The Most Disliked Episode of TOS, 2023 Edition - Season 1...

[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?)
2011 - "AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD"
2018 - "AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD"
2019 - "AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD"
2021 - "THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR"
2023 - "AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD"


Season One

THE MAN TRAP
CHARLIE X
WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE
THE NAKED TIME
THE ENEMY WITHIN
MUDD'S WOMEN
WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF?
MIRI
DAGGER OF THE MIND
THE CORBOMITE MANEUVER
THE MENAGERIE PART I
THE MENAGERIE PART II
THE CONSCIENCE OF THE KING
BALANCE OF TERROR
SHORE LEAVE
THE GALILEO SEVEN
THE SQUIRE OF GOTHOS
ARENA
TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY
COURT MARTIAL
THE RETURN OF THE ARCHONS
SPACE SEED
A TASTE OF ARMAGEDDON
THIS SIDE OF PARADISE
THE DEVIL IN THE DARK
ERRAND OF MERCY
THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR
THE CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER
OPERATION -- ANNIHILATE!

 

[Farscape One]

I'm going to kick things off by taking out "BALANCE OF TERROR".

This is one of two TOS episodes that are my absolute favorites among all the others.

This episode has everything... great plot, great acting, great action (even by today's standards), and more... this episode was FLAWLESS! And it introduced the Romulans, one of the best races in the franchise!

We get a great look at Kirk and his inner thoughts during his scene with McCoy in his quarters. We have bigotry getting quickly smacked down on the bridge. We have a sympathetic villain. We get a good glimpse of Romulan society on their bridge.

I can keep going, but I think my point has been made. For me, this was a perfect classic in a season that contained many classics. I will still maintain that TOS season 1 was the best first season of any series in the franchise. Only SNW and PRODIGY have even come close to being this good. (Yes, even I will admit DS9's first season was not without its clunkers.)

THE MAN TRAP
CHARLIE X
WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE
THE NAKED TIME
THE ENEMY WITHIN
MUDD'S WOMEN
WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF?
MIRI
DAGGER OF THE MIND
THE CORBOMITE MANEUVER
THE MENAGERIE PART I
THE MENAGERIE PART II
THE CONSCIENCE OF THE KING
SHORE LEAVE
THE GALILEO SEVEN
THE SQUIRE OF GOTHOS
ARENA
TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY
COURT MARTIAL
THE RETURN OF THE ARCHONS
SPACE SEED
A TASTE OF ARMAGEDDON
THIS SIDE OF PARADISE
THE DEVIL IN THE DARK
ERRAND OF MERCY
THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR
THE CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER
OPERATION -- ANNIHILATE!

 

[BlueStuff]

I'm saving City - on my most recent rewatch, it supplanted Balance of Terror as my favourite episode. Truly sad and touching in a way my younger self didn't fully appreciate.

THE MAN TRAP
CHARLIE X
WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE
THE NAKED TIME
THE ENEMY WITHIN
MUDD'S WOMEN
WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF?
MIRI
DAGGER OF THE MIND
THE CORBOMITE MANEUVER
THE MENAGERIE PART I
THE MENAGERIE PART II
THE CONSCIENCE OF THE KING
SHORE LEAVE
THE GALILEO SEVEN
THE SQUIRE OF GOTHOS
ARENA
TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY
COURT MARTIAL
THE RETURN OF THE ARCHONS
SPACE SEED
A TASTE OF ARMAGEDDON
THIS SIDE OF PARADISE
THE DEVIL IN THE DARK
ERRAND OF MERCY
THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR
OPERATION -- ANNIHILATE!

 

[Poldon]

Saving "The Devil in the Dark" as I have a soft spot for it. It was my first TOS, and I love the theme of knowledge and understanding in the face of fear.

