Game The Most Disliked Season Premiere

[Sakonna]

Hello all! Last year, with a lot of help from @Farscape One, I put together several lists of various themes & types of episodes from across the franchise (Time Travel episodes, Romance-Of-The-Week episodes, Ferengi episodes, Borg episodes, Holodeck episodes, etc), and we played "Least Disliked" elimination games with them, which I really enjoyed.

Now, time to reverse it and run those lists as "Most Disliked" elimination games -- along with some new lists. (I was going to hold off till the end of "Picard" Season 1 to start, but my need for a distraction from coronavirus has accelerated the timetable...)

I'll start us off with one of the most easily definable of lists, one which can pull in every series, even "Picard", even "Short Treks" -- Season Premieres!

THE RULES. The basic idea is your standard elimination game. Below is a list of all the season premieres of every Star Trek series (per original airdate). 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.

Finally, please 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: "The Man Trap"
TOS, Season 2: "Amok Time"
TOS, Season 3: "Spock's Brain"
TAS, Season 1: "Beyond The Farthest Star"
TAS, Season 2: "The Pirates Of Orion"
TNG, Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG, Season 2: "The Child"
TNG, Season 3: "Evolution"
TNG, Season 4: "The Best Of Both Worlds, Part II"
TNG, Season 5: "Redemption II"
TNG, Season 6: "Time's Arrow, Part II"
TNG, Season 7: "Descent, Part II"
DS9, Season 1: "Emissary"
DS9, Season 2: "The Homecoming"
DS9, Season 3: "The Search, Part I"
DS9, Season 4: "The Way Of The Warrior"
DS9, Season 5: "Apocalypse Rising"
DS9, Season 6: "A Time To Stand"
DS9, Season 7: "Image In The Sand"
VOY, Season 1: "Caretaker"
VOY, Season 2: "The 37's"
VOY, Season 3: "Basics, Part II"
VOY, Season 4: "Scorpion, Part II"
VOY, Season 5: "Night"
VOY, Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY, Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"
ENT, Season 1: "Broken Bow"
ENT, Season 2: "Shockwave, Part II"
ENT, Season 3: "The Xindi"
ENT, Season 4: "Storm Front, Part I"
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello"
DIS, Season 2: "Brother"
ST, Season 1: "Runaway"
ST, Season 2: "Q&A" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]
PIC, Season 1: "Remembrance" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Sakonna]

And I will start it off by saving "The Way Of The Warrior." I can go back to this one again and again and again. Worf's introduction to DS9 could have gone seriously awry -- I haaaaaated the idea when I first heard it -- but they handle it beautifully. This episode is perfectly paced, the dialogue is exceptionally crafted, and it's exciting. It really shows off the richness and the depth of DS9's world. I just love it.

And it even contains one of DS9's most famous scenes, the Garak/Quark root beer exchange!

TOS, Season 1: "The Man Trap"
TOS, Season 2: "Amok Time"
TOS, Season 3: "Spock's Brain"
TAS, Season 1: "Beyond The Farthest Star"
TAS, Season 2: "The Pirates Of Orion"
TNG, Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG, Season 2: "The Child"
TNG, Season 3: "Evolution"
TNG, Season 4: "The Best Of Both Worlds, Part II"
TNG, Season 5: "Redemption II"
TNG, Season 6: "Time's Arrow, Part II"
TNG, Season 7: "Descent, Part II"
DS9, Season 1: "Emissary"
DS9, Season 2: "The Homecoming"
DS9, Season 3: "The Search, Part I"
DS9, Season 5: "Apocalypse Rising"
DS9, Season 6: "A Time To Stand"
DS9, Season 7: "Image In The Sand"
VOY, Season 1: "Caretaker"
VOY, Season 2: "The 37's"
VOY, Season 3: "Basics, Part II"
VOY, Season 4: "Scorpion, Part II"
VOY, Season 5: "Night"
VOY, Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY, Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"
ENT, Season 1: "Broken Bow"
ENT, Season 2: "Shockwave, Part II"
ENT, Season 3: "The Xindi"
ENT, Season 4: "Storm Front, Part I"
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello"
DIS, Season 2: "Brother"
ST, Season 1: "Runaway"
ST, Season 2: "Q&A" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]
PIC, Season 1: "Remembrance" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Qonundrum]

Quite a few I'd save and give long and dreary explanations for, but for now let's go for this one:

TNG, Season 3: "Evolution"

Not because I just saw this one.

Not just because it starts out season three with a bang.

