Game The Most Disliked Prime Directive Episode/Movie

I always have a good time with the Hirogen, and so "The Killing Game, Part II" is saved. I really respect just how BONKERS this two-parter goes. It's a much more successful execution of the same "mega-holodeck episode" impulse that birthed the inferior "Emergence" over on TNG.

I am so into Voyager lately.

TOS Season 1: "The Return Of The Archons"
TOS Season 1: "A Taste Of Armageddon"
TOS Season 2: "The Apple"
TOS Season 2: "Friday's Child"
TOS Season 2: "A Piece Of The Action"
TOS Season 2: "A Private Little War"
TOS Season 2: "Patterns Of Force"
TOS Season 2: "The Omega Glory"
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses"
TOS Season 3: "The Paradise Syndrome"
TOS Season 3: "The Cloud Minders"
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG Season 1: "Justice"
TNG Season 1: "Angel One"
TNG Season 1: "Too Short A Season"
TNG Season 2: "Pen Pals"
TNG Season 3: "The Hunted"
TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society"
TNG Season 7: "Homeward"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 1: "Emissary"
DS9 Season 1: "Battle Lines"
DS9 Season 3: "The Siege"
DS9 Season 5: "Rapture"
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again"
VOY Season 1: "State Of Flux"
VOY Season 2: "Alliances"
VOY Season 3: "False Profits"
VOY Season 5: "Thirty Days"
VOY Season 5: "Equinox, Part I"
VOY Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY Season 7: "Flesh And Blood"
ENT Season 1: "Dear Doctor"
ENT Season 2: "The Communicator"
DIS Season 1: "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum"

 

The ending is absurdly stupid, but

TNG Season 2: "Pen Pals"​

Is otherwise a proper foray into TNG's view of the PD and with great arguments from both sides.

Especially as it allowed Data and Pulaski to agree on something, but for very distinct and character-relevant reasons in a fantastic scene. There's much I loved about this episode.

That said, the ending with the magic shell would probably render that brainwash'n'rinsing by Dr Pulaski moot as exposition tells us she's never done this operation on Sarjenka's life form before. It's like writer Hannah Louise Shearer was hoping for a sequel. The plot is strong enough to warrant it. (Wasn't there a TNG novel that featured her and hating Picard or something?) And that's the only part of the story that feels contrived. Unlike others...


What's left:

TOS Season 1: "The Return Of The Archons"
TOS Season 1: "A Taste Of Armageddon"
TOS Season 2: "The Apple"
TOS Season 2: "Friday's Child"
TOS Season 2: "A Piece Of The Action"
TOS Season 2: "A Private Little War"
TOS Season 2: "Patterns Of Force"
TOS Season 2: "The Omega Glory"
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses"
TOS Season 3: "The Paradise Syndrome"
TOS Season 3: "The Cloud Minders"
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG Season 1: "Justice"
TNG Season 1: "Angel One"
TNG Season 1: "Too Short A Season"
TNG Season 3: "The Hunted"
TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society"
TNG Season 7: "Homeward"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 1: "Emissary"
DS9 Season 1: "Battle Lines"
DS9 Season 3: "The Siege"
DS9 Season 5: "Rapture"
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again"
VOY Season 1: "State Of Flux"
VOY Season 2: "Alliances"
VOY Season 3: "False Profits"
VOY Season 5: "Thirty Days"
VOY Season 5: "Equinox, Part I"
VOY Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY Season 7: "Flesh And Blood"
ENT Season 1: "Dear Doctor"
ENT Season 2: "The Communicator"
DIS Season 1: "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum"

 

Trek has a history of using Latin, and I can't think of a single instance where it doesn't come across as being pretentious... But if instead we used pig-latin...

Owhay Atchesway Ethay Atchersway

Now there's some panache and style!

 

"A Piece of the Action" was just plain fun, and one of Trek's rare successful forays into comedy. Looking for a "winner" in this round? I'd advise youse to keep dialin', Oxmyx.