THE MAN TRAP
CHARLIE X
WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE
THE NAKED TIME
THE ENEMY WITHIN
MUDD'S WOMEN
WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF?
MIRI
DAGGER OF THE MIND
THE CORBOMITE MANEUVER
THE MENAGERIE PART I
THE MENAGERIE PART II
THE CONSCIENCE OF THE KING
SHORE LEAVE
THE GALILEO SEVEN
THE SQUIRE OF GOTHOS
ARENA
TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY
COURT MARTIAL
THE RETURN OF THE ARCHONS
SPACE SEED
A TASTE OF ARMAGEDDON
THIS SIDE OF PARADISE
ERRAND OF MERCY
THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR
OPERATION -- ANNIHILATE!

 

[Farscape One]

So many great classics, it's hard to pick. I'll go with "ERRAND OF MERCY" next.

Great story, and great introduction of the Klingons. But the real reason this was so great was John Colicos as Kor. Brilliant performance in every scene. Every conversation between Kirk and Kor was just electric.

Absolutely LOVE this episode! A very, very easy save.




THE MAN TRAP
CHARLIE X
WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE
THE NAKED TIME
THE ENEMY WITHIN
MUDD'S WOMEN
WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF?
MIRI
DAGGER OF THE MIND
THE CORBOMITE MANEUVER
THE MENAGERIE PART I
THE MENAGERIE PART II
THE CONSCIENCE OF THE KING
SHORE LEAVE
THE GALILEO SEVEN
THE SQUIRE OF GOTHOS
ARENA
TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY
COURT MARTIAL
THE RETURN OF THE ARCHONS
SPACE SEED
A TASTE OF ARMAGEDDON
THIS SIDE OF PARADISE
THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR
OPERATION -- ANNIHILATE!

 

[Joanna McCoy-Kirk]

I'm saving "Where No Man Has Gone Before": it got the series sold to network TV and it introduced Captain James Kirk (no "T." yet).

THE MAN TRAP
CHARLIE X
THE NAKED TIME
THE ENEMY WITHIN
MUDD'S WOMEN
WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF?
MIRI
DAGGER OF THE MIND
THE CORBOMITE MANEUVER
THE MENAGERIE PART I
THE MENAGERIE PART II
THE CONSCIENCE OF THE KING
SHORE LEAVE
THE GALILEO SEVEN
THE SQUIRE OF GOTHOS
ARENA
TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY
COURT MARTIAL
THE RETURN OF THE ARCHONS
SPACE SEED
A TASTE OF ARMAGEDDON
THIS SIDE OF PARADISE
THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR
OPERATION -- ANNIHILATE!

 

[Unnamed Caitian]

I eliminate SPACE SEED because it ends too rushed. Between Khan being found (great), Khan and Marla taking over the Enterprise (greater!), and Kirk deciding to leave him in the desert island (even greater!), The retaking of the Enterprise had to be more epic. Instead, Kirk beat Superman up with a club.

THE MAN TRAP
CHARLIE X
THE NAKED TIME
THE ENEMY WITHIN
MUDD'S WOMEN
WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF?
MIRI
DAGGER OF THE MIND
THE CORBOMITE MANEUVER
THE MENAGERIE PART I
THE MENAGERIE PART II
THE CONSCIENCE OF THE KING
SHORE LEAVE
THE GALILEO SEVEN
THE SQUIRE OF GOTHOS
ARENA
TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY
COURT MARTIAL
THE RETURN OF THE ARCHONS
A TASTE OF ARMAGEDDON
THIS SIDE OF PARADISE
THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR
OPERATION -- ANNIHILATE![/QUOTE]

 

[Unnamed Caitian]

I eliminate SPACE SEED because it ends too rushed. Between Khan being found (great), Khan and Marla taking over the Enterprise (greater!), and Kirk deciding to leave him in the desert island (even greater!), The retaking of the Enterprise had to be more epic. Instead, Kirk beat Superman up with a club.

THE MAN TRAP
CHARLIE X
THE NAKED TIME
THE ENEMY WITHIN
MUDD'S WOMEN
WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF?
MIRI
DAGGER OF THE MIND
THE CORBOMITE MANEUVER
THE MENAGERIE PART I
THE MENAGERIE PART II
THE CONSCIENCE OF THE KING
SHORE LEAVE
THE GALILEO SEVEN
THE SQUIRE OF GOTHOS
ARENA
TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY
COURT MARTIAL
THE RETURN OF THE ARCHONS
A TASTE OF ARMAGEDDON
THIS SIDE OF PARADISE
THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR
OPERATION -- ANNIHILATE!

