Good Bad Episodes

[Gorn Captain]

I know about half, maybe even two thirds, of the original TOS episodes like the back of my hand. Some, however, I have avoided for probably twenty years because I didn't like them the first time around. (And I'm not even talking about Spock's Brain, which has become cliche as a bad episode) I just mean episodes that, for whatever reason, didn't do it for me before.

Recently, rather than watch Balance of Terror for the 900th time, I have taken to watching some of the exiled episodes, and I have to say, I'm enjoying them. A Private Little War and For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky come to mind. Has anyone else rediscovered episodes they previously dismissed?

Not to mention, two smoking hot female leads in these two episodes!

 

[Botany Bay]

Bread and Circuses bored me to tears for twenty years, but since the DVD's were released in 2004ish, I saw it for the first time uncut, (with that terrific Bones/Spock in jail scene finally included) - it has since become a firm favourite of mine although seems to only get a 'mediocre' around here.

Now I have the complete series on DVD I just watch TOS over and over from start to finish with my 2 year old, TOS-loving son.

There are only a handful I skip - off the top of my head they are Gamesters, anything with Mudd in the title, And The Children..., Is There In Truth?, Plato's Stepchildren, Let That Be Your Last... - from this lot there is nothing at all that can redeem them IMO

 

[Eddie Roth]

I agree about Bread and Circuses. It is the original (and best) parallel Earth/"aliens play Earth history" episode. But then again, I never thought it was a "bad episode". I often find myself enjoying those "exiled" episodes a lot, precisely because I haven't seen them as often as the really good ones.

In the end, this is just another way of saying "underrated episodes", and there are many. A personal favorite: The Conscience of the King - which I don't think anyone has ever called bad, but every time I see it, I find myself amazed that it doesn't regularly crack people's Top 10 lists. It's on mine for sure.

 

[Gorn Captain]

Okay, I'll give Conscience and Bread and Circuses another go. They're still on the exiled list, but fresh original Star Trek? It doesn't need to be great to be enjoyable.

I mean, I've watched Arena so many times I think I could make gunpowder...

 

[AtoZ]

Gotta be real about it.....but I've NEVER been crazy about Balance of Terror. It's a good episode, no doubt, but NEVER anywhere near the upper echelon of my favorites.

 

[Cakes488]

LOL "exiled episodes"....I feel so bad for them! So are there any ep's that you've revisited recently that you've said to yourself...this needs to go back in the exhile pile?

 

[AtoZ]

I've always loved TOS. Always. Their "bad" beats the good of most anything else. As I've gotten older, I see all of TOS in a new and ioncreasingly fun light...even the "bad" ones.

That stated, here are a few that have always come off as......"dry", if not "bad":

The Lights of Zetar
Who Mourns for Adonais
The Empath
Friday's Child
The Conscience of the King
Spock's Brain

 

[Brutal Strudel]

.

There are only a handful I skip - off the top of my head they are Gamesters, anything with Mudd in the title, And The Children..., Is There In Truth?, Plato's Stepchildren, Let That Be Your Last... - from this lot there is nothing at all that can redeem them IMO

"Gamesters of Triskelion" is one of the few bad episodes I like--the tableau of Kirk, in a pseudo-S&M harness, remonstrating with glowing brains in primary colors is about as pulp as pulp gets. The other example is "Whom Gods Destroy," which is as close as we'll ever get to seeing Adam West's Batman visit Arkham Asylum.

 

[AtoZ]

.

There are only a handful I skip - off the top of my head they are Gamesters, anything with Mudd in the title, And The Children..., Is There In Truth?, Plato's Stepchildren, Let That Be Your Last... - from this lot there is nothing at all that can redeem them IMO

"Gamesters of Triskelion" is one of the few bad episodes I like--the tableau of Kirk, in a pseudo-S&M harness, remonstrating with glowing brains in primary colors is about as pulp as pulp gets. The other example is "Whom Gods Destroy," which is as close as we'll ever get to seeing Adam West's Batman visit Arkham Asylum.

Whom gods Destroy always hit me as dry...only saving face for but a few reasons BEYOND Batgirl's exceptional sex appeal and FINE form.

 

[Gorn Captain]

LOL "exiled episodes"....I feel so bad for them! So are there any ep's that you've revisited recently that you've said to yourself...this needs to go back in the exhile pile?

Yes, I have made a command decision and sent Catspaw back into exile.

 

[Cakes488]

.

There are only a handful I skip - off the top of my head they are Gamesters, anything with Mudd in the title, And The Children..., Is There In Truth?, Plato's Stepchildren, Let That Be Your Last... - from this lot there is nothing at all that can redeem them IMO

"Gamesters of Triskelion" is one of the few bad episodes I like--the tableau of Kirk, in a pseudo-S&M harness, remonstrating with glowing brains in primary colors is about as pulp as pulp gets. The other example is "Whom Gods Destroy," which is as close as we'll ever get to seeing Adam West's Batman visit Arkham Asylum.

Bingo! The S&M harness...no wonder this episode has always turned me on so.

