The Most Disliked Episode of ENT, 2023 Edition - Season 3...

[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 Three -

"THE XINDI"
"ANOMALY"
"EXTINCTION"
"RAJIIN"
"IMPULSE"
"EXILE"
"THE SHIPMENT"
"TWILIGHT"
"NORTH STAR"
"SIMILUTUDE"
"CARPENTER STREET"
"CHOSEN REALM"
"PROVING GROUND"
"STRATAGEM"
"HARBINGER"
"DOCTOR'S ORDERS"
"HATCHERY"
"AZATI PRIME"
"DAMAGE"
"THE FORGOTTEN"
"E²"
"THE COUNCIL"
"COUNTDOWN"
"ZERO HOUR"

 

[Farscape One]

Season 3 was a turning point for the show. The Xindi season long arc was a bold experiment for the franchise, and I think it worked for the most part. Some really great ones here, and I'll start off with "SIMILITUDE".

Manny Coto's first episode shows why he was a great addition to the writers' room, and why he ended up in charge of it next season. Great story, great acting, and a moral grey area for Archer. This was a gem for season 3 and the series.


"THE XINDI"
"ANOMALY"
"EXTINCTION"
"RAJIIN"
"IMPULSE"
"EXILE"
"THE SHIPMENT"
"TWILIGHT"
"NORTH STAR"
"CARPENTER STREET"
"CHOSEN REALM"
"PROVING GROUND"
"STRATAGEM"
"HARBINGER"
"DOCTOR'S ORDERS"
"HATCHERY"
"AZATI PRIME"
"DAMAGE"
"THE FORGOTTEN"
"E²"
"THE COUNCIL"
"COUNTDOWN"
"ZERO HOUR"

 

[Sumire]

Oooh, I am going to totally be a Trip x T’Pol shipper here! (Not that episode! I’m more about the emotional entanglement than the other sort of entanglement.) So, I’m saving E²! I also love time travel as a narrative device! Not a scientist, not deeply concerned with how it all works, just like that it can make for some excellent “what-if” stories. Also, I genuinely like Lorian and wish we could have seen more of his whole crew!

"THE XINDI"
"ANOMALY"
"EXTINCTION"
"RAJIIN"
"IMPULSE"
"EXILE"
"THE SHIPMENT"
"TWILIGHT"
"NORTH STAR"
"CARPENTER STREET"
"CHOSEN REALM"
"PROVING GROUND"
"STRATAGEM"
"HARBINGER"
"DOCTOR'S ORDERS"
"HATCHERY"
"AZATI PRIME"
"DAMAGE"
"THE FORGOTTEN"
"THE COUNCIL"
"COUNTDOWN"
"ZERO HOUR"

 

[Seven of Five]

S3 is pretty good, even if there is still a lot of TCW nonsense that brings it crashing down.

I love Twilight so that is my first save. T'Pol caring for Archer after has gone badly. his memory loss is nicely portrayed, whilst the whole Xindi conflict is going poorly.

After Earth falls, I love the irony of the Humans settling on Ceti Alpha VI.


"THE XINDI"
"ANOMALY"
"EXTINCTION"
"RAJIIN"
"IMPULSE"
"EXILE"
"THE SHIPMENT"
"NORTH STAR"
"CARPENTER STREET"
"CHOSEN REALM"
"PROVING GROUND"
"STRATAGEM"
"HARBINGER"
"DOCTOR'S ORDERS"
"HATCHERY"
"AZATI PRIME"
"DAMAGE"
"THE FORGOTTEN"
"THE COUNCIL"
"COUNTDOWN"
"ZERO HOUR"

 

[Farscape One]

Saving "DAMAGE". (Or am I repairing it? )

Each captain had their own Kobayashi Maru episode where both presented options are one form of bad. Janeway had "TUVIX". Kirk had "A PRIVATE LITTLE WAR". Sisko had "FOR THE UNIFORM". Picard had "Symbiosis".

"DAMAGE" was Archer's. Still debated today, which is a hallmark of a great episode.

This was well written (Phyllis Strong's last crrdit for the franchise, too), well directed (James L. Conway is always a winner), and well acted. So many scenes had a great deal of weight to it... Archer and Phlox, Archer and T'Pol, etc.

And casting Casey Biggs was a win, too.


