Game The Most Disliked Comedic/Light-Hearted Episode

[Qonundrum]

"Mudd's Women" was definitely a product of its time, with the eponymous white women whose only goal in life was to be married, and of course every human male (except Mudd himself, apparently) -- and only the males, of course -- who struggled to resist their attraction and remain professional in the face of the women's beauty. But what the heck, I was a girl in the 60's, and I found something empowering in Eve's speech about whether her chosen mate would rather have empty beauty or a real, if flawed, woman. So, props for that.

You're right, of course -- don't know how I missed that that was also an option for this round! But as I liked the episode anyway, no regrets on my vote

I like the episode too, despite obvious flaws and foibles and being more of its time than forward-thinking in terms of relationships or other factors, it still had to deal with censorship of the era. It's doing a lot more than what's on the surface. Eve's speech was. has a decent message about believing in yourself and not using drugs that make you fake... 20 years before the official "war on drugs" as well.

You don't want wives, you want this. This is what you want, Mister Childress. I hope you remember it and dream about it, because you can't have it. It's not real! (takes the pills) Is this the kind of wife you want, Ben? Not someone to help you, not a wife to cook and sew and cry and need, but this kind. Selfish, vain, useless. Is this what you really want? All right, then. Here it is.

By 1960s standards, that's huge. She's proactively countering Childress and saying that he doesn't want a partner but a walking sex doll - there's also a neat drug allegory atop that, which - converted for today - arguably amounts amount to popplers or whatever it is people take nowadays for a thrill. Also, the show is revolving around a nuclear family trope - which was by far the most common (FWIW). It's also okay to not be heterosexual (like me...) and seeing nothing wrong with that style arrangement, along with other paradigms as well.

I'll defend that story every single time as a lot of it is still translatable, directly or arguably even indirectly, to many of the myriad of modern day constructs.

I'd have go to with "I, Mudd" here - the better of the two Harry Mudd TOS epsiodes, IMHO. Which leaves

"Mudd's Women" has more social commentary plot meat than "I, Mudd" - a story that is largely a superficial farce (but an entertaining one for sure...) Yes, Stella is funny but it's relying on the worst of 1950s wife-as-butt-of-joke comedy, though considering my ex-fiancee turned out to be the sort of drugged up sot, it's not as hard to notice she's not always the butt of a joke but raising one or two interesting points once the comedic veneer is removed.

That aside, it's all eye candy - involving split screen done on film, which was expensive back in the day. Though why the females got puffy shower curtains and the males got 50 cent undersized sweatpants... not that I'm complaining either way...

 

[Cyfa]

Lwaxana is fabulous and gets all the best lines, so I'm saving DS9: “The Forsaken” - Her "I can swim" comeback to Odo's "Madam, I'm a liquid" is priceless!

TAS Season 2: “Bem”
TNG Season 1: “Haven”
TNG Season 2: “The Outrageous Okona”
TNG Season 2: “Up The Long Ladder”
TNG Season 2: “Manhunt”
TNG Season 5: “A Matter Of Time”
TNG Season 5: “Cost Of Living”
TNG Season 7: “Liaisons”
DS9 Season 1: “If Wishes Were Horses”
DS9 Season 2: “Rules Of Acquisition”
DS9 Season 2: “Rivals”
DS9 Season 3: “Prophet Motive”
DS9 Season 3: “Family Business”
DS9 Season 4: “Bar Association”
DS9 Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
DS9 Season 5: “Let He Who Is Without Sin…”
DS9 Season 5: “Ferengi Love Songs”
DS9 Season 6: “Profit And Lace”
VOY Season 6: “Spirit Folk”
ST Season 1: “The Escape Artist”
ST Season 2: “Q&A”
LD Season 1: "Second Contact"

 

[Farscape One]

I don't think "MOVE ALONG HOME" belongs because it inherently is NOT a comedy, nor does it feel light. I think people are reading too much into the hopscotch.


Saving "IF WISHES WERE HORSES". While it feels more like a TNG episode, it was really clever.


