Game The Most Disliked Penultimate Episode

[BlueStuff]

In Theory always made me laugh - I like Data asking each of the crew in turn how to handle his new romance.

TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses"
TAS Season 1: "The Eye Of The Beholder"
TAS Season 2: "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth"
TNG Season 1: "Conspiracy"
TNG Season 3: "Transfigurations"
DS9 Season 2: "Tribunal"
DS9 Season 7: "The Dogs Of War"
VOY Season 4: "One"
VOY Season 5: "Warhead"
VOY Season 6: "The Haunting Of Deck Twelve"
VOY Season 7: "Renaissance Man"
ENT Season 1: "Two Days And Two Nights"
ENT Season 2: "Bounty"
DIS Season 1: "The War Without, The War Within"
DIS Season 2: "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 1"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Species Ten-C"
ST Season 1: "The Brightest Star"
ST Season 2: "The Girl Who Made The Stars"
PIC Season 1: "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part 1"
PIC Season 2: "Hide And Seek"
LD Season 3: "Trusted Sources"
PRO Season 1: "Supernova, Part 1"
SNW Season 1: "All Those Who Wander"

 

[Farscape One]

I was going to save "WORST CASE SCENARIO" and "In Theory" next. So I'll save "BREAD AND CIRCUSES".

The scene with Spock and McCoy alone in the cell is worth the save.



TAS Season 1: "The Eye Of The Beholder"
TAS Season 2: "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth"
TNG Season 1: "Conspiracy"
TNG Season 3: "Transfigurations"
DS9 Season 2: "Tribunal"
DS9 Season 7: "The Dogs Of War"
VOY Season 4: "One"
VOY Season 5: "Warhead"
VOY Season 6: "The Haunting Of Deck Twelve"
VOY Season 7: "Renaissance Man"
ENT Season 1: "Two Days And Two Nights"
ENT Season 2: "Bounty"
DIS Season 1: "The War Without, The War Within"
DIS Season 2: "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 1"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Species Ten-C"
ST Season 1: "The Brightest Star"
ST Season 2: "The Girl Who Made The Stars"
PIC Season 1: "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part 1"
PIC Season 2: "Hide And Seek"
LD Season 3: "Trusted Sources"
PRO Season 1: "Supernova, Part 1"
SNW Season 1: "All Those Who Wander"

 

[Sumire]

I’m saving Lower Decks’ Trusted Sources.

Spoiler

Mariner reveals she’s the softie at heart we’ve always suspected she is. The gang shows their closeness in rejecting orders and letting Mariner know they support her. The set up for the finale is exquisite too. I love the finale but it needs this build up to stick its landing.

TAS Season 1: "The Eye Of The Beholder"
TAS Season 2: "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth"
TNG Season 1: "Conspiracy"
TNG Season 3: "Transfigurations"
DS9 Season 2: "Tribunal"
DS9 Season 7: "The Dogs Of War"
VOY Season 4: "One"
VOY Season 5: "Warhead"
VOY Season 6: "The Haunting Of Deck Twelve"
VOY Season 7: "Renaissance Man"
ENT Season 1: "Two Days And Two Nights"
ENT Season 2: "Bounty"
DIS Season 1: "The War Without, The War Within"
DIS Season 2: "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 1"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Species Ten-C"
ST Season 1: "The Brightest Star"
ST Season 2: "The Girl Who Made The Stars"
PIC Season 1: "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part 1"
PIC Season 2: "Hide And Seek"
PRO Season 1: "Supernova, Part 1"
SNW Season 1: "All Those Who Wander"

 

[Seven of Five]

I'll save The Dogs of War, which nicely sets up What You Leave Behind, after also putting actually decent end to the Ferengi.

TAS Season 1: "The Eye Of The Beholder"
TAS Season 2: "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth"
TNG Season 1: "Conspiracy"
TNG Season 3: "Transfigurations"
DS9 Season 2: "Tribunal"
VOY Season 4: "One"
VOY Season 5: "Warhead"
VOY Season 6: "The Haunting Of Deck Twelve"
VOY Season 7: "Renaissance Man"
ENT Season 1: "Two Days And Two Nights"
ENT Season 2: "Bounty"
DIS Season 1: "The War Without, The War Within"
DIS Season 2: "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 1"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Species Ten-C"
ST Season 1: "The Brightest Star"
ST Season 2: "The Girl Who Made The Stars"
PIC Season 1: "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part 1"
PIC Season 2: "Hide And Seek"
PRO Season 1: "Supernova, Part 1"
SNW Season 1: "All Those Who Wander"

 

[Farscape One]

Saving "All Those Who Wander".

Spoiler

Great episode with a great horror feel. I was very, very sad Hemmer was killed. But he died like a hero.

