Game The Most Disliked Episode Written By Joe Menosky

[Seven of Five]

Time's Orphan is definitely a good use of the torture O'Brien bag of tricks. There are some great dramatic scenes between the O'Brien family. Rosalind Chao really brings it when we see Keiko struggling after what happened to Molly.

TNG Season 7: "Interface" (written)
TNG Season 7: "Emergence"(teleplay)
DS9 Season 2: "Rivals" (teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "False Profits" (teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "Future's End, Part I"(written with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 3: "Future's End, Part II"(written with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 3: "Alter Ego" (written)
VOY Season 3: "Darkling" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 4: "Hope and Fear"(teleplay with Brannon Braga, story with Rick Berman and Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 5: "Latent Image"(teleplay, story with Eileen Connors and Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 5: "The Fight" (teleplay)
VOY Season 5: "11:59" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 6: "Good Shepherd"(teleplay with Dianna Gitton)
VOY Season 6: "Unimatrix Zero, Part I” (teleplay with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"(teleplay with Brannon Braga, story withMike Sussman and Brannon Braga)

 

[Qonundrum]

Cue the Little Orphan Annie song, as composed by makers of Monty Python:

DS9 Season 6: "Time's Orphan"(story)​

First thing's first:

The treknobabble explaining this time puddle in the middle of nowhere isn't too bad, but just imagine what sort of exotic goodies are waiting for the Romulans and other empires on other planets in their areas of space? Other issues on how sanitary and tidy the plot points are... they're one thing, but they pale compared to:

KEIKO: Miles, this is our Molly. Just because we missed the last ten years of her life doesn't give us the right to take those ten years away from her.

There are a few problems, unless the point was to get the audience to think into this high-escapade set of hijinx:

1. They were not intended to be missed
2. They never saw Molly2's decade-long timeline
3. Based on how devolved Molly2 acts, she's not caring or recognizing the problems too much
4. And if she had, would she say in sound mind and body that she would WANT TO KEEP THOSE YEARS?!


Granted, the same scene but more complete:

O'BRIEN: We pulled her out ten years too late.
BASHIR: It's a miracle you managed to get her back at all, Miles.
KEIKO: Maybe if you tried again you could pull her out when she was still a little girl.
BASHIR: If you do that, there'll be no one to grow up and become this Molly. You'd be erasing her existence.
O'BRIEN: Yes, but we'll have our Molly back.
KEIKO: Miles, this is our Molly. Just because we missed the last ten years of her life doesn't give us the right to take those ten years away from her.
BASHIR: She's been deprived of human contact for a long time. It's not going to be easy for her to reassimilate. Her language skills are rusty. In fact, you two are the best hope we have of helping her recover them.
KEIKO: She doesn't remember us.
O'BRIEN: She was so scared I doubt she even got a good look at us.
BASHIR: It's possible that she's blocked out all memories of her earlier life in order to cope with her isolation.
KEIKO: So what do we do?
BASHIR: I'm going to keep her under sedation until we get back to Deep Space Nine. I've asked Captain Sisko to create a safe environment for her. He's having one of the cargo bays converted. I want you two to be there with her when she wakes up.
KEIKO: What happens then?
BASHIR: A case like this, there are no rules. We'll just have to feel our way through the process.

Okay, Bashir is mostly pretty cool in this and kudos to Keiko for rationalizing such idiocy, but in dealing with different timelines, it's best for your loved ones to stay in your own timeline. Even Wonderbread Wesley knew that.

I say "mostly" because her existence would not be erased; just the part of her life altered due to the time portal conveniently placed next to that strip mall packed with fast food joints. And in some states, real joints too... Sounds like some in the group there are probably jonesing for some, too... But it's still too early too tell; the moment they see just hold devolved she is, will any of them really want to not change history back? The fact they let her crawl into the portal allowed history to be changed already; the goal here is to restore the timeline. So the entire argument is silly...

Oh, was this before or after the episode where the Pah Wraiths took her over because she's either naive out outright evil in trying to be all like "will shomebodee tink of tee childwen!" to want Molly to suffer like that.

That said, this episode spends most of its time where it needs to, with emotional reaction from the audience - and that's where it shines, in indulging this weird situation and it is very effective. As often with Trek, the plot setups can be way too convenient or contrived, so something else has to make up for it. This episode does.

 

[Oddish]

feel like I'm the only "Time's Arrow" fan. Saving Part I. The only TNG finale/premiere to really deliver after BOBW.

