Game The Most Disliked Episode Written By D.C. Fontana

[Sakonna]

Next up in these themed elimination games: EPISODES WRITTEN (at least partially) BY D.C. FONTANA.

THE RULES. The basic idea is your standard elimination game. Below are the Star Trek episodes with any D.C. Fontana (or alias of same) writing credit. Eliminate your 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.

Leave at least 2 eliminations by other posters before you eliminate another episode.

No tactical voting! You cannot remove an episode just because you feel it would threaten your preferred episode's chance to win.
Enjoy!

TOS Season 1: "Charlie X" (teleplay)
TOS Season 1: "Tomorrow is Yesterday" (written)
TOS Season 1: "This Side of Paradise" (teleplay; story with Nathan Butler)
TOS Season 2: "Friday's Child" (written)
TOS Season 2: "Journey to Babel" (written)
TOS Season 2: "By Any Other Name" (teleplay with Jerome Bixby)
TOS Season 2: "The Ultimate Computer" (teleplay)
TOS Season 3: "The Enterprise Incident" (written)
TOS Season 3: "That Which Survives" (story, as Michael Richards)
TOS Season 3: "The Way to Eden" (story with Arthur Heinemann, as Michael Richards)
TAS Season 1: "Yesteryear" (written)
TNG Season 1: "Encounter at Farpoint" (written with Gene Roddenberry)
TNG Season 1: "The Naked Now" (teleplay; story with John D.F. Black, as J. Michael Bingham)
TNG Season 1: "Lonely Among Us" (teleplay)
TNG Season 1: "Too Short a Season" (teleplay with Michael Michaelian)
TNG Season 1: "Heart of Glory" (story with Maurice Hurley and Herbert Wright)
DS9 Season 1: "Dax" (teleplay with Peter Allan Fields)

 

[Farscape One]

"JOURNEY TO BABEL" is an easy save.

We have Sarek and Amanda, Spock struggling between family and duty, and the off-the-wall butt smash.

Do I need to say more?


TOS Season 1: "Charlie X" (teleplay)
TOS Season 1: "Tomorrow is Yesterday" (written)
TOS Season 1: "This Side of Paradise" (teleplay; story with Nathan Butler)
TOS Season 2: "Friday's Child" (written)
TOS Season 2: "By Any Other Name" (teleplay with Jerome Bixby)
TOS Season 2: "The Ultimate Computer" (teleplay)
TOS Season 3: "The Enterprise Incident" (written)
TOS Season 3: "That Which Survives" (story, as Michael Richards)
TOS Season 3: "The Way to Eden" (story with Arthur Heinemann, as Michael Richards)
TAS Season 1: "Yesteryear" (written)
TNG Season 1: "Encounter at Farpoint" (written with Gene Roddenberry)
TNG Season 1: "The Naked Now" (teleplay; story with John D.F. Black, as J. Michael Bingham)
TNG Season 1: "Lonely Among Us" (teleplay)
TNG Season 1: "Too Short a Season" (teleplay with Michael Michaelian)
TNG Season 1: "Heart of Glory" (story with Maurice Hurley and Herbert Wright)
DS9 Season 1: "Dax" (teleplay with Peter Allan Fields)

 

[Seven of Five]

Journey to Babel is a wonderful world-building episode from TOS, and it's a delight seeing Spock interacting with his parents.

EDIT: It's so good that we've saved it twice.

Never mind. I was always a huge fan of Charlie X, the petulant omnipotent being that Kirk has to guide on his way.

TOS Season 1: "Tomorrow is Yesterday" (written)
TOS Season 1: "This Side of Paradise" (teleplay; story with Nathan Butler)
TOS Season 2: "Friday's Child" (written)
TOS Season 2: "By Any Other Name" (teleplay with Jerome Bixby)
TOS Season 2: "The Ultimate Computer" (teleplay)
TOS Season 3: "The Enterprise Incident" (written)
TOS Season 3: "That Which Survives" (story, as Michael Richards)
TOS Season 3: "The Way to Eden" (story with Arthur Heinemann, as Michael Richards)
TAS Season 1: "Yesteryear" (written)
TNG Season 1: "Encounter at Farpoint" (written with Gene Roddenberry)
TNG Season 1: "The Naked Now" (teleplay; story with John D.F. Black, as J. Michael Bingham)
TNG Season 1: "Lonely Among Us" (teleplay)
TNG Season 1: "Too Short a Season" (teleplay with Michael Michaelian)
TNG Season 1: "Heart of Glory" (story with Maurice Hurley and Herbert Wright)
DS9 Season 1: "Dax" (teleplay with Peter Allan Fields)

 

[Qonundrum]

So many to save... but I'm an ideas guy more than anything else and I'll bore you with the details in a sec:

TOS Season 3: "The Way to Eden" (story with Arthur Heinemann, as Michael Richards)​

If someone else mucks up a script too much, always use the name of that guy who was in Seinfeld but 30 years after the fact!

