Biggest insulting slap-in-the-face episode for fans?

[Dorian Thompson]

I've seen them all.

Without a doubt, it's TATV.

 

[PKTrekGirl]

Brutal Strudel said:
TATV is indeed a horrible episode. I'd hazard to say, however, that it did far more violence to "The Pegasus" and Commander Riker's character than it did to ENT. Consider: in order for the episode to work, we have to accept that Riker farted around in th holodeck during one of the tensest moments in his career, that he reached the decision to do the right thing because of the holodeck and then proceeded not to do it. He then beams over to the Pegasus with the evil admiral du jour only to have the same fucking epiphany all over again and finally, now that he's put the Enterprise in mortal jeopardy, does what the Trip Tucker simulation told him he should have done all along. And this is the finest first officer in the fleet?

By contrast, Archer and Company are put through the paces of a stupid (even by ENT standards) comic book plot involving space pirates and a stolen jewel but at least they weren't made out to be total boobs--well, in the case of Archer, no more of a boob than usual.

Reading this post, I don't know whether to laugh or throw something.

Good point about Riker and The Pegasus though. One of these days I'm gonna have to sit down and watch both of those episodes at the same time and see for myself just how much of a goob it makes him look like on screen.

Makes you wonder why Frakes agreed to do TATV. Spend a decade + of your life building up a character, only to CHOOSE to take the gig that destroys him.

I mean, Scott Bakula was FORCED to look like an idiot - he was under contract and at least has that as an excuse.

But Frakes?

No...Frakes VOLUNTEERED for that shit!

 

[PKTrekGirl]

Angel4576 said:
If they'd marketed TATV as the swansong of the B/B era of Star Trek I think you'd have practically guaranteed one of the largest viewings/celebrations in Star Trek history.

Celebrations is right. Invite all your friends and break out the best Romulan ale - these morons are OUTTA THERE!

A reason to celebrate rivaled only by the events that will transpire on January 20, 2009.

 

[Angel4576]

^^ When I go see the movie, I'll be cheering for both reasons!

 

[Kegek]

Angel4576 said:
^^ Fair point, I have to admit, I've not seen the Voyager episodes in some time. To be honest, when they were writing Up the Long Ladder, I'm not entirely sure what they were thinking.

I'd have no idea. My favourite episode of TNG - "The Measure of a Man" - and my least favourite episode of Star Trek - "Up the Long Ladder" - where both one of the four scripts that Melinda Snodgrass wrote for TNG's second season.

How the hell does one come up with something so superb and something so asinine in such a short length of time? It's always baffled me.

On paper it looks like a bad idea, in practicality, it was probably even worse.

Indeed.

 

[Angel4576]

^^I have to admit, Measure of a Man aside, I'm not a huge fan of MS. Her other TNG episodes:

Pen Pals (teleplay)
The Ensigns of Command
The High Ground

None of them great IMO, although equally, none as bad as Up the Long Ladder.

 

[Kegek]

I think "The Ensigns of Command" is okay and "The High Ground" is good, while "Pen Pals" is weak. It's true none of them are as good as "The Measure of a Man", which just makes its exceptionalism... all the more exceptional. Honestly, that episode made me a Star Trek fan.

 

[Angel4576]

It was TNG that got me into Star Trek as well. I'd seen the TOS movies up until that point, but it didn't 'get' me until TNG. I think it was a combination for me. The first episode that really grabbed my attention was probably Q-Who?

I remember watching TNG on the BBC. They ended with The Best of Both Worlds at the end of season 3 (both parts) but then didn't get around to showing the rest of season 4 and beyond for what seemed like years. Sky One and the VHS releases got me through the lean times. Thank God for student grants at the time!

 

[Saxman1]

Threshold

Endgame

TATV

 

[captcalhoun]

TATV.

so bad even my laid-back mom said it was dire and not merely 'not very good' as she did with 'Observer Effect' and 'Daedalus'

 

[AdmiralGarak]

Kegek said:
How the hell does one come up with something so superb and something so asinine in such a short length of time? It's always baffled me.

Ira Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe may be the "winners" here: "Trials and Tribble-ations" followed by "Let He Who is Without Sin" the very next week.

 

[Angel4576]

^^ Is that the one set on Risa?

It had it's erm, redeeming, qualities.....

Well, nearly!

 

[Haggis and tatties]

These are the Voyages, was not so much a slap in the face, more a poke in the eye, with a sharp stick, with dog poo on the end.

 

[Akira Class]

TATV was actually a God send. Sure, it wasn't a great episode on the surface. The writing wasn't great and the plot was a groaner. However, we did get to see Frakes and Sirtis, which was quite refreshing after four seasons of Bakula and Blalock and the rest of them chewing scenery. In fact, TATV should have been more of a TNG episode with just a few scenes of ENT involved. That would have been a true valentine for the fans.

 

[Angel4576]

I'm sure we could come up with plenty of suitable valentines involving Berman, Braga and a baseball bat.

 

[Balthier the Great]

Nemisis. Just looking at it makes baby jesus cry.

 

[PKTrekGirl]

Angel4576 said:
^^ Is that the one set on Risa?

It had it's erm, redeeming, qualities.....

Well, nearly!

Name one. And no....Vanessa Williams boobs don't count.

No....I gotta say, that episode made me blow chunks.

A void in space, created by that giant black hole of suckage known as Let He Who is Without Sin...

Whew, it was terrible!

 

[Mysterion]

The Cage

Possibly the worst TOS episode EVER! Spock is way out of character! I mean, smiling for god's sake!? The sets are totally wrong with those goose-neck thingies all over the place. Kirk is nowhere to be seen - who's this Pike guy! And then there's this woman (they keep calling "Number One" in an obvious rip-off of Riker in TNG) who we've never seen before, and never see again. And the whole story is just too cerebral, you know?

And then there's.....what? 1964? Really? First ever? You sure?

Huh.

Well, nevermind....

 

[Angel4576]

PKTrekGirl said:
Name one. And no....Vanessa Williams boobs don't count.

Oh, ok. Can I count Leeta's then instead? Beyond that, I'll have to begrudgingly agree, that it was indeed, rubbish.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

PKTrekGirl said:

Angel4576 said:
^^ Is that the one set on Risa?

It had it's erm, redeeming, qualities.....

Well, nearly!

Name one. And no....Vanessa Williams boobs don't count.

What about Terry Farrell's or Chase Masterson's?