But because the episode ties in a theme with a near 4th wall-breaking level of confidence as TNG had evolved over its first two years and whose premiere all but humbly boasts a breathtaking new style that hits every spot on the dart board. It was an incredible experience in 1989...

As for the plot:

Wesley is the cause of a problem, rather than magically resolving everything around a group of dingaling adults. Just what don't they allow in science class? But Wesley, who was refined in season 2, continues to have dimension and facets applied and it all feels germane and genuine. That's great right off the bat.

Wesley also gets the mutha of all lines when screaming how Beverly wasn't there... to her face. Beverly's response is jaw-droppingly wonderful.

Dr Stubbs reminds me that future Trek still has some contemporary dialogue and some of my feelings were overblown (too extreme toward the formal side of the equation.)

Nanites are bookends since TBOBW also discuss them, as both a solution to the Borg (who'd just take them and use them to infect others - as Picard gave them the idea once assimilated, so there goes one thing I used to dislike about VOY - and the nanites could extract iron and copper from the blood to do a nominal amount of assimilation work, yikes) - but because Wesley still needs to be a possible solution.

I could go on...

But, yeah, "Evolution" is incredibly underrated - and for a whole slew of reasons.

And I hadn't gotten to the music, direction, visual effects - TNG's opener is cinematic as well as its own confident self at this point and it still holds up massively today.


What's left:
TOS, Season 1: "The Man Trap"
TOS, Season 2: "Amok Time"
TOS, Season 3: "Spock's Brain"
TAS, Season 1: "Beyond The Farthest Star"
TAS, Season 2: "The Pirates Of Orion"
TNG, Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG, Season 2: "The Child"

TNG, Season 4: "The Best Of Both Worlds, Part II"
TNG, Season 5: "Redemption II"
TNG, Season 6: "Time's Arrow, Part II"
TNG, Season 7: "Descent, Part II"
DS9, Season 1: "Emissary"
DS9, Season 2: "The Homecoming"
DS9, Season 3: "The Search, Part I"
DS9, Season 5: "Apocalypse Rising"
DS9, Season 6: "A Time To Stand"
DS9, Season 7: "Image In The Sand"
VOY, Season 1: "Caretaker"
VOY, Season 2: "The 37's"
VOY, Season 3: "Basics, Part II"
VOY, Season 4: "Scorpion, Part II"
VOY, Season 5: "Night"
VOY, Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY, Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"
ENT, Season 1: "Broken Bow"
ENT, Season 2: "Shockwave, Part II"
ENT, Season 3: "The Xindi"
ENT, Season 4: "Storm Front, Part I"
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello"
DIS, Season 2: "Brother"
ST, Season 1: "Runaway"
ST, Season 2: "Q&A" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]
PIC, Season 1: "Remembrance" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[BillJ]

"Amok Time", one of the definitive episodes of Star Trek. People who want to know what Star Trek "is", need look no further than this episode.

TOS, Season 1: "The Man Trap"
TOS, Season 3: "Spock's Brain"
TAS, Season 1: "Beyond The Farthest Star"
TAS, Season 2: "The Pirates Of Orion"
TNG, Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG, Season 2: "The Child"
TNG, Season 3: "Evolution"
TNG, Season 4: "The Best Of Both Worlds, Part II"
TNG, Season 5: "Redemption II"
TNG, Season 6: "Time's Arrow, Part II"
TNG, Season 7: "Descent, Part II"
DS9, Season 1: "Emissary"
DS9, Season 2: "The Homecoming"
DS9, Season 3: "The Search, Part I"
DS9, Season 5: "Apocalypse Rising"
DS9, Season 6: "A Time To Stand"
DS9, Season 7: "Image In The Sand"
VOY, Season 1: "Caretaker"
VOY, Season 2: "The 37's"
VOY, Season 3: "Basics, Part II"
VOY, Season 4: "Scorpion, Part II"
VOY, Season 5: "Night"
VOY, Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY, Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"
ENT, Season 1: "Broken Bow"
ENT, Season 2: "Shockwave, Part II"
ENT, Season 3: "The Xindi"
ENT, Season 4: "Storm Front, Part I"
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello"
DIS, Season 2: "Brother"
ST, Season 1: "Runaway"
ST, Season 2: "Q&A" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]
PIC, Season 1: "Remembrance" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Sakonna]

My expectations for the "Picard" premiere COULD NOT HAVE BEEN HIGHER, and "Remembrance" more than fulfilled them. This is my dream post-Berman-era series.

