The Least Disliked Episode 2023: SNW Season 1

[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: Strange New Worlds
Hall of Champions
2023 -

Season 1

Strange New Worlds
Children of the Comet
Ghosts of Illyria
Memento Mori
Spock Amock
Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach
The Serene Squall
The Elysian Kingdom
All Those Who Wander
A Quality of Mercy

 

[Farscape One]

This is extremely difficult because this was an excellent season.

I'll start with "The Serene Squall". It was the weakest story of the season, despite the episode still being good. (Something had to get picked first.)


Strange New Worlds
Children of the Comet
Ghosts of Illyria
Memento Mori
Spock Amock
Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach
The Elysian Kingdom
All Those Who Wander
A Quality of Mercy

 

[BlueStuff]

The Serene Squall was going to be my pick - I have no idea where to go from here. There's something to love about all of these remaining.

 

[Seven of Five]

And mine!

This is stupidly hard. Lift Us Where We Cannot Reach is probably the weakest left, even if it's jam-packed with great character moments.

One of the ongoing characteristics of the SNW is the excellent character work.

Strange New Worlds
Children of the Comet
Ghosts of Illyria
Memento Mori
Spock Amock
The Elysian Kingdom
All Those Who Wander
A Quality of Mercy

 

[Oddish]

I was taking a hard look at "Lift Us Up" because that ending is such a gut kick... but it just went moot.

Goodbye to the Elysian Kingdom. It's not bad as all that, but others are better. Also, I think having the very intriguing Rukiya subplot get resolved after only four episodes was just too soon.

Strange New Worlds
Children of the Comet
Ghosts of Illyria
Memento Mori
Spock Amock
All Those Who Wander
A Quality of Mercy

 

[Farscape One]

Very difficult to choose. I basically have to pick by scenes that don't work for me.

Taking out "Strange New Worlds". Great pilot, but I didn't like how when Pike was showing some of Earth's history, it was using current real-life political troubles as the cause of a 'second civil war', leading into WWIII. I'm not a fan of the writers trying to match real life history to make it fit within STAR TREK, like how they did next season with a certain well known character... the franchise history doesn't have to match up to our own for the messages or points of the episodes to get across. Or to give us that aspiration about the future of humanity.


Children of the Comet
Ghosts of Illyria
Memento Mori
Spock Amock
All Those Who Wander
A Quality of Mercy

 

[Noname Given]

Of the remaining list, I'm going to have to "ghost':

Ghosts of Illyria

And the thing is, while I still will rewatch it, for me, it's just my least favorite of the episodes that remain.

(It's main weakness is also that, if you've watched enough Trek over the years, the 'twist' that the energy beings are trying to help and not hurt is obvious to the audience, but of course NOT the characters in the situation. )

Children of the Comet
Memento Mori
Spock Amock
All Those Who Wander
A Quality of Mercy

 

[Sakonna]

Killing Hemmer was a huge mistake. There was so much still to explore in that character. And we needed one alien-looking alien in this cast! "All Those Who Wander"

Children of the Comet
Memento Mori
Spock Amock
A Quality of Mercy

 

[Oddish]

Killing Hemmer was a huge mistake. There was so much still to explore in that character. And we needed one alien-looking alien in this cast! "All Those Who Wander"

I was thinking the same thing. I know we have an Illyrian, a Lanthanite, and a Vulcan... but two pass for human and one just needs a headband.

 

[Vger23]

It was fun, but a little too “off the wall” to beat out the remaining episodes, so I’m removing “Spock Amok”

Children of the Comet
Memento Mori
A Quality of Mercy

 

[Oddish]

Tough call, but Quality of Mercy gets chopped for killing off one of the most interesting characters.

Children of the Comet
Memento Mori

 

[Farscape One]

Very difficult to pick. Both are excellent picks for top spot of season 1.

"Children of the Comet" was a more classic STAR TREK story, so it edges out and wins.

 

[Oddish]

The Shepherds approve.

 

[Seven of Five]

Very happy with this result, I have a real soft spot for the episode.