The episode may not be very deep, but it could have been incredibly damning and not with much difficulty. It does touch on a number of neat ideas - such as living in the wild vs a planned society (I'll spare some tangents), synthetic viruses, not testing food on an alien planet before eating it to ensure one isn't poisoned or killed by it, youth rebellion, sense of belonging, some hippies being sincere and others looking bored*, hippie hater Herbert Armstrong (hence the use of "Herbert" as a slur, since in the 1960s this very Herbert was discussing big-time about the hippie movement's ideals per his perspective (and fascinating bias) that goes far beyond a 49 minute episode that's crammed in so much for surprisingly little result. I say that since the episode does hint at 2 types of hippies per Irina and Sevrin, the latter made more complex by the synthetic cooties that drove him to insanity - as if fleeing to a cave with nearby river is going to fix anything, if anything he'd get pneumonia and snuff it within a couple years if he's fully detaching himself from the planned society he's grown to hate (for no real reason apart from being born with something of which the unintentional catalyst from a planned society and nothing in the wild or random in the way lots of people have)...)

DC elevates a lot of this story, regardless of how the rewrites clobbered it, and even tighter written episodes to me just aren't as good or appealing. I adore ideas and this one is a buffet of potential and in the latter end of season 3 where it's amazing it wasn't any worse off.

Though it was originally to have involved McCoy's daughter...

Also, that song - the lyrics are so much better than anything (then or now) where the singer just croons about copulation and/or desiring codependence (for the sake of copulation, which is all it's about anyway).

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* if not complicit? The episode doesn't really go anywhere, but for all its topics shoved in it can't.


On edit: Snippet from Herbert's book:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17258826-hippies---hypocrisy-and-happiness

WHY Is a Hippie a Hippie?

Our interviews with hippies have revealed that there are basically TWO KINDS of hippie-there is the honest, sincere dropout who became disillusioned with the world and society around him. They sincerely believe the world is a rotten place and want nothing to do with it. So they withdraw, rebel, and become alienated.
Then there is the pseudo-hippie. He (or she) only goes into hippiedom for the sex, the excitement, the "thrills," and to get away from Mom and Dad. This hippie doesn't believe in peace or the hippie philosophy -but he does believe in free sex, having fun, and rebellion!
Finally, you might also say there is a third kind of hippie if you could call him (or her) a hippie. This would be the violent, insincere, dishonest hippie — the one who takes advantage of other hippies and other
people. This is the type that peddles LSD and marijuana to the others making a profit, short-changing them when he can get away with it. He is liable to be a "pusher" of hard narcotics and more addictive drugs.
Why does a person become a hippie? There are many reasons. A free, easy life of no responsibility APPEALS to young people. A life of little work, plenty of sex, and plenty of "peace" seems attractive to youth.
But also the shams, hypocrisies and frauds of the normal world are unattractive. The "straight" world seems full of evil, hatred, stealing, murder, competition, international antagonisms, bitter disputes and rivalries. These things turn hippies "off."
Clearly, there are seemingly "good" reasons for young people to become hippies. But, in this case, as you will soon see, the CURE is worse than the disease! The hippie "solution" is worse than the original problem it is meant to solve!

What remains:

TOS Season 1: "Tomorrow is Yesterday" (written)
TOS Season 1: "This Side of Paradise" (teleplay; story with Nathan Butler)
TOS Season 2: "Friday's Child" (written)
TOS Season 2: "By Any Other Name" (teleplay with Jerome Bixby)
TOS Season 2: "The Ultimate Computer" (teleplay)
TOS Season 3: "The Enterprise Incident" (written)
TOS Season 3: "That Which Survives" (story, as Michael Richards)
TAS Season 1: "Yesteryear" (written)
TNG Season 1: "Encounter at Farpoint" (written with Gene Roddenberry)
TNG Season 1: "The Naked Now" (teleplay; story with John D.F. Black, as J. Michael Bingham)
TNG Season 1: "Lonely Among Us" (teleplay)
TNG Season 1: "Too Short a Season" (teleplay with Michael Michaelian)
TNG Season 1: "Heart of Glory" (story with Maurice Hurley and Herbert Wright)
DS9 Season 1: "Dax" (teleplay with Peter Allan Fields)

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Saving The Ultimate Computer. Trek loves its Ahabs, and Daystrom is among the best. Also, lots of pew pew mixed in with good acting, even from the Shat.