"THE XINDI"
"ANOMALY"
"EXTINCTION"
"RAJIIN"
"IMPULSE"
"EXILE"
"THE SHIPMENT"
"NORTH STAR"
"CARPENTER STREET"
"CHOSEN REALM"
"PROVING GROUND"
"STRATAGEM"
"HARBINGER"
"DOCTOR'S ORDERS"
"HATCHERY"
"AZATI PRIME"
"THE FORGOTTEN"
"THE COUNCIL"
"COUNTDOWN"
"ZERO HOUR"

 

[Sumire]

I’m saving North Star because I am a fragile overly-empathetic bleeding heart and it’s a piece of fluff entirely separate from the thrilling war plot. It’s got Trip trying to ride a horse! Fun old-timey fashion! A tidy little morality play. What’s not to love?

“THE XINDI"
"ANOMALY"
"EXTINCTION"
"RAJIIN"
"IMPULSE"
"EXILE"
"THE SHIPMENT"
"CARPENTER STREET"
"CHOSEN REALM"
"PROVING GROUND"
"STRATAGEM"
"HARBINGER"
"DOCTOR'S ORDERS"
"HATCHERY"
"AZATI PRIME"
"THE FORGOTTEN"
"THE COUNCIL"
"COUNTDOWN"
"ZERO HOUR"

 

[Sakonna]

"Carpenter Street"! Catching this years later in reruns, it was one of the episodes that made me think "maybe I should go back and watch all of Enterprise?" I am such a sucker for "time travel to contemporary Earth" stories.

“THE XINDI"
"ANOMALY"
"EXTINCTION"
"RAJIIN"
"IMPULSE"
"EXILE"
"THE SHIPMENT"
"CHOSEN REALM"
"PROVING GROUND"
"STRATAGEM"
"HARBINGER"
"DOCTOR'S ORDERS"
"HATCHERY"
"AZATI PRIME"
"THE FORGOTTEN"
"THE COUNCIL"
"COUNTDOWN"
"ZERO HOUR"

 

[CitadelZombies]

While I enjoyed most of this season more than the first two, it still took me a while to get fully into it. "Azati Prime" was the point I thought the season got my full attention (despite The Temporal Cold War fluff). The cliffhanger of Enterprise being absolutely battered by The Xindi is extremely memorable.

“THE XINDI"
"ANOMALY"
"EXTINCTION"
"RAJIIN"
"IMPULSE"
"EXILE"
"THE SHIPMENT"
"CHOSEN REALM"
"PROVING GROUND"
"STRATAGEM"
"HARBINGER"
"DOCTOR'S ORDERS"
"HATCHERY"
"THE FORGOTTEN"
"THE COUNCIL"
"COUNTDOWN"
"ZERO HOUR"

 

[Seven of Five]

The Council is next for me. It's a shame that Degra had to die, but the episode where the two sides are doing all they can to avoid conflict is nicely done.

“THE XINDI"
"ANOMALY"
"EXTINCTION"
"RAJIIN"
"IMPULSE"
"EXILE"
"THE SHIPMENT"
"CHOSEN REALM"
"PROVING GROUND"
"STRATAGEM"
"HARBINGER"
"DOCTOR'S ORDERS"
"HATCHERY"
"THE FORGOTTEN"
"COUNTDOWN"
"ZERO HOUR

 

[Oddish]

Zero Hour brought the season-long arc to a rip-roaring end, so it's my first save.

“THE XINDI"
"ANOMALY"
"EXTINCTION"
"RAJIIN"
"IMPULSE"
"EXILE"
"THE SHIPMENT"
"CHOSEN REALM"
"PROVING GROUND"
"STRATAGEM"
"HARBINGER"
"DOCTOR'S ORDERS"
"HATCHERY"
"THE FORGOTTEN"
"COUNTDOWN"

 

[Farscape One]

Saving "ANOMALY".

Great introduction to the dangers of the Delphic Expanse, both spatial and internal. In some ways, I think this would have made a better season premiere than "THE XINDI", though I do know functionally that "THE XINDI" does do better as the season premiere.


“THE XINDI"
"EXTINCTION"
"RAJIIN"
"IMPULSE"
"EXILE"
"THE SHIPMENT"
"CHOSEN REALM"
"PROVING GROUND"
"STRATAGEM"
"HARBINGER"
"DOCTOR'S ORDERS"
"HATCHERY"
"THE FORGOTTEN"
"COUNTDOWN"

 

[CitadelZombies]

Saving "Impulse" really enjoy horror episodes, so I can't go wrong with Zombie Vulcans.