Spoiler

One of the things that disappointed me about the first Kelvin film was that what I really wanted to see was the aftermath of the Romulan supernova in the Prime Universe. And now we have that! All the new character intros are great -- Laris, Zhaban, Jurati, the Wonder Twins. That corker of an ending on the cube is a great clfifhanger. And it's all centered around that wonderful performance from Patrick Stewart. Fantastic.

TOS, Season 1: "The Man Trap"
TOS, Season 3: "Spock's Brain"
TAS, Season 1: "Beyond The Farthest Star"
TAS, Season 2: "The Pirates Of Orion"
TNG, Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG, Season 2: "The Child"
TNG, Season 4: "The Best Of Both Worlds, Part II"
TNG, Season 5: "Redemption II"
TNG, Season 6: "Time's Arrow, Part II"
TNG, Season 7: "Descent, Part II"
DS9, Season 1: "Emissary"
DS9, Season 2: "The Homecoming"
DS9, Season 3: "The Search, Part I"
DS9, Season 5: "Apocalypse Rising"
DS9, Season 6: "A Time To Stand"
DS9, Season 7: "Image In The Sand"
VOY, Season 1: "Caretaker"
VOY, Season 2: "The 37's"
VOY, Season 3: "Basics, Part II"
VOY, Season 4: "Scorpion, Part II"
VOY, Season 5: "Night"
VOY, Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY, Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"
ENT, Season 1: "Broken Bow"
ENT, Season 2: "Shockwave, Part II"
ENT, Season 3: "The Xindi"
ENT, Season 4: "Storm Front, Part I"
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello"
DIS, Season 2: "Brother"
ST, Season 1: "Runaway"
ST, Season 2: "Q&A" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Farscape One]

Eliminating "EMISSARY". DS9 has the best premiere in many ways, most notably the fact that SO MUCH of the world was set up right here. Bajor's religion, the Prophets, the wormhole... wonderful job building a new world. And the characters felt REAL from the start.


TOS, Season 1: "The Man Trap"
TOS, Season 3: "Spock's Brain"
TAS, Season 1: "Beyond The Farthest Star"
TAS, Season 2: "The Pirates Of Orion"
TNG, Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG, Season 2: "The Child"
TNG, Season 4: "The Best Of Both Worlds, Part II"
TNG, Season 5: "Redemption II"
TNG, Season 6: "Time's Arrow, Part II"
TNG, Season 7: "Descent, Part II"
DS9, Season 2: "The Homecoming"
DS9, Season 3: "The Search, Part I"
DS9, Season 5: "Apocalypse Rising"
DS9, Season 6: "A Time To Stand"
DS9, Season 7: "Image In The Sand"
VOY, Season 1: "Caretaker"
VOY, Season 2: "The 37's"
VOY, Season 3: "Basics, Part II"
VOY, Season 4: "Scorpion, Part II"
VOY, Season 5: "Night"
VOY, Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY, Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"
ENT, Season 1: "Broken Bow"
ENT, Season 2: "Shockwave, Part II"
ENT, Season 3: "The Xindi"
ENT, Season 4: "Storm Front, Part I"
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello"
DIS, Season 2: "Brother"
ST, Season 1: "Runaway"
ST, Season 2: "Q&A" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Qonundrum]

My next entry was a toss-up, since I knew that three-sided coin would come in handy one day. But the following clinches it for me right now, in my current mood, possibly because I had only a third of the quantity of coffee I normally feed intravenously each morning:

TNG, Season 2: "The Child"

Season 2 is quick to boost a much more confident style, arguably what season one ideally would have presented in feel but not every show is a perfect gel blend from the first minute and TNG was lucky given the state of sci-fi and Trek at the time.

That, and introducing two new characters as well- of which one does what Troi could have done (but Guinan is a coup and expands the Trek universe that much more and would be more effective as a foil for the Borg backstory too). The other adds some dramatic contention, Dr Pulaski was not the "McCoy ripoff" others claimed, and even if she was she's far less so than a certain EMH.

It's also an avant garde story (if not outré?) as an incorporeal glowing ball of light space critter violates both a random guy and Troi in order to make an actual baby as a whim, since no other way to ask about how humans go humaning about and why was seemingly possible. There's a surprising and surprisingly reasoned discussion on abortion. It's not too much a surprise that little Ian (well-acted too) is the cause of the anomalies that threaten the containment field that would, if disabled, kill everyone on the ship. But this episode, on top of everything else, is also affirming the show's premise of exploring new life (though no new world in this case) as well as showing optimism. Marina Sirtis hits it out of the ballpark as well, though everyone's pretty much on top form.

It's also one of the few stories where Dr. Pulaski and Guinan are both present.

