The Most Disliked Episode of TNG, Finals - 2025 Edition...

[Starflight]

"Justice" has that season one pulp feel, which saves it from being completely crap. I also like that they just take one of the aliens up and show her the space station around her planet, the kind of story you can only do before the PD insanity sets in.

"Justice" - 3
"We'll Always Have Paris" - 0
"Up The Long Ladder" - 0
"Samaritan Snare" - 0
"The Price" - 0
"Suddenly Human" - 0
"Violations" - 0
"A Matter Of Time" - 3
"Bloodlines" - 0

 

[Cyfa]

Oof! I've missed the last couple of rounds, but I'm going to vote for "Violations" again not only for the same reason as before, but also because the Jev character was suitably slimy and I love Inad's plaits!

"Justice" - 3
"We'll Always Have Paris" - 0
"Up The Long Ladder" - 0
"Samaritan Snare" - 0
"The Price" - 0
"Suddenly Human" - 0
"Violations" - 1
"A Matter Of Time" - 3
"Bloodlines" - 0

 

[Frightscape One]

Saving "Justice".

It's a good dilemma for Picard. It also shows Yar being ineffectual at her job. Away Team decision after that initial one was based partly on her lack of knowing the punishments for crimes.


Now for the new round... voting for "Violations".

Loved the creepiness of the visions and how they were shot. I do think it would have been a better episode if we didn't know who the villain was so early.


"We'll Always Have Paris" - 0
"Up The Long Ladder" - 0
"Samaritan Snare" - 0
"The Price" - 0
"Suddenly Human" - 0
"Violations" - 1
"A Matter Of Time" - 0
"Bloodlines" - 0

 

[Faintly Macabre]

Sticking to "A Matter of Time". (I'm confident that it's only a matter of time before this one is saved)*.

"We'll Always Have Paris" - 0
"Up The Long Ladder" - 0
"Samaritan Snare" - 0
"The Price" - 0
"Suddenly Human" - 0
"Violations" - 1
"A Matter Of Time" - 1
"Bloodlines" - 0

* Probably better if I leave the jokes to someone else.

 

[Pumpkin Bread]

Another vote for "A Matter of Time". Amazed that that one was on this list, rather than "New Ground", which was cringey dreck.

We'll Always Have Paris" - 0
"Up The Long Ladder" - 0
"Samaritan Snare" - 0
"The Price" - 0
"Suddenly Human" - 0
"Violations" - 1
"A Matter Of Time" - 2
"Bloodlines" - 0

 

[Sakonna]

I can get behind "Violations" this round. It has a few key flaws that unfortunately mar it, but I think there is a fair amount here that works.

And looking back at the time, it's kind of shocking they included a male victim in their rape story.

"We'll Always Have Paris" - 0
"Up The Long Ladder" - 0
"Samaritan Snare" - 0
"The Price" - 0
"Suddenly Human" - 0
"Violations" - 2
"A Matter Of Time" - 2
"Bloodlines" - 0

 

[Detached Nacelle]

I will give my vote to Violations this round. For the creepy factor and another brief glimpse of pre-Enterprise Picard.

"We'll Always Have Paris" - 0
"Up The Long Ladder" - 0
"Samaritan Snare" - 0
"The Price" - 0
"Suddenly Human" - 0
"Violations" - 3
"A Matter Of Time" - 2
"Bloodlines" - 0

 

[Severed Heads]

A Matter Of Time again.

We'll Always Have Paris" - 0
"Up The Long Ladder" - 0
"Samaritan Snare" - 0
"The Price" - 0
"Suddenly Human" - 0
"Violations" - 3
"A Matter Of Time" - 3
"Bloodlines" - 0

 

[Pumpkin Bread]

Drum roll....

 

[Cyfa]

Hooray! "Violations" is saved! But I don't know which one to vote for now, so I'll come back later.

We'll Always Have Paris" - 0
"Up The Long Ladder" - 0
"Samaritan Snare" - 0
"The Price" - 0
"Suddenly Human" - 0
"A Matter Of Time" - 0
"Bloodlines" - 0

 

[Detached Nacelle]

Now is the time for A Matter of Time, it is certainly the strongest of the remaining. Time travellers really should learn to stop going on sojourns to the 22nd century it doesn't seem to end well for them.

"We'll Always Have Paris" - 0
"Up The Long Ladder" - 0
"Samaritan Snare" - 0
"The Price" - 0
"Suddenly Human" - 0
"A Matter Of Time" - 1
"Bloodlines" - 0

 

[Pumpkin Bread]

Matter of Time again, same reasons.

