The Least Disliked Romance-Of-The-Week

[Brennyren]

"Unity" is separated from this list. It's that same old story: boy meets girl, boy and girl fall for each other, girl uses their connection to totally override boy's will and force him to do her bidding. Yeah, that's love all right.

TOS, Season 1: "The Conscience Of The King"
TOS, Season 1: "This Side Of Paradise"
TOS, Season 1: “The City On The Edge Of Forever”
TOS, Season 3: “The Enterprise Incident”
TOS, Season 3: "Wink Of An Eye"
TOS, Season 3: “All Our Yesterdays”
TNG, Season 2: “The Icarus Factor”
TNG, Season 2: “The Emissary”
TNG, Season 3: “The Vengeance Factor”
TNG, Season 3: “Yesterday’s Enterprise”
TNG, Season 3: “Captain’s Holiday”
TNG, Season 4: “Half A Life”
TNG, Season 5: “The Outcast”
TNG, Season 5: “The Perfect Mate”
TNG, Season 6: “Lessons”
TNG, Season 6: “Second Chances"
DS9, Season 4: “Rejoined”
DS9, Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
VOY, Season 2: “Lifesigns”
VOY, Season 5: “Someone To Watch Over Me”
VOY, Season 7: "Homestead"
ENT, Season 1: “Civilization”
ENT, Season 4, "Home"

 

[Sakonna]

I always wish I could enjoy "The Outcast" more. It so earnestly wants to deliver an admirable moral, but it just fails as drama, and they undercut themselves with the way they cast and styled the J'naii.

TOS, Season 1: "The Conscience Of The King"
TOS, Season 1: "This Side Of Paradise"
TOS, Season 1: “The City On The Edge Of Forever”
TOS, Season 3: “The Enterprise Incident”
TOS, Season 3: "Wink Of An Eye"
TOS, Season 3: “All Our Yesterdays”
TNG, Season 2: “The Icarus Factor”
TNG, Season 2: “The Emissary”
TNG, Season 3: “The Vengeance Factor”
TNG, Season 3: “Yesterday’s Enterprise”
TNG, Season 3: “Captain’s Holiday”
TNG, Season 4: “Half A Life”
TNG, Season 5: “The Perfect Mate”
TNG, Season 6: “Lessons”
TNG, Season 6: “Second Chances"
DS9, Season 4: “Rejoined”
DS9, Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
VOY, Season 2: “Lifesigns”
VOY, Season 5: “Someone To Watch Over Me”
VOY, Season 7: "Homestead"
ENT, Season 1: “Civilization”
ENT, Season 4, "Home"

 

[Prax]

Rejoined has been expelled from Trill society. I think Dax acting very irresponsible is at least consistent with some episodes(like Meridian), but the treatment of the Host/symbiont relationship is very inconsistent here. It's treated like the host is merely the vehicle for the symbiont to drive, as opposed to the equal melding of the 2 that we are always told about.

TOS, Season 1: "The Conscience Of The King"
TOS, Season 1: "This Side Of Paradise"
TOS, Season 1: “The City On The Edge Of Forever”
TOS, Season 3: “The Enterprise Incident”
TOS, Season 3: "Wink Of An Eye"
TOS, Season 3: “All Our Yesterdays”
TNG, Season 2: “The Icarus Factor”
TNG, Season 2: “The Emissary”
TNG, Season 3: “The Vengeance Factor”
TNG, Season 3: “Yesterday’s Enterprise”
TNG, Season 3: “Captain’s Holiday”
TNG, Season 4: “Half A Life”
TNG, Season 5: “The Perfect Mate”
TNG, Season 6: “Lessons”
TNG, Season 6: “Second Chances"
DS9, Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
VOY, Season 2: “Lifesigns”
VOY, Season 5: “Someone To Watch Over Me”
VOY, Season 7: "Homestead"
ENT, Season 1: “Civilization”
ENT, Season 4, "Home"

 

[Brennyren]

"The Conscience of the King" is cleared. Safe to say both parties were largely acting their attraction here: Kirk in hopes of getting more information on "Anton Karidian," Lenore in hopes of keeping him from doing same. Great episode, but not really a love story, even of ROTW level.

