The Least Disliked Holodeck Episode

[Takeru]

I'm taking out Ship in a Bottle because it made the characters look stupid, they should have realized they were still in a simulation the moment Moriarty stepped out of the holodeck instead they're like "Gasp ... how is this possible?!".

TNG Season 1: “The Big Goodbye”
TNG Season 1: “11001001”
TNG Season 2: “Elementary, Dear Data”
TNG Season 3: “Hollow Pursuits”
TNG Season 6: “A Fistful Of Datas”
DS9 Season 4: “Our Man Bashir”
DS9 Season 6: "Inquisition"
DS9 Season 7: “It’s Only A Paper Moon”
VOY Season 1: “Heroes And Demons”
VOY Season 2: “Projections”
VOY Season 2: "Lifesigns"
VOY Season 3: "The Swarm"
VOY Season 3: “Alter Ego”
VOY Season 3: “Real Life”
VOY Season 3: “Worst Case Scenario”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 1”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 2”
VOY Season 5: “Extreme Risk”
VOY Season 5: “Once Upon A Time”
VOY Season 5: “Bride Of Chaotica!”
VOY Season 6: "Pathfinder"
VOY Season 7: “Human Error”

 

[Farscape One]

"ALTER EGO" is gone. Nothing really wrong with it, just rather boring.


TNG Season 1: “The Big Goodbye”
TNG Season 1: “11001001”
TNG Season 2: “Elementary, Dear Data”
TNG Season 3: “Hollow Pursuits”
TNG Season 6: “A Fistful Of Datas”
DS9 Season 4: “Our Man Bashir”
DS9 Season 6: "Inquisition"
DS9 Season 7: “It’s Only A Paper Moon”
VOY Season 1: “Heroes And Demons”
VOY Season 2: “Projections”
VOY Season 2: "Lifesigns"
VOY Season 3: "The Swarm"
VOY Season 3: “Real Life”
VOY Season 3: “Worst Case Scenario”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 1”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 2”
VOY Season 5: “Extreme Risk”
VOY Season 5: “Once Upon A Time”
VOY Season 5: “Bride Of Chaotica!”
VOY Season 6: "Pathfinder"
VOY Season 7: “Human Error”

 

[Brennyren]

I feel like I come for these contests just to eliminate Spirit Folk every time it pops up.

And we appreciate your efforts!

As for me, I'm flatlining "Real Life." Bob Picardo was amazing, as he so often is, but the script was manipulative as hell, especially considering there was no follow-up (as there so often wasn't). Is that character development? It looks like character development...oh no, wait, it doesn't change anything.

TNG Season 1: “The Big Goodbye”
TNG Season 1: “11001001”
TNG Season 2: “Elementary, Dear Data”
TNG Season 3: “Hollow Pursuits”
TNG Season 6: “A Fistful Of Datas”
DS9 Season 4: “Our Man Bashir”
DS9 Season 6: "Inquisition"
DS9 Season 7: “It’s Only A Paper Moon”
VOY Season 1: “Heroes And Demons”
VOY Season 2: “Projections”
VOY Season 2: "Lifesigns"
VOY Season 3: "The Swarm"
VOY Season 3: “Worst Case Scenario”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 1”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 2”
VOY Season 5: “Extreme Risk”
VOY Season 5: “Once Upon A Time”
VOY Season 5: “Bride Of Chaotica!”
VOY Season 6: "Pathfinder"
VOY Season 7: “Human Error”

 

[Takeru]

Elementary, dear Data. I'm really not a fan of the Moriarty episodes, not only is the holodeck itself a death trap, the entire ship is endangered because Geordie misspoke and the Computer was like "Ok, if you say so ..."


TNG Season 1: “The Big Goodbye”
TNG Season 1: “11001001”
TNG Season 3: “Hollow Pursuits”
TNG Season 6: “A Fistful Of Datas”
DS9 Season 4: “Our Man Bashir”
DS9 Season 6: "Inquisition"
DS9 Season 7: “It’s Only A Paper Moon”
VOY Season 1: “Heroes And Demons”
VOY Season 2: “Projections”
VOY Season 2: "Lifesigns"
VOY Season 3: "The Swarm"
VOY Season 3: “Worst Case Scenario”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 1”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 2”
VOY Season 5: “Extreme Risk”
VOY Season 5: “Once Upon A Time”
VOY Season 5: “Bride Of Chaotica!”
VOY Season 6: "Pathfinder"
VOY Season 7: “Human Error”

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Eliminating Once Upon A Time. It's probably only still here anyway because people haven't noticed it. Like, are educational children's programming recreated in the holodeck really what people hope to see from Star Trek? One of the most glaring episodes of the Voyager writers not understanding their audience.

