The Most Disliked Episode of TOS, Final Round: 2021 Edition...

[Farscape One]

Here we have the winners and runners up of each season:

Season One: "THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR"
Wild Card: "MUDD'S WOMEN"
Season Two: "THE DEADLY YEARS"
Wild Card: "PATTERNS OF FORCE"
Season Three: "THE WAY TO EDEN"
Wild Card: "LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD"

So now it is time for the final part.

*RULES*

Give what you consider to be the best/your most favorite episode ONE point, and briefly explain WHY. Be sure to copy and paste the list with your point added. When an episode reaches 4 points, it is eliminated. Then a NEW round begins (in this thread) with the numbers restored to 0. Vote ONCE per round. And enjoy!

 

[Farscape One]

My first point of the finals goes to "MUDD'S WOMEN".

It's not a great episode by any measure, but I don't think it's as bad as the rest. This one at least has a message about believing in yourself and self-respect, and is not heavy-handed about it, in my opinion.


"THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR" - 0
"MUDD'S WOMEN" - 1
"THE DEADLY YEARS" - 0
"PATTERNS OF FORCE" - 0
"THE WAY TO EDEN" - 0
"LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD" - 0

 

[Sakonna]

Yow! Rough lineup. I'll go with "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield", which at least has an amusingly cheesy central gimmick.

"THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR" - 0
"MUDD'S WOMEN" - 1
"THE DEADLY YEARS" - 0
"PATTERNS OF FORCE" - 0
"THE WAY TO EDEN" - 0
"LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD" - 1

 

[BK613]

I agree with @Farscape One. Mudd's Women is a cut above the others.

"THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR" - 0
"MUDD'S WOMEN" - 2
"THE DEADLY YEARS" - 0
"PATTERNS OF FORCE" - 0
"THE WAY TO EDEN" - 0
"LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD" - 1

 

[Joanna McCoy-Kirk]

I always found "Patterns of Force" strangely compelling.

"THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR" - 0
"MUDD'S WOMEN" - 2
"THE DEADLY YEARS" - 0
"PATTERNS OF FORCE" - 1
"THE WAY TO EDEN" - 0
"LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD" - 1

 

[Indysolo]

I'll go with "Patterns of Force" because Basil Poledouris is in it!

"THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR" - 0
"MUDD'S WOMEN" - 2
"THE DEADLY YEARS" - 0
"PATTERNS OF FORCE" - 2
"THE WAY TO EDEN" - 0
"LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD" - 1

 

[Commander Troi]

I'm giving a point to The Deadly Years. I have always loved Kirk's "corbomite device" bluff.

"THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR" - 0
"MUDD'S WOMEN" - 2
"THE DEADLY YEARS" - 1
"PATTERNS OF FORCE" - 2
"THE WAY TO EDEN" - 0
"LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD" - 1

 

[Orac]

I'm giving a point to Let That Be Your Last Battlefield a parable that seems to get more relevant every year.

"THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR" - 0
"MUDD'S WOMEN" - 2
"THE DEADLY YEARS" - 1
"PATTERNS OF FORCE" - 2
"THE WAY TO EDEN" - 0
"LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD" - 2

 

[Phaser Two]

Another point for The Deadly Years. It and Patterns of Force just don't belong on any "worst of Star Trek" list.

"THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR" - 0
"MUDD'S WOMEN" - 2
"THE DEADLY YEARS" - 2
"PATTERNS OF FORCE" - 2
"THE WAY TO EDEN" - 0
"LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD" - 2

 

[Noname Given]

Another point from me for "PATTERNS OF FORCE". I always liked the end message - that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it -- even if they are a noted Historian. (Also, nice overall reinforcement of the reason behind Star Fleet's Prime Directive.) Lastly, I just find it more entertaining overall then the others on the list with the exception of MUDD'S WOMEN".

"THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR" - 0
"MUDD'S WOMEN" - 2
"THE DEADLY YEARS" - 2
"PATTERNS OF FORCE" - 3
"THE WAY TO EDEN" - 0
"LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD" - 2

 

[ThrorII]

I just watched "Patterns of Force" the other day, and honestly, I like it. Yes, it is Nazi's in SPAAACE! But it is one of the typical ST tropes (parallel developement and moral story).

And I've saved "Patterns of Force" from the scrap heap!!

"THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR" - 0
"MUDD'S WOMEN" - 2
"THE DEADLY YEARS" - 2
"PATTERNS OF FORCE" - 4
"THE WAY TO EDEN" - 0
"LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD" - 2

 

[BK613]

So Next Round Then. Board reset and my vote for Mudd's Women

"THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR" - 0
"MUDD'S WOMEN" - 1
"THE DEADLY YEARS" - 0
"THE WAY TO EDEN" - 0
"LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD" - 0

 

[gottacook]

One point for "Mudd's Women." Being so early, it was less formulaic - very few later episodes would have scenes with none of the main cast, and the scene here between Eve and Childress (two scenes, really, taking place perhaps a few hours apart) is a direction I would have liked to see the series go: the lives of different sorts of colonists on different sorts of planets, not depending on the main cast quite as much. As it is, we only got to see civilian Earth colonies in a few episodes like "This Side of Paradise."
"THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR" - 0
"MUDD'S WOMEN" - 2
"THE DEADLY YEARS" - 0
"THE WAY TO EDEN" - 0
"LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD" - 0

 

[Farscape One]

Voting for "MUDD'S WOMEN" again for the same reason as before.


"THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR" - 0
"MUDD'S WOMEN" - 3
"THE DEADLY YEARS" - 0
"THE WAY TO EDEN" - 0
"LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD" - 0

 

[Indysolo]

Voting for "The Deadly Years" because it's one I would choose to watch. I can't say that about the others on this list.

"THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR" - 0
"MUDD'S WOMEN" - 3
"THE DEADLY YEARS" - 1
"THE WAY TO EDEN" - 0
"LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD" - 0

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Voting for "The Deadly Years" because it's one I would choose to watch. I can't say that about the others on this list.

"THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR" - 0
"MUDD'S WOMEN" - 3
"THE DEADLY YEARS" - 1
"THE WAY TO EDEN" - 0
"LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD" - 0

But what of Lazarus? What of Lazaurs?

 

[Sakonna]

"Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" again...

"THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR" - 0
"MUDD'S WOMEN" - 3
"THE DEADLY YEARS" - 1
"THE WAY TO EDEN" - 0
"LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD" - 1

 

[Joanna McCoy-Kirk]

"Battlefield" for the destruct sequence.

"THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR" - 0
"MUDD'S WOMEN" - 3
"THE DEADLY YEARS" - 1
"THE WAY TO EDEN" - 0
"LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD" - 2

 

[Orac]

Let That Be Your Last Battlefield again because IFLI

"THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR" - 0
"MUDD'S WOMEN" - 3
"THE DEADLY YEARS" - 1
"THE WAY TO EDEN" - 0
"LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD" - 3

 

[Albertese]

I vote for "Mudd's Women" because I always liked it. I like Eve and Harry and their conflict. Her descriptions of her home planet fired my imagination. So that's 4 and "Mudd's Women" is off the list!!

"THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR" - 0
"MUDD'S WOMEN" -4
"THE DEADLY YEARS" - 1
"THE WAY TO EDEN" - 0
"LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD" - 3



New list:

"THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR" - 0
"THE DEADLY YEARS" - 0
"THE WAY TO EDEN" - 0
"LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD" - 0