[/QUOTE]
I might have misunderstood the rules of the game. Please ignore my vote

 

[Farscape One]

You can still edit that post and vote for a different episode.

This game is about which one is MOST disliked, meaning voting an episode off means you dislike it less than others.

 

[CitadelZombies]

I'll be saving "The Corbomite Maneuver." It's one of my all-time favourites of The Original Series. Although I wonder how Bailey managed to make it through the Academy, with the way he reacts to things.

THE MAN TRAP
CHARLIE X
THE NAKED TIME
THE ENEMY WITHIN
MUDD'S WOMEN
WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF?
MIRI
DAGGER OF THE MIND
THE MENAGERIE PART I
THE MENAGERIE PART II
THE CONSCIENCE OF THE KING
SHORE LEAVE
THE GALILEO SEVEN
THE SQUIRE OF GOTHOS
ARENA
TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY
COURT MARTIAL
THE RETURN OF THE ARCHONS
A TASTE OF ARMAGEDDON
THIS SIDE OF PARADISE
THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR
OPERATION -- ANNIHILATE!

 

[Farscape One]

Still a lot of classics left to pick. My next one will be "THE GALILEO SEVEN".

I'm not sure if I'm in the minority of calling this another favorite of TOS, but I will proudly announce that it truly is.

Great story, great pacing, and great conflucts between the characters. I know it's ludicrous to call this mission Spock's 'first command' given he's the XO of the Enterprise, but whether it is or not, it's certainly a great look on how he commands. You can see the evolution of his command ability during the series when you use this as a starting point, despite TOS being episodic by nature. It was a... fascinating look at Spock. Pun most certainly intended.

Also a shout out to Scotty... excellent officer. He not only did his job, but he also very quickly defended Spock when Boma became really agitated. I don't think Scotty gets the credit he deserves for being the exemplary officer he proved himself to be on every occasion.

THE MAN TRAP
CHARLIE X
THE NAKED TIME
THE ENEMY WITHIN
MUDD'S WOMEN
WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF?
MIRI
DAGGER OF THE MIND
THE MENAGERIE PART I
THE MENAGERIE PART II
THE CONSCIENCE OF THE KING
SHORE LEAVE
THE GALILEO SEVEN
THE SQUIRE OF GOTHOS
ARENA
TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY
COURT MARTIAL
THE RETURN OF THE ARCHONS
SPACE SEED
A TASTE OF ARMAGEDDON
THIS SIDE OF PARADISE
THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR
OPERATION -- ANNIHILATE!


Note: I readded "SPACE SEED" since Unnamed Caitian said that the episode picked might not be the real one given a confusion about the rules. If you do indeed wish "SPACE SEED" to be eliminated, you can do so now.

 

[Unnamed Caitian]

Thank you and no, I hate SPACE SEED for the reasons I described above.

I pick then the next episode in the series: A TASTE OF ARMAGEDDON. If I were to list all he reasons this episode is awesome, we would be here for a long time. So I'll just quote Spock: "Sir, there's a multi legged creature crawling on your shoulder".


THE MAN TRAP
CHARLIE X
THE NAKED TIME
THE ENEMY WITHIN
MUDD'S WOMEN
WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF?
MIRI
DAGGER OF THE MIND
THE MENAGERIE PART I
THE MENAGERIE PART II
THE CONSCIENCE OF THE KING
SHORE LEAVE
THE GALILEO SEVEN
THE SQUIRE OF GOTHOS
ARENA
TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY
COURT MARTIAL
THE RETURN OF THE ARCHONS
SPACE SEED
THIS SIDE OF PARADISE
THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR
OPERATION -- ANNIHILATE!

 

[Unnamed Caitian]

You know what, I'll rewatch "A TASTE OF ARMAGEDDON" right now. I've got the time.

 

[BlueStuff]

I might have misunderstood the rules of the game. Please ignore my vote

Yes, we've now shifted to the MOST disliked games - in many ways, a far easier game as we're saving episodes we like!

