The Most Disliked Episode of SNW, Season 2 - 2025 Edition...

[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?)
2023 - "The Serene Squall"
2025 - "New Life and New Civilizations"


Season 2

"The Broken Circle"
"Ad Astra per Aspera"
"Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow"
"Among the Lotus Eaters"
"Charades"
"Lost in Translation"
"Those Old Scientists"
"Under the Cloak of War"
"Subspace Rhapsody"
"Hegemony"

 

[Farscape One]

A slight step down from the first season, but overall pretty good.

I'm going to save an excellent character piece first, because, among other reasons, I have become a huge fan of his character... "Under the Cloak of War".

Every time you spotlight M'Benga, you are winning. A marvelous, complex character portrayed by a fantastic actor. This was an excellent spotlight for him. Babs knocked it out of the park with his portrayal of a person going through all that trauma. Jess Bush was another highlight, with what she sees on the moon and what she is dealing with while Dak'rah is at the dinner.

I also appreciate how this episode actually paints Pike as somewhat failing with some members of his crew. It shows his fallability, because he clearly miscalculated just how much trauma M'Benga, Chapel, and Ortegas are carrying. (Speaking of Ortegas, I applaud her for not putting up with Dak'rah's bullshit and leaving the dinner.) This really illustrated a deep divide between Federation idealism and reality.

This episode also illustrated just how good Una is at her job as XO. She recognized a huge problem and came up with the solution for Pike... all done in private. She backed her captain but was not afraid to let him know he's wrong. Love this woman, and she's my second favorite character of SNW.

But more than that, this episode has proven to be rather controversial due to what happens to Dak'rah. VERY heated debates have occured, and that's a hallmark of a truly memorable episode. And while it's still fairly early to see if the debate about M'Benga's (completely justified) actions will still have the same fire as "TUVIX", "FOR THE UNIFORM", or "COGENITOR", this definitely is a contender for the same subject coming up repeatedly for 20 years or more.

This is, quite frankly and without question, the best episode of the entire Kurtzman era. (With only "IS THERE IN BEAUTY NO TRUTH?" from PRODIGY being in a tie with it.) And it's really the only one that can actually compete with the best of the classic era.



"The Broken Circle"
"Ad Astra per Aspera"
"Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow"
"Among the Lotus Eaters"
"Charades"
"Lost in Translation"
"Those Old Scientists"
"Subspace Rhapsody"
"Hegemony"

 

[HotRod]

I’m saving Subspace Rhapsody because it is one of the biggest creative risks Star Trek has ever taken, and somehow it actually works.

A musical episode could have been a cheap gimmick, but instead it becomes an amazing character piece. The songs aren’t just there for laughs; they force the characters to confront emotions they’ve been actively avoiding, dragging subtext into the open in a way Trek rarely does this directly.

What really makes it work is how well it understands its characters. Uhura is clearly the heart of the episode, and Celia Rose Gooding absolutely nails it. La’an’s isolation is highlighted by an amazing performance from Christina Chong, and even Pike’s fear about his future is brought to the surface. The heartbreaking collapse of Spock and Chapel also lands, thanks in particular to Ethan Peck for showing how badly Spock is losing control once he can’t hide behind logic anymore.

Most importantly, this episode feels like Star Trek remembering what it’s supposed to be: optimistic, weird, and completely unafraid to swing big. Not everyone is going to love the idea of a musical, but this is the kind of episode people will still be arguing about and defending decades from now. That alone makes it worth saving.

"The Broken Circle"
"Ad Astra per Aspera"
"Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow"
"Among the Lotus Eaters"
"Charades"
"Lost in Translation"
"Those Old Scientists"
"Hegemony"

 

[Detached Nacelle]

Those Old Scientists. Easy save. Would have been mildly harder to chose between it and Rhapsody but thankfully I didnt have to.

"The Broken Circle"
"Ad Astra per Aspera"
"Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow"
"Among the Lotus Eaters"
"Charades"
"Lost in Translation"
"Hegemony"

 

[Farscape One]

"Those Old Scoentists" would have been my next save. Thanks for saving me the trouble.