TAS Season 2: “Bem”
TNG Season 1: “Haven”
TNG Season 2: “The Outrageous Okona”
TNG Season 2: “Up The Long Ladder”
TNG Season 2: “Manhunt”
TNG Season 5: “A Matter Of Time”
TNG Season 5: “Cost Of Living”
TNG Season 7: “Liaisons”
DS9 Season 2: “Rules Of Acquisition”
DS9 Season 2: “Rivals”
DS9 Season 3: “Prophet Motive”
DS9 Season 3: “Family Business”
DS9 Season 4: “Bar Association”
DS9 Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
DS9 Season 5: “Let He Who Is Without Sin…”
DS9 Season 5: “Ferengi Love Songs”
DS9 Season 6: “Profit And Lace”
VOY Season 6: “Spirit Folk”
ST Season 1: “The Escape Artist”
ST Season 2: “Q&A”
LD Season 1: "Second Contact"

 

[Vger23]

I can't hide it any longer. I actually like "Let He Who Is Without Sin..." even though it's dreadfully awful on so many levels....

TAS Season 2: “Bem”
TNG Season 1: “Haven”
TNG Season 2: “The Outrageous Okona”
TNG Season 2: “Up The Long Ladder”
TNG Season 2: “Manhunt”
TNG Season 5: “A Matter Of Time”
TNG Season 5: “Cost Of Living”
TNG Season 7: “Liaisons”
DS9 Season 1: “The Forsaken”
DS9 Season 2: “Rules Of Acquisition”
DS9 Season 2: “Rivals”
DS9 Season 3: “Prophet Motive”
DS9 Season 3: “Family Business”
DS9 Season 4: “Bar Association”
DS9 Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
DS9 Season 5: “Ferengi Love Songs”
DS9 Season 6: “Profit And Lace”
VOY Season 6: “Spirit Folk”
ST Season 1: “The Escape Artist”
ST Season 2: “Q&A”
LD Season 1: "Second Contact"

 

[Qonundrum]

Four left that I'd save outright and not for the reasons people aren't not thinking...

TNG Season 1: “Haven”

Some of it is cliche (The mullet hair guy from the per-arranged marriage trope is destined for the hawt chick trope, yes, yes), but the background story involving the

DATA: If you mean a Tarellian vessel, sir, it is.
RIKER: I thought the Tarellians were all dead What are the poor devils doing here?
PICARD: Picard to Sickbay. Doctor Crusher to Bridge, urgent. They must not be permitted them to destroy us. Or the planet.

Captain's log, supplemental. It has been believed the Tarellian race was extinct, an assumption contradicted now by the sight of one of their vessels approaching Haven.

[Observation lounge]

RIKER: The fact that it's travelling at its present velocity suggests a possible answer.
LAFORGE: A damaged vessel, sir. That could explain it.
RIKER: If it were unable to reach warp speed, it would have taken all these years to get here.
PICARD: Go on with your briefing, Mister Data.
DATA: Tarella was class M, much like your Earth, with similar humanoid life forms. Unfortunately they faced the old story of hatred out powering intelligence.
PICARD: There were hostilities?
DATA: Between the inhabitants of their two land masses, resulting in one group unleashing a deadly biological weapon on the other.
CRUSHER: And in the end the other became infected as well. Makes one question the sanity of humanoid forms.
PICARD: Can you identify the origin of the infection, Doctor?
CRUSHER: The Tarellians had reached Earth's late twentieth century level of knowledge. That's all you need if you're a damned fool. A deadly, infectious virus which at that modest level of knowledge is not difficult to grow.
TASHA: We learned the rest of the story in security training. Some Tarellians made it to other worlds only to die along with the populations they infected.
LAFORGE: It's pretty well covered in Academy training now, Captain. Many of them tried to avoid other civilised worlds as they escaped only to be hunted down and destroyed anyway.
PICARD: And it was believed that the last Tarellian vessel was destroyed eight years ago by the Alcyones.
LAFORGE: Yes, sir.
PICARD: Exactly when will they reach Haven?
DATA: Exactly thirteen hours, nine minutes, twenty two seconds, three hundred fifty
PICARD: Thank you. Which creates a very difficult problem for the Enterprise. Our treaty requires us to protect Haven, and Federation policy requires that we assist life forms in need, which must include the Tarellians. I'll want you to help me find some answers. Thank you. However, there will be ample time for your second assignment, voluntary of course. The pre-joining announcement of Counsellor Deanna Troi
(Riker leaves)
PICARD: And Wyatt Miller.