TOS, Season 1: "This Side Of Paradise"
TOS, Season 1: “The City On The Edge Of Forever”
TOS, Season 3: “The Enterprise Incident”
TOS, Season 3: "Wink Of An Eye"
TOS, Season 3: “All Our Yesterdays”
TNG, Season 2: “The Icarus Factor”
TNG, Season 2: “The Emissary”
TNG, Season 3: “The Vengeance Factor”
TNG, Season 3: “Yesterday’s Enterprise”
TNG, Season 3: “Captain’s Holiday”
TNG, Season 4: “Half A Life”
TNG, Season 5: “The Perfect Mate”
TNG, Season 6: “Lessons”
TNG, Season 6: “Second Chances"
DS9, Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
VOY, Season 2: “Lifesigns”
VOY, Season 5: “Someone To Watch Over Me”
VOY, Season 7: "Homestead"
ENT, Season 1: “Civilization”
ENT, Season 4, "Home"

 

[eschaton]

Not that they were my favorite romances of the week, but I'm sad that both of the borderline queer romances of the week were eliminated back to back. I'd actually argue that DS9's Chimera episode was also a heavily coded gay romance, but it's too late for it to be included, and it would have likely been dropped out by now anyway.

Anyway, I'm going to eliminate Wink of An Eye. It's not a great episode in general, and TOS had far better romances of the week. The worst part about it though is that there's no evidence that Kirk and Deela actually have romantic feelings. Deela wants to have sex with Kirk to procreate, but is also involved in a plot to put the ship into suspended animation. Kirk decides to fuck her seemingly just because he wants some tail, putting aside his duty to the ship until Spock arrives to save the day.

TOS, Season 1: "This Side Of Paradise"
TOS, Season 1: “The City On The Edge Of Forever”
TOS, Season 3: “The Enterprise Incident”
TOS, Season 3: “All Our Yesterdays”
TNG, Season 2: “The Icarus Factor”
TNG, Season 2: “The Emissary”
TNG, Season 3: “The Vengeance Factor”
TNG, Season 3: “Yesterday’s Enterprise”
TNG, Season 3: “Captain’s Holiday”
TNG, Season 4: “Half A Life”
TNG, Season 5: “The Perfect Mate”
TNG, Season 6: “Lessons”
TNG, Season 6: “Second Chances"
DS9, Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
VOY, Season 2: “Lifesigns”
VOY, Season 5: “Someone To Watch Over Me”
VOY, Season 7: "Homestead"
ENT, Season 1: “Civilization”
ENT, Season 4, "Home"

 

[Discofan]

TNG, Season 6: “Second Chances", Riker's transporter clone, or was it the other way around, and Troi was not very convincing as a couple.

TOS, Season 1: "This Side Of Paradise"
TOS, Season 1: “The City On The Edge Of Forever”
TOS, Season 3: “The Enterprise Incident”
TOS, Season 3: “All Our Yesterdays”
TNG, Season 2: “The Icarus Factor”
TNG, Season 2: “The Emissary”
TNG, Season 3: “The Vengeance Factor”
TNG, Season 3: “Yesterday’s Enterprise”
TNG, Season 3: “Captain’s Holiday”
TNG, Season 4: “Half A Life”
TNG, Season 5: “The Perfect Mate”
TNG, Season 6: “Lessons”
DS9, Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
VOY, Season 2: “Lifesigns”
VOY, Season 5: “Someone To Watch Over Me”
VOY, Season 7: "Homestead"
ENT, Season 1: “Civilization”
ENT, Season 4, "Home"

 

[Farscape One]

CIVILIZATION is out. A decent episode, but it seemed to drag at points.

TOS, Season 1: "This Side Of Paradise"
TOS, Season 1: “The City On The Edge Of Forever”
TOS, Season 3: “The Enterprise Incident”
TOS, Season 3: “All Our Yesterdays”
TNG, Season 2: “The Icarus Factor”
TNG, Season 2: “The Emissary”
TNG, Season 3: “The Vengeance Factor”
TNG, Season 3: “Yesterday’s Enterprise”
TNG, Season 3: “Captain’s Holiday”
TNG, Season 4: “Half A Life”
TNG, Season 5: “The Perfect Mate”
TNG, Season 6: “Lessons”
DS9, Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
VOY, Season 2: “Lifesigns”
VOY, Season 5: “Someone To Watch Over Me”
VOY, Season 7: "Homestead"
ENT, Season 4, "Home"

 

[Seven of Five]

I have trouble remembering much about Civilization, so I looked it up and remember being unimpressed with it all.

EDIT: Ninja'd! I'll get rid of All Our Yesterdays instead then. Nice enough but there are better episodes/relationships left.