TOS Season 1: "The Return Of The Archons"
TOS Season 1: "A Taste Of Armageddon"
TOS Season 2: "The Apple"
TOS Season 2: "Friday's Child"
TOS Season 2: "A Private Little War"
TOS Season 2: "Patterns Of Force"
TOS Season 2: "The Omega Glory"
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses"
TOS Season 3: "The Paradise Syndrome"
TOS Season 3: "The Cloud Minders"
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG Season 1: "Justice"
TNG Season 1: "Angel One"
TNG Season 1: "Too Short A Season"
TNG Season 3: "The Hunted"
TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society"
TNG Season 7: "Homeward"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 1: "Emissary"
DS9 Season 1: "Battle Lines"
DS9 Season 3: "The Siege"
DS9 Season 5: "Rapture"
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again"
VOY Season 1: "State Of Flux"
VOY Season 2: "Alliances"
VOY Season 3: "False Profits"
VOY Season 5: "Thirty Days"
VOY Season 5: "Equinox, Part I"
VOY Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY Season 7: "Flesh And Blood"
ENT Season 1: "Dear Doctor"
ENT Season 2: "The Communicator"
DIS Season 1: "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum"

 

Might as well the concluding part of the trilogy - The Siege.

Sisko's guerilla tactics against the Circle are fascinating to watch, whilst Kira and Dax flying by the seat of their pants always cracks me up.

I wish Li Nalas had been allowed to survive, as he could have been a great character to have around.

TOS Season 1: "The Return Of The Archons"
TOS Season 1: "A Taste Of Armageddon"
TOS Season 2: "The Apple"
TOS Season 2: "Friday's Child"
TOS Season 2: "A Private Little War"
TOS Season 2: "Patterns Of Force"
TOS Season 2: "The Omega Glory"
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses"
TOS Season 3: "The Paradise Syndrome"
TOS Season 3: "The Cloud Minders"
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG Season 1: "Justice"
TNG Season 1: "Angel One"
TNG Season 1: "Too Short A Season"
TNG Season 3: "The Hunted"
TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society"
TNG Season 7: "Homeward"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 1: "Emissary"
DS9 Season 1: "Battle Lines"
DS9 Season 5: "Rapture"
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again"
VOY Season 1: "State Of Flux"
VOY Season 2: "Alliances"
VOY Season 3: "False Profits"
VOY Season 5: "Thirty Days"
VOY Season 5: "Equinox, Part I"
VOY Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY Season 7: "Flesh And Blood"
ENT Season 1: "Dear Doctor"
ENT Season 2: "The Communicator"
DIS Season 1: "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum"

 

VOY Season 5: "Thirty Days"
This was a good episode for Tom Paris and I thought it served to reinforce some of his better qualities by way of him breaking the Prime Directive and yet again letting his emotions take control. One thing you can say for Paris is that he's generally accountable for his actions, even though he may not always apply the lessons learned from his past transgressions. The marine world was also cool-looking...

TOS Season 1: "The Return Of The Archons"
TOS Season 1: "A Taste Of Armageddon"
TOS Season 2: "The Apple"
TOS Season 2: "Friday's Child"
TOS Season 2: "A Private Little War"
TOS Season 2: "Patterns Of Force"
TOS Season 2: "The Omega Glory"
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses"
TOS Season 3: "The Paradise Syndrome"
TOS Season 3: "The Cloud Minders"
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG Season 1: "Justice"
TNG Season 1: "Angel One"
TNG Season 1: "Too Short A Season"
TNG Season 3: "The Hunted"
TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society"
TNG Season 7: "Homeward"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 1: "Emissary"
DS9 Season 1: "Battle Lines"
DS9 Season 5: "Rapture"
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again"
VOY Season 1: "State Of Flux"
VOY Season 2: "Alliances"
VOY Season 3: "False Profits"
VOY Season 5: "Equinox, Part I"
VOY Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY Season 7: "Flesh And Blood"
ENT Season 1: "Dear Doctor"
ENT Season 2: "The Communicator"
DIS Season 1: "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum"

 