 

[Sakonna]

I love "The Man Trap"! It's so ensemble-y. If only TOS had maintained this kind of focus on the seconday characters for the whole series, I think I would have truly loved it. (I mostly experience it now as interesting historical backstory to all the other Trek that I love so much more)

CHARLIE X
THE NAKED TIME
THE ENEMY WITHIN
MUDD'S WOMEN
WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF?
MIRI
DAGGER OF THE MIND
THE MENAGERIE PART I
THE MENAGERIE PART II
THE CONSCIENCE OF THE KING
SHORE LEAVE
THE GALILEO SEVEN
THE SQUIRE OF GOTHOS
ARENA
TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY
COURT MARTIAL
THE RETURN OF THE ARCHONS
SPACE SEED
THIS SIDE OF PARADISE
THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR
OPERATION -- ANNIHILATE!

 

[Oddish]

Menagerie part 1 gets a save, for giving us a pretty decent mystery.

CHARLIE X
THE NAKED TIME
THE ENEMY WITHIN
MUDD'S WOMEN
WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF?
MIRI
DAGGER OF THE MIND
THE MENAGERIE PART II
THE CONSCIENCE OF THE KING
SHORE LEAVE
THE GALILEO SEVEN
THE SQUIRE OF GOTHOS
ARENA
TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY
COURT MARTIAL
THE RETURN OF THE ARCHONS
SPACE SEED
THIS SIDE OF PARADISE
THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR
OPERATION -- ANNIHILATE!

 

[Ceridwen]

"Arena" cannot become the Most Disliked Episode. Like "The Devil in the Dark", it highlights one of the most important themes of Star Trek, that of seeking a common "humanity" even with that which seems inhuman, since to do otherwise is to allow our own "inhumanity" to go unchecked. And it serves up so many iconic visuals while doing so.

THE MAN TRAP
CHARLIE X
THE NAKED TIME
THE ENEMY WITHIN
MUDD'S WOMEN
WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF?
MIRI
DAGGER OF THE MIND
THE MENAGERIE PART II
THE CONSCIENCE OF THE KING
SHORE LEAVE
THE GALILEO SEVEN
THE SQUIRE OF GOTHOS
TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY
COURT MARTIAL
THE RETURN OF THE ARCHONS
SPACE SEED
THIS SIDE OF PARADISE
THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR
OPERATION -- ANNIHILATE!

 

[Farscape One]

Per Unnamed Caitian's post, I am rwmoving "SPACE SEED" from the list. It is accurate now.

I will save "ARENA" next.

Classic episode. Great story and action. Despite the Gorn suit, this episode was very effective.



Never mind... someone just beat me to "ARENA".

Saving "THIS SIDE OF PARADISE" next.

Spock was a true highlight here, as was Kirk's singular mind in ridding himswlf of the spore's influence.


CHARLIE X
THE NAKED TIME
THE ENEMY WITHIN
MUDD'S WOMEN
WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF?
MIRI
DAGGER OF THE MIND
THE MENAGERIE PART II
THE CONSCIENCE OF THE KING
SHORE LEAVE
THE SQUIRE OF GOTHOS
TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY
COURT MARTIAL
THE RETURN OF THE ARCHONS
THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR
OPERATION -- ANNIHILATE!

 

[Ceridwen]

Per Unnamed Caitian's post, I am rwmoving "SPACE SEED" from the list. It is accurate now.

Unnamed Caitian clarified later that they read the title wrong; "Space Seed" is still in the running for "Most Disliked" cuz they personally don't like the ending.

 

[BlueStuff]

It doesn't matter, I'll save Space Seed because it's awesome.

CHARLIE X
THE NAKED TIME
THE ENEMY WITHIN
MUDD'S WOMEN
WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF?
MIRI
DAGGER OF THE MIND
THE MENAGERIE PART II
THE CONSCIENCE OF THE KING
SHORE LEAVE
THE SQUIRE OF GOTHOS
TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY
COURT MARTIAL
THE RETURN OF THE ARCHONS
THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR
OPERATION -- ANNIHILATE!