Holy crap that's a big subplot. Emphasis on the most poignant bits added. Swap plotline importance around, removing the story-by-numbers-with-crayon schlock from the prearranged fluff and Jerry Springer dinner scene, and focusing more on the boldface stuff (but not so much that it'd be as facetious as the overdone examples from seasons 5 and 6)... it's so big that even Crusher goes all Pulaski but saying the D-word. A species hunted down because of the lethal virus they carried and there's plenty of ways one can freely look into that and all would be right... but, as with "Mudd's Women", there are bound to be issues that made even a single syllable too much for some.


What's left:
TAS Season 1: “More Tribbles, More Troubles”
TAS Season 2: “Bem”
TNG Season 2: “The Outrageous Okona”
TNG Season 2: “Up The Long Ladder”
TNG Season 2: “Manhunt”
TNG Season 5: “A Matter Of Time”
TNG Season 5: “Cost Of Living”
TNG Season 7: “Liaisons”
DS9 Season 2: “Rules Of Acquisition”
DS9 Season 2: “Rivals”
DS9 Season 3: “Prophet Motive”
DS9 Season 3: “Family Business”
DS9 Season 4: “Bar Association”
DS9 Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
DS9 Season 5: “Ferengi Love Songs”
DS9 Season 6: “Profit And Lace”
VOY Season 6: “Spirit Folk”
ENT Season 1: “Unexpected”
ST Season 1: “The Escape Artist”
ST Season 2: “Q&A”
LD Season 1: "Second Contact"

 

[Qonundrum]

I can't hide it any longer. I actually like "Let He Who Is Without Sin..." even though it's dreadfully awful on so many levels....

It's a mixed bag and some worthy ideas so poorly written - I like the story for what it wants to say, but how it's said is such a ginormous mess, with none of the story strands feeling effective as a result.

• Worf explains his trepidation regarding relationships due to physical strength (never mind how Troi was never spoken of once he got to DS9, oh my...)
  
• The rebel group trying to remind people to have some common sense (and they are a polar opposite of Risa in their regard, which I wonder if that was the point but it didn't work)
• Worf changing sides because he felt so strongly
• Ending relationships that were started and stayed in good faith (or even otherwise, a friend ended his marriage with his cheating wife in a way similar to Bashir and Leeta, except he even said he was doing it to wind her up - something DS9 shied away from in its Brady Bunch-esque attitudes...)
  
• Fear of cheating (we the audience know Worf was being irrational, but he didn't know)
• Death by Snu-Snu (thank you Futurama for enjoying DS9 for all the little tidbits that became jokey plot points!)
• The 60s trope of weather control is soooooo cute, but even by then was more grossly dated...
• etc

 

[Orphalesion]

Well I was gonna save Haven next, but since that is already saved...

So I'll save the episode that I like the best from all the ones that are still left:
LD Season 1: "Second Contact"

I feel it's a bit more mean-spirited than the rest of the series (the senior staff, mainly)

But it has so much fun! The Stigner! The Spider thing just playing with Boimler. T'ana's "nobody is allowed to die!" Ransom's horrified "Did I eat FLESH?" etc. etc. etc.
And the ending where Mariner tells Boimler she'll take him under her wing and rattles off all those Star Trek references
"Do you know Deanna Troi? Her body be bangin' She went from a jumpsuit..."

What's left:
TAS Season 2: “Bem”
TNG Season 2: “The Outrageous Okona”
TNG Season 2: “Up The Long Ladder”
TNG Season 2: “Manhunt”
TNG Season 5: “A Matter Of Time”
TNG Season 5: “Cost Of Living”
TNG Season 7: “Liaisons”
DS9 Season 1: “The Forsaken”
DS9 Season 2: “Rules Of Acquisition”
DS9 Season 2: “Rivals”
DS9 Season 3: “Prophet Motive”
DS9 Season 3: “Family Business”
DS9 Season 4: “Bar Association”
DS9 Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
DS9 Season 5: “Ferengi Love Songs”
DS9 Season 6: “Profit And Lace”
VOY Season 6: “Spirit Folk”
ST Season 1: “The Escape Artist”
ST Season 2: “Q&A”

 

[CorporalCaptain]

"More Tribbles, More Troubles" was saved.

