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I, Mudd may be the single worst episode of TOS

I like it but not a whole heck of a lot--like all of Trek's comedy episodes, it lost most of its charm when I left adolescence. Still, I like it more than "Tribbles." (My favorite comedy ep was and remains "A Piece of the Action.")
 
I think it's brilliant farce and the second-funniest Trek episode ("Tribbles" being the funniest), not counting episodes such as "Spock's Brain" that are unintentionally funny.
 
Roger C Carmel was good in the roles. The episodes were camp, not to be taken seriously, as opposed to just being bad. But the fact that these eps didn't fare well, I don't want to see Mudd in the new film.
 
I would give this episode 1 out of 5 stars.

Any thoughts?
I'd give it a three of five - maybe three and a half. It's not 100% awesome, but there are a lot of fun bits (the "confuse the android" scenes are packed with silly :techman: ) the parts are well-played, and I've always enjoyed the episode. Carmel is playing a different version of Harry this time out, but I like them both.
 
Aw, I think it's fun. Not fantastic (my favourite funny ep is "Action" too, Strudel.) but amusing and light.
I think Mudd is a terrible character, but I enjoy him nonetheless. And yes, the storyline is stupid. But how can you not love the Maisy androids? :)
 
I prefer the Alice androids, especially the ones with the rounder face (played by either Alyce or Rhae -- I don't know which actress is which).
 
I thought it was an amusing change of pace from the regular ol'run of Starfleet rigamarole. Just a bunch of friends (and not so friendly) goofing off and mocking themselves gently.

Really, it's an episode for fans since you'd have to understand the characters somewhat in order to get some of the jokes.
 
As I said, those 10 or so minutes of "confuse the androids" are probably the closest a popular TV show has ever gotten to dadaism, which alone makes it worthwhile. :bolian:
 
^^

He said that in Mudd's Women---not this one, but hey you like the episode so why should that matter.

Hilarious ???

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

lol I know I said that too that it was in Mudd's Women. I enjoyed the light hearted spirit not every episode is expected to be an emmy winner.

*shrugs* It was fun and I still enjoy it even if it was over the top. It was hardly worse than Spock's Brain or as badly dated as Way to Eden.

Which was mostly my point.

Vons
 
As I said, those 10 or so minutes of "confuse the androids" are probably the closest a popular TV show has ever gotten to dadaism, which alone makes it worthwhile. :bolian:


You know, you're right. I always saw it as just being silly, but there is a dadaistic nature to the shenanigans they are pulling. Has anyone ever asked any of the actors about this ep? I would wonder if they had fun doing it.
 
I just finished watching "I, Mudd" for the first time in a long time... Words cannot explain how bad this episode is. I actually found myself being annoyed at the entire experience.

This episode is a totally unwatchable attempt at slapstick that insults the audience at every turn. It is not funny in the least and stetches even sci-fi credibility to it's absolute breaking point... Is it that easy to take over the Enterprise? Would Kirk and Spock care so little that it was taken over?

This is the first time I can remember Shatner playing Shatner during TOS. As a matter of fact the entire cast mailed it in for this ultra silly/stupid episode. When the crew started to dance towards the end it nearly made me sick to my stomach.

How could a series produce the great "Amok Time" and "Mirror Mirror" and then turn around a couple of weeks latter and produce trash like this?

I know it is popular to say that "Spock's Brain", "The Way to Eden" and "The Children Shall Lead" are among the worst TOS episodes ever, but I think that "I' Mudd" may have them all beat.

I would give this episode 1 out of 5 stars.

Any thoughts?

This episode is so bad I can't believe I even clicked on the topic!
 
I was disappointed in this episode coming after "Mudd's Women" which I thought presented the Harry Mudd character much more appealingly and I thought the ending was too cruel (Mudd was a jerk who deserved to be punished, but even he didn't deserve such a cruel fate), but I can forgive a lot just for how much I enjoyed that confusing the androids scene, which I found hilarious.

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, Mudd" has a disappointing ending, but overall the rest of it is much more entertaining than "Amok Time".

There's nothing in this episode as offensively stupid as that episode's bad sets, overwrought angry Spock nonsense (not nearly as effective as his conflict in "The Naked Time"), and its pitiful excuse for a climactic battle that is the worst, most laughably corny example of the kind of cheese that gives "Star Trek" a bad reputation as campy trash next to the Gorn fight.
 
I was disappointed in this episode coming after "Mudd's Women" which I thought presented the Harry Mudd character much more appealingly and I thought the ending was too cruel (Mudd was a jerk who deserved to be punished, but even he didn't deserve such a cruel fate), but I can forgive a lot just for how much I enjoyed that confusing the androids scene, which I found hilarious.

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, Mudd" has a disappointing ending, but overall the rest of it is much more entertaining than "Amok Time".

There's nothing in this episode as offensively stupid as that episode's bad sets, overwrought angry Spock nonsense (not nearly as effective as his conflict in "The Naked Time"), and its pitiful excuse for a climactic battle that is the worst, most laughably corny example of the kind of cheese that gives "Star Trek" a bad reputation as campy trash next to the Gorn fight.


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?

This episode had more in common with "Plan 9 From Outer Space" than it did with the best ST has to offer.

For the record "Amok Time" is generally considered one of Trek's best episodes. Besides, there is nothing worth getting "appalled" about... It's just my opinion about a silly episode.
 
I was disappointed in this episode coming after "Mudd's Women" which I thought presented the Harry Mudd character much more appealingly and I thought the ending was too cruel (Mudd was a jerk who deserved to be punished, but even he didn't deserve such a cruel fate), but I can forgive a lot just for how much I enjoyed that confusing the androids scene, which I found hilarious.

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, Mudd" has a disappointing ending, but overall the rest of it is much more entertaining than "Amok Time".

There's nothing in this episode as offensively stupid as that episode's bad sets, overwrought angry Spock nonsense (not nearly as effective as his conflict in "The Naked Time"), and its pitiful excuse for a climactic battle that is the worst, most laughably corny example of the kind of cheese that gives "Star Trek" a bad reputation as campy trash next to the Gorn fight.

A fan who hates "Amok Time"? Now I have seen everything. For the record, one "Amok Time" is worth about a dozen "I, Mudd"s in my book.
 
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