TOS' worst episode.

[Warped9]

Lets get into the dirt and talk about TOS' worst efforts.

I think these are poor although perhaps not outright bad:
“The Apple”
“I, Mudd”
“A Piece Of The Action”
“Spock’s Brain”
“The Mark Of Gideon”
“Turnabout Intruder”

I think these ones, well, kinda smell bad:
“And The Children Shall Lead”
“Wink Of An Eye”
“Whom Gods Destroy”


And yet each of these could have been better with a little more thought and care. It can also be said that even when "less than inspired" TOS was never boring.


Anyone else?

 

[uniderth]

My seven year old enjoyed watching kids on board the Enterprise in “And The Children Shall Lead.” I enjoy the ice cream scene.

I guess even in the bad episodes there is still something I can enjoy and look forward to.

 

[Drusilla's valet]

For me it works like this. Intelligent, compelling story line that makes sense, tight, crisp and on-point production and character involvement/interaction, decent and reasonable action, a level of continuity to the overall premise of Star Trek and lastly, good old fashioned fun (with an allowable degree of "camp" thrown in for good measure).

Some of the more popular "whipping boys" of TOS, like "Spock's Brain" come through on only a few points or perhaps based on perspective, a mere single point. And sometimes a single scene, or aspects of the production within a scene, for me, can salvage it.

None of TOS has ever bored me. The worst episode, IMO, is still much like an unpolished gem in that TOS to me, is simply fantastic, well conceived and well acted entertainment. I don't look for "PC".....I don't care about it....and I try to remind myself of the sometimes apparent, comic book nature of a few of the weaker offerings. At the end of the day, after a half decade of not watching a single episode of TOS, when I finally put it on....it was literally like seeing some very much loved old friends and family. That's what TOS meant and means to me today.

My most disliked episode?

"Plato's Stepchildren"

If its on will I watch it?

Of course. It's classic Star Trek...at its most worst....but Star Trek nonetheless.

 

[johnnybear]

Plato's Stepchildren, Whom Gods Destroy, The Empath and I Mudd are not favourites of mine! Conscience of The King isn't a good one but I can take it while Alternative Factor I can enjoy even with it's faults! Spock's Brain I've never understood the hate for and even And The Children Shall Lead has some good points too!
JB

 

[CorporalCaptain]

And the Children Shall Lead
The Lights of Zetar
Plato's Stepchildren


retrospectively, I see I really should have included:
Turnabout Intruder

 

[Warped9]

I've said it before. "And The Children Shall Lead" could have been a genuine horror story, but it got derailed from fulfilling its potential.

 

[uniderth]

The Episodes I consider most boring would be:
The Apple
The Paradise Syndrome
The Deadly Years
Turnabout Intruder

The one that drives me insane:
Tomorrow is Yesterday

Seriously, traveling through the solar system at warp you can't just wait a minute or two between bean downs. Not to mention How does beaming a person into themselves prevent the events that did occur from occurring. And how did the past Enterprise just vanish?!?!

 

[Warped9]

Trek has long indulged in a bit of wonky science.

Someone posted a theory about beaming people back into themselves in "Tomorrow Is Yesterday." It's disconcerting, but it makes a measure of sense.

They didn't actually beam them back into themselves. Capt. Christopher and the base Sergeant didn't go anywhere because the versions of them that didn't yet know anything about the Enterprise and crew hadn't been beamed aboard yet and so they remained where they were. The future Christopher and Sergeant went nowhere but perhaps poof.

How the Enterprise just disappeared is harder to rationalize except to say the two versions of the ship weren't trying to exist in the same place at the same time. The ship didn't go back into the atmosphere to return Christopher and the Sergeant back to where they came from, but rather it stayed in space. I suppose when the future versions of Christopher and the Sergeant disappeared the Enterprise in the atmosphere disappeared as well because it was presently already somewhere else.

Shit, I'm getting a migraine trying to reason this out.

 

[telerites]

"A Piece Of The Action” is a personal favorite. " Turnabout Intruder" is abysmal.

 

[3D ChessMaster]

When I visit my friends who get CBS action on their TV, they broadcast a different episode of ST TOS each weekday, I always like to watch whatever episode is on if they are amenable to that. The shows that I imagine would be least attractive to non fans though, that I would be slightly embarrassed to watch with them would be Plato's Stepchildren and The Empath due to their cruelty and Mudd's Women due to it's sexism.

 

[tomswift2002]

The Alternative Factor. The story really goes nowhere and is painful to watch.

 

[Harvey]

The Alternative Factor. The story really goes nowhere and is painful to watch.

This.

 

[Warped9]

While I can say I am disappointed with some episodes I can't say I'm ever embarrassed by any episodes.

 

[uniderth]

I'll also throw "The Empath" and "The City on the Edge of Forever" in as snoozers

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

Miri - disturbing
And The Children Shall Lead - disturbing
Elaan Of Troyius - Elaan's behaviour was embarrassing
Plato's Stepchildren - just all-around embarrassing

 

[Noname Given]

For me either:
"And the Children Shall Lead"
or
"Spectre of the Gun"

 

[albion432]

Each season contains one episode on my list of worst Star Treks:
Season One: "The Alternative Factor"
Season Two: "A Private Little War"
Season Three: "The Mark of Gideon"-- In my opinion this one is the worst ST episode of all, with "The Alternative Factor" a close second.

 

[RAMA]

The worst.

TOS:

1. Plato's Stepchildren
2. Turnabout Intruder
3. The Mark of Gideon
4. And the Children Shall Lead
5. The Way to Eden
6. Whom Gods Destroy
7. Spectre of the Gun
8. The Lights of Zetar
9. Spock's Brain
10. The Apple

Honorable mentions: I, Mudd, Mudd's Women, Alternative Factor. Oh hell. let's forget season 3 shall we?

RAMA

 

[CorporalCaptain]

let's forget season 3 shall we?

No.

 

[Push The Button]

For me, The Alternative Factor and The Lights of Zetar are painful to sit through, as well as Plato's Stepchildren.

But as others have stated, even the "worst" episodes have something good in them.