TAS Season 1: "The Eye Of The Beholder"
TAS Season 2: "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth"
TNG Season 1: "Conspiracy"
TNG Season 3: "Transfigurations"
DS9 Season 2: "Tribunal"
VOY Season 4: "One"
VOY Season 5: "Warhead"
VOY Season 6: "The Haunting Of Deck Twelve"
VOY Season 7: "Renaissance Man"
ENT Season 1: "Two Days And Two Nights"
ENT Season 2: "Bounty"
DIS Season 1: "The War Without, The War Within"
DIS Season 2: "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 1"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Species Ten-C"
ST Season 1: "The Brightest Star"
ST Season 2: "The Girl Who Made The Stars"
PIC Season 1: "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part 1"
PIC Season 2: "Hide And Seek"
PRO Season 1: "Supernova, Part 1"

 

[Sumire]

I’m saving Prodigy’s Supernova, Part 1.

Spoiler

The Living Construct‘s activation is such a tension-filled moment! Then the universal translator goes down! Gwyn steps up in an amazing scene and gives a truly stirring speech.

"Because in the infinite of space, everyone needs to know there is a place out there willing to accept us all, no matter how different we think we are. Without Starfleet, the Federation crumbles, and that dream dies with it. If they've ever helped you as they helped us, then hear my words. Allies, civilians, outsiders, anyone. Starfleet needs you now, or it will not survive."

TAS Season 1: "The Eye Of The Beholder"
TAS Season 2: "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth"
TNG Season 1: "Conspiracy"
TNG Season 3: "Transfigurations"
DS9 Season 2: "Tribunal"
VOY Season 4: "One"
VOY Season 5: "Warhead"
VOY Season 6: "The Haunting Of Deck Twelve"
VOY Season 7: "Renaissance Man"
ENT Season 1: "Two Days And Two Nights"
ENT Season 2: "Bounty"
DIS Season 1: "The War Without, The War Within"
DIS Season 2: "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 1"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Species Ten-C"
ST Season 1: "The Brightest Star"
ST Season 2: "The Girl Who Made The Stars"
PIC Season 1: "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part 1"
PIC Season 2: "Hide And Seek"

 

[tomalak301]

I'm saving DS9's Tribual for almost the same reason why I saved Preemptive Strike. It was more universe building and Obrian episodes are always fun. I also loved the judge and the advocate.


TAS Season 1: "The Eye Of The Beholder"
TAS Season 2: "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth"
TNG Season 1: "Conspiracy"
TNG Season 3: "Transfigurations"
VOY Season 4: "One"
VOY Season 5: "Warhead"
VOY Season 6: "The Haunting Of Deck Twelve"
VOY Season 7: "Renaissance Man"
ENT Season 1: "Two Days And Two Nights"
ENT Season 2: "Bounty"
DIS Season 1: "The War Without, The War Within"
DIS Season 2: "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 1"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Species Ten-C"
ST Season 1: "The Brightest Star"
ST Season 2: "The Girl Who Made The Stars"
PIC Season 1: "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part 1"
PIC Season 2: "Hide And Seek"

 

[Farscape One]

Saving "Conspiracy".

Always loved this one. Horror and creepiness are everywhere here. This episode DEMANDED a followup.


TAS Season 1: "The Eye Of The Beholder"
TAS Season 2: "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth"
TNG Season 3: "Transfigurations"
VOY Season 4: "One"
VOY Season 5: "Warhead"
VOY Season 6: "The Haunting Of Deck Twelve"
VOY Season 7: "Renaissance Man"
ENT Season 1: "Two Days And Two Nights"
ENT Season 2: "Bounty"
DIS Season 1: "The War Without, The War Within"
DIS Season 2: "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 1"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Species Ten-C"
ST Season 1: "The Brightest Star"
ST Season 2: "The Girl Who Made The Stars"
PIC Season 1: "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part 1"
PIC Season 2: "Hide And Seek"

 

[Seven of Five]

Species Ten-C were such a fascinating creation by the DIS writers, and the mission to seek them out and make peaceful first contact with them was a (mostly) great arc in S4. The episode named after them really delivered the goods.

TAS Season 1: "The Eye Of The Beholder"
TAS Season 2: "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth"
TNG Season 3: "Transfigurations"
VOY Season 4: "One"
VOY Season 5: "Warhead"
VOY Season 6: "The Haunting Of Deck Twelve"
VOY Season 7: "Renaissance Man"
ENT Season 1: "Two Days And Two Nights"
ENT Season 2: "Bounty"
DIS Season 1: "The War Without, The War Within"
DIS Season 2: "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 1"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide...
ST Season 1: "The Brightest Star"
ST Season 2: "The Girl Who Made The Stars"
PIC Season 1: "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part 1"
PIC Season 2: "Hide And Seek"

 

[Orac Zen]

Voyager season 4, "One".

