it's a hoot. Go figure. I also like Spirit Folk (ducks). I've never been accused of having any taste, LOL!

TNG I don't like:

Code of Honor - all it needs is Rodchester from Jack Benny and the 1930s/1940s movies saying, "Feets, don't fail me now!"

I, Borg (the beginning of the end of The Borg as scary and near-omnipotent adversaries). I don't blame Adimiral Hotness Nachaya for lighting into Picard later: he should have destroyed them. But then, no First Contact or Seven. I enjoy the Seven character on Voyager, one reason being Jeri Ryan's often overlooked comic timing - She and Picardo's Doctor were a great one-two humor team without being groan-inducing (at least to me).

Genesis - plain stupid, the prelude to the garbage that is "Threshold" (Voyager).

The two - parter with Jellico (I don't like watching Picard tortured, although it upped the hotness of Troi tremendously by getting her into a uniform)

Descent - whiny Hugh and the rougue Borg, Spiner chewing the scenery as Lore and EVIL DATA, Picard sending almost the entire crew down to the planet to look for Data, need I go on? What a crap-fest of illogic!

So overall, not a lot I dislike. Same with TOS and DS9.

ANd it's funny I,Borg is on my top ten list for TNG. AS its one of the best dramatic character based episodes the show has done. But your point about what it did for future episodes of the Borg is very true. Voyager actually as far better about addressing this issue then TNG was, but they did really focus on them (Of course Q-Who, I Borg, and BoBW I & II are better then any of VOY Borg episodes in my opinion (though Scorpion I is close).

But I look at an episode like this and Force of Nature.

This (I Borg), in my opinion the episode in and of itself is absolutely stellar. It hurt future episodes (or made it much, much more difficult).

Force of Nature I was bored to death by the episode in question and of course hurt future stories (or shall we say would have if the writers didn't forget about it after a few episodes).

Personally I don't judge the ramifications for what the writer's have to deal with later, but whats on the screen during those 46 minutes.

 

[Captrek]

I’m currently doing a rewatch of the whole series. I’m up through The Price (S3E08). For that part of the series, IMO:

The worst excuse for an episode is Shades of Gray.

The worst actual episode is Pen Pals.

 

[Captrek]

As well as to intentionally offend 20th century humans in general (The Neutral Zone).

I think the message of the episode is, “20th century people suck... except the kind who like Star Trek.” It’s supposed to flatter the audience.

I'll probably have a different answer later, but out of the first 10 episodes, I say "Lonely Among Us" was the most dull and pointless. That episode so failed at dramatic irony, and I didn't get that the Anticans and the Selay were just a joke until it was too late to laugh.

It never really is funny.

TASHA: It's good to see you, sir. The problem is that one of the cooks has just been asked to broil reptile for the Anticans, and it looks like the Selay delegate.
PICARD: Riker, with the peace delegates and all, I think I do need a rest. Take charge, Number One.

I’m not sure who is more disturbed:

A) somebody who commits a murder and gives the body to the cook to broil

B) somebody who thinks that’s a funny joke with which to end the episode​

 

[Joel_Kirk]

Another honorable mention: "Data's Day"

Cheesy story based on Data, which also stereotypes Asian women (i.e. Keiko is introduced wearing chopsticks in her hair; and for her wedding, she wears a traditional Japanese dress...racializing her as the exotic Asian female for her white husband)...

Unrelated sidenote: Someday when I have the time, I will have to make my own playlist of Trek episodes...

 

[RAMA]

As well as to intentionally offend 20th century humans in general (The Neutral Zone).

I think the message of the episode is, “20th century people suck... except the kind who like Star Trek.” It’s supposed to flatter the audience.

I'll probably have a different answer later, but out of the first 10 episodes, I say "Lonely Among Us" was the most dull and pointless. That episode so failed at dramatic irony, and I didn't get that the Anticans and the Selay were just a joke until it was too late to laugh.

