The least disliked episode of TNG - Season Two

[BigDaveX]

The Emissary. Introduced a memorable character in K'Ehleyr, but the episode's storyline itself feels a bit slight, and the resolution comes across just a bit too sudden and easy.

Where Silence Has Lease
Elementary, Dear Data
A Matter of Honor
Contagion
Q Who?
Peak Performance

 

[Takeru]

Where Silence Has Lease is out, it's not bad but unremarkable compared to the others and of course Wesley is somewhere else when it's time for the pilot to be killed. LOL


Elementary, Dear Data
A Matter of Honor
Contagion
Q Who?
Peak Performance

 

[Sakonna]

Where Silence Has Lease is out, it's not bad but unremarkable compared to the others and of course Wesley is somewhere else when it's time for the pilot to be killed. LOL

It's the most perfectly timed bathroom break of the franchise.

Man, I am torn, but I am going to toss "Elementary, Dear Data." I really love it, but I'm also excusing some rough plotting just on the basis of how perfect "Ship In The Bottle" eventually is. The logic behind the actual creation of Moriarty is ridiculous, and the moment where Geordi storms out of the holodeck in a fit of pique because he doesn't like how Data is playing stands out as a terrible Geordi character moment -- and most Geordi character moments were terrible, so it's hard to stand out in that field!

Still, these aren't big complaints, I am a fan of the episode, but I just think the other four here are more solidly plotted.

A Matter of Honor
Contagion
Q Who?
Peak Performance

 

[Starflight]

Agreed with others about Measure of a Man. It's good, but the big problem I have with it is that Riker's defence completely sucks. The writers want Picard to win, and so Riker never makes a single good counterpoint. Seriously, switching Data off is one of the big centrepieces of his case, which isn't even vaguely relevant to the question of whether or not he's sentient.

I love Time Squared, it's one of my favourite episodes not just of Season 2 but of TNG as a whole, although the points about it being annoyingly ambiguous are all fair. Future-Picard has a great line where he cryptically suggests that the vortex is actually alive and sentient, and targeting him on purpose for some unknown reason, and that always stuck with me. I wonder if it was actually benevolent, and trying to force Picard into the shuttle each time so that he'd escape the explosion and could be sent back to give the crew another chance to escape.

 

[Spirit of 73]

I'll take out A Matter of Honor. Nothing too wrong with it, although I thought they were trying too hard to show us the obnoxiousness of the one character. Felt forced. Other than that, it's a pretty solid episode, but we're down to the last few so something has to go.

Contagion
Q Who?
Peak Performance

 

[Spirit of 73]

Agreed with others about Measure of a Man. It's good, but the big problem I have with it is that Riker's defence completely sucks. The writers want Picard to win, and so Riker never makes a single good counterpoint. Seriously, switching Data off is one of the big centrepieces of his case, which isn't even vaguely relevant to the question of whether or not he's sentient.

I love Time Squared, it's one of my favourite episodes not just of Season 2 but of TNG as a whole, although the points about it being annoyingly ambiguous are all fair. Future-Picard has a great line where he cryptically suggests that the vortex is actually alive and sentient, and targeting him on purpose for some unknown reason, and that always stuck with me. I wonder if it was actually benevolent, and trying to force Picard into the shuttle each time so that he'd escape the explosion and could be sent back to give the crew another chance to escape.

The original idea was that it was Q toying with the Enterprise, but this never wound up coming out in the actual story we saw.

 

[Seven of Five]

All 3 are good, but I think Peak Performance is better than Contagion. Just.

Q Who?
Peak Performance

 

[Sakonna]

I'll leave it to someone else to choose the winner, but I think we may have set a new record for speed with this round!

 

[Farscape One]

I LOVE both episodes, and they are personal favorites.

I am eliminating "Q Who", as more of the cast has more to do in "Peak Performance", and I have a soft spot for those episodes.

By the way, thank you Sakonna, for leaving the last one. I got here just in time... I already missed one season of STAR TREK. I would hate to miss another.

 

[Discofan]

Damn it! I can't leave you guys alone for a few hours!!!

 

[Sakonna]

By the way, thank you Sakonna, for leaving the last one. I got here just in time... I already missed one season of STAR TREK. I would hate to miss another.

No prob! I was hoping someone would pick "Peak Performance" too, even though last time we did this I think I gave the win for season 2 to "Q Who" (searches forums... ha! Yes, I did, against "Measure Of A Man." I like seeing that I describe "MoaM" as "amazing" in my post at the time, I was still closeted about not really liking it).

But "Peak Performance" is an episode I think has aged spectacularly well, back in the day I don't recall it being held in high regard by fandom at large, now I see people express love for it all the time. It's a particularly good showcase for the crew dynamics in a lower-stakes, friendly way, which I suspect becomes more appealing to revisit the further we are from original airing. But it also doesn't meander directionlessly, the way many of TNG's character interludes do -- there's a solid plot throughout. I like the thematic cap it puts on the Data/Pulaski relationship. It's a winner.

 

[Discofan]

Is there a third season thread coming?

 

[Sakonna]

Yeah, BlueStuff will start one soon, probably within the next day or so.

 

[Spirit of 73]

Did Q Who seriously get eliminated or did I dream it?

 

[Farscape One]

No prob! I was hoping someone would pick "Peak Performance" too, even though last time we did this I think I gave the win for season 2 to "Q Who" (searches forums... ha! Yes, I did, against "Measure Of A Man." I like seeing that I describe "MoaM" as "amazing" in my post at the time, I was still closeted about not really liking it).

But "Peak Performance" is an episode I think has aged spectacularly well, back in the day I don't recall it being held in high regard by fandom at large, now I see people express love for it all the time. It's a particularly good showcase for the crew dynamics in a lower-stakes, friendly way, which I suspect becomes more appealing to revisit the further we are from original airing. But it also doesn't meander directionlessly, the way many of TNG's character interludes do -- there's a solid plot throughout. I like the thematic cap it puts on the Data/Pulaski relationship. It's a winner.

That episode being so great is no surprise for me, since it was written by David Kemper. (I know other staff writers had their hands in it, but he has sole credit on it, and it obviously has enough of his material to justify that sole writer credit.)

He went on to write for the first season of seasQuest DSV, which was I think the best season of that show, and more importantly... FARSCAPE for its entire run. He had the biggest influence there, he was the Ira Steven Behr of that show, but with an even more insane imagination. I am a particularly HUGE fan of that show... just look at my forum name. I use the exact same one on another forum. My love for that series runs as deep, possibly even a little deeper, as STAR TREK.

"Peak Performance" has aged very well, I agree. I always loved it as a kid, and still do. Everyone got a little something to do. Data got a great little arc in it, and Picard gave one of my favorite speeches to him about life. Pulaski endeared herself more to me here, and even Troi had some good moments with Data. Riker got to be in command, and it suited him. Geordi and Worf even had some fun moments, and I couldn't help but smile at Wesley when he 'improvised'.

One of the best episodes to utilize the entire cast, very much like "The Arsenal of Freedom" in that regard in the early TNG days.