Ryan and Picardo. What more need be said?

TAS Season 1: "The Eye Of The Beholder"
TAS Season 2: "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth"
TNG Season 3: "Transfigurations"
VOY Season 5: "Warhead"
VOY Season 6: "The Haunting Of Deck Twelve"
VOY Season 7: "Renaissance Man"
ENT Season 1: "Two Days And Two Nights"
ENT Season 2: "Bounty"
DIS Season 1: "The War Without, The War Within"
DIS Season 2: "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 1"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
DIS Season 4: "Species Ten-C"
ST Season 1: "The Brightest Star"
ST Season 2: "The Girl Who Made The Stars"
PIC Season 1: "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part 1"
PIC Season 2: "Hide And Seek"

 

[Smiley]

I will save "The Eye of the Beholder" from TAS. There's a lot of fun action, there are some parallels to "The Cage," and those aliens who run the place are just adorable.

TAS Season 2: "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth"
TNG Season 3: "Transfigurations"
VOY Season 5: "Warhead"
VOY Season 6: "The Haunting Of Deck Twelve"
VOY Season 7: "Renaissance Man"
ENT Season 1: "Two Days And Two Nights"
ENT Season 2: "Bounty"
DIS Season 1: "The War Without, The War Within"
DIS Season 2: "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 1"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
ST Season 1: "The Brightest Star"
ST Season 2: "The Girl Who Made The Stars"
PIC Season 1: "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part 1"
PIC Season 2: "Hide And Seek"

 

[Oddish]

Not a lot left here, but VOY's "The Haunting of Deck Twelve" has some good moments. The opening "Voyager goes dark" sequence is actually pretty well played. And I enjoyed the campfire scenes, too.

TAS Season 2: "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth"
TNG Season 3: "Transfigurations"
VOY Season 5: "Warhead"
VOY Season 7: "Renaissance Man"
ENT Season 1: "Two Days And Two Nights"
ENT Season 2: "Bounty"
DIS Season 1: "The War Without, The War Within"
DIS Season 2: "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 1"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
ST Season 1: "The Brightest Star"
ST Season 2: "The Girl Who Made The Stars"
PIC Season 1: "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part1"
PIC Season 2: "Hide And Seek"

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

I'll save DIS Season 2: "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 1" for being half of one of my favourite two-parters. It's not the half where all the action goes down, but it does the important work of setting it up.

TAS Season 2: "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth"
TNG Season 3: "Transfigurations"
VOY Season 5: "Warhead"
VOY Season 7: "Renaissance Man"
ENT Season 1: "Two Days And Two Nights"
ENT Season 2: "Bounty"
DIS Season 1: "The War Without, The War Within"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
ST Season 1: "The Brightest Star"
ST Season 2: "The Girl Who Made The Stars"
PIC Season 1: "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part1"
PIC Season 2: "Hide And Seek"

 

[Seven of Five]

Two Days and Two Nights was a pretty decent light episode. The Trip/Reed thread was the funniest.

TAS Season 2: "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth"
TNG Season 3: "Transfigurations"
VOY Season 5: "Warhead"
VOY Season 7: "Renaissance Man"
ENT Season 2: "Bounty"
DIS Season 1: "The War Without, The War Within"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
ST Season 1: "The Brightest Star"
ST Season 2: "The Girl Who Made The Stars"
PIC Season 1: "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part1"
PIC Season 2: "Hide And Seek"

 

[Sakonna]

I like "Hide And Seek",

Spoiler

but the Jurati/Queen material in particular is outstanding.

I remain surprised how plausibly Picard season 2 managed to turn "assimilation" and "killed in a bar fight" into happy endings for Jurati and Rios.

TAS Season 2: "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth"
TNG Season 3: "Transfigurations"
VOY Season 5: "Warhead"
VOY Season 7: "Renaissance Man"
ENT Season 2: "Bounty"
DIS Season 1: "The War Without, The War Within"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
ST Season 1: "The Brightest Star"
ST Season 2: "The Girl Who Made The Stars"
PIC Season 1: "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part 1"

 

[tomalak301]

I'm going with The Brightest Star next. This episode lead into probably my favorite storyline of Season 2 and further development of Saru's character. One could say it was the pivitol moment of Saru's development so far.

TAS Season 2: "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth"
TNG Season 3: "Transfigurations"
VOY Season 5: "Warhead"
VOY Season 7: "Renaissance Man"
ENT Season 2: "Bounty"
DIS Season 1: "The War Without, The War Within"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
ST Season 2: "The Girl Who Made The Stars"
PIC Season 1: "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part 1"

 

[Qonundrum]

It's more bland than anything, but...

TNG Season 3: "Transfigurations"

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It features a dude who regenerates.

It features a set that is reminiscent of a TARDIS.

