I, Mudd may be the single worst episode of TOS

[Kegg]

And I'm appalled that someone would criticize this episode and hold up the dreadful "Amok Time" as an example of an episode that is as good as this one is bad. I hate that episode and think it has NOTHING good going for it aside from an amazing ending.

I'm not entirely comfortable with the sort of subservient attitude Chapel has towards Spock in this episode, but other than that? Yeah, it's simply one of Trek's finest hours.

Sturgeon's Law: Episodes written by Sturgeon are awesome.

Uh, no offense, but how much campier can it get than having the cast dance around in attempt to confuse robots or having a robot made of your nagging wife?

The difference is at least "I, Mudd" revels in how campy and silly it is and isn't intending to be taken seriously at all.

 

[number6]

Why do you hate fun?

 

[Brutal Strudel]

Hyaaaaaaaah!

 

[number6]

Hyaaaaaaaah!

Heh.. He gets it!!

 

[Too Much Fun]

I guess I was just disappointed by the way "Amok Time" depicted Vulcan culture. Just the idea of doing that is great on paper, but the execution didn't quite work, in my opinion. The whole pon-farr thing seemed silly to me, as did the way his home world looked, and of course that goofy fight with its over-the-top music. I gotta admit, though, nothing in "I, Mudd" (and nothing in most episodes of "Star Trek") comes close to the greatness of that brilliant, brilliant ending with Spock's elated "Jim!".

 

[I am not Spock]

I saw it recently, and thought it was funny (shrugs).

And TOS was made 16 years before I was born (I was born in 82) so its not an age thing.

 

[QuasarVM]

I love I, Mudd. It's the better of the two Mudd-isodes...

 

[Brutal Strudel]

I prefer "Mudd's Women" for it's darkness and for that ineffable early first season feel.

 

[number6]

I prefer "Mudd's Women" for it's darkness and for that ineffable early first season feel.

I prefer "Mudd's Passion" because it is so blatantly over the top.."Mudd's Women" comes in as a very close second for the very same reasons posted above.
The entire "Mudd Trilogy" is just pure fun....in a Star Trek kind of way!!

 

[AJBryant]

I don't think either of the "Mudd" episodes even comes close to being the worst TOS episode. They're both built around a goofy space con-man character and his misguided adventures.

There is a part of me that wishes "Cyrano Jones" had been "Harry Mudd"....

 

[Brutal Strudel]

Me too--a big part.

 

[Kegg]

I prefer "Mudd's Women" for it's darkness and for that ineffable early first season feel.

I find it frankly fairly dire, though. And I don't mean in the questionable ethics of the trading women (it's obviously a Western story shoehorned into a space opera format - 'Wagon Train to the Stars', indeed) it's just dull and unamusing. IMHO, the early first season was all over the board in terms of quality, and this is one of the nadir moments.

I don't think either of the "Mudd" episodes even comes close to being the worst TOS episode. They're both built around a goofy space con-man character and his misguided adventures.

There is a part of me that wishes "Cyrano Jones" had been "Harry Mudd"....

That was basically the idea. Cyrano Jones is an imitation Mudd, and it shows. Never accept anything less than Roger C. Carmel.

 

[Farrens]

If this was enough to please fans----why bother to aspire for anything more?

It doesn't have to be, at least from the perspective of those of us that like it. It's a fun, silly, campy comedy - what 'more' does it need to be?

Agreed, I Mudd would not be my first choice if I wanted serious Sci-fi (tbh no trek would be). But for an easy laugh it's not a bad episode, which is all I believe it was meant to be.

 

[Brutal Strudel]

Neither Mudd episode are what I'd call fan-making episodes: that quarter-to-a-third of Trek episode that justify my devotion to the show ("Amok Time," btw, most assuredly is) but they aren't among that bottom quarter-to-third that makes me think the Trek-haters may be onto something, either.

 

[LNJM906]

It was kinda weird, but I wouldn't say it was the absolute worst episode ever. Corny, yes, cheesy, yes, but not horrible.

 

[Captain Robert April]

What might have been....

 

[Brutal Strudel]

Got any other views of that spaceship? Me likey.

 

[Captain Robert April]

I forget where I got it; essentially, it's a TOS era Oberth type, and seemed about the right size for someone like Harry.

 

[Kegg]

I would have liked to see a Mudd series, though god knows what the Trek franchise would be like if that had ever aired. A Harry Mudd series would doubtless have taken the campy elements of TOS and then amplified them to Adam West Batman levels - even still, I thought Roger C. Carmel was a rather lovable rogue type.

Certainly, "The Neutral Zone", an episode originally concieved as his TNG apperance... probably would have sucked anyway but it would have sucked less with him hamming it up.

 

[LNJM906]

Oh, jeebus, a whole friggin series with him?? o.O