Saving "Charades".

Not only is it a fun episode (along with "Those Old Scientists", it was the only truly fun episode of the season), but it really shows just how awesome Amanda is.

Plus, Spock enjoying the awesomeness of bacon. Because it IS awesome!


."The Broken Circle"
"Ad Astra per Aspera"
"Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow"
"Among the Lotus Eaters"
"Lost in Translation"
"Hegemony"

 

[Seven of Five]

The Broken Circle was a very solid start to the season.

Ad Astra per Aspera"
"Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow"
"Among the Lotus Eaters"
"Lost in Translation"
"Hegemony"
Last edited

 

[Sakonna]

"Among The Lotus Eaters" is one I deeply connect to personally. I love it. My only criticisms are that I wish the sound mix on that high-pitched whine wasn't actually painful to listen to, and it's one of their less successful uses of the VR wall (the line between reality and digital extension is just too obvious).

"Ad Astra per Aspera"
"Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow"
"Lost in Translation"
"Hegemony"

 

[The Salt Umpire]

I will save "Ad Astra per Aspera"

Using the Feds principles against it to force a win was so choice. My wife loved Neera's clothes.

Since the seasons only have 10 episodes, I will only save one ep per season to give others a chance to play.


"Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow"
"Lost in Translation"
"Hegemony"

 

[Farscape One]

Saving "Lost in Translation".

Creepy vibe, and it was good to see Hemmer again.

(Plus, I hate "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow"... terrible episode whose only saving grace is Chirstina Chong's performance, and "Hegemony" has Batel.)


"Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow"
"Hegemony"

 

[The Salt Umpire]

Saving "Lost in Translation".

Creepy vibe, and it was good to see Hemmer again.

(Plus, I hate "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow"... terrible episode whose only saving grace is Chirstina Chong's performance, and "Hegemony" has Batel.)


"Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow"
"Hegemony"

I miss Hemmer too. A NEW character that fans liked and they kill him off. smh

 

[Detached Nacelle]

I choose to save Tomorrow. La'an and Pelia are both just so great. Plus we saw a Denobulan.

 

[Turtletrekker]

I miss Hemmer too. A NEW character that fans liked and they kill him off. smh

When Discovery killed Arium, it was the opposite complaint. "Who was this character and why should I care?" Just goes to show that no matter what decisions they make, people are going to take issue with it. SMH

 

[Farscape One]

That makes "Hegemony" the winner for season 2.

Thank you all for playing! I will start season 3 shortly. Hope to see you all there!

 

[Farscape One]

When Discovery killed Arium, it was the opposite complaint. "Who was this character and why should I care?" Just goes to show that no matter what decisions they make, people are going to take issue with it. SMH

I liked Airiam, also.

But the difference in how they were killed off is that pretty much all of Airiam's development was in her final episode. With Hemmer, we got to know him throughout all of season 1. Killing her off like DISCO did was a cheap gimmick... taking a shortcut to try to get the audience to care. It didn't feel earned. Compare that to how Hemmer was killed off... you actually cared about him because he was an actual presence. It was earned feelings.

Yet another example of the bad writing of DISCO.

 

[Sakonna]

I still think they really fucked up the impact of Hemmer's death by having him missing from episodes 5 - 7.

It's most annoying in "Spock Amok" and "The Serene Squall." They could have really done things with him in those two.

I didn't spend the whole season getting used to always having him there. I spent the whole season saying "Where's Hemmer?" immediately followed by "oh, he's dead."

This show is really hurting for more alien-looking aliens, as well. I wish Hemmer had stuck around if only to help with that.

 

[Turtletrekker]

I liked Airiam, also.

But the difference in how they were killed off is that pretty much all of Airiam's development was in her final episode. With Hemmer, we got to know him throughout all of season 1. Killing her off like DISCO did was a cheap gimmick... taking a shortcut to try to get the audience to care. It didn't feel earned. Compare that to how Hemmer was killed off... you actually cared about him because he was an actual presence. It was earned feelings.

Yet another example of the bad writing of DISCO.

Sure.