"Threshold": WHAT THE HELL?????
- Thread starter blockaderunner
- Start date
"Genesis" was pretty stupid, but was still better than "Threshold", I thought. Basically, what it comes down to is this: both episodes mangle science and the concept of evolution in facepalm-worthy ways. "Genesis", however, has some problems that go beyond that, as most eps do, but nothing too drastic, and is kind of a fun adventure/sci-fi horror romp if you turn off your brain. It's dumb, but it's almost entirely dumb because of the bad science (and the crappy ending).
"Threshold," on the other hand, was riddled with other problems besides just the the "evolution does not work that way" issue, and had less to redeem it; it's just a bad episode, even if you ignore the evolution garbage.
People, are we forgetting "Code of Honor" here? Surely THAT still rates as utter garbage...
And Braga at least got the idea right in that evolution won't always mean we turn into something better. Now if only he got the "evolution is us adapting to our environment" part better so to explain how becoming a salamander would help someone adapt to a space environment.
And Braga at least got the idea right in that evolution won't always mean we turn into something better. Now if only he got the "evolution is us adapting to our environment" part better so to explain how becoming a salamander would help someone adapt to a space environment.
"Code of Honor" is HORRIBLE, though it has nothing to do with Braga, or evolution. I suppose it's relevant since people started talking about what the worst Trek ep is, and whether or not it would be "Threshold"; for what it's worth, I would say that "Code of Honor", along with a couple other eps from TOS and season one TNG ("The Way to Eden", "Spock's Brain", and "Justice" come to mind), are honestly worse. I'm not sure if I'd consider it the very worst VOY ep or not, I'd have to think back and compare it to other bad eps...
Not to mention that he got other aspects wrong, such as the part about evolution ONLY occuring if there is some need for it, or (the most egregious "evolution error" Braga has ever committed, IMO), the absurd notion that there is some sort of "fixed path", to the point that the Doc can theorize that Paris is turning into some future form of humanity.
And frankly, I think it's inaccurate to say he got even that one part "right". It's pretty clear that his grasp of evolution is (or was at the time, anyway) practically non-existant. I'm not sure that "evolution doesn't always mean we turn into something better" is even entirely accurate, either. In theory, evolution might not lead us down a path we LIKE for one reason or another, but my understanding is that it IS always "better", i.e. more suited to survival in whatever environment we have to live in. That's the POINT.
I have not seen Code of Honor recently enough to give an opinion (TNG being at the bottom of my Trek hierarchy) but I do know this: The Omega Glory is the worst Trek ep ever.
I'd take "Omega Glory" over "Threshold" and "These Are The Voyages" in a heartbeat.
ENT "Fusion" and DS9 "Take Me Out to the Holosuite" are probably the worst ever Treks.
Because it's awesome.
Dem's fightin' words.
It has! I mentioned it in my post as an ep worse than "Threshold".
"Spock's Brain"? Awesome? Yeesh. I mean, to each their own, but
Indeed. Get 'im!
In all seriousness: as I said, to each their own; I liked "Take Me Out...", but if others don't, okay. But... worse than "The Way to Eden" or "Code of Honor" or "Profit and Lace" or "Threshold"? Seriously?
Right. Even if you accept the evolution thing, you've gotta ask WHY DIDN'T THEY USE THE TECHNOLOGY TO GET HOME?? It's okay if the entire crew gets turned into salamanders in the process; the Doctor can just change them back.
I figured that since it was in every region of space simultaneously, the problem was with navigation as much as the evolution thing. The fact that the shuttle ended up back that close to Voyager at all was as silly as anything else in the episode imo.
If we're going to talk about things worse than Threshold, then here's my bottom ten episodes of Trek, with #1 being the worst.... (I jump at any reason to give a list. 
)
1.) ENT: TATV (It's so bad that I refuse to spell it out.
)
2.) VOY: The Fight
3.) VOY: Threshold
4.) DS9: Let He Who Is Without Sin...
5.) TNG: Shades of Grey
6.) TNG: The Outrageous Okona
7.) DS9: Valiant
8.) DS9: Profit and Lace
9.) TNG: Justice
10.) TOS: And the Children Shall Lead
)1.) ENT: TATV (It's so bad that I refuse to spell it out.
)2.) VOY: The Fight
3.) VOY: Threshold
4.) DS9: Let He Who Is Without Sin...
5.) TNG: Shades of Grey
6.) TNG: The Outrageous Okona
7.) DS9: Valiant
8.) DS9: Profit and Lace
9.) TNG: Justice
10.) TOS: And the Children Shall Lead
As far as finding the watching of it painful I would have only two.. (though I haven't exhausted TNG with rewatches so they don't spring to mind).
The Omega Glory, for the ending which is the most embarrassing Trek ever IMO.
Profit and Lace which is absolutely cringe city. OMG.
TATV is such utter shit I wouldn't even compare it to those two however. It doesn't even deserve to be on a list of bad eps because it is not just bad, it's an abomination.
The Omega Glory, for the ending which is the most embarrassing Trek ever IMO.
Profit and Lace which is absolutely cringe city. OMG.
TATV is such utter shit I wouldn't even compare it to those two however. It doesn't even deserve to be on a list of bad eps because it is not just bad, it's an abomination.
Really? I never thought there was anything wrong with that one. Not great, but not particularly bad eitherAdmiral Shran said:
The discovery of a planet with an identical history to Earth until their cold war blasted it back to a dark age?
That the planet had the US constitution.
It could have been only similar, with identical passages here and different passages there. I think the producers had to use stuff that was immediately recognizeable to audiences--the US Constitution and the flag--to drive home the allegory of how 1960s Earth could wind up (a post-apocalyptic world) if the Cold War went too far, IMO.
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