Game The Most Disliked Episode Written By Gene Roddenberry

[Sakonna]

THE OBJECTIVE: A sudden-death elimination game in which we remove our personal favorite episodes from a themed list, until we arrive at the episode that is, if not the worst, at least the most disliked.

THE RULES: Below is a list of TOS and TNG episodes written (at least partially) by Gene Roddenberry.

Eliminate/save your favorite, or the one you deem the ‘best.’
Post something you love about the episode you are saving, and copy-and-paste the list with your choice removed.

You can use any standard you like to judge which option is "best." You can save episodes for being widely recognized “best Trek” classics, or for idiosyncratic qualities that no one appreciates but you.

But -- no tactical voting! You cannot remove an episode because you don’t think anyone else will, or because you feel it would threaten your preferred episode's chance to “win.”

You can take multiple turns. Leave at least 2 eliminations by other posters before you eliminate another episode.

New players are always welcome, you do not have to already be a "most disliked game" regular to dive in.

Enjoy!

TOS Season 1: "The Cage" (written)
TOS Season 1: "Mudd's Women" (story)
TOS Season 1: "Charlie X" (story)
TOS Season 1: "The Menagerie, Part I" (written)
TOS Season 1: "The Menagerie, Part II" (written)
TOS Season 1: "The Return Of The Archons" (story)
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses" (written with Gene L. Coon)
TOS Season 2: "A Private Little War" (teleplay with Gene L. Coon)
TOS Season 2: "The Omega Glory" (written)
TOS Season 2: "Assignment: Earth" (story with Art Wallace)
TOS Season 3: "The Savage Curtain" (teleplay with Arthur Heinemann, story)
TOS Season 3: "Turnabout Intruder" (story)
TOS Feature: "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (story, uncredited)
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint" (written with D.C. Fontana)
TNG Season 1: "Hide And Q" (teleplay with C.J. Holland)
TNG Season 1: "Datalore" (teleplay with Robert Lewin)

 

[Farscape One]

I am starting off with "A PRIVATE LITTLE WAR".

I often use this ending as an example of how TOS did not always have a happy ending. Great episode.


TOS Season 1: "The Cage" (written)
TOS Season 1: "Mudd's Women" (story)
TOS Season 1: "Charlie X" (story)
TOS Season 1: "The Menagerie, Part I" (written)
TOS Season 1: "The Menagerie, Part II" (written)
TOS Season 1: "The Return Of The Archons" (story)
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses" (written with Gene L. Coon)
TOS Season 2: "The Omega Glory" (written)
TOS Season 2: "Assignment: Earth" (story with Art Wallace)
TOS Season 3: "The Savage Curtain" (teleplay with Arthur Heinemann, story)
TOS Season 3: "Turnabout Intruder" (story)
TOS Feature: "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (story, uncredited)
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint" (written with D.C. Fontana)
TNG Season 1: "Hide And Q" (teleplay with C.J. Holland)
TNG Season 1: "Datalore" (teleplay with Robert Lewin)

 

[Sakonna]

I'll do "The Cage", because you gotta respect "The Cage." How can you not love the very beginning of this whole thing?

Interesting that Orions were one of the original aliens, and are just now finally getting their due. The Talosians are a brilliant creation as well.

TOS Season 1: "Mudd's Women" (story)
TOS Season 1: "Charlie X" (story)
TOS Season 1: "The Menagerie, Part I" (written)
TOS Season 1: "The Menagerie, Part II" (written)
TOS Season 1: "The Return Of The Archons" (story)
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses" (written with Gene L. Coon)
TOS Season 2: "The Omega Glory" (written)
TOS Season 2: "Assignment: Earth" (story with Art Wallace)
TOS Season 3: "The Savage Curtain" (teleplay with Arthur Heinemann, story)
TOS Season 3: "Turnabout Intruder" (story)
TOS Feature: "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (story, uncredited)
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint" (written with D.C. Fontana)
TNG Season 1: "Hide And Q" (teleplay with C.J. Holland)
TNG Season 1: "Datalore" (teleplay with Robert Lewin)

 

[Trekker09]

Saving “Return of the Archons” –always a favorite, though I’ve never understood how the 'Red Hour' fits into the narrative. So many haunting moments – and Kirk’s great line to Landru, “Creativity is necessary for the health of the body.”