It's a real mixed bag, but the high concept sci-fi/horror elements in

TOS Season 2: "The Omega Glory"​

More than make up for what ended up being the cheesiest "Earth parallel" subplot by far. (At least the gangster episode had the species being awed by a book and didn't recreate - identically - an entire historical document by pure chance. A tree full of monkeys would be more likely able to reproduce Shakespeare's entire library. Or second-cheesiest, given the exposition accorded the Nazi episode that most audiences aren't going to nitpick since many also mistake songs in the third person (think "Money for Nothing", Dire Straits, 1985) as being first person as well... even then, selling the story about order and the Ekosians coming up with a Nazi-like style as opposed to Captain Gill giving them a book on the Nazis and they did it in total mimicry... facepalm)

What's left:

TOS Season 1: "The Return Of The Archons"
TOS Season 1: "A Taste Of Armageddon"
TOS Season 2: "The Apple"
TOS Season 2: "Friday's Child"
TOS Season 2: "A Private Little War"
TOS Season 2: "Patterns Of Force"
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses"
TOS Season 3: "The Paradise Syndrome"
TOS Season 3: "The Cloud Minders"
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG Season 1: "Justice"
TNG Season 1: "Angel One"
TNG Season 1: "Too Short A Season"
TNG Season 3: "The Hunted"
TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society"
TNG Season 7: "Homeward"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 1: "Emissary"
DS9 Season 1: "Battle Lines"
DS9 Season 5: "Rapture"
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again"
VOY Season 1: "State Of Flux"
VOY Season 2: "Alliances"
VOY Season 3: "False Profits"
VOY Season 5: "Equinox, Part I"
VOY Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY Season 7: "Flesh And Blood"
ENT Season 1: "Dear Doctor"
ENT Season 2: "The Communicator"
DIS Season 1: "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum"

 

Saving "DEAR DOCTOR".

While the ending may leave some questions, I like the format of the episode... a letter to a colleague. Phlox was a great character, not used as much as he could have. Especially given we have never seen a Denobulan before ENTERPRISE. Blank canvas and all.

And it was nice to see him trust in Archer. They both earned each other's respect and trust by this point, but it's still good to see it said out loud.

What's left:

TOS Season 1: "The Return Of The Archons"
TOS Season 1: "A Taste Of Armageddon"
TOS Season 2: "The Apple"
TOS Season 2: "Friday's Child"
TOS Season 2: "A Private Little War"
TOS Season 2: "Patterns Of Force"
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses"
TOS Season 3: "The Paradise Syndrome"
TOS Season 3: "The Cloud Minders"
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG Season 1: "Justice"
TNG Season 1: "Angel One"
TNG Season 1: "Too Short A Season"
TNG Season 3: "The Hunted"
TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society"
TNG Season 7: "Homeward"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 1: "Emissary"
DS9 Season 1: "Battle Lines"
DS9 Season 5: "Rapture"
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again"
VOY Season 1: "State Of Flux"
VOY Season 2: "Alliances"
VOY Season 3: "False Profits"
VOY Season 5: "Equinox, Part I"
VOY Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY Season 7: "Flesh And Blood"
ENT Season 2: "The Communicator"
DIS Season 1: "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum"

 

Saving "A Taste of Armageddon," a terrific anti-war analogy. And one both timely -- it first aired during the Vietnam War -- and timeless. If a war has negligible effect on peoples' day-to-day life, where's the pressure to end it? Kirk's bold action is the best chance these people have to stop dying for a dubious cause. I'd question whether it's even a violation of the Prime Directive, actually: as the landing party has been taken hostage and Eminiar is trying to lure the crew down to kill them, we're looking at acts of war.

Props for an entirely competent security yeoman, and an ambassador who ultimately proves capable of learning.

