The Most Disliked Episode of ENT, 2023 Edition - Season 1...

[Farscape One]

Welcome to our bi-yearly 'Most Disliked Episode' games! Now that the 'Least Disliked Episode' games hosted by BlueStuff (who inspired me to create these games, so thank you very much for paving the way) have concluded, we can begin the opposite side of that coin.

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 most favorite or the one you deem the 'best.' 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 because you feel they would threaten your preferred episode's chance to win. Pretty simple. Enjoy!

Hall of Champions (or Failures?)
2011 - "TERRA NOVA"
2018 - "PRECIOUS CARGO"
2019 - "THESE ARE THE VOYAGES..."
2021 - "THESE ARE THE VOYAGES..."
2023 - "SHOCKWAVE, PART II"


Season One -

"BROKEN BOW"
"FIGHT OR FLIGHT"
"STRANGE NEW WORLD"
"UNEXPECTED"
"TERRA NOVA"
"THE ANDORIAN INCIDENT"
"BREAKING THE ICE"
"CIVILIZATION"
"FORTUNATE SON"
"COLD FRONT"
"SILENT ENEMY"
"DEAR DOCTOR"
"SLEEPING DOGS"
"SHADOWS OF P'JEM"
"SHUTTLEPOD ONE"
"FUSION"
"ROGUE PLANET"
"ACQUISITION"
"OASIS"
"DETAINED"
"VOX SOLA"
"FALLEN HERO"
"DESERT CROSSING"
"TWO DAYS AND TWO NIGHTS"
"SHOCKWAVE"

 

[Farscape One]

This series was actually much better than many gave it credit for... many things were done fantastic right off the bat. The sets looked really real, the uniforms were the best of any in the franchise, and it brought a sense of wonder and exploration that we haven't seen in a long time.

My first save is the pilot, "BROKEN BOW". Truly, had the Temporal Cold War not been part of this, I would call this the best pilot of the franchise. That's really my only complaint, so it obviously gets my pick as first save.



"FIGHT OR FLIGHT"
"STRANGE NEW WORLD"
"UNEXPECTED"
"TERRA NOVA"
"THE ANDORIAN INCIDENT"
"BREAKING THE ICE"
"CIVILIZATION"
"FORTUNATE SON"
"COLD FRONT"
"SILENT ENEMY"
"DEAR DOCTOR"
"SLEEPING DOGS"
"SHADOWS OF P'JEM"
"SHUTTLEPOD ONE"
"FUSION"
"ROGUE PLANET"
"ACQUISITION"
"OASIS"
"DETAINED"
"VOX SOLA"
"FALLEN HERO"
"DESERT CROSSING"
"TWO DAYS AND TWO NIGHTS"
"SHOCKWAVE"

 

[Poldon]

Saving "The Andorian Incident" for starting off the wonderful Vulcan/Andorian conflict storyline.

"FIGHT OR FLIGHT"
"STRANGE NEW WORLD"
"UNEXPECTED"
"TERRA NOVA"
"BREAKING THE ICE"
"CIVILIZATION"
"FORTUNATE SON"
"COLD FRONT"
"SILENT ENEMY"
"DEAR DOCTOR"
"SLEEPING DOGS"
"SHADOWS OF P'JEM"
"SHUTTLEPOD ONE"
"FUSION"
"ROGUE PLANET"
"ACQUISITION"
"OASIS"
"DETAINED"
"VOX SOLA"
"FALLEN HERO"
"DESERT CROSSING"
"TWO DAYS AND TWO NIGHTS"
"SHOCKWAVE"

 

[CitadelZombies]

Save "Shadows of P'Jem" found it a fun follow up to "The Andorian Incident".

"FIGHT OR FLIGHT"
"STRANGE NEW WORLD"
"UNEXPECTED"
"TERRA NOVA"
"BREAKING THE ICE"
"CIVILIZATION"
"FORTUNATE SON"
"COLD FRONT"
"SILENT ENEMY"
"DEAR DOCTOR"
"SLEEPING DOGS"
"SHUTTLEPOD ONE"
"FUSION"
"ROGUE PLANET"
"ACQUISITION"
"OASIS"
"DETAINED"
"VOX SOLA"
"FALLEN HERO"
"DESERT CROSSING"
"TWO DAYS AND TWO NIGHTS"
"SHOCKWAVE"

 

[Farscape One]

My next save is "FIGHT OR FLIGHT". I applaud Berman and Braga for making the very next episode after the pilot center on probably the most important job on that ship after chief engineer... communications officer.

It was a great reminder of not only why she's there, but how important that position is on a ship, particularly in the era before TNG.

I also thought Linda Park did a great job with all the material she was given in the show. She had one of the largest character growths of the series. Watch this and the next to last episode, "TERRA PRIME", and there is a clear difference in her demeanor, tone, posture... everything. She went from so scared she seriously thought about going back to Earth to standing up to the Earth President when the time required it. Bravo, Hoshi!