TOS Season 1: "Tomorrow is Yesterday" (written)
TOS Season 1: "This Side of Paradise" (teleplay; story with Nathan Butler)
TOS Season 2: "Friday's Child" (written)
TOS Season 2: "By Any Other Name" (teleplay with Jerome Bixby)
TOS Season 3: "The Enterprise Incident" (written)
TOS Season 3: "That Which Survives" (story, as Michael Richards)
TAS Season 1: "Yesteryear" (written)
TNG Season 1: "Encounter at Farpoint" (written with Gene Roddenberry)
TNG Season 1: "The Naked Now" (teleplay; story with John D.F. Black, as J. Michael Bingham)
TNG Season 1: "Lonely Among Us" (teleplay)
TNG Season 1: "Too Short a Season" (teleplay with Michael Michaelian)
TNG Season 1: "Heart of Glory" (story with Maurice Hurley and Herbert Wright)
DS9 Season 1: "Dax" (teleplay with Peter Allan Fields)

 

[Qonundrum]

Saving The Ultimate Computer. Trek loves its Ahabs, and Daystrom is among the best. Also, lots of pew pew mixed in with good acting, even from the Shat.

And the episode has aged well and is still relevant today, isn't that great! Or maybe not, it depends on your point of view. There's usually new developments to supplant what's no longer needed due to technology replacing it. Just like auto mechanics replacing horse veterinarians... Which was the mindset and fear of the time.

 

[Farscape One]

It is totally relevant now. In fact, my current job is likely going to be completely replaced soon because of automatic ordering. Buyers at Whole Foods are going to be gone soon because of the damn computers. Despite the fact my orders have actually been BETTER than the computer's thus far. So "THE ULTIMATE COMPUTER" is one of those STAR TREK episodes, at least in the last decade, that actually hits me close to home and speaks almost directly to me.

(My last job at Nestle, routes were being cut, so several of us were laid off. It's bad enough to lose a job over corporate greed, but to lose to damned machine????!!!! I can't possibly convey the level of anger and frustration I currently have.)

My next save is "THE ENTERPRISE INCIDENT". One of the very best of season 3, it's always a rewatch.


TOS Season 1: "Tomorrow is Yesterday" (written)
TOS Season 1: "This Side of Paradise" (teleplay; story with Nathan Butler)
TOS Season 2: "Friday's Child" (written)
TOS Season 2: "By Any Other Name" (teleplay with Jerome Bixby)
TOS Season 3: "That Which Survives" (story, as Michael Richards)
TAS Season 1: "Yesteryear" (written)
TNG Season 1: "Encounter at Farpoint" (written with Gene Roddenberry)
TNG Season 1: "The Naked Now" (teleplay; story with John D.F. Black, as J. Michael Bingham)
TNG Season 1: "Lonely Among Us" (teleplay)
TNG Season 1: "Too Short a Season" (teleplay with Michael Michaelian)
TNG Season 1: "Heart of Glory" (story with Maurice Hurley and Herbert Wright)
DS9 Season 1: "Dax" (teleplay with Peter Allan Fields)

 

[Bad Thoughts]

And the episode has aged well and is still relevant today, isn't that great! Or maybe not, it depends on your point of view. There's usually new developments to supplant what's no longer needed due to technology replacing it. Just like auto mechanics replacing horse veterinarians... Which was the mindset and fear of the time.

There are valid criticism to be made about how the episode presents the development of technology. There aren't many auteurs when it comes to the development of computer technology. There are too many specializations that come together for anyone to stand out. Moreover, there are many organizations that are happy to test the deficiencies and vulnabilities of any system that is developed--for a small fee, of course.

 

[Sakonna]

"Yesteryear", the only one of these that is the clear high point of it's respective series.

It is pretty great, I actually get a bit emotional from it, rough animation and all. It was the first thing to convince me there was any merit to be found in TAS at all.

It was great to go back to the Guardian.