TNG Season 1: “The Big Goodbye”
TNG Season 1: “11001001”
TNG Season 3: “Hollow Pursuits”
TNG Season 6: “A Fistful Of Datas”
DS9 Season 4: “Our Man Bashir”
DS9 Season 6: "Inquisition"
DS9 Season 7: “It’s Only A Paper Moon”
VOY Season 1: “Heroes And Demons”
VOY Season 2: “Projections”
VOY Season 2: "Lifesigns"
VOY Season 3: "The Swarm"
VOY Season 3: “Worst Case Scenario”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 1”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 2”
VOY Season 5: “Extreme Risk”
VOY Season 5: “Bride Of Chaotica!”
VOY Season 6: "Pathfinder"
VOY Season 7: “Human Error”

 

[Sakonna]

"Heroes And Demons" is fine, but I'm just really not into Vikings, that's not a milieu I ever find interesting.

TNG Season 1: “The Big Goodbye”
TNG Season 1: “11001001”
TNG Season 3: “Hollow Pursuits”
TNG Season 6: “A Fistful Of Datas”
DS9 Season 4: “Our Man Bashir”
DS9 Season 6: "Inquisition"
DS9 Season 7: “It’s Only A Paper Moon”
VOY Season 2: “Projections”
VOY Season 2: "Lifesigns"
VOY Season 3: "The Swarm"
VOY Season 3: “Worst Case Scenario”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 1”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 2”
VOY Season 5: “Extreme Risk”
VOY Season 5: “Bride Of Chaotica!”
VOY Season 6: "Pathfinder"
VOY Season 7: “Human Error”

 

[Farscape One]

"HUMAN ERROR" is corrected off this list. This episode just didn't really work for me.

TNG Season 1: “The Big Goodbye”
TNG Season 1: “11001001”
TNG Season 3: “Hollow Pursuits”
TNG Season 6: “A Fistful Of Datas”
DS9 Season 4: “Our Man Bashir”
DS9 Season 6: "Inquisition"
DS9 Season 7: “It’s Only A Paper Moon”
VOY Season 2: “Projections”
VOY Season 2: "Lifesigns"
VOY Season 3: "The Swarm"
VOY Season 3: “Worst Case Scenario”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 1”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 2”
VOY Season 5: “Extreme Risk”
VOY Season 5: “Bride Of Chaotica!”
VOY Season 6: "Pathfinder"

 

[Takeru]

The Swarm, the Doctor being rebooted wasn't going to happen, so that plot fell flat for me, the only question was how they were going to fix the problem.


TNG Season 1: “The Big Goodbye”
TNG Season 1: “11001001”
TNG Season 3: “Hollow Pursuits”
TNG Season 6: “A Fistful Of Datas”
DS9 Season 4: “Our Man Bashir”
DS9 Season 6: "Inquisition"
DS9 Season 7: “It’s Only A Paper Moon”
VOY Season 2: “Projections”
VOY Season 2: "Lifesigns"
VOY Season 3: “Worst Case Scenario”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 1”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 2”
VOY Season 5: “Extreme Risk”
VOY Season 5: “Bride Of Chaotica!”
VOY Season 6: "Pathfinder"

 

[Seven of Five]

Extreme Risk is another one I like eliminating. It could have been so much more, but as it is, B'Elanna's mourning of the Maquis is out of the blue, and then never followed up on.

TNG Season 1: “The Big Goodbye”
TNG Season 1: “11001001”
TNG Season 3: “Hollow Pursuits”
TNG Season 6: “A Fistful Of Datas”
DS9 Season 4: “Our Man Bashir”
DS9 Season 6: "Inquisition"
DS9 Season 7: “It’s Only A Paper Moon”
VOY Season 2: “Projections”
VOY Season 2: "Lifesigns"
VOY Season 3: “Worst Case Scenario”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 1”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 2”
VOY Season 5: “Bride Of Chaotica!”
VOY Season 6: "Pathfinder"

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Removing Inquisition. The holodeck isn't really doing anything spectacular in the episode, not playing an active role in the story, as it does in the remaining episodes.

TNG Season 1: “The Big Goodbye”
TNG Season 1: “11001001”
TNG Season 3: “Hollow Pursuits”
TNG Season 6: “A Fistful Of Datas”
DS9 Season 4: “Our Man Bashir”
DS9 Season 7: “It’s Only A Paper Moon”
VOY Season 2: “Projections”
VOY Season 2: "Lifesigns"
VOY Season 3: “Worst Case Scenario”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 1”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 2”
VOY Season 5: “Bride Of Chaotica!”
VOY Season 6: "Pathfinder"

 

[Takeru]

It’s Only A Paper Moon, Vic can prevent his own program from starting? Ridiculous. And then they do the "keep the program running all the time" thing as if Vic or his stupid place are real.