It has an allegorical theme that isn't too obscured, but to me obscurity is half the fun as well.

It reminds of the glory days of TOS when alien species wore tight sweatpants to save on budget. Norman had more personality, though.

It has Worf breaking his back, and without a stupid magical subplot involving redun-- oh, wait... this one's got magical corny shtick too as well, but it's not as glaringly awful.

It's an oddball of an episode. I oddly love it despite it feeling low-key, even without the impending season finale that approacheth next week...




What's left:
TAS Season 2: "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth"
VOY Season 5: "Warhead"
VOY Season 7: "Renaissance Man"
ENT Season 2: "Bounty"
DIS Season 1: "The War Without, The War Within"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
ST Season 2: "The Girl Who Made The Stars"
PIC Season 1: "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part 1"

 

[Orac Zen]

Voyager season 5, "Warhead".

An episode with an interesting idea that was well executed. Kim wasn't annoying for once, which was pleasant.

TAS Season 2: "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth"
TNG Season 3: "Transfigurations"
VOY Season 7: "Renaissance Man"
ENT Season 2: "Bounty"
DIS Season 1: "The War Without, The War Within"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
ST Season 2: "The Girl Who Made The Stars"
PIC Season 1: "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part 1"

 

[Qonundrum]

I always thought that penultimate slot had an unusually high concentration of peaks and valleys, and this list seems to prove that. A surprising number of all-time favorites on here.

I'm not often moved to save TOS, but I'll start with "All Our Yesterdays." I just love this one, it's such an odd but well-done idea. And it's dying planet setting is the perfect match for that TOS energy and vibe. I also think it's a great Spock story.

About my only complaint is that for the 2nd to last ep of the series, Uhura, Chekhov, and Sulu are completely benched, and Scotty just has a bit of voiceover. But, that was always my overall complaint about TOS -- it would have been greatly strengthened by being more of an ensemble.

It's a gem. Jean Lisette Aroeste puts in a cracking, refreshing script that doesn't feel like "last drawn out entry of a last season of a show everyone stopped caring about." It has a couple quibbles, but even the worst can arguably be explained*. How Spock "devolves" is subtly and suitably done. Jean definitely knew how to handle Spock and Bones. kirk too. The ending we sorta knew from the start would go "boom", but that wasn't the point. The structure of the story readily sells the drama and sense of threat and is well composed. Definitely a must-see episode.


* only Spock devolves due to the de-evolution, presumably brought about by not being processed by the Atavachron. Nobody else devolved, maybe it's a Vulcan-centric issue and I'll buy into that, though what might it have been if McCoy and Kirk started devolving too? A missed opportunity, but that would impede the pacing - which this episode handles beautifully.

Arrived late, best ones gone, but I will save "Worst Case Scenario", a fave of mine. The first half anyway... the second deteriorated into another "holodeck malfunctions and people are in real danger" plot. Still, the first half alone makes it worth a pass.

WCS does drop the ball, perhaps too quickly, and the more the episode goes on the more the contrivances beg the viewer to get annoyed. But it doesn't quite fall apart despite it all.

I'm going to save DS9's The Sound Of Her Voice.
This episode always struck a cord with me. The way that during a time of high stress, the crew is daring to show how vunerable and hurt they are. How they feel they are cracking. And how a connection with a person they never really knew, connects them again. I loved that.
I also really loved that short little shuttle bay CGI.

A great setup and execution, it's topped with an ending that's a real belter. On an initial viewing (spoiler alert for a 30-something year-old show ), the twist that there's a Temporal Treknobabble that has the sole survivor in a one-way different time frame whatever and, in Sisko/O'brien's timeline she's been long since dead**... Debra Wilson puts in a performance earning much respect. She instills humor into her character, but without doing what many comedic actors might do and go over the top. I wanted to see her character at the end... but compared to other shows where hack writers set up a character we want to love and then kill 'em off for a cheap shot (often surrounded with a big f/x piece with loud muzak), Lisa Cusak's backstory and fate definitely feel earned and definitely do not feel cheap. This episode is proper robust writing and casting. The fact they held off the treknobabble until the end must have been a conscious decision. It is well-timed and presented, making it more than the sum of its parts.

Lastly, the story's title always reminds me of a song with a not-too-dissimilar title:

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Yes, I'm weird.

** dayum, that was a brutal twist, to cut a story short...

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(oops, I did it again...)

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

DIS Season 1: "The War Without, The War Within" was like a breather in between the Mirror Universe arc and the finale, but that's not a bad thing, and it was nice to get back to the main plot again after so long.

TAS Season 2: "How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth"
VOY Season 7: "Renaissance Man"
ENT Season 2: "Bounty"
DIS Season 3: "There Is A Tide..."
ST Season 2: "The Girl Who Made The Stars"
PIC Season 1: "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part 1"