 

[Captain's Coffee]

"More Tribbles, More Troubles" was saved.

So bas Bar Association by @Farscape One a while back.

 

[Summer Solstice]

I think Unexpected was too.

 

[Orphalesion]

I now fixed the list by copying it off Vger23 and removing Second Contact and Haven from it, I think his list was up-to-date.

 

[Oddish]

This one was a favorite to win (lose) but I actually enjoyed "Spirit Folk". The scene with Harry's date turning into a cow is priceless.

Other saved episodes have been removed.

TAS Season 2: “Bem”
TNG Season 2: “The Outrageous Okona”
TNG Season 2: “Up The Long Ladder”
TNG Season 2: “Manhunt”
TNG Season 5: “A Matter Of Time”
TNG Season 5: “Cost Of Living”
TNG Season 7: “Liaisons”
DS9 Season 2: “Rules Of Acquisition”
DS9 Season 2: “Rivals”
DS9 Season 3: “Prophet Motive”
DS9 Season 3: “Family Business”
DS9 Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
DS9 Season 5: “Ferengi Love Songs”
DS9 Season 6: “Profit And Lace”
ST Season 1: “The Escape Artist”
ST Season 2: “Q&A”

 

[Vger23]

"Liasons" is not a good episode...but it has maybe my favorite, most genuine laugh-out-loud moments in all of TNG:

"You see? You see? They are insane!"

- Worf, referring to the ambassadors

"You are an insulting, pompous fool! And if you were not an ambassador, I would disembowel you right here!"

- Worf, to Byleth

"I have heard that in moments of diplomatic tension, it is often helpful to find elements of commonality."
"Ambassador Byleth is demanding, temperamental, and rude!"
"You share all of those qualities in abundance. Perhaps you should try to build on your similarities."

- Data and Worf


TAS Season 2: “Bem”
TNG Season 2: “The Outrageous Okona”
TNG Season 2: “Up The Long Ladder”
TNG Season 2: “Manhunt”
TNG Season 5: “A Matter Of Time”
TNG Season 5: “Cost Of Living”
DS9 Season 2: “Rules Of Acquisition”
DS9 Season 2: “Rivals”
DS9 Season 3: “Prophet Motive”
DS9 Season 3: “Family Business”
DS9 Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
DS9 Season 5: “Ferengi Love Songs”
DS9 Season 6: “Profit And Lace”
ST Season 1: “The Escape Artist”
ST Season 2: “Q&A”

 

[Summer Solstice]

This one was a favorite to win (lose) but I actually enjoyed "Spirit Folk". The scene with Harry's date turning into a cow is priceless.

Other saved episodes have been removed.

Each to their own - I find Spirit Folk pretty unwatchable.

Saving "Manhunt" because I like the fish aliens.

TAS Season 2: “Bem”
TNG Season 2: “The Outrageous Okona”
TNG Season 2: “Up The Long Ladder”
TNG Season 5: “A Matter Of Time”
TNG Season 5: “Cost Of Living”
DS9 Season 2: “Rules Of Acquisition”
DS9 Season 2: “Rivals”
DS9 Season 3: “Prophet Motive”
DS9 Season 3: “Family Business”
DS9 Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
DS9 Season 5: “Ferengi Love Songs”
DS9 Season 6: “Profit And Lace”
ST Season 1: “The Escape Artist”
ST Season 2: “Q&A”

 

[Captain's Coffee]

We're down in the trenches now. All of what's left is (to me) pretty painful. But I'm going to save DS9 Season 3: “Family Business” because Moogie is badass. Could have gone without her undressing

TAS Season 2: “Bem”
TNG Season 2: “The Outrageous Okona”
TNG Season 2: “Up The Long Ladder”
TNG Season 5: “A Matter Of Time”
TNG Season 5: “Cost Of Living”
DS9 Season 2: “Rules Of Acquisition”
DS9 Season 2: “Rivals”
DS9 Season 3: “Prophet Motive”
DS9 Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
DS9 Season 5: “Ferengi Love Songs”
DS9 Season 6: “Profit And Lace”
ST Season 1: “The Escape Artist”
ST Season 2: “Q&A”

 

[Oddish]

My favourite bit is the bat catching scene.

