The Least Disliked Episode 2025 - TNG Season 2

[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: The Next Generation
Hall of Champions
2011 - The Best of Both Worlds (I)
2013 - The Measure of a Man
2015 - All Good Things…
2017 - The Best of Both Worlds (I)
2019 - Yesterday’s Enterprise
2021 - Q Who
2023 - Q Who
2025 -

Season 2
The Child
Where Silence Has Lease
Elementary, Dear Data
The Outrageous Okona
Loud as a Whisper
The Schizoid Man
Unnatural Selection
A Matter of Honor
The Measure of a Man
The Dauphin
Contagion
The Royale
Time Squared
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Q Who?
Samaritan Snare
Up the Long Ladder
Manhunt
The Emissary
Peak Performance
Shades of Gray

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

"Shades of Gray" is an easy first choice. Clip shows aren't known for being gripping television at the best of times, but they didn't even try to tell a story with them here! They just grouped them into different emotions and gave us some scenes of Pulaski and Troi looking worried in between.

The Child
Where Silence Has Lease
Elementary, Dear Data
The Outrageous Okona
Loud as a Whisper
The Schizoid Man
Unnatural Selection
A Matter of Honor
The Measure of a Man
The Dauphin
Contagion
The Royale
Time Squared
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Q Who?
Samaritan Snare
Up the Long Ladder
Manhunt
The Emissary
Peak Performance

 

[BlueStuff]

So long, The Child. A not-great introduction to Pulaski. "What's the difference?" "One is my name. The other is not." Quite right, Data. Why don't we start calling her Dr. Pull-a-sky? After all, what's the difference, right?

Where Silence Has Lease
Elementary, Dear Data
The Outrageous Okona
Loud as a Whisper
The Schizoid Man
Unnatural Selection
A Matter of Honor
The Measure of a Man
The Dauphin
Contagion
The Royale
Time Squared
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Q Who?
Samaritan Snare
Up the Long Ladder
Manhunt
The Emissary
Peak Performance

 

[Qonundrum]

The worst is easily

The Outrageous Okona

TNG was still finding itself, sure, but the whole piece relies on Okona to be both outrageous, and as magnetic as everyone else makes him out to be. We pretty much see neither.

Data learning comedy... again, it falls flat.

Even "Shades" has more redeeming factors (only because they're actually exploring a strange new world, for about 5 minutes, before the clip show begins), but let's see if I can find any clips of interest:

Well, the good one - the final scene in the "corny comedy cabaret" where Data and Guinan have the most poignant scene involving being one's self and how comedy flows could not be found, but here's one of the dialogue lines o' goodness:

DATA: It was a holodeck audience. They were programmed to laugh at everything. Perhaps I should reprogram the audience to display a more accurate response.​

GUINAN: Data, let me give you one. Being able to make people laugh, or being able to laugh, is not the end all and be all of being human.​

DATA: No, but there is nothing more uniquely human.​

Great points for sure, if only the preceding forty minutes was anything as substantial and not a generic melding of "Three's Company"'s mulm mixed with generic soap opera, complete with three-way conference-call of the likes never to be used again... which might be okay...

But I'll just close this post with some rot:

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Laugh-In this episode is not.

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Zoiks. Speed it back up, please, and please hurry.


What's left:
Where Silence Has Lease
Elementary, Dear Data
Loud as a Whisper
The Schizoid Man
Unnatural Selection
A Matter of Honor
The Measure of a Man
The Dauphin
Contagion
The Royale
Time Squared
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Q Who?
Samaritan Snare
Up the Long Ladder
Manhunt
The Emissary
Peak Performance

 

[Sakonna]

"Time Squared" is so boring and lethargically paced.

Where Silence Has Lease
Elementary, Dear Data
Loud as a Whisper
The Schizoid Man
Unnatural Selection
A Matter of Honor
The Measure of a Man
The Dauphin
Contagion
The Royale
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Q Who?
Samaritan Snare
Up the Long Ladder
Manhunt
The Emissary
Peak Performance

 

[Farscape One]

TNG season 2 is far stronger than its reputation suggests. It is the one season in the franchise thst truly makes the galaxy and space travel and exploration feel dangerous. Because it IS dangerous. Even the duds, like "Shades Of Gray", remind us of this.


I'm taking out "Samaritan Snare".

Riker looked like a complete idiot here, sending his Chief Engineer... ALONE! Plus, he ignored both Worf and Troi about risks and danger.


Where Silence Has Lease
Elementary, Dear Data
Loud as a Whisper
The Schizoid Man
Unnatural Selection
A Matter of Honor
The Measure of a Man
The Dauphin
Contagion
The Royale
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Q Who?
Up the Long Ladder
Manhunt
The Emissary
Peak Performance

 

[Seven of Five]

I love S2 as well. There was a lot of g9od stuff.

The Royale is a bit of a boring mess so that's first blood.