TOS Season 1: "The Return Of The Archons"
TOS Season 2: "The Apple"
TOS Season 2: "Friday's Child"
TOS Season 2: "A Private Little War"
TOS Season 2: "Patterns Of Force"
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses"
TOS Season 3: "The Paradise Syndrome"
TOS Season 3: "The Cloud Minders"
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG Season 1: "Justice"
TNG Season 1: "Angel One"
TNG Season 1: "Too Short A Season"
TNG Season 3: "The Hunted"
TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society"
TNG Season 7: "Homeward"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 1: "Emissary"
DS9 Season 1: "Battle Lines"
DS9 Season 5: "Rapture"
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again"
VOY Season 1: "State Of Flux"
VOY Season 2: "Alliances"
VOY Season 3: "False Profits"
VOY Season 5: "Equinox, Part I"
VOY Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY Season 7: "Flesh And Blood"
ENT Season 2: "The Communicator"
DIS Season 1: "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum"

 

Out of the episodes left, Emissary is by far the best. I've never really thought of it as a "Prime Directive" episode though personally - though I suppose I see how the Federation can't just interfere in local events willy nilly. Still, it's a great episode - arguably the best pilot that Star Trek has ever done, in that it both introduces all of the characters as well as provides a coherent initial character arc for Sisko as the main of the series.

TOS Season 1: "The Return Of The Archons"
TOS Season 2: "The Apple"
TOS Season 2: "Friday's Child"
TOS Season 2: "A Private Little War"
TOS Season 2: "Patterns Of Force"
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses"
TOS Season 3: "The Paradise Syndrome"
TOS Season 3: "The Cloud Minders"
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG Season 1: "Justice"
TNG Season 1: "Angel One"
TNG Season 1: "Too Short A Season"
TNG Season 3: "The Hunted"
TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society"
TNG Season 7: "Homeward"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 1: "Battle Lines"
DS9 Season 5: "Rapture"
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again"
VOY Season 1: "State Of Flux"
VOY Season 2: "Alliances"
VOY Season 3: "False Profits"
VOY Season 5: "Equinox, Part I"
VOY Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY Season 7: "Flesh And Blood"
ENT Season 2: "The Communicator"
DIS Season 1: "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum"

 

I'll save TOS Season 1: "The Return Of The Archons". First case where we learn that computer run lives in stagnation are exempt from the prime directive. A "can't miss" episode where Kirk uses the logic trap to talk his first computer to death.
Remaining:
TOS Season 2: "The Apple"
TOS Season 2: "Friday's Child"
TOS Season 2: "A Private Little War"
TOS Season 2: "Patterns Of Force"
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses"
TOS Season 3: "The Paradise Syndrome"
TOS Season 3: "The Cloud Minders"
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG Season 1: "Justice"
TNG Season 1: "Angel One"
TNG Season 1: "Too Short A Season"
TNG Season 3: "The Hunted"
TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society"
TNG Season 7: "Homeward"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 1: "Battle Lines"
DS9 Season 5: "Rapture"
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again"
VOY Season 1: "State Of Flux"
VOY Season 2: "Alliances"
VOY Season 3: "False Profits"
VOY Season 5: "Equinox, Part I"
VOY Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY Season 7: "Flesh And Blood"
ENT Season 2: "The Communicator"
DIS Season 1: "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum"

 

DS9’s “Rapture” is definitely my favourite on the list and for me marked the beginning of DS9’s golden era; that being the stretch of episodes from “Rapture” to “You Are Cordially Invited”. It’s just a beautiful episode, subtle, nuanced and genuinely surprising, well written and performed, and quite different to anything I’d ever seen on Trek before. Also a nice exploration of faith with so many wonderful scenes. It even helped humanise Kai Winn, for a brief time anyway.

TOS Season 2: "The Apple"
TOS Season 2: "Friday's Child"
TOS Season 2: "A Private Little War"
TOS Season 2: "Patterns Of Force"
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses"
TOS Season 3: "The Paradise Syndrome"
TOS Season 3: "The Cloud Minders"
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG Season 1: "Justice"
TNG Season 1: "Angel One"
TNG Season 1: "Too Short A Season"
TNG Season 3: "The Hunted"
TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society"
TNG Season 7: "Homeward"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 1: "Battle Lines”
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again"
VOY Season 1: "State Of Flux"
VOY Season 2: "Alliances"
VOY Season 3: "False Profits"
VOY Season 5: "Equinox, Part I"
VOY Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY Season 7: "Flesh And Blood"
ENT Season 2: "The Communicator"
DIS Season 1: "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum"

 

Since a 15-way tie is impossible and we might not get there until a day or so,

TOS Season 2: "Friday's Child"​

is saved. (re-read that using a simulated vocal inflection of Charles Nelson Reilly. The dude ruled...)