TOS Season 1: "Mudd's Women" (story)
TOS Season 1: "Charlie X" (story)
TOS Season 1: "The Menagerie, Part I" (written)
TOS Season 1: "The Menagerie, Part II" (written)
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses" (written with Gene L. Coon)
TOS Season 2: "The Omega Glory" (written)
TOS Season 2: "Assignment: Earth" (story with Art Wallace)
TOS Season 3: "The Savage Curtain" (teleplay with Arthur Heinemann, story)
TOS Season 3: "Turnabout Intruder" (story)
TOS Feature: "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (story, uncredited)
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint" (written with D.C. Fontana)
TNG Season 1: "Hide And Q" (teleplay with C.J. Holland)
TNG Season 1: "Datalore" (teleplay with Robert Lewin)

 

[Seven of Five]

I love Charlie X, so that's first. I always enjoyed the idea of impetuous godlike beings, and this was the best example for me during TOS. Kirk having to take him under his wing and teach him about life was good stuff.

Yeoman Rand was a decent addition to the cast, and I missed her after the controversy with Grace Lee Whitney being sacked.

TOS Season 1: "Mudd's Women" (story)
TOS Season 1: "The Menagerie, Part I" (written)
TOS Season 1: "The Menagerie, Part II" (written)
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses" (written with Gene L. Coon)
TOS Season 2: "The Omega Glory" (written)
TOS Season 2: "Assignment: Earth" (story with Art Wallace)
TOS Season 3: "The Savage Curtain" (teleplay with Arthur Heinemann, story)
TOS Season 3: "Turnabout Intruder" (story)
TOS Feature: "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (story, uncredited)
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint" (written with D.C. Fontana)
TNG Season 1: "Hide And Q" (teleplay with C.J. Holland)
TNG Season 1: "Datalore" (teleplay with Robert Lewin)

 

[Qonundrum]

An easy pick of what's left:

TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint" (written with D.C. Fontana)​

this premiere also has more story meat compared to the rest. (And each story has its share of ups and downs...) But Gene did get in a lot of the usual real world issues, without pointing at any specific people (like how the original "V" from 1983 discussed its topics without making direct mention of any contemporary real life political figures, whereas the 2009's did (and did so rather badly, and it didn't matter if you liked or agreed with the figure in question or not, but I digress.)

Picard's line of "if we're going to be damned, let's be damned for what we really are" speaks for far more than just humanity.

Q may be a rebooted version of Trelane, used solely to pad the episode into a 2 hour extravaganza by Roddenberry at Paramount's behest, and thankfully there's no glowing faces of space-mommy and space-daddy to call Tre-- Q in for din-din (though I miss Barbara Babcock and James Doohan voicing them), but - like 2004's Battlestar Galactica reboot - it's proof it can be done, if all the right elements come together. John DeLancie clearly relishes the dialogue and steals the show. He's also rocking it with that hair when dressed up in 16th century garb to mock Mon Capitan with... But I must admit some bias; the Q subplot elevates so much, and even lets Troi - in one of few times - get to be the proper solution to the plot. After all, without her saying "Just a minute, I'm sensing emotions all around us!" and everyone looks befuddled as they're staring at a bunch of corridor intersections as she reveals they're inside something and it's only their first date, Q would have won*. Sadly, most of the time she just spouts the obvious, but at least - in this premiere - she gets to be more than instrumental in saving the day. She gets to point out that the two space squid (in typical blue and pink colors, no less) have their own sets of emotions, also another tidbit that these dumb humans would never have been able to figure out on their own**...

* hehehehehehe! But it's a series I'd watch, "The Galactic Adventures of Q"...