Elementary, Dear Data
Loud as a Whisper
The Schizoid Man
Unnatural Selection
A Matter of Honor
The Measure of a Man
The Dauphin
Contagion
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Q Who?
Up the Long Ladder
Manhunt
The Emissary
Peak Performance

 

[Sakonna]

I am also a huge fan of S2. S1 & S2 TNG is my most rewatched Trek. Can't beat these vibes.

But I NEVER rewatch "The Icarus Factor", which I find grotesque. The episode's attitude that Riker needs to stop being such a stick in the mud about being ABANDONED AS A CHILD, and realize his poor dad was sad and doing the best he could! It's so repulsive. The episode really has this attitude that Kyle Riker deserves forgiveness, for literally no reason beyond he says he wants it. He's not contrite, he's not apologetic, he's not interested in Will's experience. He's just a tough old guy who's entitled to have whatever he wants. A sickening hour of television.

Elementary, Dear Data
Loud as a Whisper
The Schizoid Man
Unnatural Selection
A Matter of Honor
The Measure of a Man
The Dauphin
Contagion
Pen Pals
Q Who?
Up the Long Ladder
Manhunt
The Emissary
Peak Performance

 

[Farscape One]

That was actually going to be my next elimination... "The Icarus Factor" would have fallen into the ocean.


Taking out "Up The Long Ladder".

While it had some funny moments and a couple interesting ideas about the clone colony (plus Brenna Odell was pretty hot), it's definitely lower tier TNG.


Elementary, Dear Data
Loud as a Whisper
The Schizoid Man
Unnatural Selection
A Matter of Honor
The Measure of a Man
The Dauphin
Contagion
Pen Pals
Q Who?
Manhunt
The Emissary
Peak Performance

 

[Seven of Five]

Unnatural Selection felt like a bit of a rehash of The Deadly Years, which was much better.

Elementary, Dear Data
Loud as a Whisper
The Schizoid Man
A Matter of Honor
The Measure of a Man
The Dauphin
Contagion
Pen Pals
Q Who?
Manhunt
The Emissary
Peak Performance
Farscape One

 

[Farscape One]

Unnatural Selection felt like a bit of a rehash of The Deadly Years, which was much better.

Elementary, Dear Data
Loud as a Whisper
The Schizoid Man
A Matter of Honor
The Measure of a Man
The Dauphin
Contagion
Pen Pals
Q Who?
Manhunt
The Emissary
Peak Performance
Farscape One

You have no idea how much I wish I was in an episode.



(Interesting coincidence: the writer of "Peak Performance", David Kemper, was the head writer for FARSCAPE. Damn good one, too.)

 

[Sakonna]

No one murder me, but my next ax is "Measure Of A Man." That and my two prior eliminations ("Time Squared", "The Icarus Factor") are the S2 installments I always skip. I just can't buy this story at all. Data's rights as a person would have been worked out when he was joining. Riker having to prosecute the case is contrived. There's nothing plausible happening for me to invest in.

There are few TV tropes that Trek is worse at than "Courtroom!", and this is another failure in that line.

Elementary, Dear Data
Loud as a Whisper
The Schizoid Man
A Matter of Honor
The Dauphin
Contagion
Pen Pals
Q Who?
Manhunt
The Emissary
Peak Performance

 

[Farscape One]

Taking out "The Dauphin".

Romance of the week was never a strong suit of the franchise, but a teenage romance of the week is a sub-genre I just am not big on.


Elementary, Dear Data
Loud as a Whisper
The Schizoid Man
A Matter of Honor
Contagion
Pen Pals
Q Who?
Manhunt
The Emissary
Peak Performance

 

[Qonundrum]

The worst of what's left, as are many on this list (I'm another big S2 fan and many solid stories were already removed)...

The Emissary

It's solid and enjoyable, yes. The idea of getting old soldiers who'd lived in a bubble for decades up to speed that the war is over was used in TV before and works well above average in this TNG outing.

It is better to die with honor, even when outgunned. At least for this episode and not in that feature flick that finds a way to destroy the superior ship, but there I go again...

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The exploration of different cultures is not bad at all, with some worthwhile dramatic depth:

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And it was a mistake for her character to be killed off shortly later!

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K'Ehleyr and Worf rock this scene..

The inevitable romance subplot? Well, it's padding, but better than season 1's sexfests, and still slightly cheesy with the "I can't be complete without you" routine. Which is not untrue in a way as most of us have been there regarding a breakup and can relate, regardless of reason. This shlock isn't done every week, and here it's done reasonably well, so I can't complain too much (dang it).

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A strong story for sure, but I found more in the others - even the one where Suzie Plakson plays a Vulcan - to be stronger.

Also, how long was she stuck in that torpedo tube that was propelled more by inertia with nothing to slow it down? No inertial dampers? Space is dangerous, but this is absurdly so - even if the torpedo idea looks cool on screen.

What's left:
Elementary, Dear Data
Loud as a Whisper
The Schizoid Man
A Matter of Honor
Contagion
Pen Pals
Q Who?
Manhunt
Peak Performance

 

[Qonundrum]

"Time Squared" is so boring and lethargically paced.