It must have been really jarring in 1967, it still packs a punch today - if not for the same reasons. Yes, the setup is contrived (the great Kirk would not fill in his senior officers about a sensitive situation and bring down rookie security dude, who of course is Quick Draw McGraw and gets boinked and thus risk the entire mission. For a self-enveloped 49 minute story that spent more time on other things, something had to give. And a 2-parter where the B-plot involves a mysterious cootie that konks out only those wearing red uniforms yet it's not from the dye used in the shirts' fabrication having been made from an exotic alien beetle whose squished innards are toxic and deadly to humans and McCoy has 47 minutes 47 seconds left to make an antidote...

That and the title triggers old memories of "Saturday's Child", a silly song from the 1960s.
By the seashore.

What's left:

TOS Season 2: "The Apple"
TOS Season 2: "A Private Little War"
TOS Season 2: "Patterns Of Force"
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses"
TOS Season 3: "The Paradise Syndrome"
TOS Season 3: "The Cloud Minders"
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG Season 1: "Justice"
TNG Season 1: "Angel One"
TNG Season 1: "Too Short A Season"
TNG Season 3: "The Hunted"
TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society"
TNG Season 7: "Homeward"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 1: "Battle Lines”
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again"
VOY Season 1: "State Of Flux"
VOY Season 2: "Alliances"
VOY Season 3: "False Profits"
VOY Season 5: "Equinox, Part I"
VOY Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY Season 7: "Flesh And Blood"
ENT Season 2: "The Communicator"
DIS Season 1: "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum"

 

"State of Flux" was a well-written and well-played mystery, with Tuvok and Chakotay -- a terrific doubles act, btw -- intelligent and thorough as investigators. Beltran does a great job at portraying Chakotay's stubborn integrity, despite his obvious internal conflict, and Martha Hackett is both passionate and calculating as Seska. The two of them make another great doubles act. This episode was one of Voyager's better early efforts.

TOS Season 2: "The Apple"
TOS Season 2: "A Private Little War"
TOS Season 2: "Patterns Of Force"
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses"
TOS Season 3: "The Paradise Syndrome"
TOS Season 3: "The Cloud Minders"
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG Season 1: "Justice"
TNG Season 1: "Angel One"
TNG Season 1: "Too Short A Season"
TNG Season 3: "The Hunted"
TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society"
TNG Season 7: "Homeward"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 1: "Battle Lines”
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again"
VOY Season 2: "Alliances"
VOY Season 3: "False Profits"
VOY Season 5: "Equinox, Part I"
VOY Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY Season 7: "Flesh And Blood"
ENT Season 2: "The Communicator"
DIS Season 1: "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum"

 

"The Hunted" has been hunted out of this list.

A nice story about veterans. Danar was a well thought out character... not violent unless actually attacked, intelligent, very articulate. Not even a bad guy. He just got shafted by his own government, something a LOT of people can relate to in any decade.

And the tactics game, both times... really, really superb. The crew did everything right, but still got outfoxed. It's not often we see them do all the right things and still lose.

And the great moment... Picard telling the minister off at the end. Quite satisfying. That guy was a douche. (Well played by James Cromwell.)

TOS Season 2: "The Apple"
TOS Season 2: "A Private Little War"
TOS Season 2: "Patterns Of Force"
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses"
TOS Season 3: "The Paradise Syndrome"
TOS Season 3: "The Cloud Minders"
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG Season 1: "Justice"
TNG Season 1: "Angel One"
TNG Season 1: "Too Short A Season"
TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society"
TNG Season 7: "Homeward"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 1: "Battle Lines”
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again"
VOY Season 2: "Alliances"
VOY Season 3: "False Profits"
VOY Season 5: "Equinox, Part I"
VOY Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY Season 7: "Flesh And Blood"
ENT Season 2: "The Communicator"
DIS Season 1: "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum"

 

Alliances would have been a great episode with a slightly different ending. It didn't sit well with me that after going to so much effort to try and work with the Kazon, Janeway is suddenly dismissive and recommends doing things the Starfleet way, instantly going against everything she says in the beginning of the episode about being alone in the Delta Quadrant and how tough it was.