TOS, Season 1: "The Conscience Of The King"
TOS, Season 1: "This Side Of Paradise"
TOS, Season 1: “The City On The Edge Of Forever”
TOS, Season 3: “The Enterprise Incident”
TOS, Season 3: "Wink Of An Eye"
TNG, Season 2: “The Icarus Factor”
TNG, Season 2: “The Emissary”
TNG, Season 3: “The Vengeance Factor”
TNG, Season 3: “Yesterday’s Enterprise”
TNG, Season 3: “Captain’s Holiday”
TNG, Season 4: “Half A Life”
TNG, Season 5: “The Perfect Mate”
TNG, Season 6: “Lessons”
DS9, Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
VOY, Season 2: “Lifesigns”
VOY, Season 5: “Someone To Watch Over Me”
VOY, Season 7: "Homestead"
ENT, Season 4, "Home"

 

[Sakonna]

Not that they were my favorite romances of the week, but I'm sad that both of the borderline queer romances of the week were eliminated back to back.

Me too, even as the person who eliminated "The Outcast"! "Rejoined" actually is my personal favorite ROTW, in that it does everything with queer issues I was hoping "The Outcast" would do, but failed at (and of course there's the whole issue of how depressing it is that two stand-alone "gay" eps was all Berman Trek could manage, but that's a whole other conversation). I also think "Rejoined" is brilliant at using sci-fi devices to give depth and texture and dimension to what is truly a ROTW from every definition... Jadzia and Lenara have just met and spend only a few days together, but they also play as an epic love story spanning centuries. Neat trick.

(Though of course, none of this is complaining about the elimination itself -- nature of the game and all. )

I'll eliminate "The Icarus Factor." There are some aspects of this episode I find quite touching, but the ultimate message that Riker must forgive his unrepentant asshole bastard of a father simply because he is his father and has shown up to DEMAND absolution is sickening and borderline irresponsible. He's not there to apologize, not to try to rebuild their relationship, not to offer ANYTHING to the son he ABANDONED IN HIS TEEN YEARS AFTER THE DEATH OF HIS MOTHER -- just to demand what he wants and be a nightmarish dick until he gets it, thus proving that he's learned nothing, hasn't changed, and does not deserve the forgiveness he seeks. And then he gets it anyway, and this is somehow treated as a heartwarming happy ending for all parties! Fuck that. Before rewatching it for this list, I don't think I've seen it since the 90's, and when I really got into that Riker story it became abundantly clear why.

TOS, Season 1: "This Side Of Paradise"
TOS, Season 1: “The City On The Edge Of Forever”
TOS, Season 3: “The Enterprise Incident”
TNG, Season 2: “The Emissary”
TNG, Season 3: “The Vengeance Factor”
TNG, Season 3: “Yesterday’s Enterprise”
TNG, Season 3: “Captain’s Holiday”
TNG, Season 4: “Half A Life”
TNG, Season 5: “The Perfect Mate”
TNG, Season 6: “Lessons”
DS9, Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
VOY, Season 2: “Lifesigns”
VOY, Season 5: “Someone To Watch Over Me”
VOY, Season 7: "Homestead"
ENT, Season 4, "Home"

 

[Discofan]

Are we still with the four hours between games because things seem to go a lot faster than they used to?

 

[Sakonna]

Are we still with the four hours between games because things seem to go a lot faster than they used to?

Yep. It's just more people eliminating as it gets closer to the end (I think). But always with four or more hour intervals.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

It seems to me that the entire list of episodes are episodic by nature, since they consist entirely of romances conceived and concluded in a single story.

Sorry, it seems I wasn't very clear with my explanation. There is a point, I believe toward the end of the first part, when it becomes clear that the romance is not a significant part of the episode and that the story is pushing hard on the reset button. The course of the romance is entirely dictated by the story, and becomes less focused on what the characters would choose. I find that the way the relationship was resolved in the end did not reflect what happened, and it seems to be weak when looking at the chemistry between the actors.

 

[Brennyren]

Farewell to "The Perfect Mate" -- a woman who was literally made to be whatever her man wanted her to be, an adolescent fantasy if ever I saw one. In being noble and self-sacrificing at the end, was she actually making a choice, or was she just being what Picard wanted her to be?

TOS, Season 1: "This Side Of Paradise"
TOS, Season 1: “The City On The Edge Of Forever”
TOS, Season 3: “The Enterprise Incident”
TNG, Season 2: “The Emissary”
TNG, Season 3: “The Vengeance Factor”
TNG, Season 3: “Yesterday’s Enterprise”
TNG, Season 3: “Captain’s Holiday”
TNG, Season 4: “Half A Life”
TNG, Season 6: “Lessons”
DS9, Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
VOY, Season 2: “Lifesigns”
VOY, Season 5: “Someone To Watch Over Me”
VOY, Season 7: "Homestead"
ENT, Season 4, "Home"

 

[Prax]

By becoming what Picard wanted her to be, she attained free will.