"STRANGE NEW WORLD"
"UNEXPECTED"
"TERRA NOVA"
"BREAKING THE ICE"
"CIVILIZATION"
"FORTUNATE SON"
"COLD FRONT"
"SILENT ENEMY"
"DEAR DOCTOR"
"SLEEPING DOGS"
"SHUTTLEPOD ONE"
"FUSION"
"ROGUE PLANET"
"ACQUISITION"
"OASIS"
"DETAINED"
"VOX SOLA"
"FALLEN HERO"
"DESERT CROSSING"
"TWO DAYS AND TWO NIGHTS"
"SHOCKWAVE"

 

[BlueStuff]

Vox Sola - Hoshi was great in this one.

"STRANGE NEW WORLD"
"UNEXPECTED"
"TERRA NOVA"
"BREAKING THE ICE"
"CIVILIZATION"
"FORTUNATE SON"
"COLD FRONT"
"SILENT ENEMY"
"DEAR DOCTOR"
"SLEEPING DOGS"
"SHUTTLEPOD ONE"
"FUSION"
"ROGUE PLANET"
"ACQUISITION"
"OASIS"
"DETAINED"
"FALLEN HERO"
"DESERT CROSSING"
"TWO DAYS AND TWO NIGHTS"
"SHOCKWAVE"

 

[Sumire]

I’m saving Strange New World. It sets up a lot of what I find endearing about the show. First of all, we get humans being blithely ignorant about the dangers of unknown planets. The episode shows both the inherent risk as well as the humor in that. Trip considering shooting (just stunning!) a strange bug. The humans treating this whole adventure like it’s a mere camping trip.

Secondly, we get the festering xenophobia towards T’Pol being addressed.

Archer, after blowing off her very good advice, gets to be an actual help to her and I think his willingness to believe T’Pol’s perceptions lays the foundation for the level of trust and respect they come to have.

Trip, on the other hand, lays the foundation for a very tumultuous relationship with T’Pol. The man did actually threaten to split her in two. However, give the Tucker charm its due, he apologizes with such humility and earnestness! Breaking the Ice might be where some people say Trip and T’Pol started to get past their poor first impressions but I think it starts right here.

Plus, Hoshi gets to display more awesome language skills. Travis actually gets to reference his unique upbringing. We even get the explanation for the designation of M Class planets!

"UNEXPECTED"
"TERRA NOVA"
"BREAKING THE ICE"
"CIVILIZATION"
"FORTUNATE SON"
"COLD FRONT"
"SILENT ENEMY"
"DEAR DOCTOR"
"SLEEPING DOGS"
"SHUTTLEPOD ONE"
"FUSION"
"ROGUE PLANET"
"ACQUISITION"
"OASIS"
"DETAINED"
"FALLEN HERO"
"DESERT CROSSING"
"TWO DAYS AND TWO NIGHTS"
"SHOCKWAVE"

 

[Farscape One]

Saving "SILENT ENEMY" next.

There is a LOT to love about this one. We have a villain that doean't even identify itself (nor do we ever see again), we have the creepy atmosphere of the entire episode, and we get our crew installing the phase cannons from scratch, showing off how good Tucker, Reed, and the engineering crew are.

And we get a nice B story with Reed's birthday and Hoshi's search for his favorite food.


"UNEXPECTED"
"TERRA NOVA"
"BREAKING THE ICE"
"CIVILIZATION"
"FORTUNATE SON"
"COLD FRONT"
"DEAR DOCTOR"
"SLEEPING DOGS"
"SHUTTLEPOD ONE"
"FUSION"
"ROGUE PLANET"
"ACQUISITION"
"OASIS"
"DETAINED"
"FALLEN HERO"
"DESERT CROSSING"
"TWO DAYS AND TWO NIGHTS"
"SHOCKWAVE"

 

[Seven of Five]

Dear Doctor still remains one of my highlights from S1, despite the questionable ending.

The friendship between Phlox and Cutler is nicely portrayed here, and the way that Phlox narrates events gives the whole thing gravitas.

"UNEXPECTED"
"TERRA NOVA"
"BREAKING THE ICE"
"CIVILIZATION"
"FORTUNATE SON"
"COLD FRONT
"SLEEPING DOGS"
"SHUTTLEPOD ONE"
"FUSION"
"ROGUE PLANET"
"ACQUISITION"
"OASIS"
"DETAINED"
"FALLEN HERO"
"DESERT CROSSING"
"TWO DAYS AND TWO NIGHTS"
"SHOCKWAVE"

 

[CitadelZombies]

"Shuttlepod One" is a fun episode, some great acting from Trinneer and Keating. (Reminds me a lot Marooned from Red Dwarf.)

