The Most Disliked Episode of TNG - Season 2...

This is a twist on a game that is played here, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I am very curious to see the results.

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 - "Shades Of Gray"
2018 - "The Outrageous Okona"
2019 - "Code of Honor"

Season Two -

The Child
Where Silence Has Lease
Elementary, Dear Data
The Outrageous Okona
Loud As A Whisper
The Schizoid Man
Unnatural Selection
A Matter Of Honor
The Measure Of A Man
The Dauphin
Contagion
The Royale
Time Squared
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Q Who
Samaritan Snare
Up The Long Ladder
Manhunt
The Emissary
Peak Performance
Shades Of Gray

 

Q Who may be the purest science fiction that TNG ever did. Q, The Borg, directed by Rob Bowman with music by Ron Jones. I'd argue that TNG never was better.



The Child
Where Silence Has Lease
Elementary, Dear Data
The Outrageous Okona
Loud As A Whisper
The Schizoid Man
Unnatural Selection
A Matter Of Honor
The Measure Of A Man
The Dauphin
Contagion
The Royale
Time Squared
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals

Samaritan Snare
Up The Long Ladder
Manhunt
The Emissary
Peak Performance
Shades Of Gray

 

Time Squared is awesome, it's one of the episodes that best expresses season 2's unique creepiness and sense of dread and isolation. I like that they dared to leave the ending of the final script so ambiguous as to what had actually occurred, and Picard's suggestion that the vortex was alive and intentionally causing the time loop to try and rescue the crew is fascinating.

The Child
Where Silence Has Lease
Elementary, Dear Data
The Outrageous Okona
Loud As A Whisper
The Schizoid Man
Unnatural Selection
A Matter Of Honor
The Measure Of A Man
The Dauphin
Contagion
The Royale
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Samaritan Snare
Up The Long Ladder
Manhunt
The Emissary
Peak Performance
Shades Of Gray

 

I'm pretty high on "Peak Performance" lately. It's a great mix of high & low stakes and the cast is so well-used.

The Child
Where Silence Has Lease
Elementary, Dear Data
The Outrageous Okona
Loud As A Whisper
The Schizoid Man
Unnatural Selection
A Matter Of Honor
The Measure Of A Man
The Dauphin
Contagion
The Royale
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Samaritan Snare
Up The Long Ladder
Manhunt
The Emissary
Shades Of Gray

 

A Matter of Honor is a matter of awesomeness. The best Klingon show that Ron Moore never wrote.

The Child
Where Silence Has Lease
Elementary, Dear Data
The Outrageous Okona
Loud As A Whisper
The Schizoid Man
Unnatural Selection

The Measure Of A Man
The Dauphin
Contagion
The Royale
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Samaritan Snare
Up The Long Ladder
Manhunt
The Emissary
Shades Of Gray

 

Both of those episodes were ones I would have picked first. But I have another top pick for this season.

"Peak Performance" is an excellent episode, written by David Kemper, who was one of the biggest creative forces of FARSCAPE. Great character work, and nice ensemble use.

The Child
Where Silence Has Lease
Elementary, Dear Data
The Outrageous Okona
Loud As A Whisper
The Schizoid Man
Unnatural Selection
A Matter Of Honor
The Measure Of A Man
The Dauphin
Contagion
The Royale
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Samaritan Snare
Up The Long Ladder
Manhunt
The Emissary
Shades Of Gray

 

Even though it is super cheesy and the casino action is about as unrealistic as possibe, you gotta love that gambler from Lubbock, TX and his attempt to hook up with that woman who is losing her "shirt."
The Royale is eliminated.

The Child
Where Silence Has Lease
Elementary, Dear Data
The Outrageous Okona
Loud As A Whisper
The Schizoid Man
Unnatural Selection
The Measure Of A Man
The Dauphin
Contagion

The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Samaritan Snare
Up The Long Ladder
Manhunt
The Emissary
Shades Of Gray

 

Contagion provides one of the most memorable teasers in the entire franchise, and the remainder of the episode delivers on it in spades.