TOS Season 1: "Tomorrow is Yesterday" (written)
TOS Season 1: "This Side of Paradise" (teleplay; story with Nathan Butler)
TOS Season 2: "Friday's Child" (written)
TOS Season 2: "By Any Other Name" (teleplay with Jerome Bixby)
TOS Season 3: "That Which Survives" (story, as Michael Richards)
TNG Season 1: "Encounter at Farpoint" (written with Gene Roddenberry)
TNG Season 1: "The Naked Now" (teleplay; story with John D.F. Black, as J. Michael Bingham)
TNG Season 1: "Lonely Among Us" (teleplay)
TNG Season 1: "Too Short a Season" (teleplay with Michael Michaelian)
TNG Season 1: "Heart of Glory" (story with Maurice Hurley and Herbert Wright)
DS9 Season 1: "Dax" (teleplay with Peter Allan Fields)

 

[ChallengerHK]

With what's left, I would save "Friday's Child." We get lots of interpersonal interaction, a fair amount of humor, and a truly interesting alien culture.

TOS Season 1: "Tomorrow is Yesterday" (written)
TOS Season 1: "This Side of Paradise" (teleplay; story with Nathan Butler)
TOS Season 2: "By Any Other Name" (teleplay with Jerome Bixby)
TOS Season 3: "That Which Survives" (story, as Michael Richards)
TNG Season 1: "Encounter at Farpoint" (written with Gene Roddenberry)
TNG Season 1: "The Naked Now" (teleplay; story with John D.F. Black, as J. Michael Bingham)
TNG Season 1: "Lonely Among Us" (teleplay)
TNG Season 1: "Too Short a Season" (teleplay with Michael Michaelian)
TNG Season 1: "Heart of Glory" (story with Maurice Hurley and Herbert Wright)
DS9 Season 1: "Dax" (teleplay with Peter Allan Fields)

 

[Henoch]

I'll save TOS Season 3: "That Which Survives" (story, as Michael Richards). We get an Artificial Intelligent Defense System which is based on woman who regrets killing. Kirk, McCoy and Sulu are surely to die. The Enterprise is sabotaged and about to explode. I was sweating.
Remains:
TOS Season 1: "Tomorrow is Yesterday" (written)
TOS Season 1: "This Side of Paradise" (teleplay; story with Nathan Butler)
TOS Season 2: "By Any Other Name" (teleplay with Jerome Bixby)
TNG Season 1: "Encounter at Farpoint" (written with Gene Roddenberry)
TNG Season 1: "The Naked Now" (teleplay; story with John D.F. Black, as J. Michael Bingham)
TNG Season 1: "Lonely Among Us" (teleplay)
TNG Season 1: "Too Short a Season" (teleplay with Michael Michaelian)
TNG Season 1: "Heart of Glory" (story with Maurice Hurley and Herbert Wright)
DS9 Season 1: "Dax" (teleplay with Peter Allan Fields)

 

[Farscape One]

"Heart of Glory" is another easy save. A high point of season 1 TNG. Great job with everything.


TOS Season 1: "Tomorrow is Yesterday" (written)
TOS Season 1: "This Side of Paradise" (teleplay; story with Nathan Butler)
TOS Season 2: "By Any Other Name" (teleplay with Jerome Bixby)
TNG Season 1: "Encounter at Farpoint" (written with Gene Roddenberry)
TNG Season 1: "The Naked Now" (teleplay; story with John D.F. Black, as J. Michael Bingham)
TNG Season 1: "Lonely Among Us" (teleplay)
TNG Season 1: "Too Short a Season" (teleplay with Michael Michaelian)
DS9 Season 1: "Dax" (teleplay with Peter Allan Fields)

 

[Qonundrum]

I'll save TOS Season 3: "That Which Survives" (story, as Michael Richards). We get an Artificial Intelligent Defense System which is based on woman who regrets killing. Kirk, McCoy and Sulu are surely to die. The Enterprise is sabotaged and about to explode. I was sweating.
Remains

^^good episode, especially with latter season 3 limitations!

Spock is a little too literal, not unlike Sheldon Cooper, but the AI system Kirk gets to try to nag to death* is innovative and nicely done. And is one of season 3's better tragedy-endings.

* and asks if there are men on the planet at point, woohoo, who knew! Unless he was preemptively trying to get jealous of a boyfriend or hubby, who knows...

 

[Qonundrum]

Aliens using technology to compact humans into D&D dice is pretty cool...

TOS Season 2: "By Any Other Name" (teleplay with Jerome Bixby)​

There's a nice touch in that Spock's mindmeld ability isn't universal just because...

Kelvans having to deal with human emotions since they're octopi stuck in our bodies ("talk about having busy hands", said the Captain to Kalinda never, oddly) led to some fun moments.

