The Most Disliked Episode of TNG, Season 7 - 2025 Edition...

[Qonfounding Ghooool]

It's silly and derivative, but not without some moments.

"Liaisons"

may have been derivative of "The Savage Curtain", only without a rock monster listening to Rock Lobster, but some moments were genuinely entertaining.

It also may have been more daring to swap Troi and Worf, then swap Picard with Riker.

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(Worf needs some fluff balls and a laser wand to react to. Where's the bobblehead Locutus doll when you need one most?)

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(the child's "response acting" is fantastic)

Sadly, I could not find the refreshingly campy scene where Troi discusses desserts to their guest, who then pigs out at every turn...



What's left:
"Attached"
"Force of Nature"
"Inheritance"
"Homeward"
"Eye of the Beholder"
"Journey's End"
"Bloodlines"

 

[Detached Nacelle]

Beat me to it. It's almost the worst of this season, but the worser ones got saved and it's all subjective. Descent pt 2 was just a slogfest, with poor music, poor acting, contrived scenes, nonsensical capers... as part one didn't even need Lore, part two only shows how much worse things got by revolving the story around him, along with his pointless experiments that didn't align with the Borg and the Borg never collectively figured it out. Even that subplot of the Borg thinking Lore was sincere had nothing substantial under it. Even "Liaisons" is better, even if it is a retread of numerous ideas told in TNG (and TOS) before.

Still, this one's not the worst of the season... but it didn't leave much positivity as a season premiere at the time.

I didnt really notice until looking up and down the list making decisions on saving the best of them just how much of this season falls under the "eh it's okay" category. Not bad but not getting regularly rewatched and sometimes struggle to be fully recalled based on the episode title alone.

 

[Frightscape One]

Saving "Eye of the Beholder".

It had a weird, creepy mood and vibe. That goes far with me.

(And further cemented how Troi and Worf just didn't belong together because of all the insane things that has to happen for it to occur.)


"Attached"
"Force of Nature"
"Inheritance"
"Homeward"
"Journey's End"
"Bloodlines"

 

[Starflight]

Of the remaining ones, "Attached" is probably the best. It's a lightweight episode but the Picard and Beverly stuff is fun, and Riker dealing with the diplomatic nightmare on the ship is an amusing enough side story.

"Force of Nature"
"Inheritance"
"Homeward"
"Journey's End"
"Bloodlines"

 

[Sakonna]

"Inheritance" is a lovely episode with a top-tier guest lead.

"Force of Nature"
"Homeward"
"Journey's End"
"Bloodlines"

 

[Frightscape One]

These last choices are just bad ones.

But I will save "Journey's End" for Evek.

I like Gul Evek here, and he came across sympathetically when he says he doesn't want to lose the last son he had. He's strict, but he is reasonable.


"Force of Nature"
"Homeward"
"Bloodlines"

 

[Detached Nacelle]

Not great episodes remaining but Force of Nature is the clear better episode of the final 3 even if it is salvaged by the later revelation that it was all a hoax perpetrated by the Vendorians.


"Homeward"
"Bloodlines"

 

[Qonfounding Ghooool]

Let's see, we have either "Star Trek Tiny Insurrection" versus "Ferengi Revenge Again, with Side Order of Rehash"... no two-way tie? Or three-way had Beverly's kinky ghost remained this far?


Oh piffle. Very well, then, no more drumroll-induced stalling...

"Homeward"

is saved because it feels more consistent, less wishy washy, and far closer to TNG than what was filmed as INS could, not to mention it's easier to sit through than the dug-up revenge soap of "Bloodworms", a story that Worf or Kurn wouldn't eat up, complete with hokey "is he or isn't he Jean-Luc's lovechild"? There were plenty of bawdy trash talk shows doing that shtick at the time and those really took off later on, for which this TNG escapade had nothing to do with...

Fun side note since I've got to throw in another digression, apparently INS went through a ton of script changes and yet, reading up and watching YT videos covering the original ideas, INS, IMHO, never should have been rewritten into what was filmed... it's no wonder the TNG movie line got held back for... four years... but before I digress... or use more ellipses for cheesy melodramatic effect...

Of course, doing some nameplay, noting that this is yet another tired rehash of the prime directive, it can be called "Nickel 'n' Dimed, Featuring Worf's Brother Nikolai" but that makes it almost sound exciting and compelling. Can't have that...



YON WINNER FOR SEASON 7:
"Bloodlines"

 

[Detached Nacelle]

And a worthy winner indeed

 

[Frightscape One]

"Bloodlines" wins 2025, same as season 7 for 2023.

Thank you all for playing. I will start the TNG Finals shortly.

Hope to see everyone there!