Mixing and Matching Seasons

[Lord Garth]

I performed an experiment in the Disco Forum looking at which season had my favorite first episode, second episode, third episode, etc... to see how the fourth season measures up in comparison so far.

Then I decided to take it a step further. I thought "Which season of the earlier series had my favorite first episode, second episode, third episode, and so forth?" The results were interesting. Especially when it came to TNG, since there are more seasons to choose from than TOS. Sometimes the competition was stiff for a specific episode slot and there were a lot of good ones to choose from. Sometimes there was a weak batch of episodes across the board. But it was all totally by chance.

I used a 26-episode season as my standard. TOS Season 1 has 29 episodes (30 if you count "The Cage"), so I cut out anything having to do with the pilots. So I dropped "The Cage", "Where No Man Has Gone Before", and both parts of "The Menagerie". That brought TOS Season 1 down to 26 episodes. TOS Season 3 and TNG Season 2 ended up coming short, but "them's the breaks".

I went by airdate order instead of production order. This makes for more of an impact on TOS than it does TNG.

So which seasons had my favorite episode in a given episode slot?

TOS
Episode 1. “Amok Time” (S2)
Episode 2. “The Enterprise Incident” (S3)
Episode 3. “The Naked Time” (S1)
Episode 4. “Mirror, Mirror” (S2)
Episode 5. “The Apple” (S2)
Episode 6. “The Doomsday Machine” (S2)
Episode 7. “Day of the Dove” (S3)
Episode 8. “I, Mudd” (S2)
Episode 9. “The Tholian Web” (S3)
Episode 10. “Journey to Babel” (S2)
Episode 11. “Balance of Terror” (S1)
Episode 12. “Shore Leave” (S1)
Episode 13. “The Galileo Seven” (S1)
Episode 14. “Wolf in the Fold” (S1)
Episode 15. “The Trouble with Tribbles” (S2)
Episode 16. “Tomorrow Is Yesterday” (S1)
Episode 17. “Court Martial” (S1)
Episode 18. “The Immunity Syndrome” (S2)
Episode 19. “Space Seed” (S1)
Episode 20. “Return to Tomorrow” (S2)
Episode 21. “This Side of Paradise” (S1)
Episode 22. “By Any Other Name” (S2)
Episode 23. “Errand of Mercy” (S1)
Episode 24. “The Ultimate Computer” (S2)
Episode 25. “The City on the Edge of Forever” (S1)
Episode 26. “Assignment: Earth” (S2)

TNG
Episode 1. “The Best of Both Worlds, Part II” (S4)
Episode 2. “Darmok” (S5)
Episode 3. “Ensign Ro” (S5)
Episode 4. “Who Watches the Watchers” (S3)
Episode 5. “Remember Me” (S4)
Episode 6. “Where No One Has Gone Before” (S1)
Episode 7. “Reunion” (S4)
Episode 8. “Unification, Part II” (S5)
Episode 9. “The Measure of a Man” (S2)
Episode 10. “Chain of Command, Part I” (S6)
Episode 11. “Chain of Command, Part II” (S6)
Episode 12. “The Pegasus” (S7)
Episode 13. “Datalore” (S1)
Episode 14. “Face of the Enemy” (S6)
Episode 15. “Yesterday’s Enterprise” (S3)
Episode 16. “Q Who” (S2)
Episode 17. “Sins of the Father” (S3)
Episode 18. “Cause and Effect” (S5)
Episode 19. “Lessons” (S6)
Episode 20. “The Emissary” (S2)
Episode 21. “Frame of Mind” (S6)
Episode 22. “Suspicions” (S6)
Episode 23. “Rightful Heir” (S6)
Episode 24. “The Next Phase” (S5)
Episode 25. “Conspiracy” (S1)
Episode 26. “The Best of Both Worlds, Part I” (S3)

Interesting how that ended up coming out. I'll try it out on DS9 and VOY later on.

 

[Oddish]

Interesting... re TNG
S1 - 3 episodes.
S2 - 3 ep.
S3 - 4 ep.
S4 - 3 ep.
S5 - 5 ep.
S6 - 7 ep.
S7 - 1 ep.