The Child
Where Silence Has Lease
Elementary, Dear Data
The Outrageous Okona
Loud As A Whisper
The Schizoid Man
Unnatural Selection
The Measure Of A Man
The Dauphin
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Samaritan Snare
Up The Long Ladder
Manhunt
The Emissary
Shades Of Gray

 

The Measure of a Man is one of my favourite episodes of TNG, so I'm saving it.

The Child
Where Silence Has Lease
Elementary, Dear Data
The Outrageous Okona
Loud As A Whisper
The Schizoid Man
Unnatural Selection
The Dauphin
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Samaritan Snare
Up The Long Ladder
Manhunt
The Emissary
Shades Of Gray

 

The magical transporter ending is hella weak, but "Unnatural Selection" is lately my most revisited season 2 ep. Great Pulaski showcase. The lonely-research-outpost vibe is enticing.

The Child
Where Silence Has Lease
Elementary, Dear Data
The Outrageous Okona
Loud As A Whisper
The Schizoid Man
The Dauphin
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Samaritan Snare
Up The Long Ladder
Manhunt
The Emissary
Shades Of Gray

 

"The Emissary" introduced K'Ehleyr, one of my favorite TNG guests.

The Child
Where Silence Has Lease
Elementary, Dear Data
The Outrageous Okona
Loud As A Whisper
The Schizoid Man
The Dauphin
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Samaritan Snare
Up The Long Ladder
Manhunt
Shades Of Gray

 

I've always had a soft spot for "Where Silence Has Lease". A lot of creepy elements, and Nagilum is interesting and different.

The Child
Elementary, Dear Data
The Outrageous Okona
Loud As A Whisper
The Schizoid Man
The Dauphin
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Samaritan Snare
Up The Long Ladder
Manhunt
Shades Of Gray

 

The Schizoid Man has some of Data's funniest lines. Great guest stars. I liked Ira Graves and Suzie Plakson's comely Vulcan doctor.


The Child
Elementary, Dear Data
Outrageous Okona
Loud As A Whisper

The Dauphin
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Samaritan Snare
Up The Long Ladder
Manhunt

 

I would have liked to see Dr. Selar appear now and again...

 

Controversial perhaps but I'll save Manhunt because I really like Lwaxana, even though she's unpleasantly creepy in this episode, and the excuse of "lol she's in heat" doesn't really make it any better. Plus, Picard being forced into awkward social situations always gives him a bit of extra character depth that TNG generally lacks (see also: everyone roasting him over his horse riding in Starship Mine and his constant cringe-fest when visiting Risa).

On top of that, Lwaxana episodes always give Troi some character moments to work with too, and Troi's character gets focus all too infrequently in TNG.

Also, Mick Fleetwood is a fish. Worf finds this fish attractive. What more do you want out of Star Trek?

The Child
Elementary, Dear Data
Outrageous Okona
Loud As A Whisper
The Dauphin
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Samaritan Snare
Up The Long Ladder

 

I was going to save that episode just for the scene with Picard trying to get the holodeck violence right. I always laugh hard with the last one with tommy gun and Picard backing up against the wall.

 

Elementary Dear Data, for the good realisation of Victorian London and having a great villain in Moriarty.

(Also putting back Shades of Gray, which seems to have been accidentally removed a few posts ago)

The Child
The Outrageous Okona
Loud As A Whisper
The Schizoid Man
The Dauphin
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Samaritan Snare
Up The Long Ladder
Shades Of Gray

 

Taking out "The Schizoid Man" since it was eliminated by Armus.

My next choice is "Loud As A Whisper". I thought the idea of Riva was unique, and Troi got some good scenes, particularly when she was trying to convince Riva to go back.

The Child
The Outrageous Okona
The Dauphin
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Samaritan Snare
Up The Long Ladder
Shades Of Gray

 

I'll save Pen Pals next. It has a great design for the alien, and I love Data's dialogue with the girl.

The Child
The Outrageous Okona.
The Dauphin
The Icarus Factor
Samaritan Snare
Up The Long Ladder
Shades Of Gray

 

Samaritan Snare provides some good character development for Picard that "Tapestry" would later run with, and the idea of the Pakleds managing to dupe and scam the Enterprise crew is a good one, even if the execution could have been better.

The Child
The Outrageous Okona.
The Dauphin
The Icarus Factor
Up The Long Ladder
Shades Of Gray