Rewatches also reveal how little plot meat it has. Conceptually it's great, but the execution was middling. Who or what is behind the vortex thing and why? (Is it Q? Why didn't Troi notice? Can or does Q shield himself?)

I wonder if it had provided inspiration for "Cause and Effect", another story with great concept but largely-bland execution, with similar criticisms that don't hold up to frequent rewatches, (plus also shows the Miranda-style ship out of scale. )

 

[Victoria]

Shhh...don't tell Qonundrum but I don't like Q. I'm not that keen on the Borg either although they are better here than they became later.

The axe falls on "Q Who?"

Elementary, Dear Data
Loud as a Whisper
The Schizoid Man
A Matter of Honor
Contagion
Pen Pals
Manhunt
Peak Performance

 

[Sakonna]

"Elementary, Dear Data" is always playing better in my head than it does upon an actual rewatch. I think "Ship In A Bottle" is so good, it retroactively elevates "Elementary" in my mind, but then when I actually see it... it's such a good idea, but the execution is OK at best.

Loud as a Whisper
The Schizoid Man
A Matter of Honor
Contagion
Pen Pals
Manhunt
Peak Performance

 

[Qonundrum]

I think we're meant to dislike the dirty old man...

The Schizoid Man

Though it begs questions on how he bypassed humanity's evolution and all the other Geneisms that are all on ripe display for our bridge crew.

So old scientist somehow figures out how, in grand TOS fashion, to plop the consciousness into a robot body. TOS either showed or told how it could be done 3 or 40 times or so. But there's a difference this time:

But instead of keeping it at concept level, the execution and how a person might act is integral, and Data really sells being possessed by Dr Graves extremely well, right down to Data-Graves feeling guilt over not realizing how much strength he now has. This level of nuance elevates the trope to a more interesting level, thus rendering any ties to or influences by TOS moot. (But I'm a fan of "Unnatural Selection" as well...)

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(It's also the first time we get an analogy for Data's family tree!)

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Like Dr Selar, Dr Troi also runs tests multiple times to be sure. Brent Spiner was more than perfectly cast as Data, and this episode is one of many proving it.

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Some shades of Lore, but personality elements sometimes can overlap or mirror others.

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The denouement almost has a palpably tragic quality. Loved Data's revival. I forgot how good the music was in this as well.

It's by no means season 2's worst. Not the best, but I might argue it is underrated.


What's left:
Loud as a Whisper
A Matter of Honor
Contagion
Pen Pals
Manhunt
Peak Performance

 

[Qonundrum]

Shhh...don't tell Qonundrum but I don't like Q. I'm not that keen on the Borg either although they are better here than they became later.

The axe falls on "Q Who?"

I did get a robust chuckle out it. Even better, regarding Q, just as with raspberry banana sardine milkshake, can be more an acquired taste - if one develops a taste for it at all.

The Borg had a rocky start. Not a bad one, but it's easy why they overlooked some continuity to make room for Locutus later on (and fairly well done in sidestepping continuity to make it fit fairly well), and they can still have Borg babies in the background all they want. The goal was faster expansion, and what they learned from the Federation technology gave them the bright idea to do it. Like inventing a pretzel, it happened by accident but everybody loved it. Ditto for the Queen later on, even though her introduction could have been given a far more grounded reason (a reaction and adaptation to the failed Locutus idea) than the wafty one she states on screen, but by then, everything Borg was going from "distributed redundancy" to "single device controls all" - for which Voyager used as a crutch way too often. But the Borg were arguably too big a big bad. But they were so much better early on, even in their premiere.

Q is almost a stern reactionary in this one, after his season 1's escapades. He always had a certain danger, but in this episode he is his most directly vicious - Picard and Riker had a point about needless deaths being excessive, which is far more than "a bloody nose", even by Q's metaphorical standards. At least the episode tries to address it with his response, even if it's arguably excessive. But Q's outings would arguably be best in seasons 6 and 7 where the balance was found. Too comedic in 3 and 4, and "not quite there" in 1 and 2. IMHO, of course.

 

[Farscape One]

Rewatches also reveal how little plot meat it has. Conceptually it's great, but the execution was middling. Who or what is behind the vortex thing and why? (Is it Q? Why didn't Troi notice? Can or does Q shield himself?)

I wonder if it had provided inspiration for "Cause and Effect", another story with great concept but largely-bland execution, with similar criticisms that don't hold up to frequent rewatches, (plus also shows the Miranda-style ship out of scale. )

I actually like "Time Squared" because not only does it have a creepy atmosphere and is sort of TWILIGHT ZONE-ish, but we really DON'T know what caused the vortex or what it was about. Again, underlining just how dangerous space travel really is.




I like all of the remaining ones, but "Manhunt" is now gone.

It was a fun episode with a lot of humorous moments. But I just like it a little less than the rest.



Loud as a Whisper
A Matter of Honor
Contagion
Pen Pals
Peak Performance