 

[Prax]

The Enterprise Incident has been killed by the Vulcan Death Grip®. If I had to find something to complain about here, I guess it would be that the Romulan Commander is incredibly gullible, and naive. She shouldn't have been fooled so easily.

TOS, Season 1: "This Side Of Paradise"
TOS, Season 1: “The City On The Edge Of Forever”
TNG, Season 2: “The Emissary”
TNG, Season 3: “The Vengeance Factor”
TNG, Season 3: “Yesterday’s Enterprise”
TNG, Season 3: “Captain’s Holiday”
TNG, Season 4: “Half A Life”
TNG, Season 6: “Lessons”
DS9, Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
VOY, Season 2: “Lifesigns”
VOY, Season 5: “Someone To Watch Over Me”
VOY, Season 7: "Homestead"
ENT, Season 4, "Home"[/QUOTE]

 

[Farscape One]

"The Vengeance Factor" is killed. A good episode, but the others on the list are better.

TOS, Season 1: "This Side Of Paradise"
TOS, Season 1: “The City On The Edge Of Forever”
TNG, Season 2: “The Emissary”
TNG, Season 3: “Yesterday’s Enterprise”
TNG, Season 3: “Captain’s Holiday”
TNG, Season 4: “Half A Life”
TNG, Season 6: “Lessons”
DS9, Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
VOY, Season 2: “Lifesigns”
VOY, Season 5: “Someone To Watch Over Me”
VOY, Season 7: "Homestead"
ENT, Season 4, "Home"

 

[eschaton]

I'm cutting Homestead. It's fine...surprisingly so for a Neelix romance of the week. But fine isn't good enough for romantic episodes at this point, and most of what's left is excellent.

TOS, Season 1: "This Side Of Paradise"
TOS, Season 1: “The City On The Edge Of Forever”
TNG, Season 2: “The Emissary”
TNG, Season 3: “Yesterday’s Enterprise”
TNG, Season 3: “Captain’s Holiday”
TNG, Season 4: “Half A Life”
TNG, Season 6: “Lessons”
DS9, Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
VOY, Season 2: “Lifesigns”
VOY, Season 5: “Someone To Watch Over Me”
ENT, Season 4, "Home'

 

[Brennyren]

By becoming what Picard wanted her to be, she attained free will.

Pretty sure that's not how free will works.

"Captain's Holiday" is over. Despite the real-life relationship between Stewart and Hetrick, I never did see the chemistry between their characters.

TOS, Season 1: "This Side Of Paradise"
TOS, Season 1: “The City On The Edge Of Forever”
TNG, Season 2: “The Emissary”
TNG, Season 3: “Yesterday’s Enterprise”
TNG, Season 4: “Half A Life”
TNG, Season 6: “Lessons”
DS9, Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
VOY, Season 2: “Lifesigns”
VOY, Season 5: “Someone To Watch Over Me”
ENT, Season 4, "Home"

 

[Sakonna]

Farewell to "The Perfect Mate" -- a woman who was literally made to be whatever her man wanted her to be, an adolescent fantasy if ever I saw one. In being noble and self-sacrificing at the end, was she actually making a choice, or was she just being what Picard wanted her to be?

At some point I read about a rejected ending (I think), in which Kamala ditches both of them and goes off to explore the galaxy herself, because bonding with Picard has filled her with an independent spirit and a yearning for adventure. I always wish they'd gone with that!

I think "Home" is the weakest here -- and Enterprise is off the board! The seams just show too much. It's like they have one story too many, and so they all get too crowded, and every plot features too-sudden reversals that they don't have time to explore with the necessary depth.

TOS, Season 1: "This Side Of Paradise"
TOS, Season 1: “The City On The Edge Of Forever”
TNG, Season 2: “The Emissary”
TNG, Season 3: “Yesterday’s Enterprise”
TNG, Season 4: “Half A Life”
TNG, Season 6: “Lessons”
DS9, Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
VOY, Season 2: “Lifesigns”
VOY, Season 5: “Someone To Watch Over Me”

 

[Seven of Five]

Wow it's getting tough now. I'll vote for Home now, which has some nice moments in. There are other stronger episodes though. Archer and Hernandez felt a little glib to me as well, though Archer has always been boring to me I guess.

TOS, Season 1: "This Side Of Paradise"
TOS, Season 1: “The City On The Edge Of Forever”
TNG, Season 2: “The Emissary”
TNG, Season 3: “Yesterday’s Enterprise”
TNG, Season 4: “Half A Life”
TNG, Season 6: “Lessons”
DS9, Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
VOY, Season 2: “Lifesigns”
VOY, Season 5: “Someone To Watch Over Me”