** thought it helps to have even a single cue as a point of reference, which is impossible for giant squids that only feature telepathic communicative abilities and Troi is just interloping and even knocking on the door first!​

What's left:
TOS Season 1: "Mudd's Women" (story)
TOS Season 1: "The Menagerie, Part I" (written)
TOS Season 1: "The Menagerie, Part II" (written)
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses" (written with Gene L. Coon)
TOS Season 2: "The Omega Glory" (written)
TOS Season 2: "Assignment: Earth" (story with Art Wallace)
TOS Season 3: "The Savage Curtain" (teleplay with Arthur Heinemann, story)
TOS Season 3: "Turnabout Intruder" (story)
TOS Feature: "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (story, uncredited)
TNG Season 1: "Hide And Q" (teleplay with C.J. Holland)
TNG Season 1: "Datalore" (teleplay with Robert Lewin)

 

[Oddish]

I thought that Menagerie Part II had a heartwarming ending, with Pike and Vina riding the elevator together to live together in a virtual paradise. I'll save it.

What's left:
TOS Season 1: "Mudd's Women" (story)
TOS Season 1: "The Menagerie, Part I" (written)
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses" (written with Gene L. Coon)
TOS Season 2: "The Omega Glory" (written)
TOS Season 2: "Assignment: Earth" (story with Art Wallace)
TOS Season 3: "The Savage Curtain" (teleplay with Arthur Heinemann, story)
TOS Season 3: "Turnabout Intruder" (story)
TOS Feature: "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (story, uncredited)
TNG Season 1: "Hide And Q" (teleplay with C.J. Holland)
TNG Season 1: "Datalore" (teleplay with Robert Lewin)

 

[Qonundrum]

Saving “Return of the Archons” –always a favorite, though I’ve never understood how the 'Red Hour' fits into the narrative. So many haunting moments – and Kirk’s great line to Landru, “Creativity is necessary for the health of the body.”

The funny part is that Kirk also says "Genius doesn't work on an assembly line basis. You can't simply say, 'Today I will be brilliant.'" in "The Ultimate Computer" and wouldn't creativity be a part of brilliance?

I'll do "The Cage", because you gotta respect "The Cage." How can you not love the very beginning of this whole thing?

Interesting that Orions were one of the original aliens, and are just now finally getting their due. The Talosians are a brilliant creation as well.

Some of its dialogue hasn't held up well (I've cringed more as the decades have gone by, especially "Orion animal women), but the concepts are still impressive - and daring - for 1964. There's no need for expansive CGI keyed in. Just a couple basic sets and enough exposition crafted to tell and sell the situation, though it never hurts to show a few more critters locked up elsewhere. Still, the Talosians tried to repair a human, didn't quite know how, and also wanted to bring in more humans. And it's all told in a weird way; these beings are not evil for the sake of it and there's even a modicum of sympathy. The pilot is pretty epic in some ways... which is amazing, since it's building on nothing and having to find its way - which includes clunker moments like:

PIKE: I said that's one place I might go. I might go into business on Regulus or on the Orion colony.
BOYCE: You, an Orion trader, dealing in green animal women, slaves?

Granted, nothing else is said of Orion and -- maybe -- Boyce was talking from the Orions' point of view, but that's stretching it. From what I have seen in recent Trek, they're not done half-bad.

That said, the pilot skillfully sets up enough backstory to dig into later on for payoff, which the Talosians use to keep the plot moving - without getting too complex, busy, or convoluted to scare off the suits (as there's enough going on in this pilot already). As we know, they would turn it down anyway because not only do people have to pay attention to it ("it's too cerebral"), Spock looked like 80% like the Devil (since obviously pointy ears means it's Satan and not Peter Pan, any of Santa's elves out for a breath of fresh warm air, or - far, far worse - Hermey from that broadcast-in-1964 stop-motion puppet kid show called "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer goes to Hazelden")... oh, and women were in command on the bridge. I felt Majel held her own in this story, which the suits cited otherwise when rejecting her character - though it's rumored that Gene's alleged affair was a partial if not total reason for this Number One character to be jettisoned. Nurse Chapel was a step downward, unfortunately. Later would come TNG; Lwaxana grew on me a ton and it really is down to Majel's performance - she COULD hold a story, though humor/comedy being subjective and that's harder to get everyone in the audience to roll along with comedic aspects... So, yeah, two of the three reasons for their doing thumbs-down on the original pilot are a little odd. The "too cerebral" bit I would not be surprised by, however.