I do like this look into the Kazon though, and it had a great pace. On the whole, when I rewatch, I do look forward to this episode. It's just a sign of VOY's weaknesses that they couldn't quite commit to going a different path.

TOS Season 2: "The Apple"
TOS Season 2: "A Private Little War"
TOS Season 2: "Patterns Of Force"
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses"
TOS Season 3: "The Paradise Syndrome"
TOS Season 3: "The Cloud Minders"
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG Season 1: "Justice"
TNG Season 1: "Angel One"
TNG Season 1: "Too Short A Season"
TNG Season 5: "The Masterpiece Society"
TNG Season 7: "Homeward"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 1: "Battle Lines”
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again"
VOY Season 3: "False Profits"
VOY Season 5: "Equinox, Part I"
VOY Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY Season 7: "Flesh And Blood"
ENT Season 2: "The Communicator"
DIS Season 1: "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum"

 

I've always felt "ALLIANCES" is an unsung hero episode of the early VOYAGER years. Love that episode.

 

Exactly. I also really disliked the way the Jonas arc ended with, sigh, Neelix. But the Seska/Kazon story was still quite an intriguing one, coming to a head in Basics, showing that the groundwork for arcs had been laid.

The move away from Kazon space in season three was a good call as they weren't the best bad guys right from the off. Killing off Seska, and also having Chakotay not be the father of her baby, were terrible decisions.

 

I don't think it's pretentious (we need to get rid of this anti-intellectualist mentality, tbh), particularly when it's a quote. Quotes should, ideally, be made in the original language, and "who watches the watchers" is such a quote.
Now, to trust actors to not mispronounce is another matter. I still remember "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges" pronounced with very English "silent".

Saving "The Masterpiece Society". It's a nice little episode. I like that the conflict in the episode is presented in a mature way, none of that "it's a villain! We must kill/capture it!" simplistic nonsense.
A few lines of dialogue are cringeworthy ("this is wrong - this is terribly wrong"), but otherwise a nice ethical quandary with no easy answers.

TOS Season 2: "The Apple"
TOS Season 2: "A Private Little War"
TOS Season 2: "Patterns Of Force"
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses"
TOS Season 3: "The Paradise Syndrome"
TOS Season 3: "The Cloud Minders"
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG Season 1: "Justice"
TNG Season 1: "Angel One"
TNG Season 1: "Too Short A Season"
TNG Season 7: "Homeward"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 1: "Battle Lines”
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again"
VOY Season 3: "False Profits"
VOY Season 5: "Equinox, Part I"
VOY Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY Season 7: "Flesh And Blood"
ENT Season 2: "The Communicator"
DIS Season 1: "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum"

 

Well, from my side, my mentioning this was not meant to put this into discussion, but just as part of following the rules ('please provide an explanation for your elimination'), and so my argument was that while I couldn't directly eliminate as a prime example of being a PD episode, I still could eliminate it because it is simply an awesome episode overall

Eliminating VOY Season 3: "False Profits" . It has the rare combination of being both an episode about the PD (usuallly those are Serious Episodes about Stuff that Matters), and being one that doesn't take itself too seriously.

TOS Season 2: "The Apple"
TOS Season 2: "A Private Little War"
TOS Season 2: "Patterns Of Force"
TOS Season 2: "Bread And Circuses"
TOS Season 3: "The Paradise Syndrome"
TOS Season 3: "The Cloud Minders"
TNG Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG Season 1: "Justice"
TNG Season 1: "Angel One"
TNG Season 1: "Too Short A Season"
TNG Season 7: "Homeward"
TNG Feature: "Star Trek: Insurrection"
DS9 Season 1: "Battle Lines”
VOY Season 1: "Time And Again"
VOY Season 5: "Equinox, Part I"
VOY Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY Season 7: "Flesh And Blood"
ENT Season 2: "The Communicator"
DIS Season 1: "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum"