The Most Disliked Episode of TNG, Season 1: 2021 Edition...
- Thread starter Farscape One
- Start date
Savong "Home Soil". I'm surprised it took this long to get saved. It's a really great STAR TREK story.
Encounter at Farpoint
The Naked Now
Code of Honor
Justice
Hide and Q
We'll Always Have Paris
Encounter at Farpoint
The Naked Now
Code of Honor
Justice
Hide and Q
We'll Always Have Paris
The Naked Now
Code of Honor
Justice
Hide and Q
We'll Always Have Paris
It may be an unpopular opinion, but I love Encounter at Farpoint.
I actually think that it is one of the more entertaining pilot episodes. I also feel as though if it had been a standalone telefilm, even then it would’ve been really entertaining as a unique Star Trek story.
And speaking of unpopular opinions, I can’t believe that Datalore got saved so early. That episode continuously appears on lists of watchable episodes from season one, and I think it is an absolutely unmitigated pile of shit… there are some bad episodes that are just offensively awful, but that one always feels like it was written by a 14 year old, which I actually think is worse
The most disliked, meaning - based on the remaining entries - to save anything that isn't the crappiest of the cesspool, okey dokey... dang, I missed out on this thread way too soon as I love to complain... and to eat paste!
A few entries exist that are worth it, but Encounter at Farpoint is saved right here and now, because:
a) it introduces Q, the first genuinely godlike thing in Trek to not fawn and sincerely drool over humans in Trek's typical ways
b) it introduces Q, a character so cool he's worth mentioning twice
c) Worf really wanted to phaser a new hole into the newly made viewscreen - the guy's no gagh
d) For all the claims made at the time about "Data was the only character with emotions", Yar does a damn good job at being passionate about how far humans had evolved compared to her home planet. Shame her character would be tossed aside, but in season 1 that happened to just about everybody at one point or another
e) despite the jellyfish in space, for which the remastering proved they're dimorphic (guess which hue pertains to the male
), Troi is made proper use of as - without her - none of the characters would have figured out the mystery with Farpoint
Yeah, half the episode is near-bunkum, but Q going on and on about all sorts of issues was something you don't get in television very often. Plus, Patrick Stewart wearing pajamas while talking about costumes... But what's not to like?
What's left festering:
The Naked Now
Code of Honor
Justice
Hide and Q
We'll Always Have Paris
A few entries exist that are worth it, but Encounter at Farpoint is saved right here and now, because:
a) it introduces Q, the first genuinely godlike thing in Trek to not fawn and sincerely drool over humans in Trek's typical ways
b) it introduces Q, a character so cool he's worth mentioning twice
c) Worf really wanted to phaser a new hole into the newly made viewscreen - the guy's no gagh
d) For all the claims made at the time about "Data was the only character with emotions", Yar does a damn good job at being passionate about how far humans had evolved compared to her home planet. Shame her character would be tossed aside, but in season 1 that happened to just about everybody at one point or another
e) despite the jellyfish in space, for which the remastering proved they're dimorphic (guess which hue pertains to the male
), Troi is made proper use of as - without her - none of the characters would have figured out the mystery with FarpointYeah, half the episode is near-bunkum, but Q going on and on about all sorts of issues was something you don't get in television very often. Plus, Patrick Stewart wearing pajamas while talking about costumes... But what's not to like?
What's left festering:
The Naked Now
Code of Honor
Justice
Hide and Q
We'll Always Have Paris
Oops. Ninja'd and didn't notice by how long until 7.5 minutes ago. So, what's next:
Hide and Q - I have a soft spot for this. Yes, the crew say "it's as if nothing ever happened" immediately after a scene when the Enterprise poper back up. Yes, it's corny. Yes, they take the lame soap opera crying fluff for "the penalty box" rather than playing up any suspense angle - but it has the virtue of never been tried.
Riker being tempted is handled rather well, I must say.
Worf is first called "microbrain" by Q.
Q using a French backdrop on a lime green-atmosphered planet is refreshing, even if it's a small tv stage.
I'll not mention what most people remember this story for, involving a bayonet...
Geordi's bi because he appreciates Wesley in adult form as much as he had for Yar. Or asexual but can still note someone with appealing characteristics, but still not be interested.
Indeed, the entire "gift giving" scene is fairly robust.
It's a hodgepodge, but it's better than half of season 1 IMHO.
What's left festering:
The Naked Now
Code of Honor
Justice
We'll Always Have Paris
Hide and Q - I have a soft spot for this. Yes, the crew say "it's as if nothing ever happened" immediately after a scene when the Enterprise poper back up. Yes, it's corny. Yes, they take the lame soap opera crying fluff for "the penalty box" rather than playing up any suspense angle - but it has the virtue of never been tried.
Riker being tempted is handled rather well, I must say.
Worf is first called "microbrain" by Q.
Q using a French backdrop on a lime green-atmosphered planet is refreshing, even if it's a small tv stage.
I'll not mention what most people remember this story for, involving a bayonet...
Geordi's bi because he appreciates Wesley in adult form as much as he had for Yar. Or asexual but can still note someone with appealing characteristics, but still not be interested.
Indeed, the entire "gift giving" scene is fairly robust.
It's a hodgepodge, but it's better than half of season 1 IMHO.
