Actually... I quite like that episode.

[TheGoodStuff]

How can anyone hate "Masks"?

I think it quite rightly gets all the flak it does. It's a cringe-fest for me when I watch it. The script and plot are really poor, its cheesy, Brent has to over-act way too much...meh. It has a lame, "we really are running out of ideas" feel to it which TNG S7 sadly, was full of.

On the flip side, I am pleasantly surprised to see some love for TNG: Genesis in this thread. It is very rough around the edges, the science is absolutely abysmal...but I love the atmosphere. It manages to show how even a Galaxy class, luxury cruiser can become Alien-like really quickly. The whole episode gives me the creeps.

Also, as a lover of DS9 [who thinks the first few seasons are great] I liked 'Move Along Home'. It's not brilliant, and it is cheesy, but it is fun and entertaining and while the twist ending was predictable, I found it a refreshing [and quite thought provoking] end to a Trek episode. It gets a lot of flak and i think it isn't as bad as people think it is.

[I also laugh at the Allamaraine scene each time. Not why you think. It's because all four of the main cast do the hopskotch dance/song completely differently. Brooks is really high-pitched and does it quickly, Farrell looks like a big kid enjoying herself, Siddig looks like he is trying to be semi-serious and Visitor looks like she can't believe what she is doing. The differences make the scene for me. ]

I like this thread idea. I had no idea so many tolerated some of these panned episodes as much as I do. It's interesting how some of us see things so differently. For example, someone earlier in the thread said they couldn't understand why 'A Night in Sickbay' is so hated whereas for me, it is the worst episode in the franchise. Give me 'Spocks Brain' or 'Threshold' over it anyday.

 

[stardream]

Now that I think of it, I don't remember Threshold getting a lot of flack at the time. Maybe I was hanging around the wrong discussion boards or something. It was just another episode, a bit silly around the edges but no sillier than Elogium and some other earlier Voyager stories.

 

[retroenzo]

[I also laugh at the Allamaraine scene each time. Not why you think. It's because all four of the main cast do the hopskotch dance/song completely differently. Brooks is really high-pitched and does it quickly, Farrell looks like a big kid enjoying herself, Siddig looks like he is trying to be semi-serious and Visitor looks like she can't believe what she is doing. The differences make the scene for me. ]

Exactly! Sisko's trying to get it over and done with quickly. Dax is a big kid at heart. Bashir is getting on with it, and Kira is only doing it because she has to. That's why I love that scene.

I like this thread idea. I had no idea so many tolerated some of these panned episodes as much as I do. It's interesting how some of us see things so differently. For example, someone earlier in the thread said they couldn't understand why 'A Night in Sickbay' is so hated whereas for me, it is the worst episode in the franchise. Give me 'Spocks Brain' or 'Threshold' over it anyday.

I'm enjoying reading the posts for the same reason. I have a thing about guilty pleasures in anything - movies, music, books, computer games, etc, and wanted reassurance that my like for the episodes I've already listed is shared at least with other people.

 

[Tallguy]

I love "The Omega Glory", one of my favorite episodes of Trek.

Scary as all get out intro. Compelling bad guy. Heroes in dire straits. Wow finish. What's not to like?!?

 

[new_mercury]

Scary as all get out intro. Compelling bad guy. Heroes in dire straits. Wow finish. What's not to like?!?

I like The Omega Glory too

Also I do like Prototype

 

[Tallguy]

I just looked up Move Along Home. I might not be too far off in stating that that episode is why I never became a regular DS9 watcher.

 

[KelisThePoet]

"Prototype" has always been one of my favorite Voyager episodes. B'Elanna is my favorite Star Trek character, and I like stories about the wonder of creating things, so to me, it's a match made in heaven. I had no idea before spending time on these boards that there were so many people who disliked the episode.

Another episode that seems to be disliked on these boards is "Sub Rosa." I've only seen it once, and I quite liked it--a good, creepy science-fictional twist on a ghost story.

And while I don't love either "Move Along Home" or "If Wishes Were Horses," I think both are fun Trek-ish episodes that helped me get enthusiastic about watching Deep Space Nine in the beginning.

With original series/original cast material, I've been aware a long time that The Final Frontier, "Spock's Brain" and "The Way to Eden" are not widely appreciated, and I love them all. I don't think "Spock's Brain" is a great episode, but it's one of the first I ever saw, and I don't see what's particularly wrong with it. And "The Way to Eden" is one of my favorites. I say needing to watch an episode with a straight face is overrated.

 

[1001001]

I think Move Along Home is unquestionably the worst episode of DS9, and in the bottom 10 of all Trek.

Just awful. I'd rather watch Threshold on repeating loop for all eternity.

Okay, maybe that's a bit much but you get my point...