The Talosians are simply magnificent in design, acting and execution.


More on the Orions:

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Not bad... Not bad at all. And the Orions needed to be properly expanded on.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Fascinating! All in all, this is quite good too (and I am aware that she is a villain, twisting words and such...) Didn't care for the diminutive "holo", but that's a current slang term currently in use for numerous word replacements in contemporary society but it's not as bad as Geordi spouting off on bogies and sleigh rides and other goofy lines from season 1 TNG...

 

[Seven of Five]

I'll save the other half of The Menagerie. It was an ingenious way to save money when they reused the footage from The Cage. I love, with a pretty tense investigation into what Spock has done to aid Pike.

What's left:
TOS Season 1: "Mudd's Women" (story)
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses" (written with Gene L. Coon)
TOS Season 2: "The Omega Glory" (written)
TOS Season 2: "Assignment: Earth" (story with Art Wallace)
TOS Season 3: "The Savage Curtain" (teleplay with Arthur Heinemann, story)
TOS Season 3: "Turnabout Intruder" (story)
TOS Feature: "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (story, uncredited)
TNG Season 1: "Hide And Q" (teleplay with C.J. Holland)
TNG Season 1: "Datalore" (teleplay with Robert Lewin)

 

[Summer Solstice]

"Assignment: Earth" - it's fun, I like Gary Seven, Roberta Lincoln and the cat.


What's left:
TOS Season 1: "Mudd's Women" (story)
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses" (written with Gene L. Coon)
TOS Season 2: "The Omega Glory" (written)
TOS Season 3: "The Savage Curtain" (teleplay with Arthur Heinemann, story)
TOS Season 3: "Turnabout Intruder" (story)
TOS Feature: "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (story, uncredited)
TNG Season 1: "Hide And Q" (teleplay with C.J. Holland)
TNG Season 1: "Datalore" (teleplay with Robert Lewin)

 

[BillJ]

I'll take "The Omega Glory" off the board. One that I've loved since childhood. Spooky deserted starship, deadly plague that isn't so deadly after a couple of days planetside, captain's duking it out and the American flag!

TOS Season 1: "Mudd's Women" (story)
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses" (written with Gene L. Coon)
TOS Season 3: "The Savage Curtain" (teleplay with Arthur Heinemann, story)
TOS Season 3: "Turnabout Intruder" (story)
TOS Feature: "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (story, uncredited)
TNG Season 1: "Hide And Q" (teleplay with C.J. Holland)
TNG Season 1: "Datalore" (teleplay with Robert Lewin)

 

[Seven of Five]

I can't decide between TMP, or Datalore.

I'll go with Datalore, as it's a fun episode for Brent Spiner. The subtle differences between Data and Lore are always fun to see on rewatching.

TOS Season 1: "Mudd's Women" (story)
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses" (written with Gene L. Coon)
TOS Season 3: "The Savage Curtain" (teleplay with Arthur Heinemann, story)
TOS Season 3: "Turnabout Intruder" (story)
TOS Feature: "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (story, uncredited)
TNG Season 1: "Hide And Q" (teleplay with C.J. Holland

 

[Farscape One]

Maybe I'm the oddball, but I've always loved "BREAD AND CIRCUSES". It's saved.


TOS Season 1: "Mudd's Women" (story)
TOS Season 3: "The Savage Curtain" (teleplay with Arthur Heinemann, story)
TOS Season 3: "Turnabout Intruder" (story)
TOS Feature: "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (story, uncredited)
TNG Season 1: "Hide And Q" (teleplay with C.J. Holland

 

[Brennyren]

Saving "The Motion Picture." It's slow, even ponderous, but it's lovely to look at -- and I will never forget how thrilled I was to see it that first time. Star Trek was back, baby!

