The Most Disliked Episode of VGR, Season 1: 2021 Edition...

[Farscape One]

This is a twist on a game that is played here, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

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 - "THE FIGHT"
2018 - "FAVORITE SON"
2019 - "SPIRIT FOLK"
2021 - "FURY"


Season One -

CARETAKER
PARALLAX
TIME AND AGAIN
PHAGE
THE CLOUD
EYE OF THE NEEDLE
EX POST FACTO
EMANATIONS
PRIME FACTORS
STATE OF FLUX
HEROES AND DEMONS
CATHEXIS
FACES
JETREL
LEARNING CURVE

 

[Farscape One]

And here we are, VOYAGER season 1. Honestly, I think it's a better first season than many give it credit for. It definitely felt like the Delta Quadrant was a different place. Personally, I look at the season as including the 4 holdovers by UPN, and I feel the season overall is better when you do that. It truly suffered when UPN did that just to get a month headstart on the other networks at the time. (They did the same the next season, and I feel the same there, too.)

But to the topic at hand, my first vote will be the pilot, "CARETAKER". This was the best overall pilot of the franchise, and I'm including the current era. (DS9 had an edge on the characters feeling alive and real, but some pacing issues make it lose some points. And the Temporal Cold War definitely lowers "BROKEN BOW"... otherwise, that one would beat "CARETAKER".)

A terrific plot, well paced, everyone getting good scenes. This pilot had an advantage the others never did... a big part of the premise, the Maquis, were already well established in TNG and DS9 late in the previous season, so less time was needed for that exposition. And that was the best decision, because it allowed more time for the Caretaker situation to be figured out methodically. The pieces are put together by the crew at the same time as the audience. Also great action in just the right amount in the right places.


PARALLAX
TIME AND AGAIN
PHAGE
THE CLOUD
EYE OF THE NEEDLE
EX POST FACTO
EMANATIONS
PRIME FACTORS
STATE OF FLUX
HEROES AND DEMONS
CATHEXIS
FACES
JETREL
LEARNING CURVE

 

[Lynx]

OK, Caretaker is already saved so I have to go for my second favorite.

In that case I have to go for Jetrel.

Not only does the episode give us the background story of Neelix and gives more depth to the character than the simple "comic figure" approach but it's also a drama about consequences and guilt.

The interaction between Neelix and Jetrel is excellent and at the end actually touching. The whole stiory shows that nothing is so simple as it could look.



PARALLAX
TIME AND AGAIN
PHAGE
THE CLOUD
EYE OF THE NEEDLE
EX POST FACTO
EMANATIONS
PRIME FACTORS
STATE OF FLUX
HEROES AND DEMONS
CATHEXIS
FACES
LEARNING CURVE

 

[JirinPanthosa]

State of Flux is one of the early episodes along with Prime Factors that really touched on the serious pushback over Janeway’s “Make any sacrifice to hold to our principles” philosophy. I wish they’d done more like that as the series progressed.

PARALLAX
TIME AND AGAIN
PHAGE
THE CLOUD
EYE OF THE NEEDLE
EX POST FACTO
EMANATIONS
PRIME FACTORS
HEROES AND DEMONS
CATHEXIS
FACES
LEARNING CURVE

 

[Brobdingnag]

"HEROES AND DEMONS" because I am fond of the Doctor and this is the first time he gets an episode devoted to him.

PARALLAX
TIME AND AGAIN
PHAGE
THE CLOUD
EYE OF THE NEEDLE
EX POST FACTO
EMANATIONS
PRIME FACTORS
CATHEXIS
FACES
LEARNING CURVE

 

[Seven of Five]

It may have been a bit early for a will they get home episode, but I still love Eye of the Needle. Everybody has such a different reaction regarding the possible news, and I can't help but enjoy it on a rewatch.