.

There are only a handful I skip - off the top of my head they are Gamesters, anything with Mudd in the title, And The Children..., Is There In Truth?, Plato's Stepchildren, Let That Be Your Last... - from this lot there is nothing at all that can redeem them IMO

"Gamesters of Triskelion" is one of the few bad episodes I like--the tableau of Kirk, in a pseudo-S&M harness, remonstrating with glowing brains in primary colors is about as pulp as pulp gets. The other example is "Whom Gods Destroy," which is as close as we'll ever get to seeing Adam West's Batman visit Arkham Asylum.

Whom gods Destroy always hit me as dry...only saving face for but a few reasons BEYOND Batgirl's exceptional sex appeal and FINE form.

SILENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL come on ...how can you not love Garth???

LOL "exiled episodes"....I feel so bad for them! So are there any ep's that you've revisited recently that you've said to yourself...this needs to go back in the exhile pile?

Yes, I have made a command decision and sent Catspaw back into exile.

LOL command decision -- but in the remastered they fixed the wretched puppet strings....that's the one thing that always bothered me (us) about this ep...the only effect that I ever wanted...no, no.... needed changed... was those strings...I was always very embarassed for Trek about that. But that is the only thing and I repeat...only thing I've ever been embarrassed about/for Trek was those damn strings....and now that they're gone I can finally hold my head high. Now if I can just erase the rest of the embarrasing things in my past and life I'd be good .

 

[freak]

Hmm..interesting topic for this thread. Here are some good episodes off the top of my head that I liked:
"The Trouble with Tribbles"
"The Doomsday Machine"
""Amok Time"
"The Empath"
"Friday's Child"

Kinda good/bad episodes of the show:
"Gamsters of Triskellion"
"Plato's Stepchildren"
"Lights of Zeltar"
"Spock's Brain"

 

[Gorn Captain]

It's hard for me to list my favorites, because I have watched them so many times I have kind of run them into the ground. But in general, although this may be against the general idea behind Star Trek, I think I best enjoy the episodes that are centered around a battle set in space. I say this because the space part of that formula captures my imagination and the war or the prospect of it makes for good conflict to drive storytelling. It raises the stakes, so to speak. That's why I like Balance of Terror, the Enterprise Incident, Arena, Doomsday Machine, etc.

 

[Too Much Fun]

I think "Friday's Child," "Whom Gods Destroy", and "Turnabout Intruder" are pretty damn fun and entertaining for episodes generally considered bad. They can't quite be taken seriously and respected like the really strong episodes, but I like them almost as much because they have some very funny and unforgettable characters, performances, and dialogue in them.

 

[Gorn Captain]

I think "Friday's Child," "Whom Gods Destroy", and "Turnabout Intruder" are pretty damn fun and entertaining for episodes generally considered bad. They can't quite be taken seriously and respected like the really strong episodes, but I like them almost as much because they have some very funny and unforgettable characters, performances, and dialogue in them.

When you say funny, do you mean deliberately funny or unintentionally funny? I smile quite a bit at the intended humor (example below) but I have to laugh sometimes to avoid the cringe. Yes, Shatner, I'm talking to you. Love you, though.

From "The Apple":
SAYANA: (placing the equivalent of a lei around Spock's wrist.)
KIRK: Well, it does something for you.
SPOCK: Yes, indeed it does, Captain. It makes me uncomfortable.

 

[Too Much Fun]

I laugh at both, I guess. I don't know if there are really a lot of funny moments in there that aren't supposed to be funny. I mean I know there are very real threats in them and the end of "Whom Gods Destory" and "Turnabout Intruder" are supposed to be rather bittersweet/melancholy/poignant, but it seems pretty obvious to me that the majority of the episodes are supposed to be amusing with Shatner's overacting while he's possessed by or being impersonated by someone malevolent.

 

[donners22]

I know "The Apple" is not considered a particularly good episode, but I found it fun - if only for the scene where they try to get that poor young woman to explain how the tribe procreates.

 

[Trekker4747]

"Spock's Brain"

I like it. Sure it makes little sense in many regards, but I like it.

At the very least it has nice scenery.

 

[barnaclelapse]

Gotta be real about it.....but I've NEVER been crazy about Balance of Terror. It's a good episode, no doubt, but NEVER anywhere near the upper echelon of my favorites.

I'm kind of like that about City on The Edge of Forever.

I know, I know. It's a beautiful, wonderfully acted and brilliantly written (never read the in/famous original draft though), but it's really not in my top-five, if I can be honest without people huge-as-holy-hell rocks at my head.

As far as good "bad" episodes go, I have to admit that I watch Spock's Brain every time I feel like laughing my ass off. It's awful, awful, awful stuff, but it's also pretty damn funny, too.

It's especially fun to watch with a group of people after a few drinks.

 

[tomalak301]

One episode I was surprised at the dislike was That Which Survives. I thought it was decent at the time, but haven't seen it in a while and should see it again.

I also liked the crazieness of Spocks Brain and the music of The Way to Eden.