It never really is funny.

TASHA: It's good to see you, sir. The problem is that one of the cooks has just been asked to broil reptile for the Anticans, and it looks like the Selay delegate.
PICARD: Riker, with the peace delegates and all, I think I do need a rest. Take charge, Number One.

I’m not sure who is more disturbed:

A) somebody who commits a murder and gives the body to the cook to broil

B) somebody who thinks that’s a funny joke with which to end the episode​

See, I disagree...Lonely Among Us tells us there is more than we know in the universe and not to take life for granted....too often we assume things without really knowing. It's also a good allegory for modern Earth's race and nation relations. Taking the time to understand something so different from us is very...Trek-like!

On a lesser note, we got to see character moments for Data, and got to see the explorer mentality in Picard, even though hedidn't want to be abducted, you saw his genuine interest come through in the dialogue.

As far as the Selay and Anticans...well that plays into the same theme of the episode...as these very different life forms..CAN'T get along. One of the better A/B plots of the early seasons!

A very underrated and somewhat subtle episode overall....except for the boiled Selay..

the episode was also beautifully shot and had good FX and music. A real winner!

I don't know I like themes in Trek more than some people, maybe you just like space battles.

Another honorable mention: "Data's Day"

Cheesy story based on Data, which also stereotypes Asian women (i.e. Keiko is introduced wearing chopsticks in her hair; and for her wedding, she wears a traditional Japanese dress...racializing her as the exotic Asian female for her white husband)...

Unrelated sidenote: Someday when I have the time, I will have to make my own playlist of Trek episodes...

Great episode! Gene Roddenberry married Majel in a Shinto-Buddhist wedding because he had a great respect for Asian traditions FYI. Which is why they used it here. He was also an agnostic. What better way to thumb your nose at Western religious tradition!

RAMA

 

[RAMA]

The ten worst:

STNG:

1. Shades of Gray-Kind of useless except for budgetary reasons.
2. Emergence-Single most pointless episode of STNG. Nothing redeems it.
3. Man of the People-Almost unwatchable.
4. Manhunt-Needless, less charming retread of Haven.
5. The Loss-The Betazoid pms episode...this was not ST. Even a fairly cool 2D alien couldn't save this episode.
6. The Royale-Had about 15 good minutes in it about Colonel Richie, but ultimately not very good.
7. Samaritan Snare-It wasn't only the Pakleds who were dumb in this episode. Nominated for worst aliens ever in a tTrek series.
8. Haven-A few good character moments, not much else.
9. Rascals-Silly
10. Laisons-Non-sensical


Honorable mention: Realm of fear. Horrible ending and technobabble.

 

[Satyrquaze]

^ Basically the Troi-centric episodes plus a couple random bad episodes added in for flavor?

 

[TroiFan4ever]

I really hated "Genesis". The idea of the crew reverting to primitive life forms was just as stupid as the Paris/Janeway fiasco from "Threshold".

*chuckles*

All "Genesis" haters should at least give this episode another chance before truly deciding "I hate this episode."

I hated this episode since 2007. But watching this year made me interested in it!

"Genesis" was scary!

 

[Eckauskas]

The ones centred on Troi were mostly garbage imo.

I also hate anything with her mother in it.

EDIT: Face Of The Enemy was alright, actually.

 

[RaymondJames]

I really hated "Genesis". The idea of the crew reverting to primitive life forms was just as stupid as the Paris/Janeway fiasco from "Threshold".

*chuckles*

All "Genesis" haters should at least give this episode another chance before truly deciding "I hate this episode."

I hated this episode since 2007. But watching this year made me interested in it!

"Genesis" was scary!

Uh Yeah, I never hated this episode. I thought it was pretty cool with its science fiction elements and down right creep factor.

As for my least favorites, "The Royale" (Seriously, what happened in this episode that was the least bit exciting?) as well as "Shades of Grey" (Clip show) and "Masks" (Oh hell no).