That was awesome. Phlox and Archer were careening around Sickbay like two drunk frat boys, and Hoshi just zip, snags it.

Each to their own - I find Spirit Folk pretty unwatchable.

Not saying it's among the best. More like "Night in Sickbay", this is ludicrous but I still enjoy it.

Could have gone without her undressing

I know.

 

[Orphalesion]

"Liasons" is not a good episode...but it has maybe my favorite, most genuine laugh-out-loud moments in all of TNG:

I think it's a funny episode. I like how they have Riker, Worf and Troi stand next to each other in their differently coloured dress uniforms(also one of the only episodes were Troi wears a dress uniform) and each of the ambassadors just picks one of them. All that's missing is Picard saying "pick the colour you like best"

Each to their own - I find Spirit Folk pretty unwatchable.

Saving "Manhunt" because I like the fish aliens.

See and I find "Manhunt" unwatchable. I haven't watched it since I first saw it, because that episode rises my blood pressure each time I see it. But as you say, to each their own.

I'm gonna save DS9 Season 2: “Rules Of Acquisition” The episode itself isn't all that good, but Pel was an awesome character that should have appeared again (unfortunately the actress couldn't stand the makeup, but considering she was a Ferengi, they could have re-cast her without too many people noticing, imho)
And if I remember correctly it gave us the first mention of the Dominion! Introducing it in a comedy episode was quite an interesting idea!

TAS Season 2: “Bem”
TNG Season 2: “The Outrageous Okona”
TNG Season 2: “Up The Long Ladder”
TNG Season 5: “A Matter Of Time”
TNG Season 5: “Cost Of Living”
DS9 Season 2: “Rivals”
DS9 Season 3: “Prophet Motive”
DS9 Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
DS9 Season 5: “Ferengi Love Songs”
DS9 Season 6: “Profit And Lace”
ST Season 1: “The Escape Artist”
ST Season 2: “Q&A”

 

[Sakonna]

"Cost Of Living" I liked it too much when I was a kid and didn't have taste yet, I retain a sentimental attachment.

And I do still even actually like many individual scenes within it. Collectively... we've got problems. But I like so many of the pieces.

TAS Season 2: “Bem”
TNG Season 2: “The Outrageous Okona”
TNG Season 2: “Up The Long Ladder”
TNG Season 5: “A Matter Of Time”
DS9 Season 2: “Rivals”
DS9 Season 3: “Prophet Motive”
DS9 Season 5: “Looking For Par’Mach In All The Wrong Places”
DS9 Season 5: “Ferengi Love Songs”
DS9 Season 6: “Profit And Lace”
ST Season 1: “The Escape Artist”
ST Season 2: “Q&A”

 

[Summer Solstice]

I think it's a funny episode. I like how they have Riker, Worf and Troi stand next to each other in their differently coloured dress uniforms(also one of the only episodes were Troi wears a dress uniform) and each of the ambassadors just picks one of them. All that's missing is Picard saying "pick the colour you like best"

I had not noticed that. Brilliant!

See and I find "Manhunt" unwatchable. I haven't watched it since I first saw it, because that episode rises my blood pressure each time I see it. But as you say, to each their own.

Fair enough. "Manhunt" isn't great but there's nothing about it that massively bothers me. But seriously Lwaxana, it's totally ok to be single.

 

[Sakonna]

Fair enough. "Manhunt" isn't great but there's nothing about it that massively bothers me. But seriously Lwaxana, it's totally ok to be single.

I occasionally like to envision a Kelvin timeline TNG reboot, with Marina Sirtis recurring as Lwaxana. Lean into the Betazed matriarchy -- this Lwaxana is actually a skilled spy, using the "classic" Lwaxana man-crazy persona as cover to get everyone to underestimate her.