The general consensus is that Seasons 1 and 2 were weak, 3-6 were the strongest, and 7 was weak. But for you, the first four seasons each had 3-4 strong ones.

 

[Lord Garth]

DS9
Episode 1. “The Way of the Warrior” Part I (S4)
Episode 2. “The Way of the Warrior” Part II (S4)
Episode 3. “The Visitor” (S4)
Episode 4. “Nor the Battle to the Strong” (S5)
Episode 5. “Second Skin” (S3)
Episode 6. “Trials and Tribble-ations” (S5)
Episode 7. “You Are Cordially Invited” (S6)
Episode 8. “The Siege of AR-558” (S7)
Episode 9. “The Sword of Kahless” (S4)
Episode 10. “Our Man Bashir” (S4)
Episode 11. “Waltz” (S6)
Episode 12. “Past Tense, Part II" (S3)
Episode 13. “Far Beyond the Stars” (S6)
Episode 14. “Whispers” (S2)
Episode 15. “By Inferno’s Light” (S5)
Episode 16. “Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges” (S6)
Episode 17. “Penumbra” (S7)
Episode 18. “Inquisition” (S6)
Episode 19. “In the Pale Moonlight” (S6)
Episode 20. “The Changing Face of Evil” (S7)
Episode 21. “The Die Is Cast” (S3)
Episode 22. “The Wire” (S2)
Episode 23. “To the Death” (S4)
Episode 24. “The Quickening” (S4)
Episode 25. “The Sound of Her Voice” (S6)
Episode 26. “Call to Arms” (S5)

VOY
Episode 1. “Night” (S5)
Episode 2. “Survival Instinct” (S6)
Episode 3. “Projections” (S2)
Episode 4. “Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy” (S6)
Episode 5. “Revulsion” (S4)
Episode 6. “Twisted” (S2)
Episode 7. “Scientific Method” (S4)
Episode 8. “Future’s End, Part I” (S3)
Episode 9. “The Voyager Conspiracy” (S6)
Episode 10. “Counterpoint” (S5)
Episode 11. “The Q and the Grey” (S3)
Episode 12. “Lineage” (S7)
Episode 13. “Waking Moments” (S4)
Episode 14. “Bliss” (S5)
Episode 15. “Dark Frontier” Part I (S5)
Episode 16. “Dark Frontier” Part II (S5)
Episode 17. “Dreadnought” (S2)
Episode 18. “The Killing Game, Part I” (S4)
Episode 19. “The Killing Game, Part II” (S4)
Episode 20. “Author, Author” (S7)
Episode 21. “Deadlock” (S2)
Episode 22. “Someone to Watch Over Me” (S5)
Episode 23. “Distant Origin” (S3)
Episode 24. “Relativity” (S5)
Episode 25. “One” (S4)
Episode 26. “Hope and Fear” (S4)

Once again, interesting how this came out. Sometimes I had to leave a lot of good choices out because I liked what I picked just a little bit more, or I had a struggle with a weak crop. It all depended on the luck of the draw. Especially since I was dealing with more two-parters now.

But this is as far as I go. Two binges of ENT in a week both times (and 10 years apart!) was too much like cramming and it wasn't really enough to properly absorb the series so I'd know it like the first four.

 

[Lord Garth]

The general consensus is that Seasons 1 and 2 were weak, 3-6 were the strongest, and 7 was weak. But for you, the first four seasons each had 3-4 strong ones.

"10001001" and "Peak Performance" just narrowly missed out on being included too. So I guess what they say is true: the more of a TOS Fan you are, the better of an opinion you'll have of TNG's first two seasons than someone who isn't a TOS Fan or isn't as much of one.

With TNG Season 5, it's like I said in my "Favorite 10 Seasons" Thread: if it weren't for the weak middle, I'd have included it there for sure.

