The least disliked episode 2021 - TNG Final Rounds

[Qonundrum]

YMMV, like or dislike BOBW, it is incomplete and is worthy of being go-go-booted out.

It's still my duty to give The First Duty a point. While it's fitting that Wesley went from artificial wonderboy (season 1) to a fleshed-out and actually-interesting character (seasons 2-4), now it's the other way around as he's become an oddly out-of-character caricature as plot contrivance and in a ship-wrecking way as opposed to a ship-savin' one, which is remarkable in how worst it actually is. The only thing missing is Gilligan. And Mary Ann. And the Professor...

Granted, Lorcano Paris gets his start in the franchise in this episode, but that's not enough to counter the season fiveisms that crimped TNG's previously expansive style.

The standings:

Q Who? - 0
Yesterday's Enterprise - 0
The First Duty - 2

 

[BlueStuff]

Q Who? again.

Also, this is exactly why I like doing this game on a biannual basis; opinions change over time. A few years ago, I would’ve considered Yesterday’s Enterprise my undisputed favourite episode of TNG. Now I find the Yar/Castillo stuff cringeworthy and I’d probably vote to keep The First Duty over it, given the chance.

Q Who? - 1
Yesterday's Enterprise - 0
The First Duty - 2

 

[May 20]

The First Duty - it's the least rewatchable of the three left.

Q Who? - 1
Yesterday's Enterprise - 0
The First Duty - 3

 

[antinoos]

Q Who - I don't find omnipotent beings very engaging


Q Who - 2
Yesterday's Enterprise - 0
The First Duty - 3

 

[BK613]

With misinformation on the rise, The First Duty seems relevant. So Q Who...

Q Who - 3
Yesterday's Enterprise - 0
The First Duty - 3

 

[Takeru]

The First Duty is out because as much as the episode tries to make Locarno the bad guy they were all guilty,

For the final round I vote Yesterday's Enterprise, Q Who is simply better and has a much bigger impact in the series and even the franchise as a whole. YE gave us Sela.


Q Who - 0
Yesterday's Enterprise - 1

 

[Qonundrum]

Also, this is exactly why I like doing this game on a biannual basis; opinions change over time. A few years ago, I would’ve considered Yesterday’s Enterprise my undisputed favourite episode of TNG. Now I found the Yar/Castillo stuff cringeworthy

Yar and "Richard" really amped up the cringe and even on day 1 I found it to be a bit saccharine... everything surrounding it makes up for it. The misuse of Wesley is still pretty awful and is right up there with season 1, just for the opposite reason.

 

[Qonundrum]

The First Duty is out because as much as the episode tries to make Locarno the bad guy they were all guilty,

For the final round I vote Yesterday's Enterprise, Q Who is simply better and has a much bigger impact in the series and even the franchise as a whole. YE gave us Sela.

This is a tough call. We have the introduction of the Borg. We have the introduction of the situation that bred Sela, thanks to a glimpse of how season 3 TNG might have used Yar.

We have the Yar/Richard cringefest, which was narratively silly in 1990 and hasn't aged well. We have Q still being rough around the edges with the writers scrambling to retcon the reason for Q showing up again, though I'm glad they had- and proof continuity should have SOME leeway, the level is really that of degree and tact.

All that said and aren't you glad I don't imbibe, the line "We're not a ship of war, we're a ship of peace" ranks up there on the cringe-o-meter because the more I see the episode the more I end up bursting out laughing. It feels like a Sesame Street After School moment. (The actors keep it from being far worse, but the one-liner is otherwise right out of season 1 - especially if it weren't for Guinan being there in the first place with her unique temporal perspective that's worthy of a Q, something that would have made better use of the time than wrinkled Richard drooling over Yar from across the room. QWho's cringe-laden moments aren't nearly on the same level. Now imagine if Yesterday's Enterprise had more production time and not having to be rushed.... )


Q Who - 0
Yesterday's Enterprise - 2


(if I'm voting too quick, please nullify it. )

 

[Orphalesion]

I never found Yar's return all that interesting tbh.


Q Who - 0
Yesterday's Enterprise - 3

 

[antinoos]

Q Who for the same reason as before


Q Who - 1
Yesterday's Enterprise - 3

 

[BK613]

Q Who. I like YE because the E-D crew are not the ones doing the time travel like the typical time travel story does.

Q Who - 2
Yesterday's Enterprise - 3

 

[BlueStuff]

I have all the power to give Q Who the win right now; my finger hovers over the key as though pondering pressing the nuclear button. I could end the game in a flash, much like Q himself. However, I can't suddenly reverse my course when I'd been voting against Q Who all this time. I have to follow my own rules and vote honestly - and even though there are quibbles I've found with Yesterday's Enterprise as the years have gone on, I still consider it the best episode remaining.

Q Who - 3
Yesterday's Enterprise - 3

 

[BigDaveX]

I'm going to boot out Yesterday's Enterprise and make Q Who the winner. Both awesome episodes, but for me Q Who was where TNG finally found its sense of purpose.

 

[BlueStuff]

Another game goes right down to the wire!

2021 Winner - Q Who

 

[Swedish Borg]

Morality the least hated TNG episode is the one where we're introduced to the borg...

 

[Swedish Borg]

Now to DS9...

I can't wait.

 

[Orphalesion]

I mean the Borg were never as cool or alien again as they were in QWho