What's left:

TOS, Season 1: "The Man Trap"
TOS, Season 3: "Spock's Brain"
TAS, Season 1: "Beyond The Farthest Star"
TAS, Season 2: "The Pirates Of Orion"
TNG, Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG, Season 4: "The Best Of Both Worlds, Part II"
TNG, Season 5: "Redemption II"
TNG, Season 6: "Time's Arrow, Part II"
TNG, Season 7: "Descent, Part II"
DS9, Season 2: "The Homecoming"
DS9, Season 3: "The Search, Part I"
DS9, Season 5: "Apocalypse Rising"
DS9, Season 6: "A Time To Stand"
DS9, Season 7: "Image In The Sand"
VOY, Season 1: "Caretaker"
VOY, Season 2: "The 37's"
VOY, Season 3: "Basics, Part II"
VOY, Season 4: "Scorpion, Part II"
VOY, Season 5: "Night"
VOY, Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY, Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"
ENT, Season 1: "Broken Bow"
ENT, Season 2: "Shockwave, Part II"
ENT, Season 3: "The Xindi"
ENT, Season 4: "Storm Front, Part I"
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello"
DIS, Season 2: "Brother"
ST, Season 1: "Runaway"
ST, Season 2: "Q&A" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

On edit: Minor augmentation for clarification of one point (why humans do the things they do)

 

[Seven of Five]

My first episode is DS9 Season 6, A Time to Stand.

It's an epic start to the occupation arc, with Starfleet having to bide their time whilst the Dominion make strong gains. I love the wonderful scene with Quark discussing occupations, and about how this one wasn't so bad.

What's left:

TOS, Season 1: "The Man Trap"
TOS, Season 3: "Spock's Brain"
TAS, Season 1: "Beyond The Farthest Star"
TAS, Season 2: "The Pirates Of Orion"
TNG, Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG, Season 4: "The Best Of Both Worlds, Part II"
TNG, Season 5: "Redemption II"
TNG, Season 6: "Time's Arrow, Part II"
TNG, Season 7: "Descent, Part II"
DS9, Season 2: "The Homecoming"
DS9, Season 3: "The Search, Part I"
DS9, Season 5: "Apocalypse Rising"
DS9, Season 7: "Image In The Sand"
VOY, Season 1: "Caretaker"
VOY, Season 2: "The 37's"
VOY, Season 3: "Basics, Part II"
VOY, Season 4: "Scorpion, Part II"
VOY, Season 5: "Night"
VOY, Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY, Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"
ENT, Season 1: "Broken Bow"
ENT, Season 2: "Shockwave, Part II"
ENT, Season 3: "The Xindi"
ENT, Season 4: "Storm Front, Part I"
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello"
DIS, Season 2: "Brother"
ST, Season 1: "Runaway"
ST, Season 2: "Q&A" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

I'll eliminate "The Search, Part 1". It was a big bang of an opening episode, giving us the Defiant, Eddington and T'Rul, as well as the Female Changeling. There is so much to like about this episode, from the action to some of the smaller moment, with Sisko finally calling DS9 home, Kira fighting for Odo, his growling at Quark.

What's left:

TOS, Season 1: "The Man Trap"
TOS, Season 3: "Spock's Brain"
TAS, Season 1: "Beyond The Farthest Star"
TAS, Season 2: "The Pirates Of Orion"
TNG, Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG, Season 4: "The Best Of Both Worlds, Part II"
TNG, Season 5: "Redemption II"
TNG, Season 6: "Time's Arrow, Part II"
TNG, Season 7: "Descent, Part II"
DS9, Season 2: "The Homecoming"
DS9, Season 5: "Apocalypse Rising"
DS9, Season 7: "Image In The Sand"
VOY, Season 1: "Caretaker"
VOY, Season 2: "The 37's"
VOY, Season 3: "Basics, Part II"
VOY, Season 4: "Scorpion, Part II"
VOY, Season 5: "Night"
VOY, Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY, Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"
ENT, Season 1: "Broken Bow"
ENT, Season 2: "Shockwave, Part II"
ENT, Season 3: "The Xindi"
ENT, Season 4: "Storm Front, Part I"
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello"
DIS, Season 2: "Brother"
ST, Season 1: "Runaway"
ST, Season 2: "Q&A" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Qonundrum]

So many entries remain but my next yanker is:

TOS, Season 1: "The Man Trap"

Trek's very first outing may not have been reveled or revered by critics, but it's an early example of sci-fi to show an alien species as not being a monster for "big scary boogieman" sake. The "salt vampire" has an actual backstory, which even garners sympathy. Ditto for Mr Crater. No, the script is not perfect - This is also the first episode shown where a monster has psi abilities, which became a crutch for early TOS much like the transporter malfunction of the week was for TNG season 6. Additionally, Kirk could have just allowed the 500 barrels of (iodized, like on french fries?) salt to be beamed down and then there'd be no deaths... of course there'd be no story either and it's a good enough one to make the contrivance more easily forgiven. And Uhura gets a nice scene where the vampire in hottie form and her speak in a most comforting inflection of Swahili that's soothing on the ears, all while being eerily deceptive as Uhura was a direct target of a desperate creature. Early season 1 did try more for being an ensemble piece, even if "The Big Three" became iconic for TOS.