 

[Sophie74656]

I'm curious if anyone likes episodes that are usually held up for ridicule in the community?

Are there any fans of TNG's 'Justice' or 'Shades of Gray'?
Is Voyager's Prototype on your must see list every time you rewatch the series?
Can you watch 'The Way to Eden' with a straight face?

Personally, my guilty pleasure is 'Move Along Home'. Yes I know. I do love the story and the 'Allamaraine' sequence is so funny! I love the discomfort in Kira and Bashir's faces when they have to do it.

So come on, get it off your chest, which is the episode that you will always think, "Actually I quite like that episode" when people start slating it? Let's be civil and on this occasion leave the movies to one side.

I agree about Move Along Home, I know most people dislike it but I rather enjoy it. I do also like Prototype. If you overlook how silly the robots look it's a pretty good episode in my opinion.

 

[Nyotarules]

Dear Doctor - the one where Phlox makes the decision to not help a dying species. I like it cos the character makes what some viewers believe is a flawed decision. Arm chair TV moralism is very easy, pretending Phlox decision is real life was part of the appeal for me.

Move along home- I found it funny and was surprised how deep Siddiq/ Bashir singing voice is compared to his talking voice, Sisko was the opposite, deep talking voice, high singing voice.

 

[Voth commando1]

Voyager's Cathexis-having body hopping aliens vs ghost Chakotay-very suspenseful love the lighting and genuinely felt the dread.

 

[2takesfrakes]

This isn't about us holding our noses because we're hopelessly pining for TNG.

 

[suarezguy]

I like "The Omega Glory," "Rascals" and to a lesser degree "Bound" albeit as somewhat guilty pleasures and also like "If Wishes Were Horses" (really don't get the negativity although it is very light and near-fantasylike) and "The Muse".

 

[Nyotarules]

'Brain, what is brain?'... 'Spock's brain' Love it! Its so bad, its good!

 

[Tallguy]

I like "The Omega Glory," "Rascals" and to a lesser degree "Bound" albeit as somewhat guilty pleasures and also like "If Wishes Were Horses" (really don't get the negativity although it is very light and near-fantasylike) and "The Muse".

Wait, Rascals is awesome! Who doesn't like Rascals?

 

[at Quark's]

On the flip side, I am pleasantly surprised to see some love for TNG: Genesis in this thread. It is very rough around the edges, the science is absolutely abysmal...but I love the atmosphere. It manages to show how even a Galaxy class, luxury cruiser can become Alien-like really quickly. The whole episode gives me the creeps.

Agree on that one. I wonder what people would have thought of this episode if the writers had found a way of turning crew members into animals that used less abysmal science, or any even halfway credible (I mean, on a 'star trek' credibility scale) plot device -- granted, I can't think of one this quickly. But the atmosphere is brilliant and creeps me out too.

Besides, some of the animals they chose were nice touches, in my opinion. I mean, of course, Worf becoming the great hulking predator was predictable, yes. But, Barclay turning into a monstrous spider with all that hyper-nervous energy? Riker turning into some agressive proto-humanoid with a skull too thick to get through to him ? These kind of fit, in a way

 

[F. King Daniel]

Count me in as a fan of Nemesis. I'd drifted away from Trek once ENT's quality nosedived after "Broken Bow", watching out of loyalty but not really interested. Insurrection was dull.

I remember seeing NEM commercials on TV and thinking, "They're still making those?" I skipped it in the theatre and months later it became the last VHS release I bought - and I loved it!

Then ENT's rejigged season 3 started and I loved it too! I was into Trek again!

 

[Tracy Trek]

But, Barclay turning into a monstrous spider with all that hyper-nervous energy? Riker turning into some agressive proto-humanoid with a skull too thick to get through to him ? These kind of fit, in a way

Especially since it was revealed that Barclay was afraid of spiders in the season before.

 

[at Quark's]

Especially since it was revealed that Barclay was afraid of spiders in the season before.

I forgot about that entirely, thanks!

 

[TheGoodStuff]

Agree on that one. I wonder what people would have thought of this episode if the writers had found a way of turning crew members into animals that used less abysmal science, or any even halfway credible (I mean, on a 'star trek' credibility scale) plot device -- granted, I can't think of one this quickly. But the atmosphere is brilliant and creeps me out too.

Besides, some of the animals they chose were nice touches, in my opinion. I mean, of course, Worf becoming the great hulking predator was predictable, yes. But, Barclay turning into a monstrous spider with all that hyper-nervous energy? Riker turning into some agressive proto-humanoid with a skull too thick to get through to him ? These kind of fit, in a way

I think that is a great point. If I may even take it a step further...

The episode could have been awesome if the ship had been invaded by an alien species and most of the crew were incapacitated in some manner. It would have served much the same purpose but would have been far more sensible than the nonsense the episode actually used.