TNG Season 1: “The Big Goodbye”
TNG Season 1: “11001001”
TNG Season 3: “Hollow Pursuits”
TNG Season 6: “A Fistful Of Datas”
DS9 Season 4: “Our Man Bashir”
VOY Season 2: “Projections”
VOY Season 2: "Lifesigns"
VOY Season 3: “Worst Case Scenario”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 1”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 2”
VOY Season 5: “Bride Of Chaotica!”
VOY Season 6: "Pathfinder"

 

[Discofan]

Removing VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 2” as it is the weakest of the two and the ensemble is weaker than what's left.


TNG Season 1: “The Big Goodbye”
TNG Season 1: “11001001”
TNG Season 3: “Hollow Pursuits”
TNG Season 6: “A Fistful Of Datas”
DS9 Season 4: “Our Man Bashir”
VOY Season 2: “Projections”
VOY Season 2: "Lifesigns"
VOY Season 3: “Worst Case Scenario”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 1”
VOY Season 5: “Bride Of Chaotica!”
VOY Season 6: "Pathfinder"

 

[Sakonna]

"Projections" leans too hard into randomness for me. It's fun to have a lot of wacky holodeck weirdness, but there's not really a core strong idea here, as there is with the other remaining episodes.

TNG Season 1: “The Big Goodbye”
TNG Season 1: “11001001”
TNG Season 3: “Hollow Pursuits”
TNG Season 6: “A Fistful Of Datas”
DS9 Season 4: “Our Man Bashir”
VOY Season 2: "Lifesigns"
VOY Season 3: “Worst Case Scenario”
VOY Season 4: “The Killing Game, Part 1”
VOY Season 5: “Bride Of Chaotica!”
VOY Season 6: "Pathfinder"

 

[Prax]

"The Killing Game" part 1 has been axed. Hirogen dignity has been restored.

TNG Season 1: “The Big Goodbye”
TNG Season 1: “11001001”
TNG Season 3: “Hollow Pursuits”
TNG Season 6: “A Fistful Of Datas”
DS9 Season 4: “Our Man Bashir”
VOY Season 2: "Lifesigns"
VOY Season 3: “Worst Case Scenario”
VOY Season 5: “Bride Of Chaotica!”
VOY Season 6: "Pathfinder"

As a side note, I would have included "Shadowplay" in the original list.

 

[Discofan]

VOY Season 2: "Lifesigns", because it's not much of a holodeck story, to begin with, plus it's not as good as the others.

TNG Season 1: “The Big Goodbye”
TNG Season 1: “11001001”
TNG Season 3: “Hollow Pursuits”
TNG Season 6: “A Fistful Of Datas”
DS9 Season 4: “Our Man Bashir”
VOY Season 3: “Worst Case Scenario”
VOY Season 5: “Bride Of Chaotica!”
VOY Season 6: "Pathfinder"

 

[Sakonna]

As a side note, I would have included "Shadowplay" in the original list.

It was initially, but once alien simulations were included at all, it became so unclear where to draw the line, and the list logic started to feel tortured. ("The Thaw" -- it takes place inside minds, but it's also described involving holograms in what is maybe a writing mistake? "In The Flesh" -- Seven thinks it may involve holographic projection, does that count? And my god, the deep rewatch I gave to "Move Along Home" to try to divine the exact nature of the Wadi game environment... etc etc etc ) And including them also made the list overly long.

Enough for multiple lists, we belatedly realized. It ultimately felt cleaner to have one list that was straight-up Federation (and Quark's Bar) holodeck/suite stories, and there will be a later list of just the alien-simulations on their own.

 

[Seven of Five]

As much fun as they're all having in A Fistful of Datas in their program, I don't think it's a strong as what is let now. My favourite parts are with Troi really getting into her role.

TNG Season 1: “The Big Goodbye”
TNG Season 1: “11001001”
TNG Season 3: “Hollow Pursuits”
DS9 Season 4: “Our Man Bashir”
VOY Season 3: “Worst Case Scenario”
VOY Season 5: “Bride Of Chaotica!”
VOY Season 6: "Pathfinder"

 

[Jedman67]

Worst Case Scenario has some lame plot issues; but overall is a great episode.
I removed Bride of Chaotica simply because it tried too hard and failed.

TNG Season 1: “The Big Goodbye”
TNG Season 1: “11001001”
TNG Season 3: “Hollow Pursuits”
DS9 Season 4: “Our Man Bashir”
VOY Season 3: “Worst Case Scenario”
VOY Season 6: "Pathfinder"

 

[Discofan]

How about a list of "alternate" stories. This would include stories with simulations (Living Witness), an alternate crew (silver blood), an alternate universe, an alternate future "before and after"...etc

 

[Farscape One]

"PATHFINDER" gets lost from this list. Not as strong as the remaining ones.


TNG Season 1: “The Big Goodbye”
TNG Season 1: “11001001”
TNG Season 3: “Hollow Pursuits”
DS9 Season 4: “Our Man Bashir”
VOY Season 3: “Worst Case Scenario”