What's left:

TOS, Season 3: "Spock's Brain"
TAS, Season 1: "Beyond The Farthest Star"
TAS, Season 2: "The Pirates Of Orion"
TNG, Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG, Season 4: "The Best Of Both Worlds, Part II"
TNG, Season 5: "Redemption II"
TNG, Season 6: "Time's Arrow, Part II"
TNG, Season 7: "Descent, Part II"
DS9, Season 2: "The Homecoming"
DS9, Season 5: "Apocalypse Rising"
DS9, Season 7: "Image In The Sand"
VOY, Season 1: "Caretaker"
VOY, Season 2: "The 37's"
VOY, Season 3: "Basics, Part II"
VOY, Season 4: "Scorpion, Part II"
VOY, Season 5: "Night"
VOY, Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY, Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"
ENT, Season 1: "Broken Bow"
ENT, Season 2: "Shockwave, Part II"
ENT, Season 3: "The Xindi"
ENT, Season 4: "Storm Front, Part I"
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello"
DIS, Season 2: "Brother"
ST, Season 1: "Runaway"
ST, Season 2: "Q&A" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[BigDaveX]

The Best of Both Worlds Part II. Sure, it's easily the weaker half of the story, but all told it's still one of TNG's finest outings.

TOS, Season 3: "Spock's Brain"
TAS, Season 1: "Beyond The Farthest Star"
TAS, Season 2: "The Pirates Of Orion"
TNG, Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG, Season 5: "Redemption II"
TNG, Season 6: "Time's Arrow, Part II"
TNG, Season 7: "Descent, Part II"
DS9, Season 2: "The Homecoming"
DS9, Season 5: "Apocalypse Rising"
DS9, Season 7: "Image In The Sand"
VOY, Season 1: "Caretaker"
VOY, Season 2: "The 37's"
VOY, Season 3: "Basics, Part II"
VOY, Season 4: "Scorpion, Part II"
VOY, Season 5: "Night"
VOY, Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY, Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"
ENT, Season 1: "Broken Bow"
ENT, Season 2: "Shockwave, Part II"
ENT, Season 3: "The Xindi"
ENT, Season 4: "Storm Front, Part I"
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello"
DIS, Season 2: "Brother"
ST, Season 1: "Runaway"
ST, Season 2: "Q&A" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Sakonna]

Having discovered TNG mid-season 5, "Time's Arrow" was my first experience with a cliffhanger in real time. It is my "BOBW." I know the fandom opinion of it is not high, but when I'm hearing critiques of it, it's like I'm listening to a foreign language I do not speak. To me, it is almost without flaw (pacing goes a little slack at the end of part II -- that's my one negative comment). I love it and always find it tremendously fun to revisit. And, though she appears twice more, it's the last time Whoopi Goldberg got to do anything truly substantial on the series

TOS, Season 3: "Spock's Brain"
TAS, Season 1: "Beyond The Farthest Star"
TAS, Season 2: "The Pirates Of Orion"
TNG, Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG, Season 5: "Redemption II"
TNG, Season 7: "Descent, Part II"
DS9, Season 2: "The Homecoming"
DS9, Season 5: "Apocalypse Rising"
DS9, Season 7: "Image In The Sand"
VOY, Season 1: "Caretaker"
VOY, Season 2: "The 37's"
VOY, Season 3: "Basics, Part II"
VOY, Season 4: "Scorpion, Part II"
VOY, Season 5: "Night"
VOY, Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY, Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"
ENT, Season 1: "Broken Bow"
ENT, Season 2: "Shockwave, Part II"
ENT, Season 3: "The Xindi"
ENT, Season 4: "Storm Front, Part I"
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello"
DIS, Season 2: "Brother"
ST, Season 1: "Runaway"
ST, Season 2: "Q&A" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Go-Captain]

ENT, Season 4: "Storm Front, Part I" is just such a wacky completely out of no where episode. It makes no sense to me how anyone could dislike the trifecta of Space Nazis, alternate timeline, and time travel. Its sheer unexpectedness and the specific content reminiscent of several TOS story lines, it ends the Temporal Cold War, and heralds the complete change in direction Enterprise undergoes in Season 4.