"UNEXPECTED"
"TERRA NOVA"
"BREAKING THE ICE"
"CIVILIZATION"
"FORTUNATE SON"
"COLD FRONT
"SLEEPING DOGS"
"FUSION"
"ROGUE PLANET"
"ACQUISITION"
"OASIS"
"DETAINED"
"FALLEN HERO"
"DESERT CROSSING"
"TWO DAYS AND TWO NIGHTS"
"SHOCKWAVE"

 

[Seven of Five]

S1 is a bit hit-and-miss, but at least has a sense of an arc with Starfleet wanting to break free of the Vulcan hand-holding. That along with the Vulcan/Andorian tensions added some interesting prospects.

However, the show had an identity crisis, and it seemed like the producers wanted to do a TNG rather than a TOS prequel.

 

[Sakonna]

I guess I'll take "Unexpected" right off the top. I know people hate it, but I always liked it.

One problem with so much of Enterprise is how uncritically it embraces Archer & Trip's often-obnoxious behavior. They can be such unbelievable dicks, but not only does the show almost never condemn it, they frequently present it as downright heroic.

By contrast, this episode recognizes the buffoonish side of their cowboy machismo. If the whole show had maintained that, it would have been so much better.

"TERRA NOVA"
"BREAKING THE ICE"
"CIVILIZATION"
"FORTUNATE SON"
"COLD FRONT
"SLEEPING DOGS"
"FUSION"
"ROGUE PLANET"
"ACQUISITION"
"OASIS"
"DETAINED"
"FALLEN HERO"
"DESERT CROSSING"
"TWO DAYS AND TWO NIGHTS"
"SHOCKWAVE"

 

[Farscape One]

Saving "BREAKING THE ICE" next.

It's always great to see our crew truly enjoy exploring, and give us that sense of wonder at what they are seeing. That's been missing from the franchise for so long (at this point).

Loved the scene of them answering school questions.

Plus, it was fun to watch Reed and Mayweather make a snowman on the comet.


"TERRA NOVA"
"CIVILIZATION"
"FORTUNATE SON"
"COLD FRONT
"SLEEPING DOGS"
"FUSION"
"ROGUE PLANET"
"ACQUISITION"
"OASIS"
"DETAINED"
"FALLEN HERO"
"DESERT CROSSING"
"TWO DAYS AND TWO NIGHTS"
"SHOCKWAVE"

 

[Seven of Five]

Fallen Herol contains within it the most entertaining Vulcan that ever existed.

"TERRA NOVA"
"CIVILIZATION"
"FORTUNATE SON"
"COLD FRONT
"SLEEPING DOGS"
"FUSION"
"ROGUE PLANET"
"ACQUISITION"
"OASIS"
"DETAINED"
"DESERT CROSSING"
"TWO DAYS AND TWO NIGHTS"
"SHOCKWAVE"

 

[Richard S. Ta]

"TERRA NOVA"
"CIVILIZATION"
"FORTUNATE SON"
"COLD FRONT
"SLEEPING DOGS"
"FUSION"
"ROGUE PLANET"
"ACQUISITION"
"OASIS"
"DETAINED"
"TWO DAYS AND TWO NIGHTS"
"SHOCKWAVE"

Lots of good episodes here.

I take Desert Crossing out. Clancy Brown lifts anything he is in to another level.

 

[Oddish]

Civilization might have been an abortive attempt to turn Archer into a Kirk style player, but it had a fun beginning and a great battle at the end.

"TERRA NOVA"
"FORTUNATE SON"
"COLD FRONT
"SLEEPING DOGS"
"FUSION"
"ROGUE PLANET"
"ACQUISITION"
"OASIS"
"DETAINED"
"TWO DAYS AND TWO NIGHTS"
"SHOCKWAVE"

 

[Sakonna]

"Sleeping Dogs" is tense and satisfying.

"TERRA NOVA"
"FORTUNATE SON"
"COLD FRONT"
"FUSION"
"ROGUE PLANET"
"ACQUISITION"
"OASIS"
"DETAINED"
"TWO DAYS AND TWO NIGHTS"
"SHOCKWAVE"

 

[BlueStuff]

Two Days and Two Nights - some levity in a show that didn't often offer much.

"TERRA NOVA"
"FORTUNATE SON"
"COLD FRONT"
"FUSION"
"ROGUE PLANET"
"ACQUISITION"
"OASIS"
"DETAINED"
"SHOCKWAVE"

 

[Farscape One]

Saving "ROGUE PLANET" next.

A very rare occasion of STAR TREK having an episode set on a rogue planet. I loved the darkness of it, and it had a cool vibe throughout.


"TERRA NOVA"
"FORTUNATE SON"
"COLD FRONT"
"FUSION"
"ACQUISITION"
"OASIS"
"DETAINED"
"SHOCKWAVE"

 

[Seven of Five]

Fortunate Son is easily the best use of Travis in the series, as we hear about his background, and also makes a meaningful speech over the intercom to the captain of the Fortunate.

"TERRA NOVA
"COLD FRONT"
"FUSION"
"ACQUISITION"
"OASIS"
"DETAINED"
"SHOCKWAVE"