PARALLAX
TIME AND AGAIN
PHAGE
THE CLOUD
EX POST FACTO
EMANATIONS
PRIME FACTORS
CATHEXIS
FACES
LEARNING CURVE

 

[Orac]

I'm saving Phage as it introduces the organ harvesting Vidiians. I love those guys!

PARALLAX
TIME AND AGAIN
THE CLOUD
EX POST FACTO
EMANATIONS
PRIME FACTORS
CATHEXIS
FACES
LEARNING CURVE

 

[Farscape One]

Saving "CATHEXIS" because the atmosphere was creepy and very well done. The paranoia that was starting to happen is really great.


PARALLAX
TIME AND AGAIN
THE CLOUD
EX POST FACTO
EMANATIONS
PRIME FACTORS
FACES
LEARNING CURVE

 

[Sakonna]

I love reveling in the overdone noir-ish atmosphere of "Ex Post Facto."

PARALLAX
TIME AND AGAIN
THE CLOUD
EMANATIONS
PRIME FACTORS
FACES
LEARNING CURVE

 

[Oddish]

Time and Again had crazy temporal mechanics, but was an essentially enjoyable episode for all that, long as you didn't think about it too hard. Also, it was the first VOY episode I saw.

PARALLAX
THE CLOUD
EMANATIONS
PRIME FACTORS
FACES
LEARNING CURVE

 

[Farscape One]

Saving "FACES" next.

This has a lot of great in it. Vidiians are here, which is one of the best aliens ever made for STAR TREK... not only a fantastic makeup design, but a built-in moral dilemma just by their existence. It is a great horror story. It also plants the seed of Tom and B'Elanna, because it is here that she sees for the first time he is not a bad guy. (His conversations with her were very mature and I think she realized that. From then on, it slowly became a friendship and into marriage.)



PARALLAX
THE CLOUD
EMANATIONS
PRIME FACTORS
LEARNING CURVE

 

[at Quark's]

PARALLAX
THE CLOUD
EMANATIONS
PRIME FACTORS

Saving Learning Curve. I like Tuvok grappling with some restive elements in the crew that aren't quite up to the standard of a Starfleet model officer yet, trying to find the right approach with them, and it also may be the first time we actually see some constructive feedback from Neelix that Tuvok actually takes to heart.

 

[Brobdingnag]

"PRIME FACTORS", because of the way Tuvok sacrifices his integrity so that Janeway wouldn't have to (at least that's what he thought). I thought it was a clever kind of dilemma.

PARALLAX
THE CLOUD
EMANATIONS

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I'll save Parallax. I thought it was a good way to introduce B'elana as chief engineer and I like the process at the end between her and Janeway to solve out the problem. Emanations is just bad and Cloud has more problems.

THE CLOUD
EMANATIONS

 

[Vale]

Between those two? Jings.

I'm going to save "The Cloud". There's coffee in that nebula. "Emanations" wins! Or loses! Depending on your perspective!

 

[Vale]

In that case I have to go for Jetrel.

Not only does the episode give us the background story of Neelix and gives more depth to the character than the simple "comic figure" approach but it's also a drama about consequences and guilt.

The interaction between Neelix and Jetrel is excellent and at the end actually touching. The whole stiory shows that nothing is so simple as it could look.

Let's not forget James Sloyan gives another solid performance in this episode. He's often overshadowed by the higher profile repeat Trek guest stars like Vaughn Armstrong and Jeffrey Combs, but he always did a good job.

 

[Orac]

I'll save Emanations No episodes lose!

 

[Brobdingnag]

Emanations is a worthy winner! No redeeming qualities whatsoever in that episode.

 

[Farscape One]

This season went by fast, though not surprising as it was shortened.

"EMANATIONS" wins season 1. I'll start season 2 shortly.

 

[Oddish]

I was rooting for Parallax, because it always bugs me that B'Elanna gets the chief engineer spot by socking Carey in the snoot, but Ok. There are worse Trek inconsistencies.