The Least Disliked Episode 2025 - VOY 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: Voyager
Hall of Champions
2011 - Meld
2013 - Living Witness
2017 - Blink of an Eye
2019 - Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy
2021 - Scorpion I
2023 - Timeless
2025 -

Season 1
Caretaker
Parallax
Time and Again
Phage
The Cloud
Eye of the Needle
Ex Post Facto
Emanations
Prime Factors
State of Flux
Heroes and Demons
Cathexis
Faces
Jetrel
Learning Curve

 

[Farscape One]

I think VOY season 1 is more solid than people might say.

Taking out "TIME AND AGAIN".

Because it's time travel and this early in the series.


Caretaker
Parallax
Phage
The Cloud
Eye of the Needle
Ex Post Facto
Emanations
Prime Factors
State of Flux
Heroes and Demons
Cathexis
Faces
Jetrel
Learning Curve

 

[Detached Nacelle]

I thought there were more episodes in season 1? Isn't the 37s in season 1?

Anyhoodiddlydoodle, let's remove Parallax, it's not a compelling mystery and the Maquis-Starfleet tension never lived up to its full potential. They tried here with Torres vs Carey but it just fizzled out very quickly.

Caretaker
Phage
The Cloud
Eye of the Needle
Ex Post Facto
Emanations
Prime Factors
State of Flux
Heroes and Demons
Cathexis
Faces
Jetrel
Learning Curve

 

[Farscape One]

I thought there were more episodes in season 1? Isn't the 37s in season 1?

Anyhoodiddlydoodle, let's remove Parallax, it's not a compelling mystery and the Maquis-Starfleet tension never lived up to its full potential. They tried here with Torres vs Carey but it just fizzled out very quickly.

Caretaker
Phage
The Cloud
Eye of the Needle
Ex Post Facto
Emanations
Prime Factors
State of Flux
Heroes and Demons
Cathexis
Faces
Jetrel
Learning Curve

You are correct that there were 4 more produced episodes for season 1: "PROJECTIONS", "ELOGIUM", "TWISTED", and "THE 37's".

However, UPN held those 4 episodes back so they can premiere their fall season a month earlier than every other network. (They did the same thing for 4 season two produced episodes: "SACRED GROUND", "FALSE PROFITS", "FLASHBACK", and "BASICS, PART II". This is also why season 3 only had 22 episodes produced instead of the usual 26 and why VOY is 4 episodes less in total than DS9.)

This game (and the Most Disliked Episode version that will follow after every show and movie is done) goes by airdate order rather than production order.

 

[Poldon]

"Heroes and Demons". Beowulf + the Doctor = Entertainment.

Caretaker
Phage
The Cloud
Eye of the Needle
Ex Post Facto
Emanations
Prime Factors
State of Flux
Cathexis
Faces
Jetrel
Learning Curve

 

[Sakonna]

"Ex Post Facto" is the season 1 episode I most frequently revisit, despite the fact that it is trash. I can't resist those cheesy noir tropes, and I always forget how stupid the "mystery" actually is.

Caretaker
Phage
The Cloud
Eye of the Needle
Emanations
Prime Factors
State of Flux
Cathexis
Faces
Jetrel
Learning Curve

 

[Seven of Five]

Emanations is a bit dull from what I remember.

Caretaker
Phage
The Cloud
Eye of the Needle
Prime Factors
State of Flux
Cathexis
Faces
Jetrel
Learning Curve

 

[BlueStuff]

"Heroes and Demons". Beowulf + the Doctor = Entertainment.

"Ex Post Facto" is the season 1 episode I most frequently revisit. I can't get enough of cheesy noir tropes.

So did you guys like these episodes or not?

 

[Farscape One]

I like all of these to varying degrees.

I'll take out "LEARNING CURVE", mostly because while it is a good episode, it shouldn't have been the final one aired for the season. (Damn you, UPN!)

Plus, "Get the cheese to sickbay."


Caretaker
Phage
The Cloud
Eye of the Needle
Prime Factors
State of Flux
Cathexis
Faces
Jetrel

 

[BlueStuff]

For me, Caretaker is the weakest Trek pilot. Corn on the cob, the caretaker itself, none of it is especially compelling. On paper, the concept of Voyager (the show) is great - but when you see the pilot's execution, it just falls flat for me.

Phage
The Cloud
Eye of the Needle
Prime Factors
State of Flux
Cathexis
Faces
Jetrel

 

[Detached Nacelle]

There's coffee in that nebula, but no Cloud on this list. When one single line of dialogue at the very start of an episode is its single most memorable and distinctive feature it probably isn't a very good episode.

Phage
Eye of the Needle
Prime Factors
State of Flux
Cathexis
Faces
Jetrel

 

[Seven of Five]

Cathexis is another dodgy anomoly of the week. Some episodes like this work better this season.

Phage
Eye of the Needle
Prime Factors
State of Flux
Faces
Jetrel

 

[Sakonna]

"Jetrel" is a knockout. It's the best Neelix episods, but that's a real "valedictorian of summer school" level achievement.

Phage
Eye of the Needle
Prime Factors
State of Flux
Faces

 

[Detached Nacelle]

"Jetrel" is a knockout. The best Neelix episods, though that's a real "valedictorian of summer school" level achievement.

That's high praise for your most disliked episode of the remaining. I fear your wrath when you erase an episode you truly despise.

 

[Farscape One]

The remaining are really, really good ones.

I can't vote forvl the Vidiian ones because they are the best villains the series ever made. (And among the best in the franchise.) "EYE OF THE NEEDLE" was an excellent character episode. And "STATE OF FLUX" was just awesome from start to finish.

By process of picking favorite above favorite, I take out "PRIME FACTORS".


Phage
Eye of the Needle
State of Flux
Faces

 

[Farscape One]

That's high praise for your most disliked episode of the remaining. I fear your wrath when you erase an episode you truly despise.

Wait until we get to the 'Most Disliked' version of this game. Sakonna is quite wrathful with the episodes.

But still logical about it.

 

[Seven of Five]

A difficult decision here.

Eye of the Needle was great for sure, but the 2 Vidiian episodes, and Seska too are in a different class.

Phage
State of Flux
Faces

 

[Detached Nacelle]

Phage is my choice for removal. Faces is the superior horror element for the Vidiians (not Vaphorans) and Seska was such a brilliant character. So Phage takes the fall.

State of Flux
Faces

 

[Farscape One]

Hard choice... Vidiians or Seska. I absolutely love both.

I will take out "STATE OF FLUX" only because I love the Vidiians more.


"FACES" wins season 1!

 

[Detached Nacelle]

A fine winner. And a fine runner up to join it in the finals.

Faces inspires the headcanon in me that the fully Klingon B'Elanna is what her mirror universe counterpart looks like. And Legate Seska is her aide.