"We'll Always Have Paris" - 0
"Up The Long Ladder" - 0
"Samaritan Snare" - 0
"The Price" - 0
"Suddenly Human" - 0
"A Matter Of Time" - 2
"Bloodlines" - 0

 

[Cyfa]

Yep, "A Matter of Time" for me too (I've just watched it and, although my eyes nearly rolled out of my head because of the planetary meddling, the shipboard stuff was mildly entertaining. I don't feel the need to watch it again any time soon, though.)

"We'll Always Have Paris" - 0
"Up The Long Ladder" - 0
"Samaritan Snare" - 0
"The Price" - 0
"Suddenly Human" - 0
"A Matter Of Time" - 3
"Bloodlines" - 0

 

[Sakonna]

I will never vote for "A Matter Of Time"! It's my most hated episode remaining.

I'll give my point to "Samaritan Snare", for debuting one of the iconic Trek aliens.

"We'll Always Have Paris" - 0
"Up The Long Ladder" - 0
"Samaritan Snare" - 1
"The Price" - 0
"Suddenly Human" - 0
"A Matter Of Time" - 3
"Bloodlines" - 0

 

[Qonfounding Ghooool]

A 5-way tie is not possible and, after more thought than should ever be rationalized, at least the idea of reintegrating two offshoots of the same species via more original (not as often used as a plot point) high concept sci-fi ideas (even if clunky in handling) appeals than the only other story I could readily vote for, more on that later (go fig), but "Up the Long Ladder" just clinches my vote. Plus, big 80s hair that actually looked appealing doesn't hurt. Considering this is the late-80s where most of the big hair was horrid, for more on that go see some high school yearbooks and please don't risk yourself to aneurisms or strokes or being turned into art deco pillars of salt upon looking, my referencing this as a reason is fairly not insignificant, since I can't hate double-negatives either...

"We'll Always Have Paris" - 0
"Up The Long Ladder" - 1
"Samaritan Snare" - 1
"The Price" - 0
"Suddenly Human" - 0
"A Matter Of Time" - 3
"Bloodlines" - 0

 

[Frightscape One]

I'll eliminate "A Matter Of Time" with a vote that round. Matt Frewer is always a delight to have in anything.


My vote for the new round is "Suddenly Human".

I think it's the strongest episode left.


"We'll Always Have Paris" - 0
"Up The Long Ladder" - 0
"Samaritan Snare" - 0
"The Price" - 0
"Suddenly Human" - 1
"Bloodlines" - 0

 

[Sakonna]

"Samaritan Snare" again.

"We'll Always Have Paris" - 0
"Up The Long Ladder" - 0
"Samaritan Snare" - 1
"The Price" - 0
"Suddenly Human" - 1
"Bloodlines" - 0

 

[Qonfounding Ghooool]

I'll eliminate "A Matter Of Time" with a vote that round. Matt Frewer is always a delight to have in anything.

My vote for the new round is "Suddenly Human".

I think it's the strongest episode left.

"A Matter of Time" is the stronger of the two time travel twist-themed episodes in this big list o' clunkers, but I sure do wish they had Robin Williams (who might have made a fun Garak, but hiring Scorpio there was a far braver choice that paid off handsomely, but I digress...)

(I'm also changing my mind to a 4-way tie as another on this list isn't as bad as all that...)

I'm still voting for "Up the Long Ladder" what with post 55 recently explaining my pained reasoning. The episode still isn't perfect or consistently great, but the attempt to tackle the issue is novel. Indeed, so are a couple others on this list...


"We'll Always Have Paris" - 0
"Up The Long Ladder" - 1
"Samaritan Snare" - 1
"The Price" - 0
"Suddenly Human" - 1
"Bloodlines" - 0

 

[Pumpkin Bread]

Voting for "We'll Always Have Paris". I think it's underrated.

"We'll Always Have Paris" - 1
"Up The Long Ladder" - 1
"Samaritan Snare" - 1
"The Price" - 0
"Suddenly Human" - 1
"Bloodlines" - 0

 

[Starflight]

I'll go for "The Price" again, same reasons as the first time around.

"We'll Always Have Paris" - 1
"Up The Long Ladder" - 1
"Samaritan Snare" - 1
"The Price" - 1
"Suddenly Human" - 1
"Bloodlines" - 0