I saved it last time. Love how Data (and the others) ponder his sudden mortality.

My next save is "Future's End part 1". It was fun, watching the crew running around on 1990's Earth.

TNG Season 7: "Interface" (written)
TNG Season 7: "Emergence"(teleplay)
DS9 Season 2: "Rivals" (teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "False Profits" (teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "Future's End, Part II"(written with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 3: "Alter Ego" (written)
VOY Season 3: "Darkling" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 4: "Hope and Fear"(teleplay with Brannon Braga, story with Rick Berman and Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 5: "Latent Image"(teleplay, story with Eileen Connors and Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 5: "The Fight" (teleplay)
VOY Season 5: "11:59" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 6: "Good Shepherd"(teleplay with Dianna Gitton)
VOY Season 6: "Unimatrix Zero, Part I” (teleplay with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"(teleplay with Brannon Braga, story withMike Sussman andBrannon Braga)

 

[Qonundrum]

So I jot ginja'ed:

VOY Season 4: "Hope and Fear"(teleplay with Brannon Braga, story with Rick Berman and Brannon Braga)​

A season finale with no melodramatic cliffhanger.

A season finale that bookends the main Borg arc nicely enough (though they do return later on, of course.)

A season finale that features a being from a race that got assimilated BECAUSE of Janeway (albeit indirectly).

As always, some plot contrivances (on how well Arcturus mimicked Federation technology) aside, and end-of-season issues with not swapping out all the sets once the real ship design is revealed aside, the themes are strong and acting is good. Even the episode being self-aware on the issues of false hopes and the episode plays out seriously - without any postmodern antics - is refreshing, and satisfying, as a season finale.


What's left:
TNG Season 7: "Interface" (written)
TNG Season 7: "Emergence"(teleplay)
DS9 Season 2: "Rivals" (teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "False Profits" (teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "Future's End, Part II"(written with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 3: "Alter Ego" (written)
VOY Season 3: "Darkling" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 5: "Latent Image"(teleplay, story with Eileen Connors and Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 5: "The Fight" (teleplay)
VOY Season 5: "11:59" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 6: "Good Shepherd"(teleplay with Dianna Gitton)
VOY Season 6: "Unimatrix Zero, Part I” (teleplay with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"(teleplay with Brannon Braga, story withMike Sussman and Brannon Braga)

 

[Farscape One]

Saving "RIVALS".

Bashir and O'Brien are always fun together, and Quark helps this episode a lot, too.


TNG Season 7: "Interface" (written)
TNG Season 7: "Emergence"(teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "False Profits" (teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "Future's End, Part II"(written with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 3: "Alter Ego" (written)
VOY Season 3: "Darkling" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 5: "Latent Image"(teleplay, story with Eileen Connors and Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 5: "The Fight" (teleplay)
VOY Season 5: "11:59" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 6: "Good Shepherd"(teleplay with Dianna Gitton)
VOY Season 6: "Unimatrix Zero, Part I” (teleplay with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"(teleplay with Brannon Braga, story withMike Sussman andBrannon Braga)

 

[Sakonna]

They really struggled to make Tuvok interesting, but I think "Alter Ego" is a good hour for him. The scenes with the real Marayna at the end are pretty heartbreaking.

TNG Season 7: "Interface" (written)
TNG Season 7: "Emergence"(teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "False Profits" (teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "Future's End, Part II"(written with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 3: "Darkling" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 5: "Latent Image"(teleplay, story with Eileen Connors and Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 5: "The Fight" (teleplay)
VOY Season 5: "11:59" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 6: "Good Shepherd"(teleplay with Dianna Gitton)
VOY Season 6: "Unimatrix Zero, Part I” (teleplay with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"(teleplay with Brannon Braga, story withMike Sussman andBrannon Braga)

 

[Seven of Five]

I think I saved Latent Image in the season five contest, so I'll save it again. It's still good.

TNG Season 7: "Interface" (written)
TNG Season 7: "Emergence"(teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "False Profits" (teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "Future's End, Part II"(written with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 3: "Darkling" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 5: "The Fight" (teleplay)
VOY Season 5: "11:59" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 6: "Good Shepherd"(teleplay with Dianna Gitton)
VOY Season 6: "Unimatrix Zero, Part I” (teleplay with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"(teleplay with Brannon Braga, story withMike Sussman and Brannon Braga)

 

[Captain's Coffee]

Future's End, Part II I've said it before - time travel episodes are my kryptonite. Also, I really like the villain in this two-parter.

