The Least Disliked Episode 2023: PIC Season 3

[BlueStuff]

Our addictive biyearly game of rapid elimination returns - now with more shows than ever. It's generally a lot of fun, providing a chance to mentally revisit those episodes you may not have thought about in a while. With that in mind, why not play again?

So, here's the game. The basic idea is your standard elimination game. I'll provide a list of the episodes for each season and you need to eliminate your least favourite or the one you deem the 'worst.' Please provide an EXPLANATION for why you are eliminating your choice and be sure to copy and paste the list with your choice removed. Finally, leave at least 2 eliminations by other posters before you eliminate another episode.

No tactical voting! You cannot remove an episode just because you feel it would threaten your preferred episode's chance to win. Pretty simple. Enjoy!

Star Trek: Picard
Hall of Champions
2021 - Remembrance
2023 -

Season 3

The Next Generation
Disengage
Seventeen Seconds
No Win Scenario
Imposters
The Bounty
Dominion
Surrender
Võx
The Last Generation

 

[James Cole]

"Võx"
Really? Yes. While the last few minutes are pretty awesome, the Jack / Borg reveal is much too rushed after being dragged out about two episodes too long. Picard and Troi greatly mishandle the reveal, not realize that the Borg Queen took effective control when the Red Door was finally opened. Mass death is unleashed upon the fleet gathered at Earth without comprehending the magnitude of loss of life. Shelby dies... or does she? And then the death of Shaw.

I'm often accused of being a Terry Matalas apologist. PICARD season 3 may be the best Star Trek since 2005. But it's not perfect, and some relatively small changes here would have gone a long way. So when this season does overlap with the flaws of season 1, I'll cite them.

The Next Generation
Disengage
Seventeen Seconds
No Win Scenario
Imposters
The Bounty
Dominion
Surrender
The Last Generation

 

[Sakonna]

I don't have much bad to say about any of these, but "Seventeen Seconds" does have that terrible de-aging. It's so bad, I can't look right at the TV for that scene. The first time I saw it I was flinching and I had to walk to the far side of the room. It's so gruesome, borderline monstrous. They don't look human anymore.

AND IT WAS ALL TOTALLY UNNECESSARY. You know all that scene needed? Dim lighting. That would have done it.

Also, ugh to this usage of Troi.

The Next Generation
Disengage
No Win Scenario
Imposters
The Bounty
Dominion
Surrender
The Last Generation

 

[Farscape One]

By far, the best season of PICARD.

I think I will take out "Disengage". Just a bit weaker than the rest.



The Next Generation
No Win Scenario
Imposters
The Bounty
Dominion
Surrender
The Last Generation

 

[Seven of Five]

I agree that this season is brilliant, and it's much harder to find bad episodes.

As much as I enjoyed Vasdic as a villain, the reveal of Jack's true identity went on too long. I'll vote to remove Surrender because it's an example of that mystery being dangled again.

No Win Scenario
Imposters
The Bounty
Dominion
The Last Generation

 

[James Cole]

"Dominion"
The most bottle-y episode in a bottle season. It stalls momentum, and really should have been combined with "Surrender" plus ended with the Jack reveal. And, while most of this season's episodes were jam packed with details you might have missed and still seemed to offer something new on a rewatch, this one was a slog to revisit. Even having the River / Troi Shrike scenes before Worf and Raffi show up would have been an improvement.

This episode being in production during their COVID shutdown probably didn't help either.

No Win Scenario
Imposters
The Bounty
The Last Generation

 

[James Cole]

I think we lost "The Next Generation" somewhere along the way without it being voted out?

 

[BlueStuff]

The Next Generation
No Win Scenario
Imposters
The Bounty
The Last Generation

 

[Farscape One]

Ironic that this was put back in, because "The Next Generation" is my next elimination.

Great introduction to the season, but it's only marginally not as good as all the rest, for various different reasons each.


No Win Scenario
Imposters
The Bounty
The Last Generation

 

[BlueStuff]

The Bounty, for me, was a slight step down from the high of the previous few episodes. Still love all of them, though.

No Win Scenario
Imposters
The Last Generation

 

[James Cole]

"The Last Generation"
Because "No Win Scenario" and "Imposters" are 10/10 episodes, and TLG is a 9/10.

No Win Scenario
Imposters

 

[Sakonna]

Jesus! "Imposters" is at the end? That was nearly my first elimination, so I'll axe it now. It's the only episode of the season I've only seen once. Every other ep, at least 3 times.

No Win Scenario

 

[Seven of Five]

I quite like Imposters and No Win Scenario, so I'm happy they're both through.