ST: The worst of the worst

[Captain Fine]

When I think of bad episodes, I think "Sub Rosa" and "Genesis" and "Threshold". But there are many many others. I guess out of 700 episodes, there's gonna be some clunkers. But some are just hard to watch. I actually kinda wanna watch them again to see just how bad they were LOL.

 

[I am not Spock]

I actually quite liked The Omega Glory (except for the ending)

And Skin of Evil, actually.

 

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

Funny I didn't think Profit and Lace or Sub Rosa would come to mind as "worst ever" episodes but those are the two I thought I would least like to watch again. Sub-Rosa I never could stand due to them treating this 24th century human colony as if it was the 16th century just because everyone has a Scottish accent. Profit and Lace pointed up a serious contradiction with the way the Ferengi have always been portrayed. They are supposed to want there women to be naked and submissive, but give them a strong non-Ferengi woman ot put a dress on a Ferengi one and they practically cum in their pants.

A lot of the others I don't find nearly as bad as a lot of people. The Alternative Factor is really the only TOS episode I don't like watching. Threshold I always thought was kind of cool in a trippy way. Shades of Gray was a clip show designed to save money and get one last episode during the writers strike so I always thought it was unfair to even consider this a real episode. None of the TNG ones mentioned are ones I would consider the worst of the 1st season. The Last Outpost, The Neutral Zone, When The Bough Breaks, and Justice would lead the pack. There are a lot of middling DS9 and VOY episodes that I have probably only seen once. Meridian would be among those, but I wouldn't single it out. Haven't seen enough of ENT to comment.

 

[Jaespol]

I thought I was the only one who despised "Where Silence Has Lease"! I had to struggle thru the entire second season constantly thinking "I paid good money for this!?"
Anyway it wasn't as bad as VOY's "The Fight" which is one of the few Trek episodes which I just couldn't finish so I go for that.

 

[TrekNut87]

In no order:

Code of Homor
And the Children Shall Lead: This episode never ceases to infuriate me. Each time I see it, I want to strangle those kids.
Spock's Brain
Threshold
The Fight: One of Voyager's biggest "WTF were they thinking" eps.

I'll also mention the DS9 episode "If Wishes Were Horses" which is one my least favorites of the series.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

The Naked Now does not belong on that list! It was hilarious!

And where the heck is The Emporer's New Cloak?

 

[Too Much Fun]

What the hell is wrong with "The Emperor's New Cloak"? I just saw this episode for the first time and I LOVED it! I thought it was just as good as the other mirror episodes up to that point (I skipped "Resurrection" because the premise sounded lame and everyone said it sucked), and I was thoroughly entertained by it from start to finish. Mirror Ezri and Brunt were fascinating in how different they were from their counterparts, Rom's constant mirror world critiques were hilarious, it was cool to see Quark being brave, and I liked how Mirror Garak was as clueless and easily manipulated as the real Garak is brilliant and resourceful.

Also, the dual endings were both terrific. I loved Smiley's victory and the most blatant reference to homosexuality ever on Star Trek, which at the same time had some subtlety about it. Leeta and Ezri going off for some girl-on-girl and Rom's horrified reaction really cracked me up. I think it may even end up being my favourite mirror universe episode.

And I keep seeing people reference episodes that I really believe are totally watchable. Not great, but far from the worst of Star Trek. I actually really liked "Where Silence Has Lease" when I was younger. I think I've sort of grown out of it, but I wouldn't mind watching it if it was on TV.

It has some very (unintentionally) funny moments, like the creature (don't know how to spell his name) doing the 'kill the red shirt' Star Trek tradition and Picard's outraged 'WE CANNOT ALLOW YOU TO DO THAT!' (any time Patrick Stewart yells, it's gravy) and its fascination with Pulaski leading to the classic moment where sexual intercourse and the difference between women is explained to it and it asks someone to demonstrate that...by having sex. Pulaski's reaction is priceless.

I would classify episodes like that more as 'so bad it's good', as opposed to episodes like "And the Children Shall Lead" and "Plato's Stepchildren" where what happens is so completely devoid of humour, implausible, and boring or ugly to watch that you feel it insults your intelligence and wastes your time.

 

[Jaespol]

Okay don't agree with your opinion of "Where Silence Has Lease" but I share what appears to be your frustration towards those who criticize simply fun DS9 episodes like "The Emperor's New Cloak". Some DS9 fans are so serious and only seem to like the Dominion War stuff, I personally love all the funny and kooky episodes and LOVED the Ferengi.

 

[Saga]

i kinda like 'The Omega Glory'. kinda. *hides*

 

[Screendoor]

What's the stupid one where we meet Tasha's sister? I haven't seen it in forever, but I remember hating it a lot.

 

[Mach5]

What's the stupid one where we meet Tasha's sister? I haven't seen it in forever, but I remember hating it a lot.

"Legacy." Yep, episode was horrible, but Ishara Yar in a catsuit...

 

[byron lomax]

I never thought "Where Silence as Lease" belonged to this kind of list, as it had some good character moments for Picard, Worf and Riker, and the "countdown to destruction" is actually quite tense. I found Nagilium quite creepy as a child too.

I wouldn't necessarily call "Fury" or "These are the Voyages" the all-time worst ST episodes, but both of them were terrible disappointments - badly, badly missed opportunities in both cases.

My vote goes to "Meridian", an appalingly schmaltzy episode with a very annoying romantic interest. It's funny how Dax considers staying with the guy but has completely forgotten him afterwards.

 

[Mach5]

So we've reached a 100 votes checkpoint, it seems.

"Threshold" - one of the most terrible hours in television history is in lead, followed closely by one of the most insulting hours in TV history - "TATV".

Both eps were written by you-know-who, and together with "And The Children Shall Lead" form what I'm hereby pronouncing "The Trilogy of Shame."

Notable Mentions:

#4. Sub Rosa (TNG)
#5. Code of Honor (TNG)
#6. (tie) Shades of Gray (TNG) & Profit and Lace (DS9)
#8. A Night in Sickbay (ENT)
#9. The Fight (VOY)
#10. The Alternative Factor (TOS)

 

[Mr.bobo]

...my votes go for...
These Are The Voyages (ENT)
Spock's Brain (TOS)
Skin of Evil (TNG)