This episode leads to Enterprise finally utilizing a new story telling method, of alternating between two parters and single episodes over and over, as well as tackling story lines directly tying to period 22nd century Earth culture, build up to the Federation, and build up to the Earth-Romulan War. I consider "Storm Front" a highlight of the entire series.

TOS, Season 3: "Spock's Brain"
TAS, Season 1: "Beyond The Farthest Star"
TAS, Season 2: "The Pirates Of Orion"
TNG, Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"
TNG, Season 5: "Redemption II"
TNG, Season 7: "Descent, Part II"
DS9, Season 2: "The Homecoming"
DS9, Season 5: "Apocalypse Rising"
DS9, Season 7: "Image In The Sand"
VOY, Season 1: "Caretaker"
VOY, Season 2: "The 37's"
VOY, Season 3: "Basics, Part II"
VOY, Season 4: "Scorpion, Part II"
VOY, Season 5: "Night"
VOY, Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY, Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"
ENT, Season 1: "Broken Bow"
ENT, Season 2: "Shockwave, Part II"
ENT, Season 3: "The Xindi"
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello"
DIS, Season 2: "Brother"
ST, Season 1: "Runaway"
ST, Season 2: "Q&A" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Qonundrum]

Up next:

TNG, Season 1: "Encounter At Farpoint"

Yes, it's rough around the edges. Yes, characters are clunky. Yes, it's two different stories lumped together into one, thanks in part to differing mindsets and the studio ultimately wanting a 2 hour premiere.

But, yes, it's fun to imagine the future where it's one unified world even though it doesn't explain any ides of how or why, and possibly not wrongly so as it's clearly a touchy subject. If nothing else.

Q is a riot to watch. Always is.

Yar is the most impassioned of the crew (contrary to the usual joke that Data is the most human character on the show) and given a surprisingly dark origin - a novel and worthy first and it's told from the outset. That and Starfleet has rescued individuals before, so it's nice to see how people rescued react and that's not often mentioned so it's a big plus to see this premiere embrace it as much as it does. Yar definitely deserved better and more consistent writing, and not just having her reflect on the past (which was done often enough to remain memorable but without wearing it out)... imagine how she would have fared under season 3 and not in the alternative timeline of "Yesterday's Enterprise"...

Tthis was the heyday of Trek at its first pinnacle and renaissance... nobody expected the second to occur with season 3; TNG 2 had most things nailed but season 3 is to this day truly remarkable...

It's a lukewarm but fun to watch in the right mood. Knowing the behind-the-scenes foibles makes it easier to forgive, as well as appreciating how well it works despite everything it had to endure in development.

What's left:

TOS, Season 3: "Spock's Brain"
TAS, Season 1: "Beyond The Farthest Star"
TAS, Season 2: "The Pirates Of Orion"
TNG, Season 5: "Redemption II"
TNG, Season 7: "Descent, Part II"
DS9, Season 2: "The Homecoming"
DS9, Season 5: "Apocalypse Rising"
DS9, Season 7: "Image In The Sand"
VOY, Season 1: "Caretaker"
VOY, Season 2: "The 37's"
VOY, Season 3: "Basics, Part II"
VOY, Season 4: "Scorpion, Part II"
VOY, Season 5: "Night"
VOY, Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY, Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"
ENT, Season 1: "Broken Bow"
ENT, Season 2: "Shockwave, Part II"
ENT, Season 3: "The Xindi"
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello"
DIS, Season 2: "Brother"
ST, Season 1: "Runaway"
ST, Season 2: "Q&A" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[BigDaveX]

Scorpion Part II. Much as the story's overall reputation seems to have taken something of a battering over the last few years, it's hard to deny its effectiveness in continuing the oh-so-rare conflict between Janeway and Chakotay while still making both seem reasonable. Oh, and it did the very small task of introducing Seven of Nine, that's got to count for something, right?