What's left festering:
The Naked Now
Code of Honor
Justice
We'll Always Have Paris
"Justice"! I mean, Lower Decks said it best, how could you not love a story about sexy people in rompers who murder you for walking on the grass?
But I actually like "Justice" so much I almost saved it first, I do think it's very fun. Some iconically terrible dialogue that never fails to make me laugh, and the visualization of the Edo planet is a triumph for production. It's cheesy as hell, but it's a super-clear vision and all the pieces are working together and it is MEMORABLE.
The Naked Now
Code of Honor
We'll Always Have Paris
But I actually like "Justice" so much I almost saved it first, I do think it's very fun. Some iconically terrible dialogue that never fails to make me laugh, and the visualization of the Edo planet is a triumph for production. It's cheesy as hell, but it's a super-clear vision and all the pieces are working together and it is MEMORABLE.
The Naked Now
Code of Honor
We'll Always Have Paris
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I'm back from work, and I've even had a nap and coffee! 
So The Naked Now is a total rip-off of The Naked Time, and it really didn't help the young series as it was only the second episode. Having said that, it has some hilarious moments in it like an intoxicated Data's facial expressions.
So it sticks out more for me than the other piles of garbage.
Code of Honor
We'll Always Have Paris
So The Naked Now is a total rip-off of The Naked Time, and it really didn't help the young series as it was only the second episode. Having said that, it has some hilarious moments in it like an intoxicated Data's facial expressions.
So it sticks out more for me than the other piles of garbage.
Code of Honor
We'll Always Have Paris
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It's TNG's closest attempt at true, hard sci-fi. Sorta wish more had that style.
That reminds me, I need to get new glasses. Without them, I mistook "rompers" as "pampers"...
"Justice", even in its present form, presents some great ideas. Shame that the original draft before they turned it into "the red light district in space", but it's all good.
I'm back from work, and I've even had a nap and coffee!
So The Naked Now is a total rip-off of The Naked Time, and it really didn't help the young series as it was only the second episode. Having said that, it has some hilarious moments in it like an intoxicated Data's facial expressions.
So it sticks out more for me than the other piles of garbage.
The Geordi and Yar scenes are the only good things about this one. And Data correcting Riker on "suck vs blow", something rare in sci-fi when they get it right... usually because the writers suck blow through their nostrils...
Hmmm, one story is fairly generic and the other had much potential by trying to make the Captain the least civilized of everyone, but guess which episode quickly falls on its face, all while We'll Always Have Paris at least having the Manheim Steamroller effect, one of the Mamas and the Papas as a guest star to chat up Picard with, and is later in season 1 when we finally see the beginnings of a more grounded and stable series beginning to take foot... But despite the idea of the "advanced" Captain avoiding his code of honor just to terrorizing the entire planet in the process, and the nemesis of the week remaining true to his word (and was well-acted, Ferguson - like Stewart - rise so far above a half-baked script) -- it's a decent basic episode idea, let down by some vulgar stereotyping and racism, and early season 1 fumbling with itself.
Unsurprisingly:
Code of Honor
Wins this round of being most disliked.
Unsurprisingly:
Code of Honor
Wins this round of being most disliked.
Not saying CoH doesn't deserve to be the loser. Even if the cast had been white, it would have been bad enough to deserve it. Yes, I admit that I enjoyed the fight at the end, but that didn't make the rest of it better; I had to pause this one several times to get through all the cringe.
That being said, I knew this one was going to lose. You couldn't save it without being seen as racist.
That being said, I knew this one was going to lose. You couldn't save it without being seen as racist.
code of honor would have been my choice as well but I am surprised that the second one wasn't Justice as it's almost as bad.
A worthy winner. 
I agree that Justice is also terrible.
I agree that Justice is also terrible.
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I mean season 1 is almost unfair, because the racism (and sexism) in Code of Honour is so horrible that it pretty much automatically "wins" worst episode (not that the episode is anything to write home about anyway)
I can live with that episode winning. Though I must confess I haven't watched it for many years, and I'm almost tempted to do so now, just to see exactly how bad it was.
If you ignore the uncomfortable fact that all the guest actors were black, it sits as a poor episode, but probably not quite bottom of the barrel. And the fight scene at the end was good cheesy fun.
If we'd been playing "kill one" instead of "save one", I'd have left this one standing and targeted "Hide and Q".
That reminds me of some foods that I dislike profoundly but once in a great while I feel the need to taste them just to remind myself how much I hate them.
Even if you can ignore that they are on a planet of racist/tribal stereotypes, there's still such "gems" as Troi making Tasha (a woman who, as by her backstory, had to spend her early adolescence running from rape gangs) admit that she secretly enjoys being kidnapped because the alien guy is such a hunk.
I mean....seriously?
I mean....seriously?
That was exactly my takeaway when I revisited "Code Of Honor" a few years ago. The racism loomed so large in my memory, I completely forgot how dementedly sexist the episode also was. It is a fascinating watch, though not an enjoyable one.
For me, I don't see any other ep from this season that would make a more fitting winner.
For me, I don't see any other ep from this season that would make a more fitting winner.
Not to mention improbable, these people have technologies that are far in our future yet their society is so barbaric that it makes our most backward medieval societies seem enlightened by comparison.
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