“THE XINDI"
"EXTINCTION"
"RAJIIN"
"EXILE"
"THE SHIPMENT"
"CHOSEN REALM"
"PROVING GROUND"
"STRATAGEM"
"HARBINGER"
"DOCTOR'S ORDERS"
"HATCHERY"
"THE FORGOTTEN"
"COUNTDOWN"

 

[Seven of Five]

Stratagem is a fun mind-fuck of an episode. It's good seeing the crew pulling the wool over Degra to try and learn more about the weapon.

“THE XINDI"
"ANOMALY"
"EXTINCTION"
"RAJIIN"
"IMPULSE"
"EXILE"
"THE SHIPMENT"
"CHOSEN REALM"
"PROVING GROUND"
"HARBINGER"
"DOCTOR'S ORDERS"
"HATCHERY"
"THE FORGOTTEN"
"THE COUNCIL"
"COUNTDOWN"
"ZERO HOUR

 

[Farscape One]

Saving "PROVING GROUND".

Shran is just awesome. He always elevates an episode. I love how he obeyed his orders, but still helped Archer with the information at the end. A great ally and friend.

And how can anyone not love the fact that the 'Andorian Mining Consortium runs from no one'.


“THE XINDI"
"EXTINCTION"
"RAJIIN"
"EXILE"
"THE SHIPMENT"
"CHOSEN REALM"
"HARBINGER"
"DOCTOR'S ORDERS"
"HATCHERY"
"THE FORGOTTEN"
"COUNTDOWN"

 

[Oddish]

COUNTDOWN was a good lead-in to the final confrontation, I can hardly save Zero Hour without saving its preamble.

“THE XINDI"
"EXTINCTION"
"RAJIIN"
"EXILE"
"THE SHIPMENT"
"CHOSEN REALM"
"HARBINGER"
"DOCTOR'S ORDERS"
"HATCHERY"
"THE FORGOTTEN"

 

[Sakonna]

I think "Rajiin" is campy fun. Some of my favorite scenes of the Xindi Council.

“THE XINDI"
"EXTINCTION"
"EXILE"
"THE SHIPMENT"
"CHOSEN REALM"
"HARBINGER"
"DOCTOR'S ORDERS"
"HATCHERY"
"THE FORGOTTEN"

 

[Seven of Five]

I keep forgetting how good The Forgotten is. I had to read a summary to jog my memory. Trip is still trying to come to terms with his sister's death, whilst Archer is trying to solidify an alliance with Degra.

“THE XINDI"
"EXTINCTION"
"EXILE"
"THE SHIPMENT"
"CHOSEN REALM"
"HARBINGER"
"DOCTOR'S ORDERS"
"HATCHERY"

 

[Sakonna]

There's two -- maybe even three -- left that I am itching to save, or see saved by someone else. I have often described it as over-rated, but maybe Enterprise season 3 is growing on me.

Of course, this is like my obsession with "Sub Rosa", I recognize I am charmed by the segments everyone else hates. "Rajiin", "Carpenter Street", the next saves that I don't want to give away...

Though, I do still think it is a story that very much drops the ball at the end, and a serialized story that fumbles the ending is never going to totally win me over.

 

[Farscape One]

Saving "EXILE".

I like Hoshi episodes for two reasons: we don't get many of them, and Linda Park always brought it.

Her character has definitely grown since the pilot, and we see her not falling for the illusion at all. (While this scenario didn't involve a candle, Beverly could have learned a thing or two from Hoshi...)

Her defiance and her spirit still gets the information they were seeking. Go Hoshi!!!


“THE XINDI"
"EXTINCTION"
"THE SHIPMENT"
"CHOSEN REALM"
"HARBINGER"
"DOCTOR'S ORDERS"
"HATCHERY"

 

[Sakonna]

That's the next one I wanted to save! Instead I'll do "The Shipment." This is a legit good ep, not even a guilty pleasure. Great use of the Xindi dynamics, and fantastic guest lead character.

“THE XINDI"
"EXTINCTION"
"CHOSEN REALM"
"HARBINGER"
"DOCTOR'S ORDERS"
"HATCHERY"