Hmm, the only thing I can think of offhand is, when I run across a M*A*S*H rerun, if Wayne Rogers is in it, I'll watch it. Otherwise, I'll skip it. I just can't stand the overbearing preachiness of the post-Rogers era of M*A*S*H.
I think I'm a little more forgiving of
M*A*S*H than you are. I think the show was still solidly funny up through the remainder of the Frank Burns era. Even some of the early Charles Winchester episodes are really entertaining. However, once Radar leaves, your odds aren't very good. If you realize the episode is going to center on Klinger, run!
Buffy:
"I Robot, You Jane"
"When She Was Bad"
"I Robot, You Jane" gets a lot of points for introducing Jenny Calendar. I like a lot of "When She Was Bad," particularly Buffy's sexy dance with Xander.
TNG:
"Genesis" - the "DNA can do Absolutely Anything!!!" "science" in this episode is too stupid for words.
This is one of those episodes that gets a pass because its rediculous premise really appeals to my inner 12-year-old (alongside "Timescape" & "Parallels"). Raging monster Worf is scary. Plus, it's the only time we ever see a bathroom on the Enterprise-D.
There aren't many. The one that comes to mind is of Angel, the episode I think was called Smile Time. It's when Angel becomes a fricken muppet. Stupid beyond words. I can take a lot of stupid, but that one is just too much for me.
Hold your tongue! Puppet Angel is probably the funniest thing the series ever did (aside from Angel's bad dancing in "She"). "I do not have puppet cancer!"
There's a few other
Angel Season 5 episodes that are cited here that I would disagree with. At the time, after the intense, ultra-serialized roller coaster of Season 4, there were a lot of Season 5 episodes that felt meandering & pointless. However, I've felt that they usually get better on repeat viewings.
"Life of the Party" is kinda weak but gets a lot of points for being one of the show's few Lorne-centric episodes.
"The Cautionary Tale of Numero Cinco" has a lot of great moments. The whole luchador theme is very bizarre in a very fun way. There's a lot of great Spike moments early in the episode. And also, "The Devil has built a robot!" "El diablo robotico."
"Why We Fight" can be frustrating. Compared to "You're Welcome" or "A Hole in the World," it doesn't really deal with the overall arc. It's a shame that Gunn, Fred, & Wesley don't have anything to do other than be taken hostage. But I've developed an appreciation for this episode and how much it's able to do with just Angel & Spike in a different historical era. There's a lot of care given to the writing here and a lot of subtle nods to things that would happen to them later:
Angel: "I'm not getting trapped at the bottom of the sea!"
Spike: "And I'm not going to be experimented on by his government!"
(Plus, it wins bonus points because "Sam Lawson" is the name of a guy I've known since kindergarten.)
I know I seem to be in the minority re: "Love & Monsters."
Nah. It and "Fear Her" are probably the two single worst episodes of the revival. They are truly awful. Even "Last of the Time Lords" is about 10 percent brilliance, and "Journey's End" at least has a pretty kickin' rad Davros. "Love & Monsters" and "Fear Her," though ... guh.
"Last of the Time Lords" is brilliant except for the Jesus-Doctor finale. The "Reality Bomb" in "Journey's End" is way too over the top, even for
Doctor Who. However, I'm a big fan of large crossovers, so I'm willing to forgive a lot in exchange for bringing in Jack, Gwen, Ianto, Sarah Jane, Luke, & K-9.
Someone suggested that "Fear Her" might work better as a
Sarah Jane episode. I think that perhaps that's true. While I liked Rose as a companion, I think this episode suffers from forcing her to carry most of the episode while the Doctor is trapped in the drawing. Were it another, more autonomous companion such as Sarah Jane or Donna, I think the episode might be somewhat more watchable. Also, casting a different actress as the little girl would have made a world of difference. Her harsh, whispery voice is just too difficult to listen to. Granted, even if you solve these problems, you're still left with a story that feels too much like a rip-off of "The Idiot's Lantern" and it indulges in yet another of
Doctor Who's tiresome parade of bad fathers.
That one episode of
Law & Order where the detectives investigate the death of a HORSE.
"Corpus Delicti"? It stars out being about the death of a horse but by the end it shifts to a crooked horse breeder who murdered his rich fiancee.
A few people have mentioned the Ferengi episodes of
Star Trek: DS9, but I think some of those are among the best episodes of the series, especially "Little Green Men" & "The Magnificent Ferengi." "Profit & Lace" is a bit silly, but whenever it starts degenerating, I just shift my gaze over to the lovely Leeta eye-candy.
I have to concur with those
Buffy fans who cite "Dead Man's Party." I don't always skip it but it's certainly one of the most difficult episodes to watch of the whole series. It does plant many of the seeds for what would eventually become some of the worst aspects of Season 7. But there are a few good Giles moments that somewhat salvage it. "'Do you like my mask? Isn't it pretty? It raises the dead.' Americans!"
Similarly, I find "Where the Wild Things Are" (a.k.a. "Buffy & Riley Have Lots of Sex") to be a very stupid episode on the whole. The only thing that saves it is some very good scenes from Spike & Anya, plus this good scene with Xander...
"Just showing off my knowledge of local history... Or my knowledge of reading."
"And you didn't even have to sound anything out."
"You should see me add short columns of small numbers."