TOS Season 1: "Mudd's Women" (story)
TOS Season 3: "The Savage Curtain" (teleplay with Arthur Heinemann, story)
TOS Season 3: "Turnabout Intruder" (story)
TNG Season 1: "Hide And Q" (teleplay with C.J. Holland

 

[Qonundrum]

TNG Season 1: "Hide And Q" (teleplay with C.J. Holland​

Misguided and mishandled penalty box scene aside, the old chestnut of "tempting yon peasant with power" and yet Riker doesn't get all "By the Power of Q's skull!" too quickly -- imagine if Riker had and, in such as very special 2-parter, they'd have to find a way to bring him back and de-GaryMitchell him... the episode could have been a LOT more. As it stands, it's more or less there for Q and a couple decent scenes in amongst a fair bit of dross. Bit of a shame, there IS a potential gem under the surface of this one...







Also,

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

What's left:
TOS Season 1: "Mudd's Women" (story)
TOS Season 3: "The Savage Curtain" (teleplay with Arthur Heinemann, story)
TOS Season 3: "Turnabout Intruder" (story)

 

[Qonundrum]

Saving "The Motion Picture." It's slow, even ponderous, but it's lovely to look at -- and I will never forget how thrilled I was to see it that first time. Star Trek was back, baby!

Aye! The tangible feel to the ships, as if they were legitimately real, is something even "Star Wars" didn't do. And couldn't; its fame was on quantity of ships - which at the time was truly magnificent and awe-inspiring. But Trek one-upped it. A lot of the trickery used to make the f/x scenes holds up extremely well, and even when those with training can see the joins used for the practical f/x, it doesn't matter because the whole of the image is still far more sumptuous than one itty bitty seam showing will do. (The fact ST and SW both hide their f/x flaws so well is a genuine accomplishment, given how every layer of film generation degrades image quality by a tad. At least they weren't shot on videotape!!) The 4K release, needless to say, is "the killer app" or whatever for the pinnacle of home theater viewing. I don't see 8K or higher really worthwhile, if all those TV set size/distance calculators are to be believed. Never mind their energy consumption...

The story is okay as well; it is a partial rehash of some TOS TV scripts, but done better - which counts most. I can't even watch "The Changeling" anymore... The pacing is leisurely, but I've appreciated that more over the years as well. The rabid pacing of today is part of the reason...

Maybe I'm the oddball, but I've always loved "BREAD AND CIRCUSES". It's saved.

I'll take "The Omega Glory" off the board. One that I've loved since childhood. Spooky deserted starship, deadly plague that isn't so deadly after a couple of days planetside, captain's duking it out and the American flag!

The ending was definitely overdone, but to me made more sense when finding out this was apparently one of the original contender scripts for the pilot.

Otherwise, the rest of the story is gripping and taut - terrific mystery, and Morgan Woodard nails it as Captain Nutter there. Great stuff for sure.

 

[BillJ]

“Turnabout Intruder”. Shatner brings the ham with extra cheese in this one. Always a treat.

TOS Season 1: "Mudd's Women" (story)
TOS Season 3: "The Savage Curtain" (teleplay with Arthur Heinemann, story)

 

[Qonundrum]

“Turnabout Intruder”. Shatner brings the ham with extra cheese in this one. Always a treat.

TOS Season 1: "Mudd's Women" (story)
TOS Season 3: "The Savage Curtain" (teleplay with Arthur Heinemann, story)

Shatner and Sandra Smith both turned in impressive performances, making up for a script that didn't consistently know what to discuss - whether Lester was legitimately insane, social commentary on the show's sexism, both, or other. But those performances definitely make this rather more watchable than one other story, which is in the list of the two remaining episodes.

 

[Qonundrum]

I can't decide between TMP, or Datalore.

I'll go with Datalore, as it's a fun episode for Brent Spiner. The subtle differences between Data and Lore are always fun to see on rewatching.

The direction and music are first rate,and Spiner nails it out of the park with Lore's virtual maladjusted psychotic sociopath antics, though the ending where they let Data say a contraction and in turn none of the bridge crew wets their pants over a mistaken belief that it might be Lore is one of season one's worst offenses... given that they're wearing spandex, it's a good thing they didn't (smells cling, yay...)...

 

[Tango]

Saving "The Savage Curtain". Interesting lore in that one and I dislike Mudd episodes.