EDITED TO ADD: When I combine the series to form the Ultimate Season List for each episode slot, it comes out to:

TOS-VOY
Episode 1. “Amok Time” (TOS)
Episode 2. “The Enterprise Incident” (TOS)
Episode 3. “Ensign Ro” (TNG)
Episode 4. “Mirror, Mirror” (TOS)
Episode 5. “Revulsion” (VOY)
Episode 6. “The Doomsday Machine” (TOS)
Episode 7. “Reunion” (TNG)
Episode 8. “I, Mudd” (TOS)
Episode 9. “The Measure of a Man” (TNG)
Episode 10. “Journey to Babel” (TOS)
Episode 11. “Waltz” (DS9)
Episode 12. “Shore Leave” (TOS)
Episode 13. “Waking Moments” (VOY)
Episode 14. “Face of the Enemy” (TNG)
Episode 15. “Yesterday’s Enterprise” (TNG)
Episode 16. “Tomorrow Is Yesterday” (TOS)
Episode 17. “Court Martial” (TOS)
Episode 18. “Cause and Effect” (TNG)
Episode 19. “In the Pale Moonlight” (DS9)
Episode 20. “Return to Tomorrow” (TOS)
Episode 21. “This Side of Paradise” (TOS)
Episode 22. “Someone to Watch Over Me” (VOY)
Episode 23. “Distant Origin” (VOY)
Episode 24. “The Ultimate Computer” (TOS)
Episode 25. “The City on the Edge of Forever” (TOS)
Episode 26. “The Best of Both Worlds, Part I” (TNG)

That's an eclectic mix of episodes.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

I figured I'd try it too, though DS9's the only series I've seen in its entirety recently so it's all I can do:

Episode 1. "The Way of the Warrior" (S4)
Episode 2. "The Way of the Warrior" (S4)
Episode 3. "The Siege" (S2)
Episode 4. "Take Me Out to the Holosuite" (S7)
Episode 5. "Favor the Bold" (S6)
Episode 6. "Trials and Tribble-ations" (S5)
Episode 7. "Civil Defense" (S3)
Episode 8. "The Siege of AR-558" (S7)
Episode 9. "Defiant" (S3)
Episode 10. "Rapture" (S5)
Episode 11. "Waltz" (S6)
Episode 12. "Paradise Lost" (S4)
Episode 13. "For the Uniform" (S5)
Episode 14. "In Purgatory's Shadow" (S5)
Episode 15. "By Inferno's Light" (S5)
Episode 16. "Bar Association" (S4)
Episode 17. "Visionary" (S3)
Episode 18. "Inquisition" (S6)
Episode 19. "In the Pale Moonlight" (S6)
Episode 20. "Improbable Cause" (S3)
Episode 21. "The Die is Cast" (S3)
Episode 22. "Tacking into the Wind" (S7)
Episode 23. "To the Death" (S4)
Episode 24. "The Quickening" (S4)
Episode 25. "What You Leave Behind" (S7)
Episode 26. "The Jem'Hadar" (S2)

That is pretty different to what my top 26 list would be. Lots of classics got left out, like Duet, Blaze of Glory, Starship Down, Sacrifice of Angels etc. I should've treated Way of the Warrior as a feature length episode so I could put Rocks and Shoals in as my episode 2.

Rapture's never been one of my all-time favourites so I'm surprised that made the cut, beating episodes like Move Along Home, Sanctuary, Fascination... actually wait, it's starting to make sense now.

Season 4 wins on episodes, though things would've been a lot more even with Rocks and Shoals in play, with S3-6 getting 5 each. And like on your list S1 got nothing.

 

[Lord Garth]

I should've treated Way of the Warrior as a feature length episode so I could put Rocks and Shoals in as my episode 2.

I thought about something similar, not necessarily with WOTW, but I decided that 26 episodes means 26 hours (including commercials), so if you'd counted both parts of WOTW once, that would've made it a 27-hour season, not 26.

I know how you feel. I had to make a lot of tough choices. But that's what I like about these type of lists. You get to see a Top Episodes combination that you'd normally never see.

At some point, I should really do a list of runner-up episodes per slot. "What are my #2 choices?" But later on. I had the time to kill during Christmas Week that I don't have know. But maybe a goal for next time I have an opportunity.