TOS, Season 3: "Spock's Brain"
TAS, Season 1: "Beyond The Farthest Star"
TAS, Season 2: "The Pirates Of Orion"
TNG, Season 5: "Redemption II"
TNG, Season 7: "Descent, Part II"
DS9, Season 2: "The Homecoming"
DS9, Season 5: "Apocalypse Rising"
DS9, Season 7: "Image In The Sand"
VOY, Season 1: "Caretaker"
VOY, Season 2: "The 37's"
VOY, Season 3: "Basics, Part II"
VOY, Season 5: "Night"
VOY, Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY, Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"
ENT, Season 1: "Broken Bow"
ENT, Season 2: "Shockwave, Part II"
ENT, Season 3: "The Xindi"
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello"
DIS, Season 2: "Brother"
ST, Season 1: "Runaway"
ST, Season 2: "Q&A" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Sakonna]

Just gotta say I am loving all these responses so far!

I really enjoy "The Homecoming." I was soooooo excited for this on original air, the ambition of a three-parter. The slow build of tension as they introduce The Circle is very effective. The attack on Quark is an excellent, unsettling sequence. You couldn't ask for a much better guest star than Frank Langella. Plus, we meet the Boslic freighter captain, a favorite minor recurring character of mine.

TOS, Season 3: "Spock's Brain"
TAS, Season 1: "Beyond The Farthest Star"
TAS, Season 2: "The Pirates Of Orion"
TNG, Season 5: "Redemption II"
TNG, Season 7: "Descent, Part II"
DS9, Season 5: "Apocalypse Rising"
DS9, Season 7: "Image In The Sand"
VOY, Season 1: "Caretaker"
VOY, Season 2: "The 37's"
VOY, Season 3: "Basics, Part II"
VOY, Season 5: "Night"
VOY, Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY, Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"
ENT, Season 1: "Broken Bow"
ENT, Season 2: "Shockwave, Part II"
ENT, Season 3: "The Xindi"
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello"
DIS, Season 2: "Brother"
ST, Season 1: "Runaway"
ST, Season 2: "Q&A" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Brennyren]

The only thing I found disappointing about "Caretaker" was that (IMO) it set up expectations the rest of the series didn't fulfill. The characters, from Janeway to the EMH, were strongly established; the difference in values between the Maquis and Starfleet promised conflict, and the set-up was offbeat but Trekkishly plausible. To this day, "Caretaker" is one of my favorite VOY eps.

TOS, Season 3: "Spock's Brain"
TAS, Season 1: "Beyond The Farthest Star"
TAS, Season 2: "The Pirates Of Orion"
TNG, Season 5: "Redemption II"
TNG, Season 7: "Descent, Part II"
DS9, Season 5: "Apocalypse Rising"
DS9, Season 7: "Image In The Sand"
VOY, Season 2: "The 37's"
VOY, Season 3: "Basics, Part II"
VOY, Season 5: "Night"
VOY, Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY, Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"
ENT, Season 1: "Broken Bow"
ENT, Season 2: "Shockwave, Part II"
ENT, Season 3: "The Xindi"
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello"
DIS, Season 2: "Brother"
ST, Season 1: "Runaway"
ST, Season 2: "Q&A" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Qonundrum]

Some will say I'm out of my Vulcan mind with this pick to remove it from the list of most detested premieres:

T O S, S e a s o n 3 : " S p o c k ' s B r a i n "
/melodrama


But not really. Not because I'm not a Vulcan (hard to believe but true), not because anyone dared me to, but because they play such a ludicrously bad story absolutely straight-faced. No 4th wall gags, winks, nods, camping it up, anything. That takes a lot of chutzpah, because the episode desperately needs it and this cast knew how to do it.

It's also, as far as the lame "battle of the sexes" trope is concerned, one of the better stories that uses that trope - which isn't saying all that much as it just goes to show how sodding awful the trope is because every last cliche is on display.

This is sci-fi - where when it's not about fantasy or more tangible sci-fi, the philosophical aspect must make up for it or else it falls flat. So, let's look at the gem of dialogue known as

"'Brain' and 'brain', what is 'brain'!"

actually has more meaning here than on the surface, pun intended. Why would an organic brain be needed for a glorified HVAC unit to begin with, instead of an electronic control? There's nothing futuristic or grand, but was the idea written so shallow for the sake of it. Would it have more dramatic weight if a person gave up mobility for expanded consciousness and thought for ten thousand years, an impressive length, all for the low low price of keeping the air conditioning set to 70 during that time? (How does said mechanism repair itself too?) Oh, the episode tells us the whole system was set up like that but there's nothing really being set up or said to really embrace or care about this society. Oh, just some bugger has the brain scooped out like what I just did to some of the contents of this ice cream container (mmmm, chocolate peanut butter stars ) Is that what the episode is trying to get us to think about? Not really. It's having more fun asking us who looks better with the long hair: Kara or the nameless Morg.

