The Worst Episode #1

[RobertScorpio]

In the BETTER EPISODE battles, it will get pretty dicey as we can tell with the battle going on between AMOK TIME and YESTERDAY's ENTERPRISE. But what about the opposite end of the spectrum. And many of us probably don't agree on what the bottom rung episodes are...well...I shall try..

Today's WORST EPISODE battle...

SPOCKS BRAIN (TOS) vs SHADES OF GRAY (TNG)

Spock's Brain, from TOS's imfamous third season, is usually at the bottom of the TOS list of episodes. Was it just me, or did McCoy use Steve Martin's screw-top method for brain operations (GET THAT CAT OUT OF HERE!))...Shatner's ham level is on super hammy in this episode as well. "BRAIN BRAIN WHAT IS BRAIN"; was this an anti-feminist statement from GR?
About the only thing going for this episode is it's ED WOOD quality. It is so silly it is actually funny to watch.

Shades Of Gray. Yes, I know, the Writers's strike had a lot to do with this klunker, but no matter, it is still a klunker. Something happens to Riker and he is taken on a tour of his TNG memories up to that point. The problem, IMO, is the choice of clips. TNG was still a young show, but if GRAY was meant as a 'greatest hits' show they sure picked the wrong way and wrong clips to use...And the scenes that were framed around the clips were acted about as good as my 1st grade daughter's christmas play.


So...which is the worst episode

SPOCK's BRAIN vs SHADES OF GRAY

Robert

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Shades of Grey

 

[nickyboy]

spock's brain. but then again its a classic compared to some of voyager's worst!

 

[startrekwatcher]

Spock's Brain gets my vote.

I actually like Shades of Gray. It isn't great but I liked some of the interplay in sickbay and the cute ending.

 

[idreamedmusic]

"Shades of Gray".

Clip shows are just cheap and yeah, I know it was due to the strike and they gave their best (I guess), it's still baaaaaaaad. Even though I wub Riker.

"Spock's Brain" is also bad, but at least I can get some laughs out of.

 

[HoundDog]

"Shades of Gray" - "Spock's Brain" is at least - though unintentionally - funny.

 

[ToddPence]

>was this an anti-feminist statement from GR?

Actually, "Spock's Brain" was written by Gene Coon. Supposedly Coon deliberately wrote the worst episode he could come up with as a F-You to Fred Freiberger.

 

[RobertScorpio]

>was this an anti-feminist statement from GR?

Actually, "Spock's Brain" was written by Gene Coon. Supposedly Coon deliberately wrote the worst episode he could come up with as a F-You to Fred Freiberger.

Yeah..my goof. I forgot that GR had abandoned ship by that time.

 

[TrekNut87]

"Shades of Gray" by a country mile.

 

[Kirkman1987]

Shades of Grey counts as an episode? It was a required move because of the writer's strike in the 2nd season. lame......

Spock's Brain is better

 

[German Fed]

Ugh, Shades of Grey.

 

[alicelouise]

TOS: Spock's Brain
TNG: Angel One
DS9: Any Ferengi comic relief episode. Quark is all right.
VOY: Threshold.

 

[chancellorjake]

Spock's Brain is painfully stupid. Shades of Grey is just rehashed clutter.

 

[EnsignJulka]

Don't remember much about Shades of Grey...so it gets my vote.

 

[greenmystik]

I say Shades of Grey.

 

[blakbyrd]

"Shades of Gray" - "Spock's Brain" is at least - though unintentionally - funny.

Agreed.

 

[ktanner3]

I honestly can't pick one. Both were so bad that I still can't make it thru halfway of either of them.

 

[Nebusj]

"Shades of Gray" - "Spock's Brain" is at least - though unintentionally - funny.

Unintentionally?

 

[Jack Bauer]

Shades. Spock's Brain is campy fun!

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

There's an interesting distinction here. "Spock's Brain", while a stupid episode, was very much a new episode. A story on its own. "Shades of Grain" wasn't an episode - it was a tedious clip show for most of the time.

So, I guess I have to say "Shades of Gray", because it was, really, a collosal waste of time, whereas "Spock's Brain", still a waste of time, too, was at least a full episode, and one that if watched, could at least be mocked at. You can't even mock the former!

So its "Shades of Gray" for me, but "Spock's Brain" is a real bad episode, no doubt there.