Continuity between camera angles when everyone was handing back and forth the D&D dice was perfect... Plus, one would have expected the female to have survived the random number generator deciding who'd be crushed as punishment. Especially as more males than females were shown in the Security division.

Do the D&D blocks keep consciousness alive? (likely not)

At the opening credits, the poses are in-jokes but someone forgot to tell Shatner not to move as his eyes are moving around around like lots of billiard balls...

The multi-generational travel concept and the Kelvans' stoic acceptance is fairly impressive.

How did the octopi get into human bodies? Also, in real life are they as large as "Encounter at Farpoint"'s space squid? And who knew there was a seafood buffet... in space! ? And why didn't the Kelvans accept their situation and live in peace with the humans? There's some citizens who would appreciate Kelvan Kline jeans, donchaknow... /badhumor


What's left:

TOS Season 1: "Tomorrow is Yesterday" (written)
TOS Season 1: "This Side of Paradise" (teleplay; story with Nathan Butler)
TNG Season 1: "Encounter at Farpoint" (written with Gene Roddenberry)
TNG Season 1: "The Naked Now" (teleplay; story with John D.F. Black, as J. Michael Bingham)
TNG Season 1: "Lonely Among Us" (teleplay)
TNG Season 1: "Too Short a Season" (teleplay with Michael Michaelian)
DS9 Season 1: "Dax" (teleplay with Peter Allan Fields)

 

[Farscape One]

I'm pretty sure that yeoman was not in security. Like Janice Rand, and the one from "A TASTE OF ARMAGEDDON".

 

[Brennyren]

Despite some dubious science, even for the era, "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" is a solid episode, a blend of comedy and drama, as well as being the first time-travel entry of the franchise. And Fontana penned some delightful interchanges.

Christopher: I have never believed in little green men.
Spock: (turns to face Christopher) Nor have I.

Sergeant: We'll lock you up for the next 200 years!
Kirk: That ought to be just about right.

Kirk: Now you're sounding like Spock.
McCoy: If you're going to get nasty, I'm going to leave.

TOS Season 1: "This Side of Paradise" (teleplay; story with Nathan Butler)
TNG Season 1: "Encounter at Farpoint" (written with Gene Roddenberry)
TNG Season 1: "The Naked Now" (teleplay; story with John D.F. Black, as J. Michael Bingham)
TNG Season 1: "Lonely Among Us" (teleplay)
TNG Season 1: "Too Short a Season" (teleplay with Michael Michaelian)
DS9 Season 1: "Dax" (teleplay with Peter Allan Fields)

 

[Qonundrum]

I'm pretty sure that yeoman was not in security. Like Janice Rand, and the one from "A TASTE OF ARMAGEDDON".

Aye, she - or both officers - could have been in Engineering. Engineering and related sciences do secure the safety of the ship from exploding and stuff like that too.

 

[ananta]

TOS “This Side of Paradise”. Love the location work and the romantic feel to this episode. Emotional beatnik Spock was rather a joy to behold, and his relationship with Jill Ireland’s character was poignant.

TNG Season 1: "Encounter at Farpoint" (written with Gene Roddenberry)
TNG Season 1: "The Naked Now" (teleplay; story with John D.F. Black, as J. Michael Bingham)
TNG Season 1: "Lonely Among Us" (teleplay)
TNG Season 1: "Too Short a Season" (teleplay with Michael Michaelian)
DS9 Season 1: "Dax" (teleplay with Peter Allan Fields)

 

[cosmic mouse]

TNG Season 1: "Lonely Among Us" (teleplay)

I always liked this one... Picard getting possessed by the cloud entity was decent enough, but my favorite were the 2 feuding species and Data doing an excellent turn at Holmes.


TNG Season 1: "Encounter at Farpoint" (written with Gene Roddenberry)
TNG Season 1: "The Naked Now" (teleplay; story with John D.F. Black, as J. Michael Bingham)
TNG Season 1: "Too Short a Season" (teleplay with Michael Michaelian)
DS9 Season 1: "Dax" (teleplay with Peter Allan Fields)

 

[Sakonna]

Hmm, all four of these are in that category of "failures I have fun with anyway." I guess I'll save "The Naked Now", as the most fun of them. It is sooooo dumb, but funny.

Also, I do always love early TNG creepiness, and the frozen crew at the beginning is CREEPY AF.

TNG Season 1: "Encounter at Farpoint" (written with Gene Roddenberry)
TNG Season 1: "Too Short a Season" (teleplay with Michael Michaelian)
DS9 Season 1: "Dax" (teleplay with Peter Allan Fields)