TNG Season 7: "Interface" (written)
TNG Season 7: "Emergence"(teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "False Profits" (teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "Darkling" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 5: "The Fight" (teleplay)
VOY Season 5: "11:59" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 6: "Good Shepherd"(teleplay with Dianna Gitton)
VOY Season 6: "Unimatrix Zero, Part I” (teleplay with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"(teleplay with Brannon Braga, story withMike Sussman and Brannon Braga)

 

[Qonundrum]

One of the few Geordi-specific stories not relying on his unintentionally-creepy romance life:

TNG Season 7: "Interface" (written)​

Perhaps a little low-key in execution, but is not a bad character piece, and who doesn't love Madge Sinclair - who's also known for roles in Star Trek IV, Coming to America, Jim Jones - The Guyana Tragedy, Red Dwarf (USA Pilot), and much more.

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What's left:
TNG Season 7: "Emergence"(teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "False Profits" (teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "Darkling" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 5: "The Fight" (teleplay)
VOY Season 5: "11:59" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 6: "Good Shepherd"(teleplay with Dianna Gitton)
VOY Season 6: "Unimatrix Zero, Part I” (teleplay with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"(teleplay with Brannon Braga, story withMike Sussman and Brannon Braga)

 

[Seven of Five]

I think that TNG's Lower Decks was the better below-decks episode out of the two, yet Good Shepherd has a lot of great scenes in it. The new crewmembers all have interesting quirks, and we see how they might have been lost in Voyager's social structure.

What's left:
TNG Season 7: "Emergence"(teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "False Profits" (teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "Darkling" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 5: "The Fight" (teleplay)
VOY Season 5: "11:59" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 6: "Unimatrix Zero, Part I” (teleplay with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"(teleplay with Brannon Braga, story withMike Sussman and Brannon Braga)

 

[Sakonna]

CHRISTMAS. "11:59"

TNG Season 7: "Emergence"(teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "False Profits" (teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "Darkling" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 5: "The Fight" (teleplay)
VOY Season 6: "Unimatrix Zero, Part I” (teleplay with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"(teleplay with Brannon Braga, story withMike Sussman and Brannon Braga)

 

[Farscape One]

We are officially in the dregs now.

Saving "Emergence" because it was an unusual premise, and it DID give an episode to the most important character of TNG...

The Enterprise.



VOY Season 3: "False Profits" (teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "Darkling" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 5: "The Fight" (teleplay)
VOY Season 6: "Unimatrix Zero, Part I” (teleplay with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"(teleplay with Brannon Braga, story withMike Sussman and Brannon Braga)

 

[Captain's Coffee]

Unimatrix Zero, Part I Janeway, Seven, Borg Queen … I’m content/

VOY Season 3: "False Profits" (teleplay)
VOY Season 3: "Darkling" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 5: "The Fight" (teleplay)
VOY Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"(teleplay with Brannon Braga, story withMike Sussman and Brannon Braga)

 

[Seven of Five]

This is hard. I guess at least False Profits followed up on TNG's The Price, and I tend to like continuity between series. Neelix pretending to be a Ferengi was mildly amusing, too.

VOY Season 3: "Darkling" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 5: "The Fight" (teleplay)
VOY Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"(teleplay with Brannon Braga, story withMike Sussman and Brannon Braga)

 

[Sakonna]

"Unimatrix Zero" is at least kind of fun-stupid. "No Man's Land", the "Picard" audio drama they did with Jeri Ryan and Michelle Hurd, had some fun follow-up on it.

VOY Season 3: "Darkling" (teleplay, story with Brannon Braga)
VOY Season 5: "The Fight" (teleplay)

 

[gweeps]

I pick VOY's 'Darkling.' Robert Picardo is delightfully creepy in this one.

 

[Farscape One]

Frankly, ALL of the final five were worthy winners for different reasons. I actually predicted "FALSE PROFITS" as the winner... fun to be surprised now and then.

 

[Oddish]

So... "The Fight" got beaten up, and Voyager (sidelined after an early lead) scores another win/loss.

 

[Captain's Coffee]

I knew it was almost certainly going to be The Fight that "won" as soon as I saw the list.

So... "The Fight" got beaten up, and Voyager (sidelined after an early lead) scores another win/loss.

To be fair, the list was kind of stacked against VOY on this one, though I do think the most "worthy" contender won

 

[Crewman6]

Not counting Voyager, since every episode of that show was just about equally terrible, I'll go with "Hero Worship" from his TNG/DS9 oeuvre. Man, that one was a stinker!