Best pure humor episodes

[JirinPanthosa]

What episodes of Star Trek aren't trying to say something relevant about culture, aren't trying to be an exciting adventure, but are just trying to make you laugh? Which episodes are most successful at doing so?

My top five:
1. TNG - The Royale
2. DS9 - Our Man Bashir
3. DS9 - Trials and Tribbleations
4. DS9 - In The Cards
5. Voy - Bride of Chaotica
HM: TNG - QPid

Star Trek seems to be best at being funny when it's parodying itself, what do you think are the (intentionally) funniest episodes?

 

[MacLeod]

SR hasn't really down that many comedy episodes. Sure some episodes have comedy in them, but not really as heir primary device.

 

[Greg Cox]

Also:

"The Trouble with Tribbles."

"A Piece of the Action."

"Little Green Men."

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

 

[sonak]

"a piece of the action"
"deja q"
"in the cards"
"tinker tenor doctor spy"
"two days and two nights"(if that's what it's called)

 

[CaptPapa]

Chronologically . . .

I, Mudd
The Trouble With Tribbles
A Piece Of The Action
The Voyage Home

 

[CorporalClegg]

"Threshold"

Oh. You mean intentionally. Well then I'd have to say TFF. What can I say? It makes me laugh.

 

[Tiberius]

The Magnificent Ferengi.

 

[Greg Cox]

"The House of Quark" was fun, too.

 

[Devo]

No one's mentioned "Who Mourns For Morn?". For shame!

 

[CoveTom]

That's a tough criteria specified by the OP, because even when Star Trek is trying to do comedy, it's often trying to do something else as well. Probably the best known comedy Trek has ever done is The Voyage Home, yet it was clearly also trying to make social commentary and put forth a message.

Also, did TNG really have straight comedy episodes? TOS obviously did, with entries like "The Trouble with Tribbles" and "A Piece of the Action." DS9 had tons with episodes like "The Magnificient Ferengi," "Who Mourns for Morn," "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang," etc. And Voyager had ones like "Bride of Chaotica." But right off the top of my head, I'm having a hard time think of TNG episodes that were just comedies.

 

[Greg Cox]

Also, did TNG really have straight comedy episodes? TOS obviously did, with entries like "The Trouble with Tribbles" and "A Piece of the Action." DS9 had tons with episodes like "The Magnificient Ferengi," "Who Mourns for Morn," "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang," etc. And Voyager had ones like "Bride of Chaotica." But right off the top of my head, I'm having a hard time think of TNG episodes that were just comedies.

"Q-Pid," perhaps? That's pretty much of a lark, and maybe "A Fistful of Datas." Any episode in which Brent Spiner ends up in drag, playing a saloon girl, isn't exactly taking itself too seriously.

 

[The Wormhole]

Deja Q and Q-Pid are TNG's only really legitimate comedies that work. Although Phantasms is really funny too, though that's mostly unintentional.

 

[Dover]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned "Take Me Out to the Holosuite," but I'm a big baseball fan.

 

[The Wormhole]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned "Take Me Out to the Holosuite," but I'm a big baseball fan.

You're right, that is pretty funny.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I'm not requiring the episode to be strictly intended as comedy, but I am requiring that it be intentionally funny. That is, not trying to be serious but unintentionally funny.

TNG episodes that are intended as comedy:
The Outrageous Okana
Up The Long Ladder
Deja Q
The Royale
QPid
Fistful of Datas
Data's Day
A Matter Of Time

A lot of their attempts at humor failed, of course, but I really like The Royale and QPid, and Data's Day and Matter of Time are good episodes.

Their attempts at humor are often better in episodes that aren't intended as humor, such as the ending of Menage a Troi.

 

[The Wormhole]

I don't get how Data's Day and A Matter of Time are meant to be comedies. Data's Day is basically a character piece about Data. Since he doesn't sleep and is up and about all 24 hours of the day, this explores a typical day for him. Hell, the scene with Dr Crusher teaching him how to dance is the only part of the episode that comes off as comedic in any way.

I don't remember anything comedic, intentional or unintentional, about A Matter of Time.

 

[sonak]

I don't get how Data's Day and A Matter of Time are meant to be comedies. Data's Day is basically a character piece about Data. Since he doesn't sleep and is up and about all 24 hours of the day, this explores a typical day for him. Hell, the scene with Dr Crusher teaching him how to dance is the only part of the episode that comes off as comedic in any way.

I don't remember anything comedic, intentional or unintentional, about A Matter of Time.

agreed, I've never seen these episodes referred to as "comedies."

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Data's Day and Matter of Time might not strictly be referred to as comedies so much as 'light hearted episodes', or episodes with humorous B-plots.

Data's perspective in Data's Day is rather humorous, particularly his musings on O'Brien's wedding. The dancing, his delivery of the 'good news'.

And A Matter of Time, the entire con is humorous. His questioning of the layout of the briefing room, his entire act.

 

[Cyke101]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned "Take Me Out to the Holosuite," but I'm a big baseball fan.

I'm not a baseball fan and it's still one of my favorite episodes. I'd certainly rank it as one of the great humor episodes.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

"Up the Long Ladder" isn't primarily a comedy, either.