Also, should genders remain segregated? If the episode was trying to suggest togetherness, the idea got quashed fairly early on. It's all superficial. Neither side knows anything but together they could have achieved a lot more. The episode only goes so far with an equally lightweight solution, per Kirk - after nagging the computer of the week to explode or whatever he does when a computer is the baddie of the week:

KIRK: You'll live and develop as you should have. All this shouldn't have been done for you. Now the women here below and the men above will control together.

This episode easily could have done so much more with its premises except it was made on a dare, over a complaint that the show was taking itself too seriously. Um, isn't that the point of Star Trek at the time as being a new, adult-themed sci-fi adventure show of substance. If the show hams it up or goes for inane shock value (the latter of which this episode has a surfeit of), the audience isn't going to be bothered with anything being told or suggested. It's a hard rope to tightrope walk for sure but Trek did it right plenty of times before, so why not now.

Oh wait, usually Kirk nags the computer to self destruct. Since Spock's puffy pink material was in the middle of the HVAC unit, for once he had to rely on something other than the "unsolvable paradox" cliche - of which most operating systems have task management algorithms to detect a locked up process and can safely end the looping program...

But this episode could have had potential, instead of being the result of a drinking game dare. And now, I'm off for a Long Island Iced Tea, which will counter the nasty effects of sobriety and virtue very quickly.

The other reason, superficial as it is, is that the viewscreen - uniquely - had a super cool rear projection unit to allow for some terrific camera angles. Wish it had stayed. It's also an example of "If the plot is bleep, at least make it look sweet."


What Remains, which now becomes harder to defend but I'll find something in due course:
TAS, Season 1: "Beyond The Farthest Star"
TAS, Season 2: "The Pirates Of Orion"
TNG, Season 5: "Redemption II"
TNG, Season 7: "Descent, Part II"
DS9, Season 5: "Apocalypse Rising"
DS9, Season 7: "Image In The Sand"
VOY, Season 2: "The 37's"
VOY, Season 3: "Basics, Part II"
VOY, Season 5: "Night"
VOY, Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY, Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"
ENT, Season 1: "Broken Bow"
ENT, Season 2: "Shockwave, Part II"
ENT, Season 3: "The Xindi"
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello"
DIS, Season 2: "Brother"
ST, Season 1: "Runaway"
ST, Season 2: "Q&A" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Sakonna]

The only thing I found disappointing about "Caretaker" was that (IMO) it set up expectations the rest of the series didn't fulfill.

This also nails my feelings on "Broken Bow", which I will now save. Though the Temporal Cold War is creaky from jump, everything else about this pilot is exciting and promising. They nailed the production design and costumes, the cast (with one notable exception) is excellent, the character dynamics are compelling, and the world-building for the prequel time period is top notch. It FEELS different, in all the right ways.

Sadly, as with Voyager, most of this fell away with great rapidity. But, as it's own piece, I think it's pretty great.

TAS, Season 1: "Beyond The Farthest Star"
TAS, Season 2: "The Pirates Of Orion"
TNG, Season 5: "Redemption II"
TNG, Season 7: "Descent, Part II"
DS9, Season 5: "Apocalypse Rising"
DS9, Season 7: "Image In The Sand"
VOY, Season 2: "The 37's"
VOY, Season 3: "Basics, Part II"
VOY, Season 5: "Night"
VOY, Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY, Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"
ENT, Season 2: "Shockwave, Part II"
ENT, Season 3: "The Xindi"
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello"
DIS, Season 2: "Brother"
ST, Season 1: "Runaway"
ST, Season 2: "Q&A" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]

 

[Tim Thomason]

Brother was an amazing season opener, (re)introducing us to Christopher Pike, setting the stage for an excellent second season (even if the ultimate conclusion was a bit wonky). It was the first piece of the puzzle fixing the perceived issues of Season 1 and does a solid job of it.

TAS, Season 1: "Beyond The Farthest Star"
TAS, Season 2: "The Pirates Of Orion"
TNG, Season 5: "Redemption II"
TNG, Season 7: "Descent, Part II"
DS9, Season 5: "Apocalypse Rising"
DS9, Season 7: "Image In The Sand"
VOY, Season 2: "The 37's"
VOY, Season 3: "Basics, Part II"
VOY, Season 5: "Night"
VOY, Season 6: "Equinox, Part II"
VOY, Season 7: "Unimatrix Zero, Part II"
ENT, Season 2: "Shockwave, Part II"
ENT, Season 3: "The Xindi"
DIS, Season 1: "The Vulcan Hello"
ST, Season 1: "Runaway"
ST, Season 2: "Q&A" [spoiler tag your elimination reasons for this episode]